An article recently posted on Mashable (in which AndPlus CEO Sean Mahoney was quoted in) spoke about how mobile development companies are making it more affordable for small businesses to have a mobile application developed. It mentioned that not all businesses required diverse and expansive functionality to their mobile app. They need more a lean approach to a mobile app for certain functions that would help them and their customers do business together. These small businesses that are looking to stay engaged with customers through mobile applications, may not know there that mobile developers have tools that they can use in order to develop cheap mobile apps, but still deliver a similar experience as some of the large corporation's mobile applications. Below is a list of the tools that are helping developers keep prices relatively low while still offering an excellent experience for mobile end users. Directly below the list you will find a link to the article which has a quote from our CEO Sean Mahoney!
1. Phone Gap
PhoneGap uses JavaScript to allow for the development of apps in HTML5 and CSS3 — highly capable languages that are now standard to most mobile devices. In turn, developers are able to create what are, at their core, mobile web apps that can engage with the APIs of mobile devices.
2. Branded Business Apps
Branded Business Apps touts a five-step app development process, which allows for the launch of iPhone, iPad and Android apps in less than 48 hours. Created largely for service industries — restaurants, churches, health clubs and hotels, among others — functionality is limited to a basic set of almost 40 features.
3. EachScape
EachScape takes a unique building-block approach, which allows it to avoid the use of templates most often responsible for the generic interface of inexpensive apps. “EachScape is a drag and drop environment where the user selects ‘blocks’ or components, integrates their content, customizes and is then able to generate apps for iOS, Android and HTML5,” explains Ludo Collin, CEO of EachScape.
4. Canvas
Canvas focuses almost entirely on data collection applications for small businesses in a seemingly endless array of industries, from fishing to construction to transportation. The apps, which number in the hundreds, provide businesses with the ability to record and request data, then store and distribute through the Canvas cloud.
5. CloudSpokes
Dave Messinger, chief architect of CloudSpokes, says his company is ” the first developer community that matches the cloud with the crowd — a true market where businesses tap into skills and pay for results versus effort, and where developers get access to a new world of opportunity to earn money for cloud development.”
6. Red Foundry
Chicago-based Red Foundry allows developers full control over the quality and cost of the platform, though VP of Business Development Stan Monlux has stark words for those who go the inexpensive route: “Honestly, cheap apps suck. If you want to build a cheap app on Red Foundry, you can certainly do it, but we have no interest in that market.” Instead, Red Foundry has two primary goals. One is to allow companies to shift resources from writing code to creating great design, and the other is user experience and enabling brands to make money without gamification. The company makes money by taking a share of revenue from managing a commercial element and development services.
These tools make mobile app development more cost efficient and offer a quicker turnaround time, but the tools do leave some things to be desired. (Custom designs and certain app features for example) But for a small business it could be a cost efficient way to get your foot in the door of the mobile application world. If you would like to read the full article on Mashable with a quote from AndPlus' CEO Sean Mahoney Click Here.
If you are a small business owner and would like to start development of a mobile app (a cheap mobile app or not), contact AndPlus!
Excerpts from Mashable - Brady Donnelly
Brady Donnelly is an editor and content strategist at Fueled, a New York-based design and development agency that specializes in engineering mobile applications. Follow him on Twitter @bradydonnelly or email him at brady@fueled.com. www.fueled.com
