Be it mobile or web application development, the chances of an app concept creating its very own category are slim and very difficult. Most app concepts fit into one out of the numerous existing categories. Yes, the very first mobile gaming app created its own category, but all later gaming apps were categorized in that category, likewise for utility apps, puzzle apps, educations apps and entertainment apps amongst the many others.

This brings us to an interesting little problem. How do you ensure that your app is unique, if it isn’t revolutionary? When it comes to mobile application development, it is not necessary that you have a revolutionary new idea. All you need to do is give your app a unique spin. What it requires is a little bit of focused re-imagination. Even a little bit of change, here and there, will guarantee an app that looks and feels different!

So come, let’s take a look at some ways how you can fructify this process of re-imagination.

Take a look at your competitors

Taking a look at what your competitors are up to, especially with respect to their mobile apps will give you a clear idea as to which direction your mobile application development should take. Look at their apps from the perspective of a consumer and think about the changes you would have loved to make. So, make the necessary change and you have a perfectly unique app on your hands.

Think of a category defining features

There might be a cool feature that you think works best for a particular category. Even if you don’t have a particular feature in mind, talk about the same with your mobile apps development team. Maybe they can help you out. This is why you need to choose somebody who has experience of working on apps for diverse categories. This helps them bring all their experience to your concept, which in turn helps them zero in on that one feature that was missing from most apps in a particular category and which your mobile app will have. This can help your app stand out from the other mobile apps in that particular category.

Focus on creating something unique

If you don’t think unique right from the conceptualization stage itself, you won’t be able to give shape to a unique app within an existing app category. Even when you are thinking about building app, you need to think different. At the planning stage, you need to focus on how your app is going to differentiate from the rest of the apps in the category. What this will do is it will help your mobile application development efforts go off the beaten track and help re-imagine the wheel. So, right from the time you work on the conceptual drafts to the time you deploy the app, your focus must be on giving a twist to your app concept.

Mix categories

If you have tried everything under the sun, to make your app raise eyebrows and capture the attention of your target users, and have still not found that X factor, why not mix different categories. It’s a shortcut that will help you ensure that your app is different. For e.g. by developing an app that is an interesting mixture of utility and gaming, you build an app that is neither a gaming app nor a utility app, but can belong to either of the two categories. By doing so, you have spun a unique app without putting in a whole lot of effort in the proceedings.

Do not follow the leader

This step is as drastic as they come, but can be a game changer if a market is extremely saturated with apps belonging to particular category. In such cases, what you need to do is identify the market leader, then go through the mobile apps developed by this leader; identify the finer points of the apps. Once you have an in-depth idea about what the apps are all about, go ahead and do something completely opposite. If the app is going right, go left. This way you will be positioning your app in direct competition to the leader. The decision might boomerang, but you are at least giving your app a chance to break into the market and make its presence felt. It tells everybody,” I am unique and proud of it”. It’s a fact, that target audiences love such apps.

It is only when you start thinking about re-imagining a particular app category that you can give shape to an app that can stand on their own two feet within a category, already overpopulated with unique apps.

Your ecommerce website is your very own online shop-front and is also a sales tool. It needs to be able to deliver a power-packed performance in order to convert. It needs to justify its existence and efficiency through increased sales. It’s only sales figures that are the clear determinants of the success or failure of an ecommerce solution.

So what separates ecommerce solutions that work and those that don’t. While some give credit to the online marketing efforts of the marketers, the real reason behind the successful performance of such solutions is the custom design. The greatest designs act as a trigger to draw out a positive reaction from the viewers. This fact assumes tremendous importance in ecommerce website design; where the objective is to encourage a positive reaction in the form of a ‘purchase’.

Let’s take a look at some design tips

Brilliant Product Images

Both underrated and overrated at the same time, there is no doubt that product photography is a crucial component of any ecommerce website. As a design element, it is underrated by those designers who think great product images don’t make for successful website design. On the other hand, it’s overrated by all those who think that such images are the only designing aspect that must be accorded importance. What actually needs to be done is make product images an important part of your overall design strategy.

An online shopper is unable to touch, hold, taste or smell the product on the site. The only interaction they have with the product is through its image. They need to feel confident about purchasing the product and a major chunk of this confidence is a result of the aesthetic quality of the images. It is this confidence that has a direct impact on your conversion rate. So, do not compromise on the image quality of the product. By ensuring that your product comes to life through its image is a perfect way of creating the right impression in the minds of prospective customers.

Avoid offering Numerous Choices

Wait a minute! How does, not offering a lot of choices contribute towards a successful ecommerce website? Your surprise, shock and doubt are duly noted. But, have you heard of a condition called ‘choice paralysis’. It’s a condition that affects the best of shoppers, when they are presented with a long list of choices. Instead of making their life easier, such plethora of choices makes their lives difficult.

Let me clarify. There is no problem in giving your customers a choice, but too much of a good thing is always bad. When your customers land on your website, they need to be able to decide what to buy in a given time frame. If they spend a lot of time in the process of selection, they can experience cognitive dissonance. When this happens, they might avoid buying any product on your site. So the design must be such that it helps your customers find the product. One of the ways of doing this is by using visuals to highlight the popular products and ensuring that the design guides customer towards these products.

AIDA oriented Design

Most website designers are perfectly aware of this design strategy. AIDA stands for A- Attention, I- Interest, D- Desire and A-Action.  A custom ecommerce solution should ensure that it first grabs the attention of the customer, then it must develop the customer’s interest for the product/service; once the product/service has captured their interest, they must be made to desire it; it is only if they desire a certain product/service that they will act to buy it.

The key here is to ensure that your design helps deliver the message of the website in the strongest possible terms. It must be able to focus the attention of the website visitors on your products and through the use of visual highlights must be able to trigger a desire for the said product. The final action that leads to product/service purchase can be accomplished through an effective mixture of call-to-action buttons and marketing copy.

Like all design tips, even these are great if you use them well. But, if you don’t, these tips are like the millions of others that you will come across on the internet.

Mobile app development is definitely big business and there are all chances that it will remain a popular and highly lucrative opportunity for mobile app developers. But, compared to the other technological domains, this is still a new field and the scope for its development and evolution is immense and ever growing. There are constant improvements happening and the quality and functionality of mobile apps is improving continuously.

Mobile app developers are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that their apps meet the highest standards of quality and functionality. For this, they are using various tips and tricks to ensure that their apps meet all the needs and requirements of their clients.

Let’s take a look at five tips that determine the success of a mobile app.

Core Focus on User Experience

The mobile app should be easy to use and ubiquitous. The mobile app shouldn’t be something that is perfection itself but should be something that can be used optimally. Your mobile app should be intuitive and extremely user friendly. The best mobile apps offer user interfaces that can be easily grasped and whose inherent functionality can easily be used by even those with the most modicum of knowledge about the functionality of the mobile devices for which the application has been developed. As a developer, it’s important that your mobile app works optimally within the context of the freedom offered by smartphone and also within its many limitations.

Focus on mobile application security

When the mobile application goes through its application life-cycle, it’s important that application developers ensure stringent standards of security of the application and ensure that all the underlying security vulnerabilities are identified and sorted out. While a mobile application is being developed, flawless development is always the objective, but at times, this is not possible. The key is to ensure that the flaws in the design, development and deployment of the mobile application don’t threaten the application, its data and its functionality in any way or form. So, it’s important that security be the driving force of your mobile application development process.

Avoid Overblown Development

One of the oldest development problems is trying too hard. Developers tend to overburden themselves with development and consequently end up making certain mistakes that can be avoided. They forget to understand that the process of iPhone app development or developing any app for some other mobile OS is less about showcasing mastery on a particular mobile OS; it is more about ensuring that the app has very little complexity and can be easily understood by users. It’s not necessary to re-invent the wheel. What will work better is making the best use of the “wheel”.

Strike Balance between User Needs and Client Objectives

Developers need to strive for balance. Yes, they are developing applications for their clients, but it’s the target audience that is going to use the app. You need to be able to ensure that the client’s objectives don’t get in the way of the user’s needs. There is no doubt that the client’s concept is paramount, but it’s up to the developers to balance the two. Once cannot be sacrificed for the other. Also, if the mobile app is perfectly positioned to meet the client’s needs, but fails from the user’s perspective; the app isn’t going to be successful. So, balance is the key.

No Compromises on Testing

It’s important that your mobile application be tested to ensure that its bug free and the coding works in perfect order. One example of a thorough testing process involves testing iPhone application on the iPhone simulator. It’s only if the developers are satisfied about the workability of the iPhone app that it is submitted to the iTunes store. The Android Apps, BlackBerry apps, Symbian and Windows Phone 7 apps are taken through their own specific testing process. When it comes to a mobile app there is absolutely no scope for errors. This is why testing is of the essence.

Custom software development is a complex process; and it needs to be accomplished in an effective manner to ensure the development of a project that perfectly meets all client needs and requirements. Now, there is no doubt that for developing quality software, the experience and expertise has to be of the highest order. But, there are some other things that also have a bearing on whether the custom application development process is successful.

Let’s take a look at some of these ‘tricks’.

Break the project into modules

Anything that’s small looks achievable. If you have a smaller goal, it looks far gettable as compared to a bigger goal that looks out of reach. The same is the case with software development. The project in totality will look complex and difficult, that is why you need to break it down into smaller projects or modules. This will help you implement project development in a more inclusive and efficient manner.  This also ensures that you will be able to keep track of whether the projects meets all client demands. With smaller modules you can also keep the project on track for timely delivery.

Take risks Early

All software development projects have a series of risks associated with them, more so if the focus is on custom development. The risks can include developing new codes that cater to a client’s specifications or there could even be a risk with respect to developing a customized user interface that aligns with the client’s objectives. The risks can be many and varied.  In the world of software development there is an old trick used to make sure that the risks don’t emerge to haunt the development process at a later date. The trick is to implement risky modules early. Once the project has been broken down into time bound modules, there is no harm in taking up the risky modules at the beginning of the project development. This helps developers tackle the risks at the beginning itself, leaving the field open for the seamless and problem free development of the project.

Focus on Accountability

One of the important facets of any and every software development process is resource allocation and also the assigning of responsibilities. A large and complex software project is usually developed by a team of developers, each with their own specific responsibilities. The project manager/leader makes it a point to assign responsibilities to the right person with the right experience and proficiency. It’s all smooth sailing till here; but some leaders forget one key trick in the book that is going to ensure successful software development – Accountability. You need to create an environment that holds people accountable to their commitments.

For e.g. If a team member is in charge of a functional testing of the software, it’s important that he/she does that job well and is held accountable for any mistake. If that does not happen, the project and its development will go for a toss.

Plan for problems

Project development is never seamless, though everybody hopes that it is. This is where a neat trick comes into play – while figuring out a delivery date; you need to keep scope open for delay. Just think about the problems that might hamper project development and determine a delivery date keeping these problems in mind. And remember, if you don’t face any of the problems that you thought you would, you can spring a pleasant surprise on the client by delivering the project early.

Never Ever Promising the Moon

I know there are some people who are going to criticize me for saying this, but as a custom software development company, it’s always advisable to keep things grounded. Never over-commit or promise something that is possible, but difficult to achieve. If you want to, you can always try and enhance the features and functionality of the software that you have promised to deliver to the client. But, always focus on the achievable and the kind of features and functionality that can be delivered with relative ease and very little risks.  This prevents mistakes from happening.

By considering these five tricks, you can make sure that the process of custom software development is effective and offers the clients all that they expect from the project.

Talk to different people, and they will offer you different viewpoints about what they think are the important design considerations for a mobile website.  These points of view might differ on various grounds, but there is a common thread that runs through all of them, which is that it is definitely the time of the ‘Mobile Web’. Online promotional battles will now be fought and won on the mobile web. A mobile website is the need of the hour and businesses that don’t have one will miss the bus.

But, having a mobile website is not enough. This website must be expertly designed in order to be successful. An important fact to be noted is that the factors that determine the design of a traditional website do not hold true for a mobile website. The considerations are different and the recipe for a successful mobile website design is founded on taking note of these considerations.

Before we list out the top three considerations, it’s important to understand that when a mobile user is accessing your mobile website, the conditions in which it is being accessed have a big role to play in determining the mobile website’s design. What this means is that the general environment, usage, motion, lighting conditions, internet connectivity, etc. all have a big role to play in the design of mobile website.

Now, let’s have a contextual look at some of the top considerations that determine the look and feel of the mobile website.

A smaller screen size

Quite obvious isn’t it? When accessing a particular website using a desktop or a laptop, you have the advantage of a larger screen size. But, when it comes to a mobile device, the size of the screen goes down appreciably. The mobile website must be designed for a smaller screen size. Also, there is a range of screen sizes on offer when it comes to such devices. Your mobile website design must cater to all these sizes. There are some designers who take the easy way out and miniaturize desktop websites to suit the smaller screen size of mobile phones.  But, more often than not, this solution breaks the user experience. This is why it’s important to create a specialized design that can adapt to this difference in screen size.

Simplification of Navigation

Another facet of a mobile website design that is very obvious. A mobile website does not have the luxury of a complex navigation process. A mobile user has to make do with trackballs, touch functionality or tiny keypads in order to navigate a website. So, the design of the mobile website must focus on navigation clarity and make it more intuitive. Most mobile websites have a list of links on the homepages that take visitors to the main features of the website. A vertical representation of these links is the norm, as is the reduction in the number of categories and levels of navigation. One of the better ways of simplifying the navigation process in mobile websites is by ensuring that users gets an immediate visual feedback, when they choose a particular link.

Keep the user input at a bare minimum

Your design should be such that it minimizes user input. Touch screen functionally and tiny numeric keypads have ensured that mobile devices pack a punch and offer a range of functionalities, but entering the requisite input data is not a cakewalk. Many users find it a real chore to enter data on the miniscule screen and end up making errors. So, in the interest of your users, the design must be extremely user friendly. Keep the URL short, and ensure that the necessity for data input is limited. Offering users the benefit of smarter default values, and minimizing the essential data fields is just one of the many ways that user input can be minimized.

Each site has a different level of user input required. But, the design of the website must ensure that users have no problems in entering the required data.

This is just an overview of the 3 important aspects that need to be considered for the purposes of designing a successful mobile website. But, these are not the only ones. A successful mobile website design is a coming together of various diverse factors all of which have just one aim – improve website usability.