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- Types of Mobile Apps
Mobile application developers can choose from three types of mobile apps –
Native Mobile Apps – Apps that are written in a language that is natively supported by the underlying device OS.
Cross-Platform Mobile Apps – These are apps that are written in one language and can run on all platforms.
Mobile Web Apps – These are applications for mobile devices that require only a web browser but the look and feel is that of a regular mobile app. Developers can further use two kinds of website programming to create mobile web apps – Responsive Web Programming and Progressive Web Programming.
- Identify The Platform
It is important to consider the platform your app will be running on. The chosen platform for your app will affect your choice of programming language.
The iOS platform is a proprietary platform made by Apple. The iOS platform is available for phone devices (iPhone) and tablet devices (iPad). You can develop an app for the iOS platform and target the app to an iPhone and iPad.
Apps can be built for the iOS platform either by using native iOS SDK with Objective-C and Swift or with various cross-platform technologies targeted for iOS. Objective-C was the first language by Apple for developing iOS mobile applications. However, since Apple introduced Swift, the use of Objective-C has declined.
Android Application Development
Android is an open-source platform developed and promoted by Google. While Google has its own mobile devices, Pixel, and other smartphone companies sell their own branded phones, powdered by Android and derivatives of Android. Android devices range from phones to tablets.
An Android development toolkit is needed for building Android apps. Android apps can be built either by using the native Android SDK with Kotlin and Java or with cross-platform technologies targeted for Android.
Cross-Platform App Development
Some technologies let you write in one language and target the app for both iOS and Android Platforms. Developers who are not familiar with Java or Swift but know technologies like Web or C# can develop apps for Android and iOS. Platforms that can be used by developers are HTML5 and Apache Cordova, C# and Xamarin, JavaScript and React Native, Dart and Flutter.
Website App Development
Though it is not an installed app, it is important to consider UIs that are delivered by navigating to a URL. These mobile-optimized websites are written using web technologies like HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. Using frameworks like Material, Bootstrap, or Foundation, can help deliver a responsive website.
- Maintainability
When choosing a programming language, it is essential to consider the maintainability of the app. The language must be up to date with current programming technology, there is no point in choosing a language that has fallen out of favor.
The technology space is constantly evolving, so it is important to plan for the future and the apps need to be updated. Using outdated languages can result in higher maintenance costs when having to start from scratch.
- Security, Scalability and Performance
It is of utmost importance to protect your app and its users from cyber threats. A single security breach can cause your app to have a bad name and can kill your app. It is important to choose a programming language with constant security updates.
Similarly, scalability is an important factor that must be taken into account. An app is built to grow and become more popular and once that happens, it will have to deal with a huge amount of data. Choosing Ruby on Rails and Java Spring are two stacks that perform best when it comes to scaling your app.
Performance is another important factor when it comes to choosing a programming language. A programming language that is not able to perform efficiently can lead to problems with page loading speed or image processing that can be frustrating for users, leading to reduced downloads.
Conclusion
Choosing the right programming language for your mobile app development is essential for a successful mobile application. Once you take into consideration all of the above factors, you will be able to choose the right programming language for your application. As a mobile application developer, it is important to keep up with the various changes and updates in the platforms and tools in the ever-evolving technology space.
Searching for the best mobile app development company to solve your problem of figuring out which mobile app development programming language to choose? We, at Qurinom Solutions, can take those worries right out of your hands and give you the app of your dreams.
Take the first step, reach out to us to start your app development journey!
5 App Monetization Strategies in 2024
Apps serve two purposes – to get your content in front of people and to bring in more revenue. Most app developers have the first part covered and often have trouble with the latter.
According to Statista, 255 billion apps have been downloaded in 2022. However, 95% of these apps are free to download. Despite this, the mobile app market has amassed a whopping revenue of over 240 billion US dollars in the same year.
How do apps survive as a business if they are available for free?
In this blog, we will give you a breakdown of everything regarding mobile app monetization and how you can start earning from your apps.
What is app monetization and why is it important?
Mobile app monetization is the process of generating app revenue from its users.
You can bring in revenue from your mobile app in various ways, but you need to have an understanding of which app monetization strategy best fits your user needs and your needs.
Different kinds of apps will have different monetization strategies. For example, a gaming app will not have the same monetization techniques as a news app.
The various app monetization strategies include banner ads, rewarded video ads, and many more methods.
Once you have built your app, it is important to have an understanding of the various ways you can gain revenue via app monetization.
A well thought-out and researched app monetization strategy, most importantly, ensures you are creating a positive user experience for your app’s audience to retain and grow your user base. You need to keep in mind who you are building the app for, what the app does and who is your competitor.
Alongside this, it is important to measure the metrics of the average number of purchases, average purchase value, number of purchases, and retention rates.
This helps measure a user’s lifetime value (LTV), which is the estimate of the average revenue a purchasing user will generate over time by using an app. The LTV in turn, measures the most important advertising KPI, ROAS (Return on an ad spend).
What is the difference between free and paid apps?
As of October 2023, 97% of apps on the Google Play Store were free, and around 95% of the iOS apps on the App Store were free.
Ever wondered why that is so?
Making your app free has several benefits that can help you generate revenue in the long run. A free app lowers the risk of trying an app out, it requires little commitment, making it easier to attract new users.
While the standards for free apps have risen, they still have lower expectations than the paid ones.
Paid apps, however, need reputable reviews, strong brand recognition, and unique content. Users who pay for an app expect to have higher and immediate expectations, especially when it comes to user experience.
Paid apps are at a disadvantage here, as this puts a limitation on monetization strategies, leading to a potential loss of long-term revenue.
Top 5 App Monetization Strategies
Apps did not have many forms of monetization initially. One had to pay to download an app. However, now that advertising data has become more easily accessible, developers, marketers, and advertisers have a better understanding of in-app purchases, in-app advertising, and other monetization strategies.
This makes “free” apps more lucrative, and has become the norm.
This has made developing apps more attractive to app developers and businesses. Along with the massive increase in mobile and app usage, especially Post-COVID-19, more people are developing apps and mobile app marketers are utilizing various ways to build profitable apps.
- Pay per Download (PPD) or Paid Download
Apps were not always available for free. Initially, apps could be accessed only after a payment, which is still the route some app developers take. Users need to pay upfront to download an app. This can bring in a lot of revenue, but only if the content provides unique value to the user.
So, unless you can provide users with content they will not find anywhere else, they will search for other sources than buy an app.
What kind of apps should be Pay per Download?
Apps that have a unique feature or can be clearly differentiated or known brands that have a unique offering should follow this model. For example, gaming apps or some utility apps can benefit from this strategy.
Benefits of Pay per Download
Paid apps depend on brand recognition, reviews, and unique content. Once a paid app is proven to have undeniable benefits, one can generate consistent and predictable revenue from the app.
Revenue can be measured more easily since you only need to measure app downloads over time. However, this comes at the cost of not being able to upsell users with other monetization models.
The lack of ads ensures a better and higher quality user experience. This will lead to dedicated users expecting to extract the most value from your app, increasing user retention.
- In-App Purchases (IAP)
The in-app purchase strategy sells a variety of products, and services, and even offers bonuses within the app.
In-app purchase revenue can be divided into –
- In-store revenue: In-app purchases through the app store, are largely driven by gaming and subscription apps. The first half of 2023 itself has seen a staggering 67.5 billion US dollars via in-app spending.
- Out-of-store revenue: Any revenue generated directly in the app, pertaining to e-commerce, food delivery, travel etc., generates more revenue than in-store.
What kind of apps should have in-app purchase?
In-app purchases can be utilized across every type of app from mobile games to non-gaming apps in social, productivity, e-commerce, and transportation.
Benefits of In-app purchases
We are living in a time when apps are successfully generating profit by making in-app experiences available. These in-app purchases can be anything from selling sticker packs on various messaging or social apps to plugins that unlock new editing or design features in a photo editing app.
IAP works effectively for gaming apps when it aims to improve the gaming experience. It is a low-cost method to gain a loyal user base by providing exclusive items and in-game benefits.
The in-app experiences can be upgrades that enhance user experience, provide an ad-free experience, or unlock premium content.
In-app purchases can help prevent an app from being labeled as pay-to-use. Especially when it comes to gaming apps, creating both soft and hard currency, and ensuring that everyone can earn in-game currency easily, is important for a good user experience.
- Subscription Models
A subscription model for an app ensures an app is free to download and they charge a recurring subscription fee to use, either monthly or annually.
Subscriptions can help create a predictable cash flow if developers have a good sense of how many users are joining or leaving an app. Users who subscribe to the apps are actively invested in using the apps.
The app store for Android, Google Play Store will take 15% on subscriptions from the first day, and the Apple App Store further lowers the commission from 30% to 15% after a year.
What kind of apps should use the subscription model for monetization?
Apps like video streaming apps, fitness apps, dating apps, productivity, and news apps can use this model since these are apps that can provide unique content regularly.
Benefits of Subscription Models
Subscription models offer a reliable income stream for app developers. The money available from the premium subscriptions can help fund ongoing maintenance and development of an app. This model also ensures that the app remains available for its audiences over time.
When setting up your subscription services, a smart approach is to set up multiple subscription models, for users at various levels of the purchasing funnel. This will help you target multiple users along their customer journey, leading to an increase in revenue from various users.
A tip to get more users to convert to consumers, providing users with a free trial before purchase can help them see the value of the app leading to increased conversions if the content of your app is unique and helpful.
- Freemium Models
Once users download an app for free, they are offered in-app purchases to give them exclusive access to premium features, free goods, or additional content. When apps can engage with users and enjoy an app, they are more inclined to invest in the paid options the app provides.
The free content is available for everyone but the revenue will be generated from the 0.5-2% of users willing to pay for enhanced experience.
It is important to keep in mind that not all users will pay, but it helps your app reach a wide audience. An app that uses the freemium model should be engaging for all users, not just the paying users. The monetization feature should just aim to enhance the app experience and not keep out free users.
Freemium models can also include the subscription model or make the premium features limited after using them for free for a limited time period.
What kind of apps should use the freemium model?
Apps ranging from gaming apps to productivity apps can make use of this model. A real-world example is Dropbox, Spotify, and WordPress.
Benefits of the Freemium Model
Freemium apps lower the barrier for users trying a new app. Once they choose to engage with the app more deeply, users can pay the fees. There is also a scope of personalization in both user preference and the amount they choose to pay. This gives the app scope to attract new users.
This monetization model is highly scalable without any overhead costs of marketing and sales campaigns and allows a business to scale quickly and attract new customers.
Freemium subscriptions can generate revenue from users who can choose to try out the app before purchasing, and who would otherwise not be interested in paying for the app.
- In-App Advertising (IAA)
IAA is a monetization strategy that uses the app’s real estate to show ads to its users. Ad buyers sell advertising space to display ads.
Since a vast portion of the users do not take part in in-app purchases or buy subscriptions, having in-app ads can bring in revenue from this segment of users. This is an extremely popular way of earning from apps, especially helpful for gaming apps.
However, while showing ads, it is important to keep the ads relevant and not make them overpowering to the users to not harm the user experience.
What kind of apps should use in-app advertising?
In-app advertising can be used with almost any available free app. They are, however, very popular in gaming apps to monetize from non-paying audiences.
Apps that have in-app purchases as their main stream of revenue, should carefully consider whether using in-app advertising can cause friction in users’ path to purchase.
Types of In-App Advertisements
Banner Ads – The ads that appear at the top or bottom of the screen with a clear call to action feature.
Video Ads – These are video clips that appear before another video or a particular feature of an app.
Rewarded Video Ads – These offer in-app benefits or rewards for watching an entire video, which is an ad format used mainly in gaming apps.
Interstitial Ads – Full-screen ads that appear at a transitional phase in the app, such as a level completion in gaming apps. They contain rich media and come in the form of videos, images, and texts.
Native Ads – They look like organic content that is marked as sponsored content. They fit naturally in the app and do not hinder the user experience.
Playable Ads – Playable mini-games that show the process of another game. These are highly engaging and have the highest CPM (Cost per Mille) rates when it comes to gaming apps.
Offerwall Ads – They provide the user with rewards after a certain action is completed.