With the rise in the ownership and usage of mobile devices, demand for mobile applications also strengthens.

App developers are now more enthusiastic to produce high definition and engaging apps, especially since the recent Apple announcement to release more services for them. Recently, the company invited developers to test their apps using the new App Analytics services, which allows them to analyze customer engagement.

If you are a budding app developer who wants to explore how to build mobile apps for Apple products or a business who wants to create a compelling enterprise app, then this article will guide you through the basics of creating applications for iOS.

Apply security at all costs

With the increase in the number of hacking cases and online security threats, it is necessary to guarantee your users security. Research by Symantec revealed that attackers are now smarter and faster in acquiring data by extorting it from people’s smartphones and social media accounts. By adding safety measures to your apps, especially when it requires users to provide sensitive data, you are gaining trust from them, which will appeal to a larger audience. Some companies are partnering with top security firms to incorporate their systems into their apps, however this can be very costly for startups or indie app companies to obtain.

Understand the specification of each device

Although mobile devices may run the same operating system (iOS 8), not all of them run the same power, features, and functions. The latest smartphone, the iPhone 6, is pre-built with Apple Pay, Touch ID, and motion coprocessor that other Apple devices aren’t equipped with, as seen on the feature page on O2. It is advisable to check the specific feature that you want to highlight on your app, as this will be its unique selling point.

Late last year, the company opened its doors for more app developers with the release of the iOS 8 for Developers with SDK, Xcode 6, and a whole set of APIs and services. This will allow developers to build apps around new Apple services such as the WatchKit, Apple Pay, PhotoKit, HealthKit and more.

Set the specification of your app

Determine the strengths and limitations of your application during the process of brainstorming, as this will be the foundation of your mobile app. For offline application, it will be highly necessary to consider updating the app most of the time to ensure that the data presented to users are always updated. For online-based ones, you will have to consider that not all internet connections are the same, as some will be using powerful Wi-Fi or data connection while some people in other parts of the world might be using a slower internet connection. Make sure it runs smoothly despite changes in the speed of the internet.

Another thing that you need to consider will be your target market. Is it a productivity app for on-the-go or field employees? Is it a learning game for children? Is it a resource application for a specific profession, like doctors, engineers, construction, etc.? This will help you later on while building the features of your app as you will get back to answering the same question: What does my target market gets from this application?

What do you need to avoid?

Apart from the guidelines above, there are things that you need to avoid while building your apps for iOS. These activities can be highly detrimental to the success of your project.

  • Not considering more platforms that can maximize the app
  • Thinking of the app experience similar to the web experience
  • Focused on monetization
  • Not exerting effort to market your work
  • Releasing a beta that is highly dysfunctional
  • Ignoring user reviews and bug reports

Click here to read tips from Apple on how to create an engaging user interface.

Take note that app development is a highly saturated market and industry. It will be highly necessary to have a concrete marketing plan and strategy on how you can create a buzz on your app to gain the right return on investment later on. For better assistance, consult with the experts in app development to guide you in the process: Pace Wisdom