Why On-Demand Grocery Delivery App Is the Future of Grocery Stores

You may have noticed many grocery stores irrespective of their sizes have started their online presence. Stores with websites have understood the importance of having a grocery app.

If the question, “Is it worthy to invest in a grocery app?’’ arises within you, point the current pandemic situation to your mind and say how gigantically grocery stores are making profits.

Aren’t you still convinced? Ok, here are the seven amazing benefits of having an on-demand grocery delivery app.

Benefits of an on-demand grocery delivery app

Streamlined Inventory and Work Order management

Stocks are the asset of a grocery store. Manual stock management can collapse and open ways for errors and mismanagement of resources. Overcome these challenges with the on-demand grocery delivery app. 

The app helps you to swiftly monitor stocks through the admin panel and you send you notifications about the stock.

Convenience

‘Convenience’ is the only word that drives around 83% of customers in online shopping. From leaving home, picking up a cart, making a whole day of shopping, standing in a queue, paying bills have become costly and eat most of the customer’s time. 

Customers love to open a grocery app relaxing home, dropping the essentials into their cart and pay within a few matters of minutes.

Custom-made Experiences

Is it possible for you to monitor all your customers and know their favorites? Impossible, isn’t it? Make it as simple as that, by developing a grocery app where you can collect data about customer’s favorite deals, products and suggest them with better results. This will improve customer satisfaction and business revenue hand-in-hand.

Alluring Loyalty Programs

Over time, if your service is outstanding, consumers turn into loyal customers. Competition is everywhere. Retain your customers and award them with exclusive offers, reward points, coupons, etc., to feel them nice and build your relationship.

Payment Options

Not all your customers use the same card or mode of payment. Come with a variety of authorized and secure payment options to catapult your business ROI. Include debit cards, credit cards, net banking, and other online payment modes.

Endnote

Grocery apps can give your business a big boost. Want to develop an amazing grocery app? Connect with Openwave, the leading Grocery App Development Company in Malaysia, and make your business into a brand in no time! Want a free quote? Call us now!

Monetization: The Complete Guide To Making Money Through Your Mobile App!

Let’s assume that you pool in all your resources and build a mobile app that becomes an overnight success. You’ve got hundreds and thousands of downloads, yet zero Ringgits in your pocket. The reason? You haven’t monetized your mobile application. If you want to generate an income and recover your investments, then it’s vital to have a proper app monetization strategy in place during mobile application development.

Here’s a look at the five most popular monetization strategies that you can choose from:

1) Charging a One-Time Fee

The most obvious method of generating money from your application is to attach a price tag to it. Users are prompted to pay a one-time fee to make the purchase and unlock the full functionality of the application. While profitable, most users find it hard to trust a newly launched product, which makes this model more suitable for reputed names.

2) Using Adverts

One of the most typical ways you can make money out of your mobile application is by adding adverts to it. Every time a visitor views or clicks an ad, you get paid by the advertiser. From banner ads to interstitial ads, there are a variety of formats that can be used. However, you need to ensure during mobile application development that it’s not overdone and doesn’t hamper the app’s UX.

3) In-App Purchases

This model involves the virtual selling of a feature or a product within the app. For instance, you can sell power-ups or other add-ons to gamers for a fee. In-app purchases should be well-incentivized, entice users to spend more and add real value to users to prompt them into making a purchase.

4) The Popular Freemium Model

Considered one of the most popular monetization approaches, the Freemium model makes the basic version of the app available for free and locks add-ons. For users to unlock the full functionality, they’ll have to pay a premium. It allows users to familiarize themselves with the product before they decide on purchasing the full version.

5) Subscription-Based

Instead of the features, it’s the content that’s locked in the model. For instance, if you're building an education app, you can ask users to subscribe to view the advanced lessons and charge a fee for it, while making the basic classes free. It’s best suited for content-driven apps.

Which Strategy Should I Use?

It all depends on the type of app you’re asking Mobile App Developers in Malaysia to build. A combination of these strategies has proved to be the most-effective; however, it all depends on the audience you’re targeting. If you require expert help with development, testing, monetization, marketing and more, get in touch with Openwave, a leading Mobile App Development Company.

How Mobile Apps are Transforming Leading Businesses across the World?

It’s 2017, an age where the mobile app industry is at its peak and consumers just can’t get enough of it. Providing a medium for businesses to connect with their customers, apps are an excellent way to forge profitable relationships and accelerate business growth. However, apps can do more than that! With enterprise mobile apps development gaining momentum, apps are now being used to streamline several business processes. 

How Are Businesses Using Apps?

Several businesses are using mobile apps to increase awareness, reinforce their brand and provide an effective channel of communication to customers. Besides, apps can give workplaces greater inter-connectivity, allowing employees access to vital data, boosting collaboration, improving work processes, automating manual tasks and provide better customer support in real-time. In fact, enterprise mobility solutions are growing at such a rapid rate that it’s expected to hit $500 billion by 2020.

Who’s Using it?

Some of the world’s renowned brands have already embraced the mobile revolution with welcome arms and own a mobile application that does more than boosting customer engagement. Here are a few examples of the same:

#1) Starbucks

The story of Starbucks’ mobile transformation is one that’s told all too often, providing inspiration to how a simple idea can reap rich dividends. Designed to allow its coffee aficionados to skip long queues and grab their favorite cup of hot coffee, till date the app has over 1,000,000 installs on Android, considerably boosting sales and increasing revenue.

#2) IKEA

The leading brand offering ready-to-assemble furniture has now come with an amazing app. You can take a picture of the place where you want to install the furniture in and visualize how it would look. With this innovative feature, IKEA has truly transformed the decision-making process of users.

#3) Nike

Nike, the manufacturer of world-class footwear, isn’t far behind in the race. The Nike+ Run Club app is a highly useful fitness training app that provides users a measure of their running sessions. It also incorporates social media and allows users to connect and compete with others users, making running more fun than ever.

#4) Domino’s Pizza 

Domino’s Pizza app needs no introduction. The app interconnects stores across the region and makes it easy for customers to choose what they need, customize toppings and get fresh pizza served right at their doorstep. 

#5) Shell

Shell, the global oil and gas giant, provides an app named ‘Shell motorist’ that not only markets their services, but also provides significant additional functionality. Users can plan their journey with shortest routes; locate the nearest Shell fuel pumps and more.

Want to transform your business with Mobile Apps Development? If so, you need to get in touch with the best mobile app development company in Malaysia. Talk to the experts at Openwave now!

How to Quickly and Permanently Increase App User Engagement?

One in four users will abandon an app after a single use, a recent survey tells us. Only a small percentage of users – less than 40 – will use it more than a handful of times (less than 11). Clearly, developers aren’t focusing enough on user engagement. If you can’t engage users long-term, your mobile app will never be successful and will just cause a huge drain on resources.

Is there a way to minimize abandonment and ramp up user engagement? Here are some proven strategies that can help you do just that:

App Store Optimization
Your app needs to engage with users from the get-go. To do that, you need an attractive description page, positive reviews, beautiful pictures – all of which can be achieved with ASO techniques.

Onboarding
Onboarding is the process of welcoming a user and giving them an introduction to the product when they are using it for the first time. Doing that can help users feel at home and feel more positively about the product.

Push notification support
Some users completely forget about an application once they download it. You can always stay on their mind by sending regular messages or customized offers via push notifications.

Loyalty programs
Give users an incentive for using and coming back to your application often. Reward loyal users with badges, points, or even personal discounts.

Ad-free experience 
Nobody likes ads that detract from the experience. In fact, bombarding users with ads is probably the fastest way to get rid of them. If you must advertise, then keep it light!

Permissions and security
Don’t ask for permissions from users, beyond the basic ones – at least not before they trust your brand. Remind them politely, once in a while, about them.

Lightning-quick performance 
Users don’t want applications that take ages to open and also drain their battery. Build optimized software that runs lightning-quick without draining the battery.

Listening to feedback 
Always keep improving. Listen to user feedback and make them feel that you care about their suggestions, complaints, and concerns.

Working with mobile developers who’ve built successful applications in the past can work wonders for your project. Don’t think twice about teaming up with a mobile development company short-term to make your offering successful.

How to Allow Users to Open URLs and Local Files in a MobileTogether Business App?

 MobileTogether, by Altova, is a very popular mobile app-building platform geared for businesses. It lets you build data-centric, cross-platform apps quickly and affordably.

What are the benefits of creating a cross-platform mobile application? You will be able to release a single product that will be accessible across a range of platforms like Windows, iOS, and Android.

Allowing Users to Access Local Files and URLs

MobileTogether apps enable users to connect to enterprise backend databases from within the application (that means employees can work via their phones). It’s also possible to allow them to access local files – like images, PDFs, texts - and URLs from within the interface. The Open URL/File action is used to implement the functionality. Why is the feature important? It can make the mobile application an extension of the main desktop-based enterprise-level software.

The Open URL or File action can be linked to a button click (or tap). As soon as the user touches on a link, a Safari (or another browser) window will open, and the user will be transported to a web page. For organisations, it’s possible to link an existing website, blog, or other resources directly to the application. This feature allows employees to access resources easily from their phones.

Please note:

The application stays open when the browser window opens. It’s possible for the user to return to the still-running app quickly by tapping on the return icon at the top left corner of the browser (for iOS).

• It’s possible for the developer to assign URLs and file names explicitly
• It’s possible for the user to select an existing file and URL
• Error handling is easy to implement if the user opens something that isn’t supported

The Open Local File/URL action will depend on the device

The operating system that the MobileTogether application is being run on will determine what the Open Local File/URL action. For example, the user view will be different on iOS and Windows devices. It’s possible for a developer to fully customize app behavior for various operating systems (OS).

You can customize your Mobile Application with our Openwave team

Cutting-Edge Mobile App Development Trends We're Likely to see in 2017

Smartphones these days have very powerful processors and huge RAM – good enough to run programs that only desktop computers could run a few years ago. Smartphone software can have very advanced features these days, thanks to this heightened processing power. 2017 is going to be a great year for smartphone users – apps are going to have some amazing new features that everyone will love.

Here are some revolutionary trends you can incorporate into your app next year if you are planning to make one:

Space saving features

People are complaining about the space apps require, and many simply don’t have the patience to download apps on their phones. Developers are coming up with streaming and on-demand resources in response – users can just stream some apps online now!

Interactive push notifications

Push notifications are becoming an integral feature of newer apps. If you want to interact with app users without draining the battery on their phones, this feature is the something you need to have. You will also be able to keep your business on their radar through regular notifications.

Mobile app development Malaysia

Inter-app communication

You can expect apps in 2017 to talk with each other, as the IoT trend continues to hold strong. Are you chatting with your friend on your Facebook app and want to go where they are? You will soon be able to book a Uber car from within the social media app!

Virtual reality technology

Virtual reality and augmented reality are going to be a big thing shortly. They are especially of significance to travel, healthcare, game, and entertainment apps. Not only do they engage users, but they also make some application features easier to access.

Self-learning apps

Finally, you can expect personalised services from your application, based on your taste, preferences, and past activity history. Self-learning apps will also use LBS (location based services) to churn out results.

The easiest way to integrate all these features into your software is to hire mobileapp developers to do it for you. Make sure the team is experienced, and is familiar with the stringent development requirements for the iOS or Android platforms.

Why Do Developers Say it’s Easier to make iOS Apps over Android Apps?

If you’ve noticed, developers often make and release apps for the iOS platform before the Android platform. Have you ever wondered why Apple users get all the apps before Android users do? There are a multitude of reasons for it, though the most important one is that it’s simply harder to make apps for the latter. 

You have to write more code 

Android apps are coded in Java, while Android apps use Swift. On an average, you have to write at least 40% more code to include a feature in your Android app. 

The Integrated Developer Environment difference
 
With iOS apps, you are supposed to use the Xcode IDE, while Android developers use the Android Studio. The Apple developer environment is much easier to use, and it provides developers a lot of libraries and classes. If you’re experienced enough, you can have a working app up and running within the day. For Android, though, developers have to do a lot more work. Also, Android emulators are very slow, so it takes longer for developers to test their code. 

Mobile app development malaysia

The operating system problem
 
Most Android users use out-of-date operating systems: research suggests Lollipop is only used by about 12% of all users. Because platform users are so hesitant about upgrading to a newer OS, developers have to make the app compatible with several difference versions at once. 

The fragmentation factor
 
Android devices come in all shapes and sizes, and there are always major differences in the hardware they’re running on. Some phones have dual core processors, for example, while others have octa core processors. There also tend to be vast differences in screen sizes. Apple’s devices, on the other hand, are uniform when it comes to hardware and screen sizes. It’s much easier for developers to make apps for them.
 
As you can see, building an app for Android is a pretty complicated task. It is difficult to find good developers for the platform. Putting in the time and effort necessary to get an Android app is worth it, though: it has a market share of over 70 percent, after all.

Keep Your Audience in Mind While Developing your Mobile App

App downloads are expected to double over the next four years, according to expert estimates. Apple reported recently that over 160 billion apps have been downloaded from its store till date – so you can see that a staggering number of apps will be downloaded over the next few years. 

If you're planning on building a new app, it's vital for you to keep your audience in mind during the deployment stage to maximise your app's chances of success. 
 
Here are some pointers that can help during the development and marketing process:

Who’s going to find your app most useful?

Are kids going to be using your app, or is it meant to be an in-house communication app for your company? Your website should be geared to the preferences of your target audience. Smartphone users tend to be a picky bunch, in general – they use innovative apps designed by some of the top developers in the world on a regular basis and expect new apps to be on that level. 

Have you tested it out in a real world environment? 
 
An app that has slow loading times or isn’t optimised for some devices is sure to fail. You need to carry out extensive testing in a real world environment to ensure your app runs well without lagging and doesn’t have any major bugs. 

Companies often rush through the development process without bothering to test their product. There is nothing more annoying to an experienced smartphone user than an unfinished or unpolished product. 

Mobile app development

Pay attention to user opinion about your app and act immediately 
 
The reviews your app garners will play a significant role in its popularity. If your app has a five-star review, users are four times more likely to download it than if it had a three-star one. Paying attention to user complaints and addressing them immediately without wasting any time can help make your app popular overnight.
 
Hiring an experienced app development team will also help a lot. If your development team has launched successful apps before, their experience will come in very handy when you launch your app. 

Here’s what you should keep in Mind While Building your Mobile App

App downloads on the Apple’s store crossed the 160 billion mark recently, and we’re likely to see a two hundred percent increase in app downloads over the next four years. Clearly, mobile apps are very popular at the moment and are only going to get more so. As a startup, this is the perfect time to make a mobile app for your business and take advantage of the mobile phenomenon.

To help make the process easier, here are some factors you should keep in mind while building your mobile app:

Do you know what your app is going to do?

Can you answer this question? If you’re taking too long to answer it, chances are you need to take a closer look at why you’re building a mobile app. Apps are supposed to provide a useful or unique service to customers and make life easier for them. Keep a clear goal in mind before starting work on it.

Adapt it to different screen sizes

You need to remember that people will use apps on smartphones as well as tablets, with big differences in screen sizes. Your app has to be accessible and look good on a variety of screen sizes. Also, communication apps tend to work better on smartphones and shopping apps on tablets.

Mobile app development

Do your developers know what they are doing?

If you’ve hired a development team, make sure they have experience in building apps. Some people hire developers who have experience building apps on Android but not iOS and ask them to build iOS apps, which sometimes end badly.

Use analytics tools to modify your app

You need to use analytics tools to find out how customers are using your app and make changes to it accordingly.

Promote your app as much as possible

Making an app is only the first step of the process – people need to know your app exists if you want them to download it. You need to spend some serious time promoting and marketing your app.

There are some app builders you can use for creating your app. However, it won’t be as polished compared to getting professional developers in Malaysia to do it for you.

Reasons to Reconsider Your Stance of Not Being Mobile App Friendly

When people began to prefer browsing on their smartphones over their PCs, with some even spending more time on their phones compared to their TVS, companies began rolling out apps in an attempt to take advantage of this trend. Not many companies succeeded, though. That wasn’t surprising, seeing as we’re still in the nascent stage of mobile technology.

Some business owners are content with having just a website to promote their business – they don’t bother with mobile apps. If you’re one of these business owners, here are some reasons to reconsider your stance on not being mobile app friendly:

Do you think your app is just another version of your website?

Some business owners mistakenly think apps are just supposed to be a smaller, miniature version of their websites. However, customers who choose to download an app for a business choose to do so because they expect something more from it than what your website can provide – a convenient and simple way to access your most popular services. To put things simply, customers often use websites to browse for information and apps to opt for popular services.

Mobile app development

Do you think you’re safe because your website is responsive?

Are you one of those people who think having a responsive website is all it takes to be “mobile friendly”? A responsive website may help you attract customers, but apps are what will help you keep them. Apps add a touch of personalization that your responsive website never could.

Failing once doesn’t mean you should just give up

When the mobile app revolution started out, many business apps failed, simply because businesses and app developers had no idea of what they were doing or what customers wanted. We’ve come a long way from those early days, though. If you built an app before and it didn’t take off, you might want to give it another shot.

There are a large number of resources available online – many of them free – that let you build, maintain, and update a mobile app smoothly. Some mobile app developers also help you build an app from the ground up and provide post-deployment services at an affordable price. Get in touch with expert developers in Malaysia today!

Why Your Restaurant Business Needs a Mobile App to Flourish

Many people now spend more time on their smartphones as compared to their TVs or PCs. With smartphone sales headed through the roof – with more than 2 billion people expected to own one by 2019 – a large number of brick-and-mortar businesses are scrambling to put their businesses online through websites and apps.

 If you own a restaurant business and are on the fence about getting an app, here are some ways your restaurant would benefit from an app:

Your app will put your restaurant out there
 
Most people these days check a restaurant’s menu as well as reputation online before venturing there. Potential customers will be able to learn more about your restaurant through your app. Any glowing reviews visiting customers leave behind will influence customers positively – it’s a proven fact that customers are more likely to pay attention to other customers and their opinions instead of anything you claim about your restaurant. 

Mobile app development

 
Build customer loyalty through your app
 
Customers are more likely to visit your restaurant if you give them regular freebies or discounts on your food items. A loyalty program for returning customers – managed through your app – will help improve customer engagement and build loyalty towards your establishment. 

An app makes billing and reservations easy
 
A well-designed restaurant app gives customers access to several innovative features, including ordering on their smartphone screens and the instant generation of a bill. It’s hard to keep track of several tables and their unique orders during peak hours – an app can automate the entire process. Customers can also make reservations on their apps before visiting your restaurant for guaranteed seating. 

Your customers can order food online with a few taps 
 
Your customers will be able to order their favorite dishes from your menu with a few taps if you offer home delivery. You can also let them store their order history for when they order next time to make it faster. 
 
Are you planning on building a mobile app for your restaurant business? You can use several freely available tools to make a multi-platform app in quick time. The better alternative it to hire the services of professional developers in Malaysia to do it for you, as this may be a worthwhile investment in the long run.

Top three Business Benefits of Building an Android Application

Today, Smartphones have made deep inroads into our daily lives. From reading the newspaper to shopping and entertainment, mobiles have become a personalized source of information and entertainment. With regular features and upgrades, today's Smartphones offer more advanced features. If you are planning to capitalize on its overwhelming popularity through mobile apps, Android should top your list. 

Here’s why:

Cost-effective and Easy-to-build Application:

Android, being an open source platform, is available at free of cost. Further, being a Javascript-based platform, it is easy to master and execute. 

With the support of robust Software Development Kit, developers are finding easy to build apps for gaming, businesses, and entertainment. Further, the SDK helps to minimize the cost of development. 

Multiple Network Distribution Channels:

While Apple has tight control over its applications, Android is a bit versatile and open. Apart from Google play, Android apps can be distributed through multiple channels to suit any business. This allows entrepreneurs to reach out to a large set of people and increase the market penetration. 

Strong Inter-platform Integration: 

Android is recognized as the best framework for inter-platform integration. The SDK exhibits the most robust development architecture that works out to a big leverage in achieving an efficient end-user experience, particularly on cross-platforms. 

The benefits of Android Application development go far and wide. Every small and large firm needs to keep up with the latest trends to stay on top of the game. Among all the platforms, including Windows, Blackberry, iOS, etc., Android manages to stand out with its myriad of attractive benefits and unique features and is sure to help your business gain a competitive edge.

Want to build a mobile application within your budget and schedule? Contact a professional developer from reputed Android app development company today!

5 Awesome Cross Platform Tools for Mobile App Developers

Mobile app developers often spend most of their time figuring out the right OS for which they should develop their application. IOS, Windows, and Android are a few platforms that are most popular. In order to reap the utmost benefit and reach out to more people, it is unwise to build an app that targets only a particular platform. The best solution is to create a multi-platform application- an app which can be accessed in varying operating systems.

While not everyone is adept at building cross-platform apps, these top cross-platform tools will certainly make your job easier:

1. Appcelerator

Appcelerator is the favorite of developers. This platform works perfectly for developing native apps for mobile, desktop, and the web by using simple coding languages such as JavaScript, Python, Ruby, and HTML. One of the best offerings of Appcelerator is its virtual private cloud option which allows you to deal well with sensitive information. A few other features of this tool are performance management, analytics, and rooted infrastructure.

2. PhoneGap

PhoneGap was the winning pitch in the year 2009 at Web 2.0 Expo held in San Francisco. This tool allows you to build mobile applications that would work seamlessly on Android, IOS, Blackberry, Symbian and Palm. You can develop your apps using web development languages such as Java, HTML, etc. The company also offers a cross-platform simulator and beneficial training sessions.

3. MoSync

This development tool is a highly appreciated one due to its ease of usability. MoSync is an advanced cross-platform tool with using conventional technologies that are imperative to building an excellent app. One of the biggest advantages of this tool is that you can develop your app using development languages such as JavaScript, Ruby, etc. and the native apps can be easily accessed in Android, IOS, Symbian, Windows and other devices.

4. RhoMobile

RhoMobile is a platform developed based on Ruby and assists in developing native apps for Windows Mobile, Symbian, Android, RIM, and IOS. The platform is smooth to use for amateur app developers and has an excellent set of add-on features reserved for its users, which will give the developer an added advantage.

5. Widgetpad

Widgetpad is an open source cross-platform tool that is now in its private beta stage. It uses web technologies such HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript. Some of the offerings of this tool are project management, source code editing, debugging, distribution, versioning, and collaboration.