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What makes Ionic Framework Great For PWA Development?

Posted on 01/04/202015/06/2021 by Tushar

The ionic framework was created by Drifty Co. in 2013 and by 2015 Ionic developers had reportedly created over 1.3 million applications with the SDK. Two years of time and Ionic frameworks rooted itself among the developers of the entire world as a breakthrough technology and it never went back. But what is the ionic framework and what was it that made it such a such a big hit in the PWA development industry such a short span of time?

As the definition goes – Ionic is an absolute open-source (100% free) SDK for hybrid mobile app development. Ionic app development suite provides tools and services for the development of hybrid mobile applications using technologies such as CSS, HTML5, and Sass.

Any kind of mobile applications can be built with these web technologies and later distributed through all the native app stores. The best apps made through Ionic framework are progressive web apps which are, as their name suggests, truly progressive.

So what are progressive web apps which have been continuously called the saviours of mankind and a lot more? In case you still don’t have a clue about the concept, head on to our article – This is What Google Wants You to Know About Progressive Web Apps

We know about Native apps which look and feel like Apps – they load offline, send push notifications, so on and so forth.

We also know about Mobile web apps, which are basically restricted by the properties of the browser and they do not do things like running offline and sending push notifications but they are smaller in size and do everything else a native app does, but only being online.

Progressive web apps, the concept coined as future of mobile apps, bridge this gap created between Native mobile apps and mobile web apps.

On the whole, a PWA provides a collection of technologies, design concepts, and web APIs which work in tandem to give the user an App-like experience on the mobile web.

Progressive web apps are proving themselves to be the future of mobile apps, standing right beside Native apps. In fact, in many ways, PWAs are points ahead in the PWA vs Native Apps comparison.

Now that we have looked into the concept of PWAs, let us get in-depth of what makes Ionic framework the best choice for a team of progressive web app developers, starting with the detail of what Ionic framework is.

Heads up: The answer to this goes beyond the fact that Ionic app development use the technology of service workers. They power the offline functionality, push notifications, background content updating, content caching and lot more.

To explain it more technically, a service worker is a worker script that works in the background, independent of your ionic web app or Progressive web app and runs in response to the event like network requests, push notifications, connectivity changes and much more.

What makes the Ionic framework awesome is that until the introduction of the framework, mobile app developers had to use Native coding to build Android, iOS or Windows apps. And each of these platforms required an independent, dedicated development. With the coming of Ionic, developers could build almost native-like mobile applications which worked on all technology stacks and different platforms alike, these were called the Hybrid apps.

What’s more is, in a survey taken from Ionic in 2017, it was revealed that the hybrid approach to developing mobile apps had gained ground over Native coding of apps. What’s unbelievable was that, according to the report, in a span of two years, the percentage of developers building exclusively with Native development tools dropped to 2.9 percent from 20 percent. Let us try to unravel the reason behind this popularity of the framework in making Ionic app development mainstream.

What is Ionic Framework?

We have already established the fact that Ionic is an open-source SDK for Hybrid mobile app development, but what makes it so popular among the mobile app developers is the plethora of features it carries along with it.

Ionic app developers work with over 120 native device features such as HealthKit, Fingerprint Authorisation, Bluetooth, along with Cordova plugIns and typescript extensions, it allows mobile app developers the utmost ease of developing advanced applications.

To list down the key features of the framework –

First and foremost, it provides all the functionalities that found in native mobile development SDKs. That simply means that the developers can create their own apps and easily customize them for any OS – Android, iOS or Windows, or deploy them through Cordova.
Ionic comes loaded with a very powerful CLI, providing the developers with the ability to build and test Ionic application on any platform
It provides the ionic app developers elements and ways for interaction using Angular.
The collection repeat feature is Ionic Framework’s smoothest solution for scrolling huge lists without any performance hits. It creates a scrollable container with which the app developers can interact by using a native-like delegate system.
It is based on SASS and thus it provides a load of UI components for creating really advanced, robust applications.

Now that we have looked into the features of the Ionic framework, let us get back to what we gathered here for – To know what makes Ionic the best choice for PWA development.

Progressive web apps with Ionic – Why?

Let us start with some stats here,

The best western river north hotel reported a 300% increase in revenue with their new PWA.
Tinder Cut load times from 11.91 seconds to 4.69 seconds. Also, The new PWA is 90% smaller in size than Tinder’s native Android android app.
Facebook, after expanding to PWAs witnessed a steep rise in its engagement rates and download count.
Uber’s PWA was designed to be faster even on a 2G network. The main app is only 50K gzipped and takes less than 3 seconds to load on 2G.
Pinterest’s new PWA saw them an increase of 60% core engagements along with a 44% increase in user-generated ad revenue and an increase of 40% in the average time spent on their site.
BookMyShow’s PWA takes less than 3 Seconds to load and increased conversion rates over 80 %. On top of that, their PWA is 54 times smaller than their Android native app and 180 times smaller than their iOS native app.

Yes, you have seen some big names mentioned in the above-written pointers. All then switched to PWA with ionic frameworks. There are also names like, Starbucks, Lyft, Twitter and Forbes who have seen a significant increase in the user engagements with their progressive web apps.

Why should one use the Ionic framework?

Ionic allows the mobile app developer to use a combination of programming languages such as CSS, HTML5, and JavaScript for ionic mobile app development. The unification of these three languages is potentially potent enough to make any ionic app development company deliver you with the best user interface for your targeted Audience. So, if you have got a very visually appealing App assignment to take on, go for Ionic. (combination of CSS, HTML5 and JavaScript)

Secondly, it is very easy to move platforms. That’s it. Unlike in the case of native applications where you need to code separately for all the platforms and operating systems, the Ionic platform provides the liberty of easily deploying code on any OS or platform. (Easy to move platforms)

Thirdly, the ionic framework is supported by Angular, the most common framework that is used for developing highly interactive mobile apps. In fact, the component API of Angular is the foundation of the Ionic framework. Besides, HTML’s sentence structure extensions given by Angular.js makes it very easy to incorporate user-friendly advanced features to the app. (Fully supported by Angular.js)

For the pool of Cordova plugIns. For those who are new to this, Cordova is a set of command-line tools and plugin bridges and it helps the developers in building native applications by calling the native code from JavaScript, adding platforms, running and building applications. And since Ionic is an HTML5 framework, it requires a native partner like Cordova to ensure its own functioning as a native application. And since Ionic framework comes equipped with Cordova plugins, it becomes easier for ionic app builders to access native features such as camera, GPS, Bluetooth, etc. (Flooded with Cordova native app plugins)

Finally, for the Ionic platform’s powerful CLI (Command-line interface). The ionic framework comes with CLI which makes it possible to create, code, test and deploy Ionic apps to the platform of your choosing. The CLI gives the ionic mobile app builders, the functionalities that are found in native SDK, which includes a built-in development server and debugging tools.

Moreover, this new CLI installation reduces over 90 MB of dependencies and thousands of legacy codes and even allows a much faster installation time in addition with a smaller footprint. This means an overall better speed and performance and more guidance and feedback during app development. (Powerful command-line interface)

What are the alternatives to Ionic application development service for PWA Development?

Xamarin: It is a Microsoft-supported framework for cross-platform mobile app development that uses C# and native libraries that are wrapped in the .NET layer.

React Native: It is a framework that allows the building of close-to-native mobile apps using JavaScript and React.JS.

Summing up, progressive web apps have rooted themselves among big brands and are running smoothly through ionic framework building. So much so that along with their native apps, they’re facilitating their users with an Ionic web app which can smoothly run on slower networks.

Although, many others continue to successfully use it for developing “native-like” apps and deploying them on app stores without any glitch. This is a testament enough that people are liking what they’re getting and there is no stopping them.

The Secret to App Stickiness: Embedded Analytics

Posted on 23/03/202015/06/2021 by Tushar

The sole difference between a successful app and the one that fails boils down to the amount of value that they offer to the users. Greater the value users derive from the app, greater is its stickiness. In the race of offering maximum value to the users, a number of brands have moved to integration of embedded analytics in their mobile application. A strategy that seems to be working for a number of businesses, across industries.

And the reason behind this success is the heavy inclusion and working around with data.

Data is the one element that is present and every user seeks in one way or the other, the second they connect their device or application to the internet. It is by giving users the power of data and analysis, brands are able to place themselves as high value offering businesses, those whose association would only benefit the users.

Let us look into this new wave of app stickiness called Embedded Analytics, in greater detail.

What is Embedded Analytics?

It is the merger of analytic capabilities and content in enterprise process applications. Through embedded analytics, brands provide analytical tools and relevant information that are designed for specific tasks at hand to help the users work smarter and with greater efficiency within the mobile applications they work around every day.

There are a number of benefits that come associated with the integration of Embedded Analytics, let us peruse them before moving to how they improve business strategy and drive revenue for your application.

Here are the benefits that Embedded Analytics offer to the world of both Enterprise apps and B2C apps:

Customer Benefits –

Embedding analytics in mobile application provides end users insights. Now-a-days, users want their apps to enable them to take better decisions and work smarter. When an app offers valuable analysis, users make them stickier, and a useful component of their everyday work life.

In B2B market: A task handling app help the end user analyze how they are spending their time in the office. With the help of embedded visualizations, the embedded analytics app offer understanding into how they can utilize their work time better. For example, through a simple chart inside the app, they can find out that they have been spending more than twice of their office time going through unproductive meetings.
In consumer market: A fitness app which inform someone of how many calories they have burned helps users plan their activities better. As the amount of collected data increases, the amount of app stickiness also increases. Users over time become less prone to switching to another fitness app as yours have information that is being collected for some time, an information that is useful for them.
In your business applications: The integrated dashboard which pulls in information from your CRM and ERP systems provides users with the information that they need to take quick decisions, without taking the efforts to indulge in multiple clicks. By providing teams with business intelligence analysis, you can help them informed, timely business decisions.

Business Benefits –

Today’s app businesses are continuously competing in a million similar category apps’ market. With this massive amount of availability, the end users end up having little to no patience for the apps that gives them zero value.

By giving the users real, lasting value through the embedded analytics, businesses are able to differentiate their app from rest of the many no value offering apps.

There are a number of ways Embedded Analytics Application help improve the business planning and operation workflow, when integrated right. Let us look at some of those ways –

Ways Embedded Analytics Improve Your Business Strategy

Secure environment, effective user experience – When we talk about analytics and data, a number of users have become habitual to relying on exclusive tools that are designed for concentrated business processes like the HR or CRM , or are dependent only on the applications, which just focus on analytics.

With the help of embedded analytics, the analysis and reporting functions happen in the known and trusted setup of primary business applications. Analytics, which can be seen as intimidating for the everyday users, when embedded in the ecosystem of an application help users understand them with greater ease, thus boosting their confidence in taking data driven decisions. Embedded analytics help create a seamless experience between the generation and the analysis of the crucial business data.

Greater Value of Invested time – It builds on the value that your current business application might be offering and brings a jump in the time that your users would be spending in your app.

Selecting the right application developers, who can seamlessly integrate embedded analytics in your app help promote a highly data-driven culture, while helping your team become more productive and efficient.

Makes BI omnipresent – For a number of organizations, BI is one platform or which is either managed by company’s IT department or is used by the management to plan and float business strategies. It is seen as that management-level function which seeps down through the company hierarchy a series of reports attached with actionable items.

Embedded analytics helps break down the walls to data, thus making BI omnipresent and getting the analysis and reporting parts of the business in the hand of everyone who uses that application. Instead of looking up to the IT team for a follow up on the view report request, users are able to get involved with the analysis process. Now that the analysis and data is accessible to everyone across the team, the decision making time reduces significantly.

Data-driven work culture – If there is one thing that organizations want, it is to make their employees capable of using data to then make critical decisions. Through embedded analytics, companies make data a crucial part of the processes and workflow teams are working around everyday.

Embedded analytics takes business intelligence to greater range of departments and business applications, while promoting commitment towards data and analysis, thus giving birth to a data-driven work culture.

Better Business Planning – It mixes analytics with business processes to power up users with informations that they need to handle the changing business environment. With your employees using the main business application boosted with analytics abilities, they will now react to opportunities and threats quicker while feeling confident in making informed business decisions.

Embedded analytics provides the ability to build reports and charts so that they can actively participate in business performance discussion, any time.

The various benefits that embedded analytics offer across businesses has led to an increase in its demand, to a huge extent.

[STATS ON NUMBER]

The rising demand for Embedded Analytics has prompted a number of mobile app development companies to build apps that bring the power of analytics into users’ hands. In a competitive scenario such as this, how do you ensure that your application’s analytics stand out, so much so that it earns revenue for you?

Here’s How –

How to drive revenue from your embedded analytics :

Here are the features that would make users spend money on your app’s embedded analytics:

Look into the complete user journey

The first step towards embedded analytics monetization starts with its seamless integration in the application. The integration should ensure that –

A. The reports and dashboards are a part of the app workflow and not in some separate tab and

B. They should follow the branding guidelines that the rest of the app is following.

Everything, straight from the color, icon, and the overlook and feel should be similar to what it is followed in the app.

Have Actionable Items in Your Applications Workflow

The embedded analytics that you have in your app should allow users to take some actions, instead of simply the View option, as commonly seen in analytics apps. Majority of the apps work as a one-way street, they give out information to the users to view and analyze but they don’t give them the freedom to even share the analytics with their colleagues.

Sharing the analytics is not the only way to set your app apart, by giving your users the access to edit and update the analytics on the application you can help them take action without leaving the platform.

To set yourself apart, it is important that you include actionable items in the app workflow.

Reduce Multiple Security Points

There are a number of embedded analytics applications that ask for a different login credential every time users wish to use the coveted analytics section.

In your app, aim for reducing the number of login points by allowing one-time sign-in and multi-tenancy features.

It will not just make it less cumbersome for the users, but the developers would also not have to integrate security level multiple times in the app.

Allow Customization of Analytics

Either one of these two situations happens when your users come to you for including a new dashboard according to some process they have recently started following in their team – Either the developers would have to change the core app functionality or they could refuse leaving a whole group of users dissatisfied.

By allowing users to customize the app as per their needs, the total number of total ad hoc analytics requests that your technology team receives reduces to a huge extent. The self-service analysis also gives you valuable insight about your customers, giving you an insight into the kind of reports and dashboard you should move next to fulfill the next set of customer needs.

Now that you have the understanding of how embedded analytics application benefits business processes and how you can drive it for generating revenue for your business, it is time to look into ways you can implement it in your application, for getting maximum output, with the help of one of the Top Android and iOS App Development Companies.

Tips for Successful Implementation of Embedded Analytics in Mobile App

1. Build in Phases

When you plan on integrating analytical capabilities in your mobile app, it is very easy to get carried away and miss out on the core problem and the set of users you visioned to help. But, before you even think about building solutions for a range of different teams, stop.

Start small. Begin working on the solution for one user, one problem, and one report. Collect feedback and then move forward to the next user, their problem, and the report to solve that problem.

Also, soon you will realize that as one problem get solved, users would require something else, so it’s best to follow Agile methodology for embedding analytics in the mobile application.

2. Involve both External and Internal Stakeholders

Keep external and internal stakeholders in your Agile loop. Keep taking continuous feedback from them as you develop the specific analytics features in your mobile application. Employ screen mockups since the very start of the process and keep reviewing them with your current customers to get validation for your process. Ask your stakeholders what they liked in the application, what they disliked how would they use it, and if they have any suggestions to improve the product.

Doing it will keep you focused on resolving real problems with the help of embedded analytics, and would make the users, app’s advocates as the solution becomes available for mass use.

3. Identify Gaps with Usability Study

As the users work around your embedded analytics solution, sit with them to learn how they are using the application and what issues they are facing, to identify the gaps. Look out for the issues that are bothering your users while they are inside the application and then let them find a solution, irrespective of how much time it would take, to know the route users would follow when they hit a wall within your app.

At every stage, ask questions that would get you maximum feedback. Push your users to rate the application’s features so that you have the priority workable item list ready with you.

So here was everything that you need to get started with embedded analytics integration in your mobile application. To understand the concept in greater detail, contact our team of experts.