With the launch of various versions of iPhone as well as iOS, the enthusiasm displayed by the crowd has left no doubts in the minds of people that it is an extremely popular platform. Many users upgrade to the latest versions to stay in sync with the times. Indeed, the latest version comes packed with some really amazing features which have attracted many people towards it. The immense popularity has led to many developers leaning towards app development on this platform. However, the process is not all rosy as there are several limitations associated with carrying through the decision as well.Running of only one application at one time- It is a general rule while using iPhones that just one application can be run at one time; when you leave an application it simply quits. Although it might not seem to be a huge deal, essentially it means that you cannot do other things while the app is running. This might be an issue when browsing through websites since leaving the browser will lead to a broken connection. So there is no provision that installed apps would gather as well as send information to the users while running in the background. In fact even when some call comes to their phones, the application that was being used is exited. Some developers will find it to be problematic if they want to have location information from a user’s phone so that a track could be maintained. But unless the user keeps the app open all the time and does not work on anything other than it, it is impossible for the developer to find out. Internet usage through wifi- These days the utility behind most smartphones is to be in touch with the globe while on the go. However, with iPhones, this is not possible, since it only allows internet access through Wi-Fi. Cell networks are not encouraged which is a huge problem for many people. Xcode IDE- In this respect it might make sense to discuss about JDT tools of Android which has been described by many developers as excellent as well as standard. The great indexing of Java and rich source code model of IDE make refactoring seamless. This has made android development very easy. However, on the other hand, Xcode IDE of Apple is often remarked at for being too bad. Most people do not find it to be at par. It is not at all easy to use or time-conserving. In fact, Xcode often provides wrong content assist which suggests smaller amounts of actually available subsets. Limitations in developer agreement- Several limitations have been imposed on developers in the agreement. Only published APIs can be used and that too in the manner as specified by Apple. Another notable limitation is that data cannot be written anywhere by the applications excepting in the particular designated area. This essentially means that data cannot be modified by developers from other applications. Version compatibility- One problem that is faced by several developers is the version compatibility issue. While creating apps for a particular iOS version, it is really difficult to check whether it works on the previous version or not. With so many versions being out in the market, this problem can be a real issue. Uploading price- Yet again, the comparison between Android and iOS comes into focus. When a developer wants to upload an app, the App Store checks to see whether all standards are met or not. But the app cannot be sold before a $99 annual fee is paid; after this a digital certificate signature is given to them. However, in case of Android, just one-time fee of $25 has to be paid. Also there are no restrictions on publishing of apps; they can be published in other markets as well. Just like all other software and development platforms, iPhone is also not without its fair share of pros and cons. It is not perfect, it does include some limitations but they should in no way discourage people from using it or developing on the platform. The excellent performance and great security should instigate people to definitely use it. If you are planning to hire service of iPhone apps development company, you must evaluate them to see if they are sufficiently agile or not! We provide offshore iPhone application development services. To hire iPhone developers from us, please reach out to us at Mindfire Solutions.
The success of any app is measured by the extent of its popularity in the virtual world. In other words, it is measured by the number of times it is used and the number of people using it. So an application can be considered successful if it goes viral, i.e. its popularity spreads like an epidemic triggered off by a virus.
This can well be put in another way. Virality can be defined as the ability of an app to interact with people and entice them to use it. It is not actually a marketing strategy, but a special quality that makes it successful as an application.
When we speak of an iPhone app, things are no different as far as virality is concerned. This particular app has indeed gone viral. Following are the qualities that have helped the app to be so.
- It has a lot of valuable information to share
- It is easy to use as well as share. These two qualities lure a considerable number of people to join as well as participate.
- It comes with special reward packages for the users who share the application
- It also offers users incentives for coming back
- The more is the number of users, the more is the value created. This is another factor that helps the app to go viral.
Now let us see the virality principles that an iPhone app follows. In fact, these principles, among other things, have helped the application go viral.
- Inviting others as core process
- Keeping visitors back or in other words, retaining them
- Being helpful even before no users have started using it. This makes it popular – much in defiance of the logic that more the number of people using it, the more useful it will be. It is just like “what comes first – chicken or egg” dilemma.
- Successful removal of limits of artificial invitation
Let us now discuss some other criteria that help iPhone app go viral.
It comes with a stellar icon
An iPhone application comes with an attractive graphical icon that lures customers to click as well as visit the app.
The apps come up with strong description and keywords
The apps come up with attractive copy cells. This makes the users excited about the app. It also tickles their emotion so that they follow the direct call to action. Proper use of summary bullets, pertinent reviews make the applications more appealing to the users. Proper use of strategic keywords also helps the cause a lot.
An established presence in the web world that benefits SEO
A solid landing page, with a properly done on-page along with other forms of SEO make it visible to the users who are searching for strategic keywords, thus increasing its popularity.
It uses price slash and discount in a strategic manner
The iPhone applications are excellent when it comes to offering discounts as well as price cuts in a strategic way. These two things lure users to use the apps more frequently. This has also contributed to the rise of popularity.
Use of promotional tools for making and distribution of videos
The applications use various promotional tools. This plays a more significant role than screenshots when it comes to letting people know about these apps and what they are all about. Avenues such as YouTube or Vimeo are used to expose the apps to a large number of people.
Engage email marketing for re-engaging users
The iPhone Apps also send targeted email campaigns to the prospective users. That helps a lot when it comes to increasing the popularity of these apps.
Presence of convincing screen shots
It is seen that prospective customers generally search for screen shots for getting a preview of the use of the app. Compelling screen shots help these apps to gain huge popularity and this helps them to go viral. You can hire developers from top mobile app development companies in India who can help you build mobile apps within allocated budgets and time schedules. To get maximum benefits of iPhone apps, you may consider hiring services of a iPhone app development company.
We provide offshore iPhone apps development services. If you would like to hire iPhone developer for your projects, please contact us at Mindfire Solutions.
Hint: What does it take to build a successful iPhone app?
Many companies launch at regular intervals to target the huge base of iPhone users. Some developers also constantly upgrade their existing apps to stand out in the crowded app market. But a report posted on Entrepreneur.com highlighted that most apps lose 76 percent of their consumers after the first three months of use. So despite investing a huge amount of time, money and planning, companies often fail to develop a base of loyal users. The inability to attract loyal users also result in a decline in the revenues streams from various sources.
To quote from an interview given by Mr.Todd DiPaola, president of inMarket, a network with over 20 million users, "Building an app is like building a house. You need to put time into thinking about what the rooms are going to look like before you start building." So the key to build viral iPhone app is attention to details. However, the app also needs to be promoted on several popular platforms to catch the attention of iPhone users, and seduce them to try the free or trial version.
Apple requires developers to meet certain technical criteria while making apps that will run its iOS mobile operating system. You also have options to develop apps compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. But you must concentrate on some key points to target the right users, and build a base of loyal users in a short span of time. It is also important for an app developer to observe the key features of some of the viral iPhone apps, and develop his app by using some of these ideas.
What Makes an iPhone App Go Viral?
Stellar Icon: Most users love to check iPhone apps with appealing and graphical icons. So your choice of icon will have a direct impact on the initial popularity of the app. Based on the nature of your app, you can pick a stellar icon by gathering information and tips from several sources. The social media has further made it easier for you to decide the graphical icon based on outcome of an online survey.
Appealing Copy: Many users decide about downloading a specific app only after reading its description. So the way an iPhone app is described will also have an effect on its popularity. Similar to other ad copies, you must make innovative copies for the app to impress and excite the prospective users. While explaining the features and specifications of the app, you must present the data in a bulleted format. Also, you must include the user reviews to add credibility to your claims. The description must be followed through a direct call to action encourage users to download the apps right away.
Landing Page Optimization: Nowadays, most users initiate web search to gather information about specialized iPhone apps. So you must optimize your landing page to get more users through major online search engines. The landing page must contain the relevant keywords and key phrases to appear at the top of search engine result pages. Also, you can consider specific SEO methods the increase the search engine ranking of the landing page, and make the app viral.
Submission of App for Review: The reviews often add credibility to a newly launched app. Many users even decide about using a specific iPhone app, only after reading the reviews posted on various websites. So you must submit the app to several popular website, where it can be reviewed by the editorial staff. If you have launched a paid app, the editorial staff will need promo codes to access and review apps. You can even distribute promo code among the readers as an initial promotional offer.
Promotional Campaign: Your iPhone app must be promoted on popular online platforms to attract the large number of Apple device users. You can develop and distribute content to highlight various aspects of the application. Along with approaching professional tech bloggers to write articles or blogs on the app, you can also consider promoting the content through guest posting. Similarly, you can make and post a slideshare presentation to highlight the features and benefits of the app in a concise and stylish manner. At the same time, the app also needs to be promoted on popular social networking platforms. You can use your Facebook page to start promoting the app even before its market launch.
High User Rating: Many users even decide about downloading the app after checking its user ratings. A higher user rating also indicates the simple and easy-to-use features of the iPhone app. So you must encourage users to rate the app to enhance its credibility and popularity. At the same time, you also need to concentrate on increasing the app ranking in the app store. Normally, the app ranking is determined based on the number of downloads. You must try to include the app in top 100 to beat your competitors.
The popularity of an iPhone app depends on a number of factors. But you must prepare a comprehensive strategy to develop an innovative way, and promote it through a robust digital marketing campaign. Based on the initial response and feedback of users, you have to update the app regular intervals to attract new users, and retain existing users. Indeed this makes the search for an expert iPhone app development company very challenging.
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