Category: Tips & How-To’s

Have an Idea for an App: Use Custom Mobile App Development Services to Start Your Business

Posted on by oleshchenko

If you have an excellent idea for an app, hiring a custom mobile app development services provider is the next logical step you should take, right? Well, it turns out there are quite a few things you’ll need to do to create a successful product.

The following guide will take you through every step of this process and offer all the resources you’ll need. Then, armed with a plan of action, you’ll create an app that will turn in profit while helping people.

Now is a great time to get into custom enterprise application development. The industry is piping hot, and the number of app users is growing fast. In addition, smartphone users today spend close to three hours daily using different apps. With the smartphone penetration rate growing rapidly, you shouldn’t miss out on the chance to launch an app that will become the next big sensation. Mobile app development is the future, so act on your ideas fast.

Introduction to custom mobile app development services.

Custom Mobile App Development Services: Going Above and Beyond

Why having a great idea for an app is not enough

Mobile and web apps are popular, everyone knows this. But have you ever thought about exactly how popular they are?

In the last quarter of 2020, over 3.14 million apps were in Google Play Store and over 2 million in App Store. However, bear in mind that those aren’t the only app stores on the Web. Also, there are specialized custom apps that only work within enterprises or businesses. Therefore, the actual number of unique applications is enormous.

It shouldn’t be a surprise as the mobile app revenues are projected to reach over $935 billion by 2023. So naturally, everyone wants a piece of that pie.

All things considered, even if your idea is unique and lucrative, getting noticed will be tough. That’s why you need to think well beyond end-to-end application development. You’ll have to finance, market, and support your product to give it a chance at success. Moreover, you’ll require assistance from experts in various fields. It can make the difference between launching a breakthrough product and failure.

Follow the steps below if you are hyped up and sure that your idea has a fighting chance.

Before You Get to Custom Mobile App Development Services

Conduct a thorough market research

When you get an idea for an app, the first thing you should do is research the market. Questions you need to answer:

  • Who is your target audience?
    Decide who will use your app. First, you need to understand these people’s age, gender, and education level. Also, research the apps they are using already. Finally, find out what devices they prefer.
  • How is your app going to benefit people?
  • Are there already apps similar to the one you have in mind?
    If yes, how is yours going to be different?
  • What are the current trends in custom mobile app development services?
  • What apps are most popular now?
    What’s unique about their design or functionality?
  • Who are your future competitors going to be?
  • What do those companies and their products offer to customers?
  • How can your app be better?
  • Should you look for end-to-end application development or a different type of development service?

Quality market research takes a lot of time and effort. However, any business that wants to succeed today must be built on relevant Big Data analysis. You can’t create a project using only conjectures, rumors, or subjective opinions. Therefore, you’ll have to do dozens of searches and study multiple industry reports.

Custom mobile app development services: where to start?

Develop your USP by studying future competitors

As an aspiring app creator, the primary source of information on mobile application development solutions should be your competitors. As Mark Twain said, “there is no such thing as a new idea.” Therefore, there’s a high chance that a product similar to the one you want to launch already exists. You’ll need to study all these solutions to make sure that your own stands out. That’s how you’re going to develop a unique selling proposition (USP).

In case you have the incredible luck of being the first, study the apps most popular with your target audience. Then, install those yourself and analyze them thoroughly.

Analyze the following:

  • What kind of UI/UX design do they have?
  • What features do they offer?
  • How do they benefit the user?
  • Why do you think people like them?

If you have direct competitors, you’ll need to do your best to find out everything about their products. 

  • What programming languages did they use?
  • How do they market their products?
  • What kind of monetization strategy do they use?
  • What are the exact features of their apps?

Also, you should take the time to go through reviews of your competitors’ products on AppStore and Google Play. Take notes of the features users like and their most common complaints.

Finally, analyze all this data and highlight the weaknesses and holes in the strategies of your competitors. Then, start building your own plan by turning those issues into your product’s strengths. Again, the enterprise mobile app development company you choose should help you with this.

Create an app monetization plan

Obviously, the app you are building should bring profit. And to do that, you need to decide precisely how you are going to monetize it. This decision will be an essential part of the business plan you’ll use to obtain financing. Therefore, be sure to think about this carefully and compare the pros and cons of every method. In addition, take a look at how your competitors monetize their products. 

The most common mobile app monetization strategies are:

  • In-app purchases.
    The number of purchases made through mobile apps keeps growing steadily. So, this can be an excellent option for many industries. However, if you plan to use this method, you’ll need to discuss it closely with your end-to-end application development team. They will need to create this type of functionality for your product or integrate a third-party payment provider.
  • Data monetization.
    You might not require any additional custom mobile app development services if you choose monetization through selling data. Of course, you’ll have to be upfront about this and ensure complete confidentiality. If you can do this, selling some types of user data to third parties can be highly lucrative. For example, this information can be used in market studies, like the ones you used to develop your business plan.
  • Subscription plan.
    Use the freemium model if you want to go with a subscription plan. You should either offer a free trial of the app or make some of its basic functionality free to use. So people will be motivated to try it and see if they want to buy the product.
  • In-app advertising.
    Remember, if you use in-app ads, make sure they aren’t annoying.

Develop an app wireframe

After settling with your idea and developing a business plan, it’s time to create an app wireframe. It’s a task for your custom mobile app development services provider.

Think of a wireframe as a blueprint for your product. Many people mistakenly believe that a wireframe must include application design. However, it’s not true. The purpose of a wireframe is to show what exactly your product will do. Therefore it must consist of:

  • Page elements
  • Possible actions
  • Object categories
  • Conversion and navigation areas
  • Content prioritization

You will present this wireframe to possible investors. In addition, you’ll use it within the team to ensure everyone is on the same page about the product.

When developing the wireframe, keep in mind that it has to show every step of the user’s journey. It will also help you see whether you need to cut some of the steps. Do not forget that users prioritize convenience above all in mobile apps. Therefore, every additional click or page load might bring down your revenue.

It doesn’t really matter what the wireframe looks like. So, you don’t have to invest in designer services before making it. However, you can provide some concept art for possible designs to add to your business plan presentation.

You don’t even need to have a logo at this stage of the project. Therefore, you can use your resources efficiently to maximize app functionality while looking for financing.

How to get financing for a mobile application development project.

Where to Get Financing for Mobile Application Development Solutions

The cost of custom mobile app development services varies depending on multiple factors. Sadly, many great application ideas never make it past that stage because people cannot secure financing.

The good news is that today, you can explore many avenues to get money for your app. So, even if you don’t have a starting capital and banks refuse you a loan, you still have options.

  • Crowdfunding.
    Crowdfunding is a great financing option nowadays. It’s a very effective way to fund custom mobile app development services. However, you’ll need to launch a good marketing campaign early for your crowdfunding efforts to be effective. Otherwise, people won’t know much about your idea, and they won’t have the motivation to fund it. Today’s best crowdfunding platforms are Indiegogo, Gofundme, Mightycause (for non-profits), and StartEngine.
  • Angel investors or venture capitalists.
    Both angel investors and venture capitalists are businesses or individuals who can fund your app if they consider it promising. Angel investors usually offer funds at the beginning stages of development. On the other hand, venture capitalists are more likely to join when the app creation process is already in the works.
  • Startup finance programs.
    A wide range of small business grants and financing programs are available in the US and worldwide. These financing options are highly versatile, and often entrepreneurs don’t know that there might be government-backed help open to them. Therefore, be sure to research these options and look up any programs available in your community. But remember that such programs and grants usually have rather specific requirements. So, you might need to adjust your product plan to make it compliant.

How to choose a provider of custom mobile app development services.

Custom Mobile App Development Services: How to Find the Right Developers for You

After you secure financing, you should start looking for a reliable provider of custom mobile app development services. Your development company should be trustworthy and consist of people you can connect with on a personal level. These professionals will translate your vision into a real-life product. Therefore, they must be able to assume your perspective and understand exactly what you want to accomplish.

The search for such professionals should start with studying their portfolios and case studies. It’s usually best to hire developers who have experience with the type of apps you want to create. It means that to get a fantastic online store, you should hire an experienced eCommerce application development company. This way, you can ensure that developers understand the niche and know how to overcome its challenges.

However, you shouldn’t discard the idea of hiring an enterprise mobile app development company that’s new to the niche. If the company’s case studies are impressive and versatile, they prove that these developers are skilled and creative no matter the challenge.

Overall, the qualities you should look for in an end-to-end application development provider include:

  • Impressive portfolio and customer testimonials
  • Willingness to sign an NDA from the start to ensure the security of your idea
  • Effective project management skills
  • Good communication with the customer to keep you updated about the progress
  • High development and testing standards
  • Wide range of QA testing measures to make sure your app performs well when it’s launched
  • Putting the client’s needs and vision first

Remember, you should hire an app development team that will work with you to bring your idea to life.

Next Level of Custom Mobile App Development Services: Launch an MVP

One of the best ways to start your mobile app business is to launch an MVP to start attracting people as soon as possible. MVP stands for a minimum viable product. Basically, it’s a ‘barebones’ version of your application. However, it’s good enough for people to actually use.

An MVP of a mobile application must have all the essential features so customers can use it. Those users then can provide truly invaluable feedback. It can help you understand what works and what doesn’t. But most importantly, you will be able to see the right direction for moving forward.

Releasing an MVP is essential not only to start making money sooner. The main goal of this business model is to avoid wasting your money on developing unnecessary features. In this case, the whole process of future development is based on the feedback loop you can build with your users.

Note that your MVP can validate the very idea of your product at the starting level. After that, you will get to see the market response to it. Unfortunately, some apps never make it past an MVP. But many more undergo complete transformations as the owners adapt them to real-life user responses.

In addition, you get a chance to find some new business opportunities. The feedback you get will be much more informative than impersonal market studies. So, you’ll be able to exploit other potential business avenues in the niche.

In essence, launching an MVP can be considered a large-scale type of A/B testing. Therefore, use this opportunity carefully to refine your idea into a product that will truly rock the market.

How to market your new mobile app.

Marketing: Must-Have Step for Custom Mobile App Development Services

It’s essential to understand that no matter how good your idea is or how well the custom mobile app development services company does its job, no one will know about your product without marketing. Nowadays, a good marketing strategy is not some kind of luxury for big corporations. On the contrary, it’s a must-have feature for any business, no matter how small.

Also, if you want to launch a successful app, you’ll need to think about marketing even before looking for an end-to-end application development company. It’ll be necessary to attract investors, as well as to generate some hype for the launch.

Start by creating a marketing plan for your app. You can find free templates like this one from HubSpot. While building your project, keep in mind that a marketing campaign for a mobile app should include the following stages:

Awareness generation stage: pre-custom enterprise application development

At this stage, you need to focus on raising product visibility. Therefore, it will be best to launch a social media campaign. You’ll need to establish your brand online and build up a following. Use advertisements and, if possible, influencer endorsements.

It’s also imperative to get involved in a variety of industry-specific groups. Bear in mind that you’ll need to post not only self-promotional content. To attract attention through social media groups, you’ll have to become an active member and build a reputation as an expert. Then, you can start sharing information about your upcoming product launch.

Note that these groups might help you attract not only future app users but also investors and business partners.

User acquisition stage

At this stage, your priority is to get people to download your app as much as possible. You also need to track all downloads to see which of your channels perform best. Then, focus on them to grow your user base.

Using paid ads will be very effective at this stage. However, you will also need to work on your app’s page optimization in the app store. It’s very similar to SEO, as you’ll also need to optimize the app description for searchable keywords. Your goal here is to increase app visibility on the platform.

In addition, you should try pitching your app to the app store’s editorial team to get it featured. It will boost visibility and increase your authority as a creator.

User retention stage

Having people download your app will be of little help if they don’t use it. Therefore, it’s imperative to establish communication with your users and keep them involved. You can do this through push notifications, email marketing, and organizing various in-app events and contests.

Also, be active with your social media marketing. Remember that you should communicate with users outside the app as well.

Finally, publish regular updates and request feedback. In addition, be sure to reply to all user comments.

How to Get More Downloads: App Store Optimization Tips

When uploading your app to any app store, you need to remember that these stores use an inner search protocol. It means that you need to apply SEO principles to your app page as you do for websites. This way, the chance of your app appearing in the store users’ search results will be higher. Therefore, your download rate should go up as well.

The most important thing for app store optimization is to use relevant keywords in your product description. Use tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Google Keyword Planner to find the right keywords for your niche.

Bear in mind that you’ll also need to use these keywords in the title. The title must be compelling and stand out. After uploading it, search for your app yourself to see how easy it is to find using keywords. Compare with the other titles in your niche and think of what you can do better.

Another important part of app store optimization is choosing the images to include in the app description. From the app icon to screenshots, every image must be top quality. You also need to select the most compelling pictures to show off your product in the best possible way.

Finally, be sure to add a video as this is the most popular type of content today. Internet users prefer watching videos to get info quickly. Therefore, you need to give them a chance to see your app in action through a short clip. You can’t make it too long, so show the app’s most valuable feature first.

End-to-End Application Development Isn’t Really “The End”: Monitoring Your App Post Launch

Now that you’ve successfully built and launched your app, you need to decide what to do with it. There are two routes before you. One is to sell the project, thus entrusting its future to someone else. Or, you can keep working on it yourself.

If you choose the latter option, you’ll be in for a great ride.

In this case, you’ll need to determine KPIs to track the project’s progress. Then, perform detailed assessments, monthly or weekly, to see whether the app lives up to your expectations.

In the meantime, you’ll need to keep your iOS/Android app development company involved to monitor technical app performance. Also, a team of engineers will have to keep working on updates and improvements for the solution.

Finally, you’ll need to provide your product with maintenance and customer support teams. Luckily, these services can be largely automated and entrusted to AI-powered solutions.

It’s crucial to understand that your work as the product owner doesn’t stop at end-to-end application development. If you want people to keep using your app and spend money, you need to keep improving it. Adding new exciting features, organizing events, and tracking product performance will keep your product profitable for years to come.

Bottom Line: Using Custom Mobile App Development Services to Make Your App Idea a Reality

If you have a fantastic idea for an app, you should treat it as a full-scale business project, from creating a business plan and attracting investors to end-to-end application development. Launching your app and making sure it succeeds will take a lot of work. However, seeing the results is sure to be highly fulfilling, not to mention the product’s profit.

To bring your idea to life, you’ll need to study the market, make a great business plan, obtain funding, find a reliable enterprise mobile app development company, engage a marketing team, and ensure that your product has continuous support. The Devtorium team is ready to do all that and more! Contact us, and we’ll be happy to assist in bringing your vision to reality.

Software Developer Vs. Software Engineer: Encyclopedia of Custom Software Development

Posted on by oleshchenko

When looking to hire a custom software development company, you can get quite confused by the multitude of choices and professional jargon. One of the most important questions you’ll need to ask is whether you should hire a software developer or a software engineer. This choice will matter greatly, so you must understand the difference between these experts.

There has been a long debate about the roles and responsibilities of these two professions within a custom web development company. Some say that software developers and engineers are the same because their job descriptions are pretty similar. However, others believe that these professionals’ levels of engagement and skill are quite different despite this overlap.

Let’s put an end to this discussion today and explain who is who in the world of custom software development.

Breaking Down Custom Software Development Duties: Software Developer Vs. Software Engineer

Custom software development: software developer duties and skills.

What does a software developer do? 

Most people think that software developers are nerdy geeks. That may be true in their personal lives. However, these people have to be highly creative at work to bring cutting-edge ideas to life using tech skills. In addition, they are great analysts as they constantly compare and use various technologies, libraries, and approaches to create software.

Moreover, they must possess a high level of creativity to apply a limited number of structured tools in new ways to achieve original results.

The complexity of a developer’s position is that they must both engage in custom software development and negotiate with clients. These experts are responsible for different stages of product development, components design, and troubleshooting. Every dev must consider end-to-end development principles as they help monitor and analyze the software creation process.

Usually,  developers juggle several projects simultaneously. However, if the project is large and scalable, the dev might focus on it exclusively.

Dev’s responsibilities during custom software development

The scope of a software developer’s responsibilities is quite enormous. The list below gives some idea of it: 

  • Working closely with designers to ensure the result fits the client’s requirements.
  • Testing software and fixing all issues that come up.
  • Integrating the solution with third-party tools.
  • Writing clean and high-quality code.
  • Reporting about the completed tasks regularly.
  • Maintaining the systems once they’re up and running.

Must-have skills for a software developer

One of the significant differences between software developers and software engineers is the level of engagement with a project. While engineers manage the entire process, developers are responsible for one aspect of software building. Therefore, to succeed in custom software development, these experts require a specific set of skills: 

  • Solid analytical skills.
    Developers have to translate clients’ needs into functionalities using different programming languages, tools, and frameworks.  It means that analytical ability is crucial for the profession. 
  • Knowledge of several programming languages.
    A software developer doesn’t need to know all programming languages. However, it’s essential for them to know several. This way, they can come up with more creative and efficient solutions and have a better understanding of the products they design. The most popular languages today are Java, JavaScript, C#, C++, and Python. Software developers should understand the logic behind different languages. However, they usually specialize in one.
  • Skill in using open-source platforms and tools.
    Today’s leading developers should understand and have the skills to use open-source tools such as Azure, AngularJS, Atom, CloudForge, CodeCharge Studio, etc. But, again, the dev should specialize in a few. 
  • GitHub.
    Over 50% of all organizations use GitHub, so a software developer today must have an account there. In fact, showing off that account is an essential part of a dev’s CV.
  • Cloud computing.
    Every software developer should have a good understanding and experience working with cloud services. Today everything is moving to the cloud, so being an AWS certified expert or similar is a must.
  • Great self-organization skills.
    A good dev should be detail-oriented to successfully manage different projects and prevent minor bugs that can result in significant challenges. 
  • Strong communication skills.
    Remember that communicating with a customer is an important part of the dev’s work. So, this professional must have communication skills and good mastery of the customer’s language. Even a tiny bug or miscommunication can lead to severe operational and financial losses.

Interestingly, having an actual degree in computer science isn’t mandatory for a top-level developer. Many people start their work in custom software development from basic courses or even by learning independently. The most important things are the expert’s skill and proof of that skill through a portfolio.

Custom software development: software engineer skills and duties.

What does a software engineer do?

Software engineering is more complex than mere development. Therefore, this profession requires a higher level of education and expertise. Devs are solely engaged in building software that should be running seamlessly across different devices. Meanwhile, software engineers perform and manage multiple tasks to make sure that the solution as a whole works smoothly.

Engineers apply software engineering principles in UX/UI design, custom software development, QA testing, and maintenance. 

In the same way, any store manager worth their salt can operate the entire shop, from goods supply to utility management, and work with customers, a software engineer can run the whole software creation and maintenance process. Taking the comparison further, the engineer is often a network manager instead of a single store. Simply put, the engineer’s work is the next step above developers. But software development is something that an engineer must have knowledge and expertise in.

Engineer’s responsibilities during custom software development

  • Managing all components of the hardware system.
  • Creating tools to support every stage of software development.
  • Building resilient and fault-tolerant systems from scratch.
  • Software testing using various automation tools and QA specialists. 
  • Building and maintaining IT architecture, large-scale data systems, and cloud-based applications.
  • Developing scalable pipelines for deployment to support third-party integrations.
  • Working effectively with multiple teams.
  • Monitoring system analysis, UI/UX design, and development programs.
  • Supervising junior and middle developers.

Essential skills for a software engineer

Due to their critical role in the custom software development process, a software engineer must have all the skills of a dev. However, they must take it further. To succeed in this profession, you’ll need some highly specific skills that have little to do with the actual development process.

  • Computer programming and coding.
    An engineer should have a deep understanding of the most popular languages for their niche. For example, for a custom web development company, this can include C#, C++, HTML, Java, JavaScript, Perl, PHP, and Python.
  • Object-oriented design.
     A software engineer must be able to come up with a design that will be efficient on every level, from production to marketing.
  • Software testing and debugging.
    While not replacing QA specialists, software engineers must understand precisely how to find and fix any product issues.
  • Problem-solving skills.
    An engineer must have the ability to solve immediate issues, minimizing trade-offs to other system’s parts.
  • Efficient teamwork with versatile teams.
    Software engineers need the ability to coordinate every team involved in tor product’s release.
  • Strong communication skills.
    Software engineers often have to clarify specifications with clients. They must be able to communicate effectively and sometimes intervene in the chain of communication between customers and developers.

Unlike software developers, it’s highly recommended for an engineer to have a Bachelor’s or even a Master’s degree in computer science, information systems, or programming.  

Conclusion: Role of Devs and Engineers in Custom Software Development

A custom web development company, as well as any other business that offers end-to-end solutions, must employ both software developers and software engineers. These experts work very closely together. However, they have distinctively different roles in the process of creating top-quality software.

To learn more about these professionals and how they can help bring your ideas and plans to life, contact us directly!

How Enterprise Software Development Company Services Differ from Consumer Apps

Posted on by mkoftielieva

Did you know that hiring an enterprise software development company is very different from hiring developers for a consumer app? Not only is the scale of an enterprise project greater. But the development process itself must follow a separate route starting from the project planning stage.

Understanding how enterprise software compares to consumer solutions is a must if you want to create a product that will bring maximum value to your business.

Enterprise Software Development Company Services Vs. Consumer Software Development

In order to hire the best enterprise software development company, you need to understand what sets enterprise solutions apart. It will enable you to evaluate your options better and understand the services you should focus on.

Enterprise Custom Software Development Solutions

The easiest way to explain what enterprise software is and how it differs from consumer apps is to say that enterprise solutions are aimed at businesses. So, these are apps that serve several goals for an entire community of users. Therefore, the solution’s whole design, objectives, features, and even pricing are developed from a different perspective.

Let’s take a closer look at the crucial issues that an enterprise software development company must tackle in projects:

  • Serving a community of users.
    An enterprise-level solution must solve the business needs for a community, be they enterprise employees or customers. Therefore, these products must manage and connect multiple tasks efficiently. As a result, this software is complex and often not user-friendly. Also, it’s crucial for the app to be custom-tailored to the enterprise structure and its unique business model.
  • Constant improvements based on processed customer feedback.
    When you hire an enterprise software development company, you’re in for the long haul. This type of solution should constantly evolve along with the business. Therefore, the app must collect customer feedback that developers can process to improve the product.
  • Features and prices depend on the requirements.
    Many factors affect the cost of software development. However, when defining the price of enterprise software development services, the customer (business owner) is the deciding factor. They choose what to include in the package, which dictates the development costs. Note that future updates will often add new features to enterprise software.
  • The customer dictates the requirements to developers.
    Of course, there is a lot of input from the enterprise software development company in the project. However, the customer greatly affects the development process by dictating requirements for these solutions.

Consumer Software Development Solutions

The vast majority of consumer apps only focus on a single feature. However, even if they have several, there is usually one core functionality and a few supporting features. Therefore, custom software development solutions directed at consumers are less complex. They are also geared towards satisfying one end-user needs. Therefore, they differ from enterprise software in the scope of functionality and application design.

  • Serves a single end-user’s needs.
    Consumer applications are always designed from the point of view of benefitting one user at a time. Therefore, connecting users into a sophisticated system isn’t necessary, which makes the software design a lot simpler. Of course, these apps can be complex as well. However, they are still geared toward one person, even if millions of people end up using them.
  • Applications must be flawless from the start.
    While custom software development solutions today are often released at the alpha or beta testing stage, most apps must launch ready-to-use. It’s because consumers are more likely to dump the app and install an alternative from a competitor than report bugs and wait for them to be fixed. So, consumer apps must be at their best at launch instead of waiting to gather user feedback and improve.
  • Pricing is determined by consumer spending power.
    Unlike an enterprise software development company, consumer app developers don’t have the luxury of negotiating product requirements to up the price of their product. Instead, they must consider the end-user’s spending capacity before designing the software. So, being affordable for an average individual from the target audience is one of the major requirements that govern consumer software development.
  • Developers are in charge.
    End-users do not influence the consumer software development process directly. Instead, the company that creates the solution is entirely in charge of requirements.

What to Look for in an Enterprise Software Development Company

When looking for a provider of custom software development solutions for an enterprise, you need to consider the company’s experience, case studies, and developer profiles. As you’ve just seen, enterprise solutions are very different from consumer apps. Therefore, it’s essential to look for a development company that has experience with projects similar to yours.

However, it’s even more essential to find a developer that can overcome inherent enterprise software weaknesses. In particular, one of the main things to consider when choosing an enterprise software development company is the devs’ ability to create great user experience. According to statistics published on TechRepublic, about 28% of users rank enterprise software user experience as somewhat worse and 16% as majorly worse.

For the majority of enterprise-level businesses, the customer itself is not the end-user. Instead, it’s the people that work within or with the enterprise who are end-users. And they have a consumer mentality when using any applications. Therefore, their satisfaction with the user experience will affect their satisfaction level with the enterprise as a whole. As a result, it can affect the business’ sales or even employee retention.

Taking all this into account, you should always look for an enterprise software development company that can make sophisticated software that remains easy to use. Devtorium is one such company. Contact us today and we’ll find a way to create a top-grade custom software solution for you!

Best Books for Programmers and Other IT Pros by Andrii Bohatyr

Posted on by mkoftielieva

Today we are sharing insights and recommendations for IT pros from our current Head of Development Andrii Bohatyr, who introduces his personal list of the best books for programmers and other IT pros.

Andrii has been working in development for over a decade. During this time he received multiple certifications, including AWS Certified Solutions Architect and SAFe. Although, when asked, he calls himself a ‘regular software engineer aspiring to become an Evil Galactic Emperor’.

The ability to see the best in any situation  and a fantastic sense of humor are highly valued Andrii’s qualities. And so is his focus on teamwork and helping junior developers to grow and realize their potential. It’s not a surprise that he managed to boost the productivity of the company’s development department by 30%.

Andrii always strives to get better at what he does. And today he is sharing some of his favorite sources that can help all developers, QAs, and other IT professionals to reach new heights in their professions.

Best Books for Programmers as Recommended by Andrii Bohatyr

Now’s the moment. You’re standing amidst the dusty bookshelves trying to pick out something robust and relevant. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Developer, young and eager to learn, a Project Manager with your eyes shining, or a QA Engineer with a never-ending itch to explore new horizons. Here you go! Below is a comprehensive compilation for any IT-related professional. I wish I could call it ultimate, but it is rather streamlined in the chaos of modern development hype and trends.

Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship – Robert C. Martin

This one may help you to differentiate “good” and “evil”. It helps you transform an ugly and smelly pile of code into shimmering gold. Naming conventions, formatting, proper commenting, exception handling, unit testing – it’s all there!
Amazon link

Code Complete: A Practical Handbook of Software Construction – Steve McConnell

This book emphasizes the construction of software, which is a large part of software development, fostering programmer’s productivity enormously. It covers major aspects of detailed design, coding, and debugging, as well as unit and integration testing. It’s one of the timeless pieces in the art of software development.

Amazon link

Clean Architecture: A Craftsman’s Guide to Software Structure and Design – Robert C. Martin

Uncle Bob writes simply, cleanly, and with enough examples. Also, he’s writing without delving into excessively complicated details. It is a cornerstone to understanding the architecture and building applications as a solid entity. It also explains what the good and bad patterns are. Martin describes some of the software projects from his personal experience and what he learned from them.

Amazon link

Test-Driven Development: By Example – Kent Beck

The book focuses on TDD practices, showcases, and the implementation of numerous programming tasks. It delivers the mindset and approach when applying test-driven development. The author highlights the Patterns for Test-Driven Development and helps to master TDD as a whole.

Amazon link

The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master – Andrew Hunt, David Thomas

This book is designed to make you think and challenge yourself and the way you currently do things. Andrew Hunt and David Thomas were kind enough to transform their years of experience and knowledge into a book with practical advice you can apply instantly. This is rather a conversation than a book, it’s easy and fun to read. Each chapter gives tips on multiple topics, such as estimating, testing, debugging, prototyping, effective communication, and much more.

Amazon link

The Mythical Man-Month: Essays on Software Engineering – Frederick P. Brooks Jr.

The Mythical Man-Month is essentially a collection of old-school articles. But those can still be considered one of the fundamental sources for software engineering. While reading this book it’s hard to deny that software architecture and the personality of an architect can influence the implementation. Some chapters stress that an architect should have their own idea of implementing things while accepting alternative approaches. It’s a must-read as an introduction to project management and leadership.

Amazon link

Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams – Tom DeMarco

It’s one of the best books for programmers about the pitfalls and practices in software development. Its content revolves around managing human resources, having a decent work and office environment, and the “right” people and atmosphere in place. It fosters understanding and introducing a better alignment between team members and a culture of quality. Remember: people are not just resources. That’s what you’ll learn here.

Amazon link

More posts from the Devtorium crew members:

Cloud Migration Consulting Services: Introduction

Posted on by mkoftielieva

Employing cloud migration consulting services is a move that can save your business a lot of money in the long run. That’s because moving to the cloud is a way to boost cost-efficiency as a whole. And when planned and carried out by experts, the process can be quick and painless.

Keep reading to learn what cloud migration consulting services can do for you and how to use them to achieve your business growth goals.

Cloud Migration Consulting Services: Benefits for Business

Moving to the cloud is not merely a progressive step to take to be in step with today’s digital society. It’s a decision that can greatly benefit multiple businesses. An on-premises infrastructure offers a substantial level of autonomy. However, in the connected world of today, it’s hardly relevant compared to the opportunities provided by the cloud.

  • Cost-efficiency.
    The first thing any cloud migration consulting services provider will tell you is that moving to the cloud reduces your expenses. It’s a move that enables you to cut spending on many tech services as the cloud provider would take them over. Therefore, the business can dedicate more resources to innovation and development.
  • Scalability.
    One of the greatest benefits of cloud migration is easy scalability. You won’t have to worry about delays as your business starts to grow. Also, you will be able to reduce costs compared to buying and installing physical servers and other equipment on site.
  • Accessibility.
    All your team members can access the cloud from anywhere. Therefore, it’s the best solution for any business working with remote employees or freelancers. In addition, cloud migration consulting services can help you understand how to use this technology to improve the user experience for your customers.
  • Performance.
    In many cases, the end-user experience can improve due to cloud migration because of a boost in performance. Cloud hosting allows to scale up when necessary to serve a bigger number of users without losing output quality. In addition, cloud services can run on servers near the user’s location. It means that the network latency can be significantly lowered for global businesses. It’s a fantastic expansion opportunity for smaller companies that cannot serve multiple locations worldwide.

Benefits of using cloud migration consulting services for business.

Essential Steps of the Cloud Migration Process

  1. Planning.
    The first step to success is developing a plan. When planning your cloud migration, you must first define your goals. For example, do you want to move all the business’ workload to the cloud? Or do you plan to use it for emergency disaster recovery? Also, you might consider using some hybrid models suited to your company’s needs. Defining your goals clearly will enable your cloud migration consulting service provider to help you select the best tools.
  2. Building a business case.
    The next stage is to build a business case. It means that you need to evaluate cloud migration from the point of view of cost savings, operational benefits, and architectural improvements. Doing this will enable you to calculate the Total Cost of Ownership, both current and expected, on the cloud. Note that you must be realistic in your estimates in order to make sound business decisions. You can use various cloud calculators to facilitate this task.
  3. Data migration.
    With the cloud migration plan ready, you will move on to executing this plan. Data migration is a process that must be carried out with minimal disruption to your business processes. Therefore, it’s crucial to choose the timing well. Also, bear in mind that it’s necessary to ensure the operability of every element before the next element is moved.
  4. Consistent maintenance.
    The actual process of migration is complete once you’ve moved your data to the cloud. However, the upkeep of it is ongoing. Therefore, you need to factor into your plan that you’ll have to set up a system to monitor the performance in real-time. Cloud operations also need regular maintenance to keep up-to-date and meet the availability benchmarks aligned with your business objectives.

Cloud migration consulting services: the process explained.

Cloud Migration Consulting Services: Common Migration Types

The cloud migration process might appear to be straightforward. However, as it’s tailored to the business requirements, no two processes are exactly the same.

That said, there are five specific types of migrating to the cloud:

  • Rehosting.
    This method is indeed straightforward. Basically, you just take the system as is and completely move it to the cloud. As this process doesn’t involve making any changes to the existing systems, it can be completed fast. However, this method also doesn’t allow you to use beneficial cloud-native features, such as self-healing and automated recovery.
  • Repurchase.
    This type of cloud migration involves either dropping your current proprietary platform or letting the license expire. Meanwhile, you are purchasing a cloud-based alternative. Such a transition can help boost business efficiency. In addition, it’s a great way to move on from legacy solutions.
  • Refactoring.
    Refactoring is a highly complex process because it may involve a complete overhaul of all your applications. The cloud migration consulting services provider you work with should guide you through planning this process. And it needs lots of planning because it might be necessary to rework the logic of your system and apps. Such migration should be an option for companies willing to enact a complete digital transformation.
  • Replatforming.
    When replatforming, you move to the cloud similarly to rehosting. However, your migration service also helps optimize some of the system’s parts in order to take advantage of cloud technology. But it won’t be a complete system overhaul, like refactoring.
  • Retain (hybrid).
    The hybrid method is used by organizations that want to combine their on-premises systems with the cloud. This type of migration must be highly customized to the organization’s needs. Such a solution is often used to have the cloud as a backup.

Challenges or Why You Need Cloud Migration Consulting Services

Moving to the cloud is a way to boost your business performance in many ways. However, it’s not a process that can be taken lightly. Hence, the need to employ expert cloud migration consulting services.

When moving to the cloud, the main challenges you’ll face come from the lack of strategy, compliance, data security issues, or incorrect cost planning. You can avoid all of those by entrusting this process to qualified professionals. Contact us if you want to ensure a seamless, affordable, and quick move to the cloud.

Hiring a SaaS Development Company: All You Need to Know

Posted on by mkoftielieva

Hiring a SaaS development company might be the most important decision in the entirety of your business career. The reason is that making a mistake with this team could ruin any chances of success you have. Your idea might be exceptional and your budget might be unlimited. But if you go wrong with developers,  none of it will matter.

So, it’s vitally important to know how to choose the best SaaS software development company. In fact, first, you need to understand exactly what makes this company ‘the best’. Read on and find out.

Why Hire a SaaS Development Company?

Custom software development for small business is always a good idea because it helps boost business productivity and cut costs. SaaS software development services can benefit your company greatly for similar reasons. But the usefulness of software as a service goes beyond that. First and foremost, this type of software product development is beneficial to the end-user. It means that if your business is planning to sell this product instead of using it internally, you can get a competitive advantage in the market.

The main reasons why investing in the services of a SaaS development company is suitable for your business include:

SaaS products are cheaper

It’s a simple truth. SaaS software p[eroduct development is cheaper for everyone. For those who order the product, the development itself is more affordable, and so is the software license. As the solution is hosted on third-party hardware, the overall cost is going further down.

Of course, there is also a matter of the product’s complexity. When hiring a SaaS development company, you can start small. It means that at the initial launch, your product can have only a few features. Then, as it starts making money, you can employ SaaS development consulting services to improve it. Adding more features as you can afford it will make the product more cost-efficient in the long run.

You also need to remember that SaaS software products are more affordable for users. It means that it’ll be easier for you to sell them. In addition, people don’t need to have expensive hardware to run these solutions. Therefore, your target audience can expand significantly.

SaaS products are highly accessible and easy to distribute

Speaking of accessibility. With SaaS products, you can take advantage of globalization right away. Simply put, there will be able to distribute your solution worldwide with minimal effort. So, you’ll be able to target multiple markets, thus increasing your chance of success.

Sometimes, you’ll need to invest in localization or at least content translation. However, your SaaS development company might be able to help you with this and create a multilingual product. Furthermore, it means that you’ll have a headstart on the market due to your international outreach.

Another advantage of the SaaS online distribution model is that you can make good use of tiered subscriptions. This pricing model can be highly beneficial for small businesses. Especially if you plan to add more features to the product later on. Those extra features can be rolled out to your Premium subscribers first. Also, you can launch various polls and questionnaires among these subscribers to find out what features people are most interested in. This will greatly supplement the data from your SaaS development consulting company.

Your business is 100% scalable

Scalability is the name of the game today. The best thing about SaaS software development is that it enables you to build a business that’s easy to scale. In essence, the SaaS business model is scalable by default.

It’s vitally important for any startup that wants to take over the world by storm. So, this type of software development is the best way to realize an innovative app idea. Moreover, it’s a great business model to choose if you want to launch several products simultaneously. SaaS software development flexibility allows you a lot of freedom to create products users really need. And you can update and change them based on the audience’s response through comments and reviews.

Mistakes to avoid when hiring a SaaS development company

What Can Go Wrong When Hiring a SaaS Development Company?

The worst thing that can happen when hiring a software development company is choosing developers not qualified to do the job. Please note that they can be superb quality professionals in some specific type of development. However, if they aren’t experts in creating SaaS products in particular, there’s a high risk of your entire project failing.

It’s because, for all their benefits, SaaS software products do have some weaknesses. And it’s essential to understand them so that you can work around them and create a reliable and secure product. The best way to achieve this is to start by talking to a SaaS development consulting company. These are people who specialize in SaaS and business analysis. Therefore, they are able to explain both strengths and weaknesses your future app might have.

The main things to look out for with SaaS software development services are:

Security

A trustworthy SaaS development company must guarantee that your product will comply with all SaaS security standards. In fact, these professionals should go a step beyond and make sure your app is safe from all current cybersecurity threats. Moreover, they need to stay aware of these threats and improve your app with regular updates to increase its security level.

Note that SaaS software products are more vulnerable to attacks due to the fact that they are hosted separately. Also, their design sometimes compromises top security features to make the product accessible.

Therefore, it’s vitally important to find a SaaS development company with expertise in securing SaaS products. Check the certifications of their cybersecurity professionals. Top certificates in this area today are:

  • CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate)
  • CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker)
  • NCSF (NIST Cybersecurity Framework)
  • CHFI (Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator)
  • CISSP (Certified Information System Security Professional)
  • CCSP (Certified Cloud Security Professional)
  • CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor)

Third-party payment systems

Integrating third-party products into a SaaS platform triples security risks by default. The matter becomes even more severe when this third-party software is a payment system. Talk to your SaaS development consulting professionals about these systems and how you will monetize your product.

If you need to add a payment system, discuss whether it’s safer to use an existing payment solution or develop your own. In some businesses and in some countries, the selection of payment processing operators might be limited. In this case, you’ll have no choice but to use one of the existing options. Therefore, a SaaS development company must have experience with this particular system. Moreover, the product must be developed with this particular integration in mind.

In addition, if your goal is to scale fast and go international, you might need to integrate additional payment providers. Discuss this with your SaaS development company to create the most efficient strategy.

System availability

Your SaaS development company must be able to ensure that the system doesn’t go offline with every update. Zero downtime deployment is vitally essential for SaaS software products that require frequent releases of new improved versions. There are some techniques that developers can use in order to minimize inconveniences to the platform’s users. You need to think through this strategy at the product development stage. It’s because such a system is a long-term project. Therefore, you must release it with optimal parameters for future updates.

However, bear in mind that zero-downtime deployment technologies will be more expensive. So you need to plan your budget very carefully.

SaaS development company best practices

SaaS Development Company: Best Practices

In order to provide top-quality SaaS development services, the company you hire must employ a set of specific practices. They will ensure that the software engineers and solution architects can overcome any challenges associated with the creation and launch of SaaS platforms. Moreover, adherence to the following principles will guarantee that the solution you get performs at maximum efficiency.

Developing an appropriate SaaS architecture

Designing the right architecture is crucially important to ensure a SaaS product runs smoothly and efficiently. Expert opinions differ on whether SaaS software development should be based on monolithic or microservices architecture. There are pretty solid arguments for and against both options. Therefore, it’s vital to find a SaaS development company that will be able to create the best plan for you.

Monolithic architecture is stable, which is vital for SaaS platforms. However, it’s all a vast codebase, meaning that any changes to the solution will require changing the entire thing. It’s time-consuming, complicated, and risky. However, in a big way, this disadvantage of monolithic architecture for SaaS can be offset by developing a layered architecture. In this case, ‘layers’ of code add flexibility for further improvements.

Microservices architecture is much more flexible by default because it consists of multiple components. Therefore, it’s an excellent option for highly complex SaaS solutions. But it also has drawbacks, in particular, it’s tough to manage. So, a SaaS development company that works with microservices architecture must prove that it’s capable of doing it well. Check out case studies and developers’ portfolios as proof of experience.

Also, note that the solution architect on your SaaS development project must be highly qualified and experienced. Moreover, it must have experience with this specific type of software. This expertise is necessary to make the best decisions for your product after assessing all the factors.

Setting up a CI/CD pipeline

The DevOps team of your SaaS development company must be just as experienced with this type of project. These people must ensure that your future platform is built with an integrated CI/CD pipeline.

It’s necessary to ensure that your SaaS product can be easily updated later on. The DevOps team working on your project will focus on continuous improvements and upgrades of every process. And in order to do that, the system must be designed to accommodate any of these future changes.

The entire development lifecycle of a SaaS product needs close monitoring. Therefore, CI/CD is essential to bring together the development and operation activities.

Fighting latency with CDN

Using CDN (content delivery network) during SaaS software product development helps fight latency, a problem of many SaaS platforms. It’s a highly important issue for anyone who wants to go global with the SaaS business.

CDNs, like CloudFront from Amazon, can be used to ensure that users from different countries can access all the materials within your app without suffering from latency. It means that the CDN makes the physical location of the servers irrelevant.

In order to make the most of this technology, you need a SaaS development company experienced in using CDN. So, be sure to ask what the developers plan to do in order to fight latency.

Conducting a security compliance audit

No matter how much effort you put into ensuring the security of your SaaS product, it could have more. Considering the fast-growing cybersecurity threats, you need to do everything possible to make your SaaS application safe. And your SaaS development company must understand this.

One crucial consideration during the development process is security standards compliance. If you don’t want your product to be banned, it must comply with all relevant regulations. Note that although there are international SaaS security standards, some countries have extras of their own. Therefore, it’s best to have a security audit of the application that takes all of these in mind.

You either need to hire a SaaS development and consulting provider with experts that can do this audit or hire an independent compliance expert. This might seem like too big an expense. However, it’s a must-have requirement for any SaaS business that wants to operate internationally.

SaaS development company expertise

What to Look for in a Provider of SaaS Software Development Services

Finding a trustworthy and experienced SaaS development company can be a challenge. As a client, you need to know exactly what to look for:

Expertise with all necessary tools and technologies

First and foremost is for the SaaS development team to have experience working with all technologies needed to create a superb SaaS platform. Go over the points listed above to see what the best practices of SaaS creation are. These are the things that your development team must know well.

Also, be sure to not only take their words for it. A trustworthy SaaS development & consulting provider must be able to back up their words with case studies. Take a look at what the company had already done and what certifications its developers and solution architects have. This way, you’ll make sure that they are adept in technologies needed to make your SaaS solutions outstanding.

Just to give you some idea, here is a list of technologies that are often used during SaaS software development:

  • CDN
  • NodeJS
  • .NET
  • Java
  • PHP
  • Angular
  • React
  • UI/UX design
  • AWS
  • Azure

This is not a complete list. However, it should give you a better perception of just how versatile the SaaS development company’s team has to be. In addition, do not forget that this team must include experienced DevOps and a top-grade solution architect.

Ability to provide streamlined agile processes

Your SaaS development company must be adept in agile software development. It’s because agile processes are far superior in cost-efficiency and productivity. Therefore, check if the company has certified PMs involved in your project.

In fact, a reliable company should tell you that they work on agile streamlined processes right away. It’s an essential advantage for software developers. Therefore, those who are accredited experts in it always make sure to include this information in their profile.

In order to provide the most efficient processes, your SaaS development team should include:

  • Solution architect (or several, depending on the complexity of your product)
  • DevOps experts
  • Front and back-end software developers
  • Project manager
  • QA testers

Do not forget about the importance of QA testing services for any software development project. Testers often don’t get enough credit for their work. However, without them, no solution will have a chance to succeed.

Bottom Line: Hire a SaaS Development Company You Can Trust

If you want to build a SaaS product, you need to hire a development company that is skilled and experienced in this type of projects. It’s essential to take your time exploring the options because this company will have a huge impact on your business’ success.

To find the best team, you should start with engaging SaaS development consulting services. At this stage, you’ll be able to understand what kind of services your SaaS creation team must provide.

Never forget that every SaaS product is unique. So, the development team can take several approaches to bring your ideas to life. It’s also important to understand that different companies might have different plans. They might all have strong and weak points. Therefore, you’ll need to do your own research to evaluate and compare various offers.

When searching for a SaaS development team, you should look for honesty and expertise. A team that can be trusted will openly share their credentials as well as case studies. Skilled developers are proud of their work and ready to back up their words with concrete evidence.

If this is the kind of SaaS development company you are looking for, contact us! Our expert solution architects, DevOps, and software engineers are ready to take on any challenge.

True Cost of Custom Mobile App Development Services

Posted on by mkoftielieva

So, you have a fantastic idea for an app and want to make it a reality, right? So, naturally, you want to find out how much custom mobile app development services cost.

However, the answer to that question won’t be simple. It’s because the cost of end-to-end web application development is affected by many factors. Read on to learn what they are. And most importantly, find out how to manage them to get maximum value for your money.

What Custom Mobile App Development Services Are Included in the Cost?

The first thing you need to understand is that the cost of end-to-end web application development can vary quite a bit. That’s because many factors affect this number. The foremost among them is the list of custom mobile app development services included in the solution development.

In the majority of cases, custom mobile app development services include:

  • UI/UX design.
    Designers are responsible for how the app will look like starting from layout to the final design.
  • Software engineering.
    The engineering stage is when the app’s code is designed. Also, it’s an ongoing process that manages application development and future improvements.
  • Back and front-end development.
    The stage when your app is actually created using the design to develop the expected functionality.
  • QA testing.
    QA testing is an essential part of mobile application development because it ensures the app’s smooth performance.
  • PM services.
    All the stages of the app development process must be managed efficiently. Therefore, you can’t do without a Project Manager who will keep it all running smoothly.

In essence, the list of services that go into the custom software product development mostly remains the same. However, it’s the scale and complexity of the app that dictate how much it’s going to cost. It’s because these are the main factors that determine what kind of team you need to hire.

Factors that affect custom mobile app development services costs.

Additional Considerations That Affect the Cost of End-toEnd Web Application Development

The main factors that influence the cost of custom mobile app development services include:

Platform the app will run on

Web and mobile apps are incredibly versatile. Therefore, they can be built using a wide range of platforms and operating systems. For example, there are well over ten great eCommerce platforms you can use to develop an online store. Each will have some advantages as well as disadvantages. So, it’s usually impossible to say that a single option is “the best” for some specific kind of development.

Also, you will need to choose whether to create a native or cross-platform app. Native apps will ensure seamless integration with your chosen system. However, if you want the app to run on multiple devices, you’ll need to develop several native solutions or a cross-platform one. It’ll often be a compromise between cost efficiency and stability of the application.

Functionality of the app

Functionality is one of the most critical factors that determine the price of end-to-end web application development. It’s because the more features you want to add, the more complex the app becomes. The more complex the development process – the more expensive it is.

It really is that simple.

Also, you’ve got to remember that cross-platform applications with comprehensive functionality can be quite tricky. The risk of bugs and crashes increases with every added feature. Therefore, you should develop a balanced app that can perform a few core functions equally well on all devices. If your mobile app idea is very ambitious, consider creating several connected apps. For example, this will be the best approach to launch some healthcare management apps that are in demand now.

Do not forget that some apps are more complex by default. For instance, mobile games are the most difficult, meaning the most expensive type of applications to develop. However, they can also bring the highest revenue. Already, the mobile gaming industry is generating over $90 billion in revenue, and this number is growing fast. So, if you want to launch an app that will bring you money, investing in game development is worth it.

Location of the custom mobile app development services provider

Location is an essential factor for end-to-end web application development. In fact, it matters on several levels. The most important is the location of your development team. In the majority of cases, they charge an hourly rate for the experts’ work. And this rate will vary greatly depending on the cost of living in the country.

Therefore, it’s unsurprising that development is the most expensive in North America (up to $250 per hour), the UK (up to $175), and Australia (up to $150). But those are also the places where the market for mobile apps is highly lucrative.

Considering this, the most cost-efficient solution is to outsource your custom mobile app development services. The best locations for this today are Ukraine ($34-64), Poland ($40-77), and India ($10-75). It’s because development companies in these countries offer the highest value for money.

Another important factor that has to do with location is the localization of your app. For example, are you only targeting one country or multiple? Do you need to create a multilingual app? If yes, will content translation suffice, or do you need to get a full-scale localization?

Bear in mind that each ‘yes’ answer to these questions will increase the application development cost. Moreover, every new language will add quite a hefty bit to it. However, you must never settle for a low-quality of localization and translation. They significantly affect the chances of your app to succeed with the target audience.

Post-Launch Support for End-to-End Web Application Development

Another crucial thing to understand is that custom mobile app development services aren’t limited to development only. Post-launch support and updates are just as important, if not more, as the development itself. It’s because your app should grow its user base and generate downloads constantly to bring revenue. Therefore, you have to make it better all the time. And it’s best to have the same team working on it.

Also, there is a cost of marketing to be considered. Your application needs promotion as well as good app store optimization so it can be noticed. Therefore, mobile app development costs are going to keep growing. The revenue it brings in must cover these continuous improvements.

In Conclusion: Should You Invest in Custom Mobile App Development Services?

According to Statista, projected revenues from mobile apps will reach $935.2 billion by 2023. Considering how the COVID-19 pandemic has sped up the development of this industry, real numbers might well exceed these forecasts. Therefore, anyone with a sense of business acumen should be looking to invest in this business.

Mobile and web apps are changing and evolving fast. They are also taking over regular downloadable software.

All things considered, if you have an idea for an app, you should go for it! Contact us if you are looking for cost-efficient custom mobile app development services, and we’ll find a way to turn your idea into a profitable business.

5 Benefits of Custom Software Development for Small Business

Posted on by mkoftielieva

In our age of extreme competition, custom software development for small business can be the best investment for your company. Regardless of the industry you specialize in, your company could certainly do better. You can be more efficient, more productive, and overall more awesome. Custom software will help you do it because it enables you to maximize the value you offer to your customers. Moreover, it also ensures that all your employees use their time and resources in the most efficient way.

All in all, custom-tailored software makes your business one of a kind, which is key to success today.

Don’t believe this?

Keep on reading to see how exactly your small business can cut costs, increase revenues, and improve using specialized software products.

Custom Software Development for Small Business Always Produces a Perfect Fit

Small businesses are often put at a massive disadvantage by using third-party solutions built in a one-size-fits-all manner. It’s because these products are designed to be functional enough to meet a variety of requirements. It’s a mandatory requirement in order to make them accessible to multiple businesses. Also, they are often made to integrate with other similar solutions. Therefore, their functionality is limited further to reduce the risk of breakdowns during integrations.

The end result is that the solution can perform some basic functions that can help your business. However, it often won’t have many features or will have the ones you don’t need. Moreover, these products rarely have particular features or tools that can help you achieve maximum productivity.

Custom software development for small business can solve this problem completely. As the solution is designed for your company and no one else, it will fit you perfectly. In addition, it will have room for scalability. It means that the solution can grow or evolve as your business needs change. The adaptability will ensure that you always draw maximum value from the software.

Outsourced Software Product Development Saves Money for Small Businesses

On the one hand, custom software development for small business is more expensive than using third-party solutions. It’s a fact that cannot be argued, especially as some of these solutions are open-source and free.

However, developing custom software can help small businesses save a lot of money in the long run. The initial investment is always there. But even that can be minimized when you choose outsourced software product development services. Hiring software engineers from another country is often a very effective way to cut custom development costs. However, if you choose wisely, the quality of the product you receive will be top-notch.

Moreover, having custom-tailored software explicitly created to help your business with maximum efficiency will save money. First of all, it’s going to help you cut various business costs. It’s because routine task automation and optimization can make a big difference. For example, software to reduce the time of processing customer claims gives your employees a chance to respond quicker and increases customer satisfaction. So, your people get more work done in less time. Meanwhile, your customer loyalty grows, and your business wins on all sides.

Most importantly, you should always remember that seemingly small savings due to improved efficiency add up over time. Custom software development for small business is an investment that pays off in the long term. But its value for money increases with every day that the solutions are in use.

custom software development for small business integrating with third-party software

Custom Software for Small Businesses Can Integrate with Other Solutions

Of course, even the small businesses that invest in outsourced software product development won’t use custom solutions exclusively. It means that they will rely on some third-party products. Therefore, it’s essential to have all software capable of integrating with these platforms.

That’s one of the reasons why custom development can be such a great help. Basically, you can invest in a relatively simple product that will boost your business’ productivity and efficiency. And one of the top requirements for it can be effective integration with third-party solutions you are using. The product is created exactly to your specifications. Therefore, the developers will bring all these solutions together in the best way.

The result is that you get not merely a piece of software but a tool that maximizes the value you get from all solutions you use. So, your business can achieve better results with less investment.

Better still is the fact that custom software development can be an ongoing process. Therefore, your team of trusted developers can keep improving the solution as third-party platforms roll out significant updates. This way, you’ll minimize the risk of your whole system crashing because of conflicting update changes.

Custom Software Development Is More Secure

The cost of cybercrime attacks is growing every day. And it’s projected to cost businesses over $10.5 trillion a year by 2025. Off-the-shelf software always contains a lot of inherent security weaknesses. It’s a necessary compromise to make it easily accessible. Moreover, every integration with other similar tools increases the number of risks. So, using third-party software means your cybersecurity level will be rather low.

Using custom software development for small business enables you to get more secure solutions. In addition, these tools can help cover some inherent weaknesses of third-party software integrations.

The increased security of your system is a great selling point for the customers. You definitely should advertise it as a feature that makes you stand out from the competition. Also, you can save money by reducing the risks your business is facing daily.

Top-Quality Custom Software Boosts Profits

The most important reason for small businesses to invest in outsourced software product development is money. The money your business can make by selling better services to a larger number of customers. Custom-tailored solutions boost your business in many ways. And each of those translates into more considerable revenues.

It really is that simple.

Investing in custom software development for small business is like investing in your own education. You do need to put in some money upfront. And the returns will take a while to show up. However, those returns will be huge and will keep on growing constantly.

In Conclusion: Choose the Best Custom Software Development for Small Business

Small businesses today face many challenges and have a disturbingly high failure rate. Therefore, if you want to succeed, you need to use every advantage. And one of the best advantages you can get is custom software.

Allow your company to make the most of every opportunity through cost-efficient outsourced software product development. However, remember that only top-quality solutions will benefit you. It means that you need to choose a trustworthy team of talented developers that can really bring your vision to life. The Devtorium software development team stands ready to do just that. Contact us anytime, and we’ll find a way to help your business grow!

And never forget that creating custom software can become your business in itself. If you have a fantastic app idea, you can turn it into a good source of income. All you need is a development team to turn this idea into a revenue-generating solution.

How to Use an AI-Powered Platform to Make Data-Driven Decisions

Posted on by mkoftielieva

Advanced robots, self-driving cars, automated delivery bots, Internet of Things, and all the other cool and sexy tech we have today all run on some kind of an AI-powered platform. But those platforms only exist because of data. Data analytics is at the heart of AI, business, and the world as a whole today. So, if you want to get ahead, you must wield its immense power for making business decisions. However, the human brain cannot compute such enormous blocks of information. So, you’ll need to use a SaaS analytics platform to do it for you.

 

How to Use an AI-Powered Platform to Improve Your Decision Making

The best thing about Big Data is that it holds the answers to all your questions. Actually, it can even predict the future if used right. And that means ‘if it’s processed by an AI-powered platform geared toward predictive analysis.’

No business today can survive without data analytics. It’s because you literally can’t make decisions without the insights derived from data. You might only rely on your monthly business reports or go for a broader scope including global economic reports. But the point is that you have to make decisions based on something more concrete than your intuition. It means understanding what types of data analytics exist. And more importantly, how to use them at different stages of decision making.

 

Types of Data Analytics Performed by an AI-Powered Platform

 

Descriptive

Descriptive data analytics provides you with answers to the question “What happened?” In essence, you can use this data to understand how your business is doing. Then, depending on how deeply you analyze various processes, you can decide which areas to focus on.

There is no doubt that these insights from a basic AI-powered platform are extremely beneficial. They are especially handy when you need to identify areas where you can cut costs.

That said, descriptive analytics insights are somewhat limited. They only give you information about your past business performance and don’t consider any outside factors affecting it.

 

Diagnostic

Diagnostic data analytics is used to understand why something happened. Performing this analysis is the logical next step after collecting descriptive data insights. At this point, the AI-powered platform can delve deeper and understand why some of your business decisions failed or succeeded.

Bear in mind that diagnostic analytics will require a wider scope of data than your internal business reports. Also, it will be, at least somewhat, based on conjecture. It’s hardly possible to account for all potential factors that affect any business outcome. Therefore, you’ll have to accept that while highly valuable, these insights are also not absolute.

 

Predictive

Predictive analytics is far more advanced and requires the implementation of an AI-powered platform. Machine learning, in particular, is the basis of any successful predictive analytics. Insights derived from it allow you to see what is likely to happen shortly. Therefore, you can use them to make decisions that might propel your business forward.

This kind of prediction for future trends is most valuable for businesses that want to grow. However, any forecasts cannot be 100% accurate. There are just too many factors that are beyond your control that affect the outcome. Many of these factors are macroeconomic and volatile.

Bearing that in mind, you should use predictive analytics to develop a proactive approach to business. It can help you plan, especially for the situations that might affect you in the future. Thereby they help your business prepare for potential challenges.

 

Prescriptive

Prescriptive data analytics is the most advanced type, and it can provide the most valuable insights. At this state, an AI-powered platform will aim to give you guidance on what actions you can take. To get the most value from these insights, you need to have specific questions in mind. Then, analyzing your goals and data will enable the AI to determine the actions necessary to achieve your desired results. These insights are primarily based on the data obtained from predictive, descriptive, and diagnostic analyses.

However, prescriptive analytics will also use technology like simulation analysis to discover solutions to potential or current problems. Of course, these solutions are subject to the same limitations as any predictive analysis. But they are highly valuable as they enable you to reduce risks that are inherent to any business.

 

Implementing Insights Delivered by an AI-Powered Platform

Studying a real-life example is the best way to understand how an AI-powered platform can benefit your business. Marquètte is a piece of SaaS data analytics software developed by Devtorium and powered by proprietary AI tech. It uses a combination of data analytics methods and technology to conduct a SWOT and PESTEL analysis of any field.

On the user side, this looks like you are conducting a simple internet search. However, in reality, AI goes through huge blocks of data in order to find concrete answers to your questions. So, when it’s done its job, you get a summary that answers your question in detail and includes actionable insights. Then, as a business owner, you can put those into action right away. Thus, you ensure your company derives maximum benefit from the information.

Businesses can use the insights provided by Marquètte to:

 

  • Revamp your brand design for increased impact
  • Find new areas for your business to expand in
  • Predict challenges your company needs to prepare for
  • Adjust your marketing strategy for maximum efficiency
  • Answer any industry and niche-specific questions you have
  • Forecast business development when planning for the future

As you can see, an AI-powered platform is an invaluable ally for any business. So, the only question is whether you want to use an existing solution, like Marquètte, or to have custom SaaS data analytics software developed for you.

App Store Optimization Tips an Android App Development Company Needs to Know

Posted on by oleshchenko

Imagine a situation, an extraordinarily talented Android app development company creates a unique product that has the potential to rack up millions. The app is amazing, and when it’s launched, everyone is 100% sure it’ll be an instant success. And yet, weeks and months go by, but the number of downloads is pitiful, so the team starts to despair.

What went wrong? How could people not want to use this awesome app?

The answer is usually simple – they just don’t know about it. As of July 2021, there are 2,89 million apps available on Google Play Store. So, it doesn’t matter how incredible your product is. In order for it to be successful, it must be visible on that huge platform. What it means for business is that it’s not enough to develop a great mobile app. You also need to master the art of app store optimization (ASO) to get it to the top of the platform’s search results.

If you think that this sounds very much like SEO, you are right. In fact, many of the search optimization practices used for Google will also apply to the app store page. That’s because these stores are, in essence, limited search engines.

However, to achieve the best results, you’ll need to go beyond the basics. The tips below will show you how to do it.

Top App Store Optimization Tips for Google Play Store

Start with competition research

The first thing you should do when planning to launch an app is to find out what you are up against. In fact, competition research must be done when the app is still an idea. It’s necessary so that you can make your product stand out. Remember that it’s always best to base your own proposition on the gaps that exist in the niche. Armed with this information, an Android app development company can create a truly outstanding product.

Also, while studying your competitors, you will be able to learn what keywords they target. It’s an essential piece of data that you’ll have to use in your ASO. You’ll have to think very hard to decide whether you should focus on targeting keywords that your competitors ignore or try to compete for the top-scoring ones.

In addition, you’ll need to check out in which app store categories your main competitor products are located. Choosing the right category is a significant factor that affects application success.

Optimize the Title and Description with keywords

Speaking of keywords, the number one use for them you’ll have in ASO is to put them in the app’s title, URL, and description. Bear in mind that these sections in app stores always have limitations for the number of characters. Therefore, choosing the best possible keyword phrases is a must. It will literally make or break your ASO, so you don’t have room for mistakes here.

In order to succeed in keyword optimization, you can use some excellent SEO tools, like SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Google Keyword Planner. Note that the first two are highly advanced but paid solutions. However, they will be a worthy investment on the same level as top-notch custom mobile app development services are. These solutions can really help your app get noticed and thus drive downloads.

Google Keyword Planner is free and the ultimate choice for when you are using GoogleAds. It will work well for a basic keyword search.

Extra tip: never use keywords that include the word ‘app’ or your competitors’ brand names in your title or description sections.

Use compelling images

A picture is worth a thousand words. This phrase is definitely overused, but it’s true nonetheless. And images become even more important when optimizing your app store page. That’s because you only have a limited number of both pictures and words. Therefore, images will have the greatest impact.

Start with designing a memorable app icon that stands out in your category. It must be simple but also something everyone would like to have on their phone screens, and possibly T-shirts.

The Android app development company creating the product must also invest a lot into the UI/UX design. The solution has to be not only useful but also visually appealing. That’s what you’re going to show off in screenshots.

Always post as many screenshots as the platform allows. In addition, design a beautiful template for them, so they aren’t merely rendered app screens images.

Finally, make sure that your app’s color scheme is different from your competitors. You can also read up on color meanings using this colorpedia to pick something out of the ordinary.

But the most important thing to consider when choosing screenshots for the app store is that you must show off the features that make your product unique.

Include a video

Mobile app development solutions might differ, but the marketing principles remain the same for every product, niche, and industry. And today, the supreme rule for a successful promotion of anything is ‘video makes it a hundred times better’.

People now consume more video than any other type of content, and this trend is only growing. So, including an attractive video that shows off how to use your app is an absolute must. You simply cannot forgo this step!

Even if you can’t afford some cool effects or order a clip from a professional team, it’s imperative to add the best quality content you are able to produce.

Drive traffic from your website & build up backlinks

Remember how ASO isn’t SEO but they are closely related? Well, one of those relations is that you need to use your well-optimized website and various SEO strategies to drive traffic to your app store page.

Basically, app store optimization options are limited. So, if you want to increase your outreach to the target audience, you need to do this through your website and social media channels. The trick is to set up links to the app store page for downloads. You’ll be able to use the full power of SEO for this.

You can also use various link-building strategies to drive more people to your app’s download page.

Work on obtaining app ratings and reviews

Critical ASO factors that you cannot affect directly are rating and reviews. The higher the numbers you can achieve there, the better is your app’s visibility. Moreover, they have a great impact on your brand authority. Therefore, they determine the Android app development company’s success as a business.

That said, you can see that it’s imperative to build a solid framework for generating reviews and encouraging high ratings.

A vital factor for the latter will be your updates. As a developer, you must always strive to improve your app in response to user feedback. Engaging with your users through commenting on said feedback is also a great way to build up your credibility. The freshness of the updates is also a ranking factor for app stores, so be sure to do it often.

In addition, you should use social media and your blog to encourage app reviews. Run contests or some specialized campaigns and consider offering some rewards for feedback.

Bottom Line: ASO – Must-Have for Android App Development Company Success

App store optimization isn’t rocket science, but you have to invest a lot of time and effort in it. Moreover, you need to understand that it’s intricately interwoven with SEO and your overall digital marketing strategy.

Last but not least, never forget that optimizing your app’s page once isn’t enough. You need to review its performance monthly and make adjustments to keep improving.

We are a team of 200+ qualified software engineers, business analysts, data scientists, project managers, and UI/UX designers. All our professionals hold specialized certifications in their niches and have expertise in complex projects for a variety of industries.

    Contact Us

    sales@devtorium.com

    Sitemap

    cookie-image
    cookie-image-mobile

    Our website uses cookies

    We use cookies and share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you’ve provided them.