Whether it’s the clean user interface on your favorite app or the seamless integration of a CRM and email provider, you rely on great development and design every day. And as a company, it’s important to provide this same level of experience to your users.

Delight your customers by providing them the best possible digital experience you can offer. One way to do is by leveling up your company’s design and development teams so that they can use their new knowledge to improve your end product and thus increase customer satisfaction.

And one way to do that is by hiring an external development team to build your app. Even when you have a team of great developers and designers in-house, hiring additional third-party talent will benefit your company in so many ways.

Learn New Skills

Have a young team? Hiring designers and developers with years of experience will help them learn new skills faster, getting them up to speed and adding value in no time at all. Work with a team of experienced developers? Challenge their assumptions and push them to keep learning by exposing them to advanced skills and new platforms.

Stay On Top of New Tech

Our designers and developers are positively tech-obsessed. No, really. We have designers who build games in their spare time, and they present at tech meetups and conferences all over the world. By hiring such innovation-obsessed talent, you’re sure to stay on the cutting edge of new developments as they happen, and often before your competitors learn about them.

Diversify Your Team’s Experience

Maybe you’re building your company’s first app. Or perhaps you’re trying to move into a new vertical. Whatever your new venture, odds are that there are some gaps in your team’s experience that will result in roadblocks along the way. Hiring a developer who has helped build hundreds of client projects or who has deep industry knowledge in a specific vertical will not only save you time and money in the long run, but it will also strengthen your team by exposing them to new ideas, perspectives and best practices.

Bring A Product to Market Faster

When Big Nerd Ranch partnered with PartCycle, the company consisted of two entrepreneurs with a big dream and no developers. By working with our front-end, back-end and design teams, PartCycle quickly built a minimal viable product that allowed the company to improve its conversion rate by 100% in the six months after product delivery. When you need to get something out the door—and quickly—you shouldn’t settle for a slapdash solution that you will need to re-architect in six weeks. By working with third-party designers and developers who know their stuff, you will quickly create a product that can grow along with you.

Curious about how some fresh design and development talent can help you achieve your goals, either by taking over the project or by augmenting your current team? Fill out our needs assessment to get the conversation started.

The post Got Talent? Get More. appeared first on Big Nerd Ranch.

You’ve been looking forward to it for weeks and now the day has come! Your app has shipped and you’re anxiously awaiting to see how many people download it. A few days go by, and now you’re anxiously awaiting to see what the reviews are. And now you’re excited because the first reviews are in and they’re good—great, even—and you’re already making money and improving your customer experience. At this point, paying extra for a maintenance contract seems like a waste of money… why spend more on something that is working perfectly?

The easy answer is because your app will not continue to work perfectly forever. Technology changes, and as new iOS and Android operating systems are released and new phones hit the market, your app will be affected. Your users may start to notice a decrease in performance, or perhaps the user interface appears incorrectly on the new screen size.

Enter The Maintenance Contract

For clients with a maintenance contract, the app can be fixed fairly quickly, often while the operating systems are still in their beta versions. This will allow you to publish the newest update to users once the changes become available to the public, effectively eliminating issues before they even appear.

However, things can get tough if you don’t have a maintenance contract. Once downloads have decreased and/or app performance is suffering, you’ll need to get back in contact with the development company who built the original application, and then schedule one of their programmers to take a look. However, it may not be the same developer, which means that he or she will need to investigate the problem before determining how to move forward.

This investigation (and the ultimate fix) are not free, so a new contract is needed. In the meantime, you’re spending days or even weeks waiting on the paperwork to be signed, for a developer to become available, for development to be completed and for the fix to be deployed to the end users, all while your customers are becoming increasingly frustrated with your app and your brand.

Still Feeling Like a Maintenance Contract Isn’t Important?

For most people, the thought of spending thousands of dollars on an app only to let it become ineffective is enough to consider signing a maintenance contract at the end of development. However, for those of you who need a little more information on why it’s important, read on.

Developing for mobile devices is different than developing for the desktop or web, particularly because of the faster rate of change in the mobile world. Think about all the changes that happen in any given year:

• New hardware as new phones and tablets appear on the market.
• New operating systems as Apple and Google release new updates.
• New programming langauges as the syntax developers use changes.
• New UI expectations as designers work to keep styles fresh.
• New privacy changes as portions of your app are impacted by security concerns.

And these are only the major things that could change performance and ratings—there are thousands of small changes that could impact your app. To complicate issues even further, these changes do not all appear at the same time. They roll out over the course of the entire year, meaning that changes to the app need to occur on an ongoing basis. Without those updates, it only a matter of time until the app not only become ineffective, but actually stops working completely.

How Do You Want to Spend Your Resources?

If you get lucky and nothing catastrophic happens, most apps can run for two years or so without requiring any maintenance. However, after three or more years without any updates, any significant changes or fixes could require an entire rebuild of the application from scratch. Starting over after three years is ultimately going to cost you more money in the long run than paying for the maintenance contract. And think about it… have you ever found a successful app that hasn’t pushed updates to your phone on a fairly consistent basis?

There is no doubt about it. Once an app is built, it will require time and resources to keep it profitable for your company and enjoyable for your users. You’re going to be spending that money no matter what, so it really comes down to how you want to spend it. Would you prefer to waste your time (and ultimately more money) on emergency fixes, or would you like the peace of mind in knowing that our developers have you covered, no matter what happens?

Get Started Today

Having a mobile app maintenance contract is a smart investment, and it shows foresight on your part. If you’re ready to learn how Big Nerd Ranch can provide you with continual maintenance and save you money in the long run, get in touch. We’re looking forward to making sure that your app is successful, no matter what the future holds.

The post Mobile App Maintenance Contracts: Recommended For A Reason appeared first on Big Nerd Ranch.

You know the value of professional development and you know that you need to train your development team—but maybe you’re wondering how to get started.

There are so many options available that it can quickly get confusing. You have to ensure that the option you choose is the best value, while also making sure your team gets quality training. So what’s the best way?

Online Training

One option is to have your developers complete a program online, either self-paced or together as a cohort. This is typically the cheapest option and is useful because the training modules can be chosen based on the problems that the developers are facing.

However, online training can present problems, as it’s easy to skip modules or play the training in the background while focusing on other tasks. When this happens, no real knowledge is gained and developers can become resentful if they feel as though their time is being wasted.

Industry Conferences

Conferences can be a great way to learn new skills, especially if the company is selective in where they send employees. Conferences are also a great way for developers to network with one another and receive advice from others outside of the company.

We believe in them so much that we send every single Big Nerd Ranch employee to at least one a year, in addition to any where they are asked to present. Just be sure to check the speaker lineup to ensure that the talks will be useful for solving the problems that your company is facing.

Short-Term Bootcamp

For single developers who are looking to level up their skills or learn a new platform, an intensive bootcamp may be the answer. While many coding bootcamps require weeks (or months) and are meant for those looking to enter the profession, Big Nerd Ranch bootcamps dive deeply into training in just days.

With classes for both the intermediate and advanced learner, there is nearly always a course that will fit the needs of your organization. After just a week, your engineers are soon back in the office, ready to implement all the new things they have learned.

Competitive Projects

For teams who want to learn new skills but like figuring it out on their own, a contest may be the best option. Here at Big Nerd Ranch, we host an annual Clash of the Coders event. This type of contest allows developers to deep dive into a new platform or technology and emerge on the other side with new knowledge, all while having a good time.

With extra points awarded for tackling new topics, the competitive aspect of the event ensures that each team is working their hardest to build something both interesting and useful. While your company may not be able to shut its doors for days each year, a similar competition that encourages developers to work on a new project in their spare time may be all the encouragement they need to learn something new. And prizes never hurt!

Corporate Training

Need to train an entire team, and quickly? A corporate training program is likely the best option for you. This kind of training can help you level up your developers in preparation for their next big project or bring them up to speed on learning new technology.

At Big Nerd Ranch, our classes are very similar to the bootcamp experience, but hosted at your location. Our courses are created to hit the skills your team needs, and because the instructor is on-site with you, your developers are able to ask questions as they arise.

So What Should You Do?

What works for one company will not work for another, and what works for one team within your company may not be the answer for every other team. Our best advice is to ask the people who will be receiving the training—learn how they work best and how they want to learn new skills. Knowing what they want will allow you to choose the option that best fits your needs.

And if that option happens to be a Big Nerd Ranch course, we’d love to train your developers. Check out our bootcamp schedule for your individual developer, or contact us to learn more about how corporate training can benefit your entire team.

The post 5 Ways to Train Your Developers for Continued Success appeared first on Big Nerd Ranch.

Every year, Apple and Google release new versions of their operating systems. It can seem cumbersome and expensive to make changes every summer, but by doing so, you can attract and retain customers, as well as improve workforce efficiency. In all reality, it can cost you more if you don’t update your apps.

Get Your App Featured

As the new iOS 11 and Android O operating systems go live, Apple and Google will handpick a few apps to be featured in their stores. When these new operating systems are launched, each company will look to show off apps that take advantage of the new technologies that they worked so hard to create.

Winning a coveted feature spot will increase your app’s visibility, resulting in more downloads. Having your app featured indicates that it is up to date and of high quality—something that is particularly important as users update their phones and expect to be able to take advantage of new technology.

Earn Free Press

While Apple and Google may be the best place for that stamp of approval, they are not the only ones who highlight new and improved apps. The Verge, WIRED, TechCrunch and other media outlets often promote updated apps. As launch day approaches, many of these publications will feature the apps that take advantage of exciting new technologies—things like ARKit and Core ML in iOS 11, or adaptive icons in Android O.

Much like App Store features, press attention from external news sites drives interest in what you have to offer and encourages new users to download your apps. That said, users will not stay long unless you provide something worthwhile, which leads us to our next point.

Improve the User Experience

User experience should be a prime focus, as customer retention, reviews and recommendations are an essential factor in your app’s growth. By improving this customer experience, you make sure that your users remain interested. Few things are more irritating than opening an app, only to find that it has limited functionality—or none at all—with the new OS.

Build Workforce Efficiency

Workforce apps allow your employees to access your company’s systems and complete day-to-day business from their phone or tablet, rather than requiring access to a computer. With mobile apps in the workforce, managers can view real-time information related to their employees’ productivity, field workers can access documents or training information from anywhere, and salespeople can create and sign contracts on the go.

And nothing stops a business faster than a technology failure, so it is vital to ensure that the apps your employees depend on are updated for launch day.

Get the Chance to Experiment

There is no better time to experiment with new technology than when said technology is brand-new. Take chances on what the new operating system has to offer, before you have to play catch-up with your competitors. Finding new and exciting ways to incorporate business chat, augmented reality or picture-in-picture mode will put you at the front of the pack.

Get Your Apps Ready for iOS 11 and Android O

Every year, you get the chance to improve your user experience, increase your chance of major publicity and experiment with new technology. Make sure you’re taking advantage of these yearly updates to stay relevant in the competitive technology space and drive your business forward.

See what’s new in iOS 11 in our newest ebook. Download it now to discover what you should be thinking about as you consider updating your company’s apps to iOS 11.

The post Why You Should Update Your iOS and Android Apps Before Launch Day appeared first on Big Nerd Ranch.

Big Nerd Ranch has been named among the 20 best iOS app development companies in the world by mobbed.io. Big Nerd Ranch is honored by the recognition and honored to be listed among other great companies.

Why Big Nerd Ranch?

At Big Nerd Ranch, our design and development teams work in concert, delivering products that adhere to platform and user experience best practices. This approach ensures smooth progress toward the final deliverables and means that you receive both quality code and a quality user experience. To make it as easy as possible to stay on track and under budget, each project includes a Project Strategist who advocates for the project, removing roadblocks and smoothing communication between client and developers.

As your consultants, Big Nerd Ranch helps you choose the right solutions for the challenges you face, no matter what those challenges are. Because our developers also teach our range of app development and design courses, you can ensure that they are continuously learning to stay ahead of the curve (and ahead of our students) when it comes to changes in mobile app development.

Get Started on Your App

We’re honored to have worked with great clients in the past sixteen years. Get in touch to see what our developers and designers can do for you, particularly as we move forward with iOS 11, Swift 4 and Xcode 9.

The post Big Nerd Ranch Named Top iOS App Development Company appeared first on Big Nerd Ranch.

After a grueling 72-hour competition, our Clash of the Coders 2017 projects are complete and the results are in. With only a few points separating each of our teams, we present our three winners.

Third Place: The Winning Team

Chris Morris, Jordan Killpack, Sarah Shapiro and Joseph Dixon worked on an Apple TV project called Lasso BNR Dashboard to help employees stay up-to-date on Big Nerd Ranch news. This highly dynamic and remotely configurable dashboard platform offers live updates from any datasource including (but not limited to) Slack, GitHub, Twitter and Instagram.

Second Place: dropAndGimme(20)

Presenting NerdFit, an Android TV application, were Kathryn Thomas, Matt Raufman, Rashad Cureton and Step Christopher. In an effort to encourage Big Nerd Ranch employees to work out in the company gym, dropAndGimme(20) designed an app that provides a personalized, motivating experience to gym-goers using either remote or voice. In addition to keeping track of personal stats, the app showcases how-to videos for everything from bench squats to arm curls and allows users to see details of their next workout.

And the Winners… The Polyglots!

There can only be one team that receives total Nerd glory, and this year that team consisted of Zack Simon, Bolot Kerimbaev and Jonathan Martin with their Course Correction project.

The project came about from instructor feedback regarding the Big Nerd Ranch bootcamp. In a modern-day bootcamp, there is not much time for teachers to get fully acquainted with students, and The Polyglots looked to fix this. Using a browser-based AR viewer and markers for each students, Course Correction allows teachers to quickly associate a student’s face with their name, current book progress and responses to a pre-course survey. By tracking hand raises and student book progress (captured via each student’s PDF viewer), teachers can see which sections prompted the most questions and can record notes for course owners, allowing them to evaluate the material.

In order to create the app, The Polyglots used a number of technologies. The instructor’s augmented reality app is powered by React.js and uses A-Frame for declarative virtual reality, ARToolKit (a C library compiled to JavaScript with Emscripten) to find markers and calculate 3D pose, and Three.js for 3D drawing.

The student PDF viewer is an Electron app that wraps Mozilla’s PDF.js with some additional event tracking, which gets pushed to the other four apps in realtime with Firebase.

The camera in the front of the classroom uses OpenCV to detect hand raises. Haar feature-based cascade classifier detects faces and hands and, together with Aruco marker detection, provides the raw data. Faces and AR markers are paired to detect students. Since hands are typically attached to the same bodies as the faces, the camera app searches for hands in the vicinity of faces. When a hand raise is detected, the event is sent to Firebase.

And finally, to compute statistics, the Node.js server watches for new events in Firebase (such as a student advancing to the next page in the curriculum or raising their hand) and streams aggregate stats back to Firebase for consumption by the other apps. When the instructor is ready to notate rough spots in the curriculum, they use the React-powered instructor dashboard to see which sections of the exercises took the longest and caused the most hand raises.

Pretty awesome, huh? We think so too. Congratulations to all of our teams on surviving the competition. We’re so proud to call these Nerds our own. Until next year!

The post Clash of the Coders: 2017 Winners appeared first on Big Nerd Ranch.

For the past six years, Big Nerd Ranch has held a three-day app building competition called Clash of the Coders, and we’re proud to say that this year is no different. During these seventy-two hours, we challenge our Nerds to explore new technologies, push their skills to the limit and consume as much coffee as humanly possible.

Clash of the Coders kicks off on the evening of Wednesday, May 3, and concludes on Saturday, May 6, when each team demonstrates their enormous learning achievements. Applications can be mobile, web-based or desktop, and points are awarded for learning something difficult and useful. Extra points are available for writing a server using Elixir, Go, Node or Swift, and even more extra points are available for using technologies such as The Google Cloud Datastore, Amazon DynamoDB, Riak, Rust, GraphQL, Vue.js or Internet of Things platforms.

Want even more extra points? You better work with new people! We encourage our Nerds to expand beyond their normal team, so you’ll see plenty of iOS, Android and web developers working together.

Last year, our Nerds set the bar high with projects that improved our internal processes (like answering the front door via Slack) and our teaching methodologies. 2016 winner Raisin developed and designed a real-time slideshow system that allows students to ask questions and follow the presentation remotely, while also gathering timing data to help instructors spot rough patches in the curriculum.

Members of the 2017 winning team receive their name on our giant trophy, bragging rights for a whole year and their choice of conspicuously cool technology, like a personal distiller or a Sub Phatty synthesizer, or the ever popular drone.

Sound interesting? We think so too. We’ll announce the winners of our Sixth Annual Clash of the Coders next week, but until then, you can follow their journey on social media. We’ll be posting on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram with #BNRClash. Stay tuned!

The post Sixth Annual Clash of the Coders appeared first on Big Nerd Ranch.

Deciding to attend a coding bootcamp is a big decision, especially when that decision comes with a hefty price tag. And while Big Nerd Ranch bootcamps aren’t nearly as expensive as some, you may find that the price is more than you can currently afford. We really love helping experienced programmers and designers get even better at what they do, so we want to make it as easy as possible for you to attend. Here are some of our best tips for paying for your professional development.

Ask Your Company to Pay

Since Big Nerd Ranch bootcamps are not for beginners, the majority of our students are already working full-time as developers or designers at companies across the world. Many of these employers devote a certain amount of their budget to conference attendance or professional development for their employees, so you may be able to use those benefits to attend Big Nerd Ranch training.

When making the ask, stress that attendance at a bootcamp will make you more effective at your job or that learning new skills could help you take on a new project, and your employer may be willing to pay for you to attend. Check out this guide for more tips on pitching the idea.

Budget Accordingly and Save Money

We’ve been around for more than 15 years, and we’re not going anywhere any time soon. If you need to plan ahead and save your money, you can take a class in a few months. Most of our bootcamps run several times a year, and some of the most popular run every month. You can always wait for the next course on the schedule.

Apply for a Loan

Taking out a loan may seem extreme, but keep in mind that the cost of a coding bootcamp (especially at Big Nerd Ranch) is considerably less than a college course on the same material. Plus, if you’re using the bootcamp to level up your skills, an increase in salary will allow you to pay off the loan fairly quickly.

And unlike many other bootcamps, the cost of your Big Nerd Ranch registration includes lodging, meals and all the coffee you can consume. Everything is included in that one-time payment.

Use a 0% Interest Credit Card

If you’re confident that you can pay it off, a credit card with 0% interest for a set number of months will allow you to pay for the course without accruing interest like a loan. Most banks offer deals to their customers with high credit scores, or you can compare some of your options online.

Check For Discounts

Not all coding bootcamps will offer discounts, but many of them do—and they can save you some serious cash. Always be sure to check the website for information, or ask the admissions staff to see if they know of anything that may help.

Here at Big Nerd Ranch, we offer 10% off every day for educators and military members. Plus, once you attend one bootcamp, you automatically receive a 10% discount on every subsequent bootcamp so you can level up your skills and cross-train for less.

Get Creative

And if none of these options will work for you, consider getting creative and trying to raise the money that you need to attend. Perhaps your employer will cover some, but not all, of the registration fee. Secure the rest by asking family and friends, or starting a GoFundMe campaign. Or use your skills to start a small business where your profits fund your attendance. Or find Mark Zuckerberg on Facebook and beg him. There are hundreds of ways to fundraise, so find your creative side and get started.

No Surprises at Big Nerd Ranch

If you’ve done all your research, feel like a bootcamp is right for you and know which course you want to take, the last step is to make sure you know what’s included before you make a decision. The price tag you see is not always the price tag you get with a lot of companies, but again, the price of a Big Nerd Ranch bootcamp includes food and lodging. This means that you’ll spend zero dollars out of pocket once you arrive—we’ll even pick you up the airport!

Trying to figure out which course is for you? Need some more information in order to convince your boss? Please feel free to get in touch. We can’t wait to see you at the Ranch!

The post Funding a Coding Bootcamp: What You Need to Know appeared first on Big Nerd Ranch.

So your company needs a mobile or web app. However, you’ve realized that you don’t quite have the right in-house capabilities to complete the project, so you decide to work with an app development company on your project. Finding a third-party app developer is easy, but finding the right app development company to work with can be extremely difficult. Determining which company to partner with to build one of your most important business tools can be a difficult decision, and it comes with quite a bit of responsibility—after all, choosing the wrong partner could result in bad code, a poorly designed user experience, long delays, or perhaps even worse, tens of thousands of dollars wasted.

It is absolutely critical that you spend the time to research and evaluate each potential company. Here are some things to keep in mind.

Know What You Need

Take the time to really consider what your needs are when it comes to your mobile or web application. Determine your goals, how the app fits into your business model and a few key mandatory features.

Having answers to these types of questions will help the app development company evaluate your needs and will also help you determine if they are a good fit. That said, you don’t need to have all the answers. A good app development company will help you flesh out your ideas and can make suggestions for you based on their experience.

Know the Company’s Capabilities

Very few people would buy a product on Amazon without first checking the ratings, and choosing an app development company should be no different. Verify that the company you are considering has done quality work in the past, either by looking through their client list or case studies, or viewing their ratings on external aggregators like Clutch.

This is also a good time to look at the skills of their developers and designers. Hiring a company that stays up-to-date with new technologies and is always learning will serve you well when it comes time to build your app. Not to mention, companies that provide thought leadership are likely more knowledgeable about the space and may be able to provide suggestions that you had not previously considered.

Know Who Is Doing the Work

Just like with surgeons and dentists, the cheapest option is not always the best option. Freelancers are typically less expensive than a true app development company, but they work on their own schedule and may be inexperienced in certain areas. While it’s impossible for one person to be an expert in everything, a company like Big Nerd Ranch will have experts for every situation that may arise, from back-end databases to updates to the user interface, and they work closely together to build the best app possible.

You may run into similar problems with app development companies that have developers outside the United States. You can get an app completed for cheap if you outsource your design and development, but we’ve found that you’ll pay more in the long run. Look for a shop that allows you to work closely with the design and development teams so that your app is created with the quality of work it deserves.

Know the App Development Process

The process for building the app is perhaps the single most important aspect to consider, because it ensures not only that your app is built on time, but that it is built right. Before we even think about beginning work on a project, we will have a kickoff session where we define the products and features. After that, we enter a discovery phase by which we research users and their needs, map the user experience and analyze competing products. Only after that is done do we enter a series of sprints where we begin planning, designing and developing. This continues through the test, deploy and analyze phases, and at the end of each week, we have something tangible to show the client.

Know What the Company Expects From You

Speaking of these sprints, the timeliness of production and ultimate quality of the app often depends on how clearly you communicate with the team working on your app’s design and functionality.

We realize that changes are inevitable and often even welcomed. So in order to have a successful project, we ask that our clients speak with us at least once a week via conference call and interact with us between these calls using either Basecamp, Pivotal Tracker or Slack, or a combination of the three. This allows our developers to keep you informed of the progress and allows you to make changes or add features during development, rather than at the end of the project.

Know If You Like the People

When it comes down to it, you’re going to be working with the company and its developers for at least a few weeks, if not months. No matter how low the price tag is or how good the contract looks, the process is going to be miserable if you do not enjoy working with the people who are developing your mobile or web application. Furthermore, you will need to update the app at regular intervals (either due to operating system updates or company needs) so you will likely continue your association long after the first app has been built. Make sure you choose a company with which you can develop a long-term (happy) relationship.

Ready to Get Started?

Making sure that you choose the right app development company is hard work, but at Big Nerd Ranch, we have you covered in all of these categories. Our developers and designers (and the rest of our team, to be honest) are brilliant, kind and hard-working and they’re ready to help your company achieve success. To start the conversation on how we can help, please contact us. We’re looking forward to helping you decide if we’re the right app development company to fit your needs.

The post Considerations for Hiring an App Development Company appeared first on Big Nerd Ranch.

For some companies thinking about developing a mobile app, it may seem wise to develop only for the iOS platform first. The thought is that this will save money upfront and will allow changes to be made to improve user experience prior to launching on the Android platform. But only launching a mobile app on iOS is a lot like opening a restaurant and only serving appetizers. Read on to see how developing an Android app will help your business.

Expand Your User Base

Billions of people worldwide use the Android operating system, so refusing to develop an Android app means that your company loses the opportunity to interact with millions of potential users. The Android operating system leads the global market with an 87.6% market share, while iOS owns only 11.7% of the market. If your company is targeting users in Asia, Africa and/or South America, keep in mind that your consumers are much more likely to have phones running on the Android operating system.

Even in the United States, Android users make up more than 53% of the smartphone-owning population—if you don’t offer an Android app, over half of the U.S. population is unable to download or use your app. It simply makes financial sense to build on a platform that gives you the greatest access to prospective users.

Grow Your Revenue

That said, expanding to a new platform incurs additional cost, which must be balanced by additional income. The general consensus is that the iPhone is purchased by richer users who are more willing to spend more money on both app downloads and in-app purchases, but that is proving to be less and less true as time progresses.

We believe this trend is likely to continue as more and more people buy smartphones and download apps. With worldwide app revenues expected to nearly triple the 2015 dollar amount by the end of this year, it makes little sense to believe that 100% of profits will be made by Apple.

And with the release of the Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy S7 and similar high-end devices, Android phones cost about as much as an iPhone, indicating that the user base is willing to spend more for their devices. If the logic around the iPhone user base rings true, then it’s likely that these users with high-end devices will spend more on apps (and in-app purchases) than have Android users in the past.

Safeguard Yourself

Launching a successful iOS app means that people with all kinds of smartphones will be interested in downloading it—not just those with iPhones. And once there is demand for an app, there must also be supply. By not also launching a comparable Android app, companies open the door for competitors and copycats to take the idea and launch a similar app on Google Play. Launching apps on both platforms at the same time, or at least within a few weeks of one another, solves this problem and keeps businesses from losing both users and revenue.

Take Advantage of Our Knowledge Base

Developing an Android application is a smart business decision. It may cost more upfront to develop two apps simultaneously, but it will ultimately pay off in both revenue and customer experience. If your company is looking to develop an Android app (or an app for both major operating systems), talk to Big Nerd Ranch. We focus on understanding your objectives, and we will let you know quickly if our team has the right skills to develop an app (or two!) that will help you meet your goals.

The post Mobile is More Than iOS: Why Your Company Needs an Android App appeared first on Big Nerd Ranch.