Two Considerations To Note Before Developing An App

More companies are transferring a portion of their business online. This has created a yet-untapped market for app developers. These companies often require an app that will help them process their accounts in a seamless and easy-to-do manner. It is tempting to immediately jump unto the bandwagon and begin developing an app. Nonetheless, it is still important that these two considerations be noted.

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Promotion or business?: Money is an important factor in any decision-making process. App development is the same. Developers should consider their end-goal and take it from there. The first question to ask is whether the app is to promote an existing business or to be a revenue-generating source. Promoting a business does not require too much technicalities. These apps are usually applied for companies that have a physical store so the goal is to encourage viewers or users to visit the location itself. When the app is meant to earn money, it should have more features and be targeted for a specific market. A good rule of thumb is to create an app the developer himself would use.

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The platform: Should the app be in iOS or Android? This is a personal consideration as both operating systems each have their own pros and cons. In general, iPhone apps are known for their money-making characteristics. Android apps, on the other hand, are downloaded more often although expect to be giving the app for free. The process in development for both operating systems are also different so novice developers should stick with what they know.

Remember that the end product should be worthy of attention and praise. Whatever the reason for building an app can be, consumers always appreciate a well-thought-of app.

Taihwa Terry Ho helps app developers start their careers. He is a capital investor who focuses on technological advances. For more information, like this Facebook page.

The Billion-Dollar App Economy Is Looking Up

The app economy has created new venues for venture capital and hedge fund investments, as well as thousands of jobs. In 2015, an estimated 627,000 jobs were created by the iOS App Store.

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The industry is currently generating around 72 billion dollars that app development has become a major draw for entrepreneurs and investors. According to the CEO of AppNation, research shows that despite a saturated market, growth rates are still accelerating exponentially. Analysts forecast that the app economy will be a 100 billion-dollar industry by 2020, if not earlier. Reports also show that 85 percent of revenues come from games, but other app categories such as those for banking, airline, retail, and ridesharing services are growing faster.

The largest app markets are in the US, Japan, and China, but research firm App Annie cites India, Indonesia, Mexico, and Argentina as fast-growing markets.

Driving the increase is app-based commerce; that is, in-app advertising, and virtual goods and paid app downloads. Newer platforms such as smart TV, virtual and augmented reality (VR / AR), and automotive would help boost sales. In the same manner, email, social networks, and mobile browsers are also expected to drive revenues.

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I am Taihwa Terry Ho and I am tech entrepreneur investing primarily in app development startups. For updates, like this Facebook page.

Business Level Up With Productivity Apps

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Entrepreneurs today have a wealth of information and resources available to them with just a click or swipe of the fingers. Faced with an abundance of web or mobile applications, they have tools and partners in solving problems and taking advantage of opportunities they encounter daily. Productivity and efficiency can be attained more easily, thanks to some of these apps that have proven useful in entrepreneurship:

Evernote: Almost the perfect note-taking tool with its variety of features, including quick storing of notes or sketches, sync capabilities via many platforms, creation of to-do lists, easy search, sharing and collaboration of notes with contacts, to name a few.

Dropbox: Quite a valuable program, Dropbox allows teammates to efficiently back up files on the cloud, or even share them to a team to create productive collaboration. Its huge storage size, that is also upgradeable, even makes it more popular and not just with entrepreneurs.

Basecamp: Think of a conference room, but in a private, secure space online. Projects, whether individual or team, can be tracked, scheduled and completed more efficiently with this app.

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Free Wi-Fi Finder: For people on the go, either working from home or conducting meetings outside, a fast and free public Wi-Fi seems necessary to get work done. This app uses one’s current location and shows a map of places with free Wi-Fi, although for some stores Wi-Fi only becomes free once you purchase from them.

Outright: This accounting app is perfect for small business owners or self-employed professionals as it has easy to use and exceptional accounting and bookkeeping tools.

I’m Taihwa Terry Ho, a technophile investing in app development, especially the ones that help make people’s lives easier. Learn more about app development by reading my blog here.

A New Wave: Mobile App Trends to Watch in 2016

2015 was undeniably one of the best years for the tech industry. Individuals turned a lot to their mobile devices for their day-to-day activities and transactions. When it comes to mobile applications, what can business owners, consumers, and tech fans expect in 2016?

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Focus on the consumer

New versions of existing mobile apps and soon-to-be-launched ones will provide users with a consumer-focused experience. Consumer-focused functions include user personalization, content-driven posts, and ad placements that reflect the consumer’s interests while considering the user’s app behavior. Such features will improve a company’s branding strategy by creating conversations with the consumer.

App analytics and user experience

Aside from focusing on their wants and need, providing consumers with visually-pleasing and active stats or visualizations will encourage users to rely on apps more. Upgraded UI and UX is a trend to watch in 2016.

Deep linking and ad targeting

Businesses will have their content more discoverable, thanks to this mobile app innovation. Google and Apple will allow mobile content to be found via search functions. Businesses can also tie up with other companies to utilize deep linking.

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Upgraded application security

In the previous years, very few applications have tight security measures against hackers and malware. In 2016, with the surge of mobile transactions, app developers are looking into upgrading security to cater to the user, while keeping the company’s reputation in mind.

Follow Taihwa Terry Ho on Twitter for the latest in mobile app trends.

App-lied science: How mobile phones can bring out your inner Einstein

Those who grew up watching "Dexter's Laboratory" might have dreamed of having a dark, vaulted room which they could fill with marvelous fantasy inventions. Now, reality has afforded us the imagination to own a massive chamber of scientific wonder lodged in every inch of the smartphone.

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Mobile devices, when equipped with the right tools, can make everything possible, and that includes helping scientists and researchers manage their studies from wherever they are. With support from tech investors, app developers have designed and created forward-looking apps that both scientists and students can use to effectively carry out their projects.

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Streamlining the data gathering process counts as a major advantage of using mobile apps. With the help of a smartphone's built-in camera, notepad, and voice recorder, and a reliable data management and stamping tool, scientists can capture images, record audio data, jot down observations from the field or the conference table, and neatly arrange them into files and folders with much ease using cloud management systems.

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Exploring scientific literature while on the go is also possible. A handful of research apps offers real-time access to abstracts and even the full text of both previous and recent studies. While scanning web-based databanks using smartphones can be more straining than using a desktop, apps give researchers an accessible option. Even without textbooks or journals within reach, they can get their knowledge fix the moment an idea pops up in between sips of coffee.

Other applications such as complex calculators and lab solvers even allow for calibrating data and performing SI unit conversions and other calculations beyond basic arithmetic. These features give researchers more time to focus on testing their hypothesis and less on figuring out Avogrado's number and other tedious scientific formulas.

Taihwa Terry Ho supports tech developments and startups that seek to improve the everyday lives of smartphone users. Visit this Facebook page to know more about her recent projects.