Applications

Is Java Still Used For App Development?

/ nancyrubin / Leave a comment

Knowledge of Java is something all developers and programmers are expected to have. However, when it comes to the world of modern web applications, you will notice that there is a lot of negativity surrounding Java. Many people prefer other platforms – such as Python, Grails, Groovy, RoR, Narf, Wibble, and such like. This is a surprise to many, especially when you consider Java’s overall popularity. You would certainly expect a greater number of individuals to use Java for the development of web applications.

It is pivotal to begin by highlighting the fact that there are of course individuals who still use Java to develop their web applications. It has not become completely irrelevant. The users are there, but many people would agree that there are not as many as would be expected. Why is this so?

After doing excessive research, it becomes evident that the general feeling is that Java has lost its magic touch. Business owners and developers deem it to be too slow and absent of enough creativity. However, there are expert programmers who stand by Java completely, and say their experiences with other applications don’t compare. So, where do these divergent viewpoints come from? Can Java have really gone so rapidly downhill?

It all comes down to the size and complexity of the application in question. It would appear that a lot of individuals choose to develop their application on a different platform yet once, and if, it is no longer scalable they migrate to Java. Why is this so? Well, modern-day start-ups need to hit the market as soon as they can. This proves to be somewhat difficult with Java. This is especially the case when you consider the unproductive development process. Other frameworks allow you to see code changes instantly, whereas you have to deploy them with Java.

Thus, Java often proves to be too complex for start-up companies and those who merely want to develop a small and simplistic application. It provides more than what is required for these web applications. This is why many start out on Wibble, Groovy or something similar, and then move to Java afterwards.

However, this does not render Java unneeded from the offset. It also shows that its strengths lie within the development of much larger web applications. This is why developers tend to use Java when they are creating products for banks, insurance companies, and alike. The reliability of Java will always shine through and appeal to all audiences, yet the complexity can alienate some. Firms like IntelligIS can advise on the best sort of program to use for development if you’re unsure. They can even handle your project for you.

To conclude, there is no denying that Java is undoubtedly still used in modern web application development. However, you will find that it is used more frequently when it comes to the larger, scalable and the more complex end of the web application spectrum. When individuals merely require a small and simplistic app, they tend to use other platforms. Yet, this does not mean they won’t migrate to Java in the future. Once their application grows, Java will become more beneficial in relation to their needs.

How Can My Small Business Achieve a Significant Online Presence?

/ nancyrubin

The internet has changed our lives dramatically over the last couple of decades. It has changed our behaviour as consumers (meaning that businesses have to keep up) and one way they can go about doing so is being visible online. One thing small businesses struggle with is competing with more established companies, as an entrepreneur you need to show people that you’re reliable and trustworthy- and that they will have a good experience shopping with you. One way you can go about this is by having a good online presence; when a customer types your business into a search engine, they need to be able to see that you’re very much present and that everything is being run correctly. Here’s how you can go about it.

Get Your Website Right

When you’re a small business without much money to start off with, it’s tempting to want to cut costs on things like web design and have a go yourself. But while you may be able to knock up something that looks ok, it’s always going to lack that professional edge. If you want to make a good impression on customers and clients, you absolutely need to invest in a decent website. It needs to look good, be properly laid out and free of clutter and spam. It should be fast to load and free of errors. A web designer will be able to create something custom to you, so do some research and look through a few designers portfolios. Your website represents your business online, something that looks tacky will do nothing but put people off- after all, if your website is poor its easy to assume that the rest of your business is run the same way. We’re all guilty of thinking this way, how many times have you clicked off a website because it looked a little DIY or it was slow to load? It’s not something that would make you want to part with your money.

Have an App Created

Lots of smaller businesses still aren’t reaping the benefits of what an app can do for their business, meaning rightnow you have the chance to get ahead. Research how much does it cost to make an app and work this into your budget, it’s an investment that could mean big returns for your business. An app makes you look smart and professional, and for now it puts you ahead of your competition.

Get Social

Social media is one of the biggest things to come out of the internet in recent years. It’s something that business owners have been able to take advantage of, as it allows you to get closer to your customers and to communicate with them in a more informal way. You can quickly answer queries and questions, you can share positive comments, reviews and customer photos of your business. You can share marketing materials to your followers including sales, deals and discounts and you can run giveaways and competitions (which will increase your following further). Having a good following and being responsive on social media is a great way to improve your online presence.

Ask Customers For Reviews

Reviews really can make or break your business. When you’re thinking of shopping with a new company but are a little unsure, what’s the first thing you do? Chances are it’s go online and check the reviews. If you were already on the fence, a few bad reviews are going to sway you and lead you to go and shop somewhere else. Great reviews on the other hand will give you confidence, if most others have had a good experience then it shows that you probably will too. As a business owner, you should be investing time into building up your reviews. Ensure you’re putting out a quality service every time, and if there are any problems they should be dealt with quickly and professionally. You need to come to some kind of agreement where your customer is left happy, this will prevent them from leaving you a bad review. You can’t provide any compensation for positive reviews, but you can politely ask and if people have had a good experience with you then chances are they’ll be happy to leave you one. As well as adding a review tab to your Facebook business page, ask people to review you on a third party site like Trustpilot. These reviews are well respected as you have to sign up and verify your identity to post and so you know that anything posted is truthful- not just a company writing their own positive reviews! Another way you can get impartial reviews is by working with bloggers, if you send them out a free product for example they will review it fairly- of course if your product and business is good then it will be a good review. Having lots of reviews online when customers search increases your online presence and can sway anyone who’s a little unsure into making an order.

 

 

 

Apps All Business Owners Should Consider Using

/ nancyrubin

In this day and age everybody is using their phones or tablets to make their lives easier. Whether it’s sending a quick email on the way to work or simply keeping up with family members on Facebook, apps make it easier than ever to complete everyday tasks. The business world is actually greatly affected by apps these days too, and no matter what kind of industry you’re in, you can find the perfect app to help you run your business more smoothly. Take a look at these apps that all business owners should consider using and see if there’s any that could benefit your business!

Crowdfire

Anyone who is anyone is using social media as a way of promoting their business – and for good reason too. Social media can quickly and efficiently grow your business. The more followers and interaction that you gain from social media = better business. Crowdfire is an app that allows you to schedule posts to your social media accounts, saving you time and allowing you to get on with other tasks. The app can also help you grow your following too, so it’s definitely worth investing in the premium version of the app.

Greasebook

If you’re running a business that requires you to be in contact with drivers carrying highly sought after loads like gas and oil, it’s essential to be able to keep in contact with them at all times. Greasebook.com allows you to do exactly that, all while tracking tank levels and submitting gauge sheets. The perfect way of keeping in touch with your drivers and running your business as smoothly as possible.

Accompany

Accompany is an essential app for those that have to attend a plethora of business meetings. The app will send you a detailed email before your meetings entailing the subjects and other important information. The app works by using your microsoft and gmail accounts, as well as your social media accounts too so that it can pull up information about your contacts and prepare you for up and coming meetings.

Toggl

Ever find yourself losing track of time and spending too much time on one particular task? Hate keeping track of all of those timesheets and worrying about one becoming lost? Well, with Toggl you no longer have to worry about this! Track your time worked and also use it as a time management tool so that all tasks are completed!

Gusto

Finally, Gusto is a must-have app for any entrepreneur. Nobody likes bookkeeping and now you can access an app to help those boring and mind boggling financial tasks a breeze!

What apps can you use for your business? Are there any that you’d recommend for entrepreneurs looking to make their lives easier? Let us know below!

 

Does Your App Score Points with Consumers?

/ nancyrubin

Assuming you have a mobile business app, would you rate it a success up to now?

Many small businesses thinking of going the app route for one reason or another end up not doing it. As a result, they can be missing out on opportunities to sell their brand.

If you’ve decided to move forward with a mobile app, where will you begin?

Making Sure You Get Good Reviews

Whether only starting out with an app or you’ve had one around for a while now, you want to make sure it gets good reviews.

With that in mind, know that there are companies out there whose sole job is to review business apps on a daily basis. As such, you’d want to get a good review, correct?

Whether getting a Bismanonline app review or from other companies, here’s why good ones are key:

  1. Brand notoriety – While you never want to stand out for the wrong reason, notoriety for the right ones is big. That said a strong mobile app game is important for your brands success. Having that recognition can not only help you keep business, but also land new customers.
  2. Customer experience – Good reviews help build a better customer experience. If a consumer has your app at or near the top of their phone, there’s a good chance you’re going to do regular business. Although many still shop online via desktop or laptop computers, more go the mobile route. As such, you want to make sure they have the best customer experience possible each time out.
  3. Socialize the process – With a mobile app, make sure your business is as social as can be. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and other such sites are important to promoting your brand. Your app can offer relevant industry content, coupons, and of course consumer feedback. With a solid social media game on your app, reviewers will be apt to give you the thumbs up.
  4. Staying ahead – Last, you want positive reviews to stay ahead of the competition. Remember, most competitors will always be looking for ways to upstage you. As a result, you can’t assume they are not investing much time and money into their apps. The chances are they have in fact been investing time and dollars towards their apps (see more below).

Did You Design the Best Possible App?

Whether you did your mobile app in-house or reached out for help, did you come up with a good one?

In the event you are not happy with the current app for your small business, don’t settle for mediocrity.

Take the time and money if necessary to do better. When you do, your mobile app should garner more interest from consumers.

Last, don’t be afraid to see what competitors have done with their apps.

Never copy them down to the last detail. That said don’t be afraid to look at their ideas and how you could put in place one or more in your own manner.

If your app is not scoring points with consumers, it is time to restart the game.

About the Author: Dave Thomas writes about business topics on the web.

 

 

Top Reasons People Hate Your App

/ nancyrubin

It can sound a bit harsh to say someone hates your app, but if you’ve gotten to the point where you feel like it could be possible, it’s time to figure out why. When you have a business, and you create an app, your objective obviously isn’t to have people hate it.

Unfortunately, more often than not that can be the case. If you can identify what elements of your app design or functionality users don’t like, you may be able to fix it without a complete overhaul.

If you’re not sure where to start, the following are some of the top reasons users could be less-than-thrilled with your app in its current form.

Users Don’t Know When Something Is Happening

You’re using an app, you push something, and it seems like nothing happens. There’s no acknowledgment that you’ve taken action.

Is it working or not? It’s extremely frustrating but all-too-common.

When you create your app, you want your users to know that their action is recognized. For example, you can show an icon of movement or that the screen is being refreshed. You want to be able to create a sense of cause and effect for user actions.

Advertising Feels Intrusive

Nobody likes intrusive advertising in any media. We’re at a point in digital technology where people can largely avoid advertising altogether if they choose. So while you may need to drive revenue with in-app advertising, you need to be careful with it.

You don’t want to include super graphics-heavy advertising or video ads that are going to make someone’s phone seem like it’s going haywire every time they use your app.

You also don’t ever want to include any unresponsive advertising. It’s going to be highly frustrating, and even if your app itself is great, it’s probably not going to matter.

Constant Push Notifications

Push notifications can be an excellent marketing tool, but not when you’re bombarding users. If someone feels like their smartphone is buzzing every hour with your push notifications, they’re probably going to uninstall the app.

As with advertisements, you need to be smart, strategic and discerning with your push notifications, so they create value rather than turning off users.

Constantly Asking for Reviews

When someone downloads an app, they do so because they want it to bring value to their life. It’s not about your business getting feedback.

If you’re using every second a person spends in an app asking them to like or share it, they’re going to feel frustrated.

That’s just a big interruption and obstacle in the overall user experience. If someone is trying to complete a task in your app and they keep being stopped so it can ask for a review or a like, it’s a problem.

Of course, in-app feedback can be useful, but it can’t be overdone, or like advertising, it can’t feel intrusive to the user experience.

Finally, be on the conservative side when it comes to how many personal details you’re asking your users for. Yes, your app may ask for some, but it’s important that you do so for a purpose, and you disclose this to users with transparency. Otherwise, they’re going to feel like you’re trying to exploit them or take advantage.

Top 3 Questions To Consider Before Developing a Social Networking App

/ nancyrubin

The exact costs of building a social app can’t be estimated out of the blue. There are lots of factors influencing the cost of mobile apps. We’re going to shed light on what goes into building a social networking app.

Everyone knows the likes of Vine, Instagram, and Snapchat, right? Great, let’s delve into a development process to understand what goes into an app and makes up the costs.

The Basics

Before you start requesting for a custom app quote, read more on how to develop a social media app. Then you have to visualize your app idea. Making it simple – outline the basic features of your future app.

Here you can find the main questions to answer before developing an app:

Question #1: What’s your target market?

It’s a well-known fact that understanding the fundamental needs of your target user and satisfying them is a key to an app’s success.

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Here’s an example how the understanding of the target market leads to the unbelievable app’s success.

As lots of parents flocked to Facebook, teens were urged to shift a social network while they wanted more anonymity and more space for expressing themselves. And that’s what Snapchat promised with its disappearing messages.

And a few words about Instagram. A vast majority of people don’t fancy how the photo sharing works on Facebook. And this was the premises for the development of Instagram, a handy platform for photo sharing.

Find out the common needs as well as frustrations of your target audience to develop an app that will win over the others.

Once, you know your end user, and what paint the app is going to solve, it’s time to use a user-story approach to estimate the ballpark costs. And what is a user-story based approach? User stories are short summaries of what a user expects from an app and what it needs to do.

For example, as a user, I’d like to send instant messages and share photos. Isn’t it simple? With a thorough market research, you can quickly identify what your users are and what they need.

Question #2 What platforms to develop for?

It’s the most frequently-asked question when it comes to an app development. There is a vast number of mobile operating systems to reach – iOS, Android, Windows, etc. But what platform to pursue first?

There is no right or wrong answer to this question. Just conduct a market research to find out a priority platform.

Nowadays, it’s beneficial to develop a mobile and web social networking app. But being fair, the iOS apps are released earlier.

And there are a couple of obvious reasons. The iOS apps take less time when compared with Android or Web-based mobile apps. And less time means less money.

Note, the main thing to consider is that a mobile platform you choose should match the preferences of your target audience. It’s no use in developing an Android app for Northern America since the iOS prevails in Northern America and Western Europe. And Android takes the rest of the world.

Question #3 What main features to integrate?

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In fact, all social apps have lots of features in common while they deliver quite the same functions.

●      Registration

Consider, allowing the registration via existing social media profiles.

The key reasons to integrate registration through social media profiles:

  • A seamless registration process
  • A quick and fast adoption thanks to the existing social connections

Registration with social media accounts will allow new users to import profile data from their existing profiles. Thus the users don’t need to spend long hours filling in the profile. In addition, fewer steps mean faster adoption for new users.

●      Self-Expression Tools

To create a social app that catches everyone attention, your app should stay addictive and excite your users.

What cool features to implement to wow the users just off the bat?

  • Augmented reality
  • Live streaming
  • Self-destructing messages

These are big features that can make your app stand out from the crowd. But there are a great many of small features that count more for app’s success. Provide the users with the possibility to create personal profiles.

●      Newsfeed

Social networks where nothing happens cause no fun.

When the users are eager to check the app as frequently as possible, your app gets more popularity. Push and notification strategy can help you create a great user retention mechanism.

How to make a stunning newsfeed?

  • Integrate different types of updates (text, photo, video, etc.)
  • Deliver a powerful content and filter duplicate entries
  • Provide the ways to interact with the newsfeed content (like, comment, share, etc.)
  • Develop the men to report inappropriate content

These are the essential features to develop first when it comes to a social networking app. Of course, you will need to add a secret sauce to win over the existing apps.

 

Short Bio

Hi, everyone! I’m Helen Morrice I try hard to explain geek news in a plain (and readable) language. Here you can read one of my coverages on the mobile app development. To read more, visit my blog or follow me on Facebook/Twitter

Appy Days: The Undeniable Benefits Of Launching An App

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Photo:

Smartphone and tablet devices have revolutionized the way we interact with technology. Subsequently, Apps have become one of the modern phenomenons to influence the world of business. Quite frankly, if you’ve yet to launch one for your company, you’re missing out.

Successful business Apps offer many rewards to modern businesses. Here’s why yours could become the greatest weapon in your arsenal in the battle for supremacy.

Reach New Audiences

The best thing about digital marketing is that it offers you a shot at reaching global audiences instantly. You’ve already designed a killer website to provide a great starting platform. However, adding an App to your list of products could be another great way to show the versatility of your brand.

Any tool that can increase exposure, especially to those that wouldn’t know about your business through other means can only be a good thing. In truth, it should be the only motivation you need, although there are plenty of other incentives too.

Encourage Increased Interaction

Statistics show that there has been a huge shift towards mobile internet usage in recent years. In fact, clients now spend just as much time on those screens as they do on their computers. This creates a huge opportunity to gain increased interaction from the customers. An App is easily the best way to embrace those sentiments.

Once a customer has downloaded your App, it can be accessed with the click of a button. This in itself should encourage frequent use. For a comprehensive experience, you could create additional incentives to use Apps, social media, and web browsers in unity. Essentially, it’s just another way to create that stronger overall product.

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Build A Bigger Reputation

Customer perceptions can be influenced very easily. A strong SEO presence or big social media following can make the business appear bigger and more experienced. Guess what? An App offers further indication to the quality of your company too.

This will only be possible when the App works faultlessly, though. Use the list of Java profilers to monitor performance at all times. By keeping on top of the potential issues, you’ll ensure that the App continues to enhance the image of the product and the brand.

Direct Marketing Opportunities

The increased familiarity gained from encouraging customers to download your App is fantastic. However, if that isn’t enough of an incentive, the chance to promote specific products will be.

Coding your App so that it promotes those specific products is easy. Whether it’s through adverts or push notifications, it can go a long way to influencing the client. Use a blog post to further promote that product, and conversion rates should soar.

Stay On Trend

There’s no doubt that an App can help grow your audience. Then again, it’s equally to think about the growing demands of your existing clients. They will expect to see more from your company as it grows, and this is a great way to show that you are still on trend.

Link the App to social media to encourage greater participation too, and the customer experience will feel greater than ever. Even if the App isn’t directly connected to the products or services you produce, it will boost your long-term revenue.