The iOS devices are incredibly well-known for their seamless performance and the advanced technology that attract millions of users. Worldwide, market visionaries seek iOS app development as one of the leading and high return-yielding business-inspired commodities. When there is the right app with adequate features, businesses can gain immense success in a short duration. In a world full of booming technologies, having a business app is a mandate for lucrative growth.
A smartphone is a most prominently used device that has become an inevitable part of human lives. There are thousands of mobile apps that rule the world and are listed on Android and iOS mobile app development platforms. Both these platforms have their benefits, but due to certain remarkable factors, initiating with an iOS app is the first preference of the businesses.
Enterprises are investing endlessly in the iOS application building process which shows how growing this market is. If businesses have responsive apps, it undoubtedly helps them to flourish and attain a competitive edge. iOS apps are the need of the hour as they assure an increased level of brand visibility, higher profits, and better customer loyalty. And these are the key reasons why enterprises are looking forward to developing iOS apps for their businesses.
But before investing, it is essential to know what iOS app development is. The iOS app development can be understood as the process of developing mobile apps for iPod Touch, iPad, and iPhone. There are some programming languages and Apple tools and resources that are used such as Objective-C, Swift, etc. for the iOS app development. Now let’s discuss some other relevant topics like the reasons to choose iOS app development, various types of iOS app development, programming languages, factors to consider, and the process & cost of iOS app development.
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Why Businesses Should Choose iOS Platform for the App Development?
As per the data, iOS is the second leading mobile operating system across the globe. It holds approximately 25 percent of the total market share. Despite being in the second position, it is extremely popular and successful worldwide.
Following are the reasons why businesses should choose iOS for the mobile app development:
1. The Apple Interface
Businesses develop apps for providing proficient customer service. If the app is unique and creative, then there is a high chance to fetch the attention of the customers. iOS apps have a user-friendly and likable interface that helps improve overall sales and offers a good experience to its users.
2. Increase Market Penetration
Expanding the roots in various countries is the ultimate aim of businesses to attain rapid success and growth. In countries such as UK and USA, people are much inclined towards the use of iOS applications. Such popularity and demand become another core reason for businesses to choose iOS for mobile app development. Due to the high demand for iPhones, there are great opportunities for businesses to earn a renowned presence in these nations with highly responsive iOS mobile app solutions.
3. Attract the Tech-savvy Customers
It is necessary to make new clients now and then for expanding the business range and increasing the sales. For tech-savvy audiences, iPhone has always been the first choice when it comes to appealing gadgets. Businesses have a huge emphasis on start making an iOS app because of the demand of an extended potential IT-user base. Therefore, businesses can have iOS mobile app development solutions for their improved brand recognition in the global markets.
4. Improved Return on Investment (ROI)
As compared to iOS applications, the Android applications get less ROI i.e., approximately less than 10 percent of the total expenditure of developing it. Therefore, businesses must hire an iOS app development company to build scalable apps as the iOS applications generate a high ROI. These apps are likely to attract more investment-worthy clients that can help businesses get an enhanced value and expanded income.
5. More Secure Transactions
In past, several privacy breaches and data leak issues have been experienced by Android customers. But on the other hand, iOS apps protect their users from all such malware and safety issues by providing optimum security. There are enormous external threats that are imposed due to the use of various apps but iOS acts as a shield from those dangers and thus businesses choose iPhone app development rather than Android app development.
6. Great Consumer Experience
The iOS applications are always the first preference of the users. In the iOS platform, there is impeccable programming, efficient client support, and advanced equipment available for mobile app development. Apple has always been the most renowned and acceptable brand in the gadgets category as it provides an optimum user experience. Businesses hire mobile app developers from an experienced iOS app development company to make sure the developed iOS apps work smoothly and seamlessly providing the customers with a friendly user experience.
What are the Different Types of iOS App Development?
There are basically two types of iOS app development i.e., native and hybrid. Businesses hire proficient mobile app development company that can provide proficient hybrid iOS app solutions or native iOS mobile apps to help them scale and earn high profits. Let’s discuss the different types of iOS App Development:
A) Native Mobile Apps
These apps are built to solely work on the iOS platform. These apps provide a good user experience as they are solely created for that specific platform. Therefore, it is likely to work more efficiently and rapidly. For iOS native mobile app development, developers use Objective-C and Swift as the major programming languages. These apps work only on one operating system & perform flawlessly.
B) Hybrid Mobile Apps
Hybrid apps are easy to install similar to native apps. But the point of difference is they run via web browsers. The developers who provide iOS hybrid app development services use the HTML5 programming language. When compared to native mobile apps, these apps rank low on speed and reliability. But they possess the potential to successfully streamline the development process as there is no need to create iOS applications for different platforms. To save resources and time, one can go with the development of iOS hybrid mobile apps. There are numerous advantages of these iOS hybrid apps such as there is low development cost, can use single code for various platforms and are easily scalable.
Read Also: Top iOS App Development Tools to Use in 2022
Different Programming Languages Used for Developing iOS Applications
Presently, mobile applications have become a mandatory part of human lives as well as businesses. There is a wide percentage of the population that uses the iOS apps, and the number is sure to increase in the forthcoming years. As per the data, Apple has presently 1.8 billion active app users. Since 2016, this number is rising at an increasing rate i.e., from 1 billion to 1.8 billion now. Businesses are hiring iOS app developers to develop these applications for competing in the market. These hired developers use numerous programming languages to build responsive and unique apps.
Let’s discuss some of the popularly used programming languages for iOS app development:
Swift
Swift is a worldwide famous and widely-used programming language for developing WatchOS, macOS, itvOS, iPadOS, and iOS apps. The programming language came into force in the year 2014, being the most preferred substitute for Objective C. There are several reasons why Swift was easily accepted by the iOS app developers such as the high speed as it is way too seamless and fast. The other advantages include an improved level of safety and security and the first language choice for beginners as it provides free tutorials too.
Objective-C
This programming language was introduced in the year 1984 to offer an extension of OOPS. Developers are using this language years before the launch of Swift. It is considered a top-notch solution for iOS mobile app development. There are various aspects because of which developers choose Objective-C for app development such as it is derived from C++/C and thus can compile any C program. Even C language code can be used within Objective-C for making the mobile app development process scalable, flexible, and simple. There is huge community support, and it is also the most basic programming language for iOS app development.
C#
C# was introduced in the year 2000 by Microsoft, being a great competitor of Java. C# programming language is object-oriented and is highly popular because of its high-level architecture. On a global platform, a high percentage of developers use C# for app development because of numerous reasons such as it is open source, delivers fast and responsive results, and also there is a wide category of libraries that have pre-defined functions.
HTML5
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML5) is the one that is used maximum for website development. HTML5 is adjoined with Jscript and CSS to develop apps. Many small ventures and start-ups are making use of this programming language as it is much more cost-effective as well less time-consuming. If you are a beginner, then this language is the most suitable for the iOS app development process. There are reasons why developers choose this language such as it is highly popular, a good fit for beginners, & fast and easy. But still, there exist certain compatibility issues that are there while using HTML5.
Flutter
Flutter is the programming language that is not only extremely fast but also the most adequate fit in today’s advanced and modern world. Flutter provides quick reloading and rapid experience with no loss of relevant data. This programming language has been introduced by Google in the year 2015 and was released two years later in 2017. Developers have specific reasons to choose Flutter codes over other programming languages such as various ready-to-use widgets that can be implemented during the iOS app development process.
There is a custom UI that is provided to the user so that it can be used for any complex implementation. It is much more time-saving and cost-effective. Flutter is based upon the Dart programming language to save time by using AOT (Ahead of time) and JIT (Just-In-Time).
Things to Consider before Developing iOS Applications
To get all the benefits from your iOS app development project, it is necessary to understand the things that needed to be considered before developing the iOS applications. Let’s check them:
1. Perform in-depth Market Research
Before you go for developing an iPhone app, the primary point of consideration is to perform adequate market research. Businesses need to have good knowledge of their competitors and the market they are about to enter. Once you have analyzed the market trends, customers’ preferences, and the weaknesses & strengths of the competitors, you can develop an app with more clear concepts and correct strategies. Also, it is essential to check the customer reviews so that the acceptance of the customers can be evaluated for the iOS application you are planning to develop.
2. Get Insights into the Target Audience
When you are in the planning phase of how to create an iPhone app but have no clue about the target audience, then all your efforts are of no use. Therefore, it is necessary to clearly define your target customers as they led a major impact on the overall iOS app development process. Businesses must know who the end-users of the app will be and in what manner it will help them. It is essential to evaluate the target audiences’ preferences, geographical location, occupation, lifestyle, and age group.
3. Be Unique & Original
To attain a competitive edge, it is a must that the product or service you offer to the customers has a unique proposition. Certain guidelines need to be followed by the iOS app developers. To upload any app, it is mandatory that, the app should be unique and original. If the app does not have any originality, then it is hard to attract users and have a strong client base. Thus, businesses need to hire iPhone app developers who can build a creative and unique application that can stand in the market and win over the existing competitors.
4. User-Friendly
The next thing to consider before developing an iOS application is to make the app user-friendly. If the app is complex and needs too much technical knowledge to use, then it becomes difficult for the users to accept it. Therefore, the functionalities need to be simple to understand and operate, then only the app can fetch the attention of users.
Step-by-Step Process of an iOS App Development
In this part, we will understand how to develop an iOS app. This section will help you know about the iOS app development process by getting insights into all the steps involved.
Step 1: App Planning
The iOS application market has great competition, and thus, it is essential to attain a competitive edge. For this, it is important to perform deep market research, so that it can be checked which similar apps are present in the market and how they are performing. It is also required to understand what your USP will be to enter the market & gain the attention of the target audiences.
Step 2: App Designing
In this phase of mobile app development, there are certain steps such as:
a) Wireframing
Once the application development concept is clear, now there is documentation of all the design requirements. The designing team creates wireframes that are digital sketches. These sketches depict the future look of the application. The success of any iOS app solution depends upon the testing phase for attaining organizational objectives. The mock-ups, wireframes, and prototypes are used for developing models and blueprints of the key product.
b) UX/UI Designing
In this step, the focus is on the complete process of the app design. The design team makes sure that the app is user-friendly as well as appealing. The app should provide meaningful and enjoyable experiences to the users. MVC (Model-View-Controller) ensures that an iOS application contains a data model, presentation data, and control information. It is used to develop the user interface that leads to the data representation to the users and specifies the storage of the app’s data objects.
Step 3: App Development
The app development phase is the most significant and crucial one as it is an integral part of the complete process. In this step, the technical architecture is defined, the technology stack is also finalized, and the development milestones are also defined. There are technologies such as AI and AR that can be used to improve the user experience. There are some significant components including front-end development, APIs (Application Programming Interfaces), and back-end development.
Step 4: App Testing
Once you have developed the app, it is not ready to launch as several bugs and errors can be still present in the application. To check upon these issues, you are required to test them again and again. The more powerful the quality assurance testing is, the more secure, usable, and stable the application becomes. There is a need to create test cases that can help in the overall testing of the application.
The app testing helps to perform the test, have a record of the results derived from the tests, and evaluate the software quality. There are various types of testing such as security testing, functional testing, device & platform testing, user-experience testing, and performance testing that can be performed on the developed iOS app.
Read Also: A Complete Guide to Mobile App Testing
Step 5: App Launch
Once the app is developed and tested, the next step is the app launching on the Apple store. For this, there is a need to develop an account with the store to launch an app. Once the app is submitted for final approval from the store, it can take some time as it will be checked against the set guidelines and the quality of the application. It might get rejected by the store based on certain factors. And once the app is error-free, it can be relaunched on the defined platform.
Tips to Consider Before Selecting an iOS App Development Company
For creating a responsive iOS app, it is necessary to hire an experienced iOS app development company. Following are some of the tips to choose the best iPhone app development company for your business:
Relevant Experience
Developing an iOS app needs years of experience and expertise; thus, it is necessary to check that the company you hire has enough experience in developing iPhone apps. Businesses must check the portfolio of the companies to see what total experience they have and how the applications have worked.
Technical Excellence
The app development company must be technically sound. The tech stack used should be advanced and the developers must be technically proficient to use the latest technologies and programming languages. The developers must also have enough knowledge of the Mac OS X framework, iPhone simulators, and OS framework so that they can develop quality solutions.
Budget-Friendly & Cost-Effective
The cost to develop an app is highly significant for businesses as it can impact their overall budget. Therefore, businesses need to be budget-friendly and cost-effective. The company you hire must provide a standard quote for the app development so that all costs are calculated before the final agreement.
Strong Communication
Several times, the client faces issues with the mobile app development companies because of delayed outputs, communication gaps, and quality aspects. But the primary reason for all such issues is that the app development company and businesses do not have strong communication channels. Therefore, it is advised to check in the initial phase only whether the company responds and communicates effectively or not. If there is strong communication with 24*7 support available, then only you must hire them for your work.
Read Also: Know About The Tips to Hire iOS Developers
Cost to Develop an iOS Application
After gaining knowledge about iOS app development, programming languages, tips to hire an iOS app development company, and various other aspects. Now, the most significant aspect is to estimate the cost of the development of an iOS app. While calculating the overall cost of development, the following factors need to be in consideration:
i) App Size
App size is the key factor that impacts the cost of development if the size increases so do the cost. Even the number of features will also increase when you develop a large-size app. Therefore, the time and cost vary as per the app size.
ii) Advanced Features
The second significant aspect that plays a vital role in estimating the development cost is the advanced features and the complexity of the features. If the features will be complex then it needs more expertise and experience, thus, hiring a more experienced company can increase the overall cost of development.
iii) UX/UI Design
If the design is highly creative and unique, then it can increase the cost as more complex designs need more time to build an app. Therefore, the iOS application development services cost varies based upon the custom design chosen by the client and its complexity.
iv) Platform
The platform chosen for the app development is another cost-affecting factor. There are two approaches i.e., hybrid and native. The cost of a native app is less than the development cost of a hybrid app. So, according to the budget, businesses need to decide which platform they will select for mobile app development.
v) Tech Stack
Evaluating the tech stack used by app development companies is a must for calculating the iOS app development cost. The technology stack includes software, programming languages, and frameworks to build and analyze data & create the links for app development. The combination of tools and technologies used for app development shows the way the final solution works. Thus, strong, and advanced use of tech stack can surely increase the cost of development.
vi) Testing
The cost incurred on app testing helps to improve the overall app performance. The app testing ensures that the app performs well with no errors and bugs. And for this, there are several iOS app testing for which an app can undergo. Thus, the increased number of app testing results in an increased cost of development.
The above-mentioned factors play a vital role in calculating the cost of the development of an iOS application. On average, the cost of development starts from $20,000 and it can increase with the requirements of the clients.
How to Make an iOS App More Responsive and User-friendly?
In this guide to develop iOS apps, we have added this section to help you make an iOS more user-friendly so that you can fetch the attention of the target audiences and get a competitive edge. Let’s check the ways to make the iOS app more user-friendly:
1. Value Proposition
The aim and purpose of the iOS app should be clear enough to tell the audience how it will work and what benefit they can reap from it. If the value proposition is clear, then it becomes easy to attract customers and give them a user-friendly experience.
2. Swift Loading
At the time of launching, if the app takes minimum time, then it can be called a much more user-friendly app. The more quick and more responsive the app is, the better experience it provides to the users. Therefore, businesses must make sure that the iOS app development company they hire creates proficient solutions.
3. Reduced Typing
Users avoid typing while using the apps as they feel more convenient to scroll rather than type. Hence, the mobile development company must make sure that there is very less need for typing on the app. The functionalities should be simple and easy to use. There must be an auto-complete feature at maximum places to avoid hassle for users.
4. Easy Navigation
The users should get the results they want in just a few seconds. For this, the app must offer easy navigation to its users. It must be checked that there are no random pages that can distract the user and they had a negative experience. Easy and fast navigation not only gives instant results but also improves user experience.
Latest iOS App Development Trends
The app development market is highly competitive as there are so many new apps that are launched on daily basis. So, to gain a competitive edge, one should work with a futuristic approach and build apps that are based on the latest market trends. Following are some of the latest mobile app development trends you can check for better and improved solutions:
Cloud Integration
To make the overall app development faster, cloud technology plays a vital role. The Cloud platform can be used by developers to develop iOS applications. It not only makes the process fast but also much simpler.
IoT
With the arrival of IoT (Internet of Things), businesses are gaining huge success. It helps to grow the app development market as it helps the applications connect with various wearable devices and make them more efficient.
Chatbots
Chatbot technology is much in trend as it helps to provide 24*7 customer support services. It not only solves the queries of the clients but also satisfies them. Hence, it is a great way to get new customers by being available for their queries.
AR & VR
Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) play a significant role in iOS app development. By using VR and AR, the user experience can be improved as it helps to build more intuitive and real-time applications.
ML and AI
Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are the trends that are ruling the app development market. Companies must use these trends for building great apps.
Final Words
The mobile app market has brought a huge transformation in global businesses. These apps are called bridges between businesses and customers. No matter, whether you are a budding entrepreneur or a business with a vast history, the global recognition gained can be the same. The app development helps improve the global reach and the customer base of the businesses. Enterprises need expert iOS app developers to build such applications as developing an iOS app can be a tough job as it needs much expertise and experience. But these iOS apps can prove to be a game-changer for your business.
If you are also looking to transform your business practices and reach global audiences, then you can also hire an iOS app development company that can help you build a responsive and user-friendly iOS application. SemiDot Infotech is one of the leading iOS app development companies that have served numerous clients with its top-notch solutions & high-quality services across the globe. It builds apps using the latest technologies and tools by taking care of the market trends and competition so that you can scale your business using those iOS applications.
