How essential are mobile apps? Does your business need one to succeed? This is one question you need to be asking yourself when evaluating your mobile strategy.
While there’s no direct ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer to this question — in many cases, after evaluating all the crucial aspects of your business, it elicits an affirmative answer. In fact, it’s for this reason that we also saw it fit to create this simple guide to help you determine if you need a mobile app.
A mobile app is more than a distribution medium. Use it correctly, and it’s a communication channel that other brands can learn from or adapt to. A mobile app also addresses all of your customers’ needs, besides meeting your business objectives.
Here are some stats that illustrate the business opportunity that the mobile app market presents to brands.
- At the end of 2018, there were about 2.1 million apps on the Google Play Store and about 2 million apps on the Apple App Store.
From 2016 to 2018, the total amount of consumers’ spending on the app store has increased by a good 75%, which amounts to an impressive $101 billion.
It’s even estimated that, by 2020, the number of app downloads would have shot to 194 billion.
- On average, every Singaporean has installed about 115 apps on their Smartphone.
On a global front, however, an average mobile phone user has only installed 60 to 90 apps. That goes to show that Singaporeans lead the way by installing the highest number of apps on their mobile devices.
- The most used apps among the 115 installed are social networking apps such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram.
- Four million Singaporeans think WhatsApp is the most popular mobile applications. That’s impressive, considering Singapore only has a population of 5.75 million.
- Singaporeans are also reported to be using mobile apps for almost everything they do. They use them for communicating, banking, shopping, insurance, transport, and dating. In brief, their lives revolve around mobile apps.
From this, it’s safe to say that the mobile app landscape is a space to watch in Singapore. Whether you’re a blogger, broadcaster, or just a regular business person, it’s either you set up a mobile app extension of your business or risk missing out on this section of the market entirely.
In 2016, the entire civil service workforce in Singapore was signed up on Facebook. By 2017, the entire workforce consisting of 143, 000 public servants in the country were expected to use the platform. They were to access the Facebook platform without necessarily having to connect to the intranet.
Of all the 143, 000 civil servants, 82% managed to activate their account.
They even began using it actively. This would see to it that the number of emails Singaporeans sent dropped drastically. People started replacing them with workplace posts, and that marked the beginning of the new paradigm shift.
Workers were able to collaborate more actively. They’d create groups that they’d use to share ideas and engage with each other.
The Difference between Web App and Mobile App
At the basic level, while a web application runs on a browser, a mobile application runs directly on a mobile device.
Here are more differences between the two:
- A web app can only work where there’s an active internet connection. However, for a mobile app, it’s possible to run it offline, without necessarily connecting it to the internet.
- A web application doesn’t use the resources that a system provides. It instead uses only what’s provided to the browser and nothing else. A mobile app, on the other hand, can use as much of your system’s resources as it requires.
- And since a web app doesn’t require the resources provided by a system, you have to set up everything to the cloud where they can be accessed remotely. That means you have to connect to a remote database to perform anything.
With a mobile app, however, it’s possible to use the database that your system provides. That means it’s possible to set up a system where everything can be accessed locally. A classic example is WhatsApp.
- Designing the UI of a web app is a bit hard since browsers differ. Plus, you have to factor different screen sizes in your design to ensure everything loads fine regardless of the device in use.
Web apps also lack framework guidelines, which makes them hard to design.
Mobile apps, on the other hand, have well-defined guidelines that give you the much-needed framework to design them.
- Web apps are more vulnerable to hacking compared to mobile apps. It’s much easier for someone to inspect your code and hack it remotely.
It’s for this reason that high profile companies encourage their users to use their mobile applications. Some even go to the extent of forcing them to switch.
Web applications are also exposed to a series of other security risks, including SQL injection and cross-site scripting, most of which mobile applications are immune to.
- Once you’ve made a mobile app for a particular environment, it’s almost impossible to replicate it for a different environment. That means if you have the intention of using it in a different environment, then you have to look at the possibility of designing everything from scratch.
Web applications, on the other hand, are super adaptive. You can easily adjust them to suit the different environment and adapt to different devices.
Top Platforms for Building a Mobile App
You have a brilliant idea and are looking to build a mobile app around it, which platform would you use?
It could be that you’re being held back by the fear of coding or you’re yet to find that one app building software that’s up to the task. Well, no need to worry, this section of the post has you covered.
As you’re soon to find out, building a mobile app is much easier than you think. You don’t need any prior coding experience or knowledge; just a simple guide like this and you’re good to go.
To begin with, you have to understand that every business or company has different business objectives, and which dictate that they choose a mobile app development platform accordingly.
In which case, you have two platforms for which your mobile app can be developed:
- Android App
- iOS App
Choosing a platform for building your mobile app from a market filled with them can be an overwhelming task in itself. If anything, you have dozens of platforms to test out and experiment with.
However, five crucial parameters rest at the centre of the decision that you make. These parameters include:
- OS support
- Cost
- Features
- Security
- User experience, and so on.
You have to consider your priorities and what you think is most important to both you and your users before you can go ahead and choose a platform from the list provided.
Here are some suggestions on the top platforms for building mobile applications consider for you to consider:
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Xamarin
Xamarin is a popular choice on the list. Established in 2011 by Microsoft, this platform allows you to build cross-platform applications. It’s among the few platforms on the market that lets you use the same code to build applications for the various operating systems, including Android, Windows, iOS, macOS, and so on. -
PhoneGap
PhoneGap is another cross-platform app development tool on the list. The technology is also referred to as Apache Cordova, and it allows you to build native apps that can be installed across different platforms.
One big advantage of this technology is that it also supports inbuilt mobile features such as GPS, Phonebook, Camera, Accelerometer, Storage, and much more. -
Sencha
Again, Sencha offers tools that you can use to create a cross-platform app. These tools include Sencha Animator, Sencha Architect, and so on. -
Appcelerator
Appcelerator is an enterprise-focused app development platform that lets you write JavaScript using the Allow MVC framework. -
Ionic
This is an open-source SDK. It’s an HTML5 framework for mobile apps, and which you can use to build hybrid mobile apps. -
iFactr
This is the only mobile app development platform supporting both legacy and modern windows. The platform also supports Android and iOS. -
Kony
Kony has a broad range of tools that are part of their Enterprise Mobility Platform, and which you may use to create all kinds of mobile apps using a single codebase. -
Alpha Anywhere
AlphaAnywhere is a low-code development tool that allows you to create mobile apps with so much ease and without laying down a single line of code. The platform allows you to create native apps that run across different OS platforms. -
Redhat
Redhat features a mobile backend. It’s a cross-platform development tool that features a public cloud and lets you build and deploy both Android and iOS apps without exiting the platform. -
Flutter
Flutter has been all the hype lately. And that’s because it’s a complete software development kit from the big G itself. This toolkit makes app development easy by providing a single codebase that works for both iOS and Android.
It also allows you to modify the old widgets and create new ones with so much ease. As a result, you can easily build responsive mobile apps that your audience can easily engage with. -
AppMakr
With AppMakr, anyone can craft an Android, iOS, or HTML5 app. Even without laying down a single line of code, this platform will see to it that you’re able to create a functioning mobile app and even publish it successfully.
AppMakr was founded in 2009, and was recently sold to Infinite Monkeys. Nothing has change, tough — it’s still the same platform that people have been using to create all kinds of mobile apps.
How to Choose a Mobile and Web App Company
Finding a third-party mobile app developer in Singapore is easy. However, finding the right mobile or web app development agency to work with for your project is insanely tricky.
How do you go about evaluating potential candidates before settling on one? What’s the process?
Well, read on to find out!
Ability to Ship Your App on Time
Nothing is complicated here. Can the app developer you’re about to hire hit the deadline?
By not shipping on time, that means you’ll be wasting opportunities, which translates to losing money.
What’s important is for you to make sure that the company that you’re about to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on will be making good on the promises they make.
Client References
Go through the portfolio of the companies. This should be among the first things that you do even before you can go ahead and contact them.
Find out which brands they’ve partnered with before and make a point to check them out. Are the apps they created okay? Do they impress you well enough?
This should give you a clear indication of what to expect from them. Where possible, make a point to contact the company and ask them about the experiences that they had with the company. Let the company re-affirm some of the things the agency told you. And where they can’t, they should at least let you in on what to expect after you sign the contract.
Who does the development?
Who handles the development aspect of the project? You have a cheaper option in this where you can outsource the project directly to a group of Indian developers, who charge peanuts by the way.
But don’t expect the app to pack the same quality as an app that was created by a team of experienced software engineers, and not a group of newbie coders who are yet to get over the hoopla of writing a functional code.
What’s the Experience of the Engineers that will be involved with the project?
Find out about the engineers that will be involved with your project and dig out for as much info as possible about them. How long have they been in business? What other big projects were they involved with?
Any agency that charges you less means they’re working with inexperienced developers. Some clients may be okay with that, but don’t be surprised when the final project fails to match your expectations. You simply got what you paid for. Why lament?
Will they be white-labelling the app or building one from scratch?
Some developers are masters of taking shortcuts. Where you expect them to create you a fully customized app; they’ll simply take an old one and re-skin it, jerry-jigging it to match your needs and specification.
There’s nothing wrong with that. But they should at least let you know beforehand before you’ve invested your hard-earned cash with them.
If you’re designing a temporary app for a conference or trade show, there’s nothing wrong with the developer white-labeling one of their apps and passing it on to you. This could also save you a lot of money, more so since it’s not a serious app.
What’s their App Development Process?
The developer you hire must be willing to spell out the development process to you, step by step. Does their process allow them to ship the app on time, or will they be behind schedule?
This is particularly important if you’re already in the middle of the project and are looking for an agency to complete it for you. They should be able to look at it and walk you through the remaining procedure, with a timeframe attached to each procedure.
Top Web Development Firms in Singapore
Are you looking for a top mobile or web app development agency in Singapore to help you update an existing app or build you a new one from scratch? Or you could be a startup company looking to outsource the mobile app service to the best app vendor in the country.
Well, we’ve research independently and analysed the best web and mobile app development firms in Singapore and compiled them in a list based on several crucial parameters. We encourage you to read through the list and pick a company based on your preference and other factors.
Without further ado, here goes the top 20 list of the best Mobile App Development Firms in Singapore:
Rainmaker Labs
Rainmaker Labs is widely known for delivering some of the most stunning iOS and Android Apps in Singapore. They’re the experts in crafting customised mobile applications, supported by Mobile Marketing Automation Cloud, which works to ensure all their apps deliver the best user experience and maximised consumer engagement.
Year Founded: 2011
Company Size: Between 50 and 249 Employees
Services: Mobile and web app development, UX/UI design
Website: https://rainmaker-labs.com/
Zoliotech
Zoliotech may sound like some new company – but in actuality, it’s one of the oldest, having stepped into the web development and designing scene in 2008. Over the years, the company would decide to expand its scope of services by venturing into social networking and mobile app development. The company also offers app maintenance and consultation services to Singapore clients and the rest of the world.
Year Founded: 2008
Services: Web design, Web development, App Development, Consultation, App maintenance, and Mobile App Development.
Website: http://zoliotech.com/
Monstar Lab
Monstar is an 800-person web and mobile app development firm that prides itself on having worked on some of the best web projects around. Although headquartered in Singapore, the company’s roots straddle 12 countries, where they focus on developing all types of end-to-end mobile and web applications.
Year Founded: 2005
Services: Digital strategy and transformation, web design, IT solution architecture, web development, Product management
Company Size: 50 to 249 employees
Website: https://monstar-lab.com/sg/
Buuuk
Buuuk was originally meant to be nothing more than an experimental app. It was a project that was started to test out one of their apps. But after clients started showing interest in their skill, the company decided to turn into a fully-fledged software solution.
The company has managed to take on some of the big projects in the country and successfully completed them. The company thrives on total honesty and their commitment to making sure that every single one of their web projects is successful.
Services: Mobile app development, App UI design, Software development, UX exploration, Digital Transformation, MVP prototyping
Website: https://buuuk.com/
NetSet Software Solutions
NetSet is a global software solution. Founded in 2012, the company has its headquarters at JTC Summit in Singapore. The company has a team of 183 employees that can handle almost every aspect of the software development process, including IT Strategy Consulting, UX/UI design, Web Development, and Mobile app development.
Their primary target is small to mid-sized companies looking to add some professionalism to their design.
Services: Mobile App Development, UI/UX design, IT Strategy Consulting
Year Founded: 2012
Company Size: 51 to 251 Employees
Website: https://www.netsetsoftware.com/
Jankonsoft
Jankonsoft is a prominent digital agency with offices in Singapore. It’s a full house web solution; made up of a team of 6 software specialists dealing with web development, web design, mobile app development, e-commerce development, and so much more.
The company’s big project was creating a CMS platform for a tutoring project. They were able to build everything from scratch and come up with one of the best tutoring web platforms ever made in Singapore.
Services: Web design, Web development, e-commerce development, mobile app development
Year Founded: 2001
Company Size: 11 to 50 Employees
Website: https://www.jankosoft.com/
Let’s Nurture
Let’s Nurture has more than 1000 web and mobile app projects in their work roster. Their past clientele is from Singapore and other parts of the world.
The company specialises in crafting mobile enterprise apps for small businesses and corporate entities. They also make custom mobile applications for brands that want to stick out.
Year Founded: 2008
Company Size: 50 to 250 Employees
Services: Android App Development, Hybrid App Development, iOS App Development
Website: https://www.letsnurture.com/
Fooyo
Fooyo’s heart lies in creating clean and ultra-modern apps for both Android and iOS platforms. All their apps are created with the end-user in mind. That explains why their apps are always intuitive, besides offering some of the best user experiences.
The company can handle everything, including designing a customised app from scratch. They can handle the technical back-end and even polish the overall look of your app and enhance its aesthetic appeal like the pro they are.
Year Founded: 2014
Company Size: 2 to 9 Employees
Services: Mobile App Development, Web App Development, UX/UI Design
Website: http://www.fooyo.sg/
Originally US
Originally US deserves a top slot on this list. As an award-winning software solution in Singapore, the company has worked with high profile brands both locally and on a global front. Some of the best, almost faultless web products that you see floating around, belong to their portfolio.
In short, they have designed some of the best mobile apps, and that’s mostly because all their web projects are underpinned by some of the most qualified software engineers around.
Year Founded: 2014
Company Size: 10 to 49 Employees
Services: Mobile App Development, Web App Development, IoT Development
Website: https://originallyus.sg/
Vinova
Vinova will help you bring whatever IT idea that you have in mind into life. They’re known to provide some of the best web and mobile applications. They’re equally good at crafting intuitive mobile games.
Suffice it to say they have one of the most trusted and reliable web and mobile app development brands in Singapore.
Year Founded: 2010
Company Size: 10 to 49 Employees
Services: Mobile App Development, Mobile Game development Custom Software Development
Website: https://vinova.sg/
Ming Labs
Ming is recognized not only in Singapore but globally as one of the best UX designers, as well as web and mobile app developers.
Their focus is on establishing a symbiotic relationship between designing, development, and deep industry. Every single one of their designs is a stroke of genius diligently put together by the best engineers you can find.
Year Founded: 2011
Company Size: 50 to 249 employees
Services: Mobile App Development, Web App Development, UX/UI Design
Website: https://minglabs.com/
Mobiloitte
Mobiloitte is a full-service software solution dealing with web security, and performance across APPS, BOTs, and IoT landscape. The company also crafts custom mobile and web applications for both Android and iOS platforms.
Year Founded: 2004
Company Size: 250 to 999 Employees
Services: Mobile App Development, Web App Development, UX/UI Design
Website: https://www.mobiloitte.com/
Singsys
SingSys is a fast-rising mobile and web app development agency in Singapore. The company specializes in creating stunning Android and iOS apps at an affordable cost.
They’re one of the oldest software solutions in the country, boasting more than ten years of experience. They also have one of the most qualified team to craft a fully functional and cost-effective mobile or web application for your business.
Year Founded: 2009
Company Size: 50 to 249 employees
Services: Mobile App Development, Web App Development, UX/UI Design
Website: https://www.singsys.com/
Indus Net Technologies Ltd
Indus Net is an award-winning digital service solution. The company specializes in building both mobile and web apps for every single one of your business stakeholders – i.e., customers, partners, employees, vendors, and prospects.
Year Founded: 1997
Company Size: 250 to 999 employees
Services: Mobile Apps Development, Web Development
Website: https://www.indusnet.co.in/
Swag Soft
Since 2010, when it was founded, Swag soft has been providing quality web and mobile app development services to clients of all kinds. The company provides a full suite of software solutions to both small and high profile businesses – spanning, game development, web development, iBeacon Technology, and augmented reality development.
Your target customers or market come first – and then you, as a client, second. This is what sets them apart from other mobile app developers in the country.
Year Founded: 2010
Company Size: 10 to 49 Employees
Services: Mobile App Development, Augmented Reality Development, Wearable App Development
Website: https://swagsoft.com.sg/
Robust Tech House
RobustTechHouse was founded in 2014. It’s a software solution firm specialising in Mobile Apps (Both Android and iOS), Web Apps, Blockchain technologies, and Chatbot. The company has its offices in Singapore, where they’re known for producing some of the most intuitive web and mobile app products.
Year Founded: 2014
Company size: 10 to 49 employees
Services: Mobile App Development, Web App development, e-commerce development
Website: https://robusttechhouse.com/
OM Software Ltd
OMSoftware is a multinational software development company dealing with mobile and web applications. Their focus is on creating intuitive applications that respond to your users’ needs and desire.
Having started in 2008, the company boasts extensive experience in both mobile and web app development. That sets them as an industry leader and one of the most sought-after software solutions in the country.
Website: https://www.omsoftware.net/
Creatella
Although it started in Singapore, Creatella has grown to open its branches in various European countries and other parts of the world, as well. The company operates as a marketing agency, a tech facility, and a startup incubator.
They’re one of the most ambitious and energetic startups in the country, not wasting any opportunity of any untapped market that they lay their eyes on.
Year Founded: 2015
Company Size: 10 to 49 Employees
Services: Mobile Apps Development, Web Development
Website: https://creatella.ventures/
Credencys Solutions
Credencys Solutions is a mobile software development company that was established in 2008. It’s one of the leading providers of both mobile and web development solutions not only in Singapore, but also in Mumbai, Washington, and Ahmedabad India.
Their focus is on providing Enterprise Mobility Solutions meant to optimise every aspect of your business operations. Their interest rests on what’s latest in terms of technology. Other than that, they’re also involved in helping businesses take advantage of mobile, web, big data, cloud, and Internet of Things for their business growth.
Year Founded: 2008
Company Size: 50 to 249 Employees
Services: Mobile App Development, Web App Development, UX/UI Design
Website: https://www.credencys.com/
Final Thoughts
People always get stuck trying to find the perfect app development agency or developer for their first mobile or web application. This post was created with this type of clients in mind. It’s meant to help them evaluate their app development partners on the basis of their skills, quality of projects, and years of experience.
For more information on how to proceed with the evaluation process, frankly reach out to the consultation team at MediaOne Marketing, and let’s help you build one of the most fitting mobile applications for your business.
