Do you really need to own your own code? The answer may surprise you.

Here’s the short version—if you’ve got a multi-million dollar budget and you’re trying to build the next Uber or Facebook, then yes, you should own your own code. But for everyone else, save yourself the time and money and just use an app development platform. 

Read on for a more in-depth comparison between these two development options. We’ll cover the pros and cons of each, as well as specific scenarios for when it makes sense to take these very different paths. 

By the end of this guide, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge to make the right decision for your app. 

Coding From Scratch vs. Platform Development: Comparing Your Choices

When it comes to modern mobile app development, businesses essentially have two main options to choose from—building everything from scratch or using an app development platform. Each approach has its own advantages and drawbacks, catering to different business needs, resources, and goals.

The first option requires you to code everything from the ground up using your own in-house development team or hiring external developers. You’re starting with a completely blank slate, and every line of code can be customized to meet your specific needs. This approach is often favored by larger companies with unique requirements or entrepreneurs who are trying to create a groundbreaking unicorn (Facebook, Uber, Tinder, etc.). 

Alternatively, you can take the path of least resistance and use a mobile app development platform. These platforms provide a foundation of pre-built features, functions, and infrastructure that you can leverage. Instead of writing everything from scratch, you’re just customizing and configuring existing components to match your unique requirements. 

An app development platform can significantly reduce your development time and technical complexity, making it an attractive choice for businesses with limited technical resources or tighter budget constraints. 

But here’s the catch. If you want to own your own code, you’ll need to build everything from scratch. This isn’t feasible for most businesses, but fortunately, it’s not necessary either. 

Owning Your Own Code: Pros and Cons

When you build an app from scratch, you have full ownership of the code. This approach offers unparalleled control and flexibility, but it also comes with significant responsibilities and challenges. If you’re thinking of taking this path, make sure you have deep pockets and a budget that can sustain you beyond development and through post-launch maintenance. 

Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of owning your code.

Pros

• Complete Control: You have total freedom to customize every aspect of your app.
• Unique Features: You can develop highly specialized features that may not be available in existing platforms.
• Intellectual Property: The code becomes an asset that your business owns. 
• No Platform Dependency: You’re not reliant on a third-party platform to succeed. 

Cons

• High Development Costs: Building from scratch requires a significant investment, often hundreds of thousands of dollars—if not millions. 
• Technical Expertise Required: You need a full team of developers, designers, project managers, quality assurance agents, and more.
• Time-Consuming: Coding from scratch often takes 4-5x longer than using a platform. Expect to spend anywhere from 6-18 months writing the code prior to launch.
• Ongoing Maintenance: You’re responsible for all updates, bug fixes, and security patches for the lifetime of your app.  
• Scalability and Infrastructure: As your user base grows, you’ll need to continue investing in your backend infrastructure to handle the increased loads. 
• Cross-Platform Complexity: If you want your app to be available on multiple platforms (like iOS and Android), it requires additional time, money, and resources. 

While owning your own code provides maximum control, it’s important to consider whether you actually need this. For most businesses, especially those without in-house development teams or substantial budgets, the cons outweigh the pros. 

Using a Platform For App Development: Pros and Cons

App development platforms are the preferred choice for budget-conscious businesses that want to get to market quickly and benefit from a high ROI. Leveraging pre-built components and infrastructure helps you save time and eliminates the need for you to manage in-house development resources. 

While there are a few drawbacks to consider, most businesses can look past them when they understand the benefits. 

Pros

• Cost Effective: Significantly lower upfront fees and ongoing costs compared to custom development. 
• Faster Launch Times: Get your app to market in weeks, not months, by using pre-built components. 
• Cross-Platform Compatibility: You can launch your app on both iOS and Android from a single build without having to create and maintain two separate versions for each platform.
• Hands-Off Maintenance: Platform providers handle all ongoing maintenance, app store updates, and security on your behalf. 
• Technical Infrastructure: You can tap into all of the existing servers and infrastructure that’s required to power your app. From databases to authentication servers, push notification servers, and more, you won’t have to worry about any of this. 
• Proven Technology: You benefit from battle-tested features and infrastructure that’s been used on thousands of apps—eliminating trial and error. 
• Affordable Scalability: Leveraging built-in infrastructure means you can handle growing user bases with minimal ongoing investments. 

Cons

• Platform Dependency: Your app’s future is tied to the platform powering it, which is why it’s critical to use a platform with a proven track record and years of experience. 
• Some App Type Limitations: Platforms aren’t great for building certain types of apps, such as high-fidelity games.
• Lack of Code Ownership: You don’t own the underlying code that powers the app. 
• Shared Infrastructure: Your app may be running on shared servers with other apps, which could potentially impact performance.

While you won’t own your own code if you take this path, the tradeoff is often well worth it. Most businesses quickly realize that owning their own code isn’t really meaningful. There’s no reason or circumstance that would arise where owning the code would factor into the app’s success or business goal. It’s really a moot point. 

When it Makes Sense to Own Your Code

If you’re still on the fence about whether you need to own your code, see if any of the following scenarios resonate with you and your business model:

• You have a substantial budget (typically millions) dedicated to app development and maintenance.
• Your app’s core value proposition relies on cutting-edge technology that doesn’t yet exist.
• Your company has an experienced in-house development team that’s capable of building an app and maintaining it on a daily basis.
• Your team has the bandwidth to manage all oversight, technical infrastructure, and patches post-launch.
• You want to be the next Mark Zuckerberg and build the next unicorn app.
• Your business model relies heavily on algorithms and procedures that can’t be shared with anyone else.
• You can afford the indirect costs of employing an in-house app development team, like training, benefits, sick leave, etc.
• You’re building a high-fidelity gaming app with advanced graphics and sophisticated gameplay. 

When it Makes Sense to Use a Platform Like BuildFire

If you nod your head while reading the bullets below, then you’re a good candidate for using a platform for app development. 

• You need to launch your app quickly to capitalize on a market opportunity.
• You’re working with a limited budget but still need a professional-grade app.
• You lack an in-house development team or technical expertise.
• Your app has lots of standard features and components that can be found on other apps.
• You’re creating an app for internal use for a small or mid-sized business.
• You need a scalable solution that can grow with your business (without breaking the bank).
• You want to build versions for iOS and Android without doubling your development efforts.
• You’d rather focus on marketing your app and onboarding users, instead of worrying about technical implementation. 
• You want to iterate quickly based on user feedback without extensive coding.
• You prefer predictable cost management using a subscription-based billing model. 

The BuildFire Advantage

Leveraging a platform like BuildFire is a game-changer in the app development space. While you won’t own the code, you do own all of your user data. You can choose to do whatever you want with your data, and it’s yours to take with you if you ever decide to leave the platform. 

With BuildFire, 80% of the development work has already been done. There are over 180+ pre-built features that you can customize, plus all of the servers, app store publishing, and backend infrastructure are handled for you. So you can focus more on what makes the app unique to your users rather than having to build redundant features that are common to every app. 

One unique standout of BuildFire compared to other SaaS platforms in the app development space is we’re more than just a platform—we’re also an app development service. From ideation to launch and post-launch maintenance, our team will work with you to create an app that aligns with your business goals. 

Best of all, our app development service starts at just $5,000. You won’t find a better combination of value of quality anywhere else on the market. 

Unlike other platforms, BuildFire also offers some of the same perks that you’d get by coding your app from scratch.

For one, BuildFire is developer-friendly. So if you do want to create a totally custom feature that’s been written by an in-house or freelance developer, you can hook in your own custom code using the BuildFire SDK. 

BuildFire also has a white-label reseller platform. This means you can clone your app, re-brand it, and sell it to other businesses. So the profit margins are limitless if you’re interested in selling apps for a profit—and you don’t need to own your code to accomplish this. 

Making the Right Choice

Choosing between owning your code and using a platform is a crucial decision that can significantly impact your app’s success and your business’s bottom line. It’s not a one-size-fits-all situation, and what works for one company may not be the best solution for another.

To help you navigate this decision, we’ve compiled a list of key factors to consider. Evaluate each of these in the context of your business goals, resources, and long-term vision for your app:

• Available budget for development and maintenance
• Timeline for app launch
• In-house technical expertise
• Desired level of customization
• Long-term scalability needs
• Ongoing maintenance requirements
• Target platforms (iOS, Android, or both)

By carefully considering these factors, you’ll be better equipped to make an informed decision that aligns with your business objectives. Remember, the right choice is the one that best serves your unique needs and sets you up for long-term success in the mobile app market.

Final Thoughts

When building a mobile app, most businesses don’t need to own their own code. While it sounds appealing, owning your own code requires you to build everything from scratch and could cost you millions of dollars. 

Leveraging a platform like BuildFire is far more appealing for most brands. You can launch your app faster and for a fraction of the cost—translating to a higher ROI without having to worry about any of the technical implementation. 

By choosing a reliable platform like BuildFire, you’re not just saving time and money, you’re also gaining access to proven technology, ongoing support, and total flexibility. You can focus on running your business and let us handle the technical stuff. 

The post Owning Your Code vs. Using a Platform For Mobile App Development appeared first on BuildFire.

Imagine an app that does much more than just stream music—it becomes a vibrant community hub where fans can connect, discover exclusive content, purchase merchandise, buy concert tickets, and enjoy enhanced event experiences. 

All of this can be accessed at their fingertips 24/7/365.

This vision isn’t just a dream or possibility—it’s within reach for any musician. 

Whether you’re just starting out in the music industry or you have an established following, this in-depth guide will explain how to create a music app that elevates the fan experience and opens new avenues for revenue. 

If you’re looking to innovate and connect with your audience on a deeper level, creating your own music streaming app could be the game-changer that sets you apart in the music industry. 

Market Analysis and Conceptualization

There’s big money to be made with music apps—and music lovers are willing to pay top dollar to access their favorite tracks. 

Research shows that the global music streaming market is expected to reach $125.7 billion by 2032, and it currently sits around $41.5 billion. 

With music streaming services still growing at a 15.1% CAGR, there are fistfuls of money to be made—even if you can capture just a fraction of a percentage of this market share. 

To be clear, we’re not trying to compete with the popular music streaming apps that are dominating this space. If you try to make a music app like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, or Pandora, you’ll likely have a hard time contending with those giants. 

However, these platforms leave a gap for personalized, artist-centric experiences. This is where your app enters the picture as a niche service that offers something they cannot—an elevated, intimate connection between artists and their fans.

To carve out your piece of the music streaming industry, start by analyzing the needs and preferences of your target audience. 

Fans of music, especially those following specific bands or artists, are often looking for more than just streaming. They crave behind-the-scenes content, direct interactions with their favorite musicians, exclusive merchandise, early ticket sales, and improved event experiences. 

Your app can cater to these desires by offering unique features such as fan forums, VIP access to special content, in-app merchandise stores, ticketing services, and immersive event features.

Create a unique selling proposition (USP) that focuses on the specific benefits your app offers to fans and artists alike, such as fostering a community, enhancing fan engagement, and providing new revenue streams for artists.

Conceptualizing your app involves identifying these key differentiators. Ask yourself:

• What can my app offer that existing services do not?
• How can it enhance the fan experience in a way that builds loyalty and engagement?
• What unique revenue opportunities can it create for artists?

By focusing on these questions, you can begin to outline the features and services that will make your music app stand out.

Licensing and Legal Considerations

Creating a music app that streams content, sells merchandise, and offers tickets to events involves navigating a complex landscape of legal requirements and licensing agreements. This step is crucial not only to ensure the legality of your app but also to respect the rights of any other artists and creators whose content you wish to feature. 

Here’s a breakdown of the process and tips on how you can navigate these waters effectively.

Music Licensing

The first step in legally streaming music through your app involves obtaining the necessary licenses from music rights holders. 

There are generally two types of rights you need to be aware of—sound recording rights, controlled by record labels through organizations like the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and publishing rights, which involve the composition and lyrics, controlled by publishers or songwriter collectives such as ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC in the United States.

To legally stream music, you’ll need to secure two main licenses:

• Mechanical Licenses: For the reproduction and distribution of musical compositions.
• Public Performance Licenses: For playing songs and music tracks publicly, which includes streaming over the internet.

Merchandise and Ticket Sales

Selling merchandise and tickets directly through your app introduces another layer of legal considerations. For merchandise, if you plan to use the artists’ names, likenesses, or other copyrighted material, you’ll need to negotiate rights and licensing agreements with the artists or their representatives. This ensures that artists are fairly compensated for the use of their brand.

Ticket sales through your app will require partnerships with event organizers or ticketing platforms. It’s essential to establish clear terms regarding the distribution of tickets, handling of customer data, and revenue sharing.

Legal Tips

• Consult with Legal Experts: Given the complexity of music rights and copyright law, consulting with legal professionals who specialize in entertainment law is invaluable. They can guide you through the licensing process, help negotiate agreements, and ensure compliance with all legal requirements.
• Transparent Agreements: Ensure all licensing and partnership agreements are clear and transparent, detailing rights, responsibilities, and revenue sharing. This helps avoid disputes and ensures a fair relationship between all parties involved.
• Stay Updated on Laws and Regulations: Copyright and music licensing laws are subject to change. Staying informed about current laws and industry standards is crucial to maintaining the legality of your app.

This step, while challenging, is a critical investment in the sustainability of a successful music app. 

Technical Development

The technical development of your music app is where your conceptual ideas transform into a tangible product. This phase involves choosing the right technologies, developing the app’s architecture, and implementing features that will distinguish your app in the market. 

Here are some key features to consider and the benefits they offer to users:

• High-Quality Audio Streaming: Essential for any music app, offering users the best listening experience with minimal buffering.
• Offline Playback: Allows users to download songs to their music library and listen to them without an internet connection, enhancing accessibility.
• Personalized Playlists and Recommendations: Uses algorithms to suggest songs, artists, and playlists based on users’ listening habits, offering a tailored experience.
• Artist Profiles: Where artists can share their music, upcoming events, and exclusive content, helping fans stay connected.
• Social Sharing and Interaction: Features that enable users to share songs, playlists, and concert experiences on social media and within the app, fostering a sense of community.
• Live Streaming: Allows artists to stream live performances or behind-the-scenes content directly to fans, creating intimate, real-time engagement.
• In-App Store: A platform for artists to sell merchandise and for fans to purchase it easily, supporting artists financially while offering fans a way to show their support.
• Integrated Ticket Sales: Simplifies the process of buying tickets for concerts and events, with options for notifications about upcoming events and exclusive pre-sales for app users.
• Customizable User Interface: Lets users personalize their app experience, from theme colors to layout preferences within the music streaming service.
• Interactive Features: Such as lyric displays, music videos, and artist interviews, enriching the listening experience.
• Feedback and Support Systems: To gather user feedback and provide assistance, ensuring continuous improvement and user satisfaction.

Don’t overwhelm yourself with too many features and try to build everything at once.

Instead, start with the features you need for your app to work—ideally aligned with the USP that you’ve identified earlier. Start there, and you can always add more down the road. 

UX/UI Design

By investing in a thoughtful UX/UI design process, you can create an app that not only looks appealing but also provides a user-friendly platform that encourages longer engagement and fosters loyalty among its users

Create a design that prioritizes simplicity and intuitiveness to help users easily find their way around the app, with a minimalist approach to reduce cognitive load and enhance satisfaction.

Personalization also plays a key role in the design process, allowing users to customize the app’s appearance and functionality to their liking, which fosters a sense of ownership and engagement. The design should adapt gracefully across different devices, ensuring a consistent experience whether on a phone, tablet, or desktop.

Some app designers may consider using interactive elements to enhance the design. Things like album covers or music visualizers add an additional layer to the listening experience.

Adding lyrics or artist bios can also help enrich the content. 

Accessibility is another important consideration, with features designed to accommodate all users, including those with disabilities, ensuring that the app is inclusive and available to a wide audience. Implementing multilingual support broadens the app’s appeal across different regions and cultures.

Visual branding should be consistent with the use of colors, fonts, and imagery that reflect the app’s identity, contributing to its recognizability and the user’s connection to the brand. 

High-quality imagery and icons are essential for a professional and polished appearance.

Simply stated, you can’t rush through the design process. This will ultimately determine the look and feel of your app, which is crucial to retaining your users. 

App Development and Testing

This stage involves translating your design concepts into a fully functional app—requiring a blend of technical expertise, creativity, and strategic planning. 

Music streaming app development encompasses a wide array of tasks, from coding and integrating APIs to setting up servers and ensuring your app’s compatibility across various devices and operating systems. It’s a complex process that demands attention to detail to ensure that every feature works as intended, providing users with a smooth, glitch-free experience.

For those looking to simplify the app development process, platforms like BuildFire offer a powerful solution. BuildFire is designed to streamline the creation of mobile apps, providing a user-friendly interface that allows for the customization of features without needing deep technical knowledge. 

With a wide range of plugins and templates, BuildFire can help bring your music app from concept to reality, facilitating the integration of streaming services, social media, merchandise sales, and more. 

Our intuitive platform also includes tools for analytics, marketing, and user engagement, making it an ideal choice for musicians, bands, and entrepreneurs eager to connect with their audience through a personalized app. Leveraging BuildFire can significantly reduce development time and costs, allowing you to focus on refining your app’s content and user experience.

Testing is an integral part of this phase, involving rigorous checks to identify and rectify any bugs or usability issues. This ensures that the app not only meets the technical specifications but also delivers on the user experience envisioned during the design phase. 

Monetization Strategy

After developing and meticulously testing your music app, the next critical step is devising a robust monetization strategy. This strategy is key to ensuring your app is not only a creative success but also a financial one. 

Here are some monetization strategies to consider when you build a music streaming app:

• Freemium Model: Offer basic features for free while charging for premium features. This can include higher quality audio, ad-free streaming, or exclusive content.
• Advertisements: Integrate ads into the app experience. Options include banner ads, interstitials, or sponsored content.
• Subscription Model: Encourage users to subscribe for a monthly or yearly fee to access exclusive features, such as ad-free listening, offline playback, and premium content.
• In-App Purchases: Sell digital goods or services within your app. This could be exclusive songs, albums, or virtual goods.
• Partnerships and Sponsorships: Collaborate with brands or artists for sponsored content or exclusive releases, creating a new revenue stream.
• Merchandising: Sell artist merchandise directly through the app, from t-shirts to vinyl, making it easy for fans to support their favorite artists.
• Data Monetization: Leverage user data (with their consent) to gain insights for targeted advertising or to sell to third parties interested in music industry trends.
• Crowdfunding or Tip Jar: Allow fans to support artists directly through donations or crowdfunding campaigns for upcoming projects.
• Live Streaming and Virtual Concerts: Offer paid access to live performances or virtual concerts, providing fans with unique experiences.
• Licensing and Content Creation: Generate revenue by licensing user-generated content or creating original content that can be licensed to others.
• Community Features: Enhance user engagement with paid community features, like exclusive forums or fan clubs.
• International Expansion: Localize your app for different markets to tap into global audiences, adapting your monetization strategies accordingly.

Choosing the right mix of monetization strategies depends on your target audience, the unique features of your app, and the overall goals of your project. By carefully selecting and implementing these strategies, you can create a sustainable revenue model that supports the ongoing success and growth of your music app.

Launch and Marketing

Following the development and implementation of a monetization strategy, the next pivotal phase in the lifecycle of your music app is its launch and marketing. This stage is critical for gaining visibility, attracting users, and ultimately ensuring the success of your app. 

An effective launch and marketing strategy not only introduces your app to the world but also builds anticipation, engages potential users, and sets the foundation for a strong user base.

For example, legendary American rock band 311 used BuildFire to create an app for their 30th anniversary tour that comprised 50 states in 50 days.  

The marketing efforts for the app were strategically timed to build anticipation in the weeks leading up to 3/11 Day (March 11) when the band was scheduled to perform three days of shows in Las Vegas.

By aligning the app’s launch with a significant event and leveraging targeted marketing strategies, 311 was able to maximize user engagement and downloads. The app served as a powerful tool to enhance the fan experience, offering a new way for fans to connect with the band and with each other, driving up engagement and fostering a sense of community among users.

You can read more about 311’s experience with BuildFire here and use this type of marketing strategy to inspire your own. 

Post-Launch Support and Scaling

Even after a successful launch, the journey of your music app is far from over. 

Post-launch support and scaling are critical to its long-term success and sustainability. This phase involves closely monitoring the app’s performance, gathering user feedback, and making necessary adjustments to ensure a seamless user experience. 

Continuous support not only addresses any technical issues that may arise but also demonstrates to your users that you are committed to providing a high-quality service, which can significantly enhance user retention and loyalty.

User feedback is invaluable for identifying areas of improvement and potential new features that could enhance the app’s value. Engaging with your user base through surveys, feedback forms, and social media can provide insights into their needs and preferences, guiding your development roadmap. This iterative process of improvement and adaptation helps keep the app relevant and competitive in a rapidly evolving market.

Scaling the app is another crucial aspect of post-launch support. As your user base grows, your infrastructure must be able to support increased traffic and data without compromising on performance. 

This may involve upgrading servers, optimizing code for better efficiency, or expanding your team to handle the increased workload. Preparing for scalability from the outset can help mitigate growing pains and ensure that the app can handle success without faltering.

Additionally, expanding your app’s features and exploring new markets can contribute to its growth. Based on user feedback and market analysis, introducing new functionalities, such as virtual meet-and-greets, fan-generated content, or augmented reality experiences, can keep users engaged and attract new ones. 

Considering international expansion can also open up new revenue streams and increase your app’s global reach. However, this requires careful planning to address language barriers, cultural differences, and local regulations.

Conclusion

Creating your own music app is a complex process—involving everything from initial market analysis and conceptualization to the intricacies of licensing, design, development, and beyond. 

Each step of this journey presents its own set of challenges, requiring a blend of creativity, technical expertise, and strategic planning. The goal is not just to launch an app but to create a platform that deeply engages music fans and provides artists with new ways to connect with their audience and monetize their craft.

Fortunately, platforms like BuildFire can significantly streamline the journey. BuildFire’s intuitive app development platform demystifies the technical complexities of app creation, making it accessible even to those without extensive coding knowledge. 

BuildFire has a wide array of customizable features, plugins, and templates, enabling musicians, bands, and music entrepreneurs to focus on what truly matters—their vision for a unique music experience—while it handles the heavy lifting of app development. 

With the right tools and a clear understanding of the steps involved, turning this vision into reality is more achievable than ever.

The post From Concept to Launch: How to Make Your Own Music App appeared first on BuildFire.

To keep pace with consumer expectations and gain an edge over your competition, converting your website into an app is critical.

The numbers speak for themselves. 88% of mobile device time is spent using apps. 70% of all digital media consumption comes from apps, and mobile apps are expected to generate over $935 billion this year alone. 

Converting a website into an app opens up countless opportunities for businesses across every industry. From improving user engagement and customer loyalty to accessing new revenue streams and expanding market reach, these benefits are hard to overlook for anyone with a website.

Fortunately, developing an app has never been easier. With the help of an app builder or website to app converter, you can turn your website into your own app quickly—without breaking the bank.

If you’re still on the fence, the information in this guide might be enough to change your mind. We’ll dive deep into all the benefits and advantages of going from a website to a mobile app that will take your business to new heights. 

Enhancing the Mobile User Experience

A whopping 85% of consumers say they prefer mobile apps over mobile websites. So when you convert your website to an app, you’re instantly improving the user experience. 

How is this possible? Let’s take a look at some key UX-related advantages of a mobile app compared to a website.

• User Interface and Interaction — Apps are designed with mobile users in mind, offering interfaces and interactions that are optimized for small screens and touch controls. This results in significant improvements in user interface (UI) design, including simplified menus, larger buttons, and intuitive gestures that enhance the overall user experience. Apps have a clear edge over mobile websites that often require pinching, zooming, and scrolling to view content.

• Speed and Performance — One of the most noticeable differences users experience when switching from a website to an app is speed. Apps store data locally on the device, allowing for quicker load times and smoother transitions between features and content. This immediate access is crucial for retaining users, as loading delays can lead to frustration and abandonment. 

• Navigation and Accessibility — Apps also offer superior navigation compared to mobile websites. With the ability to implement custom navigation solutions, such as bottom navigation bars or swipeable tabs, apps make it easier for users to find what they’re looking for. This encourages deeper exploration of what the app has to offer.

• Engagement and Satisfaction — The tailored UX that apps provide leads to higher engagement levels and customer satisfaction. Features like push notifications can be used to keep users informed and engaged, offering timely updates and personalized content that draws them back into the app. This direct line of communication is something that websites struggle to match, making apps a powerful tool for fostering long-term relationships with users.

One great example of this in the real world is H&M. 

As the second largest fashion retailer in the world, H&M has astonishing engagement rates—with 61% of its app users returning to use it on a monthly basis. Ecommerce websites don’t see this type of traction for their audience. 

This same type of success can be replicated through your own app. 

Accessing Native Mobile Features

One of the most compelling reasons to convert a website into an app is the ability to access and utilize native mobile features. These features, intrinsic to mobile devices, open up a new realm of possibilities for user interaction, engagement, and functionality that simply cannot be matched by mobile websites. Examples include: 

• GPS: Enables location-based services, providing users with tailored content, nearby store locations, or personalized offers based on their current location.
• Camera: Allows for interactive features like scanning QR codes, uploading images directly from the device, or even augmented reality experiences, enriching user interaction.
• Push Notifications: Offer a direct channel to keep users informed and engaged, whether it’s about new content, promotions, or updates, encouraging frequent app usage.
• Accelerometer: Can be used in fitness apps to track physical activity, or in gaming apps for motion-based controls, adding a layer of interactivity and fun.
• Contact List: Facilitates features like easy sharing, social interactions, or sending invites directly from the app, promoting a sense of community and connectivity.
• Biometric Authentication: Such as fingerprint or facial recognition, offers a secure and convenient way for users to access their accounts, enhancing both security and user experience.

Integrating these features into your native app not only enhances its appeal and usability but also offers practical benefits that can significantly impact user retention and satisfaction. For instance, an e-commerce app utilizing push notifications for personalized offers can see an increase in repeat visits and sales. Similarly, a travel app leveraging GPS for real-time updates and location-based services can become an indispensable tool for travelers.

Boost Brand Recognition Amongst App Users

Brand visibility and recognition are paramount for business success. Converting your website into an app offers a unique advantage in this arena, notably through the presence of your app icon on a user’s home screen. This seemingly small feature can have profound implications for brand awareness and engagement.

An app icon acts as a constant visual reminder of your brand, residing among the most used tools and platforms on a user’s device. 

Unlike a website, which requires a user to open a browser, type in a website URL, or search for your site, an app is just a tap away. This ease of access significantly reduces the barrier to interaction, making it more likely that users will engage with your app—and, by extension, your brand—on a regular basis.

Consider the difference in steps between accessing a website and an app:

• Website: Unlock phone → Open browser → Type URL or search → Navigate to the website.
• App: Unlock phone → Tap app icon.

This direct and simplified access not only enhances user convenience but also increases the likelihood of frequent engagement. Each interaction with your app reinforces brand recognition and loyalty, making your brand a familiar and trusted presence in the user’s daily digital landscape.

Furthermore, the app icon itself serves as a mini-advertisement for your brand. Well-designed app icons can convey your brand’s essence, values, and aesthetic, contributing to a cohesive and recognizable brand identity. This visual consistency across platforms—be it in the app, on your website, or in marketing materials—strengthens your brand’s presence and can lead to increased consumer trust and loyalty.

In addition to the app icon, converting your website into an app allows you to maintain consistent branding elements throughout the user experience. From the color scheme and logos to the tone of voice and messaging, an app provides a controlled environment in which every aspect can be tailored to reflect your brand identity. This consistency is crucial for building a strong brand image that resonates with users and stands out in a crowded marketplace.

Improving Customer Retention

While attracting new customers is important, retaining existing ones is even more critical—and often more cost-effective. Mobile apps offer a powerful toolset for enhancing customer retention, thanks to their ability to facilitate direct engagement, personalized experiences, and loyalty incentives in ways that websites simply cannot match.

In fact, research shows that mobile app retention rate is 50% higher than web browser. This number jumps to 90% for smartphone users. 

The effectiveness of mobile apps in retaining customers lies in their capacity to maintain an ongoing dialogue with users. Through features like push notifications, apps can deliver timely and relevant content directly to a user’s device. This immediacy ensures that your brand remains visible and top-of-mind, encouraging regular interaction. Whether it’s a reminder about an unfinished purchase, a notification about a new product, or a personalized offer based on past behavior, these notifications can significantly increase engagement rates and, consequently, retention.

Personalization is another key advantage of mobile apps. By leveraging user data and behavior, apps can tailor the user experience to meet individual preferences and needs. This could mean recommending products similar to past purchases, customizing content feeds, or even adjusting the app’s navigation based on the user’s interests. Personalized experiences make users feel valued and understood, fostering a positive connection with your brand and increasing the likelihood of continued app use.

Loyalty programs seamlessly integrated into your app can further enhance customer retention. Offering rewards, points, or exclusive benefits for app activities not only incentivizes continued usage but also builds emotional loyalty towards your brand. Users are more likely to return to an app where they feel their loyalty is recognized and rewarded.

The impact of these strategies on customer retention is clear. This ongoing engagement is vital for building a stable customer base for your brand.

Mobile Apps Provide Offline Accessibility

A key benefit that sets mobile apps apart from websites is the ability to offer offline accessibility. This feature is not just a technical enhancement—it’s a fundamental shift in how users interact with your digital content. By enabling certain functionalities to be available without an internet connection, apps can significantly enhance user convenience, ensuring that your services remain accessible even in the most remote or connectivity-challenged situations.

Offline accessibility in iOS apps and Android apps addresses a critical pain point for users—the need to access information, services, or functionalities when they’re not connected to the internet. Whether it’s due to poor network coverage, data usage concerns, or the desire to save battery life, the ability to use an app offline can be a deciding factor for users when choosing between competitors.

Here are some examples of how offline features can be implemented in apps to enhance user experience:

• Content Caching: Apps can store content locally on a device, allowing users to access previously loaded articles, videos, or documents without needing an internet connection.
• Data Syncing: Changes made in offline mode, such as editing documents or updating settings, can be synced automatically once the device reconnects to the internet.
• Offline Navigation: Navigation apps can offer map downloads for offline use, enabling users to find their way without relying on a live data connection.
• Music and Video Playback: Entertainment apps can allow users to download music, podcasts, or videos to enjoy offline, providing continuous access to media content.
• E-commerce Shopping: Shopping apps can enable browsing of products and even adding items to a cart in offline mode, with transactions completed once connectivity is restored.

Implementing offline accessibility not only improves user convenience but also signals to your customers that you value their experience and are committed to providing uninterrupted access to your services. This level of thoughtfulness provided by native app development can significantly enhance user satisfaction and loyalty, as it demonstrates a proactive approach to addressing user needs and challenges.

Creating New Revenue Opportunities

The decision to convert your website into a mobile app is not just a strategic move to enhance user engagement or improve brand visibility—it also presents a multitude of new revenue opportunities. Mobile apps offer unique monetization avenues that are not as readily available or as effective on traditional websites. By leveraging these opportunities, businesses can diversify their revenue streams and drive financial growth.

• In-App Purchases: One of the most direct ways to generate revenue from your app is through in-app purchases. This could range from selling physical goods, as seen in retail or e-commerce apps, to offering digital services or content, such as subscriptions, premium features, or virtual goods. In-app purchases provide a seamless shopping experience, encouraging users to buy directly within iOS or Android apps.

• Subscription Models: Apps can implement subscription models, offering access to exclusive content or features for a recurring fee. This model is particularly effective for services that provide ongoing value, such as media streaming, productivity tools, or specialized content platforms. Subscriptions ensure a steady revenue stream and can help build a loyal user base committed to your app.

• Advertisements: Integrating advertisements into your app is another way to generate revenue. Whether through banner ads, interstitials, or native advertising, carefully placed ads can provide significant income without detracting from the user experience. Choosing the right ad network and optimizing ad placement and frequency are crucial to maximizing revenue while maintaining a positive user experience.

• Freemium Models: Offering a basic version of your app for free while charging for premium features or enhancements is a strategy known as the freemium model. This approach encourages widespread adoption of your app while monetizing a subset of users who are willing to pay for a higher value offering.

• Affiliate Marketing: By participating in affiliate programs, your app can earn commissions for referring users to other services or products. This monetization strategy works well for native apps that recommend products, offer reviews, or curate content that includes external links. It’s a way to leverage the content and user trust you’ve built to generate additional revenue.

• Sponsored Content or Partnerships: Collaborating with brands or businesses to feature sponsored content within your app can also open up revenue opportunities. This approach requires a balance to ensure that sponsored content aligns with your user’s interests and the app’s overall theme, maintaining authenticity and user trust.

By diversifying the ways in which an app can generate revenue, mobile app developers not only increase their potential income but also build a more resilient business model. Each of these strategies can be tailored to fit the unique context of your app and your target audience, allowing you to maximize revenue while enhancing the user experience.

Expanding Audience Reach

Converting your website into an app significantly broadens your reach, leveraging the global platforms of the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. 

Listing your Android or iOS app in these stores opens your business to a vast audience, transcending geographical boundaries. The presence in these app marketplaces is crucial, as they are the primary channels through which users discover and download new apps.

Optimizing your app for these stores through careful keyword selection, compelling descriptions, and high-quality visuals is essential for improving your app’s visibility. 

This process, known as App Store Optimization (ASO), enhances your app’s discoverability, making it easier for potential users to find and download your app. Positive ratings and reviews further boost your app’s credibility, encouraging more installs.

If you already have a website, you’re likely familiar with how this works—as ASO and SEO are essentially the same concept (with a few key differences).

By targeting both Android and iOS users, you ensure that your app is accessible to the widest possible audience, taking full advantage of the extensive user base these platforms offer. The algorithms of the app stores play a pivotal role in recommending your app to interested users, making an app store presence a powerful tool for reaching a global audience and driving your business’s growth in the digital marketplace.

Optimizing Performance and Speed

Users today expect instant access to information and services, and even slight delays can lead to frustration and app abandonment. Apps that are finely tuned to offer quick loading times and smooth interactions set themselves apart in a competitive digital environment, where user patience is minimal.

A well-optimized app not only ensures quicker access to content but also enhances overall usability and satisfaction. This is particularly important in retaining users and converting potential customers into loyal ones. Faster apps are more likely to be used repeatedly, as they provide the immediate gratification users seek from their digital interactions.

The performance and speed of an app directly impact its conversion rates. Users are more likely to complete purchases or engage with services when the process is seamless and efficient. In contrast, apps that suffer from poor performance can see a significant drop in user engagement and revenue.

Establishing Increased Trust

Creating a mobile app for your business is a significant step towards building a deeper trust with your audience. 

Users are cautious about where they spend their time and money—making trust a critical component of user engagement and brand loyalty. An app enhances your brand’s credibility by demonstrating a commitment to providing a secure, efficient, and user-friendly platform.

A mobile app signals to users that a brand is serious about its digital presence and dedicated to improving the customer experience. This commitment is often associated with higher quality and reliability, which can enhance users’ trust in the brand. 

Features like biometric authentication, secure payment gateways, and personalized content within an app further reinforce this trust by ensuring user data is handled safely and their interactions are tailored and meaningful.

Focusing User Attention in a Controlled Environment

The digital landscape is full of distractions, which can make it difficult to keep a user’s attention. But apps offer a unique solution by creating a controlled environment that minimizes external distractions. 

Unlike web browsing, where users can easily switch between tabs or get sidetracked by notifications, an app encapsulates the user’s full attention on a single task or experience. This focused environment is crucial for businesses aiming to engage users deeply and effectively.

The design of mobile apps inherently encourages a more immersive experience. By utilizing the full screen for content display and tailoring the navigation to suit mobile interactions, apps can significantly enhance user engagement. This immersive experience is beneficial for both informational content consumption and e-commerce activities, as users are less likely to abandon their tasks due to distractions.

This focused attention ultimately leads to higher conversion rates. When users are fully engaged with an app, they are more likely to complete desired actions, whether that’s making a purchase, signing up for a service, or engaging with content.

Streamlining Business Processes

Mobile apps offer a significant advantage in streamlining business operations, leading to enhanced efficiency and productivity. By integrating various business processes into a single app, companies can automate tasks, improve communication, and manage data more effectively. 

This consolidation not only simplifies operations but also reduces the time and resources required to manage them, directly impacting the bottom line by reducing operational costs.

For example, apps can facilitate easier order processing, real-time inventory management, and instant customer support, providing a seamless experience for both the business and its customers. 

The ability to instantly update and share information across the app also ensures that all stakeholders are informed and can make data-driven decisions swiftly, enhancing the overall agility of the business.

Apps can also improve internal communication. Features such as in-app messaging, task assignments, and progress tracking enable teams to collaborate more effectively, regardless of their physical location.

Convert Website to App: Is It Worth It? (Final Thoughts)

The decision to convert your website into an app is clearly worth it. The benefits—ranging from enhanced user engagement and loyalty to new revenue opportunities and streamlined business operations—all highlight the strategic value of embracing mobile app technology.

For businesses ready to make this transformative leap, BuildFire stands out as the ideal partner. With our cutting-edge AI app builder, the transition from website to app has never been easier.

BuildFire’s technology is designed to sync with your existing website, automatically pulling in brand information, content, and logos. This integration significantly accelerates the app development process, ensuring that your mobile app aligns perfectly with your brand identity.

The post The Benefits of Converting Your Website to an App appeared first on BuildFire.

But one constant holds true across the board—there’s a massive demand for social connection through digital platforms.

You may be shocked to learn the social media world is still growing. According to Forbes, over 4.9 billion people worldwide use social media. That number is expected to reach 5.85 billion by 2027.

Revenue growth across these platforms is growing at an even higher rate. The social media app market is valued at roughly $49.09 billion, with forecasts projecting a CAGR of 26.2% between now and 2030.

This means that you don’t have to compete with Instagram or YouTube to make money with a social media app. If you can carve out just a fraction of a percentage of this market, you can still have a multi-million dollar business. 

99% of all people on social media use mobile devices to access their favorite platforms, with a whopping 78% doing so exclusively from their smartphones. 

Creating a social media app from scratch may sound daunting, but it’s an attainable task if you follow the right blueprint. This guide will walk you through the step-by-step process to get your app idea off the ground. 

Step 1 – Define Your App’s Purpose and Target Audience

Creating a successful social media app begins with a clear understanding of its purpose and the audience it intends to serve. This step is crucial, as it lays the foundation for all subsequent decisions in the app development process.

First, you need to pinpoint the primary goal of your app.

What specific need or problem does it address? Is it meant for sharing photos, connecting professionals, discussing hobbies, or something else entirely?

This objective should resonate with potential users and offer them a compelling reason to choose your app over existing options on the market. 

When narrowing in your target audience, consider factors like age, location, interest, and online behavior. Are you targeting young adults or working professionals? Is the app designed for a local community or a global connection? 

Don’t try to become the next Facebook. Saying your social media app is for “everyone” will be a recipe for disaster—as this approach often results in the app appealing to nobody at all. 

Instead, try to corner a specific market and fill a need for those users. 

Use tools like surveys, focus groups, and social media analysis to gather insights about your target audience. What are their likes and dislikes? How do they interact with current social media platforms? What are they missing in existing apps that your app can provide? 

This research will help you tailor your app to meet the specific needs and desires of your target audience.

Step 2 – Establish a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) and Strategy

Differentiating your app in the competitive social media landscape is vital for capturing attention and building a user base. A unique selling proposition (USP) is what sets your app apart from others, making it unique and appealing to your target audience. 

Your USP could be a novel feature, a unique approach to social interaction, or a specific focus that addresses a particular need or interest.

To help you brainstorm and help you further understand this concept, here are some potential USPs to consider for your social media app:

• A social media platform dedicated to connecting local artists and art enthusiasts.
• A social networking app that focuses on real-time, location-based social networking for event discovery.
• Social media with advanced privacy controls for users concerned about online security.
• A social network app with built-in language learning tools and cultural exchange opportunities. 
• Niche social media apps for pet owners, eco-conscious and environment awareness networks, social activism, etc.
• An app with a focus on mental health with features promoting positive online behavior and well-being.
• Integration of augmented reality for innovative content creation.
• A community-driven social platform where content is solely generated and moderated by users.

Each of these USPs addresses specific needs or interests, providing a clear reason for users to choose your app over others. These are just a handful of examples, but there are literally thousands of different ways to approach this. 

One real-life example is the social media app Daylyy. Created with BuildFire, Daylyy sets itself apart from the crowd with a USP that focuses on authenticity.

It targets users who are seeking a more genuine and unfiltered social media experience. Unlike other platforms where content is often heavily curated, Daylyy encourages its users to share real-time, unfiltered content. This approach taps into a growing desire for more authentic online interactions and sets Daylyy apart from other social media apps. 

All photos must be taken through the app. The platform doesn’t have any public comments either. Instead, users can connect with each other through private conversations. 

You can learn more about Daylyy’s story and how they leveraged their strategy for success here.

For more inspiration, we have a list of low-cost and easy business ideas that make money—many of which can be applied to a social media app. 

Step 3 – Conduct Comprehensive Market Research

Comprehensive market research is essential for social media app development. This research enables you to understand the current landscape of the market, trends that are shaping the industry, and the behaviors and preferences of your potential users.

Start by keeping an eye on the latest trends in the social media space. This includes tracking technological advancements, shifts in user behavior, and changing patterns in content consumption. Staying up-to-date with these trends is crucial to ensure that your app remains relevant and appealing to your target audience.

Analyzing your competitors is another key aspect of market research. Understand what other apps in the space are doing, their strengths and weaknesses, feature sets, user interface designs, marketing strategies, and user feedback. 

Identifying areas where other social media sharing networks fall short or where users express dissatisfaction can highlight opportunities for your app to offer something different and better.

Gathering direct feedback from potential users is equally important. Conduct surveys, interviews, and focus groups to understand what users are looking for in a social media app. 

Utilize online tools and social media platforms to analyze comments and discussions about existing apps. This information can guide you in designing features and functionalities that truly resonate with your target audience.

For example, a recent study found that 74% of people are tired of seeing ads on social media. 

You might see a study like this and decide to create an ad-free social media experience to give your app an edge against other social networking apps. 

Additional Reading: How to Conduct Mobile App Market Research

Step 4 – Choose Essential and Innovative Features

Choosing the right features is crucial in the development of your social media app. The features should cater to the basic needs of your users and also introduce something innovative to make your app stand out. It’s important to balance essential functionalities with unique, engaging features.

Start with the essential features that form the backbone of any social media app, such as user profiles, news feeds, messaging capabilities, and privacy settings. These core functionalities are what users typically expect from a social media platform.

Once you have the essentials covered, think about innovative features that can enhance the user experience and differentiate your app. These could be advanced functionalities or creative ways to interact with content and other users.

Here are some example features for a social media app:

• Photo and video sharing
• In-app messaging
• Live streaming
• Augmented reality filters
• Customizable news feeds
• Location-based communities
• E-commerce integration
• Gamification elements
• Virtual events and meetups
• Advanced privacy controls
• Content curation tools
• Mental health and well-being features
• Interactive polls and quizzes
• Collaborative content creation

By selecting a combination of essential and innovative features, your social media app can provide a familiar yet unique experience, attracting and retaining users in a competitive market.

Building a social media network with BuildFire makes it easy to add features with just a few clicks.

Our feature marketplace has over 150+ pre-built functions that can be added to your social app.

One piece of advice—start small. You don’t need to have everything built on the launch day. 

Focus first on the features that are an absolute must for your app to function on a basic level while still covering what makes your app unique compared to market alternatives. 

So many businesses get lost in the concept of creating their own social media app that they lose sight of things like user engagement. Get active users first by appealing to their needs, and expand from there. 

You can look at existing social media platforms that took the same approach. The biggest players in this space are still coming out with new features and advancements. 

Step 5 – Select a Suitable Business Model

At this point, you need to select a business model to support the success and sustainability of your social media app. Your business model should align with your app’s goals and target audience. Here are some popular revenue models to consider:

• Advertising: Generate revenue by displaying ads within your app. This can include banner ads, sponsored content, or video ads. The key is to balance ad presence with user experience to ensure that ads are not overly intrusive.
• Freemium: Offer the basic app for free, with premium features available for a fee. This model entices users to try your app and then pay for additional functionalities, such as advanced customization options or ad-free experiences.
• Subscription: Charge users a recurring fee for access to your app or premium features. Subscriptions can provide a steady revenue stream and are often used for apps that offer ongoing value, like exclusive content or enhanced networking opportunities.
• In-App Purchases: Enable users to buy virtual goods, additional features, or special content within the app. This model works well for apps that offer customizable experiences or have an engaged user base willing to pay for specific enhancements.
• Transaction Fees: If your app facilitates transactions, such as in a marketplace or e-commerce platform, you can charge a fee for each transaction. This model is suitable for apps that connect buyers and sellers or offer a platform for financial transactions.

By carefully selecting a business model that fits your app’s purpose and audience, you can create a viable path to revenue generation and long-term success.

If you’re looking for additional tips on how to make money with your own social network app, check out the following resources:

• The Ultimate Guide to Mobile App Monetization
• How to Make Money From Apps
• What Types of Apps Make the Most Money

Step 6 – Prioritize User-Friendly Design

One thing to keep in mind when you’re building a social media app is the importance of a user-friendly design. 

The design of your app is not just about aesthetics—it’s about creating an intuitive and enjoyable user experience. In the world of social media apps, where user engagement is key, the design can make or break your app’s success.

A well-designed app should be easy to navigate, with a clean and organized interface that makes it simple for users to find what they’re looking for. Pay attention to the layout of elements such as buttons, icons, and menus. They should be placed logically and consistently throughout the app to ensure a seamless user journey.

Color schemes, fonts, and imagery also play a significant role in the overall user experience. These should align with your brand identity and be visually appealing without being overwhelming or distracting. The goal is to create an environment where users feel comfortable and engaged.

Another crucial aspect of design is responsiveness and speed. Users expect social media apps to load quickly and function smoothly on various devices and screen sizes. Ensuring your social media app is responsive and performs well is essential to keep users satisfied and engaged.

It’s also important to consider the established design standards of popular social media apps. Users are often accustomed to certain layouts and functionalities, such as swiping to view the next post or tapping a heart icon to like content. While it’s important to be innovative, straying too far from these familiar design elements can be jarring and may hinder user adoption.

Step 7 – Develop a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

An MVP is a version of your app with just enough features to be usable by early customers, who can then provide feedback for future product development. This approach allows you to test your app concept in the real market with minimal resources before fully committing to its development.

The key to creating an effective MVP is to focus on your app’s core functionality. 

Identify the most essential features that represent the heart of your app’s value proposition. These should be the features that directly address the needs and interests of your target audience, as identified in your market research.

Developing an MVP is not just about building a simplified version of your app—it’s also about learning and adapting. 

By launching an MVP, you have the opportunity to gather real user feedback. This feedback is invaluable as it provides insights into what users like, what they don’t, and what additional features they might be looking for.

It’s important to be prepared for both positive and negative feedback and to use this information constructively. Analyze user interactions, track engagement metrics, and listen to user suggestions. This will guide you in refining your app, fixing any issues, and adding new features that align with user needs and preferences.

Remember, the MVP is a starting point. It’s a way to validate your app idea and gain a deeper understanding of your user base. From there, you can iterate and evolve your app, adding features and making improvements based on user feedback and market demand.

Step 8 – Opt for the Right Technology Stack

Your technology stack is the collection of software, tools, and technologies you use to build and run your app. It’s important to select technologies that not only support your app’s functionality but also offer scalability as your user base grows.

When it comes to creating a successful social media app, BuildFire provides everything you need to build, launch, and scale your app under one roof.

That’s because BuildFire is so much more than just an app builder and app development company. We’re a complete mobile backend as a service (MBaaS)—meaning your entire mobile app technology is handled for you. From servers to app infrastructure, databases, and supporting every possible monetization method, we have you covered. 

BuildFire’s technology is not only user-friendly but also robust and scalable. It can handle growing numbers of users and increasing data demands, ensuring that your app remains fast and reliable as your audience expands.

For those who need more advanced customization or have specific requirements, BuildFire provides access to professional app developers. These experts can help you tailor your app to your exact specifications, ensuring that your vision is realized to its fullest potential.

Ready to build a social media app from scratch? Contact BuildFire today, or start your 14-day free trial. 

The post Step-by-Step Guide: How to Make a Social Media App from Scratch appeared first on BuildFire.

Years ago, if you wanted to build a website or mobile app, you’d need to hire a developer. But today, no-code tools make it possible for anyone to build these without writing code.

The same concept can be applied to no-code AI—only the AI technology is far more advanced and capable of doing things we never thought possible. 

If you’re interested in integrating AI into your business, then no-code AI is the easiest and most cost-effective way to do it. You can use this guide to find the right AI tools for your specific needs, and learn how they can take your business to the next level. 

What is No-Code AI?

No-code AI is a term to describe the creation and deployment of AI applications without coding, programming skills, or technical knowledge. No-code AI tools typically operate in one of two ways—either a drag-and-drop interface where the user moves elements through a visual builder or through a wizard where users answer questions and the AI builds the application based on the responses. 

No-code platforms make artificial intelligence and machine learning models available to the masses, which historically was only something that was only available to those with technical skills and specialized training. 

Reasons to Use No-Code AI Platforms

There are dozens of reasons and potential use cases for using a no-code AI tool. But at the highest level, all three of these boil down to three main benefits:

• Accessibility
• Speed
• Cost

These three benefits hold true regardless of your specific use case of an AI model. It gives businesses access to the latest cutting-edge technology, which can enable users to produce more results than ever before. 

Anyone can use a no-code AI tool without prior training or technical experience. This will allow them to perform tasks that would normally take weeks, months, or years in a matter of seconds or minutes. All of this can be accomplished using free or affordable tools. 

You won’t need to hire data scientists or spend years studying natural language processing. With a no-code AI tool, you can get started immediately with virtually no barrier to entry. 

Furthermore, people with a technical background or data science expertise can produce even more by using AI-powered workflows. So regardless of your skill level, you can benefit from using a no-code AI solution. 

15 No-Code AI Tools For Every Essential Business Use Case

The use cases of no-code AI are virtually limitless. To showcase the versatility of this technology, I’ve highlighted the best no-code AI tools on the market—each of which solves a unique problem and has a specific use case in the business world. 

From data analysis to image recognition and automated machine learning, business leaders can use this technology to train AI models, create AI applications, create accurate predictive models,  and so much more.

1. BuildFire AI — No-Code AI Mobile App Development

BuildFire AI is the fastest and easiest way for anyone to create a mobile app. By leveraging AI development, the platform lets you build an app in a fraction of the time compared to other no-code tools on the market. 

Just answer some simple questions about your business, and BuildFire AI will automatically generate content, suggest features, and start creating your app based on what you want to accomplish. It even pulls logos and color schemes from your website so the app matches your company branding. 

The secret behind this technology is that the AI functionality is built on top of BuildFire’s industry-leading app development software. BuildFire has already been used to create more than 10,000+ apps for iOS and Android. The AI app builder just takes technology that’s already powerful and supercharges it.

If you’re crunched for time or on a tight budget, BuildFire AI gets you to market quickly for a fraction of the cost. 

Plus, all of the design elements are handled for you—in seconds. This is something that would normally take weeks for traditional app development. 

Don’t love the first design you see? No problem. With a single click, BuildFire AI will generate a new one for you. It’s that easy. 

2. Akkio — Custom AI Chat Box For Clients

Akkio is one of the most unique AI solutions on this list. It’s a generative AI tool that’s built for agencies. 

By leveraging AI analytics and predictive modeling, it enables agencies to put the power of AI in the hands of their customers.  

The coolest feature is the ability to “chat” with data using AI. You can create custom chatbots for your clients that allow them to gain valuable business insights and create charts without writing code. For example, you could simply enter “create a chart on monthly sales.” Akkio will look at your historical data, and the tool will provide the visual. 

This tool can basically be used by any company with data (which is basically everyone). But the ability to repurpose it for client use is what makes Akkio unique—earning it a top spot on my list. 

3. DataRobot — Predictive AI For Technical Business Users

DataRobot uses generative AI and predictive workflows to improve business outcomes. 

It’s built on an open AI ecosystem, which gives businesses the flexibility to adapt and innovate without restrictions. 

The platform has been used across a wide range of industries—including banking, fintech, healthcare, insurance, manufacturing, and aviation. 

For example, hospitals and health practices can use it to predict which patients are more likely to be admitted. So doctors can proactively take steps to improve their health. An insurance company can use it to predict which products are most likely to succeed when cross-selling to specific clients. Warehouses can predict traffic to optimize resource planning. 

You get the idea.

While DataRobot has plenty of no-code features, it’s definitely built with technical audiences in mind. 

4. Obviously AI — No-Code AI For Churn Prediction

When I first discovered Obviously AI, I was blown away by the demo. I saw them take structured data and use it to create a predictive model in less than five minutes.

It turned a dataset with thousands of rows into something practical, and the user just needed to answer some basic questions about what they wanted to build. 

It’s just a matter of selecting your data source, making a few clicks, and boom—done.

The demo I watched used customer data to create a predictive model on whether or not a customer would churn. This is just one potential use case, but it was my favorite because it’s something that all businesses worry about. Since the vast majority of businesses keep customer data, this is a practical use case that anyone can benefit from. 

5. Google Teachable Machine — Create Machine Learning Models Based on Images, Sounds, and Poses

It should come as no surprise to see a solution from Google on this list—as they’ve been pioneering technology for decades.

Google Teachable Machine does exactly what it sounds like. The platform lets you use machine learning models to teach or train a website or app to recognize certain elements. 

Using computer vision, the software can be taught to recognize images, sounds, and poses. Just segment different examples of what you want the model to train and then test whether it classifies them correctly. 

For example, this would work really well if you wanted to create a mobile app that identifies birds. You’d simply gather as much information about each bird and then teach the model to recognize them based on looks or even sounds. 

6. Lobe AI — Free Machine Learning Model Using Image Classification

Created by Microsoft, Lobe AI is actually pretty similar to Google Teachable Machine. The biggest difference is that you can export your model in more ways. 

Currently, it only works by using image classification—meaning you label images based on what it is to train the model. But object detection and data classification models are coming soon. 

Lobe AI also has project templates that automatically selects the best machine-learning architecture for your project.

Let’s say you wanted to use no-code/low-code to build an app that recognizes plants. You’d first need to train the software to recognize what a specific type of plant looks like. Then when an app user points their camera at a tree or bush, the app would tell them what type of plant it is. 

7. Amazon SageMaker — Use Tools Like Notebooks, Debuggers, Profilers, Pipelines, and MLOps in a Fully Managed ML Service

Amazon SageMaker offers the best of both worlds for enterprise organizations. 

Business analysts can benefit from no-code interfaces while still leveraging the power of machine learning. But data scientists with technical expertise can use it to become more innovative with ML through their preferred choice of IDEs.

This makes it an appealing option for businesses that have both technical and non-technical users on their teams. 

8. Nanonets — AI-Powered Document Processing

Nanonets is a no-code AI platform that’s built for extracting the most information out of your documents. 

And the term “documents” is used loosely here. It can pull insights from emails, support tickets, databases—basically any unstructured data across multiple sources. 

For example, you could use it to collect invoices from emails and then automate accounts payable tasks. Or you could use historical data from old purchase orders to optimize your supply chain. 

You can try it for free and let Nanonets analyze 500 pages for your starter models. 

9. Levity AI — AI Automation For Repetitive Tasks

Levity AI is a no-code workflow automation builder. 

Business users can simply build an AI-powered model to complete common tasks based on certain triggers. It can be used for sales quote automation, direct order entry, customer tracking, and so much more. 

Just connect it with the tools you’re already using, like CRM databases, email providers, and management systems—then define your workflow by building AI blocks. 

10. Causaly AI — Human-Centric AI For Research and Development

Causaly AI is designed for biomedical scientific research and development. It’s built to eliminate human bias while conducting research and uncovering hidden knowledge in studies. 

As someone conducting this type of deep scientific research, you can benefit from asking Causaly questions. The AI answers these questions based on what it found in reading every biomedical literature that’s ever been published. 

It could otherwise take weeks or even months for researchers to find these answers. But Causaly finds them in seconds. 

The use cases of Causaly AI are pretty astonishing. It can help identify biomarkers in drug development programs, which ultimately streamlines success rates. It can also validate and qualify biomarkers in these studies. Scientists are even using it to further understand the biology behind diseases. 

11. PredictNow.ai — AI For Hedge Fund Investments

PredictNow.ai is another ultra niche-specific no-code tool. It’s built specifically for hedge funds, asset managers, and financial institutions. 

It’s designed to help these organizations forecast the probability of profitable trades and investment decisions. 

While this type of technology isn’t necessarily new, PredictNow.ai has some tools that you won’t see from other tools on the market. 

The platform is built on a concept that they call “Corrective AI.” Rather than completely relying on the AI models, the platform is designed to combine big data with human insight. So the decisions are still in your hands, but now you have more information at your disposal.

12. Invideo — AI Powered Video Generation

As the name implies, Invideo is a no-code AI tool for creating videos. 

Some of you may have experience with AI image generation. But Invideo blows that technology out of the water by creating more engaging video content. 

You can instantly turn text commands into videos, which is fun for anyone to do but also has tons of practical use cases for businesses. Rather than having to spend days or even weeks creating marketing and promotional content, you can use Invideo to create them in minutes. 

It’s also really easy to tweak and edit the videos with just a few clicks. You can even add human-sounding voice overs to your videos. 

13. AI Squared — Machine Learning For Business Web Applications

AI Squared uses both predictive and generative AI models to support web-based applications. 

It’s all about leveraging your company’s data to gain a competitive advantage. 

The platform can fill the gaps between data science and general business teams. These models can be implemented into web apps that businesses are already using, which can ultimately unlock hidden insights that were previously unavailable or too time-consuming to uncover. 

14. E42 — AI “Co-Workers” For Enterprise Functions

E42 is a no-code technology that’s powered by artificial intelligence and NLP designed to create “cognitive process automation” for enterprise organizations.

In simple terms, the platform lets companies and business users build AI co-workers to help boost productivity and complete tasks. 

The idea behind E42 isn’t to replace humans with AI—it’s to let AI supercharge human capabilities. 

One cool use case of E42 that I found interesting was the creation of an AI assistant named Neil. Neil is an accounts payable “executive” who handles 90% of accounts payable tasks. 

There are dozens of use cases like this on the E42 website. So you can check it out for yourself to see if any apply to your business. 

15. Flagright — AI-Powered FML Compliance For Fintechs and Banks

Flagright is a niche-specific AI platform that’s designed specifically for banks and financial technology companies. It helps these organizations deal with AML compliance—helping to detect money laundering, criminal financing, and securities fraud. 

While this may sound complex, it’s completely no-code. 

Compliance and fraud teams can use it on a practical basis to make fast and reliable decisions if suspicious behavior is detected. You can use it for rules-based monitoring, risk scoring, and even sanctions screenings. 

You can even use it to build custom scenarios and anonymously collaborate with other financial organizations across the globe. 

According to the Flagright website, this AI-powered risk detection tool saves the average analyst 20 hours per week, and it cuts false positive alerts by over 50%. 

Final Thoughts Using AI and No-Code Tools

Saying that no-code AI tools are powerful would be a drastic understatement. As you can see from the tools in this guide, this technology can be used for seemingly anything.

We’ve shown how no-code AI can be used to build mobile apps, create videos, reduce risks for hedge fund managers, and even fight financial crime. 

The key to success with no-code AI is finding the right tools that can help your business. Hopefully the options in this guide gave you a good starting point on what you can accomplish, along with some quality recommendations for tools that meet your desired use case. 

The post Top No-Code AI Tools of 2024: In-Depth Guide appeared first on BuildFire.

In fact, 86% of HR leaders say that employee training is critical for retaining talent. Businesses with comprehensive employee training programs generate 218% more revenue per employee compared to those without formal training. Furthermore, 92% of employees say that workplace training has a positive impact on their engagement, and 90% say they’re less likely to leave a company that offers development opportunities. 

Training modules are one of the most effective ways to train employees. Companies can build a training module for virtually any use case or learning initiative. Staff can complete modules at their own pace, while leaders can track and measure the results. 

If you’re interested in creating modules for training employees, you’ve come to the right place. I’ll break down the different ways you can use online training modules and types of training modules before walking you through the step-by-step process of building one that delivers real results. 

What is a Training Module?

A training module is a self-contained element of instructional information that focuses on a specific topic within a broader training program. Each module is designed to provide learners with skills, knowledge, and information related to a particular subject matter.

Training modules are components of an online course or instructional guide. Typically, multiple modules must be finished to complete a course or earn a certification. 

It’s common for training modules to be delivered through an online or mobile learning management system. Within each module, there’s a range of content that’s used for training—most often starting with informational content before formal assessments and evaluations.

For example, modules may start with a slideshow or video before testing what’s been learned through a quiz or test. 

Ways to Use Module Training For Employees

Module training can be used for any type of educational setting. But within the realm of an employee training program, these are the most common ways to use a modular training course: 

• New hire training, onboarding, and orientation
• Leadership training
• Sales coaching
• Product training
• Job-specific technical training
• Employee safety training
• Diversity training
• Mandatory corporate training (sexual harassment, soft skills, etc).
• Cybersecurity training protocols

You can create online training modules for virtually any type of learning objective within an organization. 

Types of Training Modules

Employee training modules come in all different shapes and sizes. But you can mix and match your content delivery and training assessments based on the specific goal or learning objective of the module. Here are some common types of training modules used for employee training:

Online Course

This type of online training module is a comprehensive e-learning initiative that’s designed to inform learners about a specific topic. It’s commonly presented in a slideshow format with a mix of text, images, and videos. Once a slide has been consumed, the learner continues by clicking a “Next” button to proceed. Online courses work really well for providing sequential training with information that builds on what was previously taught. 

Interactive Assessment

Interactive assessments are an engaging way to evaluate employees’ understanding of the training material. These assessments can include quizzes, drag-and-drop activities, or interactive simulations. The key is to make these assessments interactive and dynamic, allowing employees to apply what they’ve learned in a practical context. This type of module is particularly effective in measuring the retention of knowledge and skills, and it can be adapted for various topics ranging from product knowledge to compliance training.

Video Lectures and Presentations

Video lectures and presentations offer a visual and auditory learning experience that can be more engaging than text-based content. These modules can feature recorded lectures, interviews with experts, or animated explanations of complex concepts. They are particularly useful for delivering detailed information in an easily digestible format. Incorporating videos in training modules can enhance learners’ understanding and retention, especially for topics that benefit from visual demonstrations, like technical skills or product features.

Scenario-Based Learning

Scenario-based learning modules immerse employees in real-life situations relevant to their job roles. These scenarios require learners to make decisions based on the information provided—mimicking the challenges they may face in their actual work. This approach promotes critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Scenario-based learning is highly effective for training in areas like customer service, conflict resolution, and decision-making processes.

Microlearning

Microlearning involves creating short, focused training modules that cover a specific topic or skill in a concise manner. These modules are typically 5-10 minutes long and are ideal for busy employees who have limited time for training. Microlearning is effective for reinforcing key concepts, providing just-in-time training, and supporting ongoing learning. It’s suitable for topics that can be broken down into small, standalone units, such as software updates, policy changes, or quick tips.

Live Group Training

Live group training modules involve interactive sessions conducted in real time, either in-person or through video conferencing tools. These sessions can include workshops, webinars, or group discussions led by a trainer or subject matter expert. Live group training fosters collaboration and allows for immediate feedback and interaction among participants. It’s particularly useful for topics that benefit from group dynamics and discussion, such as leadership development, team building, and brainstorming sessions.

How to Create Online Training Modules For Employees (5 Steps)

Creating online training modules is easy when you follow specific guidelines. Use the five steps below to build each module.

Step 1 – Establish the Key Training Objectives

The first thing you need to do is determine the learning objectives for each module. By definition, a “module” is a set of independent units or parts of a more complete structure. So you don’t need to cram everything into one lesson. 

For example, if you want to train employees about cybersecurity protocols, you can break this down into three separate modules—one for BYOD policies, another for password management, and a third for breach protocols. 

Each module is completely independent of the other topics within the broader scope of cybersecurity. An employee doesn’t need to understand password policies to complete the module on breach protocols. But each of these is a key objective within the big picture of cybersecurity training. 

Step 2 – Define Success For Each Training Module

Every module needs to have its own definition of “success” or “completion.” This can vary depending on the type of training.

For example, success for new hire onboarding may simply require an employee to watch a set of videos and consume content within a slideshow. The act of watching the video to completion and clicking the “next” button after each slide may be enough for this. Then you could collect a signature from the employee that acknowledges they’ve read all of the policies and understand what’s expected of them in the workplace.

But success for using a particular piece of software or obtaining credentials may look very different. For these types of training modules, the employee may need to take a quiz, test, or exam and get a passing grade (such as 90% or higher) to complete the module. 

Step 3 – Determine the Right Content Format

The key to creating engaging training modules is picking the right way to distribute content for consumption. Text-only slides are boring and don’t always provide sufficient training for a particular subject matter. 

Interactive lessons that require the employee to make clicks and answer questions along the way tend to be more engaging. Leverage video content, audio files, and images whenever possible. 

You don’t need to stick with a standard training module template for every lesson. In fact, I advise against it. Changing the format based on the lesson is much more effective. 

Step 4 – Create Training Modules

When creating training modules, it’s easier to treat each one as its own mini-course. That’s why it’s so important to break down the key objectives, success definition, and content format before you start building the training materials. 

Here’s a sample of what you can include in just one module:

Don’t force content that doesn’t fit within the particular lesson. 

Remember, each module is completely independent of the other. This means that some training modules could take two or three hours to complete, while others may only take 20-30 minutes. 

Step 5 – Distribute and Track Results

Once you’ve completed your modules, it’s time to get them into the hands of your employees. It’s up to you to determine exactly when and how employees will use these. But try to tie them to specific job-related events or company-wide initiatives. 

For example, when a new employee gets hired, they’ll automatically be sent the onboarding module through your company’s internal employee app. From there, they can complete modules related to various corporate policies and go through specific skills training.

If an employee switches roles or moves to a new department, they’ll automatically be sent the training materials for this new position. If you’re rolling out a new product or using new software, you can send training modules to everyone within the organization. 

Some companies offer optional training for employees who want to advance specific skills and advance themselves within the company. Others roll out mandatory training sessions every year or quarter related to different HR initiatives and compliance. 

It’s crucial to use a learning management system that accurately tracks who has completed what modules. Beyond completion rates, you need to assess how well the training translates into improved job performance. This type of data can help identify areas where employees are struggling and need additional support. 

The Importance of Effective Employee Training For Your Company Culture

Employee training is far more important than simply ensuring your staff knows how to do their jobs. It ultimately helps enrich your company culture by creating employees who are skilled, engaged, and constantly advancing. 

A recent survey found that 76% of employees were more likely to stay with an organization that offers continuous training. 

Turnover rates are one of the most important KPIs when assessing company culture. If your office is like a revolving door, it instantly tells new employees that there probably isn’t much of a future for them within the company. But low turnover rates help build strong bonds between existing staff while conveying the message to new hires that they can be happy and grow within the company for the long haul. 

39% of employees say that the potential for future growth within an organization is an important factor in job satisfaction. By offering training, you’re always giving your staff the opportunity to grow and succeed. 

A whopping 86% of job seekers say they’ll avoid companies with a bad reputation. Meanwhile, 82% of business leaders say that a strong company culture gives them a competitive advantage in the workplace. 

These results are measurable—with 46% of leaders saying that improving company culture leads to a boost in employee productivity and 38% saying it leads to increased employee engagement. 

Final Thoughts — Using Mobile Apps For Employee Training Programs

Leveraging mobile apps for employee training programs presents an innovative and efficient way to enhance learning experiences. With solutions like BuildFire, you can create and deliver training modules directly to your staff’s smartphones—making learning accessible anytime and anywhere.

This approach perfectly aligns with the modern workforce’s preference for on-the-go and flexible learning options. 

In fact, 58% of employees say that they want to learn at their own pace. Mobile apps give them this opportunity to complete modules in bite-sized sections whether they’re on the job, at home, or on the go. They can fit training into their busy schedules without distributing their workflow. 

BuildFire lets you integrate various types of training modules into a user-friendly interface. From interactive assessments to video lectures, slides, and quizzes, everything can be distributed and completed from a smartphone or tablet. 

This not only simplifies distribution and tracking but also engages employees in a more dynamic and personalized learning journey. The convenience of apps encourages higher participation rates with real-time analytics and feedback mechanisms. 

By harnessing the power of mobile technology, you’re offering much more than an employee training solution—you’re fostering a culture of continuous learning and development within your organization. 

The post How to Create Modules For Training Employees appeared first on BuildFire.

In the US alone, the online learning industry is projected to reach $687 billion by 2030—up from $100 billion in 2020. Furthermore, it’s expected that over 57 million people will take online courses by 2027.

With so many people looking to learn new skills or get trained online, there’s an inherent need for online teaching to fill that gap. 

Using mobile apps to teach online classes is one the best and most profitable ways to enter this space—and that’s exactly what you’ll learn from this guide. I’ll explain how to build online courses and teach online classes using mobile apps in a way that’s more profitable than you ever thought possible. 

Importance of Mobile Apps For Online Teaching

Traditional lecture-style online classes aren’t suitable for the masses. With modern online learning, people want to go at their own pace. Whether that’s one class a week, three classes per day, or a mixed cadence that fits their schedule. 

It’s much easier to complete online training if you have 24/7 access to a lesson. That’s where mobile apps come into the equation. 

Someone’s smartphone is usually never more than an arm’s reach away. This makes the perfect vessel to facilitate online learning—and as a result, the best way to teach online.

This doesn’t just sound good in theory—the facts support it. 64% of learners say that accessing training materials from a mobile device is “essential.” Smartphone learners complete online course material 45% faster than people using a computer. The mobile learning market is growing at a CAGR of 30% and expected to reach $156 billion by 2026. 

As the teacher, you don’t have to be physically present at a specific date or time. You simply prepare the learning materials ahead of time, break everything up into incremental sections, and publish it through the app. 

With the right angle and solid marketing, a single course could reach tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of users. You do the work once and get paid for every new purchase.

How Much Money Can You Make Online Teaching Courses?

You can make plenty of money with an online course business. In reality, there’s no cap on your earnings. It’s just a matter of how you price the course and how many people you can get signed up.

Here’s a basic overview of how many online courses are priced:

• $45 to $150 for a mini course. 5-10 short videos around 10-15 minutes each would fall into this category. 
• $195 to $595 for a short to medium-length course. This would typically be a mix of videos, PDF files, and quizzes that take upwards of four to six weeks to complete. 
• $1,000 to $3,500 for long online courses. Think of a flagship course that would take three to six months to complete. 

Again, these are just baseline examples. You can really price the course any way you want. 
According to a recent study by Podia, the average first-time online course costs $137.

If you decide to price your first online course right around the average, you can expect to earn about $68,500 if 500 people sign up, $205,500 if 1,500 people sign up, and $548,000 if 4,000 people sign up.

You get the idea. There’s money to be made here.

The Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing Course is a great example. Taught by Michelle Schroeder-Gardner, the course costs $197, and over 6,000 people have completed it. That’s $1,182,000. 

What I love about this example is that it shows how anyone can teach a profitable online course. You don’t need an education background and really don’t even need traditional teaching skills. 

Michelle simply took something she was good at and created an online course to show others how she was successful.

This is the best way to earn money teaching online courses because it involves much less research and effort. You already possess the knowledge or skills. Now it’s just a matter of putting them into an online course template and pushing those materials out into the world.

You can also get a massive ROI from teaching online courses like this. Michelle first launched her affiliate marketing course in 2016. Fast-forward to today, and people are still buying it.

How to Teach Online Courses That Make Money in 10 Steps

Consider this your course on online teaching—specifically using mobile apps to boost profitability. I’ll walk you through ten easy steps that will simplify the way you teach online courses.

Step 1 – Identify Your Niche and Target Audience

Before you prepare any course material, the first thing you need to do is figure out who you’re planning to teach. Step outside the narrow box of college courses and students taking an online class. The online teaching space is much broader, and there are literally thousands of other ways to approach this.

The secret to this step is to look for the golden triangle combination of these three elements:

• Your area of expertise
• Long-term market trends
• Learning gaps that need to be filled

For example, let’s say you’re a software developer (area of expertise) and recognize the power of artificial intelligence in programming (market trend). Then you could see if mid-market business IT teams know how to use this technology to their advantage (learning gaps).

This is much more specific than just a general-purpose programming course. Instead, think about who’s interested in taking online courses, and fill the gap of those courses that don’t really exist yet. 

Step 2 – Choose the Right Mobile App Platform For Online Courses

Next, you need to figure out how you’re going to deliver your course. As previously discussed, mobile apps are the best learning management system—so this will be our primary area of focus.

It’s best to choose robust educational technology that’s specifically built for your use case. 

BuildFire’s education app builder is suitable for any type of online course. It’s plug-and-play, so you can easily add new types of training modules or educational content based on how you want to teach the course.

Some of you might want to use videos and audio files to share lessons. Others may prefer flashcards, PDF documents, and quizzes. Some may want to create a course that’s a combination of everything.

The best part about using an app from BuildFire to teach your online course is that it’s optimized for profits. As a no-code app builder, you can use it to build and launch an app for iOS and Android in a matter of weeks. 

It supports in-app payments for one-off courses and ongoing subscriptions. Plus, it’s super affordable. Plans range from just $100 to $500 per month. You know your fixed costs from the beginning, and you can easily break even by just selling a few courses. Everything else is pure profit. 

Step 3 – Design Engaging Course Content

Now it’s time to prepare your course materials. 

But do so in a way that drives engagement in the online learning environment. For example, lectures can be boring. But interactive quizzes and online discussions with other people are engaging. 

If you’re struggling with the right format, I strongly suggest signing up for a bunch of different online courses to see which ones fit your style. It’s worth the time and investment, and even if you’re on a tight budget, there are plenty of free online courses you can use as inspiration. 

Here’s an example of the Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing Course that I referenced earlier:

It’s also important to consider how you’re going to structure each lesson so that it keeps the learner engaged. 

For example, let’s say you’re teaching an online course about how to become a yoga teacher. There’s a level of understanding that the people interested in this course already know the yoga basics. They’ve likely been practicing for years and just need some guidance on the steps for getting the appropriate certifications to teach.

So if your first course covers beginner yoga poses, you’re likely going to lose your audience pretty quickly. 

Lots of course creators tend to “hide” the secrets for later in the lessons. I don’t like that idea, especially if people are paying. Start to give them real value from the very beginning so they keep coming back for more. 

Step 4 – Optimize and Automate For Mobile Learning

It’s extremely important that you consider the size of your “online classroom.” People will be completing your course on a four or five-inch screen.

So if there’s a video of you standing in front of a whiteboard, pointing to different things, and writing while you’re speaking, it will be tough for people to see what you’re doing.

Instead, a full-size slide or flashcard will be easier to digest on mobile. You could always have an audio voiceover or use a video that follows this format as well. 

If you’re going to deliver PDF downloads, make sure the font size is mobile-friendly. Users shouldn’t have to pinch and zoom to see everything on the screen.

Additionally, you want to automate as much as possible. There shouldn’t have to be any manual intervention by you or the user to complete the course.

For example, let’s say you’re planning to have a quiz after each module. Rather than manually correcting each quiz, you can simply set a passing standard (like 80%) and automatically open the next module if the user gets a passing score. 

If the course is sequential (which I recommend), then you can lock each section of the course and set it to automatically unlock it after the previous section is completed. This is much easier than having to manually send out new modules every week. 

Once your mobile course has been created, you really won’t have to touch anything—the entire process gets put on autopilot. 

Step 5 – Set Up Your Monetization Strategies

These are the most common ways to monetize your online course:

• One-time payments for complete access to a course
• Monthly or annual subscriptions for complete access to all training resources
• Offering a free course and then upselling another lesson or product
• Bundling multiple courses into a single purchase
• Selling courses as products
• Selling ad space or getting a sponsor for your course
• Affiliate marketing within the course (like using Bluehost to show people how to create a website and then directing them to a Bluehost affiliate link)

Don’t box yourself into just one of these methods. I recommend experimenting with different options to see which ones convert at the highest rate.

If you’re just getting started, you may need to offer some type of free course or free lesson just to help establish some credibility. 

Step 6 – Market Your Online Course

This is arguably the most important step in the entire process. You could have the best online course in the world, but if nobody knows about it, it doesn’t matter.

Treat your online course like any other type of business product. It’s all about getting the most eyes on your product and getting those eyes to convert.

Some of my favorite marketing strategies for online courses include:

• Hosting webinars for people interested in your topic
• Creating a website and blogging about the subject
• Accepting invitations to be a podcast guest in your niche
• Building an email list by giving away free materials
• Publishing a book and pitching your course in it
• Guest posting on other blogs and publications
• Collaborating with other online teachers

The list goes on and on. Yes, obviously you can run ads on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Google. But the point is you don’t need to spend a ton of money on marketing to be successful here. There are other ways.

My best advice, find ways to target people who are already taking online classes. It’s easier to get someone like this to buy your course as opposed to someone who has never purchased one in the past. 

Step 7 – Engage Your Mobile Learners

The best part about using mobile apps to sell your online course is that it gives a direct window straight into someone’s pocket. So you can keep them engaged before, during, and after the course material has been completed. 

Everyone has different learning styles. So you can set automation triggers to send a push notification if someone hasn’t opened the app in three days, reminding them to complete the next module.

Conversely, if someone is on a six-day streak, you could send them a push notification congratulating them on their progress and encouraging them to keep up the good work.

If another user has already completed the course, send them a notification to purchase your next one. 

In all of these examples, the student has an online teacher that’s directly reaching out to them—which keeps them coming back. 

You can also offer in-app support for your students so they can reach out to you with questions or suggestions throughout the process. Asking for feedback is another great way to keep people engaged. 

Step 8 – Track and Analyze the Performance of Your Online Course

Using sales to validate the success of your online course can be misleading. If 1,000 people signed up but only 126 completed it, there’s obviously a serious problem that needs to be addressed.

You could look at the finer details to find trends and common ground where people got stuck or didn’t come back. Maybe 70% of users completed the first three modules but stopped during the fourth.

Is this due to a technical glitch? Poor lesson planning? What’s the issue?

You could also have a near 100% completion rate but poor sales. This tells you that your course is doing well, but you need to enhance your marketing efforts.

While most of the course can be put on autopilot, there’s still going to be room for improvement. That’s what separates the average online course from the ones that make a ton of money. 

Step 9 – Scale and Expand Your Course

Once you’ve fine-tuned the details, you take your course to the next level by either enhancing it or creating a new one. 

Maybe your first course was the “Beginner’s Guide to SEO.” Your next course is “Intermediate SEO Training” or “Technical SEO 101.”

Ideally, look for something that’s the next logical step for your existing customers. Selling a new course to someone who’s already completed one is going to be much easier than finding a completely new audience. 

This could also be a good time to experiment with another format. 

For example, after the course is over you could offer a one-time payment for lifetime access to specific training materials. Or maybe you’ll offer a subscription service for online coaching. 

You should have this next step prepared from the beginning. So you can immediately hit users with another value proposition after they’ve completed the first course. This way, the topic is fresh in their mind, and they’re ready to continue their learning objectives. 

Step 10 – Keep Up With Pace With New Trends to Adjust as Necessary

Be prepared to change your course if certain ideas or concepts become obsolete. 

Let’s say you’re teaching business users how to master technology in a particular field. But there’s an updated version of the software you used, and the steps no longer translate. 

You’re better off adjusting your existing course with the latest version or supplementing it with additional materials. 

This concept applies to basically every field or practice. 

If there’s new research, updated studies, advanced technology, or anything else that can make your course better, then add it in. Be sure to promote these updates so prospective users know that it’s new, improved, and still relevant. 

Final Thoughts on Teaching an Online Course

Online teaching is a booming industry. 

With so many people looking to expand their knowledge and learn new skills, you can easily tap into this market by teaching an online course.

Mobile access to your course helps you teach in a format that your audience prefers. So creating a mobile app for online learning is really a no-brainer for anyone looking to penetrate this space. 

Consider using BuildFire as your learning management system. This app builder has everything you need to build and teach a profitable online course through your own mobile app. From driving recurring revenue to engaging with your students, BuildFire accommodates online learning for any industry or use case. Try it free for 14 days. 

The post How to Teach an Online Course (and Get Paid) Using Mobile Apps appeared first on BuildFire.

Unlike native mobile apps, a web app does not require any installation to use. 

While this is the most obvious distinction between the two, there are plenty of other key differences and similarities between web apps and mobile apps—all which will be covered in this in-depth guide. 

I’ll break down everything you need to know about web apps and mobile apps, including the situations when it makes more sense to build a mobile app and scenarios where a web app works better. 

Understanding Web Apps

A web app is an application program that’s stored on remote servers and delivered through web browser interfaces over the internet. 

Common examples of web apps include Google Docs, Netflix, and even Facebook. You don’t need to install any software on your devices to use these tools—as all three of these can be directly accessed from any web browser. 

While using these types of apps through a web browser doesn’t necessarily deliver the optimal user experience compared to a native app (which we’ll cover later), they still work and function as intended through browsers. 

For web apps, progressive web apps, and hybrid apps to work, they simply need a web server, database, and application server powering it on the backend. 

Web apps and websites are not the same thing, even though web apps are accessed through websites, and the average user may not necessarily notice the difference. But websites are static, and web apps are dynamic—meaning web apps are more interactive and allow the user to perform more tasks. 

Web apps typically require some type of user authentication. This is not the case for websites, as anyone can visit them by just navigating to the URL. 

Understanding Mobile Apps

As the name implies, mobile apps are designed specifically for mobile devices—like smartphones and tablets. To access the app, users must first install it on their device. 

Mobile apps leverage the native features of a device, like a smartphone’s camera, Bluetooth, or GPS. This drastically improves the features, performance, and usability compared to its web app counterparts. 

Within this category, there are also native mobile apps and hybrid mobile apps. 

A native mobile app is built for a specific type of operating system, like iOS or Android. Hybrid mobile apps can run on multiple operating systems. 

Have you ever accessed Facebook or Instagram through your smartphone’s web browser? It’s possible and gives you all of the same information. But the experience is undoubtedly better when you’re accessing these platforms directly from the mobile app installed on a particular device. 

A mobile app still uses servers and databases to power it on the backend. But mobile apps can be both static and dynamic at the same time. 

A static application doesn’t need an internet connection, online server, or database to operate. They’re downloaded and can function offline, with periodic updates. Dynamic apps are in some way reliant on a server or database to operate. 

Let’s consider the mobile app version of the three examples mentioned in the previous section—Google Docs, Netflix, and Facebook. You can use each of these while offline as a static app, but the information won’t refresh or update until you’re connected to the servers. So you can access old documents and download movies or browse old photos on your timeline. But you won’t be able to see edits to new documents, stream new movies, or see an updated post until you’ve established a connection. 

Mobile App Versus Web App: Key Differences

In comparing a mobile app vs. web app, you’ll quickly notice some significant differences. Depending on your goals, these differences could definitely sway you in one direction over the other. 

Development Environment and Tools

Mobile app development requires platform-specific development environments and tools. For example, Apple has its own IDE (integrated development environment) for iOS apps. It includes an iOS SDK, development tools, and other compilers that app developers can use to write code and debug apps specifically for iOS apps. Android also has its own development software, Android Studio. 

Unlike mobile apps, web app development environments aren’t quite as strict. Web developers have a wider range of tools to choose from depending on the programming languages they’re planning to use for the build. 

Programming Languages and Frameworks

With mobile applications, the programming language depends on the type of app and platform you’re building. Swift and Objective-C are the primary programming languages for iOS apps. Android apps commonly use Java and Kotlin. Hybrid apps can be built with C#, Xamarin, React Native, Appcelerator, and Cordova/PhoneGap. 

Web apps are typically built using JavaScript, PHP, Python, and Ruby. Generally speaking, developers have more options to choose from and tend to find web apps easier to build because they can use languages and frameworks that they’re already familiar with. If you have basic coding knowledge, you’ll likely find it easier to build a web app. 

Performance and Speed

Performance varies drastically between web apps and mobile apps—and mobile apps have the edge. First, mobile devices don’t need an internet connection for apps to work. Mobile apps are more responsive, load faster, and handle common gestures natively built into mobile devices.

Conversely, web app speed and performance are almost always tied to the strength of an internet connection. Without that connection, the app won’t work. Poor connection negatively impacts the app’s loading speed and usability. Web apps also have inconsistent performance because they’re also reliant on web browsers. 

User Experience and Engagement

Better performance and speed lead to an enhanced user experience on mobile apps. Actions performed in an app are almost instantaneous through a mobile device. There’s rarely lag or interference getting to the next stage, which can’t be said for web apps.

The app publisher also has more ways to engage with its users compared to web app developers. For example, publishers can send push notifications directly to a mobile device—prompting users to open the app or take an action. This isn’t something you can do from a web app. 

Cost and Development Timeline

Building web apps is typically cheaper and faster than building mobile apps. Mobile apps take longer because they’re more complex to build, and sometimes, two versions of the app need to be built so the app can run on multiple platforms.

However, it’s worth noting that in recent years, the cost to create a mobile app has significantly dropped. With no-code app builders, you can build a mobile app without having to write a single line of code—and you can launch on iOS and Android from a single build. This dramatically shortens the time to launch and reduces the costs associated with development.

Market Reach and Monetization Methods

Technically, web apps have a wider market research because they can be accessed by anyone with an internet connection—regardless of the device. Mobile apps are distributed via app stores, and there need to be multiple versions of the app on each store so it complies with the specific requirements of each operating system (although all popular mobile apps are available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store). 

It’s generally easier to monetize mobile apps because of the native components. While both types of apps can leverage multiple monetization strategies, web apps have more friction in the checkout process. It’s also easier for mobile apps to set recurring billing and take advantage of saved mobile wallets on the device. 

Similarities Between Web Apps and Mobile Apps

While different in many ways, mobile apps and web apps do share some similarities, including:

Accessibility and Compatibility

Both mobile and web apps are accessible to the masses and compatible across multiple platforms. 

If someone has a smartphone or tablet, there’s a good chance they’ll be able to access the application, whether it’s a native mobile app or web app. 

Security

Mobile and web apps both face security vulnerabilities. As a developer and app publisher, it’s your responsibility to prioritize data protection and user privacy. 

The exact types of threats may differ between the two, but inherently, this is still something they share. 

User-Centric Design

UX design is critical for web and mobile apps alike. In fact, 90% of people say they’d stop using an app because of poor performance. The vast majority of performance issues are design-related. 

Beyond speed, design is the most important thing to an app user because it affects so much of how they experience the app. Design choices impact how attractive the app is, how well it fits the screen, and how easy it is for users to find what they’re looking for. 

Ongoing Maintenance and Updates

Mobile apps and web apps both require updates and ongoing maintenance. Whether it’s bug fixes, new feature releases, or security patches, you’ll need to continue updating your app regardless of how it’s being distributed. 

It’s worth mentioning that there’s a difference in the way updates are deployed. For web apps, they can simply be deployed on the server without any user intervention. But for mobile apps, the user must install the latest update to access the new version. 

Integration with Emerging Technologies

Thanks to APIs (application programming interfaces), it’s fairly common for multiple apps to integrate and play nice with each other. This holds true for both native and web apps. 

For example, you might integrate Slack (either the web app, desktop app, or mobile app) with your website to automatically get notified when someone subscribes to your newsletter. Or maybe you’re integrating your app with Facebook or Google to authenticate users with SSO. 

How to Choose What’s Right For You: Web App or Mobile App?

Now that you understand the key differences and similarities between web and mobile apps, it’s time to determine what’s right for you. Here’s a quick resource that you can use to find the answer.

When to Go With a Mobile App

• Use native apps if your target audience predominantly uses smartphones.
• Build a mobile app if you want to take advantage of device-specific features, like a smartphone’s camera, mic, GPS, accelerometer, etc.
• Mobile apps are better if you want users to have offline access.
• Mobile apps are better for driving user engagement.
• If you want to monetize your app through subscriptions and in-app purchases, go with a mobile version. 
• For improved brand loyalty and focusing on building long-term customer relationships, mobile apps have the edge. 

When to Go With a Web App

• Web apps tend to have a wider reach than mobile apps, which is important if you don’t want owning a smartphone to be contingent on someone using your app.
• Web apps are often more cost-effective to build and maintain.
• It’s easier to deploy updates to web apps directly on the server without the user having to install an update. 
• Web apps can be found in search engines—meaning they’re more SEO-friendly and help enhance a brand’s overall online presence. 

Final Thoughts

In today’s day and age, the vast majority of businesses are building for mobile. Web apps are still popular in certain use cases, and they’re often used in conjunction with a mobile app. 

But the experience of using a mobile app can’t really be replicated using a web app.

In terms of performance, speed, and reliability, mobile apps are superior. 

Historically, a business might have been swayed to build a web app compared to a mobile app because of budget constraints. But that’s really no longer a factor today.

Are web apps cheaper to build? Usually. But mobile apps aren’t as expensive as they once were—and they no longer require low-level coding from scratch.

You can build a mobile app today by signing up for a no-code app builder. This would cost you anywhere from $100 to $500 per month, which is affordable for any budget. 

With BuildFire, you get the best of both worlds. You can build an app for iOS, Android, and a progressive web app (PWA), all in a single build. The app can even be built for iPads and Android tablets. 

Sign up today to get started, and try BuildFire free for 14 days—no credit card required. 

The post What’s the Difference Between Web App & Mobile App? appeared first on BuildFire.

With that said, many businesses still prefer to outsource mobile app development—and it’s often the best path for mid-market organizations.

If you need an app for business but don’t know where to start, this guide has you covered. I’ll explain everything you need to know about outsourcing app development, including the benefits, costs, and finding the right partner. 

What is App Development Outsourcing?

Mobile app development outsourcing means working with a third-party service provider to build an app on behalf of your business. It’s a type of software development outsourcing that specifically refers to mobile apps built by an app development company or developers who aren’t part of your in-house team. 

The company seeking app development services still owns the app. They just get someone else to build it for them. 

App development outsourcing can be used for any type of mobile app—including internal apps for HR and employee communications or customer-facing apps for your core business model. 

9 Reasons to Outsource Mobile App Development

There are dozens of benefits to app development outsourcing. But these are the top nine reasons why businesses choose to outsource app development.

1. Cost-Effectiveness

Developing an app in-house can be expensive. Most companies don’t have the personnel on staff to handle app development, which forces them to hire new employees. 

US software developers make between $96,760 and $161,40, with the median sitting at $127,260. That’s just for one developer in a single year—not to mention the costs associated with benefits, payroll taxes, training, and other costs for onboarding a new employee. 

Rather than spending $300,000 on labor alone, you could outsource development for around $30,000. 

2. Faster Development Timeline

Launching your app quickly is crucial for getting a faster return on your investment. That’s why long development timelines can hurt you in multiple ways—they’re expensive, and you’re not getting anything in return during the app development process.

This holds true whether the app is customer-facing or solving internal inefficiencies. 

But app development companies already have dedicated teams and processes in place. They have the tools, skills, and knowledge to build apps quickly and more efficiently than an in-house team during this for the first time. It could take your IT team 9-12 months to create an app, whereas an app development agency can knock it out in 3-6 months. 

3. Ability to Focus on Core Business Operations

Mobile apps are supposed to improve businesses, not hinder them. 

If you’re investing 60-80+ hours per week managing this type of project on your own, then who’s going to handle your day-to-day responsibilities?

Lots of businesses don’t think they need to consider mobile application development outsourcing because they have skilled developers in-house. But what are those developers currently working on? Who is going to handle those duties if you allocate those resources to a different project?

Outsourcing app development means you can keep the wheels in motion and without compromising your core business objectives. 

4. App Developer Expertise

Developing an app is a considerable investment for any business. With the stakes high, you want to make sure that you have the best mobile app developers working on your project.

Sure, you might have one or two people on your staff who have built an app in the past. But wouldn’t you rather work with mobile app development agencies that have built thousands of apps?

It’s like anything else. The more experience you have, the better the final product will be. It’s rare for an agency to come across something they’ve never seen before. But if you’re using in-house talent, this could be a weekly or even daily occurrence. 

5. Access to the Latest Mobile App Technologies

App development is more than just writing code. The best apps leverage cutting-edge technology to ensure the app performs well and delivers the optimal user experience post-launch. 

But the latest and greatest technology comes at a cost. 

Look beyond the app itself. You have authentication servers, databases, push notification servers, integrations, and more—there’s an entire mobile app infrastructure that’s happening behind the scenes. It’s tough to replicate this on your own, and it often doesn’t make sense from a cost perspective. It’s easier and more cost-effective to get this technology included with mobile development outsourcing. 

6. Scalability and Flexibility

When you outsource mobile application development, it’s much easier to grow and scale compared to handling this on your own. 

Let’s say your app grows from 10,000 to 100,000 users. Mobile app development services can easily help accommodate this kind of growth without any downtime or user experience issues. 

Or maybe you want to add a new custom feature three months after the initial launch. It’s not as easy to do this on your own. 

7. Cost Predictability

The cost of outsourcing mobile application development is much more predictable than doing it in-house. More often than not, you’ll have a final quote from the development agency—and you know that the project won’t go over that number. 

But going over budget is practically guaranteed if you’re building an app in-house. Why? Things happen.

People get sick. Equipment goes down. Some sprints take longer than initially anticipated. 

An app agency will never come back to you and say, “Hey, one of our developers quit, so we had to hire a new one. So we’re going to add an additional $10,000 to your invoice to account for the training costs needed to onboard our new hire.” 

If something like this happens internally within your organization, the cost will come out of your pocket. And there’s really nothing you can do about it. You’ll have to pay whatever it costs because you need the app, and you’re not going to invest thousands of dollars and months of time to settle for an incomplete project. 

Pro Tip: Use our App Development Calculator to estimate how much it will take to build an app for your business. 

8. Reduced Legal and HR Burdens

As previously discussed, building a dedicated team to build your app is expensive. But beyond labor costs, your in-house team can lead to significant legal and HR burdens. 

You don’t have to worry about workers’ compensation claims or dealing with paid parental leave if you’re working with an agency. 

In some cases, in-house app developers could even try to claim ownership of the source code of your app. No business wants to deal with these types of headaches. 

9. Continuous Maintenance and Support

Building and launching a mobile app is really just the beginning of app development. Your app still needs lots of attention and care for it to continue working and be successful for the long haul.

What happens when a new iOS version comes out? Apple just changed its App Store requirements—not what? How will you address bugs, glitches, or new security threats?

If you built the app in-house, you need to allocate development resources to deal with this stuff on a regular basis. It’s not like you can just hire a team for one year and then fire them once the app goes live. That $300,000+ in annual labor sticks with you for the lifetime of your app if you’re building it in-house. 

But when you outsource mobile app development, you’ll get ongoing maintenance and support for a low monthly fee. You won’t have to worry about maintaining your app at all if you have the right partner. 

How to Evaluate the Costs of Outsourcing Mobile App Development

How much does it cost to build an app in-house compared to outsourcing app development? I’ll break that down below. 

Factors That Influence App Cost

When it comes to outsourcing app development, these are the most common factors that influence the total cost:

• App Complexity — Advanced features that require custom code will be more expensive than basic apps that can be developed with simple, pre-built functions. 
• Location of development team — Offshore mobile app development teams are typically cheaper than US-based app developers.
• Supported platforms — Do you need an iOS app, Android app, or both? 
• Backend technology — This refers to the software and servers required to power and maintain your app during development and after it goes live.
• Development timeline — Typically, the longer it takes to build your app, the more expensive it will cost. 

This is the starting point for most people. We also have an in-depth guide that breaks down the cost of app development in granular detail, comparing costs related to app category, design costs, and even infrastructure services. 

Cost Comparison: In-House vs. Outsourced App Development

Let’s say you want to build an average app for your business. It’s nothing too fancy, but it handles all of the basics—like allowing users to create a profile and sign in, it connects to the internet, has a database on the back end, and you want it to integrate with calendars and social media. Plus, you want to build it for both iOS and Android devices. 

If you build an in-house team, you’ll likely need at least two app developers for this type of project. We’ll estimate on the low end and say their salary is $80,000 per year, each. That’s $160,000 in labor (assuming you find quality developers willing to work for that rate). 

$160,000 before a single line of code even gets written. Servers will cost another $10,000 to $12,000 per year, plus another $10,000 to account for things like APIs, push notifications, and integrations. We’re nearing $200,000 and the app is just getting started, and we haven’t even touched upon project management or quality assurance costs. 

On the flip side, you could outsource this same exact mobile app to a third-party development team for $25,000 to $40,000. That’s your out-the-door cost to launch before updates and ongoing maintenance. 

Maintenance from an app development agency will likely cost around $5,000 to $10,000 annually. This would cost at least $40,000 in-house, even if you’re using just one developer for this and allocating their resources to other projects. 

In this example, building, launching, and maintaining your app in-house would cost about $360,000 (on the low end) over five years. Outsourcing the same app would cost $65,000 to $80,000 over five years. 

While this is just one example, it highlights what you’ll see across the board—outsourcing app development is roughly 20% of the cost compared to building in-house. 

Understanding Pricing Models in Outsourcing App Development

All app development companies each have their own unique way of pricing mobile app projects. With that said, you’ll likely find one of the following three models:

• Fixed Rate — This is the most straightforward. The company tells you the total app cost, and you pay that number. It’s the easiest way to estimate and stay within your budget, but your developer could cut corners if unexpected issues arise (although you won’t have to worry about this from a reputable development company).
• Hourly Rate — Hourly billing is more common from freelance app developers compared to agencies. Rates can vary significantly, with rates starting around $30 per hour for developers in India, $50 per hour in Eastern Europe, and upwards of $80 per hour in the US. Some developers can give you an estimate of how many hours the project will take. But if it ends up taking longer, you could go over budget. 
• Subscription Rate — With the subscription model, you pay a fixed monthly, quarterly, or annual fee to use app development software. This can range from $100 to $500 per month, depending on the tools and features you need. 

The subscription model is often the best route, assuming you have the right app development partner. It’s less of a financial burden than paying $20,000 or $50,000 upfront. That’s the obvious reason. 

But if you outsource your app project to a company like BuildFire, you’ll also have the option to leverage our in-house development team if you need something unique or custom. For basic app features, 80% or even 90% can be handled with our app builder. Then we can bridge the gap with that remaining 10-20% to help you save money while still getting exactly what you need.

The annual subscription could cost you $6,000, and a custom function (if you need it) might cost an additional $6,000. 

Hidden Costs and How to Avoid Them

The cost of building a mobile app goes beyond the development process and the app itself. You also need to account for:

• Maintaining your staff
• Project management
• Quality assurance
• Hosting
• Refactoring
• CDNs
• Training
• UX Design
• UI Design
• Security
• Administrative Services

The easiest way to avoid these hidden fees is by outsourcing. When you outsource app development, cost is essentially set in stone. You pretty much know exactly what you’re going to pay, and you don’t have to worry about any surprises popping up along the way.

How to Choose the Right Mobile App Development Outsourcing Partner

There are thousands of agencies out there that offer software development services. So how can you narrow down your search and find an app development company that meets your needs?

Keep the following considerations in mind as you’re comparing different options:

• Look for an outsourcing company that offers strategic consulting for your app idea.
• The best app development companies handle all aspects of project management for you.
• They should also deal with quality assurance and testing. 
• Pricing should be clear. If you’re not given an exact quote, you should at least be given a range with expectations.
• Determine whether you want to work with a US-based development company or if you don’t mind sacrificing quality to save money. Language barriers should also be taken into consideration.
• When you outsource mobile app development, make sure your partner gives you a timeline of when you can expect the app to be completed. 
• Make sure the outsourcing company offers post-launch maintenance and support.
• Ideally, the development agency you’re considering should have experience building apps in your industry. 

For more information, review our guide on what to look for in a mobile app developer. We also have a detailed resource on how to choose the best mobile app development company for your business. 

Managing the App Development Outsource Relationship

Once you’ve settled on an outsourcing company and started to work with their app development team, there are certain things you need to keep in mind to maintain a quality relationship with them.

First, make sure you have enough meetings before development actually starts. This ensures that everyone is on the same page so they know exactly what you’re looking for. Getting some wireframes, mockups, or even app prototypes can really help during the pre-development and design phases. 

During development, you can set some milestones and ask for updates on a regular cadence. But again, it’s best to establish this ahead of time. If you’re just going to email the outsourcing company once a week asking, “I’d like to see what my app looks like so far,” then you’re not giving them an opportunity to really work on it. 

The purpose of outsourcing is to remain hands-off. While you should still be part of the process, you don’t want to micro-manage the team. They aren’t your employees and you shouldn’t treat them as such. 

That’s why it’s so important to find the right partner from the beginning. It makes it much easier to manage the ongoing relationship when everyone is working toward the same common goal. 

Final Thoughts: What to Expect When You Outsource Mobile App Development

In short, you can expect it to be much more cost-effective and easier to outsource mobile app development compared to building an app in-house. 

Maintaining an internal development team really only makes sense if you’re planning to build multiple apps on a regular basis and use them for a variety of core business functions. But even in this scenario, outsourcing should still be taken into consideration. 

One unique aspect of using BuildFire for app development is that you have access to our pre-existing app development infrastructure. This drastically reduces the time and costs associated with traditional development—plus, you can launch an app for iOS and Android with a single build. 

You can also leverage our app development platform and app development services under one roof. Whether you’re looking for assisted setup and design services and then want to manage the app on your own, you want to build it on your own and leverage our team for something specific, or you want us to do all the heavy lifting for you, there are plenty of different options to choose from. 

Schedule a consultation today to see how BuildFire can bring your app to life. 

The post How to Outsource App Development (Benefits + Cost) appeared first on BuildFire.

From online business ideas to unique service offerings, this guide presents low-cost and easy business ideas that not only make money but also have the potential to grow and adapt to the ever-changing business landscape. 

You can use this resource as inspiration to start your own business without having to borrow money, raise funds from investors, or pour your life savings into it. Most of these business ideas can be started for less than $500 and follow business models that turn a profit almost instantly. 

1. Online Tutoring and Teaching

Online tutoring has recently emerged as one of the most lucrative business ideas in the digital age—mostly due to its low operational costs and expensive market research.

Unlike traditional tutoring, which involves renting a physical space or traveling to the student’s home, online tutoring services eliminate these logistical expenses and transcend geographical limitations. 

The initial startup cost is minimal, and most of you already have what you need to get started. You just need a dependable internet connection and a decent computer, along with a quality webcam and microphone. 

One of the best parts about becoming an online tutor is that it can apply to nearly any skill or knowledge base. Think beyond the traditional student and teacher arrangement here. You could teach new mothers how to care for their babies or teach people how to build a home garden in urban environments. The possibilities are truly endless. 

Furthermore, you can automate your online tutoring by moving away from one-on-one sessions and creating online courses. This approach offers limitless scalability where people can go through your course at their own pace from their computers or smartphones using your dedicated online learning app. Whether you charge a monthly subscription fee to access all of your content or charge a fixed fee per course, there are tons of ways to earn high profits with this business idea. 

2. Dropshipping Business

If you want to sell products online but don’t want to deal with the hassle of managing inventory or fulfilling orders, then dropshipping is perfect for you. 

With this online business model, all you need to do is manage your website and marketing materials. When customers purchase something through your ecommerce site or mobile commerce app, the items get shipped directly from the manufacturer to the consumers—so you never actually touch the products.

You don’t have to pay for inventory upfront either. Your supplier charges you the wholesale rate of an item once it’s been sold to the customer and you earn profits based on the markup of the sales price. 

It takes a bit of research to find the right products to sell. You’ll also need to find the right suppliers. But if you’re using a platform like Shopify to power your online store, then you can get started for just $30 or $40 per month. Shopify integrates with all of the best dropshipping companies and supplier software, and then you can easily turn your Shopify store into a mobile app to further expand your reach and make things more convenient for your customers. 

3. Mental Health and Wellness Coaching

People have really started to acknowledge the importance of good mental health, and they’re more open to taking steps to improve it. But many don’t know where to start, which is where the coaching aspect comes into play. 

This business idea offers a unique blend of personal fulfillment and financial opportunity. So if you’re passionate about helping others but still want to turn a profit, this can work well for your goals. 

The startup investment is pretty low—often just a certification in coaching or a relevant field can help enhance your credibility. But it’s not technically a requirement. The key investment here isn’t monetary at all. It’s the ability to develop a deep understanding of mental health practices and effective communication skills. 

You can structure your coaching around individual sessions, group workshops, or even online courses. Just make sure they cater to a broad audience seeking guidance and support through their wellness journeys. 

Promoting your business shouldn’t be too expensive either. You can start by growing an organic social media following before experimenting with some low-cost ads driving people to your website or mobile app.

With such a high demand for these services on the rise, there’s plenty of room to make money in this niche without having to spend a fortune. 

4. Podcasting

Following the trends is always a good business idea, and podcasting has been skyrocketing in popularity in recent years. According to Demand Sage, there will be roughly 505 million podcast listeners globally by the end of 2024—that’s up roughly 20% from just two years ago and up nearly 85% over five years.

What’s even more astonishing is that we’re just barely scratching the surface in terms of potential. Even with this high growth rate, less than 10% of internet users worldwide listen to podcasts—meaning there’s still a massive opportunity to claim your share of this growing market.

You can start a podcast from home with a minimal upfront investment. You just need a high-quality microphone, audio editing software, and some basic soundproofing. The ongoing costs are relatively low, with the biggest expenses being the hosting fees. 

Podcasts commonly earn revenue through sponsorships, ads, and affiliate programs. You can also charge your listeners for premium content that’s locked behind a paywall for members only. 

In addition to broadcasting your podcast through popular directories like Apple Podcasts and Spotify, you can always distribute your content through your own podcast app as a way to enhance the listener experience and take more control over your revenue streams. 

5. Virtual Cooking Classes

If you love cooking or have some type of formal culinary training, this is one of the most profitable small business ideas because the costs are so low. You can literally teach people to cook different meals online without having to do anything different than you’re already doing. 

For example, if you already cook dinner for your family five nights per week—all you need to do is set up a camera or two and coach people through the process. Your grocery bill won’t change, and you likely have all of the pots, pans, and cooking materials in your kitchen. 

The profitability of virtual cooking classes comes from the ability to reach a wide audience without geographic limitations. 

You may decide to offer some free videos to promote yourself, but turn a profit by selling cooking courses, virtual cookbooks, and premium recipes. Alternatively, you can offer all of your classes for free and earn money through ads, sponsorships, and affiliate programs in this category.

6. Virtual Home Staging For Real Estate Sales

Virtual home staging in the real estate sector stands out as a lucrative business idea due to its low overhead costs and the booming real estate market. This service involves creating digital interior designs for properties that are unfurnished—helping potential buyers visualize the space. 

It’s one of the more profitable small business ideas if you can develop relationships with real estate agents and agencies. Here’s why.

According to Realtor.com, it can cost about $2,000 to $2,400 per month to stage a 2,000-square-foot home. Most staging companies require a three-month minimum contract. So even if a house sells instantly, realtors are paying upwards of $6,000 to $7,000+ at a minimum for staging. 

But if you set up your business structure to partner with real estate agencies, you can offer virtual staging for a fraction of the price—helping them save money while improving profits for the sellers. It’s a win-win-win for all parties involved. 

7. Freelance Graphic Design

Freelance graphic design stands as a sought-after business idea due to the increasing demand for digital content and branding. The primary investment involves software tools like Adobe Creative Suite and a powerful computer setup. 

The low-cost nature stems from the ability for graphic designers to work remotely and manage multiple clients simultaneously.

Profitability in freelance graphic design is driven by the ability to specialize in niches like logo design, web design, or social media content—allowing for higher rates. Building a strong portfolio and leveraging social media for marketing can attract a diverse range of clients. Networking and maintaining good client relationships are key to consistent work and referrals. As brands increasingly seek unique visual identities, the demand for skilled graphic designers is likely to remain high.

8. Digital Marketing Agency

Starting a digital marketing agency involves understanding the nuances of social media, search engine optimization (SEO), and online advertising. The initial costs are relatively low, primarily revolving around establishing a strong online presence and perhaps some initial spending on online ads to gain visibility.

The profitability of a digital marketing agency lies in its ability to adapt to the rapidly changing digital landscape and deliver results for clients. Services can range from managing social media accounts to developing full-fledged digital marketing strategies. The potential for scalability is significant, as businesses of all sizes are constantly looking for effective ways to increase their online presence. Establishing a reputation for delivering measurable results will be crucial in attracting and retaining clients.

If you’re starting from scratch, consider picking a niche-specific role—like becoming an outsourced social media manager for small businesses in a particular industry. Get really good at one thing, and then scale from there with additional services. 

But beyond a computer, stable internet connection, and maybe some SEO software, the costs of starting a digital marketing company are next to nothing. 

9. White Label App Development Services

White labeling mobile apps is one of the most profitable business ideas of this year and the foreseeable future. There are so many different ways to approach this, and all of them follow the same format—low upfront costs and limitless revenue potential.

First, the demand for app development is still at an all-time high. But the barrier to entry isn’t as difficult as it was in years past. This means that smaller businesses that previously couldn’t afford an app now have the budget for it. 

As a white labeler, you can white label an existing app builder and resell it as your own or use white label app builders to create mobile apps for your clients. You can also use a combination of these models. 

Due to the structure of white label software, you can break even after selling just one or two apps—and everything on top of that is pure profit. 

One of the best ways to make money in this space is cornering a niche. For example, let’s say you build an app for a law firm or dentist. Beyond some business-specific information like locations, logos, and contact phone numbers, the vast majority of the app features for every other lawyer or dentist will be the same. 

So if you secure more of these types of clients, you can simply duplicate the apps you’ve already built and just make small changes. 90% of the work is already done for you. 

If you’re interested in this business idea, then book a demo to learn more about BuildFire’s white label reseller program. 

10. Career Coaching and Resume Writing

With such a high demand for professional guidance in an increasingly competitive job market, many job seekers are willing to pay big bucks for expert advice.

Embarking on a journey as a career coach and resume writer can be a highly rewarding and profitable business idea for those with a knack for helping others achieve their professional goals. This business idea requires a minimal financial investment but demands a strong understanding of various industries, resume writing expertise, and coaching skills to guide clients in their career paths.

You can offer services like one-on-one coaching sessions, group workshops, or online webinars. Additionally, creating downloadable resume templates or guides can provide passive income streams.

Building a robust online presence is key to success in this field. Start with a professional website showcasing testimonials and successful case studies. Stay active on platforms like LinkedIn to engage with potential prospects. 

As you establish your reputation, referrals and repeat clients can significantly contribute to your business’s growth.

11. Online Dating Consultant

Starting an online dating consultancy is a unique and modern online business idea that taps into the ever-growing world of digital dating. It’s perfect for those who have an in-depth understanding of relationships and can offer advice on creating compelling dating profiles, communication strategies, and dating etiquette.

Like with any consulting business, the initial investment is pretty low. It’s just about establishing a digital footprint for your online business and maybe spending some targeted advertising dollars to attract clients. 

You could offer personalized consultations, dating profile makeover services, or even group coaching sessions. 

12. Car Detailing Business

Car detailing stands out as one of the best small business ideas for those willing to put in some hard work in the early stages. While the monetary investment is low, you must be willing and able to clean cars when you’re first starting out—at least until you’re ready to hire some employees.

This is one of the few ideas on this list that require your physical presence to get paid. So you’ll need to be located in an area where car detailing is in demand. For example, a small rural farm community in Iowa probably won’t have the same demand for car detailing as Beverly Hills. 

But for the most part, you can purchase all of the equipment you need to detail cars for less than $200. And you’ll likely make that back after just one detail.

13. Print on Demand Services

Print on demand services represent a lucrative business model in the e-commerce world. This business idea involves partnering with a supplier to custom-print designs on various products like t-shirts, books, or mugs, only when an order is placed, eliminating the need for inventory.

The low-cost nature of this business comes from its on-demand model, which significantly reduces the risks associated with unsold stock. The initial investment is minimal, often just needing a website and designs to get started.

Additionally, this business model allows for significant scalability without a corresponding increase in costs. As your brand grows, you can expand your product range and explore new markets, all while maintaining low overhead costs.

14. Event Planning Business

Launching an event planning business is a dynamic and rewarding venture, especially for those with a flair for organization, creativity, and people skills. Event planning encompasses a wide range of categories, from corporate events to conferences and weddings—offering diversity in clientele and projects.

This business idea requires a modest upfront investment, mainly in marketing and building a network of reliable vendors and suppliers. Success as an event planner hinges on attention to detail, the ability to work under pressure, and exceptional organizational skills.

Profits in this model typically come from the markup on services provided and the ability to handle multiple clients and events. Building a strong portfolio and client testimonials can significantly help in attracting new business. Networking with other industry professionals is also key to finding new opportunities and partnerships.

Event planning also offers the flexibility to start small, perhaps focusing on smaller local events and gradually expanding your services as you build your brand. With creativity and a robust network, an event planning business can thrive and grow into a highly profitable venture.

For larger events and corporate, you can even create dedicated event apps to help you manage everything. Best of all, your clients will end up footing the bill—and you can earn a markup on this as well. 

This is another great value-added service that can help differentiate your event planning business from other event planners on the market. 

15. Dog Walking Business

The best business ideas fill a specific need—which is exactly what this does. Pet owners have business schedules and aren’t able to provide their dogs with the necessary exercise. 

Plus, they don’t want their dogs to feel lonely and left at home all day. These dogs might even go 8-10+ hours without going to the bathroom unless someone lets them outside. 

If you’re an animal lover who’s looking for a flexible and enjoyable way to earn some extra cash, this might be for you. 

Your potential clients are right in your neighborhood, making this a community-based business idea. To attract clients, consider creating eye-catching flyers, setting up a simple website, or leveraging social media platforms to showcase your services.

Networking with local pet stores, veterinary clinics, and pet groomers can also help in getting referrals. Offering additional services like pet sitting can increase your earning potential. As your client base grows, consider expanding your business by hiring additional walkers.

16. Virtual Assistant Services

Virtual assistant services are increasingly sought after by most business owners who need help managing their day-to-day tasks. This business idea requires virtually no upfront investment other than a computer and a stable internet connection. The services offered can range from email management and scheduling to social media management and data entry.

The demand for virtual assistants (VAs) has risen as businesses look to outsource administrative tasks to focus on core operations.

Offering specialized services, such as graphic design or content writing, can further enhance your attractiveness to potential clients.

17. Photography Business

Launching a photography business today goes beyond just having a good camera–-it’s about offering your photography services online to reach a wider audience. This business idea requires investment in quality photography equipment and a professional website to showcase your portfolio.

• Weddings
• Corporate events
• Stock photography
• Real estate photography
• Food photography for restaurants
• Product photography for ecommerce stores

The list of opportunities here is seemingly never-ending. 

Try to specialize in a particular style or niche to set yourself apart in a competitive market.

18. Upcycling and Furniture Restoration

Upcycling and furniture restoration represent a creative and eco-friendly small business idea. It involves refurbishing old or discarded furniture into appealing and functional pieces. The startup costs can be minimal, especially if you start with smaller projects and use upcycled materials.

It’s one of the better small business ideas for creative individuals who have the means or skills to work with their hands. If you can turn someone’s trash into someone else’s treasure, there’s plenty of money to be made in this space. 

19. Personal Training Business

The personal training business has evolved beyond the traditional gym setting, especially through technology advancements. 

Starting a virtual personal training business using a mobile app can significantly broaden your client base beyond your local area. This business idea eliminates the need for a physical space, reducing overhead costs.

Through a mobile app, you can offer personalized workout plans, live training sessions, and fitness challenges to clients worldwide. The app can also track progress, provide nutritional guidance, and facilitate direct communication with clients.

Offering a mix of subscription-based models, one-off sessions, or package deals can cater to varying client preferences and increase revenue potential.

20. Mobile Public Notary Service

You can become a public notary for as little as $20. The application process and exact fees vary by state, but it’s one of the cheapest ways to start a small business.

As a notary, you simply authenticate the signing of important legal documents. You’re an impartial witness to the parties who sign, and you verify the identities of the signers. 

It’s worth noting that some states have a cap on how much you can charge for these services. For example, in California, there’s a maximum $15 fee per signature. 

But there are so many opportunities and scenarios which require documents to be notarized. You can stand out from the crowd by offering your services on the go and adding a travel fee to your bill. 

21. Blogging

Blogging has transcended being a hobby. It’s now a viable pathway to establishing a successful business. 

The beauty of blogging lies in its versatility and potential for monetization. You can start with a specific niche, offering insights, reviews, tutorials, or personal experiences. The initial costs are limited to website hosting and design.

There are plenty of ways to make money from blogging. From affiliate marketing and sponsored content to selling digital products and services, you can experiment with different monetization methods until you find what works for you. 

The key to making money in blogging is to create compelling, valuable content that attracts a loyal readership. Growing a profitable blog requires patience and consistency. SEO strategies, guest posting on other blogs, and collaborating with influencers in your niche can increase your visibility. As your blog grows, you could explore additional revenue streams like offering courses, webinars, or consulting services in your area of expertise.

22. Mobile Hairdresser or Barber

The appeal of a mobile hairdresser or barber lies in the convenience you offer clients–-the luxury of a professional haircut in the comfort of their own home. This service is especially attractive to busy professionals, elderly clients, or those with mobility issues.

This small business venture eliminates the need for a physical salon, reducing overhead costs significantly. The only investment will be in quality hairstyling tools and a reliable vehicle.

To diversify your revenue, consider offering additional services such as hair treatments, styling for special events, or even group sessions for families. Building a strong client base through word-of-mouth, local advertising, and a solid online presence can help your business thrive. Personalizing your service, being punctual, and maintaining high hygiene standards can lead to repeat customers and referrals.

23. Professional Voice-Over Services

The demand for professional voice-over services makes it a great business idea for those with a good voice and articulation skills. This field involves lending your voice for commercials, audiobooks, video games, and other multimedia. 

You’ll need to get some quality recording equipment and soundproof a space in your home. But it’s a great business idea if you want to work from home and take control over your own schedule. 

Expanding your reach can involve offering your services on freelance platforms and creating a professional website with your portfolio. Continuously honing your skills and adapting to different voice-over styles and requirements can open doors to more lucrative and diverse projects.

24. Local Travel Guide

For those with extensive knowledge of their locality, becoming a local travel guide can be a rewarding small business idea. You can organize and lead tours, while sharing insights about local history, culture, and attractions. 

Depending on your location, you may need to obtain a specific type of tourism license for this small business idea. 

But this is a great opportunity for people who enjoy interacting with others and want to have some fun while making money. Focus on the uniqueness of your tours, your storytelling ability, and the experiences you offer, which can set your service apart. 

Customizing tours for different interests–-culinary, historical, architectural-–can cater to a diverse clientele. Collaborating with local businesses for mutual promotion can also enhance your offerings.

25. Affiliate Marketing Business

Affiliate marketing is a good business idea for those looking to earn by promoting products or services online. The concept involves earning a commission for marketing another company’s products through your website, blog, or social media channels. The initial investment is primarily in setting up a digital platform and possibly in some online advertising to drive traffic.

The key to success in affiliate marketing is to choose products that align with your audience’s interests and to create engaging content that drives sales. Transparency with your audience about your affiliate relationships is crucial for trust.

Strategies for growing an affiliate marketing business include SEO optimization, email marketing campaigns, and collaborating with influencers in your niche. Continuously analyzing your performance and adjusting your strategies can optimize your earnings.

26. Landscaping Business

Starting a landscaping business can be a rewarding endeavor for those with a green thumb and a passion for outdoor aesthetics. Successful small business owners in this space typically spend an initial investment on landscaping equipment, such as lawnmowers, trimmers, and perhaps a vehicle for transporting tools. However, the costs can be scaled depending on the services offered and the size of the projects undertaken.

Landscaping services have a steady demand among both residential and commercial property owners. From routine lawn maintenance to elaborate garden design and installation, the scope of services can be diverse. The key to profitability lies in delivering high-quality work, building a reputation for reliability, and being able to work efficiently to manage multiple projects.

27. Online Music Lessons

The rise of digital platforms has revolutionized the way music is taught, making online music lessons a viable and successful small business idea. 

Online music lessons eliminate geographical barriers, allowing you to teach students from anywhere in the world. This business can be lucrative, especially if you have expertise in a popular instrument or genre. You can structure your lessons as one-on-one sessions, group classes, or even create pre-recorded lessons for students to access at their convenience through your website or mobile app. 

Offering a range of lesson packages, from beginner to advanced levels, can cater to a broad spectrum of learners.

Final Thoughts

Successful small business ideas don’t always require a ton of capital. As demonstrated through these 27 business ideas, many opportunities exist to start a profitable business with minimal upfront costs. 

The majority of these ideas capitalize on digital platforms, reflecting how the business landscape has evolved in the internet age. Whether it’s offering services online, like tutoring or personal training, or selling products through a dropshipping model, the digital world opens up a realm of possibilities. Furthermore, the integration of a mobile app can significantly enhance these business ideas, offering convenience, broader reach, and innovative ways to interact with customers.

With creativity, dedication, and a strategic approach, it’s possible to launch a successful business without a substantial initial investment. 

These ideas not only provide avenues for financial gain but also offer the flexibility and satisfaction of being your own boss. As the digital world continues to evolve, so do the opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs to turn their visions into reality.

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