Below are a few mobile App user-interface suggestions you just can’t ignore:

Expertise of the user

Expert vs. Novice users is like a tale of two audiences. Often, we as App developers, tend to think of our users being ubiquitous and possessing a set of skill that is more or less expert. We must know that every user is unique and so is their ability to understand and use an App.

A novice user, for example, moves slower through the application, and is prone to commit touch errors. Expert users, on the other hand, know exactly what each element stands for and move very quickly.

So, when you create your UI, make sure to take into consideration the above mentioned factors. While you want to keep the App efficient,  it’s also important to keep it simple and informative for novice users.

Tips For Creating and Excellent User Interface!

Ideal button size

This one’s a very common issue! Surprisingly, it’s often overlooked. As a rule of thumb, buttons should be the size of a finger touch (thumb in particular). It has been observed that button with a width size below 1 cm are harder and slower to operate.

Another thing to know here is: the use of non-uniform buttons. This is done to help novices identify which buttons are more important.

UI location

The most common areas to place the UI elements are the top and the bottom of a screen. However, we must know that it is the thumb acting like a primary ‘touch’ finger. A right-handed user will quickly reach the bottom right, while a left-handed user reaches the bottom left easily.

Therefore, it makes sense to keep primary application buttons at the bottom of the screen, and more often used buttons on the bottom-right.

Flow of motion

Now that the buttons are sized well and placed better, it’s time to consider the movement of the thumb. You may have already noticed, the thumb sweeps in a particular motion. So, if you have an interface that has a slider or a selection list to sweep up and down, it only makes sense to keep in mind the natural thumb- flow of users.

Know when how much is too much

It is very annoying when I see an App that has a lot of buttons in one place, even worse is when the developers do not provide for appropriate distance between the buttons.  Not only does this problem of plenty make an app difficult to use, it can also create confusion in the users’ minds. The most loved Apps usually keep the number of touchable UI elements to only 10 per view.

Bring to play these suggestions, coupled with a few cool ideas, and you will have an App that will definitely stand out.

Let’s be realistic—you can’t be the next Ethan Nicholas to create your first iPhone App and make $800,000 profit in the first 5 months! But, on another note—who says it can’t be made possible!?!

Very frankly, you don’t have to be a geek or a computer genius to create an iPhone App. It’s more like a straight forward process. You only need to have basic computer knowledge, a sound know-how and the passion to deliver results.

Generate Revenues With Your Iphone App!

To begin with, have an App idea right in place. You can visit the Apple website and browse through the Appstore to look at the multitude of Apps floating around. Absorb a lot of ideas during this stage. Know which Apps are popular or benefit the users. You may even ask your friends around the kind of Apps they would love to have.

Conduct surveys if that is possible. With all the research up your sleeve, brainstorm to understand where exactly you want to head.

Once you know the type of App you would want to own, look around for a developer (if that is not your forte). It is advisable to hire someone who has the right experience and apt knowledge to develop an App. And before you would even know—you will have an App—successfully created!

Enter—the ‘fee charging’ bit. In order to earn money with your iPhone App development, keep in mind the following points when you decide the price for your App:

-       From a developer’s point of view, take into note the time and money spent on developing the App.

-       You should know that popular Apps, on an average, cost between $0.99 to $9.99. You must have the most awesome application in case you are planning to charge more!

-       The demand of the App you are selling must also be taken into consideration. Knowing what similar Apps are charging can sort out the problem.

-       The nature of your App should be an important factor while quoting the price. If you believe your App is a revolution and can help people save a lot of time, you can think of charging a little more.

I am sure you all know about Joel Comm, the brain behind iFart. It was astonishing to know how his App made almost $100,000 in just a few weeks! Now what we can capture from his creation is— how an efficient idea rakes in a lot of money! Besides, simplicity, fast results and easy to use interface is like a cherry on the cake.

There are many of the view that iFart is not practical, but then I say—as long as the App keeps its users entertained, who cares about anything else?!? So, while creating an iPhone App, make sure your idea is accessible. If not a novelty like iFart, but least to say—it should retain attention—for the longest time possible.

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When I come to think of it, it’s amazing how my mobile device switch between utility oriented devices to pure entertainers!

I must say—smartphones open a whole new range of possibilities. They are like carrying internet- connected computers in your pockets—all day! If you are a business owner, you would only agree when I say: if used smartly, mobile Apps can boost revenues.

Here’s how:

Geo-targeted push notifications

As far as I remember, it was in 2010, the then Google CEO Eric Schmidt had talked about the awesome future of Apps. In his example, he had quoted how an App would be able to tell about history of places walked by. Three years later, this is reality!

Here are a few things you can do with geo-targeted push notifications:

-       If you are a band, you can notify your fans in a particular city about the special offers you have up and running for them.

-       A national brand/chain can quickly send notifications to a targeted city or region. You might like to talk about offers, promotional schemes, etc.

-       A restaurant can use the feature to boost loyalty by offering a special discount to an old customer who has not been to the place for the last two months.

-       If you are a store, you can announce sale on umbrellas, citing rain alert.

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Sales opportunity

With the advancement of technology, and a million bright ideas pouring in, mobile Apps have opened doors for businesses to provide a whole new world of smart shopping opportunities. Yes, engagement too! So, if someone is waiting at the bus stop, or in a long queue outside the doctor’s clinic, they can be given the opportunity to browse, engage, shop or transact—via their smartphone.

Geo-targeted advertising

I have a classic targeted ad story to share: While being stuck in traffic on his daily commute back home, a potential homeowner looks out of the car to read: ‘Had you lived HERE, you would have been home by NOW’.

Now, multiply this by a billion and you would know exactly what I mean by smartphone-powered targeted advertisement. Trust me, it’s brilliant! 

Dynamic offers

When you have a zillion awesome ideas up your sleeve, magic starts to happen! The power of mobile Apps is such that it lets you do really cool things. Now, if you are a brand of clothing and have an App right in place, you can push-notify your regular customers for just-in-time offers. Winning customer loyalty only helps.

Data gathering

When you have your presence in the ‘smart-world’, you can easily track each move your potential customer makes. You know their location, browse history and why exactly they bounced-back, if so be the case. With all this information handy, you can strategize, improve and work towards increasing sales.

No doubt, mobile Apps are helping businesses increase their efficiency and in the process—revenue. If only you use them smartly, you will be bang on!

There is no doubt about the fact that e-commerce and M commerce have made a huge difference to the way people conduct their online shopping activities.

The e-commerce space is going to see a lot of growth. In the year 2012, the global mobile payment transaction value was $171.5 billion and this space is going to see $490.9 billion by the year 2015.

There is also an amazing array of products and services that can be accessed with the help of M-commerce applications. Travel plans, electronics and books are just some of the things that mobile users access with their devices.

There are plenty of features and facets that go into making M commerce applications successful. Here’s taking a look at the top 3.

What Your M-commerce App Must Have!

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Being geographically aware

An M-commerce application maker always has to remember that people will access information from various geographical zones. The keyword is “mobile”! Therefore, M-commerce apps simply have to be aware of context, location, and relevance as far as a mobile device user is concerned. Being omnipresent is one of the biggest necessities for successful mobile apps.

Most mobile applications become successful because they give the user geographically aware information. For instance, if a traveler is looking for restaurant listings in his new destination, then a mobile commerce application should be capable of giving him the exact details that he is looking for and not give him names and details in his place of origin.

Flexibility

Now this feature of M-commerce apps has to be applied across many dimensions. M-commerce services have to be able to take care of the individuals requirements in many ways.

• Ability to support shopping, banking, entertainment, education and academics, travel plans and even information searches.
• Compatibility with a wide range of the popular operating systems and platforms that are available on mobile devices today
• Capability of supporting different currency systems, languages and payment portals
• Having the capability of being integrated with a larger e-commerce store

Being responsive

There are a large range of mobile devices that are used by people all over the world. These mobile devices differ in important aspects such as operating systems, screen size and input mechanisms to name a few.

M-commerce applications need to cater for such diversity and ensure that they are intuitive, and are able to respond to the type of mobile device that is in use and make adjustments accordingly.

For instance, one of the biggest features of M-commerce applications is the search functionality and this should take care of the fact that different types of mobile devices will be used.

It would be a good idea therefore for M commerce applications to be built with a high degree of awareness for specific platforms that get used in mobile technologies.

It is also extremely important for M commerce applications to download quickly onto mobile devices and not end up slowing their performance.

Now, what’s suitable for one app, may not work for another, hence the right pricing for you would depend on the kind of app you want developed and the features you want to include. The following infographic should hopefully make it easier for you to decide.

Pricing Your App Right!

There is a range of really successful iPhone gaming applications such as Zen Bound, Doodle Jump and many others, which have won awards and recognition for the immense success and fame that they have brought to their developers.

An analysis of the more popular and successful iPhone applications reveals that all of them are characterized by a few common elements.

Let the creative juices flow

One of the hallmarks of popular mobile gaming applications is the fact that their developer did not limit himself to conventional thought processes.

Get On Top Of Your Game!

Sometimes, you can also harness the focus that developers have and leave it to them to convert your idea into a gaming application. But, if you are going to limit yourself to a run-of-the-mill approach then the chances are that you will fail in creating a popular iPhone application.

Progressive gaming 

Every gamer loves to be rewarded in some way or the other. Whether it is the unlocking of new levels, gifts such as gold and platinum stars or even collecting powers and boosts, all of it is going to go into making the game popular.

A game can get truly addictive when the player is trying to discover what awaits him in the next level. So, it is important to design each level to be different and also allow the gamer to progress from one level to another and earn rich bonus points on the way.

The games do not necessarily have to be extraordinarily easy. This is especially true when the mobile application is aimed at adults.

Interactive communication

It is also a great idea to ensure that the customers or users of your mobile application can revert back to you with a feedback in terms of comments and ratings.

It may not always be good but when you reward your customers with loyalty points simply because they have taken the time to write to you, you are indeed going to find it really easy to work on your game to make it better and to continue to reach wider audiences.

Simplicity and interest

It is good to remember that mobile applications for games are meant as a distraction or a leisure activity. Making games extraordinarily difficult or calling for too much of an investment in terms of thinking may not cut it with a large section of the people.

Instead, make your mobile applications easy to understand, visually rich and interesting and retain the interest of your users with frequent updates and quick removal of technical glitches.

Visual appeal, a great storyline, smooth user interface and creating a unique gaming application are some of the most popular lessons from popular iPhone gaming applications.

1)    Freemium Away!

Freemium means you give the basic version for free, but charge for advanced ones. Angry Birds is a case in point.

Statistics are in favor of Freemium or having lite versions of Apps—According to App Annie, an analytics firm, Freemium app revenue is more than premium for both Android and IOS platforms! The Global revenues from Freemium apps on IOS, has reportedly quadrupled over the last 24 months!

This model, however, makes maximum sense for gaming apps, since once gamers take to an app, they like to move up levels in a linear fashion, so advanced versions of Gaming apps that promise access to increased level of complexity and challenges are likely to sell.

Angry Birds—The Freemium Pricing Model

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2)    In App Purchases For Free Apps

Create a free app with limited functionality and then allow people to choose and pay for the advanced features they want access to. Here are some numbers for thought—According to Juniper Research statistics from In App Purchases are likely to reach $.4.8 billion by 2016!

Having said that, adding in App purchases to paid apps may end up putting off your users. So, this pricing model is usually good for Free Apps or nominally priced ones.

3)    Make Your Money Through In App Advertising

There are a lot of advertising opportunities in Apps, if you want to earn revenues through in app advertising, you must make sure you choose the right ads and don’t make them too intrusive.

This model too is good for free apps, people won’t like seeing ads if they’ve paid for an app.

4)    Undercut the Competition

If your app offers features that are comparable to that of the competition, undercutting their price can be a good way to attract the market’s attention and gain some quick downloads.

5)    Set User Expectations 

If your app is complex and offers something unique and innovative you can charge a higher price, how much you charge would depend on the features, the prices of other apps in your niche, and your USP. Generally, top quality apps with extensive features can charge $4.99+.

The highest price that you can charge at the Apple store is $999, incidentally, an App that offers a prep course for the California Bar Exam costs as much.

Whatever price you decide for you app, make sure you set the right user expectation in your description, and more importantly make sure your app delivers on its promise. If not, you should be prepared to get lots of negative reviews and consequently diminishing downloads.

Market Away!

Once an application is launched, its success depends largely upon how well it is marketed. With there being virtually infinite number of applications available on operating systems such as iOS and Android, many applications are invariably condemned to obscurity unless they appear in the Top Downloads category in the App Store or Google Play.

Get Your App A Thumbs Up!

It is only if people know about an application, hear about it frequently and notice its popularity that they are likely to download it. Therefore, marketing your application well should be your first priority after its completion.

Your attempt to should be to maximize application visibility and thus increase downloads by using some of the following measures.

App Market SEO

Just as regular SEO is helpful in increasing the online visibility of products and services, App Market search engine optimization also helps enhances the download of mobile applications.

Therefore, include all possible keywords related to your app in its listing to ensure that anyone looking to download something of its nature can find it easily.

Social Media

Also remember that other social media can also be used to promote your application. Generate conversation and garner attention towards it on all your social accounts so that more and more people know about it.

After all, such measures are free of cost and shall bring in customers without any losses.

A good way to market your app on social media is shift your focus from acquiring random likes and followers to actual engagement for generating leads.

For example, let’s say you have developed a Gaming App, your focus should be on following and engaging with people who frequently tweet about apps, and games, app listing sites and app reviewers with huge twitter followings.

You can then offer them free beta testing, or even a free download to encourage them to tweet about or review your app.

It is a fact that obtaining funds of application development is no simple task, even in this age of the smart phone revolution.

Whether you are an amateur pursuing app development as a second business, or a business owner looking at developing a marketing focused app, you have to explore various funding options before you can hit upon something that is viable.

Bank Loans

When it comes to financial aid, bank loans are usually the first option that comes to mind. However, for one to be eligible for a bank loan to fund any business venture, you need to have:

• A positive credit history
• An impressive business plan that defines the scope of your project in exactitude
• Financial predictions that reflect an ability to repay the loan

While bank loans are a safe and secure means for funding an app development venture, unless you have all the required documentation in perfect order, your loan will probably never get sanctioned.

Get Your App Funded!

Government Grants and Loans

Interestingly, even government bodies may provide finances for app development in certain circumstances.

The government is authorized to provide capital as grants to business if their venture is designed to promote either economic growth or facilitate research and analytics in a particular industry.

Also, local government agencies often provide micro-loans to small businesses, to help boost their enterprise and strengthen the local economy. When going in for government funding options, there are a few drawbacks that are somewhat discouraging.

Firstly, it is not easy to qualify for government loans for they provide grants to very select few businesses that contribute towards national progress in an ostensible manner.

Micro-loan agencies, on the other hand, are far and few between in most regions; they too have a process of careful selection in providing funding to small entrepreneurial ventures.

Crowdfunding

A final option available to you is crowdfunding, wherein an online community of investors can be appealed to for funds on the basis of the business proposal you put forward.

The investors can contribute whatever sum they want in lieu of a profit-sharing arrangement that is predefined.

For app developers, crowdfunding is not only a good option to get funds, it also ensures non-interference (of those you have borrowed from) in management of the business.

The following is a list of some crowdfunding platforms that Aussie app developers may find useful:

• Pozzible
• Fundbreak
• Startup Smart
• Chip-in
• Assob
• ipledg

Private Agencies

From private agencies, funding for your application can come from venture capitalists or angel investors.

Venture capitalists are people who pool in their money with others and invest in new technologies. To an application developer, this may sound very promising, and for the most part, it even is.

However, there is just one disadvantage; venture capitalists are usually very involved in the management of any business they invest in.

Angel investors are also a good option. These are people who offer large sums of money for investment in business ventures as long as they get a percentage in the ownership of stock, as well as a healthy return on investment once the business operations begin.These investors may offer part or full funding.

If you are looking for part of full funding, please get in touch with us. If we like your idea, we’ll be happy to offer you part funding, or connect you with our network of Angel Investors.

Need Help? Read On!

Here are some tips on how to create a good pitch for your app.

The first thing to do would be to learn by example. Take, for instance, the brilliant app pitches made by the makers of Coinkeeper and BodBot, into consideration.

Great Idea, Great Execution 

Got A Bright App Idea? Get It Funded!

CoinKeeper was recently introduced on the iPhone and Android devices with a most user-friendly interface – fast, intuitive and somewhat game-like.

Working on a paid business model, CoinKeeper was introduced with money-saving incentives such as try-and-buy options and freemium models.

In order to distinguish it from other similar applications, iFree used a different approach and made it simple yet snazzy and very engaging.

As part of their marketing strategy they put forward these positives in a most appealing manner to continually attract more and more attention.

Funding, the Smart Way 

A similarly instructive example would be of the popular fitness application BodBot. This app was funded by 458 backers (with a commendable $21,550) and one of its co-founder – Sergio Prado revealed their strategy.

He and his partner Eddie Laux worked incessantly before the fundraise – they first reviewed their previous successes, developed a working plan, evaluated their online network and paid attention to small details such as the best time to contact people, so on and so forth.

The end result was that eventually they created the fastest funded fitness app in all of crowdfunding history!

What To Learn… 

As is evident from both these app development stories is that a good sales pitch is a product of careful and deliberate planning.

Thus, to make a good impression on investors and potential consumers, you will have to go through a process of rigorous research and brainstorming.

1. Begin With the Basics

Begin by fulfilling the fundamentals – deciding upon the application concept and make sure you have answers to the following key questions:

1. 1) Who will be your target audience?
2. 2) What can you offer your target audience?
3. 3) What challenges will your app solve and how?
4. 4) How do you intend to make the app profitable?
5. 5) Do you have a marketing plan?

Having done this, have a few sessions of uninterrupted brainstorming where you iron out the chinks in the original plan.

By this time, there should be absolute clarity with regard to what you wanted to do, even if you are not sure how.

2. Get Your Numbers Right

A lot of people are afraid of numbers, your confidence with them will show an investor that you are on top of your game. App development after all is not just about creativity but also profitability.

So, your pitch must include statistics, necessary financial analysis and assumptions as well as fully substantiated financial statements.

3. Keep Your Competitors Closest

After these rudimentary stages of app development comes the most crucial part that will eventually have a huge impact of the quality of the sales pitch.

You should invest in an analysis of your competition; this will help you improvise and transform your idea into something that is more saleable and unique.

4. Know Your Investor

Finally, you can begin to think about your app funding. When making a pitch to various backers and investors, present your idea in a manner that panders to their sensibilities.

This means you may have to tweak your pitch depending upon who you are presenting it to and also offer different incentives.

For instance, let’s say you want to create a customer feedback management app for E-commerce sites, and let’s say you decide to approach an app developer like Appsquare for funding, your pitch should then focus on how profitable you think the app would be and how you would be happy to use their services and expertise, if they agreed to offer you funding.

If you were to approach, E-commerce site owners on the other hand, you could offer them access to your app for free for a certain period, or lifetime access at a nominal cost.

This nature of an approach, coupled with the intensive efforts you will have hopefully put in before, can help create a killer pitch for your app that gets much attention, support and backers as well.

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