Evolve: How to Build the Next Version of Your App

The rapidity with which the tech world changes and evolves can be both good and bad for the “appreneurs” out there. Good because constant change means there are continual new, cool features and coding tricks that can be used to offer more value to your app. Of course, adding more value means more users, a bigger brand presence, and more money.

The bad comes in when you think about how tough it is to stay hip and current. Your app has to evolve alongside the platform, or it will become obsolete. In addition to the time drain required to be researching new advances, there is also the financial drain to consider; whether you have an IT team or hire a dedicated developer, it’s going to cost to keep up to date.

While the downside is significant its:

A. unavoidable; and

Like it or not, you have to stay relevant, or you will be replaced. Look at MySpace….or the entire music recording industry.

B. Mitigatable;

SDI can help. We created our dedicated staffing services with scenarios like this in mind. Clients can hire a full-time dedicated developer or designer to work on updates to the latest SDKs and languages and routine maintenance. At 20 dollars an hour, it’s a price you can’t beat. Plus it’s work that’s guaranteed by a premier app development company.

There’s another area where our dedicated services are extremely handy: If you launched only on a single platform and are planning on growing in stages. You already have an app made, plus a user base, so maybe starting a whole project isn’t the smart path; in comes our developers to work at your discretion, for as long as you need them.

So let’s say you have an Android app that’s already out there and it’s doing pretty well. You’ve got a good user base and steady revenue, but now it’s time to grow to the next stage. You want to know how to build the next app on an iPhone. No problem! Development and design for iOS are slightly different processes, but our developers are well-versed in this type of project and can have your Android app mirrored on iOS in 6 weeks or less.

Single or Multi-platform Launch?

The question of whether or not to launch on just one platform is one we face a lot. Many of our customers believe that it’s better to launch on both iOS and Android right off the bat. But the main issue here is that they use entirely different languages (Swift or Objective C for Apple and Java for Android) and offer different features. Plus, the end-user is different! iOS users tend to be more design-centered, while Android users are tech-centered.

First things first: if you have a substantial budget and a generous timeline, multiplatform is the way to go. But, if you are like most of us out there, you aren’t made of money or time. If that’s the case, a single platform offers unique advantages:

• It’s less expensive to build only on one platform.

• It’s also quicker;

• Single-platform launches are great for testing purposes. It lets you work out the kinks in the app – i.e. is the design working in the way the designers envisioned?

• It also helps with marketing, because you only have to create a -strategy for one platform. By the time you’re ready to grow to the next, you will already have brand awareness, making your life easier in the long run.

• As a growth plan, it practically writes itself. This is especially important for startups that have yet to establish a work culture and clear workflow processes. It has easily identified, already created markers by which you can measure growth – and can be viewed and understood by your entire workforce. Plus, Venture Capitalists and Angel Investors love it

Of course the obvious question that now presents itself is Android or iOS?

And the truth is that it almost always doesn’t matter. If your app is general enough it’s going to appeal to everyone. That being said, there are some things to consider about each:

• Android

Android has a high download potential and a vast share of the mobile phone market. It attracts techies and innovators who are more interested in revolutionary new tech as opposed to a pretty design. Also, Google has little in the way of development restrictions, so developers can go crazy.

• iOS

If you think you can charge right out of the gate for your app, you should consider iOS. Apple users are trendy, hip people, often business people and CEOS. They tend to be more affluent than Android users and are used to paying for apps (thus are also more willing to do so). These are design-focused people, so they like apps that flow really well – and look good doing it.

So you got to figure out the core target market for your app – to whom is it more likely to appeal? Are they Android users? iOS? Or Both? It’s probably the last, so your platform choice may not be that big of a deal – but it’s still a smart move to consider it! App success stories happen when people consider every angle, whether they think it might happen or not. Otherwise, you may wake up to find Hannibal at the Gates.

So want to know how to launch your next app? We can help. We have almost 2 decades of experience and have built over 5,000 apps for Android and iOS. Give our experts a call at 408.805.0495 to get a free consultation and quote. You can also request an NDA and a call by contacting us.

We look forward to hearing from you, but in the meantime, swing by our LinkedIn Page to see some more of our work and some of our past clients, like PepsiCo and Stanford.