10 iPhone apps which boosted marketing efforts for businesses in 2013

Last year, in the world of technology, we saw a lot of innovative apps making a mark while some vanishing without a trace. The competition is tough; tougher are the ways of satisfying the client’s needs too. Hence, let’s see what 2014 holds from the apps world for us all. It is not only about personal resolutions that we make to keep, but also for the business to be shaped well this year.

Before the discussion on the iPhone apps which boosted marketing efforts for businesses in 2013 begins, it is imperative to know whether you run a small organization, a medium enterprise or a large business. The apps that we are going to discuss have done wonders for many, big or small. Hence, let us take a close look at whats trending from last year. Who knows what mighty things it can do for you this year?

Finest of the lot from 2013

• Heard of “Evernote”? Okay, now this is an app which is user friendly, works on all platforms and allows you to capture, save or use almost everything which is imperative for your business. Right from sharing notes or ideas to business cards or photos, everything happens in one place and that’s “EVERNOTE”. It is a great app for notes compilation as well as sharing them with the team members. Moreover, notebook collaboration is also possible.

• It is not only with our personal lives that we like to tweet, we love sharing our business moves with the world too, hence “TWEETDECK” is the app you should trend with. It keeps you updated and looks after all your social media needs in one shot. This means, updates across all your social profiles happens at one go, multi-tasking is allowed and no more visiting of sites individually anymore. TWEETDECK as the name suggests runs on all platforms. Switching from private to personal is child’s play, literally.

• The good old DROPBOX never fails to satiate the businessman’s needs. Right from sharing photos as well as documents with colleagues or clients, personal sharing with friends is possible too. It allows you to share and collaborate with like minded communities. Traditional viewing of documents with this app, irrespective of the size can be possible. It works across all tablets as well as phones.

• Distributing data along with fielding them all is now easy, thanks to FormMobi. Call it a virtual clipboard if you please, filling forms using this app will be better and much more organized, say users. Recording audio as well as taking photos is possible, and you have to check out the high quality CAD sketches made possible with this app.

• Bump your way to boost the business in 2014 with BUMP, one of the best apps which allow sharing of contact information, files and photos, all in a BUMPING action by two smart handheld devices.

• Now don’t trip ever, for TRIPIT is here for those on a busy business travel schedule. It goes without saying that having travel plans in place is indeed very important. If frequent travel is what you go through, the app spoken off here is what you then need. Right from managing your travel plans to weather updates, the provision for maps and directions is also there.

• Brick and mortar businesses have realized the importance of setting up retail outlets online. And this is why in 2013, most preferred LOCALVOX as the messiah to save their dying physical businesses. Here with this app, one can publish events, news and many more announcements on the go, all with the simple click of a button. The app connects your business across all social media sites, provides help with email newsletters and directories too. Your business online is thus optimized.

• No one likes managing finances, and that is why most look for an answer to crunch all the numbers sans the headache of doing so. 2013 brought in EXPENSIFY, an app that does it all. Right from managing business mileage and expenses to filing receipts and submitting claims, you can do everything.

• Asana, an app that has helped millions across the business world is making a come back right from the start of 2014. It is intuitive, simple to use, and beats the complexities of any high end management software. Manage your tasks, projects as well as work with the user friendly easy to navigate interface.

• It was in the year 2010 when InDinero was born, and business holders were the happiest, since daily financial tracking as well as business cash flow management was now possible to take care of. It is a very popular web app, used even now for bank account synchronization with other financial instruments you have.

Taking a look at these 10 iPhone apps which boosted marketing efforts in 2013, one can only say thanks to the advancement of technology. These powerful apps are surely making life easier. The competition is tough, but with the right apps, you sure would go laughing to the bank as well. If you have an app idea, dynamic developers from top iPhone app development companies can help you build apps which are stable, scalable and secure for your customers.

We provide iOS app development services. If you would like to speak to our iPhone app developers, please contact us at Mindfire Solutions.

Leveraging The Power Of Iphone Apps In Healthcare Domain - 10 App Ideas

The applications that the modern iPhones come up with, make them indispensable devices in all aspects of life, including health care services. In fact, there are certain applications that are specifically designed or meant only to be used for health care purpose. Let us discuss 10 such applications that make modern iPhones so very unique.

1) WebMD Mobile

This app allows the end user to do a wide range of activities. This includes checking symptoms of a particular ailment that may be lingering for too long with a view to have a better notion about the drugs that are to be administered and the potential side effects of the same. The app also gives the users the option of consulting visual guides in the event of various emergency situations.

2) MedCalc

This particular app acts as a calculator that is basically used by medical practitioners for getting easy access to various complicated medical formulas. The app also allows the users to customize the list of favourite and useful equations besides providing the option of saving a list of them that are used rather frequently.

3) iTriage

This particular app would allow the patients to save their symptoms into a database that is specifically designed to save information including diseases, treatments, directions and other parameters. This database has been specifically designed with inputs from medical practitioners with a view to give patients more control over their health related decisions. There is also an option that allows the patients to directly chat with the doctors or nurses and discuss about their health conditions. They also have the advantage of taking care of their medical bills on a day to day basis, more so if they are suffering from a continuing ailment and are in need of prolonged medical attention.

4) Diabetes Log

This particular app would allow people suffering from diabetes to keep track of all their vital information that may include their glucose reading, daily intake of food and all the related medical records and collate all these information into a single database along with their medical history.

5) EmergenKey

This app would provide the patients the option of keeping track of various vital health related information whenever they are travelling.

6) Sleep Tracker

This particular application would allow users to maintain a track of their sleeping patterns with the help of charts along with logs over a particular period of time. There is also an option of maintaining a 'sleep journal' and you have the liberty of using personal photos as mood icons.

7) ICD 9 LITE

This application would allow easy access to diagnosis coding through a process of disease classification. Besides, it also negates the need to look for information by manual typing as it has the option of a 'drilldown' format.

8) Health Cloud

This application would let the users of Google Health, access all their personal records irrespective of the time and location. Users can save the findings of the new tests and have a look at notices as and when they are generated by the provider.

9) Headache Diary

As the name suggests, this particular application is related to headache-related issues. Headache diary helps the patients to keep a track record of the time and frequency of occurrence of headache on a daily basis. The appliance comes in two versions – LITE version and the Regular version. The Regular version allows the users to put down unlimited number of entries along with the option of email exporting of the same.

10) Natural Cures

This application helps the users to learn the ways of combining various types of natural as well as prescription therapies for curing various ailments. All the conditions are listed alphabetically and the resources can be availed to track doctors along with supplements available in a particular locality.

With all these applications today iPhone has become one of the most handy devices that provide 24x7 health care assistance to the users which at times turn out to be extremely vital. An expert iPhone app development company would have all the expertise and knowhow to strategise, plan and develop iPhone apps for you within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide iPhone app development services. If you would like to speak to one of our expert iPhone app developer, please contact us at Mindfire Solutions.

How to Create an iPhone or iPad Apps and Games Succeed in App Store!

The phenomenal success of Apple mobile devices like iPhone and iPad encourages many enterprises to invest in mobile application development. But many reports have highlighted how the Apple App Store has become cumbersomely large with over 300,000 apps. Further, with more than 1,000 apps reaching the App Store every week, the place has also become organized. So it has become essential for each enterprise to explore innovative ways to succeed its iPhone or iPad application at the App Store. There are also a number of points that each organizer must consider while making strategy to develop and promote an iOS application.

Simple Ways to Make Your iPhone or iPad Application Succeed in App Store

Constantly Optimize Quality and Performance

The most effective way to make your iOS application successful is to improve its functionality and performance on a consistent basis. As the customer has options to choose from a variety of similar apps, he can easily smell the rat. Along with making your mobile application distinct, unique and interactive, you need to explore new ways to deliver rich user experience. It is also good idea to include some simple features in the app to gather feedback and suggestion of users. You can even ask them what will make the users like and recommend your iOS application.

Enhance Your App’s Visibility

Each enterprise must make and implement a comprehensive promotional strategy to maximize the app’s visibility. In addition to the name, icon and features of the application, users also consider its description, screenshots, reviews and ratings. At the same time, the application must be optimized to reach relevant users when they are searching the App Store, or initiating a web search using online search engines. However, it is also important to make the users know about the mobile application from external sources like app review websites and popular blogs.

App Store Optimization

Often users search the App Store to gather information about apps belonging to a particular category. So your mobile application must be optimized for the Apple App Store to appear on such search results pages. The recently updated App Store search engine has further made it easier for customers to search for application without entering the exact search keywords. Along with identifying the variation in language, you can also consider using specialized App Store optimization tools like Appcodes and Searchman. The App store optimization also needs to be an integral part of your overall promotional strategy.

Consider First Impression on Users

Often users download apps based on their snap decisions. Many customers even do not read the features and functionality of the application in detail before clicking on the download button. So first impression created by your mobile application will have a huge impact on its popularity. Along with designing an innovative and eye catching icon, you also have to seduce visitors through impressive screenshots and video. At the same time, the name of the app must include the most relevant keywords to clearly depict its nature, usage and functionality.

Use Innovative Mobile Advertisement Techniques

Despite being effective in delivering the richest user experience, each mobile application needs to be marketed to get more downloads. In comparison to conventional mobile application marketing methods, the latest mobile advertisement techniques are more effective. In addition to promoting the application by targeting the most relevant users, the advertisement mode also enables you to pick from a wide range of networks and acquisition methods. However, you may have to incur some additional expenses to make your app succeed in the App Store by using these networks. It is also a good idea to hire an expert mobile advertising agency to make and implement a strategy that will make your iOS app popular within a shorter span of time.

Many reports have also highlighted the growing number of dead mobile applications inside the App Store. So each organization must update the application regularly to ensure that it is being used by users on a regular basis. Further, an organization must use mobile app analytic tools and services to constantly monitor user behavior and experience. You can hire mobile app programmers who have solid development experience who can help you build iPhone apps within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide iPhone app development services. If you would like to speak to one of our expert mobile app developers, please contact us at Mindfire Solutions.

4 Great Rules For iPhone Games And Mobile App Development

As smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices are becoming widespread in the market, mobile apps are also gaining immense popularity. The conventional mobile devices have now made way for smarter phones which are more like small personal computers that can store a number of games along with other apps, which are used by consumers on a regular basis. When it comes to games or mobile apps, there are a number of development platforms, one of the commonest being the iPhone platform.

Currently a plethora of iPhone gaming apps are being developed. A lot of things go into the development process, including research, design, innovation as well as creativity. Given this, when you are building a mobile app, it should be given the maximum scope to succeed in the competitive market. The following 4 rules may be considered for creating games or mobile apps.

• Short levels in the games: While developing the gaming app, it is crucial to ask yourself one question- When do people usually tend to play the games? Well, most of the users go for some short rounds of mobile gaming when they are waiting for a bus, stuck in a queue or enjoying some short moments of relaxation amidst a busy schedule. Considering this, if the game has very long levels that take quite some amount of time to get completed, then your user will lose interest in that particular game. Short levels in fact give the players the choice to play for a few minutes, and then again starting off from where they left last, all the way retaining the points that they have scored. Games with short levels also happen to be very addictive and players tend to play the same again and again.
  
  
• Add some depth to your creation: Simplicity is indeed great, but it should not come at the cost of amusement. If the game is very simple and it is very easy to move from one level to another, users will get bored with the same and will stop playing it very soon. The most popular games are the ones which challenge the players to learn new skills and then master them. The Angry Birds game is a great example of this as it slowly introduces the new birds as the game proceeds. In this way the interest of the player remains and therefore the game does not become boring. It is advisable to go for those gaming apps which invite the reader to take decisions for moving ahead.
  
  
• Generate interest through the content: You must give users the scope for getting value for money because that is what almost all people want. It is advisable to give the players some additional advantages, something like special ways to unlock and move on to the next level or greater chances of success if they play more levels. It is a fact that players feel more enthusiastic when they can unlock a particular level depending upon their achievements or the points they have gathered. Hence, the more creative you get with your content, the more addictive your gaming app becomes for your target market.
  
  
• Go social with your app: Social media is greatly popular nowadays and nobody can deny this fact. If you opt for the addition of brag features within your iPhone game, it does become more interesting and attention drawing. For instance, there are games which let you know the scores of your friends across social media platforms and it's really great to keep track of those scores as you surpass your friends. The basic goal of going social is to draw in some of the popularity of social media to give your gaming app that competitive edge.

Mobile gaming is very popular nowadays, and if iPhone game developers can create games that keep the player hooked, the games become top favorites. Following the crucial rules can indeed help developers come up with addictive gaming apps. You can hire developers from top iPhone app development companies in India who can help you build iPhone apps within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide iPhone app development services. If you would like to discuss with an expert iPhone app developer from our team, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.

A Trend of 2013: Outsource iPhone Application Development to India

Despite facing still completion, iPhone still dominates the smartphone market. The combination of resourceful features and aesthetic appeal makes it the first choice of users switching to smartphones. The huge popularity of iPhone further encourages many enterprises to invest in app development projects. Some companies launch apps to promote their products, services and business, whereas others develop apps by targeting millions of iPhone users. 

However, a number of reports have highlighted how more and more companies are outsourcing iPhone app development projects to India. Similar to IT and ITES, India has also become a hub of smartphone application development. Along with reducing the development cost, the mobile application developers in India has also built a reputation by building dynamic and robust iPhone apps at a rapid pace, while delivering high quality and consistency. 

Why Most Companies Prefer Outsourcing iPhone App Development to India?

Easy to Incorporate Latest Trends: Smartphone application development has become both complex and competitive due to frequent changes in user choice. So each company must follow the latest trends in technology and user demand while designing an iPhone application. The companies building apps through in-house development team often find it difficult to adopt new technologies without providing adequate training. On the other hand, the Indian iphone app development companies are ready to develop apps by using latest technologies without charging additionally. The flexibility further enables outsourcing company to launch an app that complements the latest trends.

Avail Services of Experienced Developers: According to a recent survey, over 40% smartphone applications are being developed in India. So the Indian developers have adequate skills, expertise and experience in building a wide variety of apps. Further, they constantly interact with clients residing in various parts of the globe. So the developers know how to optimize the performance of an iPhone app by picking the perfect features and functionalities. The smartphone app development companies also deploy a team consisting of designers, developers, programmers and marketers. So the company makes it easier for clients to develop, launch and promote the app without deploying any in-house resources.

High Quality Development at Reduced Cost: Most companies outsource iPhone app development project to reduce expenses. The depreciated value of Indian rupee enables enterprises to avail best smartphone application development service at competitive prices. Despite charging less, the Indian developers are passionate about impressing clients by building a high quality app. As an enterprise can choose from several mobile app development companies, it can always choose a company that can build an incredible application while charging a much lesser amount.

Constant Maintenance and Support: Along with developing a robust iPhone app, the enterprise also needs to support it by providing constant maintenance. It is also important to fix the bugs and flaws immediately to make the app more popular. The Indian smartphone application developers offer support and maintenance services at affordable prices. A company also has option to include the required support and maintenance as part of the outsourcing agreement. Also, the company has adequate expertise and resources to improve user experience on a regular basis. 

Easy to Upgrade the iPhone App: The frequent changes in user choice have made it essential for enterprises to update their mobile applications by including extended and innovative features. Similar to mobile app development, a company can also avail a number of benefits by updating the application by hiring Indian app developers. Based on their experience in developing a wide variety of apps for international company, the team of developers can recommend you the best features to beat competition. At the same time, the company will further help you in implementing the ideas without putting any extra time and effort.

An enterprise also has option to choose from a large number of mobile app development companies in India. It can further evaluate the apps developed by the company in past according to the nature and requirements of the project. However, it is also important for the outsourcing firm to concentrate on drafting a concrete outsourcing agreement.

If you want to hire iphone app programmer for your iPhone App Development projects, please contact us at Mindfire Solutions.

Tips to Develop an iPhone App and Publishing in iTunes

Despite the growing popularity of Android smartphones, no one can deny the huge popularity of iPhone among both users and developers. Apple also upgrades the smartphone at regular intervals to provide improved user experience. The popularity of the Apple mobile devices have encouraged many developers to build iPhone apps and get these published in iTunes. If you have already experience in building, distributing and promoting applications for iOS mobile operating system, it will be a cakewalk to launch new applications. But you must keep a number of important points in mind, if you are developing and publishing an iPhone app for the first time.

5 Tips to Develop an iPhone App and Publish It in iTunes

• Make and Implement a Comprehensive Development Plan: Despite possessing adequate knowledge and skills, you cannot develop a popular iPhone app without a comprehensive strategy. Along with the budget and timeframe of the project, the plan must cover the entire development lifestyle. Once you decide each state of the app development life cycle, it will be easier for you to write the code. Also, the plan must consider the contingencies that need to be addressed immediately to develop the application on schedule. It is also important to decide how to distribute, market and promote the application once it is developed and tested.

• Optimize User Experience: Like the lifestyle and choices of users, the trends iniPhone app development also changes on the constants basis. So you must observe the latest trends in mobile app development to optimize user experience. For instance, the gaming apps are more popular among users than other apps. So you must consider including certain gaming features in your application to impress the users. At the same time, you also need to follow the standard coding and designing practices to optimize the application’s performance. Also, you must test the app thoroughly to identify and fix the bugs, errors, defects and flaws that will have a negative impact on users.

• Join Apple Developer Program: Apple require mobile application developers to join the iOS developer program by paying certain fee. As a member of the programmer you can access a variety of technical accessories, resources, support and pre-release software. The iOS developer program will further enable you to distribute the app to millions of users in a hassle-free way. At the same time, you can further earn revenue, through In-AdPurchases, iAd rich media ads and the volume purchase program, by publishing your iPhone app to iTunes and App Store.

• Convert Visitors into Customers: Normally, a person visiting the iTunes page decides about downloading an app within 2 seconds. So you must explore options to keep the visitors engaged, and convert them into customers by conveying the desired information. Many visitors decide about reading the features and functionality of an iPhone app only if they like the app name and icon. Also, you must highlight the innovative features and high functionality of the app by including these details in the app description. It is also important to post testimonials on your iTunes page to win the visitor’s trust.

• Enhance Your App’s Visibility: In addition to developing an innovative iPhone app, you also need explore options to enhance its visibility on the iTunes App Store. Many users initiate a search to find apps belonging to a specific category. So the ranking of your app on the search results page will have a huge impact on its popularity. You may find it a daunting task to understand the iTunes search algorithm. But you can always add many keywords to increase the iTunes search ranking of your app. As the search algorithm considers the application name, developer/reseller name and keywords field, you must try to include as many keywords as possible. However, you must avoid keyword duplication and using space between two keywords, as the keywords field allows only 100 characters.

You can also consider using several tools and frameworks to build the iPhone application at a rapid pace. It is also important to understand and follow a number of important iOS app development best practices to design a mobile application that will go viral within a very short span of time.

We provide iPhone app development services. If you would like to talk to one of our iPhone app developers or would like to take a look at the work they have done, please contact us at Mindfire Solutions.

Best Practices for Mobile App Development on iPhone

iPhone app development

Despite the growing popularity of Android mobile operating system, no one can deny the huge popularity of iPhone apps. The combination of innovative features and stylish interface make the iOS apps popular among users across the world. But the huge popularity of iPhone apps often makes it a daunting challenge for the developers to build new applications. As an experienced iPhone app developer, you may find the process both rewarding and fun. However, the new developers have to look for the perfect starting point for the application development project. Regardless of your experience, you can still consider best practices for mobile app development on iPhone to build a powerful interface within a limited timeframe.

Best Practices for Mobile App Development on iPhone

Involve Users in the Planning Phase: Each developer need to make a roadmap to develop the iPhone app on schedule. But most programmers forget to include users in the planning and testing phase of the project. You can always optimize the application idea by getting it evaluated by certain users in the initial planning phase. Also, you can allow the users to try the app, and observe the problems faced by them. You can always avail the assistance of your friends to check the impact of the mobile application on end users.

Allow Adequate Time to Test the App: With companies launching apps at frequent intervals, the mobile application development has become competitive. So, clients often require developers to build the application a time sensitive deadline. As the app will be approved by the Apple app store about two weeks after your submission, you must prepare a schedule to test and market the app properly. During the initial planning phase, you must decide the timeline for testing and marketing the app before it is approved by Apple.

Make a Content Strategy: The mobile apps are similar to websites. As no website can be hosted without content, the mobile applications cannot be designed without deciding the content and context. You will need content as early as possible to develop the app in a quick and hassle-free way. When you are planning the app, it is a good idea to decide the content. If you are using the services of a professional content writer, he must be instructed to develop content according to the initial plan. However, he may also be required to change the content slightly once the app development process is over.

Consider Designing Heterogeneous Applications: Once you develop an iPhone app, it needs to be updated regularly to support interface updates and provide fresh content. The heterogeneous apps make it easier for you to update the app by avoiding the app store approval process. As the app consists of a native base that is executed by referencing to HTML5 content located externally, you can replace the existing content at your own pace and convenience. Along with availing the advantages provided by HTML5, the heterogeneous application further allows you to execute the native code without requiring internet connectivity.

Take Advantage of the Device Components: Similar to other smartphones, iPhone also comes with a set of innovative features and tools. Some of the device components like microphone, high resolution camera and GPS are used by all users. So you can consider using these device components to optimize the performance of your mobile app. Further, these components will help you in improving the user experience without writing longer lines of code. However, you must choose the components according to the nature and requirement of the app maintain its speed.

Use the Latest Security Features: Along with gathering several types of information and data, users also carry out financial transactions using their iPhones. So there are chances that you app will require users to submit several types of sensitive information. As the sensitive financial and contact details of a user can be used to carry out identity thefts and financial frauds, you must use the latest security techniques. Along with availing the security features of the smartphone, you can also consider using the advanced encryption techniques to gain the trust of end users.

Understanding these best practices not only helps you during app development process, but also helps you in evaluating top app development companies.

If you want to hire mobile app programmers for your iPhone app development needs, please contact us at Mindfire Solutions.