As m-commerce has become a booming trend, more and more enterprises are keen on investing in mobile app development. There are certain to be borne in mind to ensure that the mobile application brings extensive benefits to the business. One of these is choosing the right platform that addresses the business needs and delivers the required results. The choices available are many, from native apps for Android, iOS or Windows to cross-platform apps. The extensive choices make the selection confusing. There are some factors that need to be taken into consideration while making this all-important choice.
Features Of The Platform
It is essential for a platform to have adequate features to support a high-performance app. It should be intuitive and easy to learn so that the developers can carry out the process with agility and ease. Additionally, the platform should support collaborative workflows with smooth operations, from development to testing, debugging, deployment, hosting and maintenance of the application through its life cycle. Also, it should have features support expected functionalities such as push notifications, third-party integration, and data storage.
Targeted Audience
The choice of app platforms is influenced by the targeted audience too. Proper research of the customer demographics and market is essential to take the right decision. The geographic location of the business matters too. For instance, India and Asian countries have a bigger market for Android apps as compared to their iOS counterparts. The situation is opposite in the US, which has a larger iPhone user base.
Operating System
Another crucial factor is the mobile operating system on which the app is to be deployed. While the Android operating system runs a majority of consumer mobile devices, iOS is the favored operating system for enterprises. The two are the most widely preferred platforms, while Windows and BlackBerry are used in some areas.
Type Of Mobile Application
The type of mobile application also determines the choice of its platform. Native apps are useful for those who look for high-performance, with the capitalization of all the features of the device and OS. On the other hand, some businesses prefer the more economical web-based apps that are developed on web-based technologies and run on mobile browsers. A cross between the two is hybrid apps, which are available on the app store and can be used across various devices and platforms.
App Deployment
Mobile app development platforms can be deployed in two ways, as on-premises products or cloud-based services. On-premises solutions are resource-intensive and take longer implementation time, but turn up to be cost-effective in the long run. These offer better control over processes, security, and data protection. Conversely, cloud-based services are associated with easy access to a wide assortment of tools and technologies along with low startup cost.
Monetary Consideration
Finally, the cost is one of the most important factors that should be considered while deciding the mobile app development platform. It is vital to plan in advance and find out if the platform would fetch a reasonably good ROI for the business. Apps that seem to cost less in the initial development stages can turn out to be expensive in the long run. Also, hybrid apps should not always be seen as a cost-effective option because they may not be able to meet the business expectations in the end.
A business that wants to invest in a mobile application should be very clear about the expectations it has of the solution. It is equally important to convey these objective to the app developers so that they can develop a solution that matches them to perfection.
