Category: Mobile App

Importance of Internal Communication

Communication is an important element for the success of any business. Internal communication or communication that happens within the organization is extremely important. Today is the age of employee empowerment. Employees need to be empowered and information is what helps them to be empowered. Organizations need to keep employees informed about what is happening in the organization so that they can work effectively.

Employees need to be made aware of many things that include:

• Vision of the leadership
• Company policies and plans
• Requirements of customers
• Strategies and programs of the organization
• Feedback from customers and how the organization should respond to it
• Employee welfare measures

Earlier internal communication used to happen through meetings or through circulars. Then company magazines became popular and were used for effective communication. With the advent of the internet, sending e-mails was used for internal communication. Intranet was also used. The problem here is most people do not read emails unless it is from customers or from the big boss. The solution that has emerged of late in the use of apps for communication.

Apps and Communication

Apps are very popular nowadays, thanks to the growth and penetration of mobile phones. People love to use apps for many things and apps have become the future of mobile computing. In such a scenario, using an employee communication app is a great idea that companies can implement. A business can make an app available and ask employees to download and use it. Many businesses frown on employees using their mobile phones during work. But this would be a situation where employees are encouraged to use the mobile phone and the app. This would definitely motivate employees to use the app.

While an employee may not open an email, he/she would be more likely to open an app and check the information provided. Employees are also more likely to open the notifications sent by the app. This is a great way for companies to communicate with their employees. This is particularly of great use for organizations that have employees working in remote locations. An app allows those working at different locations to be seamlessly part of the internal communication system.

Benefits of using an App for Internal Communication

Using an app for internal communication is highly beneficial for the organization and also for the employees. This is how it can be of help:

• Effective communication ensures that every employee understands the vision of the organization and can work in a holistic way to achieve this vision.
• The main benefit of using an app for internal communication is that employees feel empowered. When the management communicates regularly with the employees, it helps to motivate employees to work better as they have complete knowledge of what is going on.
• An employee who has full information would work to his/her full potential. This can ensure increased productivity.
• An important impact of effective internal communication is on internal relations within the organization. It can help to foster team spirit and also reduce conflicts between individuals and teams.
• Employees who have complete information can serve customers better. Customers would get better service and this leads to more satisfied customers. Better internal communication has a direct impact on customer satisfaction.
• When employees have full knowledge, they can handle different situations easily. In case of any problems or crisis, they would know what is to be done and how to handle it.
• Decision making improves because employees have full information and that enables them to evaluate different scenarios before taking a decision.
• Proper internal communication leads to a better relationship between employees and their superiors and also with the management. This goes a long way to improve employee morale.
• One of the most positive impacts of effective internal communication is to keep employees happy. This helps the organization to be able to reduce turnover.
• Employees working at branches and remote locations are connected at all times with the rest of the team thanks to the app. This would benefit both employees and the organization.

Using an Internal Communication App

A business can eitherchoose to develop an app on their own or use an app developed by professionals for this purpose. Using a third party app ensures that the app would be designed in such a way that it attracts employees to use it. While implementing an app-based internal communication, the following needs to be ensured:

• Security is an important aspect. Access rights can be used to control who gets to see what information. General communication, team-wise communication can be segregated.
• The app must be in line with the workflow of the organization. Ideally, it can be blended with the existing software systems.
• The platform should be device-independent and support different operating systems.

An employee communication app can be of great help for a business to communicate more effectively with employees.

This article is contributed by Marilou Alcaide, Marketing Coordinator, content crafter for Ezzely an employee engagement app

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Introduction & and need of a MVP App:

Before the launch of a new product, an entrepreneur needs to know about the feasibility and customers opinion about the product. What customers actually require and whether the product is useful for them or not? This question needs to be answered because nobody wants to step into the market to suffer a loss due to product failure or customer dislikes etc. The answer to this question is provided by MVP (Minimum Viable Product) app.

An MVP app will let you know that the product you want to launch is required by users or not. An MVP app is developed a step prior to the launch of a full-fledged mobile app with features just enough to identify the customer requirements & the possible risks in the market. This app also saves your time and money. It helps to collect the feedback of target audience and accordingly you have to include those features in the full-fledged app. So it is very important to understand the development process of MVP app. This article provides you the necessary guidelines to build a MVP app.

Steps to develop a MVP app:

#1. Market analysis focusing on user requirements:

Conduct surveys to obtain more information about user needs & likes. You should also see what is offered by your competitors and how you can make your product better than that. MVP aims to introduce your product benefits to users and encourage them to buy it.

#2. App design according to user convenience:

The app should be designed in a way that is easy to use. You need to design the app from the user’s aspect, beginning right from opening the app until the final stage of making purchase or order delivery. Here user flow is important as it ensures you to include those things in your future product which provide user satisfaction

#3. Listing of project features (What to include and what not in a MVP?):

You must be clear in listing the required features of the project. These are definitely based on the likes of users. Moreover, you should also take care not to include unnecessary features in the MVP.

What to include:

These include the choices of the target audience and the solution you offer accordingly. The users should be well convinced about the benefits that they get from your offer.

What not to include:

Copycat Features: You can see the features included by your competitors in the app but there is no need to include or copy their each and every feature in your MVP. You should incorporate just enough features in the app that are helpful to achieve your business goals.

Mobile app features requested by users in the starting phase:

We know that user feedback is important for our product. There are a lot of users and we just can’t include all those features as requested by all of them in the initial development phase of the app. An app with several hundred of features is good for nothing both for you and your users.

#4. Start building your MVP App:

We must know about the points where our product is lacking and this is known through feedback from users. This strategy eliminates the chance of creating products that are not required by customers and helps to find maximum information about the amount spent by each customer. So, develop a quality prototype, modify the product and then test to measure the quality. This process continues until our product is finalized. After organizing all the necessary features, start building the MVP app.

Cost of developing a MVP Mobile app:

The development of a MVP app normally takes 1–2 months which is much less than the time taken to build a full-fledged app. Moreover, it is quite cheaper and cost-effective. Even companies like Facebook, Twitter, and Amazon have initially made MVP app that helped them to develop & establish their organization in the global market.

Checking success after building MVP App:

Sign-ups: Sign-ups are a practical way to measure user’s interest in our product. They often convert user’s interest into revenue.

Improved client rating based on the feedback: The number of app downloads and launches determine how many users are interested in your app. So design a lighter app with an easy UI/UX design for more downloads Also check the ratings of active users in routine.

Client acquisition cost: CAC is the cost to get a paying customer and it helps you to stay updated on your marketing efforts. CAC is calculated as The amount spent on a channel/ No. of users acquired through the channel.

Summary:

MVP aims to solve customer major problems with the app by identifying the weak points and then focusing on offering feasible solutions. It eliminates startup risks, needs less investment, and prepares for smooth market release.

This article is contributed by Paru Saxena, Sales head at TechIngenious — A Mobile app development company in Jaipur.

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When it comes to progress in the digital marketplace, businesses often fail to grab the essence of it. Unlike the physical world, existence in this landscape is not only about increasing profits. It is more about providing value to the customers and enhancing their experience.

Nowadays, businesses from all corners of the world are shifting to the mobile realm. By the end of 2018, there were 2 million apps eachin Google Play and Apple Stores. Hence, it is quite clear that if you want to see massive benefits for your venture, you need an app.

But before you go for hiring an app development agency, you must conduct a thorough evaluation. Which operating system is the most secure? Which one is largely used by your target market? How will it impact your business?

Additionally, there are three methods of developing apps. It is wise to explore all the options and then pick the one that works for you. Your decision can either make or break your digital strategy.

Below, we examine each of these approaches and their pros and cons from the business standpoint:

Native Apps

Native apps work exclusively on a specific platform. All the tools, programming languages, and software development kits are according to that particular system. So the app for Android will not work on iOS.

This development method results in highly functional apps. Its special design tends to escalate the overall performance of the design. Not only that, it offers access to a wide range of APIs which does not limit the app usage. These apps are easily accessible from their particular app stores. And this top position in the grid ultimately helps them reach target customers easily.

An obvious drawback of native apps is their high costs. If you opt for this approach and seek to work on various forums, you need to develop codes for each platform separately. And designing multiple programming languages can be a burden on financial resources. It also asks for separate maintenance and support for different kinds of applications which results in the greater product price.

Despite the associated cons, it is to note that the application will function at its highest potentials on every device. Such high-performance apps are suitable for large scale industrial applications that deal with data-intensive information.

The security levels of these apps will also meet the requirements. The way that AirG Spamfree app, Hookt, deals with user information isproof that there are secure algorithms out there. Businesses can integrate them with their app and ensure their customers’ privacy.

Hybrid Apps

Hybrid apps are a combination of web and native apps. These use multi-platform web technologies like CSS and JavaScript. These consists of two parts:

• Back-end code
• A downloadable native shell that installs code using webview

Some experts state that these are website applications disguised in a native covering. As a result, they carry the pros and cons of native as well as web apps.

Just as all websites have the same display on every operating system, these apps will run the same on all devices. However, if you wish to create a native interface for every platform, you can use frameworks like Ionic and PhoneGap. Or, you can find agencies like App Verticalsin the market which provide exceptional app designs for their clients.

A clear advantage of Hybrid apps is that they are fast and easily developed. Since you will be using the single basic code for all platforms, you can smoothly update them all together. The overall maintenance cost is also low. These apps do not require a browser, and they can easily leverage device APIs.

On the other hand, these apps are slower than native apps as they are not customizable for individual platforms. Plus they also lack in performance and speed. The overall optimization is not as good as the native apps.

Reviews for hybrid apps tell us that there are certain design issues and the apps may end up looking different at different platforms. So pick this approach for your business app only if you believe that your business can deal with the disparities that tag along.

Web Apps

Web apps work in the same way as native applications. The usual languages used in these apps are CSS, JavaScript, and HTML5. A distinguishing feature of these apps is that they load in browsers like Chrome and Safari. There is no need to install them from the app markets.

These apps take up very little space on the device memory. They store the database on a server from where the users can access using any device. Typically, the websites provide users with more information than the application. So web apps follow the same pattern. They provide users with condensed information that entails all essential details and calls-to-action.

As more and more websites are usingHTML5, the line between web apps and web pages has started to fade away. The apps work quite well on smart devices as well as on computer screens.

Each of the app development methods makes use of a different algorithm. From programming to accessibility and function, the developers must have a certain level of expertise. Before you pick any method for your business, you must also focus on the difference in their monetization, interface, and costs. It is going to leave a long-term impact on your workings.

Therefore, compare the nature of your business and your customers with the capabilities of each method. Then go for the one that offers the highest compatibility.

This article is contributed by Audrey Throne, professional blogger at App Verticals

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In the salon business, the proper utilization of time & available resources is essential to make your long-awaited ambitious business dreams come true. The desired success in this business depends on your ability to serve a large number of customers at the right time with requested services professionally. More customers=more pressure on the working staff+ company infrastructure. If you don’t improve your capabilities to deal with a large number of customers, they will start availing the beauty services of your competitors without making any delay.

That is why many salon business owners have started to use hair salon appointment app to save their time & resources, easily serve a large number of customers, and make more income on low investment. But how it works? Let’s contemplate.

#1. Business Automation

As companies tend to cut their operational cost, increase work efficiency, and profitability, business automation tools are in great demand. Gone are the days when humans use to perform all tasks manually. There are many hurdles with manual work performance. It consumes a lot of time to perform a task manually & the output is not enthusiastic at all times. The chances of silly and damaging mistakes are always higher.

Therefore, business organisations have started to use specially created software to automate different business activities. Humans just need to make data input to allow the machine to take care of everything. Hair Salon scheduling app works on this dogma. With its help, you can easily digitalize your salon business & observe a sharp boom in daily turnovers.

Beauty Salon scheduling appointment allows you to book online appointments with customers 24*7/365 days and serve a large number of customers easily and effortlessly. You can show all details to customers & allow them to book an appointment with you as per their convenience. Business automation makes your salon services fast, professional, and easily accessible.

#2. Reduction of Workforce

To operate a salon business successfully, you need to hire well-educated, trained, experienced and professional beauty experts, accounts, business marketing experts, cashiers, cleaning staff, etc. All of them charge a hefty amount (as their salaries, bonus, travel allowance, overtime, food, etc,) every month for their services.

A new salon business owner may face several downtimes in the initial days after the formal commencement of the business. One someday, you may have lots of your customers at your salon centre. On the other hand, you may see no customers at all for many days.

These fluctuations in footfall greatly affect the volume of revenue generation. If the unfavourable situation continues for a long time period, it becomes very difficult for you to maintain financial discipline, make payments to your staff & arrange sufficient cash for daily business operations. A feature-rich salon management software eliminates the need for hiring too many staff. You can use the software to conduct different tasks yourself. It helps you to save a lot of money that would spend on the hiring of different professionals.

#3. A Close Scrutiny of The Movement of Finances

The continuous and close tracking of the movement of money in your organisation holds great importance. It is because sufficient money backup is the key to operate different business activities on a daily basis. When you run a salon business and collect payments from customers for the requested beauty services or products, it becomes very necessary to scrutinize its use regularly. The manual management of finances is full of errors and mistakes.

Everyone loves money. Greedy employees in your salon business organisation can get involved in financial embezzlement or misappropriation and steal your resources. The digitalization of money movements, facilitated by Nail Salon appointment app, allows you to track the use of money, disclose financial scams, catch the economic idiots, and strengthen your financial condition easily.

#4. Inventory Management

Inventory management is akin to auditing. In this process, auditors, cashiers, and company owners conduct stock audit from time-to-time to know the use of company’s resources, track the difference between supplied and available goods in the stock, catch wrongdoers, and ensure that the company is working smoothly. Stock inventory is aimed at restricting the wastage of company’s resources. We all know that this process consumes a lot of time & chances of silly mistakes are always higher if done manually. Modern Hair Salon appointment app helps in inventory management & allows auditors to complete it quickly and accurately by providing correct details about the resources.

#5. Business Mobility

In today’s competitive business environment, business mobility is the order of the day. When a customer generates service requests, he/she is not going to wait for a long time to get a response from your side and avail the requested services. He/she will simply cancel his/her service request & deal with your competitors to get the much-needed beauty services immediately. Business mobility offers a viable solution to this problem.

Modern Hair Salon scheduling app can be used on different mobile devices easily. You can use this feature to operate your business 24*7 from all locations through your mobile device, respond to notifications, and help customers get the requested services in quick time.

Final Words

The proper management of time and resources determine how many business opportunities are likely to come in your way. Just use Hair Salon scheduling app to save your precious time and resources & make the salon business more profitable. Best of Luck!

This article is contributed by Julia Ching — associated with Salonist- Spa salon appointment book management software.

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Not long ago it was told we live in an information age. But, are we still at the same time?

Today, the world is driven by data. Large amounts of data are collected every second from multiple sources: whether it is from IoT devices, smart cars or through by merely uploading content.

Content that can any form: text, videos or images. The data is soaring online. It is voluminous and may be structured or unstructured. What can we do we such data?

Should we let it go or “torture the data, until it confesses something” (Ronald Coase)?

Well, most of the economists or the engineers saw data as knowledge. “Various kinds of knowledge can be minded from these kinds of data”- the knowledge that can empower businesses or individuals. Data mining came through in search of this knowledge.

“Data mining is the process of discovering insightful, interesting, and novel patterns, as well as descriptive, understandable, and predictive models from large-scale data.”

Well, in simple terms, data mining is an approach to get all the data together and identify patterns in the data. Several tools are built to ease up the process of collecting voluminous data.

Many sectors across the world are applying data mining to improve their processes significantly. And, app development is no exception. Even though employing data mining is not observed in the traditional app development structure, entrepreneurs are not restraining themselves from this innovation.

Rapid application development companies today are using to meet their clients’ needs precisely. At every level of app development, data mining can be applied to bring exceptional results. Let’s see a few them:

Comprehend Customer Behavior

The first step of app development process to narrow down the requirements and define a structure to go ahead. Taking into account several parameters in a specific industry, data mining pulls the data across online platforms and puts them together. This data can be used to comprehend the customer behaviors based on demographics such as age, location, and others.

The developer delves in gathering the information and determine a pattern observed in the data. As it is easy to collect and analyze consumers’ digital trail, deeper insights of the customer insights can be captured. Data mining looks at the behavior at a granular level and helps conclude on customer behavior in different sectors.

Even though, it seems like a lengthy process, it only takes a few minutes using data mining tools. You would be surprised to know that this process would take less than a minute sometimes.

Define Industry-Specific Needs

When you are building an app for food delivery, do you know which is the key factor or the primary features? Let’s take a guess: is it type of cuisine, is it the distance or the health factor? Instinctive decisions may not be accurate all the time. Every industry has different needs: what a patient looks in an app is different from what an e-commerce customer would look for.

When a developer builds an app in a specific industry, a high-level understanding of the industry is required. It is essential to understand innovative trends in the industry and how they can solve a particular business problem. Data mining helps to comprehend various industry processes and design a solution-centric app.

This saves a great deal of time for developers and follows an industry agnostic approach. Building an app definite to industry demands can help businesses address the key areas and reach their goal.

Streamline Daily Operations

“Extracting important knowledge from a mass of data can be crucial, sometimes essential.” It is essential to define and streamline the workflow of apps. Data mining can help app workflows in two different ways:

Build predictive power employing data mining to recognize unknown or future values of the features

Acquire descriptive power using data mining to find innovative and human interpretable patterns

For instance, Alibaba uses data mining to find a bag matching the photo you uploaded or with the keyword you enter in the shopping site. Digital assistants like Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant employ data mining to provide relevant data or execute tasks. Similarly, apps can incorporate data mining to route everyday tasks on the app.

Incorporate Personalization for Every Individual

Every individual is different, and his needs are different. Today marketing and promoting products has become an integral part of app development. And, for years digital marketers are aiming for personalized marketing and enhance customer engagement. Especially, when it comes to retail apps, personalized marketing is the success of the app.

All that customers want to hear is: “We have curated an exceptional offering for you. Based on your preferences, previous purchases and your local weather forecast, we’ve prepared your offer in an optimized format for your consideration. Thank you for your business, and

we’re here for you any time.”

Customers, today, expect more than personal engagement, they also consider the right time. When an app which is the face of the business is not available when the customer needs, it might decrease the app value. Data mining with other cognitive technologies makes it possible to encourage personalization at an individual level.

“Data will be talking to you; if you are willing to listen” (Jim Bergeson). Knowledge empowers any processes. And, data mining reveals the right insights for app development at every level to ensure app success and customer satisfaction.

This article is contributed by Thomas Honey, professional writer at ONGO Framework– Mobile App Development company

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