DEV Community: Nikunj Shingala

Top 10 Must-Have Features For Online Marketplace App In 2021

Nikunj Shingala — Wed, 27 Jan 2021 08:43:05 +0000

Today businesses are rapidly moving towards eCommerce marketplace platforms. We have lots of stories that elaborate on the success of online marketplaces. People now like to buy goods through online marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, Flipkart, and others. It is a worldwide growing industry.

To enable the tool "word-of-mouth", you need to create an efficient and lucrative user experience. Framing an easy-to-use user experience and the intuitive user interface is the first step and a vital feature you should consider while developing a marketplace app.

We know that millions of people across the world are using mobile applications for different purposes such as for paying bills, movie ticket booking, grocery shopping, bill payments, etc. Therefore, no business can neglect the importance of having an app to showcase business services and products. Mobile apps are one of the best platforms to increase business growth and profits in less time.

After the pandemic of COVID-19 businesses across the world has changed their potential towards online marketing. Irrespective of your business sizes, developing a marketplace app is always a profitable decision to increase your business reach and customers.

App assists you in leveraging the benefits of cutting-edge mobile technologies for online marketplaces. One of the biggest challenges while developing a marketplace app is to make it market-ready and highly functional. Additionally, developers should choose essential features for your online marketplace app.

Top 10 must-have features for online marketplace app in 2021

1. Social Media Buttons

One of the essential features an online marketplace app must have is social media buttons. People often visit the social media pages of their service providers. Lots of eCommerce companies assist customers via social media platforms as well.

People also get new updates regarding any new product launch and others via social media websites. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are reliable social media sources to give and take opinions, reviews, and feedback. Apart from this, social media accessibility also enables you to increase your business reach in less time and effort.

2. Build an Attractive Brand Logo

It is vital to have an attractive logo for your brand. The brand logo helps you bring reliability to your business services and products. It infuses the trust of customers in your business.

Building a logo for your brand tends to 50%of work done for marketing. People always move on with a trustworthy brand. A logo acts as a visual voice of your brand and promotes it effectively. It also helps you showcase your brand in the B2B marketplace.

3. Easy Navigation

Nobody has too much time to scroll down the page having useless and uninteresting elements. While developing an online marketplace, you must focus on providing effortless navigation to the users.

To enable smooth navigation, make sure the content of the app is optimized according to the screen size. Use clear layouts to display your products and services. Always try to provide seamless navigation to the app users.

4. Easy to Use Buyers Page

Undoubtedly, the success of any app depends on how it interacts with the end-users. Buyers or end users are the most important to make your app profitable. In this way, you must provide higher engagement and user satisfaction.

Try to cover enough information in fewer words. Design an effective cart window to show all the details of your products and services. Look at the pages that are not clear to the users and make them usable.

5. Effortless Vendor Page

Not only the buyer's page but also the vendor's pages in your marketplace app should be effective and easy to use. Help your vendors with ease of design. When the vendors update any product on your app, you should provide them with easy update options, payment gateways, easy editing options, etc.

6. Effective Rich Customization

Rich customization is the key to building an intuitive user interface and user experience with engaging elements. Online marketplace app customers always expect highly customized features and an excellent personalized experience while finding their required services and products. Therefore, while developing a marketplace app, you must include highly customized features in your app.

7. Online Chat

Customers focus on how effectively you provide the customer support service in less time. This is why your online marketplace app must include 24*7 live chat options. It helps you deliver high customer satisfaction and increase business sales.

8. Use Search Box

There might be lots of things an online marketplace app contains. The big online marketplace apps like Flipkart and Amazon offer search bar options to the users to help them find their desired product in less time and effort. Therefore, while developing a marketplace app, you should never forget to include a search box for user convenience.

9. Trending Products and Latest Attractions

At the time of salespeople, often check the trending products and move towards them. Make it easy for your buyers to know the latest attractions and trending items on your app. Offer them exclusive deals for their selected items.

10. Reviews and Ratings

Even while downloading an app, people check reviews and ratings on Google Play Store and App Store. Reviews and ratings create trust between the app owner and the users. Also, reviews and ratings enable businesses to improve their service quality and performance accordingly.

Conclusion

While developing a marketplace app, you should always focus on the customers in mind. For the ultimate growth and reach of your business always provide the above ten features in your online marketplace app. Offer interactive user interface, extensive user experience, and seamless shopping environment to your customers and increase your sales and revenue.

5 Things You Should Know Before Developing A Hybrid App

Nikunj Shingala — Mon, 07 Sep 2020 08:13:26 +0000

One question arises every time you want to develop a mobile app: Whether to go with mainstream Native App Development or to choose cost and time effective Hybrid App Development?

Here in this post, we have listed 5 things that you should consider before getting into the development of a Hybrid Mobile Application.

Before getting into the details, let’s clear out what Native and Hybrid apps are.

What is Native and Hybrid Mobile Apps?

Native Apps: These apps are built for a specific platform such as Android or iOS using programming languages like Objective C, Java, Swift, etc. It means that an application developed for Android won’t run on iOS devices. Native apps are usually costly and time-consuming in the development process since dedicated developer(s) would be required to build an app in each operating system i.e. iOS and Android.

Hybrid Apps: On the other hand, Hybrid apps are based on Web Technologies like HTML5, CSS3, and Javascript which are covered by a native wrapper. The wrapper translates the code in native languages of Android, iOS, or any other platform which in turn runs the application.

Hybrid Apps Development is comparatively less expensive in terms of cost and time compared to Native App Development. This can be achieved by the WORA (Write Once, Run Anywhere) motto of hybrid app development frameworks. This implies that for each operating system, you need not create a separate codebase for a single application.

Now that you have a clear idea of what the difference between these two is, let’s see which are the 5 things you should consider before getting into Hybrid Mobile App Development:

Factors influencing the choice of Hybrid App Development:

The Platforms you want to target: When it comes to mobile app development, your priority should be to finalize your requirements of features. Because it will determine which platforms you can develop and launch your app.

There might be some cases where your required features can’t be implemented in a specific platform due to various constraints. In that case, developing a hybrid mobile app should not be your choice.

For example, one of my recent projects named Callyzer (A Call Analysis tool for businesses) could not be developed in iOS as its system does not support call monitoring & fetching of call logs for security reasons. It thus becomes crucial to finalize your feature requirements before jumping into development to avoid any obstruction.

Feasibility Check: Though with the advancements in hybrid app frameworks performance has reached on par with native applications, there are still some limitations in hybrid apps related to the feasibility of developing heavy processing applications. For example, applications based on substantial processing like games are still not practical to implement in a hybrid mobile application.

Though A hybrid app like Instagram facing hundreds of thousands of users at a time shows how well apps developed on a hybrid framework can perform.

Need of Native Features: When Hybrid Frameworks were introduced, a lot of developers were facing the need for libraries to access native features like Cameras, GPS, and other sensors. As time progressed new libraries and components were introduced to ease the access to various components, but there are still some issues.

For example, if your device is listed under Apple’s MDM policy, some of your basic features such as camera, location, or Wi-Fi can be restricted by your IT administrator. So if you want to build a hybrid app for your Enterprise, you should also consider these restrictions before commencing the development.

Choice of Framework: In the early 2010s there were only a few options available to develop hybrid mobile apps, but as more companies found the hybrid app market lucrative, they jumped in with their frameworks. Facebook came up with React Native in 2015 while Google developed its Flutter in 2018.

Each of the frameworks can develop hybrid apps but they all have their differences; some of the frameworks are free while some charge you extra for additional features. For example, if you are considering Xamarin as your hybrid framework, you should be ready to shell out $5,999/year just for Microsoft’s Visual Studio IDE enterprise license.

Other than that the number of Operating systems supported also plays a role in choosing a framework if you want your app to support multiple operating systems.

Focus on UI and UX: When it comes to a mobile app, it is the UI and UX which are facing and interacting with the user. Thus it becomes important to create an app that has native-like user experience and looks familiar as well as easy to use for the user.

Most of the frameworks present today have close to native UI and UX capabilities, but still some of the elements and animations are not as fluid like native apps. So hybrid apps are suitable for those apps which do not require high use of animations and transitions.

Having a few problems with hybrid apps still makes it one of the highest used app development frameworks. Why would one choose a Hybrid App over a Native App? Here are the reasons:

Why should you opt for Hybrid Mobile App?

Hybrid apps are cost and time effective: The fact that you have to develop a single codebase for several platforms saves you time behind the development, and this reduced time will also save you the money behind app development resources.

Also, you do not have to hire dedicated developers for each technology so you are further saving a substantial amount behind the development and training of developers.

It is easy to maintain: The task of development doesn’t end with the launch of a mobile app, there might be some bugs to be solved or additional requirements from the client to be incorporated.

When you develop a native app, you have to include those changes to all the languages individually in which the app is available. But if you have utilized hybrid frameworks, you only need to modify the code in the main codebase, It will be reflected in all the platforms accordingly.

It is easy to use: Hybrid mobile apps are developed using technologies like HTML, CSS, and Javascript, so a developer having experience in these technologies can easily start developing codes on hybrid frameworks.

Plenty of ready-to-use libraries available: With the support of thousands of hybrid framework enthusiast developers, there are numerous open-source ready-to-use libraries available which you just have to include in your code. These libraries work uniformly throughout the selected platform array. It saves a lot of your time and makes the development easy for developers.

Conclusion:

The fact that companies like Uber, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest using hybrid mobile apps proves that it is possible to create efficient and scalable hybrid apps and provide an immersive user experience without compromising on quality and user experience. A hybrid mobile app should be your choice if you want to develop an app supporting multiple operating systems in a cost & time-efficient manner.

10 Popular Hybrid App built to React Native

Nikunj Shingala — Tue, 07 May 2019 20:32:06 +0000

It is quite fascinating to acknowledge the rise of React Native technology. This technology came into existence in the year of 2013 through the Hackathon project of Facebook. But, now it has evolved as one of the most in-demand frameworks to develop different types of Android and iOS application. In the year of 2015, Face declared in the F8 conference about the React Native availability. From there on the developers around the world has come up with some of the most advanced applications which are the mark of a new era in the mobile world.

From organizations to startups, React Native has become the preferred choice for the ones looking for mobile app development services. Here in this article, we bring 10 of the most popular applications developed with the use of React Native technology, take a look:

Facebook

As stated above, React Native came into existence with the hackathon project of Facebook. Yes, the company was in seeking for web development process which can help them with all the benefits to get the whole product to a smartphone.

Why React Native?
This was originally done so that they can pave their way to iOS. But, now it has grown into a big platform serving both Android and iOS. React Native was developed so that they can have their own Ads Manager application in both Android and iOS platforms.

Facebook Ads

Facebook Ads was developed as a first application build with React Native technology for the Android platform. It helped manage complex attributes like time zones difference, date formats, currencies and more.

Why React Native?
Usage of React Native technology goes the speed going of the application. Yes, it was quite fast and whatever be the operation, it completed within a second or two without any kind of issues. It literally made the overall experience amazing.

Walmart

Walmart is one of the popular and largest online retailers. Yes, the company is always striving hard to help customers avail the best of experience which can help them purchase their goods online with ease.

Why React Native?
To enhance their performance big time, they jumped into the pool to React Native technology. It was a very bold move and it helped customers with exceptionally smooth experience.

Bloomberg

Bloomberg is a very popular application around the world known for providing a wide range of interactive content in the form of videos with personalized news and live feeds.

Why React Native?
To make the experience for its audience smoother and better, the use of React Native technology was taken into consideration. It helps in code automation and accelerates development new attributes making the process extremely easy.

Instagram

Being a very simple and easy to use social media application, it was a challenge for Instagram to shift their mode of operation to React Native technology. But Instagram accepted it and gained an amazing response.

Why did they choose to React Native?
Well, shifting to React Native technology helped application with better performance and assisted it to work with faster speed. Now it is acknowledged to be one of the most popular React Native applications.

SoundCloud Pulse

SoundCloud is a platform which allows its users to have their own account and keep the feeds buzzing all the time. During the starting phase, the company did find it difficult to publish it in the iOS platform. But with React Native technology, the developers find the way to get it published.

Why React Native?
It was easier for developers to work on the React Native technology and it becomes simpler for them to build the application which can be used in both iOS and Android platforms.

Townske

Townske is an exceptionally developed application to help its user with a trip guide for their next vacation. It helps them connect with the locals with which they can visit the top attractions there and explore more while being on the trip.

Why React Native?
With the use of React Native technology, the application becomes more responsive and native to the environment. It enhanced its speed and made the performance better and smoother.

Gyroscope

This application allows one to go through its entire life story with ease. It is basically a health application dealing more with the steroids and tracking your steps count, heart rate, workout, and several more daily activities.

Why React Native?
With the infusion of React Native technology, it helped the application enhance its interface and made it even more interactive. Each and every attribute can be managed is much more responsive and manageable.

Wix

Wix is one of the most proficient names in the business known for providing web design and hosting services. Yes, it allows users to create its own application and too without having any idea of coding.

Why React Native?
They shifted to React Native technology which helped them with better efficiency and productivity. Yes, it made the work process quicker and users were able to work upon their needs with ease.

Delivery.com

Delivery.com exclusively allows its users to opt for online form for their preferred restaurants and shops as their needs and requirements. There are more than millions of customers ordering through this application while being at home or at work.

Why did they choose?
With the inclusion of react native technology, the application gets better attributes with which they can enhance their performance. Yes, the users can avail the functions like compass, zoom, rotate and more.

So, this shows how React Native has evolved over the years and helped business with a better experience by helping them develop applications with any attribute and potential. If you have an idea and desire to showcase that through React Native application, then do check out more related to React Native development solutions.