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Here's every reason why I believe businesses should consider hiring an app developer to build them a mobile app for the next generation. What factors should you consider before hiring a mobile app developer? Want to learn how much it can cost to onboard a mobile app developer?

According to Statista, by the year 2021, there will be roughly 7 billion mobile app users worldwide. And if that's not enough, the very next year will bring a great deal more than you've imagined. The same Statista also concluded that by 2022, the annual app downloads would surpass 250 billion, which approximates around 45% more than the numbers recorded back in 2017.

Seeing this immense growth of mobile applications, it is pretty evident that the average US individual interacts with brands more through a smartphone than any other gadget, device, or medium. 

How Much Does It Cost to Hire an App Developer?

What happens when you start shopping around in the physical world? You come across a product or service you like and find several people selling the product at different price tags. 

It's the same when you start hunting a mobile app developer online.

You may come across several mobile app development companies offering you different prices for their services. It may easily make you overwhelmed because you don't know who's the right one.

At the same time, your concern will be to hire a mobile app developer who costs less and delivers quality. After all, you don't want to run your bank account dry over a mobile app for business.

To give you a rough idea, here's what mobile app development can cost on average.

• $50,000 – Basic apps like a calculator or clock
• $50,000 to $100,000 – Apps that use data consumption like a weather app
• $300,000 – User authentication (basic personal profile) required to use the app
• $500,000 – Social media and dating apps like Facebook or Tinder
• $200,000 to $1 million – Ecommerce apps
• $1.5 million – On-demand apps like Uber

These numbers are a rough estimate which will be given to you by many mobile app developers in the market. The rate can be a decisive factor, but you won't mind making investments in the right quality product if you can find the right mobile app development agency. Many considerations influence an app. Before hiring an app developer, consider these factors carefully.

Primary Factors to Address When Hiring an App Developer

1. Start By Examining the Developer's Portfolio

When hiring an app developer, the first thing you need to explore is their previous work. Ask them to show you their existing portfolio. Although there are situations where complete newbies may appear with the best talent, but that's certainly not the case when you're going for a professional agency. They may have some sort of track record indicating that they are incredibly skilled in the art of developing mobile apps.

By having a look at their prior work, you will be able to judge how effective they are in their skills. Browse their website as they usually have a portfolio section on it. If there isn't one, fill out a form and ask them to share their portfolio with you.

2. Are There Any Testimonials?

Check for legitimate testimonials on their website or other reliable places such as Clutch or Upcity. Because let's face it, no matter whatever they put up on their website, you can't be sure if a developer is as competent as he claims. The only way to know whether a developer is your best bet is to read client testimonials garnered by a developer on reliable review sites like Clutch, etc.

In a digital world where getting fake reviews has become relatively easy, you should find a competent mobile app agency. After all, you will be investing a reasonable budget in the app. So among many other factors to consider, testimonials shouldn't be neglected no matter the cost. It would be best to consider testimonials as one of the crucial factors in your "hiring an app developer" checklist.

Here's what Kevin Harrington, the multi-million dollar entrepreneur, has to say about testimonials.

3. What App Development Approach Do They Take?

When it comes to building mobile app experiences, several app development companies take a distinctive approach. We understand that as a business owner or an entrepreneur, it isn't necessary that you may always turn out to be a tech-savvy person. However, it's still significant that you understand the app development approaches, which normally an app development company follows. How they develop their mobile app or manage their mobile app projects can help you decide if they are the right fit for your mobile app or not. By having a command on how they are going to proceed with building your mobile app, you will have a much more accurate overview of things.

4. Learn About their Mobile Development Technologies

Just like every marketer has his specialty so do mobile app developers. In marketing, you have a separate guy for social media, content marketing, inbound & sales, PPC advertising, and the list goes on. Similarly, when we talk about mobile app developers, we have people with different skill sets. Some are good in Android app development, while others are great in iOS app development. As a whole, you may find people who are good at building native and hybrid apps as per the market's needs. So choose one that compliments your requirements most effectively. Learn about the technologies they are using, and you will get a clear insight into what they excel at.

5. Take the Chance of Knowing Them Better

Even the most superb app developers can fail to deliver a great result if they aren't connected with you effectively. Take the chance to know your mobile app developers better. If you're hiring a remote team, then spend time having a conversation with them. See if they are knowledgeable or if the testimonials and portfolios on their websites are just hoaxes. Believe me, because this has actually happened with some of our previous clients. Besides, talking to them can give you insight into their expectations, goals, ethics, values, and personalities. Avoid unnecessary arguments and learn about their working processes.

Later on, it will help you keep open communication with them.

Are You Looking to Hire an App Developer?

Hiring the right app developer can be really cumbersome, especially when you're not quite aware of where to find them and how you can be sure that they are the right people for the job.

It's where Branex, our custom mobile app development company, comes in. Our mobile app developers are some of the most talented individuals in the mobile app development stratosphere. We create remarkable experiences that talk business to our customers. Are you searching for a mobile app solution that gives your brand the right exposure? We are the right app solution for you.

Get in touch with us and hire an app developer to help you design the app of your dreams.

When was the last time you and your team worked on a custom software development project? So before you begin your journey of designing a custom software application for your business, there’s a phase called “Phase 0” which helps you decide whether your custom software development project will turn into a success or a failure.

In my article, I will discuss the few first steps that organizations normally take to ensure their custom software development process does not fail. Getting into Phase 0 will help you reduce your risks of failing at the same time. It will remove all such intricacies and help you progress your custom software development toward its success.

Phase 0, commonly known as the “Envision and Plan” stage in custom software development, is one of the most popular methodologies in custom software’s technical planning.

Do you know that almost 75% of IT professionals believe that project leaders believe their projects will become a failure? By incorporating Phase 0, this dread of failing is minimized significantly. 

With Phase 0, you can strategize the steps that need to be carried out to create custom software. It will involve all the prerequisites involved in accomplishing the process stage. With Phase 0 in effect, all the stakeholders involved in custom software development can easily visualize the objective of creating the custom software app. It helps clarify their vision for the software app.

Four Steps to Reduce Software Failure in Software Development

So what steps are involved in completing Phase 0? Here are the few basic steps involved.

1. Maintain Important Documentation

So before you begin with the initiation of custom software development, there are a few important documents that need to be in place. These documentations are important as they will define what features your custom software application will include. If you’re planning to perform software modernization, the documentation can contain existing feature sets and more such things.

These documents can help research what additional features the custom software app can include shortly. It will also help decide if a feature is obsolete and should be replaced or removed.

Such documents are important to maintain as they will decrease the ambiguities & misunderstandings between the entrepreneur & the software development company overviewing the project.

2. Determining the Technical Approach

The next phase involves the brainstorming session. It involves clients and software development teams to figure out the best technical approach to deploying the major system components.

The earlier you discuss deployment technicalities, the more effectively you will mitigate risks and improve outcomes.

For instance, if you’re planning to start a custom software program, what type of project management methodology will you choose? Will you resort to an Agile methodology or prefer Waterfall?

It will also help you discuss certain other technicalities such as managing risks, setting budget constraints, overcoming development delays & evolving the software as per market demand.

3. Creating a Work Statement

So before you move ahead to the build, deploy, and stabilize phase, start by creating a statement of work (SoW). An SoW will provide your client with a much clearer picture of how the overall app will appear to your client. Just like the other documentation, a statement of work (SoW) will also ensure that your product development will be error-free. It will remove all kinds of misconceptions regarding project failure and provide a much clearer picture.

Having a narrative description regarding what the project scope is and how different project activities will be carried forward will help you describe the deliverables and set the important timelines.

4. Predicting the Return on Investment (ROI)

Lastly, analyzing what profits the custom software development company in Dallas will produce is an important step that shouldn’t be ignored.

Here’s a step that most software development companies don’t discuss, and mostly the clients are highly eager to have that talk.

Since predicting the ROI is an integral part of the entire business, you must have that talk with your customers. Making informed decisions and calculating ROIs will give you better motivation and your software development teams complete the project.

Concluding Thoughts

Are you searching for a professional mobile app development company to help you create Phase 0 for your custom software application? How about you hire one of our professionals to help you brainstorm the next-generation custom software application? At Branex, we believe in making your dreams come true. Contact Us so we can help you build the perfect custom software app.

Want to make the most out of your brand this Halloween? here are some Halloween marketing ideas to help you increase customer engagement.

The pandemic has caused quite a devastation around the world. It's like the bubonic plague killing scores of individuals and spreading like wildfire globally. As we found ourselves at the mercy of this growing plague, there's just too little that we can do other than quarantine ourselves at home.

Unlike every year where we have parties and trick or treating, this year Halloween is going to be a whole lot different. It wouldn't be held in traditional large gatherings of people dancing away at rave parties or exercising the traditional trick or treating. It would be celebrated with people fixing themselves a hot coffee cup, wearing costumes at home, and celebrating it with their few loved ones still living.

With people locked indoors, many would seek the chance to enjoy Halloween from the confines of their homes. They will more likely spend more time on social media and the online world. Many would consider hosting virtual parties, and here's where you, as a brand, can make the most of it. 

Do you wish to capitalize on the Halloween season this year digitally? Here are four spooktacular Halloween marketing ideas to effectively promote your brand & engage your target audiences. 

If You Can't Decorate Outside, then Decorate Your Social Media.

What is that one way how brands can easily connect with their target audience? My answer is social media. Social media is the most remarkable and effective way to communicate with your customers.

If you want to make your social media presence more lively, changing the design from time to time is the best way to show that you, as a brand, are alive. And what other time would be most suited and more fun than the Halloween season itself? Add some graphics with the good ol' jack of lanterns, use a full moon theme with a werewolf, or blood red theme with vampires and bats; make the most of what you can this Halloween by setting the right stage for your customers to get into the feels of the holiday season. You can also change the color of your profile images to something more suitable.

You can also change the logo temporarily.

If you have a company website, then you can implement those changes on your website as well.

Here are some website inspirations to help you get an idea of how to transform websites for Halloween.

People Love Discounts and Halloween is the Best Time to Offer Some

It doesn't matter if your brand has anything to do with Halloween or not. As long as the season is here, you can capitalize on it by offering some attractive Halloween discounts to your customers.

Is there a trendy product/service which people typically purchase from you? Add a coupon or a discount offer on that particular product/service and see how people love to buy from you. It will not only increase your chances of getting repetitive sales, but you will also get the opportunity to score new customers. Although you will get lower profits on making each sale, you will observe increased traffic and many new buyers who will eventually experience your product/service. If it's good enough, they will come back, again and again, to purchase from your brand in the future.

Do You Own a Mobile App? How About Sending Over Some Spooky Ghouls

If you have both a website and a mobile app, don't forget to add spooky ghoul elements to your mobile app. Just like Christmas, Halloween is a great way to add some themed features. Give a slight change to your existing app logo as well. A little tweak, such as including a jack-o-lantern in the background using a cobweb, or turning the main character into a vampire by giving it fangs, is all you have to do to show your commitment to the season. It will prompt your users to click and check the product out and see what you have to offer to your customers this Halloween season.

When you change your mobile app's look, people are excited to see what new offers have to offer to them as their customers. So when rolling out new Halloween themes on your mobile app, make sure to add some specific offers, promotional content, new Halloween-based products, etc.

Among many Halloween marketing ideas, here's one that works for gaming businesses in the custom mobile app world. They can quickly sell costumes and skins, new weapons, and much more.

Want to Make Things More Engaging? How About you Host a Halloween Contest

User-generated content has become a hallmark for many industries aiming to grow their customer base. When people observe other people confirming that the brand offers amazing products/services, they become more convinced to purchase. It's one of the reasons why UGC has become quite a popular marketing strategy among small and medium-sized businesses. One way to make the most out of user-generated content is by running a Halloween-themed contest.

Why do I believe this strategy, among many other Halloween marketing ideas, will significantly work? Everyone in the holiday spirit would choose to dress up and decorate their homes with different holiday decoratives. Ask your customers to share their home snapshots and let your customers decide which is the best-looking one. You can do the same for pets! For instance, ask your customers to share pet snaps wearing crazy Halloween costumes. Let the audience decide who wins!

You can choose a variety of other contests and let customers bring your digital presence to life. By displaying the UGC through social media walls on your website or storefront, you can further boost engagement and get even more people excited about participating.

Why Choose Halloween to Feature Your Brand?

Halloween is a big season in the Western world where many shoppers come alive. In the wake of purchasing costumes, candies, and decorations, people are filled with the holiday spirit and love to make new purchases. According to the International Council of Shopping Centers, 64% of customers search for discounted sales and promotions; that's more than 50% of the shoppers!

As a small or medium-scale business operating in the digital world, you must make the most of this holiday season. Try different engaging Halloween marketing ideas to bring your digital products to life. At Branex - Digital Marketing Company, we aim to bring Halloween's true essence to our customers' products. Are you searching for the right Halloween marketing ideas? Let's connect. A world of Halloween-themed business ideas awaits you.

Dallas is a big city and you know what they say about big cities? They are a treasure trove of opportunities. With a sub-tropical climate and a population of around 1.25 million, Dallas has become the third-largest city hosting the highest number of Fortune 500 companies in the US. Just take a walk down any of the main streets and you will find scores of businesses enjoying great fortunes.

As far as the city’s economy is concerned, it is mostly based on technology, healthcare, telecommunication, transportation, banking, and research. The city is also dotted with shopping malls, which makes it a haven for shopaholics. It also has many tourist attractions so it wouldn’t be wrong to say that Dallas is a highly prolific location for doing small business ideas in Texas.

Are You Wondering How to Start a Business in Texas?

A lot of people plan to move to Dallas and start their business there. But often they’re stuck in deciding where to begin their journey. What kind of business should begin? Or how to start a business in Texas? 

We have come up with seven profitable small business ideas that will help you score big in Texas if you play your cards right.

Let’s see what those ideas are and maybe one of them might be the one for you.

1. Sports Good Supplier

If there’s one thing Dallas individuals have a strong affinity for, it is the heavy sports culture. People in Dallas are simply crazy about sports. And where people crave sports, they equally crave sports goods. If you can’t come up with a business idea, to begin with, how about you invest in opening a sports goods store? Perform market research and learn about the six major sports leagues that take place in Dallas. Among the many small and startup business ideas in Texas, a sports goods supplier is one where you won’t require any skill to sell your services. Branded products will sell on their own.

2. Pet Grooming Services

If you’re a pet lover and have experience managing cute furry friends and want to make a small investment, then opting for a pet grooming service isn’t a bad idea. You can start small by offering an on-demand pet grooming service to individuals who want to get their pet hairs and nails trimmed. All you have to do is buy the necessary equipment and a truck to initiate the business. You will find yourself serving clients in different locations of Dallas before you know it, making quite a profit margin on earnings. Pet grooming is indeed one of the best businesses to start in Texas

3. Advertisement Agency

No wonder Dallas is home to many businesses. However, every business wants to be heard and the only way they can be heard is through effective marketing. If you do have some investments, start an advertising agency in Dallas, Texas. If you have a background in marketing and communication, you can use plenty of ways to make your business flourish.

An advertising agency has immense potential and can bring a great deal of profit, so there’s no chance other businesses will even negate the idea of making investments. As long as you have a promising pitch and a strong portfolio, you can crunch some great numbers. Choose the most feasible location for your small business ideas in Texas and begin your journey.

4. On-Call Tech Support & Repair Service

With COVID-19 affecting our lives and forcing us to go into lockdown, people are confined to their homes and work remotely. While we are working in an organization, there are IT teams that resolve your tech woes. However, when you are confined at home, there isn’t any technical team who can come to your aid and assist. Among the many best business ideas in Texas, on-call tech support & repair service is quite profitable and can be highly rewarding for you.  

In such times, people seek professional help to fix their computers and resolve internet/network-related issues at home. A great small business idea in Dallas, Texas, can be to start on-call tech support. The on-call repair business will be a successful model as there will be plenty of people who would require this service.

5. Mobile Restaurant Business

Stuck with wondering which small business is going to turn out profitable? If you’re good at cooking or can invest in an eatery business, then a mobile restaurant isn’t a bad option. Not only is it movable, but it also helps you earn quick cash daily. If a particular location isn’t working out for you, you can always choose a different location and move your mobile eatery someplace else. It will require some investment like custom mobile app development and other expenses, but it is definitely not a bad bet. If you are in for a quick earning profit, then the mobile restaurant business is quite a lucrative option for you.

6. Launch a Hardware Store

Dallas is home to enthusiastic individuals who love to do things by themselves. There are so many DIY products that are massively sold all across Dallas and people love to build their stuff. In a market where people love to create stuff on their own, every other person requires a set of tools or hardware to work their way through DIY products. How about you launch a hardware store so it can fulfill their requirements? From screwdrivers to light bulbs, from electric wiring to hose pipes, a hardware store has plenty of products that are more commonly used by people daily.

In Conclusion

Dallas is rich with creative people and entrepreneurs with brimming mindsets. If you have a knack for doing something, Dallas can be a great state to initiate your venture. You can start with just about anything you want. The possibilities of making investments are beyond your imagination. Brainstorm crazy ideas and implement them. And no matter how small you begin, the city supports those who have the will to strive and flourish.

The above discussed are a few ideas that I believe can work wonders for you. Do you have anything more interesting in mind? Feel free to share it with us at Branex - A fully digital and web design agency in the USA.

A few years ago, Google introduced Kotlin for Android apps, a statically typed programming language that has inspired developers worldwide.

First unveiled at Google I/O in 2017, it quickly gained traction among Android app creators and became the second official programming language for Android. 

With Google's endorsement, Kotlin has sparked innovative app ideas among individual developers and enterprises alike. 

There's no denying that this language is intuitive and adaptable.

But will Kotlin ever be able to replace Java as a programming language? Let’s find out. In this article, we are going to talk about some of the leading benefits of Kotlin. 

Altogether, it will help us learn why Kotlin has become a preferred app development programming language. So without further ado, let’s learn everything about it.

The Power of Kotlin

Here’s a statically typed programming language that works wonders on JavaScript and JVMs (Java-based Virtual Machines). Powered by JetBrains, Kotlin has easily made its place in the Android development world. Since the time Kotlin was introduced into the digital stratosphere, it has gained a lot of traction among enthusiastic developers. Today, with the native version released in the market, Kotlin’s popularity among Android app developers has increased tenfold. 

To give you a much better insight, here’s a snippet from JetBrain's official website indicating how Kotlin has earned its significance.

Some of the many business leaders, including names like Pinterest, Uber, Evernote, Atlassian, and Pivotal are using Kotlin for their custom Android app development. 

Here are some of the other renowned apps which are powered by Kotlin.

With so many recent apps powered by Kotlin, app developers may wonder what makes Kotlin such a reliable app development language. 

It may make them ponder whether Kotlin is going to replace Java in the coming days or not. So here, we are going to list down the best benefits of Kotlin that make it so exciting.

What Are The Benefits of Using Kotlin? 

We asked some of our clients what benefits they think reliable Kotlin app development services such as ours have to offer them and here’s what we learned about it from their feedback.

1. Achieve App Efficiency with Kotlin

As far as the code syntax of Kotlin is concerned, the code is cognitive and adaptive. Hence, there’s no doubt that one of the major factors why Kotlin is an incredible programming language is because it improves the efficiency of the app. As in Java and other platforms, where you have to write a pile of code to make the app work, Kotlin requires minimal coding practice. What might take you ages to compile with a different programming language, Kotlin allows you to compile it in a few lines of code.

In a way, it dramatically reduces the time required to create an app.

2. Kotlin Requires Minimal Maintenance

The maintenance of Kotlin is fairly easy compared to other programming languages operating in the coding stratosphere. The platform offers a significant number of IDEs (Integrated Development Environments), which makes the maintenance of the app code fairly easy compared to the rest of the market.

One of the reasons why we believe Kotlin has become significant among Android developers is because of the range of SDKs and IDEs the programming language supports. When coupled with the right toolkit, there’s no doubt the programming language holds the ultimate potential which makes it a favored choice among Android developers.

3. Kotlin is Also an Interoperable Language

Kotlin is a fully interoperable app, which means that the programming language can share data with Java easily. If there are certain Java codes that you want to leverage in Kotlin programming language. You can easily transfer these codes to Kotlin and program your Android app experience accordingly.

It’s one of the reasons why many Java developers can easily adapt to Kotlin. The language itself allows maximum liberty to coding experts so they can enhance the efficiency of their apps by improving the bulky code formats pre-designed on Java. With Kotlin, they have the freedom to reduce these code lines to a bare minimum and create a much more efficient app than it was before.

Kotlin Code Syntax is Concise and Readable

Kotlin shines with its concise syntax and advanced features, resulting in more readable and maintainable code. Its type inference, for example, eliminates the need for explicit type declarations, reducing clutter and improving code elegance. Kotlin's null safety feature ensures that null references are handled gracefully, preventing null pointer exceptions and enhancing code robustness. Additionally, smart casting automatically narrows down variable types, reducing the need for explicit casts and improving code clarity.

Kotlin Offers the Best Safety Features

Kotlin focuses on safety with features that prevent common programming mistakes. It includes null safety and enforces immutability by default, so objects can't be changed accidentally. This boosts code reliability and makes it easier to understand how a program works. Kotlin also uses "non-null types" letting developers mark variables or function parameters as non-null. This gives extra safety assurance.

Kotlin Offers Complete Programming Support

Kotlin makes use of functional programming with strong support for lambdas and higher-order functions. This helps developers write concise and expressive code. You can pass lambdas, which are anonymous functions, as arguments to higher-order functions. This approach promotes code reusability and modular design. Functions like map, filter, and reduce make working with collections easier and allow powerful transformations with simple syntax.

Kotlin Introduces Android-Specific Features and Extensions

Kotlin provides Android-specific features and extensions that streamline Android development. For example, Anko, a popular Kotlin library, offers a concise syntax for common Android UI and networking tasks, reducing the amount of boilerplate code required. Kotlin Android Extensions provide a concise way to access views and improve code readability by eliminating the need for explicit casting. These extensions enhance productivity and make it easier to build robust Android applications.

Kotlin is Very Reliable for Android

Because of the programming language’s inter-compatibility and bare minimum maintenance. It has surely become a reliable programming language for Android development. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg because, with Kotlin, you get fewer bugs, better support for functional programming, no more null-point exceptions, complete support for IDE Android Studio, and in fact, a whole lot more.

Kotlin Adoption and Vibrant Community Support

1. Growing Adoption in the Android Ecosystem

Kotlin is making waves in the Android developer community, and for good reason. Its adoption has been steadily increasing, thanks to its powerful features and the backing it gets from developers and tech leaders. Back in 2017, Google gave Kotlin a big thumbs up by officially supporting it for Android development. This move made Kotlin even more popular and credible in the Android world.

2. Industry Giants Embrace Kotlin

After Google's endorsement, many big names like Netflix, Uber, and Pinterest jumped on the Kotlin bandwagon. They've used Kotlin to build or revamp their apps, proving that it's a strong contender for handling complex projects. This recognition from such well-known companies shows that Kotlin is a reliable language for Android development.

3. Developer Survey Insights

A 2022 developer survey by JetBrains, the folks behind Kotlin, revealed that 64% of developers use Kotlin for Android app development. This statistic shows just how popular Kotlin has become, establishing it as a favorite among Android developers.

4. Active and Supportive Community

The Kotlin community is lively and full of enthusiastic developers from around the globe. They're constantly pushing the language forward, creating open-source libraries and tools that expand Kotlin's capabilities. This makes Kotlin an even more powerful and flexible choice for Android development.

5. Knowledge Sharing and Collaboration

Kotlin developers love to share their knowledge. Through blogs, forums, and conferences, they spread their expertise and tips. Events like KotlinConf bring fans and experts together to learn, network, and shape Kotlin's future.

6. Rich Ecosystem of Tools and Frameworks

Thanks to the community's hard work, Kotlin boasts a rich ecosystem of tools and frameworks that boost developer productivity. Libraries like Ktor and Kotlin Serialization simplify tasks, making it easier for developers to create top-notch Android apps.

7. Driving Future Adoption

With its rising popularity, active community, and rich ecosystem, Kotlin is set to keep leading the Android development scene. Its easy-to-read syntax, safety features, and seamless integration with Java make it a top pick for developers. Kotlin's future in Android development looks bright.

Many mobile app development companies around the world are now slowly adopting the Kotlin programming language for creating remarkable Android experiences. From AI-powered mobile apps to enterprise-level solutions, Kotlin is capable of providing the best coding practices to its respective individuals. It’s just a matter of time before Kotlin will become a hallmark in Android development.

A Few Drawbacks

Surely nothing is dot-point accurate or perfect. Just as everything has its fair share of flaws, so does Kotlin. But are they that grave? For that, we did a bit of our exploration and concluded.

Kotlin was found guilty of:

• Fluctuation in compiling speeds.
• Very minimal community support.
• A budding developer community.

No wonder Kotlin has gained significant traction among Android mobile app developers. But there’s still a gap in the application programming language. The gap exists because of a relatively small community and it’s one of the reasons why people are not adopting Kotlin at the moment. 

If there’s a problem you encounter while coding on Kotlin, a developer might require a lot of research or go through a trial & error method to fix the coding issue completely. However, when it comes to syntax & speed, Kotlin sure does leave some of the world’s best programming languages behind.

Do you have something interesting to share about Kotlin? Hire the best mobile app developers. 

Branex is a mobile application development company, we always step up to offer you top-notch advice on Kotlin app development.

What is WooCommerce? 

What is BigCommerce? 

Comparing the Giants - WooCommerce vs BigCommerce 

Ease of Use

• Meeting customer satisfaction. 
• And quick order delivery. 

https://mystore.mybigcommerce.com

Verdict: 

Cost Comparison

Verdict: 

Payment Options

Payment Options in BigCommerce

Payment Options in WooCommerce 

Verdict:

Integrations & Add-Ons

BigCommerce Add-ons and Integrations 

WooCommerce Add-ons and Integrations 

Verdict: 

The Bottomline 

Feel free to get in touch with us, let us help you build the perfect store. 

Technology has dramatically changed the way humans used to interact with machines and one another. It has changed the very essence of how one machine used to interact with the other. It all started just a decade ago when we as humans abundantly shifted our communications from laptops/desktops to smartphones and mobile apps.

As we stepped into the future and observed rapid technological advancement, we experienced an era where everything went digital. Tasks that were used to perform using a laptop or a desktop easily found their way into the very palm of our hands in the form of smartphones. An entire world of possibilities is governed by a variety of mobile apps.

And as we progress forward, we see new entrants entering into the digital stratosphere every day.

Now, developers working for businesses worldwide are closely monitoring what they can or cannot control with their respective smartphones. In the present era, when apps are overtaking the market, we have seen quite the surge in IoT app development, where it is dramatically becoming a multi-million dollar industry. This brisk digital transformation leads me to wonder, how will future apps complement IoT, and how will both work hand-in-hand. Keeping the following query in mind, here are my four predictions on how IoT will complement mobile apps in the future.

1. Introducing Smart Automotive Mobile Apps

IoT has become quite an interest in automobile manufacturers around the world. With more automobiles hitting the market, the new generation cars are now equipped with smart technologies to deliver a more seamless and controlled driving experience to their respective users. Take, for example, Tesla, which works day and night to optimize the driving experience for its respective users. Tesla is setting quite the tone for future vehicle manufacturers by introducing cars that operate in a more connected environment. It’s just a matter of time before such mobile apps will appear that will become quite the norm for controlling vehicles and helping them drive between destinations.

One such app example that I can quote here is the WeConnect app for Volkswagen. The app is available for use on Android and Apple Stores. With apps like WeConnect, you can control different aspects of your vehicle, such as opening/closing doors & lights, calling roadside assistance in case of emergencies, activating anti-theft features, controlling audio/video controls of the vehicle, and getting updates on real-time traffic information. With the future IoT app integrations in the automotive industry, people will be able to perform various other maintenance activities, control infotainment tasks, override and control security protocols, and even perform car health diagnostics.

2. Transforming the Retail Shopping Experience

Another industry that will be benefiting the most from IoT and app integration is none other but the online retail industry. There isn’t much of an application of the two technologies in the following niche that has made quite an impact as of yet. However, the future still looks promising for the retail industry in the IoT and app integration market. The best example that I can quote here is that of the Amazon Go.

Amazon has introduced IoT sensors, cameras, and other relevant equipment at some brick-and-mortar stores to eliminate the concept of checkout lines. Shopping at Amazon has become extremely easy with the Amazon Go app because a customer enters the store, scans the app, picks the product, and leaves. He or she doesn’t have to stand in line or wait for his turn to pay for the purchase.

Once the customer exits the store, the customer gets a receipt for the product from Amazon.

3. Industrial Apps for Production Management

With the advent of Industry 4.0, we are now observing how manufacturing is transforming rapidly. Traditional methods are now becoming obsolete and being replaced with digital ones. We have also observed how IoT is becoming quite the technology capable of tracking both moving & non-moving assets within an industrial environment. IoT sensors are now installed on the production floors, giving management every bit of insight into how people and products are moving. 

For now, the observations through IoT sensors are conducted through the big screen. However, in the future, we can expect these movements to shift from large screens to smaller ones. Mobile apps that can transmit information from sensors to your smartphones to observe the industrial floors can be great assets for plant managers operating in a particular industry. It can help plant managers to:

• Shift time tracking
• Asset management
• Employee identification
• Real-time employee role assignments
• Monitor production facility
• Studying manufacturing flows
• Tracking product parts

4. Breaking Grounds in the Wearable Industry

Clutch survey reveals that almost 35 percent of individuals worldwide own a wearable device.

Smartwatches & fitness trackers are the two different wearable technologies that are massively used in our daily lives. And almost 90% of the individuals owning wearables use them through smart apps.

Also, Erricson performed research where it deduced that,

Almost 6 out of every 10 people using smart apps for wearables will soon move beyond wellness & health. They will start using wearables in other industries to make the best use of this technology.

Almost 74 percent of individuals have agreed that wearables will allow them to connect physically.

And a bewildering 43 percent of people believe that future wearables will replace smartphones.

Such numbers show how promising wearable technology is for the future.

It’s a Wrap

IoT and mobile apps are quite the perfect combination and display positive results for the future. Are you in the IoT business and are searching for a custom software development company that can help you create a perfectly customized IoT app for your digital products? How about you get in touch with Branex? We are a full-time web design and development company looking forward to creating digital products. What is your next big idea for IoT and mobile app integrations?

With the surge of mobile app users around the world, specifically during the COVID-19 period, entrepreneurs and businesses must capitalize on mobile apps to promote their business operations. We are living in a time where mobile apps hold a high significance. Approximately 95% of the individuals around the world own a smartphone and they have plenty of mobile apps.

Believe it or not, the average individual prefers to use mobile apps more than a website.

With so much surge of mobile apps in the digital market, entrepreneurs must capitalize on the right business ideas and make the best of what they can during the pandemic.

That’s why I have taken the time to perform thorough research on what can work best for businesses.

Are you planning to invest in building a profitable mobile app?

Video Calling Apps

The requirement to stay connected with your loved ones during the grave hour of the pandemic has become a necessity for individuals around the world. And nothing serves the purpose more effectively than a video calling app. It has become more important than ever during COVID-19.

It’s because people worldwide are in a strict lockdown, yet they have to communicate professionally. They have to ensure things are sailing smoothly in a proper & systemized manner around the world. And with the right video calling app, they can make the most of this work-from-home opportunity.

Businesses can invest in creating video calling apps that can facilitate the group video call feature. This feature can assist office employees in holding video call conferences for meetings. At the same time, it can assist teachers in conducting classroom sessions where they could easily educate a group of students. People can also hold webinars as well as perform live presentations and do whatnot.

Mobile Payment Gateway App

With physical distancing becoming the new norm, people are preferring to make online transactions more and more rather than physically visiting places to trade in cash for service/product. And nothing captures the attention of the economy more feverishly than a mobile payment gateway app to help. Perhaps online payment gateway apps are the most effective method of making multiple transactions easily without having physical contact. And there’s no more effective time than now to invest in this.

Maintaining the element of trust, safety, and security of your customer finances, the perfect mobile payment gateway app can serve millions of transactions easily every month, making your app a very profitable option for you. It can easily be integrated as an add-on to other website platforms as well. If you’re planning to invest in building a mobile app, then considering payment gateways is the best bet. 

Fitness Apps

While people are required to spend time indoors because of the rising pandemic situation within the country, people are getting a significantly lesser chance of going outside. At the same time, gyms & parks are also closed, which increases the difficulty for the average individual to work and shed weights. At times as such, they must consider keeping themselves in good shape.

Nothing serves the purpose as incredibly as a fitness app does.

People are more conscious about their health and the right fitness mobile app can help them set up the perfect routine. Many app development firms are now creating a much more interactive experience for house gym enthusiasts in collaboration with expert trainers. They are creating mobile app solutions that allow users to connect with their favorite trainers and initiate the process easily.

If you fail to capitalize on the fitness apps this season, you’re missing out.

E-Commerce Apps

E-commerce has indeed captured a major share of the digital market. It has long taken a stance before the pandemic affected the global population and right now, when we are going through a major outbreak, the need for e-commerce apps has become more eminent than before. As the demand for basic necessities profoundly increases, so does the requirement for mobile e-commerce apps.

People operating in the consumer goods industries are more likely to churn the best results out of the e-commerce mobile apps. For example, if you’re running a grocery store or a drug store in the United States, then an e-commerce mobile app can definitely work wonders for your business. If you want to invest your budget in the right app, then you require the right custom software development company to help you with that.

With the right e-commerce app for your business, you can increase profit margin manifolds quickly.

Learning Apps

Last but not least, on our list for the day are learning apps. During the pandemic, many individuals are finding themselves locked inside their homes and are left with no choice but to engage online. Among the many activities that they eagerly perform, learning activity is one that comes as a priority.

With the desire to learn new things, people are seeking new ways to progress forward with their knowledge. And at times as such, what they need is a robust learning application that can help them.

Businesses can invest in creating remarkable learning app experiences for their users.

They can use multiple interesting features which can make an individual’s learning experience better.

In Conclusion

Mobile apps have become quite the norm for average individuals around the world. The above discussed are a few mobile app ideas on which entrepreneurs can easily cash in. Right now, the opportunities to earn are getting scarce. These are trying times and nothing can work more effectively in your favor than a mobile app. Finding the right mobile app development service can be a tricky task, but not with us. Branex is a mobile app development company offering mobile app development services at the best price. Are you interested in getting a mobile app for your business as well?

In this pandemic situation that has taken its toll around the world, who wouldn't like to earn a few extra bucks on the online side, right?

And when we are all sitting indoors and are left with not many options. Earning online is the only best option we have.

Whether you are saving money to pay off a debt, perform a wedding, or go on a world tour with your better half. A few extra $1000 every month is just the amount you need to make your lifelong dreams come true. While your day job might contribute to paying off your essentials, freelance or side hustle can help you fill up your wallet with enough to take that leap you always wanted to make.

Now, it might sound challenging, but trust me, it's not. It's just something that you're going to do when you've time on your clock and in fact. I know some people who have left their jobs just because they grew so much with their side hustle that it became their primary source of income. Are you interested in doing the very same? Guess what! There's no investment involved. It all depends on how quickly you learn a new skill & how effectively you adopt it.

Here are four side hustles to look forward to this year.

1. Freelance Copywriting

If there's one way you can make good money in less time, it's by adopting the art of freelance copywriting. Copywriting is the art of converting the desired audience type through a sales copy page or a web copy page, convincing them that your business is the best there is in the market.

A good copywriter can add value to your client's life and convince them to purchase.

There are several ways he can create powerful hooks to convert the audience. There are hardline facts, statistical analysis, emotional story-telling, compelling business pitches, promises, and discounts.

It's up to you what type of copywriter you want to become and what your client's product is all about.

Most copywriters often undercharge and it's one of the reasons why they easily burn out too soon. If you're planning to become a freelance copywriter, my advice to you is that you do a couple of gigs at a low pay rate. Once you have seen the success ratio of one of your copies, take the statistics from the client and use them to market your service at a better price. You can easily land a sales copy, web copy, or an email copy for an easy $500 - $1000. Just two of these jobs will be more than enough.

2. Amazon Affiliate Marketing

Don't have the creativity to create a website or sales copy, yet you want to earn $1000 easily. If you can invest in creating a review website, then affiliate marketing is your way in. All you have to do is select a niche and perform research on the products that are trending and selling hot in your niche. And then add these product affiliate links to your website. If you can't afford to review these products on your own, then hire a professional writer at Branex who charges a minimal cost to write good reviews for you.

You can easily find these writers in abundance on platforms like Fiverr, Upwork, or Freelancer.

Employ them, ask them to write a review article for you, and publish it on your website.

Now here's the tricky part, several eCommerce stores are selling the exact product through Amazon, which you're and the affiliate percentage which you will get on these products will be significantly low. So my advice to you is that you search for some tech giants who are offering good affiliate profit rather than settle for eCommerce stores online. To give you an example, if you become an affiliate partner of a good tech company. You can easily make $1,500 - $2,000 a month.

3. Start a Side Gig for Extra Earns

The pandemic is pretty harsh on almost every one of us. One of the saddest bits is that there is a financial emergency going on in different corporate sectors of the world. As a result, many individuals are facing salary cut downs. At times such, as when we have debts, rent, and bills to pay, what is the best option we are left with to pay off ourselves? The answer lies in freelance gigs.

Have you heard about freelancing websites such as Fiverr, Freelancer, or Upwork?

Some exciting platforms can help you earn that few extra bucks on the side even when the pandemic is on the rise. Yes, you heard me right. Just create a profile on all three of these platforms and if you've got a skill, make the best use of it. There are several online jobs available on these platforms and your talent is good enough to speak for itself. Do the jobs, create a portfolio, get better ratings and reviews from clients, and before you know it. You will quickly be making $1000 - $2000.

Whatever you do, make sure that you get positive ratings. It's the only way clients will trust you.

4. Become Instagram Influencer

Can you sing, or can you act or do you look good, there's no better time than now to cash on that. Become an Instagram Influencer amid the pandemic and let the world observe your talent. Once you've gained a significant amount of followers, there are plenty of ways how you can earn bucks.

Don't feel like the kind of person who enjoys being in the spotlight, and it's totally fine.

Instagram is a diverse platform. You can use photography or your pet as the spotlight and create a powerful profile with a great number of followers. Once you've gathered enough followers, the next thing is to find the right way to monetize your profile. It's not that good of a hustle like the rest unless you have at least 100k followers. But you can easily make $500 - $1000 a month once on the roll.

In a Nutshell

There's no single way of earning when it comes to the online market. While I have discussed a few handfuls of such talents. I am sure there are countless many that once you start exploring, you will easily find them. The Internet is full of opportunities, and people like you and I are already cashing into it.

When we are purchasing stuff online, aren't we capable of redeeming it back? It's just the mindset that stops us. Imagine there are thousands of businesses that are specifically focusing on the above-discussed ways and have established themselves as a successful brand.

Don’t you wish that your social media security is so future-proof and well-protected in encrypted security layers that if a hacker ever tries to enter into your private files, it just backfired on them?

We live in a day and age where cybersecurity has become a major concern. Right after the great debacle of Cambridge Analytica, it has shocked many to the core that nothing is safe on the Internet.

Stay Safe on Social Media

Hackers nowadays have found countless new & innovative ways to hack into your social media profiles and extract valuable personal information such as your pictures, videos, and messages. They can even hijack your social profiles and perform identity theft when you are inactive or not using them.

While you can’t keep yourself present constantly online 24/7, the only way you can save yourself is by taking adequate security measures. Here are five ways how you can keep your social media safe.

Now you certainly don’t want to fall victim to an anonymous hacker, do you?

Then read on.

Tip # 1: Don’t Use “Easy to Crack” Passwords

The first tip of the day is to avoid using weak passwords for your social media account.

Do you know some people use passwords as easy as 12345678?

A friend of mine who is working as an ethical hacker at a confidential firm revealed this information. What was more interesting was the number of people found using such password protection.

If you’re someone who is using such an easy password, then there’s a high chance that you are the first one to easily fall victim to these modern-day hackers and get your social media profile hacked.

So first things first, get your weak password changed to a better and stronger one.

When creating a password, make sure that it is alphanumeric and contains uppercase/lowercase letters. It is a very basic practice in the online world that will ensure that your profile gets unhackable.

Nowadays, even novices can use brute force techniques to guess passwords in words & phrases.

Tip # 2: Choose a Difficult Answer for your Security Question

Another interesting way how a hacker can penetrate your social profile is by guessing the security question which you have kept for your profile protection. They do it by performing social engineering.

By simply visiting your profile and following your public posts, they can identify what your security question can be. For example, if you have a pet then you certainly love to post its photos and videos on your social media profile. You may sometimes forget important names and security pin codes, but what you can’t forget is your pet’s name. Hackers usually cash upon this element to hack your profiles.

Most security questions are like, “What is your pet name?” or “Where did you go for schooling?”

Such information is commonly present on your social profile and by going through it once, the hacker equips itself with the right knowledge to hack into your social profile and extract your information.

Now there are two things that you can do.

• Don’t keep your personal information so openly on social media platforms
• Or choose a much better and more powerful security question & answer to stay safe

The choice is yours.

Tip # 3: Avoid Clicking on Suspicious Links on the Platform

Plenty of times, when we are scrolling through our Live Feeds, we come across certain enticing offers only to realize that the offer on which we have clicked takes us to a very stupid and useless website.

So was the website designer stupid to create such a stupid website and publish it on social media?

What do you think?

It’s probably because this is a phishing scam through which the hacker is trying to collect info.

By clicking on that interesting offer, you’ve just ended up exposing yourself to the hacker.

They will now have access to your personal information, and may even access your profiles to change your privacy settings, steal your images/videos, and then later use this information to blackmail you.

Hence, it is best advised that you don’t click on any such suspicious-looking links or offers online.

Even if you see any such link recommended or posted by a friend of yours. You may think it is an act of effective networking through social media, but it is definitely not. So make sure you don’t click!

Create a mental note if you have to, but just DON’T CLICK!

Tip # 4: Don’t Log Into Your Social Media Accounts From Cafes/Universities

One of the worst mistakes which we often commit unknowingly is that we log into social media profiles through entrusted public computer systems. These can be computers at cafes/universities.

Here’s a bit of advice, don’t do that. Public systems are prone to get hacked by professional hackers.

They usually use these public computer systems as nodes to perform different hacking activities.

Hackers install keylogger software on these public PC setups to track the keystrokes performed. A keylogger software stores information on keystrokes in a small file that can be accessed later on. 

Hackers may automate them to send these log files to their email accounts once the person logs out.

So if you ever plan on logging in to a public PC setup, doublethink before you log in with social media.

Tip # 5: Remove Stored Cookies From Your Browsers Now and Then

Keeping cookies might make social profile log-ins more user-friendly, but if your browser data falls into the wrong hands, then you can immensely suffer some great setbacks such as risking passwords.

It sounds scary, doesn’t it? Well, it’s how it is.

If you don’t remove cookies from your browsers too often, some professional hackers are so talented that they can easily pull out your password from the saved cookie data just using the right knowledge.

The best thing to do here is not to opt-in for the “Remember Password” option.

It may become easier for you to log in the next time but at the risk of making your account vulnerable.

Don’t take the risk. It’s best to keep your memory sharp and remember passwords yourself.

Summing Things Up

Keeping your social profiles safe is a priority concern, one that must be governed at all times. If you are not taking the best safety precautions to keep your social media accounts safe, you’re risking your personal information and hence, the very lives you live. Just imagine if your personal info falls into the wrong hands. How unattractive it will be if you’ve to pay a ransom on a monthly basis to stay secure. 

Don’t become a victim! Follow some basic practices to make sure you stay safe.

Do you need help with social media marketing, we are a team of social media experts at Branex - the Best Digital Marketing Company in the USA who know all the ins and outs of social profiling and social media marketing. Need help? Get in touch.