Tag: app development company

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Winklix’s Frontend Development History

Winklix's Frontend Development History

Previous year, the Frontend Web Development Team of ours shed the habit of using Ruby. So, the obvious question is: which is better? Vue or Angular? Simply identify the one we chose as our frontend language.

In the past, many of our projects got built on Ruby. Without a shred of doubt, during its heydays Ruby happened to be a much sought-after language every developer wished to work with. However, years later after spending a lot of time on legacy projects, we came to a conclusion that as a company we should leave the Frontend and strive to raise our standards in terms of speed. The frontend team had personally experimented with several Javascript frameworks from various client projects, We saw the rapid transformation of these frameworks in a short span. Hence, it was apparent that to develop projects at huge scale we should familiarize ourselves with these frameworks.

VUE VS ANGULAR: OUR Needs

Being a tiny team, we required something properly documented and we could get familiar with ease. While testing Vue vs Angular, we needed to find something that was very familiar, as we would be working in an agile way. We desired a framework that enables us to develop working prototypes quickly. Having undertaken certain internal projects with Angular in the past, we came to a conclusion that Angular and React would suffice. We desired Angular as it satisfied our usual needs and also gave us the confidence that we could develop prototypes in CodePen and import them into our codebase easily. This looked impossible for us.

The issues regarding Angular

We built some humongous projects, such as Omstars and Keetoo, with Angular applications that we expanded from a mini working prototype to applications having zillions of monthly users. These are what we came to know all along.

Angular Show

Angular comprises certain performance-related hiccups and there are a lot of efforts needed to increase your project performance. But, the efforts are something which no one should comprise while building apps. For example, refrain from taking recourse to the ng-repeat directive or restricting your use of binding.

Two-Way Data Binding

This happens to be something I first thought would be revolutionary while building apps. A constant check regarding the $scope variable (data that can be utilized from anywhere in the project) and watcher in the DOM can be done when users go through your application. This check is enrolled with user events (such as click, scroll, key etc). It must be noted that this has had a profound impact on the page loading time.

Shifting to Vue

After consuming a few weeks for research and to compare frameworks (Angular2, React & Vue) and also developing some internal apps with React and Vue, we came to a conclusion that Vue, the framework, is simply meant for us. Given below are the reasons that prompted us to go for Vue.

The VUE Capacity

Vue’s performance is unarguably several notches better than Angular. Vue gives the project in the virtual DOM which is certainly quicker than the digest cycle in Angular (two-way data binding).

HTML AND CSS Expertise

All Frontend Developers need to familiarize themselves with HTML and CSS prior to dealing with other languages or frameworks. While operating on Vue you feel a bit of Deja vu which is hardly the case with what other frameworks provide. The knowledge we gained from HTML and CSS held us in good stead while moving to Vue.

A Convenient Learning Expertise

The last but not the least was how easier Vue was for us to get familiar with and this happened majorly due to the robust documentation and the community. As we built the internal applications with React, we got to know that it was very tough to get the basics right, however, with Vue, the documentation happened to be riddled with small code examples to enable you to go through every step along the way.

Vue VS Angular: The Finale

We at Winklix will be continuing our journey with the Vue because as a team we have invested a lot on it. Along the way, as we strive to make internal tools and undertake client projects we would like to share our progress as well. We have got a lot of things to talk about the Vue also. In our next rendezvous, we will be explaining how to establish a Vue project for the first time.

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Powerful ways to convert and retain app users through personalization

Powerful ways to convert and retain app users through personalization

There are 4.5 million apps on leading app stores and this only proves that the competition is only getting fiercer and fiercer. Companies are totally aware of the same as they vie for customers’ attention for their own mobile creations. The present pandemic has only increased this competition as apps have become the chief source to communicate with the external world.

The entities in the e-commerce, health, fitness, and media and entertainment domains, the pandemic has proved to be a boon. With consumers depending a lot on the digital touch points to communicate with brands, many enterprises witnessed digital traffic rising like never before.

To illustrate with an example, there was a 25 percent increase in eCommerce app installations during the pandemic (Q2 vs. Q1 2020), 7% more than the usual times. Once you attract the users’ attention it becomes imperative to retain them as well.

An effective manner to regularly drive user engagement, conversions and retention is by adopting app personalization into your mobile strategy. This write up tries to explore three ways to retain your fresh app users with personalization.

3 Ways To turn and retain users via Personalization

Deploy Voice To Add Personalized Touch to Search Experience

It is predicted that with the conclusion of 2020, 50 percent of search will happen through voice technology. Also, as per A December 2019 survey of Comscore Mobilens Plus, US smart speaker owners have begun using their devices to ask regular questions, stream music, and have updated info on sports, traffic, and weather and other things. Each voice search query requested by a particular user gives an intimation about their imminent requirements, needs, and preferences. Utilize this data to quickly generate product or content advice on the basis of partial or full search terms, assisting users to find what they want quicker. It needs to be kept in mind that these recommendations are becoming precise with every eventual search action of a user, aiding you to cut down the distance from product discovery to purchase.

Fully Extract The Potency Of Predictive Guidances

As competition and traffic to digital platforms spikes it only makes sense to employ advanced technology like AI, which offers an option for businesses to connect with users in a big way, apart from enhancing profitability. AI and machine learning-powered apps enable entities to fully extract the data gathered through online traffic and mobile devices to take user experience up by several notches. By deploying AI you can figure out trends and offer advice to make more logical and relevant options to get involved with your users. Netflix is a classic example that uses AI in an entertainment/media app, customize video content to suit personal preferences and contexts. As a result, the concerned or relevant product or content guidance get featured at the top.

Customize App Navigation Experience To Suit All

We know how useful users’ search, browsing, click pattern, and consumption history are. However, you can even personalize the way your users navigate your mobile app. Rest of the criteria such as gender, buyer personas, timezone, seasons/weather, etc. can be fully exploited to personalize the banner images, graphics, CTAs, popular products, offers, etc.

It is even important to utilize insights from your users’ most regular ways towards conversion to cash in on their navigational sojourn properly. If the navigational journey becomes more personalized, then there is a high prospect of your users finding what they need.

Last But Not The Least

The mobile app users desire and seek an excellent, customized user experience from the initial app launch itself. People in domains such as health, fitness, and media and entertainment the above-mentioned statement has a lot of relevance, especially in the post-Corona scenario. As we embrace the new normal, it’s a must to opt for consulting assistance. Our qualified and experienced mobile experts can work with you and answer any of your queries round the clock.

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The future of cloud computing apps in the face of challenges

mobile app development company

The high penetration of smartphones and internet connection has facilitated app developers and consumers to save data and communicate with the same in several ways. The provision of unlimited storage and the infinite processing capacity via cloud has proved to be a boon for techies as well as non technical personnels. Despite many companies moving to the cloud computing domain there are some who are shying away from incorporating the cloud in their mobile app development process. Native apps had been the rule till now, but the latest innovations in app development have put focus on mobile cloud computing.

According to Cisco’s research, the popularity of mobile cloud apps is bound to peak in 2019. As per their Global Cloud Index, the company said that cloud apps would accelerate 92 percent of the worldwide mobile data traffic by the conclusion of the year.

With cloud technology increasing its footprints globally, companies can only succeed by integrating cloud computing with mobile apps.

As the majority of the mobile cloud computing or MCC conversations get cramped with technical jargon, we start by dealing with the critical terms in the mobile cloud apps universe.

What do you mean by Cloud Computing?

The concept of cloud computing is constantly evolving in line with its characteristics, offerings, service, and deployment models. Basically, cloud computing can be defined as an on-demand network access to a host of resources sans any communications with the service provider.

In simple terms, cloud computing assures swift and convenient availability of a portion of important resources to clients who have to pay according to the usage. The shared resources such as mobile apps, software, and other services are offered to smartphone and desktop users according to demand.

Also, cloud computing permits users to maneuver their calculating ability based on their needs for a particular task at a certain time. Users will not have to think about the processing power or storage and derive the desired results devoid of compromising upon the quality.

Cloud Mobile App

This happens to be a mobile application functioning and accessed via the cloud. Despite cloud apps and services having native attributes, a huge chunk of the processing happens on a remote cloud server.

Some well-known examples of cloud mobile apps are Dropbox, Asana, and Apple’s iCloud services.

How Cloud Computing impacts Mobile Apps?

The integration of cloud computing in mobile apps has facilitated developers to include innovative features in apps that would have been inconceivable a few years ago. Let us see in what ways cloud computing has impacted mobile apps.

1. Gels with every platform

Cloud computing technology brought down the requirement for creating separate apps for diverse OS platforms. Dissimilar to native apps, cloud mobile apps have high compatibility across several platforms, which cuts down development cost as well as time.

Cloud computing technology also enables developers to create a single app and launch it in one go across platforms such as Android and iOS. As the app is available on the cloud in place of a platform, users won’t have any access issues provided they have a good internet connection.

2. Cut down expenses

The development expenditure regarding a native mobile app differs as per the features, design, and whole complexity of the app. But it is not exactly a cost-effective affair.

Cloud apps, however, cut down the app development expenditure as you have to develop just a single app for various platforms. The usage of a sole codebase can be perfect for small businesses or startups who work on tight budgets and they can’t spend huge on a native mobile app for Android and iOS. Several inexperienced developers have the tendency to ignore the ongoing maintenance cost linked with the app. In order for an app to operate smoothly, it requires maintenance and updation to cut down bugs.

3. High scope for scalability

Scalability pertains to capacity of an application to expand its abity and functionalities to satisfy ever-evolving users’ demand.

With regard to native and hybrid apps, the scalability comes at a premium. It can be a bit too expensive even for well-established companies. However with cloud apps, the users will not have the need to instal new features to their device or update their apps regularly to effect changes to the app. This can be done on native apps as well, but the cost and complexity will be on the higher side than cloud mobile apps.

Additionally, the users would also come across several hitches if the developer has not tested the new features thoroughly for bugs. This would prompt users to either uninstall your app, shift to your competitor’s app, or worse, give a poor rating across app stores and social media platforms.

4. Storage Space in Smartphone not required

The data pertaining to a cloud-oriented app is found on a cloud server that is placed remotely and accessed easily via a device aided by an internet connection. Cloud apps also cut down the installation procedures as they operate from a browser.

So with cloud apps, you do not have to scratch your head for storage capacity on the smartphone. In case of a low storage space on a smartphone, the user will not have to make space on the phone to access a cloud-oriented app. Their operation is akin to web-based apps and accessed straight from the central server.

Problems plaguing Cloud Computing in Mobile Apps

The concept of cloud computing in mobile apps revolves around a mobile application in the cloud services by a cloud service provider and then giving it to the end-users having an internet connection. There are some challenges obstructing the usability of cloud-based apps. Here are some significant challenges:

1. Information Security

Security is a huge problem regarding cloud apps as they store and process users’ data. App developing entities have to collaborate with third-party cloud service providers to make sure that all the policies pertaining to user authentication, access control, and general communications security are complied with, and steps have been taken to enforce them.

2. Unstable Internet Access

To access a cloud app without any hiccups, users require a stable internet connection. But the sad reality is that the same is lacking at many places across the world.

Despite the internet services providers offering 4G/LTE services to deal with the connectivity issues, the problem still persists. Without good internet connection cloud services cannot be leveraged to the optimum.

3. Resource gap in Mobile Devices

Despite mobile devices offering the feature of mobility, the same comes at the expense of inferior processing power, memory, and network bandwidth. The gap in resources regarding smartphones is a major stumbling block in adopting cloud-based apps. The divide between desktops and mobile devices has to be narrowed down considerably to smoothly operate high powered cloud-based applications on smartphones.

Finally

The usage of cloud computing in mobile apps is going to get higher in the long run. Advantages such as expandability, compatibility, and commercial viability, give a significant edge to cloud-based mobile apps. But, technology is still taking baby steps.

So, the course it will take in future will only become apparent once companies tackle issues such as data security, confidentiality, and privacy.