Tips to Provide the Best Website Experience, Page 18 of 25

Agile development, contrasted with traditional development, is a responsive, generalized approach to software development. Agile is responsive because each development team has members available to respond to situations as they arise, at any stage of development. Because team members work on all aspects of the software development, they develop high proficiency in working projects together. The most common form of agile development is called scrum, a Rugby term which adequately describes the software teamwork.

As mobile continues to outpace desktop in both online and offline usage, apps continue to become more essential for digital marketing. On its app, a company can go beyond displaying its products, as it can on its website; it can create interactive features, even games, to deepen the user experience.

Of course, developing an app is a major undertaking. Choosing the right system (iOS or Android) is only one of the many considerations essential to making the app a success. But there's an alternative that is only beginning to gather steam, but offers considerable advantages for businesses looking to enter the app market: the web app.

What is a Web App?

PC Mag defines a web app as

An application in which all or some parts of the software are downloaded from the Web each time it is run. It may refer to browser-based apps that run within the user's Web browser, or to "rich client" desktop apps that do not use a browser or to mobile apps that access the Web for additional information.

In other words, it's an application that doesn't require a download from an app store like Google Play or the Apple alternative. In most cases, the term refers to an app entirely based on a browser like Chrome or Firefox. Stored in its entirety online, this type of web app brings with it several significant advantages:

1) System Flexibility

If your company already uses a "traditional" mobile app in its marketing, you'll be familiar with the distinctions between Android and iOS app, not to mention the Windows alternative. Essentially, you'll have to create variants of your app for each system, which increases both the effort and cost of its development. On the other hand, a browser-based web app can run on every mobile and desktop operating system - making it much more flexible than its Android and iOS counterparts.

2) Saving Space

Of course, Android and iOS apps can also take up significant space on a user's device. In 2012, the average size of an app was over 20 megabytes, with games skewing larger, and that number has only grown since. Mobile users looking to make space on their limited hard drive increasingly delete apps they aren't frequently using, or thinking twice before installing new ones.

Web apps, on the other hand, take up much less space. Everything is stored online, meaning that as long as you have an internet connection, you can use the same features and access the same information while needing only a fraction of the space. As a result, your app is much less likely to be deleted from a user's device.

3) Cost Effectiveness

Of course, developing a web app is also more cost-effective than its space-eating counterparts. We already touched on the significant savings of not needing to develop it for multiple devices. But listing it on the app store itself costs money as well: listing an app on Apple's App Store currently costs $99.

That may not seem like a lot to some businesses, but duplicate that cost for all major app stores and it makes up a significant chunk of a small business's marketing budget. Web apps don't need to be listed on an app store; instead, they are freely available for anyone with a browser and freely available via a URL.

4) Need-Tailored

Finally, web apps can be tailored directly to the unique needs of your company and audience. Instead of being hampered by OS or cost restraints, a custom web app can focus fully on your desired audience, ensuring a perfect fit for their needs. Because that audience doesn't have to download the app, they can simply access it as soon as they think of or have a need for your company's services. That, in addition to their flexibility and cost-effectiveness, makes web apps so attractive in today's market place.

Intrigued? Then don't hesitate! Contact us to find out how you can get a custom web app to enhance your company's marketing efforts.

The Apple Watch has grabbed the most headlines so far, but the new Apple gadget represents just a small drop in a very large tech tidal wave heading our way. According to IDC.com, global wearable shipments will likely hit 112 million units by 2018.

What this means for mobile app companies can be summarized in one word: revolution.

And, just like it has been doing for everything else in the last 10 years, Apple is leading the way with the Apple Watch.

iGeeksBlog.com thinks the Apple Watch is a great idea because, among other things, it makes Apple's SIRI service immensely better, it's safer to carry (and harder to lose), and it means less time wasted on the phone. And mobile apps that design themselves around the Apple Watch's Star Trek-like SIRI voice interaction could go in some interesting directions.

But, as fantastic as the Apple Watch might be, it is only the beginning. Here are some other fascinating (and jaw-dropping) wearable gadgets that could transform design potential for mobile apps and, ultimately, change our world.

Feels Good to Look Good: Mobile Apps for "Smart" Clothing?

Companies are developing smart clothes. The most obvious application, physical fitness, is already well underway. Companies make smart shirts that measure your heart rate, breathing rate, steps taken, and other physical actions, and the shirt automatically sends it to a physical fitness app on your phone that compiles your fitness data.

MakoInvent observed the next step in smart clothes:

Apart from smartwatches, there are also wearables in the form of fashion...clothes such as Ralph Lauren’s Smart Polo Shirt. These devices are being tested for the possibility to assist field-based or remote working employees, through ‘bring your own wearable’ (BYOW).

Employee uniforms with smart technology embedded could produce a limitless array of possibilities, from on-the-job safety to job training and performance monitoring, for mobile apps -- especially, as MakoInvent noted, for employees who spend most of their time in the field or in remote locations.

Myo Armband (For Everyone Who Has Always Wanted to Be a Jedi)

If you're a Star Wars fan, how many times have you pretended -- either as a joke as an adult or in serious play as a kid -- to use the Force on something? Every person who has seen Star Wars has secretly wished they could move a giant vehicle with their little hand -- Yoda-style.

Thalmic Labs has brought that wish a step closer to fulfillment. Although no one will be moving giant spaceships into the air with a hand gesture -- at least not yet -- their new wearable gadget, the Myo Armband, can move just about everything else that is important in our digital worlds.

How?

They've designed an armband that tracks your muscle movement on your arm, hand, and fingers with incredible precision. The armband then translates your gestures into commands that can operate any Bluetooth-equipped computer or smart device. You can then control any device you already own just like Tony Starks controlled his Jarvis computer interface in the Iron Man movies.

So what's it like to use it?

Mashable.com writer Lance Ulanoff tried the Myo Armband and explained his experience:

In one instance...I controlled a Keynote presentation. I would wake Myo, wave my arm to the right or left to change slides and then, because Myo was set to sleep after two seconds, wake it up again to gesture to the next slide.

The more I did all this, the more adept I became at all kinds of gestures. One of my favorites was the demonstration where I turned on Myo, clenched my fist and then slowly turned my hand one way or the other to control the temperature of an on-screen thermostat.

Just like the arena of smart clothing, creating apps for mobile devices or computers that interact with Myo Armbands creates new frontiers -- and new challenges -- for mobile app companies.

And that's where we come in. Our highly dedicated, talented team of engineers loves challenges. If you have some wild ideas for mobile app creation -- whether or not it involves wearables -- contact us and see how we can help you make those dreams reality.

What is a product backlog in Agile development and how is it used

Have you ever wondered, "What is a product backlog in Agile development and how is it used?"

In answering that question, it helps first to understand the core benefit of the process: the Agile method gives you the ability to make fast and powerfully effective course corrections as you construct your product backlog.

Power and agility have always been a winning combination.

Athletes who combine power with light feet and quick correction capability are usually the ones who out run, outmaneuver, and outscore their opponents.

In aviation, the F-22 Raptor fighter jet has "supermaneuverability" -- the ability to turn on a dime, yet maintain incredible power and control, in ways that outperform normal aerodynamic technology.

These analogies illustrate how product backlog works when you're applying the principles of agile development.

It's all about speed, effectiveness, and maneuverability.

The Crucial Role of Product Backlog

Venture Beat makes this important observation about product backlog:

A backlog is where you define and prioritize the functional and non-functional requirements of the app. Each feature within the app must have requirements associated with it. If the development is left open-ended and lacks requirements, then you are more likely to get something you didn’t expect.

In other words, product backlog ensures that every little component knows what it's supposed to do (and not do).

Going back to the sports analogy, it's very similar to crafting a successful play in football: the 11 players on the field know exactly what their job is -- and what their job isn't. (You really wouldn't want a 350-lb lineman trying to run a passing route to catch a pass.)

How the Agile Scrum Revolutionizes the Backlog Process

As you map out all of the requirements for your app's features, the scope of the work can be intimidating.

That's where the "Scrum" team in Agile development comes in.

This method saves you the inflexible, tedious burden of having to document every requirement in your product backlog at the beginning of the process -- a very imposing, slow-going road over the mountain, especially at the start when you haven't built much momentum yet in your project.

How is this accomplished?

The major stages of developing product backlog -- mapping out the requirements for features and bugs, for example -- are no longer kept separate. You don't do each type of work one at a time in a linear path like an assembly line (also called the Waterfall method). Each type of work in a Scrum is combined, developed, and refined all together into "sprints." This allows incredible flexibility, speed, and quick correction capability.

Mike Cohn of Mountain Goat, one of the top trainers in the Scrum method, wrote this about product backlog in Agile development:

"Typically, a Scrum team and its product owner begin by writing down everything they can think of for agile backlog prioritization. This agile product backlog is almost always more than enough for a first sprint. The Scrum product backlog is then allowed to grow and change as more is learned about the product and its customers."

Other crucial stages, like listing all technical work or additional research that is needed, are also combined with the other stages. The team -- as they review their agile list of features, bugs, needed tech work, and research to-dos -- then decide together which items are the highest priority and which of those can be done in a single "sprint."

Greater Transparency and Collaboration

This sprint-by-sprint, all-stages-combined process allows insightful transparency for the customer. In fact, it gives the customer real-time collaborative opportunities throughout every stage of development. They no longer have to walk away and wait for the team to make their way down the assembly line of the Waterfall Method.

It also helps to have a wonderfully talented team of engineers, analysts and designers -- something that we're very proud (and grateful) to have at Contensive. To discover more about agile development, contact us and learn how our talented, hard-working team can help.

The term "product/market fit," in its most basic form, means that a product is in perfect sync with its customers. The product has been refined to perfection -- assuming you define "perfection" as giving your chosen market exactly what it wants.

"Product/market fit" might be the buzz word -- the golden goose egg -- of start-ups, but everyone big or small needs it.

In Ryan Holiday's book Growth Hacker Marketing, he write this: "The best marketing decision you can make is to have a product or business that fulfills a compelling need for a defined group of people -- no matter how much work it takes to create this."

No matter how much work -- that's the key.

The old ways of doing things, however, like the Waterfall Method, are becoming sluggish. Like a winded runner in a race, those models are falling behind. Today's Screen Age market moves with incredible speed and complexity, and the slow-footed, clumsy methods of traditional assembly line marketing and product development may not be as effective as they once were.

Companies need agility.

The Necessity of Agility in Today's Market

The decline of the old model of traditional marketing is not news. Although it's still a popular blog headline and book topic in 2015, the writing has been on the wall for years -- even among household name companies. According to a 2013 article, Taco Bell CEO Greg Creed said: "Marketing in its traditional sense no longer works in the competitive restaurant industry."

Creed admitted how social media was running laps around Taco Bell and how it can be a major challenge for slow-footed companies who still rely on the old models of public relations and marketing -- yet still expect total control over their message in an age of decentralized media. "If you are a control freak, you’re not going to like the future," said Creed.

The heart of the problem is not just learning to master social media. Agility is needed at the heart of where success happens: at that crucial intersection between product development and marketing. Companies can flow with greater effectiveness when they master what we call a "scrum," a "lightweight project management methodology" (which you can read about in our page that defines a "scrum").

Smarter, Faster, Stronger

What companies need is the ability to react quickly to changing markets. In web design, for example, having a malleable, lightweight project management methodology -- like what we at Contensive have innovated -- gives you the versatility to create and update powerful web design quickly without compromising the product. It's like a championship athlete who learns to change directions on a dime without compromising their power and speed.

Another example: in the game-changing field of Mobile App creation, adaptability and speed is a must. And sometimes companies don't realize how a powerfully designed mobile app -- one that is seamlessly integrated into their operations -- can revolutionize the way they do business and upgrade their quality of service to customers.

For example, with our mobile application LoadLog, a trucking company could communicate with its trucks through encoded SMS messages intercepted from the server and the registered mobile device. Someone might ask, "So what?"

When your company's server has to track trucks and communicate with them, and your trucks are running 24/7 through remote areas of North Dakota where standard web communication for mobile apps is spotty at best, you quickly realize how valuable an encoded SMS system -- which proved to be reliable even in remote locations -- could be. It was a game-changer for that company.

The Sky's the Limit

These are just two examples of how this new methodology can change companies into agile performers in the digital marketplace. Whether you're needing web design, web app development, mobile app technology, or multi-platform responsive design, Contensive understands how agility can refine your product and the service you provide until you're in perfect sync with your customers.

Whether it means making minor or major adjustments on your quest to product/market fit, contact us to see how we can make you more agile and powerful.

Responsive web design--

What's worse than Armageddon? Well, If you've listened to some marketers recently, the answer may just be "Mobilegeddon." That's the nickname the industry has given to Google's newest algorithm update, one that has the potential to be more wide-reaching than any of the search engine's algorithms since the introduction of PageRank.

To say it came out of nowhere would be an exaggeration. For months, Google has emphasized the importance of a mobile-friendly website, and for good reason. The search engine's stated goal is to show the most relevant and accessible content to its users. And because the majority of internet users now browse on a mobile device, it only made sense for Google to emphasize mobile-friendliness - for the same reason that ALT text became so important a few years ago, when not all browsers could display images.

Still, the news came as a shock. On February 26, Google announced that beginning on April 21, a new algorithm update would begin to penalize websites that weren't optimized for mobile devices in its search results. As the blog post put it,

This change will affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide and will have a significant impact in our search results. Consequently, users will find it easier to get relevant, high quality search results that are optimized for their devices

The message is clear: If your website isn't optimized for mobile devices, then beginning on April 21, you will have a serious SEO problem. The only problem with the announcement was that Google didn't specify just how your website should be optimized. So allow us to help.

1) Responsive Web Design is a Must

Google did not explicitly mention responsive web design as the perfect way to make your site compliant with its new algorithm, but that's because they didn't have to. For a few months now, Google has been pounding the responsive design drum, rightfully emphasizing that a responsive website is the best and only way to make sure your site functions properly on all mobile devices. If your website is not responsive, you should probably make the update as soon as possible to be sure your SEO doesn't suffer.

2) Complying with Google Beyond Responsive Design

Of course, it doesn't stop there. While responsive design is essential for success, it is not a cure-all for your website and SEO needs. Accessibility matters beyond the basics; currently, the rumor is spreading among marketers that Mobilegeddon will include a way for Google to determine just how well and intuitively your navigation functions, meaning you should ensure that there are no hiccups or dead links within your navigation.

Chances are, Google's update will also heavily draw on its mobile guide to determine what sites are optimized for mobile devices. You can find these guidelines on Google's website, and the checklist includes a free mobile-friendly test as well as several tutorials to ensure you comply with Google before April 21. Which brings us to the final point:

3) Prepare for Mobilegeddon

In preparing for any of Google's algorithm updates, from Panda to Penguin and now Mobilegeddon, being proactive is key. The internet is littered with stories of businesses who failed to see what was coming, only to suffer severely in search results and sometimes never recover. On the other hand, knowing what to expect can be the key to ensure that once April 21 rolls around, your website won't be blindsided (and downgraded).

Reading through Google's Mobile Guide and checking your website for mobile optimization with the search engine's free tool is a great start. Another is to contact us. We specialize in responsive design, and would be happy to help you ensure that your website is ready for Mobilegeddon.

You know a powerful website design when you see it. The moment it appears on-screen, it grabs you. You can't look away. It might even provoke emotions -- even if you have no knowledge about the website's purpose and content.

The wonderful thing about web design is that, whether your business is big or small, you can create a powerful website if you keep three principles in mind.

(And, frankly, you'd be surprised to learn how many big companies fail to follow these principles.)

1. Capture Attention, Yes, But Also Capture Emotion

Nobody likes cheap gimmicks. They might appeal to base emotions and impulses and get the better for us for a moment, but when the cheap gimmick is found out, visitors to a website will lose respect for you.

Sadly, many web designers resort to cheap gimmicks to fulfill this first principle in design. Whether it's over-the-top, dishonest click-bait or some outrageous image that has no intelligent or resonating connection to the product or service of the company, gimmicks might capture our attention, but they leave us feeling manipulated.

Capturing emotion, however, is something different, when it is done right. Brian Sheehan, the author of the marketing masterpiece "Loveworks," explains this idea:

The sea change comes when brands stop thinking about their customers as "them" and start thinking about "us." When marketers make this change, they start rewarding their customers every day with brand experiences that have special resonance in three key areas: mystery [i.e. storytelling, tapping into a customer's dreams, using myths and icons], sensuality [incorporating the five senses], and intimacy [commitment, empathy, and passion].*

When you think of your customers as "us," you step out of your wants and needs, and you see the world through their wants and needs. You identify with them.

That new perspective provides clues. It shows you what will truly capture attention and emotion in a way that rewards the visitor -- even makes their day a little brighter and more enjoyable in some way -- yet still very relevant to your product or service.

2. Communicate Well with Recent Information

Always provide relevant, up-to-date information about your company that your visitors will find helpful and interesting -- especially if something is happening with your company that customers would want to know about.

This might seem like something too obvious to mention, but it is shocking how many companies, even the biggest ones, fail to do this. Of course, some of this comes from arrogance, but, in other cases, it's simply baffling.

Take Apple, for instance. You might be surprised to learn that their website ranked #58 (not a good ranking) on Bowen Craggs & Co. 2013 list of the world's best corporate websites.

Why mention the list from 2013?

Because that's when Apple had the massive headline-on-every-news-outlet story regarding the alleged tax evasion -- an allegation that forced CEO Tim Cook to testify before the U.S. Senate.

While the drama was unfolding, Apple offered no news updates on their website about the issue. But, as Forbes writer Susan Adams pointed out, that wasn't the only problem; there were other head-scratching issues with Apple's site:

...there is no link to basic corporate information on its homepage, no “about” page on the company, and no link to the compelling story of how the company was founded by genius Steve Jobs and grew to be the largest American business in market capitalization.

In the same Forbes article, Adams contrasted Apple's handling of their allegation drama with how BP handled their massive oil spill scandal in the Gulf of Mexico using their website: "Within days of the spill it made its site a repository for news on quelling the spill and starting cleanup efforts. At one point BP.com became one of the most visited sites in the world on Gulf spill news, competing with CNN."

Always strive to communicate well, and never underestimate the power of giving up-to-date, relevant information.

3. Now that You Have Momentum, Don't Forget to Persuade

When you've got a powerful design that captures both attention and emotion and communicates well with pertinent information, you've got momentum on your side.

Don't waste it.

Always call your visitors to action; and preface your clear call to action with persuasive arguments: highlight what makes your service unique by presenting your Unique Selling Proposition clearly and boldly.

In some cases with some industries there really isn't any tangible difference between your product and the multitudes of other products exactly like it. If you're in an overcrowded market like that with little difference between products, create a Unique Selling Proposition.

For example, highlight the amazing, stand-out customer service that your company offers or make a claim about your product in a unique, memorable way that your competitors have failed to point out about their products.

Of course, you can have the greatest ideas and selling propositions in the world, but if you're not able to realize them in a webpage, you're stuck. It helps to have a talented team of engineers, analysts, and designers at your disposal when you need business website development. Using our unique Agile method, which allows for powerful adaptability and transparency for the customer, we have all the right tools to create powerful web design. Contact us to find out more.

Let's build something amazing.

*Sheehan, Brian, "Loveworks" (New York: powerHouse books, 2014), 16, 17.

The value of mobile apps for businesses is apparent to many people. In the 8 years since IPhone first came out (7 since HTC released the first Android phone) businesses and consumers alike embraced the technology and design capabilities of the mobile app market. With Google Glasses and Apple Watch coming out, the mobile revolution is quickly becoming the Internet of Things (IoT) revolution. The IoT is the idea that all technological devices and many non-technological devices will be all plugged into the internet, creating connected diverse devices responsive to each individual's needs and wants. 

Adobe: There Goes the Neighborhood 

During the Adobe Digital Marketing Summit in Salt Lake City, Adobe announced that they are becoming more and more mobile, focusing on preparing for the IoT: 

With updates to Adobe Analytics and Mobile Core Services, marketers will now also be able to measure and analyze customer engagements ... across Internet of Things devices. Adoption of these devices is growing quickly, and marketers must take the leap into the IoT realm regardless of the risk, Adobe executives insisted. 

Adobe has long been an industry leader in delivering online and creative content for multiple industries including marketing. As with their Creative Cloud services, followed by Microsoft's Office 365, Adobe's jump to wearable and other non-traditional technologies is just the cusp of a wave of change. 

Wearable, Flexible, Universal 

As reported by Entrepreneur, the next big thing discussed at SXSW were smart fabrics. From gimmick related devices currently on the market most easily described as high-tech lingerie, businesses have more and more options to integrate their apps with everyday products. 

Wearable fabric type technologies will create a universal use for mobile apps in multiple industries and markets, but for now, they are still future. What is current is the trend of diverse screen sizes and information management installed in compatible devices. 

While clothes which read your body's temperature, blood pressure, and other medical necessities are future tech, watches, smartphones and glasses which do some or all of that are the technology of today. For businesses, responsive design is a necessary part of integrating your mobile apps, websites and browser-based software with the plethora of devices currently on the market. 

Responsive Design 

Responsive design is done in such a way that optimal interaction and interfaces are beneficial across a multitude of devices. Many individuals see the value of responsive design for websites, but do not consider how essential it is to mobile apps.

Access to your app can be done from many different screen sizes, including tablets, phones and watches. This ranges in size from full-screen immersion to small phone and watch use. 

The diversity of screens creates an opportunity for your business to interact with customers, build relationships, and manage information no matter your industry or target market. 

Stick to the Basics 

With so many new trends in technologies, what can your business commit to technology-wise? The good news for businesses is that technology may change, but people are still people. Your technology needs to be effective for creating relationships, managing community and suited to your industry and target markets. 

Information management is the essential, basic function of mobile apps. As discovered in the decade and a half since the dot-com bubble burst, information and relationships have to go hand-in-hand. Thus the information economy is also the social economy. Whether you are interested in avant-garde wearable technologies or just using the incredible economic power of smartphones and tablets, your basic question is still: what am I offering, and to whom? 

For many businesses, your community just needs simple interfaces to order, track, and receive marketing information about products and services. For this, your essential basics may be a browser-based responsive app: any device can access it, and it is up to your customers whether they want to try and use a smart-watch or glasses with your app. 

For other businesses, your industry is cutting edge, and your target market wants access to you immediately via watches, glasses and more advanced tech. For you, the basics are focusing responsive design for specific devices used by your target market. 

No matter your needs, mobile technology is becoming an increasingly integrated part of the global marketplace, and you need to plan to reach your customers where they are found: on mobile. To discover more about mobile apps and responsive web design, please contact us.