Blog

InspiringApps News

InspiringApps Named to Inc.’s Second Annual Power Partner Awards

Boulder, CO—InspiringApps has been honored among the Power Partners Inc. named in 2023. The award honors B2B organizations across the globe that have proven track records supporting entrepreneurs and helping startups grow. Power Partner Awards are gleaned through customer feedback. Power Partners Inc. award winners received top marks from clients for being instrumental in helping leadership navigate the dynamic world of startups. This select group of B2B partners represents the best companies to support entrepreneurs across various facets of the business, allowing founders to focus on their core missions. Trusted B2B Partners Instrumental in Navigating the Startup World “Trusted B2B partners provide guidance and expertise that founders rely on at various steps of their organization’s journey. Partners that possess a demonstrated ability to deliver quality support are at the core of entrepreneurship and help bring big ideas to life,” says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. Business Media. The Power Partner Award is a testament to what it means to be a true partner. The organizations recognized by Inc. received glowing reviews from their clients, acknowledging their invaluable support in navigating the dynamic world of startups.  “At InspiringApps, we go the extra mile to ensure every aspect of our end product is top-notch,” says Brad Weber, CEO of InspiringApps. “We’re proud to be honored by Inc. for a partnership award based on feedback directly from our clients, which further validates our collaborative approach to success.” Building Impactful Digital Products Uniquely Driven by Inspiration InspiringApps turns complex requirements into ‌easy-to-use apps. Clients say we aren’t like vendors; we feel like part of their internal teams. Our commitment to our craft, technical acumen, and 100% onshore team set us apart—so much so that some of our collaborative solutions have been the most successful in our clients’ history. Beyond being easy to do business with, we offer unparalleled agility and speed. For example, we helped bring the ēdn product to Apple’s retail store in 60 days, including being HomeKit certified and passing that test on the first try. At InspiringApps, we deliver what we promise, on time and on budget—with award-winning quality, collaboration, and design. Inc.’s latest award builds on other accolades we’ve earned this year, including the 2023 Fast Company Innovation by Design Awards, recognizing our work with Fidelity National Financial on the transformative inHere app. About Inc. Business Media The world’s most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community they need to build great companies. Inc.’s award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels, including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. For more information, visit www.inc.com. About InspiringApps InspiringApps builds web, mobile, and custom apps that help companies impact their employees, customers, and communities. Our award-winning, inspired work has included 200+ apps since the dawn of the iPhone. Our core values are integrity, respect, commitment, inclusivity, and empathy. Our guarantee: finish line, every time, for every project. Get in touch at hello@InspiringApps.com.

1 month ago

App Development

Mobile Device Security: Data Protection on iOS & Android

Mobile devices are essential to our everyday lives. They allow us to access the internet, communicate with others, and store important documents in the cloud.  But mobile devices also collect data about their users and share that information with third parties. This can lead to privacy and even security issues if you’re not careful when developing your app. Android and iOS employ various security measures to protect user data. Yet, we spend increasing amounts of time using phones for personal and corporate purposes. It’s become even more crucial to strengthen mobile security measures further. In this article, we’ll discuss how to protect user data on both iOS and Android platforms, from first launch to enterprise. Mobile Devices, Data & Privacy Mobile devices constantly collect and share data, making personal privacy an issue. Mobile devices collect user information and location information, which can be shared with third parties for various purposes, including ad targeting. These third parties may use this data in ways you might not expect or approve of, such as selling it to other companies or using it for their own purposes without your knowledge.  The velocity at which data is changing hands keeps getting faster, and the winds of legislative change provide lessons for all companies on data responsibility. While some laws require companies to be transparent about collecting and using information on mobile devices (e.g., the GDPR), these laws don’t apply everywhere. They aren’t always applied the same across borders. As a product owner, ask yourself, “Is this necessary?” to help protect user data. Mobile devices are constantly collecting and sharing data, which can be used to track your location or share personal information. Data protection, security, and privacy are intertwined into the concept of data well-being. For your app to function properly, it may need access to sensitive information like the user’s location or contacts list. As such, the user must give explicit consent before any such data is accessed or shared. As an iOS developer (or any other type), you should always ask yourself: “Is this necessary?” If not—and if alternative methods are available—you should use those instead. Data is a precious resource—one of the most valuable assets to an organization that must be protected accordingly. With data sharing, less is more. Collecting only what you truly need will help protect your users’ privacy and security from potential hackers who might try stealing sensitive information from them through malware attacks on their mobile phone/tablet devices. Android & Apple: How They Handle Security Differently Ensuring the safety of our personal data and privacy is of utmost importance, and that’s where mobile security comes into play. When it comes to this, two of the biggest players in the market are Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android. While iOS is renowned for its closed ecosystem and timely security updates, Android’s strength lies in its open nature. Let’s delve deeper into their respective security mechanisms and compare their attributes. Which is more secure—iOS or Android? In general, iOS is considered to be more secure than Android. This is due to several factors, including: Apple’s Closed Ecosystem: Apple has much more control over the hardware and software that goes into its devices, which makes it more difficult for hackers to find and exploit vulnerabilities. Apple’s Aggressive Security Patching: Apple quickly releases security patches for its devices, which helps keep users safe from known vulnerabilities. Android’s Fragmentation: The Android ecosystem is very fragmented, with many different manufacturers and carriers offering their own operating system versions. This makes it more difficult for Google to release security patches for all Android devices and gives hackers more targets to exploit. However, it is important to note that no operating system is 100% secure. There have been malware and hacking attacks on iOS and Android devices. Ultimately, the security of your device depends on both the operating system and the user’s behavior. Android and iOS devices employ various security measures to keep data safe. Both Android and iOS use strong encryption features to protect data. If a device is stolen, the data cannot be accessed without the encryption key. However, there are differences in encryption methods between the two platforms. Android employs device-specific keys that are unique to each device. This means there is no universal key for all Android devices. Google services like Gmail or Chrome may have separate keys associated with them. Both the device-specific key and the Google key are required to access data. In contrast, iOS uses a combination of device-specific keys and iCloud keys. Even if someone has a device, they still need the iCloud password to access the data. While both platforms have strong encryption features, encryption is not foolproof. It is essential to take additional security measures to keep data safe. Security Features on Android Devices By utilizing data encryption, data accessibility, and other security features, Android devices effectively safeguard data against unauthorized access: Data Encryption: Android’s encryption features have become increasingly sophisticated and robust. All Android devices are encrypted by default, and Android 12 introduces improvements such as enhanced file-based encryption, stronger encryption for sensitive data, and new security features for app developers. Data Accessibility: Android devices use a permission system to regulate app data access. Only apps with granted permissions can access specific data. App permissions can be managed in Settings > Apps & notifications > Advanced > App permissions. Malware: Google Play Protect scans apps for malware and other security threats and monitors devices for suspicious activity.  Two-Factor Authentication: Android two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of security to Android devices and accounts by requiring a code from users’ phones and their passwords when logging in. Android users can enable Android 2FA in Settings > Security > 2-step verification. Find My: Find My Device helps locate lost or stolen devices and allows data erasure, if necessary. Dedicated Storage: Trusty is a dedicated secure subsystem on Android devices that securely stores sensitive data like fingerprint and face scan data. This data is encrypted and can only be accessed by authorized apps with the correct credentials. Security Updates: Google regularly releases security updates for Android, addressing potential vulnerabilities that attackers may exploit. It is important to install these updates promptly. Furthermore, Google’s latest Android operating system introduces new default app security features. Since Android 7.0 Nougat (released in 2016) automatically encrypts all Android devices. The data on the device is protected by a strong encryption key accessible only with the device passcode, PIN, or pattern. Android 12, the latest version, introduces additional security features, including: Enhanced Encryption: Android 12 encrypts files with unique keys, making it harder for attackers to access data even with compromised device encryption keys. Stronger encryption algorithms protect sensitive data like biometric authentication and app credentials. New Security Features for App Developers: Android 12 provides new APIs for developers to implement secure encryption practices. Security Features on iOS Devices iOS devices use a variety of security features to keep your data safe, including: Data Encryption: Using a strong encryption algorithm, iOS devices encrypt all user data by default. This means that if someone were to steal your device or gain unauthorized access to the data, they would not be able to read it without the encryption key. Your device passcode, PIN, or pattern protects the encryption key. Data Accessibility: iOS devices use a permission system to control which apps can access data. This means that apps can only access data you have permitted. You can control app permissions using Settings > Privacy & Security > App Permissions. Malware: Apple does not have a built-in malware scanner for iOS. Instead, Apple relies on several other security features to protect iOS devices, such as: Sandbox: iOS uses a sandbox system to isolate apps from each other and the system. This prevents malicious apps from accessing other apps or system files. Code Signing: All apps on the App Store are code-signed by Apple. This means that Apple has verified the developer’s identity, and the app has not been tampered with. Automatic Security Updates: iOS devices automatically receive security updates from Apple. This helps to keep iOS devices up to date with the latest security patches. Two-Factor Authentication: 2FA is a security feature that adds an extra layer of protection to your account by requiring you to enter a code from your phone and your password when logging in. You can enable 2FA for your Apple ID by going to Settings > Your Name > Password & Security. Find My: Find My is a service that can help you to locate your lost or stolen device. It can also help you erase your device’s data if necessary. Dedicated Storage: Secure Enclave is a dedicated chip that securely stores sensitive data like fingerprint and face scan data. This encrypted data can only be accessed with the iOS user’s passcode, PIN, or pattern. Security Updates: Apple releases security updates for iOS regularly. These updates patch security vulnerabilities that attackers could exploit. It is important to install security updates as soon as they are available. Furthermore, the latest iOS release, iOS 16, introduces several new security features and enhancements that help to protect users from a wide range of threats. Some of these features are, notably: Lockdown Mode: Lockdown Mode is a new mode that provides an extreme level of security for users who face targeted threats to their digital security. When Lockdown Mode is enabled, certain features and functionality are limited to help protect users from targeted attacks. For example, most messaging attachments other than images are blocked, and incoming FaceTime calls from unknown callers are prevented. Enhanced Privacy Controls: iOS 16 includes several new privacy controls, such as the ability to choose which apps are allowed to access your location and the ability to see which apps have accessed your clipboard in the past hour. Regarding apps and mobile devices, it’s clear that security is on everyone’s mind. With great convenience comes great responsibility. It’s important to approach security thoughtfully to navigate the digital landscape. Taking Security Further As a developer, you can go beyond what the OS offers by investing in security from the ground up. Taking the right precautions when developing mobile apps can help ensure user data is safe. The first step is to use a secure coding language and development environment. You can also implement specific security measures such as encryption, 2FA, and biometrics authentication. Securing Your First App The first step to ensuring your user data is safe is a secure coding language and development environment. There are many ways that hackers can get access to your app’s code, so it’s important that you use secure coding practices at every step of the process. If you are launching an app for the first time, the most important security things for you to know and implement are: Start with a security-first mindset. Keep security in mind throughout development, from design to implementation to testing. Don’t underestimate the importance of security testing. Hire a security professional to test your app before you release it. Be transparent with your users about how you are protecting their data. Publish a privacy policy and explain to your users how you are using their data. Be responsive to security vulnerabilities. If a security vulnerability is discovered in your app, fix it immediately and release a patch. By following these tips, you can help to ensure that your first app is secure and that your users have a positive experience. For enterprise-level data protection, add an extra layer of control. In addition to the above measures, large enterprise apps may also need to consider the following: Implement two-factor authentication for all of your apps. 2FA adds an extra layer of security to your apps by requiring users to enter a code from their phone in addition to their password when logging in. Use biometrics to authenticate users. Biometrics, such as fingerprints and face scans, are a secure way to authenticate users. Use a threat modeling process to identify and mitigate security risks. Threat modeling is a process that helps you to identify and assess potential security threats to your app. Once you have identified the threats, you can implement mitigation strategies to reduce the risk. Implement role-based access control. Role-based access control (RBAC) is a system that controls which users have access to which resources in your app. This helps to prevent unauthorized users from accessing sensitive data or performing unauthorized actions. Implement a zero-trust security model. A zero-trust security model assumes no user or device can be trusted by default. This approach can help protect your app from unauthorized access, even if an attacker can compromise a user’s account or device. In addition to the above measures, large enterprise apps may need to comply with various regulations, such as HIPAA, PCI DSS, and GDPR. These regulations often have specific security requirements that must be met. It is important to educate your employees about security best practices. Security awareness and training will help reduce the risk of human error, a major cause of security breaches. Treat security as a competitive advantage. Mobile app security has become a top priority for businesses of all sizes. With the increasing number of data breaches and cyberattacks targeting mobile apps, users are more discerning than ever about the apps they download and use. Businesses that take mobile app security seriously can gain a significant competitive advantage. Many users need to be made aware of the security features available in mobile apps. Businesses can gain a competitive advantage by highlighting their app’s security features in marketing materials and app store listings. You can also innovate using security to your advantage. Taking mobile app security seriously can increase customer trust, loyalty, and market share. Focus on Security: Case Study For example, security is paramount in the rapidly evolving real estate industry. Buyers, sellers, and agents must be confident that their personal and financial information is safe and secure. inHere understands this and has made mobile app security a top priority. Industry experts have recognized this focus on mobile app security. inHere was nominated as an honorable mention for the Fast Company Security category of the prestigious Innovation by Design Awards. inHere’s focus on mobile app security has helped the company to build a reputation as a trusted and innovative platform for real estate transactions. This reputation has given inHere a competitive advantage in the market. Mobile Device Security Affects Everyone If you take the right precautions when developing mobile apps, you can ensure user data is safe. Personal privacy has become a pressing issue with the advent of mobile devices. With so much data being collected and shared by these devices, developers must be aware of the security and privacy concerns of creating iOS or Android apps. By following best practices when developing your app and keeping up with current trends in mobile technology, you can ensure that users will have peace of mind when using your product.

1 month ago

App Development

Mastering the Art of Mobile App Updates: Strategies for Seamless Maintenance

App maintenance is not about fixing what’s broken. It’s about continuous improvement and staying relevant in a fiercely competitive market. Learn more about why you should prioritize app maintenance, what types of app maintenance you can expect, and best practices to keep your app in stellar shape. App maintenance is the propelling force that ensures your app remains at the pinnacle of performance, security, and user satisfaction—and, more importantly, continues building trust in the company’s brand and mission. Mobile app updates aren’t just necessary to keep your app at the top of your customer’s favorites list. In today’s dynamic digital landscape, app maintenance is not an option. It’s a necessity for sustaining long-term success. Regular and strategic updates help you achieve a range of success-ranking factors: Improved app store ranking. Reduced costs and increased ROI. Enhanced user experience and retention. Your app benefits from continued trust from a loyal customer base. The Benefits of Consistent Mobile App Maintenance Improved App Store Ranking Frequent updates signal app stores that your application is alive and well-maintained. This can positively impact your app’s ranking within the store, making it more discoverable to potential users. Both Apple and Google have not disclosed the exact details of their search ranking algorithms for app stores. However, it’s generally accepted that the following factors are considered in app store ranking calculations: Average rating. Rating and review volume. Download and install counts. Uninstalls. App usage statistics. Growth trends. Keyword density on the app’s landing page. For example, one statistic noted a median app rating of 4.7 among the top 100 free apps. Many of these factors, like ratings, can be improved with regular app maintenance. Cost Efficiency An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. While app maintenance can be costly, it is far less expensive than the potential fallout from a severe failure or a damaging security breach. As Google noted, privacy or security is one of the top factors when deciding whether to install an app. Regular maintenance can prevent expensive incidents and save money in the long run. Return on Investment Apps don’t pay for themselves…although many business owners wish they did! A well-maintained app results in faster speed and happier users. Consequently, happy users return for more. This cycle increases the return on your app development investment in the long term. Enhanced User Experience Regular updates based on user feedback and industry trends help refine the app’s features and functionalities. Your app should regularly improve features or add new ones to keep your users interested, especially in a digital world where hundreds of other apps, websites, and media compete for their attention. Improved User Retention Have you ever downloaded an app, opened it once, and never again? How many unused apps are wasting away in cloud storage because you didn’t use them? Both instances are bad news for the future of your app. In fact, one report suggested that half of apps are unstalled within 30 days after download. A well-maintained app regularly introduces new features, keeps bugs at bay, and adapts to the changing environment. App updates assure users of your commitment to their needs, inevitably encouraging user retention. How To Approach Mobile App Updates Launching a mobile app is a massive lift for any team. Developing an app takes months of planning, writing, designing, coding, app testing and monitoring, and iterating. After your teams start to dream in code, the last thing you’ll want to do after your launch is to start it all over again. In reality, application maintenance should start right after launch if not happening concurrently. Technology moves quickly. Bad agents try to burst through the most secure firewalls. Human attention spans are shrinking, from 12.5 seconds 15 years ago to 9 seconds today. (If you were wondering, that’s the same attention span as a goldfish.) Once your app is live or even beforehand, it’s time to start planning for app updates and enhancements. Key Considerations: Frequency, Team, & Cost Ultimately, an app’s success or failure can depend on how well you manage its maintenance. Understandably, there are key considerations to keep in mind here. Here are some factors to consider. Frequency In terms of frequency, you’ll want to map out a plan. App maintenance frequency defines when you’ll conduct updates and adjustments as time passes. Consider: What objectives would you like to achieve with the specific frequency of maintenance on your application? Do you want your app to be consistently available for users? Will you include new features or improved functionality? Do you anticipate changes in technology that would cause issues with performance? Frequency can range from every week to once a quarter, depending on how your team answers these questions. Team When should you hire an app development partner? It’s a question that concerns the operations and bandwidth of your internal team, who may have the desire but not the time. Trusting a well-suited, experienced partner helps you stay ahead of user demands and new technology. Your ultimate goal with a capable partner is to develop features that add value users love, and they can bring new perspectives to your app maintenance. Budget It’s best to build application performance optimization costs before your initial launch. This initial planning helps prevent unforeseen expenses, ensuring smooth operation and continuous updates. Other Best Practices for App Updates In addition to budget allocation and preemptive measures, your team should follow various other best practices to ensure effective and comprehensive app maintenance. These practices uniquely enhance your app’s functionality, stability, and user experience. Be Responsive to User Feedback Users are the lifeblood of any application. Their feedback helps identify areas for improvement and potential new features. It’s vital to be responsive to their input, as their satisfaction directly impacts your app’s success. Eliminate Bugs ASAP Bugs can undermine an app’s reliability and user experience, leading to negative reviews and decreased user retention. Addressing bugs as soon as they arise can maintain the integrity of your app and keep users satisfied. Keep Tabs on Key Performance Metrics Monitoring essential performance metrics such as load time, crash rate, session length, etc., enables you to assess your app’s functioning and identify issues that need immediate attention. Leverage New OS & Device Updates to Your Advantage Each new operating system (OS) update or device launch presents opportunities to enhance your app. By staying abreast of these updates, you can leverage them to improve your app’s performance and user experience. Add Features & Refresh Content Regularly Regularly updating your app with new features and content keeps users engaged and encourages repeat usage. It demonstrates your commitment to meeting user expectations and evolving with the market. Keep the Design Fresh Users appreciate an app that looks and feels modern. Regularly refreshing your app’s design can enhance its appeal, improve user experience, and reflect your brand’s evolution. Market Your Update Announce your updates through marketing channels to highlight new features or improvements. Effective marketing can increase user engagement and attract new users to your app. Sustaining Success: Why App Maintenance is Crucial for Long-Term Digital Product Management In today’s dynamic digital landscape, app maintenance is not an option but a necessity for sustaining long-term success. It is the propelling force that ensures your app remains at the pinnacle of performance, security, and user satisfaction. To help extend your team further and get the most out of your app maintenance efforts, we can assist in facilitating app maintenance work as a full-stack development team in conjunction with your organization. With our expertise at your fingertips, you can rest assured your product has all the necessary steps to maximize your mobile application’s value. Be sure to look at our development work to see how we’ve helped hundreds of other businesses make the most of their mobile app.

1 month ago

App Development

Answering Your Burning Questions: App Maintenance FAQs for Digital Product Managers

When you invest in app maintenance, you can expect improved rankings, user retention, and return on investment over time. Ultimately, the frequency of updates, your team’s bandwidth, and cost should all be considered when building an effective app maintenance plan. Don’t forget to react quickly to user feedback, routinely monitor key performance indicators, and utilize new OS and device updates. Other frequently asked questions include: Why is updating mobile OS & applications important? Updating your mobile operating system (OS) and applications is crucial for several reasons: Updates often come with new features or improvements to the user interface that can enhance your app’s functionality and user experience. Updates frequently address security vulnerabilities, providing critical protection against threats. They ensure your app has the latest defenses against hacking and data breaches. Updates can fix bugs or issues identified in the app’s previous versions, ensuring stability and smooth operation. Therefore, regular updates signify a commitment to user satisfaction and app quality, reflecting positively on your brand’s image. How much does a mobile app update cost? The cost of a mobile app update can vary depending on several factors. Factors that influence the cost include: 1. Complexity of the Update The scope of the desired changes and improvements will impact the cost. More intricate design changes, additional features, or integrations with third-party systems may increase the cost. 2. Number of Platforms Updates that need to be implemented on multiple platforms, such as iOS and Android, require additional development and testing efforts, which can increase the cost. 3. App Size & Scope The size and scope of the app, including the number of screens and functionalities, can affect the cost of the update. Larger apps or those with extensive functionalities may require more development and testing time, resulting in higher costs. 4. Ongoing Maintenance & Support These are essential for continuing optimal performance and compatibility with new software versions. This cost should be considered as part of the overall app update budget. 5. App Development Costs As a general rule of thumb, some experts suggest budgeting around 20% per year of the primary app development costs for app updates and support. For example, if the initial app development costs were $100,000, a rough estimate for annual updates and support would be around $20,000. The factors determining the cost of developing your app may vary depending on its specific requirements. To get an accurate estimate, it’s always advisable to consult an experienced app development agency that can provide detailed information about the costs and help you make informed decisions. Do frequent app updates help or harm ASO in Apple’s App Store? Frequent app updates can significantly aid app store optimization (ASO) on Apple’s App Store. Regularly updating your app signals to users and the App Store algorithm that your app is being actively maintained and improved, leading to increased user retention and engagement, critical factors in Apple’s ranking algorithm. Furthermore, each update allows you to refine your app’s keyword strategy, improving its discoverability. However, it’s vital to balance frequency with quality. Updates focusing primarily on bug fixes or minor improvements may not significantly benefit ASO if they don’t enhance user experience or bring new, engaging features. Your goal is to regularly release impactful, value-driven updates for the best ASO results. App update frequency: every week or every month? The frequency of app updates can vary greatly depending on the app’s nature and the resources available for maintenance. However, a good rule of thumb is to aim for once-a-month updates to ensure the app remains up-to-date and functional. This frequency allows ample time for thorough testing to ensure the update is bug-free and provides meaningful improvements to the user experience. Users may see weekly updates as too frequent and need more time for proper testing and quality assurance. Nevertheless, more frequent updates may be necessary if there are urgent bug fixes or security patches. Remember, the key is to balance the need for improvements and new features with the importance of providing users with a stable, reliable app experience. How do OS updates impact a mobile testing strategy? Operating system (OS) updates can significantly impact a mobile testing strategy. With each OS update, there could be changes in the system’s behavior that may influence how an app functions. Consequently, every time an update is released, it’s crucial to thoroughly test your app on the new OS to spot and rectify potential issues. It ensures the app remains compatible and functional on the updated OS, maintaining a consistent and high-quality user experience. How do I push out an iOS app update to users? To push out an iOS app update to users, you first need to make the necessary changes in your app, then test those changes rigorously to ensure functionality and compatibility with the latest iOS system. Once testing is complete, you can submit your app for review through the App Store Connect portal. Remember to include details about the changes and improvements in the “What’s New” section. After approval by Apple, which can take a few hours to a couple of days, you can release the update manually or set it to be removed automatically. Users with automatic updates enabled on their devices will see the app update directly. In contrast, others will see it when they visit the “Updates” tab of the App Store. How will a new OS update impact your app marketing? When Apple or Google releases a new OS update, you may need to revise your app marketing strategy. If the update significantly changes the app’s functionality or introduces new features, it presents a marketing opportunity. You can create a buzz by highlighting these changes and improvements in your marketing communications, attracting new users and retaining existing ones. However, if the update causes disruptions in the app’s functionality until fixes are made, it can negatively impact your app’s ratings and reviews—two crucial marketing elements. Therefore, it is essential to thoroughly test and provide timely maintenance updates to ensure a positive impact on your app marketing. Where & how can I promote iOS & app updates? You can promote your iOS and app updates via several channels. Foremost among these is the App Store, where the “What’s New” section lets you highlight updates and improvements. Social media platforms and email newsletters also serve as excellent promotional mediums, allowing you to reach your existing user base while attracting new users. Consider also using in-app notifications to inform users about updates. Lastly, pay attention to the potential of app review websites and tech blogs, which can broaden your reach. For all these methods, be sure to underscore the benefits of the update, such as new features or improved functionality.

2 months ago

App Development

Understanding App Maintenance: A Key to Ensuring Optimal Performance

The ubiquity of apps in today’s digital landscape means that businesses not only need to have an app but also need to ensure that it offers unique features to solve their customers’ problems efficiently and securely. This is where app maintenance becomes crucial. In this blog, we will explore the concept of app maintenance and its role in maximizing app performance and user satisfaction. Defining App Maintenance App maintenance refers to the ongoing process of managing and updating a mobile or web application after it has been developed and deployed. The objective of app maintenance is to ensure the continued functionality, security, and relevance of the app. App Development, Maintenance, & Updates in the SDLC In the software development lifecycle (SDLC), app development, maintenance, and updates each play a unique role. 1. App Development App development is the initial process of creating an app. It involves everything from conceptualizing the idea and designing the UI to writing the code, testing the functionality, and deploying the app to the app stores for users to download. 2. App Maintenance App maintenance focuses on keeping an app running smoothly and efficiently. This includes activities such as fixing bugs, improving performance, updating security, monitoring user feedback for areas of improvement, optimizing code for better battery life, and enhancing the app’s user interface and user experience. Examples of app maintenance activities include: Monitoring app performance and user feedback to identify areas for improvement. Fixing bugs and crashes. Updating security patches to protect users from vulnerabilities. Improving app performance and efficiency. Optimizing code for better battery life. Updating the app’s user interface and user experience. 3. App Updates App updates refer to new versions of an app that are released to users. Mobile app updates can include bug fixes, performance improvements, security updates, and the addition of new features and functionality. Examples of app updates include: Adding new features and functionality. Fixing known bugs. Improving app performance and efficiency. Updating security patches. Making changes to the app’s user interface or user experience. Differentiating Maintenance & Updates Although app maintenance and updates are closely related, they are not the same thing. 1. App Maintenance App maintenance is an ongoing process that ensures the overall health of an app. It involves continuous monitoring, bug fixing, performance improvements, and updates to enhance the user experience. App maintenance is not tied to specific release cycles and is focused on keeping the app running smoothly. 2. App Updates App updates, on the other hand, are specific releases made to users. They are typically released on a regular basis, such as once a month or once a quarter. App updates include bug fixes, performance improvements, security updates, and the addition of new features. These updates aim to provide users with an improved and up-to-date app experience.   5 Types of App Maintenance Every Digital Product Manager Should Know Maintenance falls into one of five broad categories in the app development industry. 1. Adaptive Maintenance Adaptive maintenance is about adapting your app to the changing environment, including hardware updates, software updates, regulation changes, or user behavior shifts. 2. Corrective Maintenance Corrective maintenance addresses your app’s “bugs” or defects. Corrective maintenance ensures your app runs smoothly and your users have no problems. 3. Emergency Maintenance When something goes catastrophically wrong, emergency maintenance comes into play. This reactive type of maintenance aims to fix critical issues affecting your app’s function or security as quickly as possible. 4. Perfective Maintenance Perfective maintenance involves making your app “perfect.” It’s about improving functionality, enhancing user experience, and including new features in response to industry trends and user feedback. 5. Preventive Maintenance As the name suggests, preventative maintenance is about preventing issues before they occur by regularly checking and updating your app to reduce the chance of problems arising in the future.   Top Reasons Why App Updates Are Vital for Digital Product Managers Beyond the type of maintenance, there are common indicators that mean you’ll need to update your app. Even the most well-designed, uber-secure apps will need updates in at least a couple of these five categories for many reasons, including the following: Bug Fixes Apps are complex software systems that can encounter bugs and errors over time. App maintenance involves promptly identifying and fixing these issues to ensure a seamless user experience. Ignoring bugs can lead to user frustration and negative reviews, potentially damaging your brand’s reputation. Software Updates Operating systems and web browsers constantly evolve, and your app needs to keep up. Maintenance includes updating your app to remain compatible with the latest software versions, ensuring it runs smoothly and securely on various devices and platforms. Security Patches Cybersecurity threats are ever-present, and new vulnerabilities are discovered regularly. App maintenance includes implementing security patches and updates to protect user data, prevent breaches, and avoid data leaks and legal consequences. Application Performance Optimization As your app accumulates data and features, it may slow down or become less efficient. Maintenance involves optimizing the app’s performance to ensure it continues to load quickly and operate smoothly. Content Updates If your app relies on dynamic content, such as news articles or product listings, you must regularly update this information. Maintenance includes adding, editing, or removing content to keep it fresh and relevant to users. User Feedback Integration Users often provide valuable feedback, including feature requests and bug reports. Maintenance involves reviewing this feedback and incorporating relevant suggestions to enhance the app’s functionality and user experience. Compatibility With New Devices As new mobile devices and web browsers are released, your app must adapt to ensure it remains accessible to a broader audience. Maintenance ensures your app remains compatible with the latest hardware and software. Regulatory Compliance Laws and regulations about data privacy and accessibility can change. App maintenance includes making necessary adjustments to ensure your app complies with current legal requirements, reducing the risk of legal issues. Backup & Disaster Recovery Regular backups and disaster recovery planning are critical for safeguarding your app’s data and functionality in case of unexpected events like server failures or data breaches. Continuous Improvement Successful apps evolve with user needs and market trends. App maintenance provides ongoing improvement and innovation opportunities, helping your app stay competitive.   App Updates, Maintenance, & Relevance in a Changing Market Today’s users enjoy an array of apps vying for their attention, and many are quick to abandon a glitchy or out-of-date app in favor of a smoother, more updated one. A minor bug that disrupts user experience or a dated design that no longer appeals to the aesthetic sensibilities of your audience can lead to a significant drop in user engagement. Even your most loyal users are not immune to the allure of novelty. They crave new features and enhancements that add value to their interaction with your app. Regular updates show that you’re actively improving the app and helping keep your users’ interest alive.

2 months ago

App Development

Cost, Quality, Speed: Benefits of an MVP Approach

The well-known saying goes that you can’t have cost, quality, and speed all at once. However, there is a solution that allows you to achieve all three. Using an MVP approach, you can enjoy the advantages of cost-effectiveness, a high-quality product, and a shorter development time. With this approach, you truly can have it all. Consumer-facing companies and enterprise clients alike are increasingly incorporating an MVP approach. Here’s why and how you can achieve the same for your digital product. What is an MVP? Creating a minimum viable product (MVP) is a commonly used approach for app development. This method involves developing a simple version of the product, launching it to the market, and collecting feedback from users to confirm the idea’s validity. Unfortunately, many startups fail within the first few years of operation. By starting with an MVP, companies can iterate and improve their product, increasing the chances of success in the market. The MVP approach focuses on developing the key features that are absolutely essential for a product to work well and deliver value to its users. By including only the necessary features, you can ensure that users can easily benefit from the application without feeling overwhelmed or confused by too many unnecessary extras. This approach helps to reduce risk and increase your return on investment. Sometimes less is more, and creating an MVP will: Reduce iterations and rework. Solidify the product’s core value proposition. Allow for customer feedback. Address the product’s most important features and functionalities. The goal of an MVP is to provide immediate value while minimizing development costs. Creating an MVP is highly beneficial in ensuring that your product lands well while addressing the core needs of your user base. Taking in customer feedback allows for a future powerful launch into the market.  Benefits of an MVP Approach Building a full-fledged product without validating its market potential can be risky and costly. When business founders were questioned about what they wished they’d done differently when starting their businesses, 58% said they would have conducted more market research before launching.  An MVP approach allows you to test your business concept and gather early feedback from your user base. Incorporating feedback into the iterative development process results in higher effectiveness and cost savings. With an MVP development process, you can test your product’s viability and spot potential issues. Simpler products are easier and less expensive to design, build, and maintain. An MVP reduces the risk of failure and helps developers get it right early on without learning things the “hard way.” Many enterprise companies and well-known apps have used an MVP process. Take Airbnb, for example. It all started with two roommates looking to earn some cash. They started out offering their bedroom as a bed and breakfast. They soon realized that their idea could be something big. They turned to Craigslist to test their MVP and find potential customers to offer their homes. The rest is history. Airbnb reported Q4 revenue of an estimated $859 million in 2020, regardless of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. An MVP framework allows developers to target shortcomings and hone their products. By increasing their chances of achieving a product-market fit, businesses can save themselves from costly investments in a product that might not succeed in the market. Cost Savings Developing an MVP allows businesses to focus on the essential features while reducing developmental costs in the process. Instead of high investment costs in building a fully-fledged product, agile development allows for significant savings and building efficiency. Sometimes, an entire app must be revamped, or core issues need to be addressed. An MVP framework saves developers valuable time and money.  Faster Time to Market Launching an MVP early allows businesses to enter the market quickly and generate revenue. This offers a competitive advantage by being first to market while allowing businesses to iterate and perfect their product. Customer Validation It’s a simple equation: satisfied customers equal a thriving business. It really does come down to the customer’s satisfaction with the product and meeting their needs and preferences. By releasing an MVP to real-time users, businesses can validate their product ideas and ensure that their product is useful, valuable, and smooth. You can then use this feedback to refine your product, delight, and wow your target audience.  Identify Market Fit It’s important to determine if there is a market fit for your product. By considering user feedback and analyzing usage data, businesses can assess whether their product meets the target market’s needs and adjust their strategy accordingly. Reduced Risk Developing an MVP reduces the risk of investing significant time and resources into a product that may not resonate with users or meet market demands. By testing the concept’s viability early on, businesses can decide whether to proceed with full-scale development or pivot their strategy. Example Let’s consider a social media app. Launching an MVP with essential features may be an effective strategy instead of investing months or even years in developing a complete product. The app developer can refine and add features based on user preferences by collecting initial feedback. This iterative process ensures that the app meets the needs of its target audience while minimizing development costs and time to market. MVP vs. Clickable Prototype A clickable prototype is a visual representation of a software application or website, typically in the form of a wireframe that displays a design. A product prototype is designed to test a product’s user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) concept and functionality without yet being released. To the user, it functions similarly to an app, and they can click on different areas and advance to the next page.  MVP Benefits: It is a powerful tool to test different user cases, create specific features, and test them with real clients.  Drawbacks: MVPs take longer to build, are more pricey than clickable prototypes, and tend to be more complex.  Clickable Prototype Benefits: Highly cost-effective and low-risk. Drawbacks: It’s not fully functional, lacks full-fledged features, and doesn’t have the same effect as a usable app. The user‘s level of engagement and feedback is more limited than with an MVP. Limitations of a Clickable Prototype Lean Startup, Agile, & MVP Enterprises and consumer-facing web companies have recently adopted a new framework for developing technology. This new development framework has countless names—lean startup, agile development, rapid release, MVP, iterative deployment, data-driven design, and more. Fundamentally, they all involve gathering data from users and using innovative development techniques to inform product decisions. The common thread is that lean startup, agile, and MVP do not rely solely on the developer’s intuition. Instead, they involve user input to create a more specific application.  Lean Startup A lean startup is most commonly used to introduce a new product for an already existing company. The demand already exists, and there is already market interest once the app is released. The concept of a lean startup is building off a current demand rather than hoping to create demand. Lean startups build their product based on the desires of the market. This is beneficial because, as CB Insights reports: Over 30% of startups fail because there are no market requirements or interest for their products. Agile Development Agile development is a broad term that encompasses project methodologies that use a flexible and iterative approach. It is a smart and innovative way to scale a product. Often, it is the slow and steady approach, building upon what works, that wins the race and enables sustainable growth.  Companies that encourage an agile approach tend to see their teams achieve breakthroughs and innovate at a faster pace. MVP MVP incorporates both agile and lean startup methodologies into its method. An MVP approach is focused on gathering user feedback and addressing the core functionalities of the product instead of building a full-fledged product. Amazon is an incredibly popular service. But did you know that Amazon started with an MVP idea? In 1990 Jeff Bezos saw predictions of the internet to experience 2,300% online business growth. He had an idea of building “a bookstore online” along with a few other select products. When he founded Amazon, he started off with a straightforward process of selling books and sending them directly from the distributor to the customer. Today Amazon is the world’s 2nd largest retailer. Think Big, Start Small Building an MVP “Occasionally, I’ve seen ‌people who come in feeling like experts in the problem space. They’re domain experts. When they come to us, they often feel like they know exactly what users are going to want in that space. What I’ve seen over and over again is that once an app is released and it’s in the hands of real users in their industry, they’re often surprised by the things that users find important or valuable that may be different from what their original vision is.” —BRAD WEBER, CEO | INSPIRINGAPPS, BOULDER CO Best Way To Create an MVP MVP allows you to tackle smaller portions and iteratively develop an improved product that hits the mark for your target audience.  We’ve consolidated the MVP creation process into three simple steps: Determine your core business needs. What’s your long-term goal for your MVP?  Why are you undertaking this project? What needs to be solved here?  What are your success criteria? Explore your options. Map out a user journey. Determine how your MVP can best provide value and solve customer pain points. Determine the pros/gains and cons/losses of each action. Choose which features to create. Finalize which features are most important to create. Analyze previous data to determine your product priorities. Make a final decision on what must be included in your MVP. When developing an MVP, certain decisions made during the early stages can have long-lasting consequences and prove challenging to reverse once the product is launched. Choices regarding the technology stack, UX/UI and design, data model, core features, monetization strategy, and branding can become deeply embedded and difficult to alter post-launch.  To avoid being stuck with irreversible decisions, be sure to plan carefully, conduct market research, and incorporate a flexible approach during development to set a solid foundation for future iterations. Understanding Your Target Audience An MVP builds a relationship with your customers sooner, enabling you to help you create a better and smarter product. Identifying the target audience is a foundational step in the product development process. Understanding who your product is intended for ensures that resources are allocated effectively and that the product addresses the specific needs of the intended users.  By knowing your target audience, you can tailor ‌features, design, and functionality to resonate with their expectations, leading to higher conversion rates. Identifying the target audience empowers product development teams to create solutions that truly make a difference and forge meaningful connections with the people who matter most—your customers. Spotify is an example of that. As a leader in the industry, Spotify recognized an opportunity to allow music lovers to stream music. They included influential music bloggers as beta testers. They launched an MVP perfectly aligned with their target audience—music enthusiasts who we’re looking forward to having the entire world’s music in one app. Bingo! A match made in heaven.  Developing Your Core Features & Functionalities Crafting your core features and functionalities requires strategic thought leadership driven by insights and foresight. Through market research and customer feedback, you can asses which features to prioritize. Simplicity and efficiency are key while building a lean version of the product.  Iterating, testing, and validating each feature ensures it aligns with the target audience’s requirements. Keeping the development agile allows room for flexibility and improvements based on user insights. By crafting a minimal but impactful MVP, you can efficiently launch the product and gather valuable data for future iterations and enhancements. With a strong focus on resource efficiency, you can handpick the essential elements that will form the backbone of your product, ensuring a lean and agile foundation.  Testing With Real Users To Validate Your Product Idea Building an MVP also enables you to get honest user feedback on your product before you’ve invested a lot of money building something that wasn’t quite right. Even the best market research isn’t as good as a trial with your user base. Testing with real users to validate your product idea for an MVP is an indispensable step on the road to success. By putting your creation in the hands of actual users, you gain invaluable insights into its usability, functionality, and market fit.  Taking into account customer feedback allows you to identify pain points, spot any mishaps, and make data-driven decisions for future iterations. Adapting, refining, and reshaping your MVP based on real-world experiences will ultimately determine its effectiveness. Through this impactful testing process, you can fortify your product’s foundations and ready it to take on the world. Iterative Process After First Release Cost Considerations for an MVP Project “A common pitfall might be to lose sight of what you really want to build and focus more on the tertiary things that may not be the biggest bang for the buck or what you want to get out first. I think defining a realistic budget is important. I think that‘s something that we work through with our clients. We offer some really good options for clients as far as ways that they can get their budget and maybe satisfy things without cutting the cost to the point where they get an app that‘s just not usable for them or doesn‘t meet any of their needs.” —STACY GRIFFIN, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS | INSPIRINGAPPS, BOULDER CO When working on an MVP project, it’s important to budget for the product. As discussed earlier in the article, there are many cost-effective benefits to doing so. By being mindful of costs, you can make your project sustainable and save valuable time and resources. This will ultimately increase your product’s chances of success in a competitive market.  Development Costs vs. Development Time To streamline the development of your product, it’s important to prioritize the key features of your idea. This can save you time and resources while allowing you to test the concept without investing too heavily in features that may not be popular in the market. Keeping Costs Low Without Compromising Quality By focusing on what truly matters, you can avoid unnecessary work on peripheral features that may not add significant value to the MVP. This enables your team to optimize their time and resources toward perfecting ‌core functionality and UX. As a result, you can build a high-quality MVP. Balancing Short-Term Costs Against Long-Term Benefits Through collaboration and working together, you truly can achieve anything. By inviting your customers into the development process early on, you can target potential problems, tweaks, and successes from the get-go. With data insights and feedback, you can refine and create innovative solutions to knock your product out of the park. By partnering with your user base, you can reduce costs and effort in the long term.  Like many startups, monkii.co had a fixed budget for app creation. To meet their budget, InspiringApps recommended creating an MVP to get an app into monkii hands quickly. InspiringApps also recommended building the app on only one platform initially to get feedback from monkiis to guide future enhancements of the Android app. After only a few weeks of availability in both Apple’s App Store and the Google Play store, the monkii app has been downloaded over 5,000 times in over 50 countries. It has earned 5-star ratings and excellent reviews.  MVP App Development: Concluding Thoughts Our customers are the domain experts. When they come to us, they often feel like they know exactly what users will want. But we’ve seen repeatedly that once an app is released and it’s in the hands of real users in a client-specific industry, clients are often surprised by what users find important or valuable. That may be different from what their original vision was. Just because users love your clickable prototype doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll love the app. Sometimes there’s functionality that is hard to introduce in prototypes; it’s hard to represent varying workflows. And that’s what that MVP really can help you do. What you need at the end is always a little bit more. By keeping the scope small, you also keep the cost of adjustments down. Developing apps isn’t a one-and-done scenario. You’ll want to make updates based on user feedback. And so, again, the MVP approach is the best way to keep costs down. InspiringApps has decades of experience building mobile products and MVPs for startups and enterprise clients. We can build your next dream product—starting with a successful MVP. An experienced agile app developer will give you the wings needed for your idea to soar high.  Frequently Asked Questions What is MVP development? An MVP is a product development strategy where a basic product version is created and released to the market to gather user feedback and validate the concept. This approach focuses on building the core features necessary for the product to be functional and deliver value to its users. An MVP acts as a starting point for iteration and improvement, ensuring that the final product meets customer needs and achieves success in the market. The goal of an MVP is to provide immediate value, minimize development costs, and gather data and feedback that can be applied to improve future iterations. What are the benefits of MVP minimum viable product to startups and other businesses? Overall, an MVP approach offers numerous benefits, including cost-effective development, faster time to market, validation of product ideas, continuous improvement, and risk mitigation. By starting with an MVP, businesses can gather valuable feedback, enhance their understanding of the target audience, and build a successful, user-centric product. What are the advantages of an MVP over a prototype? Unlike prototypes, MVPs can be tested in real environments, fostering meaningful interactions and helping to refine the product iteratively based on actual user needs and behaviors. By incorporating user feedback from an early stage, MVPs reduce the risk of building a product that doesn’t meet customer expectations and increase the likelihood of creating a successful and viable solution. What is the importance of MVP testing? By releasing an MVP to a select group of users, businesses can gather invaluable insights into its functionality, usability, and overall value proposition. This early testing phase allows for rapid iteration and improvements based on real user feedback, reducing the risk of building a product that doesn’t meet market demands. It helps identify potential issues or shortcomings, validate assumptions, and understand user behaviors. By embracing an iterative approach through MVP testing, businesses can refine their offerings and align them closely with user needs, ultimately increasing the likelihood of long-term success. What are the three features of MVP? Minimalism: MVPs are designed with the bare minimum features required to address the core problem or deliver the main value proposition. By focusing only on essential functionalities, development time and resources are optimized, allowing quicker iteration and feedback collection. Viability: An MVP must be viable and functional despite being minimalistic. It should be capable of providing real value to its users and fulfilling its intended purpose. This ensures the product is usable and useful enough to attract early adopters and gather meaningful feedback. Testing & Learning: The primary purpose of an MVP is to learn from user interactions and feedback. It serves as a testing ground to validate assumptions, gather insights, and understand user behavior and preferences. The feedback collected during this phase informs further product development, enabling iterative improvements and enhancements based on actual user needs. What are the success factors of the MVP? The success factors of an MVP can be summarized as follows: Clear Purpose: A well-defined purpose and problem statement that the MVP aims to solve, ensuring a focused and targeted approach. Minimal Features: Inclusion of only essential features necessary to demonstrate the product’s value proposition, reducing development time and costs. User-Centricity: A strong focus on understanding and addressing user needs, ensuring the product resonates with the target audience. Rapid Iteration: The ability to gather user feedback quickly and iterate on the product based on insights gained. Measurable Metrics: Identifying key performance indicators (KPIs) to track and measure the MVP’s success. Real-World Testing: Testing the MVP in a real environment to observe real user behavior and validate assumptions. Adaptability: Being open to pivot or change direction based on user feedback and market demands. Time & Resource Management: Efficiently allocating time and resources to develop and launch the MVP. Stakeholder Alignment: Ensuring all stakeholders understand the MVP’s purpose and are aligned with the goals. Market Validation: Validating the product’s market fit and potential demand through user feedback and adoption. By adhering to these success factors, businesses can increase the likelihood of creating an impactful MVP that serves as a solid foundation for future product development and success. What are the types of MVP launches? Businesses can consider several types of MVP launches, depending on their goals and resources. Some common types of MVP launches include: Concierge MVP: In this approach, the product is manually operated behind the scenes by the development team, simulating the experience of a fully automated product. It allows businesses to understand user needs and behaviors while avoiding extensive development costs initially. Wizard of Oz MVP: Similar to the concierge MVP, the Wizard of Oz MVP gives the illusion of a fully functional product, but the team manually operates certain parts. This approach helps validate the product concept before investing in full development. Landing Page MVP: A landing page is created to showcase the product’s value proposition and collect user interest through sign-ups or pre-orders. This approach tests ‌market demand and helps gauge potential interest in the product. Explainer Video MVP: Businesses create a video demonstrating how the product will work and its benefits. This allows for feedback and gauging user interest without fully building the product. Prototype MVP: While not a fully functional product, a prototype gives users a tangible representation of the product’s appearance and key features. This can be valuable for early feedback and testing assumptions. Piecemeal MVP: In this approach, only specific components or modules of the product are developed as an MVP, providing partial functionality. This helps test critical features and gather feedback without a full product release. Single-Feature MVP: The MVP focuses on one core feature of the product, showcasing its value to users. This approach helps validate the most crucial aspect of the product before further development. Pre-Order MVP: Businesses offer pre-orders for the product, allowing them to assess market demand and gather funds for development before fully launching. Crowdfunding MVP: Crowdfunding platforms are used to showcase the product idea and gain financial support from backers. This validates the product’s appeal and generates funding for development. Limited Beta Release: One strategy for releasing a product is to first launch it to a small group of early adopters or beta testers. This allows for feedback to be gathered and areas for improvement to be identified before a full-scale release. Each MVP launch type has advantages and suits different situations, but the common goal is to validate the product idea, gather user feedback, and inform future development decisions. What are the key principles of an MVP? The key principles of an MVP are: Minimalism: An MVP should have the minimum set of features required to address the core problem or deliver the main value proposition. Avoid unnecessary complexities and focus on the essentials to expedite development and gather feedback efficiently. Fast Iteration: The MVP development process should prioritize speed and agility. Rapidly build, test, and iterate based on user feedback to improve the product continuously. User-Centricity: Place the user at the center of the MVP’s design and development. Understand user needs, pain points, and behaviors to create a product that resonates with the target audience. Validating Assumptions: An MVP serves as a tool to validate assumptions and hypotheses about the product’s viability and market fit. Gather real-world data and user feedback to make informed decisions. Fail Fast, Learn Fast: Embrace failures and treat them as valuable learning opportunities. If an idea doesn’t work, pivot quickly to explore alternative solutions. Focus on Learning: The primary objective of an MVP is to learn from real user interactions and feedback. Use data-driven insights to guide subsequent product development. Prioritize Key Metrics: Identify and track KPIs that align with the MVP’s objectives. Measure the product’s success based on these metrics. Early User Engagement: Involve users from the outset to gain insights and create a sense of ownership in the product. Engaging users early can lead to a more successful product launch. Resource Optimization: Use available resources effectively. Avoid investing excessive time and money in non-essential features until they are validated by user feedback. Stakeholder Collaboration: Ensure alignment and collaboration among all stakeholders, including developers, designers, marketers, and business leaders, to achieve a common goal. By adhering to these key principles, businesses can develop and launch an MVP that effectively validates their product idea, reduces risks, and maximizes the chances of creating a successful and valuable solution for users.

2 months ago

InspiringApps News

Eyeing AI: Insights From Colorado Pros on Its Influence & Longevity

Boulder, CO—After decades of starring in science fiction, artificial intelligence is becoming more prevalent in design, leaving professionals with questions surrounding ethics, usage, best practices, and its influence in design. Aaron Lea, Creative Director at InspiringApps, and Jake Thomas, Director of Product Design at JumpCloud, explore our AI reality. What impact will AI have on the future of design as a profession? Consumers increasingly expect a growing amount of content; AI tools supplement the process, helping designers create at scale to meet demand. But both Aaron and Jake believe AI is precisely that: a tool. AI cannot create design independently without prompting from humans, and out-of-the-box lacks essential human qualities like empathy, creativity, and critical thinking. Designers have control over what AI can do and how it can enhance workflows and creative outputs and are solely responsible for relationships with AI tools and services. Designers act as the ethical guardrails for AI tools and should ensure AI output avoids poor design or exclusion for underrepresented groups. Design in all forms is art, and artists are continuously curating. Today’s designers serve as curators of  AI outputs, keeping the best parts,  ditching the bad, and modifying them with their unique touch—empathy and creativity—creating the final product. “It’s the blood, sweat, and tears that give design meaning and value.“ —Aaron Lea, Art Director | InspiringApps, Boulder CO What do you think design professionals should do now to prepare for the integration of AI into workflows? Designers can be creatures of habit, but Aaron and Jake encourage other designers interested in AI to overcome the instinct to stick to what they know and explore ways AI can benefit professionally and competitively. Many designers and creatives are intimidated by AI, but in reality, they’re in a unique position to play an active role in the evolution of AI technology. Growing alongside this technology will ensure ethical improvements, usability, and inclusivity.  Helping AI evolve starts with understanding how to communicate with AI tools to improve output. Before designers integrate AI into design workflows, they need to learn how to ask questions, write prompts, and interact with these tools–after all, AI is only as bright as the information it’s given.  Learn about the capabilities of any tool you intend to use before integrating them into your workflow. Designers should learn from AI pioneers by following cutting-edge professionals on social media and subscribing to newsletters for up-to-date news and trends.   Read the full article on Built In Colorado: https://www.builtincolorado.com/2023/08/17/powerful-tool-or-passing-fad-two-colorado-pros-weigh-future-ai

3 months ago

App Design

inHere App Honored for Innovation & Security by Fast Company

Boulder, CO—inHere has been listed in Fast Company’s 2023 Innovation by Design Awards, one of the most sought-after awards in the design industry, as an honorable mention in the security category. Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Awards honor the designers and businesses solving today’s most crucial problems and anticipating tomorrow’s most pressing issues. This year’s honorees include projects, products, and services from Fidelity National Financial & InspiringApps, as well as Adobe, PepsiCo, Canva, and others.  Now in its 12th year, the competition features a range of blue-chip companies, emerging startups, and hungry young talents. It is one of the most sought-after design awards in the industry. Let’s Meet inHere Fidelity National Financial (FNF) partnered with InspiringApps to design inHere, a transformative app that redefines how consumers, real estate professionals, and title companies connect to complete real estate transactions. In response to the increasing threat of homebuyer hacking, which has become a multibillion-dollar fraud problem, inHere is more secure, seamless, transparent, and effective. inHere provides realtors, escrow officers, and consumers with a closed and secure ecosystem that ensures all communication related to a real estate transaction flows within one app. Innovation by Partnership Brian Maughan, Chief Innovation Officer at FNF, praised our partnership in this effort. “Thank you for all your help to make inHere a reality,” he said regarding InspiringApps. “We could not have selected a better partner. Your team is core to executing our vision.”  The partnership builds on InspiringApps’ real estate and national financial services expertise. Brad Weber, CEO of InspiringApps, added, “The inHere vision matched InspiringApps’ ability to deliver a unique, streamlined experience—a secure and transformative financial app that delights users.” Innovation by Design “So much innovation news these days is focused on AI,” said Brendan Vaughan, editor-in-chief of Fast Company. “This year’s Innovation by Design honorees are a reminder that it’s human ingenuity that drives invention.” The judges include renowned designers from various disciplines, business leaders from some of the most innovative companies in the world, and Fast Company’s own writers and editors. Entries are judged on the key ingredients of innovation: functionality, originality, beauty, sustainability, user insight, cultural impact, and business impact. Winners, finalists, and honorable mentions are featured online, and winners and finalists are featured in the issue of Fast Company magazine on newsstands on August 29, 2023. Sought-After Credentials To see the complete list, go to https://www.fastcompany.com/innovation-by-design/list. To read more about our project, see https://www.inspiringapps.com/Development/7/inhere. About Fast Company Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies, and thinkers on the future of business. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with our sister publication Inc., and can be found online at fastcompany.com. About Fidelity National Financial Fidelity National Financial, Inc. (NYSE: FNF) is a leading provider of title insurance and transaction services to the real estate and mortgage industries. FNF is the nation’s largest title insurance company through its title insurance underwriters—Fidelity National Title, Chicago Title, Commonwealth Land Title, Alamo Title, and National Title of New York— that collectively issue more title insurance policies than any other title company in the United States. More information about FNF can be found at fnf.com. About InspiringApps App development that makes an impact. InspiringApps builds digital products that help companies impact their employees, customers, and communities. Yes, we build web, mobile, and custom apps, but what we offer is something above and beyond that. What we offer is inspiration. Our award-winning work has included 200+ apps since the dawn of the iPhone. Our core values: integrity, respect, commitment, inclusivity, and empathy. Our guarantee: finish line, every time, for every project. Get in touch at hello@InspiringApps.com.

3 months ago

Technology

Top 10 Tech Disruptions Over the Past 10 Years

Technology is changing at such a rapid pace that we have seen many tech disruptions in a relatively short time.  A “disruptive technology” could be defined as one that displaces an established technology, thereby shaking up an industry and reshaping its future trajectory. A tech disruptor could also be a ground-breaking product that creates an entirely new industry.  Join our drive down the technology superhighway as we rediscover the top tech disruptions over the past 10 years and dive into what’s next. 2014: Amazon Echo Brings the IoT Home Amazon Echo barreled into our lives this year, causing us to rethink how we might use technology in our homes. Powered by Amazon’s voice control system Alexa, the Echo started with just a few intelligent voice commands. Alexa now boasts thousands of “skills” and has become the central hub in so-called smart homes, helping to bring the Internet of Things (IoT) to a much wider audience. Followed quickly by Google Home and more recently by Apple HomePod, this technology is sure to continue to grow. 2015: Autonomous Vehicles Inspire Change The autonomous car, aka the self-driving car, is envisioned as one capable of sensing its environment and navigating without human input. The quest to develop technologies that could enable such a feat began to rise in 2015. Consumers have benefitted from numerous changes in car technology (think adaptive speed tech, proximity sensors, guidance systems, etc.) as manufacturers began pursuing this vision. This dramatic reshaping of the automotive industry certainly deserves a call-out. 2016: Oculus Rift Opens Up Virtual Reality Virtual reality (VR) as a concept has been around for decades and offers increasing value in everything from military training to surgery simulation to product development and testing. Although Google had been selling Google Glass prototypes since 2013, VR’s availability to consumers was limited until the introduction of Oculus Rift in 2016. With its launch, VR exploded into many homes. The system was a hot gift and introduced the concept of VR to a broader audience—it’s hard not to enjoy (or laugh with?) someone experiencing VR for the first time! 2017: AI Takes the Stage Artificial intelligence (AI) is a science-fiction trope brought to life. With numerous large companies investing billions of dollars on research in this field, it’s poised to influence how we live and work in the coming years. Applications include everything from automating tasks using bots to enabling computers to answer complex, multi-tiered questions by “learning” from previous queries. 2018: 5G Begins Its Rollout As connectivity became more ubiquitous, fast and reliable internet demand increased. It’s not enough to watch a streaming movie in the middle of nowhere—it has to be smooth! Beginning in 2018, 5G promised to bring more channels for higher speed, lower latency, and greater bandwidth for more connected devices. But 5G wasn’t exciting for smartphone fans only: the benefits had implications for healthcare, education, smart homes, connected cars, and more. 2019: 3D Printers Revolutionize the 4th Industrial Revolution Although the technology and equipment for 3D printing were available in the mid-1980s, 3D printing was imprecise, bulky, and costly. Thirty years later, 3D printing made it to the mainstream as a disruptive technology. This disruptive technology appeared in 2019 as part of predictive maintenance in manufacturing. Smart sensors helped identify potential problems, and 3D printers built new parts before needing to be needed. 2020: Passwordless Authentication Hits Big Tech For many of us, forgetting our passwords is a daily occurrence, but those days may be behind us, thanks to the push for passwordless authentication in 2020. While the world stood still during the COVID-19 pandemic, big tech companies like Microsoft began to push for two-factor authentication and passwordless logins, and an identity management startup called Beyond Identity launched its passwordless identify platform in April. Companies like Adobe and Facebook began utilizing new security features to give us the luxury of forgetting those complicated passwords. 2021: IoT Builds the Virtual World Technology automation through IoT didn’t begin in 2021, but this year brought a boon for intelligent everything. The IoT connects objects in the real world—navigation systems, thermostats, your virtual assistant, Alexa—with virtual identifiers on the internet. These identifiers “talk” virtually to create a web of connections and collaborations between the devices. Although IoT has been used in home-based applications, 2021 brought the technology to new areas, including manufacturing, mining, and healthcare. 2022: ChatGPT Redefines Human-Computer Interaction In 2022, ChatGPT emerged as the undeniable frontrunner and the most influential tech disruption of the year. Developed by OpenAI, this groundbreaking language model harnessed the power of the GPT-3.5 architecture to revolutionize human-computer interactions. With its ability to understand context, generate coherent responses, and adapt to users’ needs, ChatGPT transcended traditional chatbots, becoming a sophisticated conversational AI companion. Its applications spanned diverse industries, from customer support to creative writing, education, and even healthcare. As ChatGPT continuously learned and evolved, it showcased the transformative potential of artificial intelligence, leaving an indelible mark on the technology landscape of 2022 and beyond. 2023: Apple Vision Pro Unleashes the Power of Spatial Computing In 2023, spatial computing, specifically the Apple Vision Pro, emerged as the pinnacle of technological disruption, revolutionizing how we interact with digital information. Years earlier, Apple’s visionary smartwatch had cemented Apple as the leader in wearable technology. In 2023, the Apple Vision Pro promises to enable users to seamlessly integrate virtual elements into their physical surroundings, unlocking unparalleled immersion and productivity. We can now see a future where the days of limited screen real estate are gone; users can effortlessly interact with a vast array of applications and data in a three-dimensional, contextually aware environment. This leap in spatial computing may solidify VR’s position as an indispensable tool and open up new frontiers in communication, productivity, and entertainment, forever changing the way we perceive and interact with technology. What’s next? Tech disruptions in the 21st century have transformed our reality into a digital-first experience. Technology is changing faster than ever. Backed by a confluence of all these giant leaps forward, the future is a brave new world. Our predictions for what’s next include: Prediction 1: Quantum Computing Revolutionizes Data Processing Quantum computing is poised to shatter the boundaries of traditional computing capabilities. With its ability to leverage quantum mechanics principles, it will handle complex problems at speeds that were once deemed impossible. Industries such as pharmaceuticals, logistics, and cryptography will see groundbreaking advancements, leading to accelerated drug discovery, optimized supply chains, and next-level data security. As quantum computers become more accessible, researchers and innovators will unlock the potential for solving real-world challenges that were previously impossible. Prediction 2: Hyper-Automation Transforms Workforce Efficiency Hyper-automation is revolutionizing the business world with advanced technologies like AI, machine learning, and robotic process automation (RPA). By automating complex processes, companies can boost productivity, streamline operations, and free up time for creative and strategic initiatives. This transformational trend empowers workers through upskilling and reskilling, leading to a promising future where technology complements human expertise for greater success. Prediction 3: AI-Driven Personalization Enhances User Experience As AI continues to integrate deeply into our digital lives, offering personalized experiences across platforms becomes the new norm. Users are already encountering tailored content, services, and product recommendations that cater precisely to their preferences in e-commerce, entertainment, content consumption, and even healthcare. However, this era of heightened personalization is also bringing data privacy and ethical AI usage to the forefront, driving the need for responsible AI development and regulation to ensure user trust and societal well-being. More Transformative Digital Solutions At InspiringApps, we’re passionate about harnessing the power of tech’s newest disruptions to create transformative digital solutions. More than that, we’re thrilled to collaborate with our clients’ brilliant ideas and make them a reality. Could your digital product idea be the next big thing in your industry? See how we helped Fidelity National Financial create a transformative solution for the real estate industry with their award-winning product, inHere.

4 months ago

Webinars

Building an Inspiring Business Using AI & Automation

CEO Brad Weber of InspiringApps joined Adam Torres on the Mission Matters Podcast to announce his new book and dive into InspiringApps’ latest insights on the business applications of artificial intelligence. The discussion explores challenges and lessons learned in growing a company, emphasizing the significance of a strong team and strategic decision-making, and predicting the future of AI from revolution to best practice. Watch the Podcast Key Takeaways AI & Automation AI is transforming how we create solutions. Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a significant force in our lives, particularly through our mobile devices. AI can predict our routes and provide traffic information, making it a useful tool for automation and more.  Representing one specific type of AI, ChatGPT has gained popularity because of its ability to generate content. However, there has been a backlash due to concerns about copyright infringement. Despite this, companies like InspiringApps are finding ways to integrate generative AI capabilities into products, creating more targeted solutions for consumers. We need to approach AI implementation thoughtfully. Overall, AI presents both opportunities and challenges for businesses, and it’s crucial to approach its implementation thoughtfully. While some see potential benefits, others worry about job security. For example, starting out as a copywriter in this space may be challenging, as entry-level positions could be affected.  Large companies initially reacted with fear to ChatGPT, but now they are seeking guidance to understand the technology better and implement best practices within their organizations. Building an Inspiring Business Complex business challenges are no match for inspirational leadership. In his chapter of the new book, Brad discusses the challenges and importance of growing a successful company and cultivating a winning culture. He emphasizes the need for a strong team and a solid organizational structure. The concept of “team” is crucial to Brad. He has found that having a cohesive leadership team and solid continuity across all roles in the organization is essential. InspiringApps invests in meeting its team’s needs and involving everyone in decision-making, making it a great place to work and keeping turnover low. Brad also addresses the idea of creating cool stuff for clients versus building a real business. He shares a personal story about being “slapped with a backhanded compliment.” In this experience, Brad came to realize the need for long-term sustainability and formalizing roles for success. InspiringApps is as nimble as a startup but as mature as an enterprise when it comes to app development capabilities. As the company continues to grow, the team recognizes the importance of understanding its strengths and bringing value to clients, whether they are startups or large enterprises. Entrepreneurship & App Development “Despite having many business degrees, I’ve made many business mistakes.” BRAD WEBER, CEO | INSPIRINGAPPS, BOULDER CO Brad shares his experiences and mistakes, hoping that others can learn from them. He believes that learning from both “triumphs and goofs” is valuable. Growing a company is fraught with risk. Cultivating a winning culture requires an employee-based team. A flat org structure will only take you so far. Create cool stuff for clients or build a real business. To get the full story on topics like these, buy the book on Amazon today!

4 months ago

App Development

Developing Apps for Generation Alpha

Meet Gen Alpha—the most globally connected, educated, and largest generation to date. They’re also expected to be the wealthiest generation and to live the longest. Having a deep understanding of this generation’s collective needs and expectations will give you strategic insight into developing digital products for Gen Alpha and gaining more market reach for your app. We’ve written about market considerations for app development, noting the importance of defining your product vision and objectives before launching into any technical work. One of the most critical items to pinpoint is your target user—the person for whom your app solves a problem or meets a need. In this post, we are exploring top considerations when developing apps for Gen Alpha. We’ll also highlight key background and behavioral factors that inform those considerations. Who are Gen Alpha kids? Gen Alphas are currently teenagers or younger. Addressing Gen Alpha’s need for digital technology means creating tailored experiences for a young demographic. Already seen as a generation of brilliant innovators, Gen Alphas are meant for great accomplishments and entrepreneurial endeavors. The Largest Future Generation Generation Alpha is a term coined by ‌demographer Mark McCrindle in 2013. Born in the 21st century from 2010-2025, Gen Alphas are the “children of Millennials.” However, according to McCrindle’s research, Generation Alpha will surpass Millennials in size—numbering more than two billion ​​by 2025—making them the largest generation in history. Educated & Entrepreneurial Gen Alphas like to think out of the box and are technologically savvy. Furthermore, Generation Alpha values social justice and social responsibility. They’re more informed and globally connected. This will result in Gen Alphas starting a business earlier than the generations before them. Device & AI Connected Experiencing a global pandemic has only exacerbated feelings of isolation and numbness surrounding tech. Gen Alphas were thrust into a world of digital technology from their birth—and once COVID hit, Gen Alpha kids turned to their mobile devices for solace and authentic connections. Artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly popular with Gen Alphas. Technologies like Siri and Alexa are common household names. How is the digital world shaping Generation Alpha kids? Digital Skills Gen Alphas grew up in an app-first world where technological advancements were integrated into every aspect of their lives. Unlike previous generations, Gen Alpha was immersed in technology from the start. Screentime is at an all-time high. Gen Alphas are creating a massive shift in how they view and interact with the world. Beyond digital natives, Gen Alpha has all the world’s knowledge at their fingertips, in real time. Generation of Consumers According to experts, Gen Alpha will become consumers at a young age. As future consumers across a digital divide, Generation Alphas will expect a flawless, tailored, and straightforward user experience. The Role of Millennial Parents Millennial parents’ preferences and values heavily influence app development for the Alpha Generation. App developers that understand the importance of creating apps that align with Millennial parents’ desires will be more successful in reaching their Gen Alpha (kid) customers. Millennial parents have safety concerns for their children, and enabling parental control and age restrictions is paramount. Millennials have grown up exploring technology like search engines and social networking apps—they tend to be more hands-on, technologically apt, and overall less trusting compared to Generation Alpha and Generation Z. While Millennial parents are the decision-makers in terms of purchasing decisions, Gen Alphas also strongly influence their parents’ buying decisions. Finding ways of engaging kids and caregivers alike allows for better success of your app. Creating ethical and empowering experiences can help your app gain loyalty from Gen Alphas and their parents. Technical Considerations for Gen Alpha Apps Personalized Experiences Gen Alpha is acclimated to personalized experiences—from targeted ads to personalized content. Developers should consider incorporating personalized features into their app designs. Gen Alphas need to be able to express their individuality and creativity within an app. Developers can use existing tools like Youtube or TikTok to optimize app engagement and reach a specific target audience. Interactive Social Media Campaigns What better way to introduce a new marketing concept than with an experiential and interactive campaign? Experiential marketing provides a memorable experience and helps to reach Generation Alpha kids. Interactive social media campaigns can help developers hit the mark and pique the interest of this user group. Source: Adobe A great example of a creative social media campaign: Apple’s #ShotOniPhone. Apple wanted to show off its new iPhone 13 Pro camera capabilities. Users were encouraged to share their photos on Instagram and Twitter using the hashtags #ShotOniPhone and #iPhoneMacroChallenge. Judges chose 10 winners, later used in digital campaigns and other marketing efforts. The campaign garnered more than 26 million posts on Instagram from the two hashtags alone. Artificial Intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed how we interact with technology and is an essential tool in app building for Gen Alpha. Using AI in app development empowers developers to create smarter, more intuitive, personalized applications that enhance user satisfaction. AI can enhance various aspects of an app, such as user experience, personalization, and automation. AI enables apps to learn from user behavior through machine learning algorithms, resulting in intelligent recommendations and tailored content. AI-powered automation can streamline processes, improve efficiency, and optimize app performance by automating repetitive tasks and decision-making. High-Quality Design Following these design principles, developers can create high-quality apps that engage, delight, and captivate Gen Alpha users: Apps for Gen Alpha should be intuitive—simple navigation, a minimalistic design, and gamification features. Incorporate vibrant and captivating visuals, including appealing graphics, illustrations, and animations, to grab and hold their attention. Maintain consistency and simplicity in the design language throughout the app, ensuring a cohesive experience that is easy for young users to understand. Ensure the app is regularly updated and maintained for optimal performance and to address user feedback. Accessibility & Inclusivity Much like Gen Z, Generation Alpha will care deeply about social justice. Billions of Gen Alphas are exploring the technical landscape. Apps have the potential to empower, delight, and transform Gen Alpha kids’ lives. Prioritize accessibility by making the app inclusive for children with diverse abilities, supporting adjustable font sizes, voiceover capabilities, and alternative input methods. Strive for inclusive content representation by featuring diverse characters, stories, and perspectives. By embracing accessibility and inclusivity, app developers can ensure that all Gen Alpha users can fully participate and benefit from the app’s offerings. Screen Time Limits Gen Alpha is a generation flooded with stimuli in daily life. Find ways to bring more harmony and value to Gen Alpha’s lives. Developers should consider ways to limit and monitor screen time in their apps. Implement features encouraging mindfulness, such as reminders to take breaks, guided meditation sessions, or suggestions for offline activities. Develop apps with low screen time usage to avoid overstimulation for this age range. By designing apps with Generation Alpha’s prolific access to technology in mind, developers can help users strike a healthier balance between digital experiences and other aspects of their lives. App Development Empowers Generations Creating apps for the Alpha generation can be rewarding and impactful. As an app development company, we understand that developers who take the time to understand this unique generation can scale their apps to higher heights. Ultimately, it all comes down to the demographic you’re trying to reach with your app. Considering their unique perspectives, you can build technology that invites and inspires an entire generation.

5 months ago

App Development

Developing Apps for Baby Boomers

To develop an app that meets the needs of Baby Boomers, it’s crucial to understand their characteristics and how they impact the market. By considering these factors, you can create an app that is perfectly tailored to their needs. In a previous article, Designing Apps for Every Generation, we explored the profound influence of collective generational experiences and values on shared motivations, preferences, and expectations regarding technology usage. In this article, we will uncover key insights into the opportunities and challenges that product owners face when developing apps for Baby Boomers. Additionally, we provide our specific recommendations to consider implementing within products. Despite preconceived notions of “Boomers being Boomers,” Boomers are not as old-fashioned as they are made to be. They are avid tech users, have a great pulse on current events, and are highly pragmatic and efficient. They are currently the nation’s largest living generation, with high buying power. This demographic poses a great opportunity for app developers to explore, with considerable untapped potential. Who are Baby Boomers? Undermarketed Digital Adopters Baby Boomers, born between 1946-1964, have experienced a remarkable evolution of technology in their lifetime. Baby Boomers are currently the largest generation. They’re working longer hours and delaying retirement. They have the most considerable spending power and disposable income of any generation.  Despite the app market honing in on users in younger generations, Boomers are avid tech users with a significant online presence. Their digital integration only continues to expand as time passes, and businesses have plenty of opportunity to leverage it. “The Boomers have always embraced science and technology and are using today’s internet-linked products to enrich their lives by staying connected, socializing, shopping and entertaining themselves.” —The Nielsen Company & BoomAgers LLC There is certainly untapped potential to be explored with this ambitious generation. Boomers as Consumers COVID advanced the digital transformation of Boomers, so much so that Boomers engage with shopping apps as much as younger generations—but at a higher price point. Boomers adopted technology in their lives, first out of, then means for connection. They now prefer digital services such as curbside pickup, telehealth, online purchases, and loyalty programs. According to the New York Post, Boomers are the fastest adopters of smart tech: Sixty-six percent immediately acclimated to their smart devices. Eighty-five percent considered themselves experts with their devices within a week of getting them all set up. Two-thirds started using their devices “right away.” Recommendations: Developing Apps for Baby Boomers We’re breaking down some development considerations to remember when building apps that will be marketed toward Baby Boomers: Embrace tech friendliness. Support device and operating system (OS) preferences. Tailor content and experience. Anticipate shorter sessions. Support your Boomer users. Embrace Tech Friendliness Boomers expect apps to be approachable, reputable, and easy to use. Older generations are often less likely to be as app savvy as their younger counterparts; they formerly preferred TV and radios over mobile phones. Ever since COVID, technology has become increasingly prevalent in their lives. Boomers are becoming more acclimated with tech options in their lives. The majority of Boomers report using more digital technology to accomplish daily tasks than if the pandemic hadn’t happened. They look to tech for solutions to their ailments and needs. Design Considerations Because Boomers are less mobile-friendly, make the app easy on their senses: Keep the user interface and layout simple and include only viable and informative features.  Incorporate features and user interface (UI) elements like larger buttons, bigger fonts, and more hand-holding with customer service assistance. Consider incorporating design principles into your app driven by data-based insights on this generation’s user preferences and needs.  Consider working with app developers who have extensive experience developing apps for Baby Boomers. Example: Fitbit Take Fitbit—the company became a household name and top in the industry while gearing its product primarily toward Baby Boomers. Their top-selling fitness trackers hone in on a high area of interest (health and fitness), are easy to configure, and are an easy company to interact with. Fitbit continues to have a competitive advantage in the fitness tracker space. Support Device & OS Preferences Boomers may be less likely to iterate on previous device purchases and are less apt to adopt sweeping feature changes. As such, make your app practical and reliable across new releases. Baby Boomers may be less inclined to upgrade or switch their devices than younger generations. They might be more cautious about adopting new technologies or prefer to stick with what they already know. By keeping your app practical, reliable, and compatible across new releases and actively involving Baby Boomers in the testing and feedback process—you can create an app that aligns with their preferences and fosters a beneficial user experience. Tailor Content & Experience Tailor enterprise apps and overall user experience to meet Boomers’ specific needs and preferences. Identify patterns and preferences unique to this generation. Above all, keep apps informative, safe, and practical. Relevant & Meaningful Content When using technology as a means to an end, Baby Boomers will adopt digital products that help them achieve their goal or provide a needed feature. Provide content that resonates with Baby Boomers’ interests and life stages. Focus on health and wellness, retirement planning, financial management, caregiving, hobbies, travel, and social connections. Practical Language The best products deliver pragmatic solutions that users seek, accompanied by a straightforward experience. Use straightforward and jargon-free language to ensure your content is easily understood. Avoid complex technical terms or acronyms that may be unfamiliar to Baby Boomers. Security & Privacy Baby Boomers may have concerns about privacy and data security. Build trust by clearly communicating the measures you have in place to protect their information. Use secure authentication methods, encrypt data, and outline your privacy policy in a transparent and easily accessible manner. Speaking To Their Needs Baby Boomers are looking for apps that fill a need in their lives and provide them with means for connection. They are less likely to download an app out of curiosity and more likely to use apps or smart devices that serve a purpose in their life. What that means for app developers is identifying this generation’s underlying needs and finding innovative ways to address those needs. Anticipate Shorter Sessions Because this audience will choose digital products that work for them, you can anticipate shorter user cycles and less time spent in-app or on a device than their younger cohorts. However, Baby Boomers may allot more time regarding long-form content. The trade-off? Customer loyalty. Anticipate shorter user cycles and less in-app time but high app loyalty. They tend to be loyal customers of apps that enhance their lives and foster connection. Conducting user research, gathering feedback, and continuously improving the app based on their needs and preferences is key to maintaining loyalty among Baby Boomer users. Support Your Boomer Users Providing reliable customer support channels, such as responsive email support or phone assistance, can go a long way in building loyalty. Being “old fashioned” in communication styles, Baby Boomers appreciate having access to human assistance when they encounter issues or have questions about the app. Customer support is key. Like most app users, Boomers want the ability to get needed resources efficiently, but those expectations may vary depending on the individual. By providing a variety of clear pathways for support, you can ensure all users have the tools to adopt innovations. Conclusion: The Future Is Digital for Every Generation Understanding all the nuances when developing apps for Baby Boomers is important because this generation will continue integrating technology into their daily lives. As the second to largest generation with considerable spending power, they expect seamless digital interactions and will reward the businesses and apps that meet their expectations with strong brand loyalty. The future is digital for Boomers and for every generation. Each generation’s unique preferences, motivations, and needs will set up your app for ultimate success. If you have questions or concerns about developing apps for Baby Boomers, Millennials, Gen Xers—or any other generation—we would be happy to provide a free consultation at InspiringApps.

5 months ago