This question is typically relevant to clients who are outsourcing projects to remote teams or freelancers.

These questions become more relevant for developers who have been shortlisted via a web search or any of the myriads of online platforms like Upwork, Guru etc. While most of the better platforms have provisions to handle both kinds of projects, with inbuilt checks and balance the confusion still remains and more so with clients who identify vendors online without the ability to decide one way or the other and are left to the guidance of the vendor to make a call.

There are a few guidelines that need to be taken into consideration, before deciding how you would like to get your project executed.

Has the project been fully defined. A full definition of the project reduces the risk of working on a project on hourly basis and not getting work done in budget and on schedule.

It might be a good idea to invest in the definition of the project using an independent consultant.  A business analyst would help you to convert your ideas into specification document. He/ she should be help you to validate the business ideas / concepts as well as guide you on the general technical feasibility. Please remember that a Business Analyst doesn’t usually deal with specific technology capabilities. Being independent means that they should not have a vested interested in taking the project in one way or another. But again you should validate the capabilities of the consultant before hiring him /her, as the success of the project could hinge on their project definition.

The project definition should include at least a Functional Requirement Document and Wireframes / User stories. User stories are particularly useful for non-technical clients, as they clearly define the app functioning in a visual format.

Have you got a quotation from multiple vendors. This helps to evaluated the effort / cost between vendors. Typically for the same capability of vendor, the variance in effort( hours to be worked) should not be more than 20-30%. Though the hourly rate can vary widely between vendors.

The rate variation could be boil down to simple economics like country of origin. Some countries are simply more expensive that others. Its unlikely that you would have vendors offering low cost services from Singapore, New York or London. Typically lower cost vendors are concentrated in south East Asia, China and Eastern Europe.

In many cases, the project cannot be fully defined at the outset, in which case the broad contours of the project should be laid down. Even so, one should try and define aspects of the project to the greatest extent possible and as well as create an understanding of what are the areas that need more study/ research to get to the point of clarity.

In many cases, clients take on vendors for adhoc jobs that are usually limited in nature and the billing for a week or month are based on a series of small tasks. This engagement is best done an hourly basis, as the tasks are disjointed and adhoc. But even in this case, diligent review of the tasks will provide some clarity to the effort needed for each task and allowing for budgeting and financial prudence.

At the end of the day every project would have some limits in terms of budgets. So it would be impractical to assume that a project can continue ad infinitude without achieving its goal. So even while a project might not be fully defined, it is only practical for the project owner to assign some kind of effort / budget to each aspect of the project.

Typically validating the effort for any technical specification should be in the realm of a competent technical lead with specific knowledge or experience in the specified domain. So for the purpose of proper budgeting it is prudent to have a competent technical resource evaluate the specification document.

With a proper definition and estimation of effort done, the decision to run a project as a fixed priced project or an hourly project becomes a lot easier.

Payment protocols become a significant consideration while deciding on how a project is run. Working with a new vendor and signup to an hourly project paid weekly without validation can lead to unfulfilled deliverables. Payments should be linked to deliverable that can be validated.

Hourly Projects

• Most traditional software vendors prefer to run projects on an hourly basis to mitigate the risks and with good reason.

• Hourly projects allow the vendor to devote additional time to aspects of the project where it might be necessary, rather than close the tap on unfinished work just because the time allocated (cost) for that aspect has run out.

• With scrupulous vendors, it is possible that you effort might actually come in below what was originally estimated.

• Certain aspects of software project development make it very difficult to define a project in specific terms. While other projects can evolve as they progress, thus making it imperative to run them on an hourly projects.

• Logically fixed priced projects are priced out above hourly projects since the vendor has to complete the project within the defined cost / effort estimated for, so to reduce the risk, they would certainly add some buffer.

Fixed Priced Projects

• Fixed prices projects should be the second option in case of software development projects.

• Projects should only be run as fixed priced projects if they are clearly defined and one does not expect to make any significant changes to the scope.

• It does give the client some confidence that the project cost has been set and there should not be much (any) variation.

• Fixed priced projects do a bring a certain level of discipline for both vendor and client.

In summation, the choice of whether the project is fixed price or hourly is not really very important, as long as you have few things sorted out before that :

1. Proper scope definition
2. Proper evaluation of vendor
3. Understanding of the hourly rate.
4. Clear communication and understanding of expectations
5. Defined milestones and deliverables
6. Proper testing and delivery protocols
7. Milestone / deliverable linked payments.

With this is place, the choice becomes much easier and the decision to go with one or the other can be discussed and agreed between client and vendor depending on the nature of the project.

The post Fixed Price or Hourly Projects: Which Should You Choose? appeared first on Radikal Labs: Latest News on Web, Mobile App & Game Development Services.

Contact us at www.radikal-labs.com for assistance.

The post Company Website: Tips for Lead Generation appeared first on Radikal Labs: Latest News on Web, Mobile App & Game Development Services.

If you are in need of a website strategy and lack the time to do it yourself – please contact us at www.radikal-labs.com/contact. We would love to add value to your business!

The post A Step-By-Step Guide on How to Build a Revenue Generating Website appeared first on Radikal Labs: Latest News on Web, Mobile App & Game Development Services.

If you have an idea for a brilliant app then you must also have know about the fiercely competitive mobile app stores. If you are experienced in app development and have all the resources and monetary back up to hire a vendor you may create and publish your brainchild. But what will be your next step? Where will your creativity reach? There are hundreds of mobile apps launched each day and chances of your stunner getting lost in the crowd are way too high. Success is measured only in terms of ROI (return on investment). Without commercial success and popularity there remains no pint in pursuing app development. Even if you are successful with 5 apps you get to reach 2% of the world’s mobile crowd.

According to Gartner by 2018 the world will experience 0.01% commercial success of mobile apps. This is a worrying percentage to be considered by developers, agencies and app stores around the world. You need to build an app that stands the test of cruel times.

Tips to learn, earn and become a successful app maker:

1. Know your audience – In the past couple of years numerous start-ups have failed to come up with standard business statistics for themselves. The reason for failure of newcomers has been identified as minimum knowledge of the target audience. More than 14% of start-ups have failed as they did not know their target. There are two steps to identify your exact audience. First step is to do a general research on the age group and their behaviour that is will your app be suitable for a certain age group and their acceptance ratio? Your second step will be to perform a comprehensive marketing research. This will make you aware of your niche audience. You can choose to float an advertising campaign or create a website for promoting your product. You can also come up with an explainer video giving details on what your product is. The next line of action will be to estimate customer lifetime value. You need to know what your customers expect from your product. A routine survey is necessary. You can also choose to take public opinion polls and interviews of a wide variety of users. Behavioural targeting will let you have details of detailed buyer personas. If you are promoting a music app you must target people who are musicians or who visit music related blogs and websites. If you are all set to launch an animation sketching app then you must pull users who are students and individuals passing out of art colleges and animation enthusiasts.
2. Ensure excellent Performance – Poor performance in apps is the reason why 90% of mobile users abandon apps sooner than they download them on their devices. Your app must seamlessly work on the operating systems (according to the OS they have been specially been designed for) free of glitches like bugs and slow loading. Cross platform apps developed on Javascript, HTML5 and CSS face maximum challenges. If you publish a standard iOS or an Android app make sure it is tested well by your hired team and run extensively on multiple devices before making it public. After an app has been launched you must constantly introduce updates and include software improvement. User interfaces and user experiences are co-dependent factors. Most users are known to have increase expectations from apps after a couple of months. This expectation must be utilised to your maximum benefit. An app having sooth and easy performance will go on to have tremendous success and bring you the desired ROI in terms of reach, popularity and profit margins. (Read Also: 5 Simple Ways to Retain App Users And Increase Mobile App Engagement)
3. Stay focused on your app’s basic functionalities – Your app must serve a purpose. It can be anything starting from finding the nearest cab in the locality, getting the latest news updates or providing some great fashion tips. An app is expected to solve a real-life problem. Users consider apps as a support system for some kind of a daily life problem. Once you have achieved the focal point of your app’s feature/features you are ready to reap rewards. Attaining success is not a day’s goal. It takes persistent efforts in building future for apps. We can take the example of Uber which started off as a simple app which was downloaded by users who had to contact the owner of the app top get access codes for their cab rides. But with time it became a multi-million dollar company that currently can channelize its business in various sectors. So the point to consider is improving your app’s/apps’ functionalities. A simple app can go on to have complex success routes. Having a clear picture of your app’s functionality is important in deciding its fate.
4. Marketing rules the world – Every industry holds marketing as the key component of branding. Without promotion there would not be any downloads possible. A Smartphone user reportedly uses 26 apps per month. Social media activity is done maximum through mobile devices. App marketing is essential as most users download apps from the Playstore and the App Store. In order to put your app on the top ranks you must perform app store Optimization with metadata and reviews. App’s success is not achieved overnight. A lot of time, resources, planning and energies need to be spent to attain marketing and promotional success.
5. Reach out with your idea – By starting a website you can engage users and impart knowledge about your apps. An effective MVP (market viable product) need to be created to ascertain a pleasurable UI, usability, value and feasibility for an app. An MVP brings out the reasons why people will use your app, how they will use it and the way you can deliver their needs. If you want to raise funds for your product you can look for your MVP to help you a lot.
6. Choose the Right Platform – Before choosing to build an app for all operating systems you must focus on one particular platform to make it run best on it. When you find success with one platform you can continue finding successful launches on other OS. You need to find the current popularity of operating system in various parts of the world. This will let you have a target audience. Android is reportedly more popular in Chinese, US, German and UK markets. Apple is known to have lesser shares in the marketplace but pulls 75% more revenue than the Playstore. Android users prefer free apps whereas Apple users are open to purchase additional features and paid updates. Android app developers work on higher hourly rates than iOS app developers. Both Apple and Google have different set of app development and publishing guidelines. There is a huge difference of hourly rates and app development costs between iOS and Android apps.

Ultimately what does it take to create a good mobile app? There are numerous things like bright ideas, excellent app performances, right set of users, appropriate platform, intelligent marketing and focus on basic functionalities. Development processes meet success when app reviews, user retention and download rates are heightened.

Read also: How to Strategize Well For App Pre-Launch?

The post What Does it Take To Create A Good Mobile App? appeared first on Radikal Labs: Latest News on Web, Mobile App & Game Development Services.

There is no end of scope in a mobile product manager’s (mobile product manager) profile. The road-map between the beginning and the end (launch) of a mobile app depends greatly on the active role played by a product manager. Quick decision making based on client feedback’s and setting goals for an app are also a part of a PM’s job role. We have provided a few mobile product management goals and actions that are important to bring in success:

• Shifting from a product manager to a mobile product manager is a sheer challenge. However it can be an incredible ride as mobiles continue to take the world in its palm. A PM’s approach will change in a mobile environment. His/her new waves of thinking will be completely in line with mobile users, usage, preferences, types of mobile audiences, etc.

• A MPM has to build a timeline for the app. This is done to plan the numerous stages of development and deadlines of the project. Timeline creation helps people remain on time and track the span of time from planning to product delivery. There are numerous stages of an app that demand relevant tasks such as – customer research (which is best performed for a month or so ) which requires knowing which platform it needs to be developed in like native or web app, Android, iOS and for which purpose in-house or outsourced. b. App development usually requires a time-frame of 3 to 8 months and its related tasks include coding, wireframe, testing and design implementations. c. Beta Launch roughly takes up more than a month in which tasks like feedback generation, fixing the app and applying finesse are performed. d. Getting the app launched in a foreign territory also involves similar tasks like beta launch. e. publishing the app is more of a celebration. Feedback’s generated from the launch allow you to improve on the features and added functionalities.

• If you want to be a successful mobile product manager you must decide on a wide variety of things and lead from the front. Picking a platform for your mobile app is your first step. Selecting a single platform will benefit you as you make changes, focus on your available resources and do mistakes. Doing wrong will teach you to be more efficient. Focusing on one platform will make launches faster. As an able MPM you must use the platform your app is being developed for. For example if you have an iOS app then you must have already used iPhone and comfortable navigating iOS enabled devices. An organization must excel in app development. It does not matter whether there are unlimited resources but it is important to have the app run successfully on one platform. Familiarity with a platform is important before developing apps for multiple platforms.

• As a MPM it your duty to understand the pulse of users (your targeted app market). If you are unsure of how your app will be received you can opt for a mobile website to initially gauge your app’s audience. Spending your resources, efforts and time will bode well once you test your product’s market viability. Creating a hybrid app will reduce costs than a native app. It helps to assess, analyze and extensively use native, web and hybrid apps before deciding on the one to create. There are versions, components, user experience, user interfaces, costs and performances that need be considered while building hybrid, web and native apps. Your limitations or resourcefulness must decide which platforms you must choose.Whether to choose a Web app or a mobile app is the biggest dilemma. As a MPM you must help create a mobile product that uses device features for a successful functionality. Understanding your customer’s needs will be important in deciding. Avoid transferring your existing website, desktop application or your web app onto a mobile environment.

• Whether you want to build an Android or an iOS app will depend on your target audience. According to the market trend, your target audience must be Android. However there are crowds for your iOS apps too. In order to find success as MPM you must find the advantages and disadvantages in all platforms before deciding which platform to choose. Popular apps run on both platforms.

• Cross platform app development is given high importance in today’s times. Titanium, Corona, Xamarin, Unity3D and PhoneGap are app development frameworks for developing both iOS and Android apps. Your decision will greatly depend on the range of your customers.

• Keep it simple! Simple UI and UX structures in an app are always desirable as mobile users seek to accomplish their set tasks within easy to use mobile structures. Take advantage of mobile device capabilities. Your app must load fast, have an easy navigation, can be shared, is locally track-worthy and has In-app support functions.

Perfforming the task of a mobile product manager (MPM) is never too easy. From development to deployment, a MPM needs to rise in his management skills, strategy building and teamwork. Goal setting is the key to your success as am able MPM.

The post How Important is Product Management In Mobile Apps? appeared first on Radikal Labs: Latest News on Web, Mobile App & Game Development Services.

There are challenges involved in developing and floating an app in the market. You need to strategize your promotional efforts to have an effective app pre-launch. We have addressed this issue with a sharp view on audience interest, market pulse and user impressions.

Include Users’ Opinion

Your app most definitely is targeted to a set of users (which you have already sorted out much before developing your app). These users are interested in your app since it provides them with certain types of solutions. By including them in your pre-app launch program they will be made to feel important which will up your brand name. Your users act as your network. They will take your app to the world by spreading their first time experience with your app.

An app like any other product needs to have reviews (people should have their opinions placed) before it becomes available in the market. Twitter is an effective social handle to gain interested users as there are numerous technology oriented people interested to share their opinion through this micro blogging website. Social Crawlytics is another relevant social tool that allows app makers to identify target users according to their industry. Right hash tag usage and relevant information generate huge interest points and user loyalty.

Consider an effective social media marketing strategy

You can create a successful pre-campaign by having accounts on Google+, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. A lot of hype will be created as people will get to know about your app. Creating and updating a blog devoted to your app will also pull potential audience. As you launch your app users will realize the genuineness of it because of the existing information widely available online.

Having a website will pull users who do not visit the app stores but prefer direct downloads from websites. Keep your blog and social media handles updated. This will bring huge traffic for your website in the near future. Engaging users is the key to your success. You must continue attracting interest point of your users. Introduce in contests or special offers as a reward for your viewers who share your content. The main motive is to keep them hooked till your app gets officially released.

Email Strategy

You must send emails to all users; people who are technologically sound (who will test your product) and majority of mobile device users.  These people are the ones whom you are relying on, for your app marketing. Add creativity to your emails by making them catchy and crisp. Pull the attention of your users and make them anticipate your app’s launch. You need to make a sound database in order to send your emails to targeted user base. Your website and blog is a valid way of collecting relevant user information. Users willingly providing their emails in your website are the ones who want to stay updated on the news of your app launch. Identify the more receptive users. Do not let your users forget you or your product. Keep reminding them about your app!

Sound Press Mentions

Make announcements of your app’s upcoming release date. Bring out press releases suggesting the unique attributes of your app. Some of the valid actions from your end will be attractive promo videos, mention of your official website, high-end app screenshots and attractive mentions of your app’s release date. Getting hold of professional bloggers and making them perform extensive media buzz can be another good option for your pre-launch campaign.

The main aim in an app’s pre-launch is to pull as many users as possible. Apply numerous and intelligent ways of audience building. This will be effective in promote your app marketing efforts. You will get your much desired reviews much before your app sees the light of the day. App downloads depend greatly on customer reviews. Once you complete your initial marketing your customers will market you to others. Referral clients will be generated which will carry forward your app’s popularity quotient.

Creativity in marketing pursuits is all important. Whether you are riding on a high budget or on a shoe string your main aim is to guarantee huge downloads. Investing time, team work and intelligent efforts will place you in an important position. A smart marketer who catches the eyes of his/her customer has a greater chance of making it big in the app marketplace.

The post How to Strategize Well For App Pre-Launch? appeared first on Radikal Labs: Latest News on Web, Mobile App & Game Development Services.

Here is a list of top ten mobile app development platforms.

Appery.io

Appery.io is an enterprise cloud-based app development and MBaaS platform. The visual editor, intelligent environment, multi-platform support services and tutorials make way for a high-end app development platform.  Appery.io has an extremely fast integrated development environment (IDE). You can build apps in less than 5 minutes.

Enterprises can easily mobilize their systems without having to depend on codes. This platform allows simple and reliable development infrastructure. Offline apps are provided with extended support. Riding on simple collaboration and a download/installation free environment, Appery.io adds power to customization. Apps for iOS, Windows Phone and Android can be created with this cloud-based environment.

App deployment is done across, private cloud, premise or public cloud environments. According to recent surveys, more than 300,000 developers take advantage of using this platform. JavaScript provides for easy drag and drop options. Developers’ support and latest technologies make Appery.io one of the best platforms for mobile app development.

You can start off with a free plan and continue with excellent mobile projects for a Premium plan at $180 per month.

Mobile Roadie

You can innovate, develop, customize and manage mobile apps with Mobile Roadie. Launched in 2009, it has come a long way in establishing itself as a development platform that benefits more than 20 million users (including professional developers, agencies and amateurs). It provides a one stop solution for easy and customizable app building.

Whether you are willing to have Android or iPad and iOS Phone oriented apps, Mobile Roadie will deliver you with an empowering development service. Audiences will remain hooked to the apps’ stunning features incorporated with the help of Mobile Roadie.

Build your most desirable app with a core plan for $149 (monthly) or Pro plan for $799 (monthly). Annual subscriptions can be availed with 2 bonus months for free of cost. These plans offer push notifications, core features and geo fencing (which is available with the pro plan).

Bizness APPS

If you are a web design agency you must be having a regular need to create mobile apps for wide range of businesses. BiznessAPPS is one such platform that helps you create proper business strategy with its analytics tool. It had started off as a modest DIY app but went on to become a feature loaded mobile app development platform complete with comprehensive analytics, shopping cart, third party integrations, loyalty programs, push notifications, food ordering, dynamic content and much more.

Around 500,000 mobile apps have been developed and published using this software. BiznessApps has remained focused on resellers and digital agencies, thus transforming itself into one of the leading app development entities became easy. It allows you to develop only native Android and iOS apps. Special pricing is included to develop customised iOS and Android apps.

Plans range from $29 per month (mobile website) to $59 per month (mobile app). Weekly webinars and easy access to numerous tutorials help mobile app developers to benefit a lot.

Read Also: 6 Tips for Designing Beautiful Mobile Apps

ShoutEm

ShoutEm is regarded as a very simple an easy mobile app building environment. Its easy drag and drop interface makes way for comfortable and user-friendly app development. There are numerous features that can be added here – events, media streaming, news and photos. Tools can be customized easily. App Monetization support is also provided by ShoutEm. Mobile app developers can check previews of apps before publishing them and can also republish apps after making changes for quite a number of times.It will cover both iOS and Android devices.

Content can be updated real-time. Ecommerce option makes ShoutEm an easy commercial choice. There are several plans offered by this platform – Basic plan is priced at $19.90 per month, Advanced plan cab be availed for $49.00/month, Unlimited plan is available for $119.90 per month. If you require more advanced customizations and tools you can opt for the Enterprise plan which provides prices on request.

Monthly plans can be availed as annual plans with minor changes in rates. Free trials are also available. Most common and standard features are made available in all plans. There are additional packages like the Professional Set up and Enterprise Set up plans available for $950 and $2900 respectively.

TheAppBuilder

A wide variety of apps can be built here. Apps related to brochures, employees, events and clients can be opted for, with two different approaches made available for mobile app development. The online toolkits along with training guides are of great help. Initial content is also provided by TheAppBuilder.

Your brand will be positioned rightly as you can avail good customizations and take help from the dedicated AppLibrary. Updating content and structure is also very easy here. Apps can be published on multiple platforms with unlimited updates. Changes submitted here will be updated within 60 seconds. Android, iPhone and iPad platforms are supported.

Appmakr

This is one of the fastest app creating platforms that offer conversion, analytics, monetization and sharing support. Appmakr is a DIY app creation platform that can be availed by anyone and everyone choosing to create HTML5, iOS and Android apps.

Founded in 2009, Appmakr has come a long way in establishing itself as the largest DIY app publishing platform in the world. Innumerable mobile apps can be built here with as many updates as required.

Numerous features such as live updates, push notifications, chat rooms, shared events calendars, high resolution photo galleries, in-app shopping, Google Maps integration, music and video streaming can be availed by mobile app developers.

Free plan is available. You can opt for a $99 one-time fee for Self-Publish.

Read Also: How Important is Mobile App Engagement?

GoodBarber

GoodBarber allows users to build Android and iPhone apps. Amateurs can try their hands with this codeless full control app building platform. There are a set of customizable colourful design templates, Google Fonts, and icons to benefit from.

A free web mobile version will allow you to access the mobile apps from mobile device’s browsers.

Monthly plan starts at $16 which can be upgraded to $32 per month Full plan. User feedbacks and reviews can be received. You can add live events, videos, sounds and photos to organise your app. Whenever app parameters are adjusted visual feedbacks are received.

AppMachine

AppMachine is a hassle-free drag and drop professional app development platform. Native apps for Android and iOS can be built here. Wide variety of design elements along with aesthetic features like video, information and photo can be combined to bring together a stunning app.

Apps can have unique designs with the help of beautiful colours, icons, navigation paths and fonts. Previewer function can be availed to watch the progress of apps.

Professional Testing support is provided by this platform. Once an app is ready after being tested fully, it can be published and promoted. User data can also be analysed. AppMachine takes care in providing good support services. It helps developers to get their apps across Apple’s App Store and Google Play. Post-launch monetization is also looked after to a certain extent.

Plans offered by AppMachine come with one time fees. ‘Gorgeous’ plan is available for $499, ‘Designer’ plan is available for $1299. ‘Developer’ plan will soon be introduced with additional features and customizations.

Read Also: Why UI/UX is a Mobile App Development Imperative: The WhatsApp Case Study

Appy Pie

You can build apps for iOS, Windows, Android devices. Appy Pie is a cloud based mobile app development platform that does not require installation or download. Pages can be dragged and dropped to build online mobile apps.

Updates and revisions are made on real-time. After an app is completed an HTML5-based hybrid app is provided to the developer which works across all platforms including Blackberry. Social media features like audio, media feeds, radio, websites and blogs can be added to the app.

You can avail several app marketing support like Ad monetization, push notifications, live analytics and GPS enabled location updates. Appointments can be scheduled which comes handy for beauty salons, spas and doctors. Custom codes can be implemented. Iframes can also be embedded in the apps.

Free plan is available for trial. Platinum plan is available for $33 per month.

GameSalad

Games can be built and published across a wide variety of platforms like OS X, Android, iOS and HTML5. You do not require professional knowledge in programming languages to start creating apps here. Game developers can avail some brilliant features such as actor editor and the scene. Actors can be set up in a scene before continuing with images, attributes and sound creation.

Community forum provides extended help and advice to fellow developers. Amazon has tied up with GameSalad to boost future game development options. In-app purchase and GameCircle APIs have been integrated.

Free plan is available. You can avail an annual plan for $299.

Mobile app building requires a sound understanding of the market. Building an app on budget and delivering the best utilities require precision and professional knowledge to some extent. The ever growing mobile market bodes well for the app developers and designers.

Want to create your own Apps? Check our Mobile app development services and feel free to contact us anytime!

The post Top 10 Platforms for Building High Quality Mobile Apps appeared first on Radikal Labs: Latest News on Web, Mobile App & Game Development Services.

Points We Define as Checklist for UX Designers

1. Overall analysis of the Project.
2. Review and research of user insights from all sources.
3. Identify research needs.
4. Review high level requirements.
5. Formulate a brief design structure representing initial design elements to be implemented in the UX.
6. Review personas.

Why Do You Need a Checklist?

1. It becomes easier to manage and maintain design concepts. Peer reviews are easier to post and assess. Whether you share a word document or a poster or project management tools team work becomes smooth.
2. Expectations and Engagement must be included in the checklist for UX designers. A design project does not include just design tasks. It is important to know how you set expectations i.e. how you interact with customers. An engagement section will include important touch points with your clients.
3. Having a simple checklist does not mean you have a simple task in hand. It simplifies the process of checking and doing the right things by staying focused.
4. Creative people find a proper structure to continue focusing on right design processes. The checklist forms a solid foundation for work. Teamwork and efforts become glorified.
5. Visibility is incorporated. By checking off items from the checklist an increased visibility is ensured in the team.
6. Flexibility is brought up. A design checklist becomes a solid guide. With activities being included right approaches and activities are selected according to the project needs. Redundant and unnecessary items can be put off the list. Everything is put on the right track for a project.

Necessary Areas to be Included in the Checklist for UX Designers

Homepage –

• First Impression or First Impact must project positivity which is followed by conversion.

• Contact information or company details must be available on the homepage. It should also be easily to find by the user.

• Clear call to action lets a user to know what tasks to perform next and what are its benefits. Purpose of a website must be clear to them.

• A privacy policy must be included in case a website in interested to gather user information.

User Experience –

• Web pages must not refresh automatically. Users get irritated with fresh content getting uploaded suddenly.

• Pricing must be clearly displayed. Hidden costs or surprise are undesirable.

• User registration adds value to users. However care must be taken to avoid unnecessary registration.

• Real information like images of company owners, employees or location, references and contact details must be showcased.

• A website must be professionally designed and up-to-date.

• Users must be able to perform detailed viewing of services and products. Scan-worthy information and easy zooming images must be included.

• Personalized features such as location, language, taxes, country-specific deals, currency and delivery options must be available in a website. IP-based geo-location must not be included without getting a user’s permission.

Search –

• Large sized websites must include search bars.
• Search fields must be wide for users to see what is being typed.
• Search should be a form not a link.
• Search option must be available for all pages.

Navigation –

• Sitemap must be included for large websites.
• Significant links must not have moving features. Auto-rotating accordions or carousels arte not good.
• A website must have an easy remembering URL.
• Consistent navigation in every page is important.
• Every site description and links must be easy to understand and descriptive.

Links –

• Uniform colour must be presented in a website. It must also be noted that visited links must be different from unvisited links.
• Commands must be presented in buttons and not as links.
• Broken must not be present.
• Clickable links must look like clickable items. They must be easily recognised by a user.

Read Also: Design Your Website to Engage Users

Accessibility –

• A website can be navigated with a keyboard. User must be able to find things in the website without a mouse. Browser’s shortcuts must not be overridden.
• Images and maps must have alt attributes. Videos and audios must also have descriptions or captions.
• Checkbox, links and buttons must be easily clickable. Texts in checkbox fields when clicked must be selected. Checkboxes only must not be select-worthy.
• Content and colour must blend well so that it is easier for users to read content.

Content –

• Content must be lucidly written keeping in mind the common man’s understanding.
• Background colour and text must be in contrast.
• Content must be relevant and up-to-date. Users must be able to pose common questions and receive easy answers to their queries.
• Content must be easily scanned. There must be short paragraphs, points with proper visuals and headings.
• Prose text must avoid Uppercase letters.
• Company information or contact details must be clear. Users clicking on contact must not find an automatic mail application opening.

Layout –

• Well categorized information must be presented.
• Clear display of relevant information.
• Important content must be prioritized in display.
• Clutter in any form must be avoided.
• Responsive websites works in different sizes.
• Pop-ups must be avoided or minimum use of pop-ups providing only important info must be presented.
• Layout for all pages must be consistent.

Forms –

• Confirmation page for form submission must be there.
• Necessary questions only must be asked in the forms.
• Field labels must have common terms like address, location, name, etc.
• Field labels must also have auto fill options.
• Long drop down menus must be avoided. Long scrolls irritate users.

Errors –

• A website must be compatible with various browsers.
• SSL certification must be present in a website.
• A site must have custom error pages like 404 and 500.
• Testing with target users must be performed in real-time.

By following these instructions you are ensured of having an improved website UX design. However, testing, user reviews, peer reviews and feedbacks are important in gathering speed and solidarity in website building. A must have checklist for UX designers is as important as having the website as a whole.

The post A Must Have Checklist for UX Designers appeared first on Radikal Labs: Latest News on Web, Mobile App & Game Development Services.

Increases opportunities for process improvement

IT leaders and mobile strategists can assess and analyse types of works performed by employees within their organizations. Areas of work are identified and evaluated properly on the basis of mobile applications and their usage. This can build better connectivity in work and streamline work processes. With employees increasingly finding it easier to do their jobs operational efficiencies keep on improving with time. With improvement in efficiencies and work opportunities a new space for better business initiatives is created.

Different from mobile device management software

MAM software helps in numerous inter-organizational efforts such as usage tracking, software licensing, application lifecycle management (ALM), software delivery and software configuration.  MA managers find it easier to compare mobile devices and track ownerships in order to run certain IT-defined policies. MAM helps in limiting the usage and sharing of corporate data through mobile apps.

MAM is very different from mobile device management software which simply supports provisioning, device activation and enrolment efforts.

Apps are Here to Rule

No matter how hard we try to keep aside mobile apps from workforce, the reality is an all important identity of mobile apps that is growing with each passing day. Smartphone and mobile devices are nothing without apps. Data accessed by more than billion mobile apps form the basis of mobile productivity and efficiency. Workforces are tech savvy in the present days. Nowadays employees use apps for taking notes, sharing files, communicating, syncing files and bringing maximised efficiency in their performances. Individuals do not wait for the system or the IT department to provide them with apps for carrying out their desired jobs. With Forrester’s 2014 survey, it has been found that 25% of employees globally follow BYOD and their own mobile apps to make up for the time wasted in finding the missing (and most of the times most commonly needed) app to perform their tasks.

Increases Workplace Productivity and Flexibility for Employees

Industry reports (a recent study by Dell) suggest a significant rise in customer response and employee productivity after businesses allowed employees to use their personal mobile devices at work. Similar survey carried out by Detecon Inc. has also pointed out inspiring improvements in workplace productivity.

City of Bonn had allowed city agents to have mobile apps that made them quickly search and extract information from individual parking tickets. This led to the agents answering citizens’ questions and concerns quickly. Violations on payment information were easily tracked and brought up. Bonn has seen a rise in timely payment of fines by ticketed drivers. This has resulted in the city gaining on cost savings.

Mobile applications and BYOD framework for employees have led the way in increased productivity.

Privacy is Maintained Well

With BYOD being incorporated there will be a protected work environment for employees. MAM would effectively channelize the use of personal apps and data would stay personal. This would bode well for IT organizations as they will not have to face any kind of liability in managing personal employee devices. Having zero visibility and corporate IT control will not be a harmful factor but would most certainly increase privacy and a sense of wholesomeness among employees willing to put in extra effort in workplaces.

Multi-Platform IT problems Managed Well

Mobile device management is a thing of headache for IT departments. With numerous mobile operating systems being managed by IT the process becomes difficult at some point of time. Security issues and management concerns increase as various mobile OS use different API interfaces. In order to rightly practice consistent policies and control in workplace environments MAM solutions, like Symantec App Center are the right ways. They bring in security and effective management across multiple devices, OS and APIs within enterprises.

MAM or mobile application development will be an effective enterprise machinery in the recent future. Planned or unplanned events will be updated on apps used inside enterprises. Time, cost and resources will be saved. With holistic approach being taken towards management and security, a solid mobile business environment would be introduced. Mobile strategies rightly taken would ensure protection of confidential corporate data and the apps.

The post How Important is MAM (Mobile App Management) for Mobile Strategy Building? appeared first on Radikal Labs: Latest News on Web, Mobile App & Game Development Services.

AdMob

This is an app created by Google to allow app users and developers relate monetization with. This app boasts of a few smart features like Software Development Kit or SDK that helps users connect across Android, iOS and Windows phones. SDK is a good integration system with a wide variety of ad types like interactive ads, banner ads, exclusive custom search and interstitial ads that can be placed on tablets as well as mobile devices. The name and brand does not make AdMob special but the strong set up of Google coding behind SDK makes it recommended.

Adfonic

Advertising performance is important for Adfonic. There are a wide range of global agencies like BBS, Amazon Kindle, Samsung and ESPN who are working with Adfonic to get their huge campaigns get displayed on mobile apps.

Aditic

There are intelligent areas like idiot-proof platforms for mobile developers in this app. Such is the inclination towards mobile advertising and ad marketing that it has made itself friendly for not just Android, IOS and Blackberry but also for JAVA and Samsung Bada. Ad formats of many types are available along with interstitial ads.

Millennial Media

This is one of the finest mobile advertising networks allowing users to promote, publish and have a complete self-service program for oneself. One of the most unique features built in this network is its ability to display ads from other ad networks. Easy and smart client campaigns can be set up through this network which include targeting, pricing, date range and pacing. A well organised systematic dashboard allows users to access all transaction reports. This is recommended as one of the best monetization tool for an app. Millennial Media can also be considered as a combined advertisement territory that not only allows general promotion but cross-promotion as well which means promotion of your app within the app can be done with this network.

InMobi

Originating in India this is one app that has made a flutter in the world map of app monetization. If a user requires serious monetization inMobi is one app that should be a considerable choice. Going by the valid reports, 93.4 billion impressions across 165 countries with a massive 578 million consumer base has been reached by inmobi. With its strong capabilities developers and consumers desiring successful serious monetization must have an advertising foothold with inMobi.

With each passing day there are introduction of new-age apps. However advertising monetization in its true sense is still a long shot for app developers. Customer behavior, ad format and actual business monetization through advertising would expand in great ways as will the scope and diversity of revenue generation through monetization.

The post Strategies for Mobile App Revenue Boost appeared first on Radikal Labs: Latest News on Web, Mobile App & Game Development Services.