Cross-Platform Mobile App Development Guide for Startup Businesses

In an effort to streamline its mobile app development, Walmart, the largest retail company in the United States, has recently started moving to a framework called React Native to build cross-platform apps in JavaScript.

Cross-platform apps run on any mobile device, regardless if it is an Android, iOS, or Windows. In contrast, native apps run only on the platform they are developed for, which means an app created for iOS works only with iPhones and iPads. Native apps are more expensive, more complicated, and less efficient to develop than the cross-platform type.

Walmart’s new method will enable the company to develop codes for both Android and iOS once, as opposed to developing separate apps for the two mobile operating systems. The retailer expects the process to become cheaper and more efficient with cross-platform mobile app development.

Growth of Cross-Platform, Decline of Traditional Mobile App Development

Image Source: Carlos Varela via Flickr, Creative Commons

Also recently, TIOBE Index reported that more mobile developers were moving to cross-platform tools, specifically JavaScript and Xamarin, to save time in app development. Meanwhile, there has been a huge decrease in the rankings for Swift and Objective-C, the two tools used in developing apps for iOS.

The TIOBE report notes that the news signals the decline of the traditional, burdensome mobile app development that uses one programming language each for Android, iOS, and Windows.

Can these recent developments mean that more and more businesses will change to cross-platform mobile apps?

Reaching Mobile-First Consumers

Major brands all over the world have their own mobile apps, allowing customers to make easier and faster purchases. Mobile apps also facilitate interactions between brands and customers.

In the Philippines, a mobile marketing survey found that most marketers planned to invest in mobile apps.

The growing preference for mobile marketing is shaped by the changing consumer behavior.

“Consumers are increasingly becoming mobile,” said Gary Viray, CEO and founder of Propelrr, a digital marketing agency in the Philippines. “Building a mobile presence is no longer just an afterthought for brands. These days, the concept of mobile-first is gaining traction.”

Why Businesses Prefer Cross-Platform Mobile Apps

When choosing between native and cross-platform mobile apps, businesses have to consider both the pros and cons of each option.

Cross-platform mobile app development is a more logical choice for owners of startups or small enterprises who want to build an app on their own because of the following benefits:

• Lower costs – because it takes less time, effort, and manpower to develop a cross-platform app, businesses can cut on their mobile app development expenses. The costs of the simplified process, from design to deployment and support, are significantly reduced.
• Faster app development and deployment – instead of building multiple apps individually from scratch, only one cross-platform mobile app is developed across all platforms. The code used to make the app can be used multiple times for the next apps for development. And once developing the app is complete, it can be deployed from a company’s web server and be used right away.
• Instant integration into the cloud – because a cross-platform app is nearly universally compatible, it can be quickly integrated into the cloud.
• Easy updates – a cross-platform app can be accessed online and is instantly updated for all. Users do not have to download every update because they always have the latest version of the app on their mobile device.

All in all, these benefits of developing cross-platform mobile apps lead to higher return on investments (ROIs) for startup businesses.

Tips on Cross-Platform Mobile App Development for Startup Business Owners

Going cross-platform for developing mobile apps will work only when there is careful planning and strategy in place. Here are several tips from digital marketing experts on how to make it work:

• Use an open-source mobile development tool that comes with templates to avoid having to lay the foundation of the app.
• Before starting to create a cross-platform app, think carefully about the design strategy to be used for it. Make room for some user experience and user interface tweaks rather than going for a 100% code reuse, which will make the app look the same across all target platforms and mobile devices.
• Find prebuilt modules that can make mobile app development easier and faster before getting started.
• Be familiar with the platforms and how they work. Read the user interface guidelines of every platform—Android, iOS, and Windows—to avoid user experience issues with one platform.
• Create the best possible app for the target platform. Personal preference for iOS or Android should not, in any way, influence the design and functionality of the app. This way, mobile users of both platforms will enjoy the app’s features.
• Ensure regular app testing so that when something goes wrong with one platform, the issue can be immediately corrected.
• Use the app often and make an honest assessment of it. Look at it from the perspective of a regular mobile user. Find out its flaws, experience its functionality, and compare it with other apps in the same industry or niche.

Mobile app development is a complicated, tedious, and expensive process. But at the same time, building an app is crucial for any business that seeks to attract new customers and gain the loyalty of existing ones for increased sales. Creating a cross-platform mobile app addresses the common problems of traditional app development while providing the revenue-generating and customer engagement benefits of a mobile app, whether it’s a retail, productivity, educational, or game app.