The App Revolution…Bigger Then The Birth Of The Internet?

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Could a case be made that the app revolution is bigger then the birth of the Internet?  Another case could be made that the sharp incline of new emerging apps would be a front runner in race between the birth of the Internet and the role of smart phone apps.

If you have not heard of the app revolution…then you just did.  The app revolution, as some are calling it, is the ever increasing amount of new and useful apps and app features.  Like the birth of the Internet,  companies and individuals are jumping on board to take advantage of this trend.  A trend that has no sign of slowing down.

Unlike it predecessor, the website, mobile apps are now becoming the go-to form of media and customer interaction.  If you have a smartphone then you know that 95% of all websites are difficult to view from a smart phone screen.  Often you need to zoom in with difficulty and website navigation is choppy and confusing.  In my own experience, viewing a website on a smartphone is rather difficult causing me to go to my laptop instead.  In some cases, I may just give up completely.

So how did we get here?

Our society is ever evolving and the needs of our society are constantly changing.  15 years ago, having a cell phone meant that anyone could contact you instantly.  You could leave the office or home but still be available if needed.  A huge leap forward considering previous cell phones were large and overbearing.  Carrying around a cell phone in your pocket was a concept that was amazing and intriguing.

 

Now lets jump ahead 5 years later…
Text messaging becomes more popular and widely used.  In fact, cell phone providers never intended text messaging to become as big as it has.  Many providers had to quickly upgrade networks and infrastructure to accommodate the spike in data usage.  From a personal experience, my text message plan was free when I got my first mobile phone.  The sales guy showed me that my phone could send texts but his response to that option was “why would anyone type a message when they can just call”.   Instead of calling, society has chosen to send brief instant messages instead.  Some may say the personal connections that were once formed from talking on the phone have dulled.  Others will say it makes it easier to communicate what your feeling without awkwardness.  Either way, text messaging changed our daily communication with one another.

Then along came the smartphone…

The birth place of the smartphone can be traced all the way back to the early years of cell phones, around 1993.  However smartphones were more commonly used for enterprise application rather then consumer use.  Since these early version smartphones were very expensive, owning one for everyday use did not make sense.

When Apple inc launched the first iPhone around 2007 the world once again made a huge jump forward.  Unlike earlier cell phones, the iPhone could do more for the user.  You could download “apps” or applications which made using the phone easier.  These apps also became useful for everyday problem solving and daily living.  As newer versions of the iPhone were launched, more app developers came online developing apps.

Present day is seeing the upward trend of new apps and app features.  Developing apps for companies like Apple and Google has become more streamlined.  This streamlining has made it easier to submit apps for upload and disbursement to clients and customers.  Game apps like Angry Birds have become household names and entertainment for the whole family.

If you have a smartphone then you know that there is practically an app for anything.  Since tool apps have become saturated, an app revolution of company and business apps is occurring right now with no signs of slowing down.  As companies begin to see the possibilities an app offers to both customers and the company, more and more business apps are emerging.

As the app revolution continues to warp ahead faster then the Star Trek enterprise, you have to ask yourself if you want to be left behind or warp ahead of everyone else

Thanks for reading….

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Why Mortgage Brokers and Real Estate Agents Should Have Business Apps

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In this post we are going to look at why mortgage brokers and Real Estate agents should have a business app.  What are the benefits to having an app which represents you and your listings?  What benefits can apps have for finding new customers and connecting with old customers?  These questions and more will give more insight into the overwhelming need for having a custom business app.

As any good agent knows having leads, new or old, can be a driving force in sales and productive performance.  However, what happens when leads run low or even dry?  Although you may have more time on your hands, going door to door is not practical, calling out can be cumbersome and haggling for customers looks desperate.

As a mortgage broker or Real Estate agent, meeting new people everyday is common and potentially profitable under the right conditions.  Networking and making new contacts can lead to deals and sales very quickly.  However, what are you doing to keep those connections alive and healthy?  No doubt you are collecting email info and phone numbers for future business deals but what happens if you don’t talk to those people for months or even years?  Will they remember you?  The answer is probably NO but there is something you can do to change that to a YES!

Let me introduce you to your own smartphone, iPhone, iPad or droid app.  A new way of communicating with your clients, friends and customers on a personal level.  A level that Facebook and even Twitter can not achieve…let me explain how.  When a user downloads an app (yours for example) they are basically telling you that they want to connect to you on a personal level.  Mobile phones are no longer just phones, but instead an extension of who we are as individuals.  As users download your app they will also share with friends and family.  Which in turn helps you, your company and your product get more attention and exposure.

Apps are full of quick linking features while providing essential information fast and effectively.  A smartphone app is the exact tool needed to build on current business connections while creating new ones.   Keep other agents and brokers up-to-date on what you are doing while connecting to clients and customers with a tool they will love.  Unlike a website, an app is more uniformed for smartphone screens and has a quick link icon for instant content access.  Does your website have a quick linking icon for smartphones?

 

Think about this…..

The average read rate of emails is 4%-10%, while PUSH notifications which are only available through smartphone apps have a read rate of 97%.  Now when updating your clients with new info, deals or listings a better read rate is better for you.  Wouldn’t you prefer to have 97% of the contacts you know to read what you are publishing?

Along with PUSH notifications, a business app will have instant information that your clients are looking for.  Such as, your business location, contact information, email contacts, listings, mortgage deals, lending rates, real estate fees, GPS navigation to listed homes and much more.

Having a smartphone business app which promotes your style and business will have 10x the marketing power then any other marketing medium you are using right now.  Bus stop ads, newspaper ads, TV ads, website ads or any other type of ad media is either too expensive or over used.

Take for example bus stop ads which are common to Real Estate agents.  A bus stop ad is not interchangeable without a huge cost, the ad has limited visibility and the ad is specific to one area.  Although this form of advertising may bring some new customers and clients, for most people it is just another ad.  An ad that no one really pays attention to.

In a world full of ads and signs, getting your message to your clients and customers has to be different.  It has to be eye catching while remaining simple.  No ad is as effective as having an app with PUSH notification functionality since PUSH notifications have a read rate of 97%.  That percentage of add attention even exceeds high mediums like TV and radio.  However I just fast forward through TV commercials and change the radio station when I see and hear ads.  With PUSH notifications, app users will automatically read what is sent to their phone through your app.  Simple and 97% effective.

If you are a mortgage broker or Real Estate agent and want to be different, then getting a smartphone business app is what you need.  As you attract more app users your apps effectiveness will sky rocket.

Let us show you how…

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Apps Developers – How To Find The Right iPhone & Smartphone Apps Developers

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[twitter_follow username=”https://twitter.com/CalgaryAppDev” language=”en”] [fblike url=”https://vogcalgaryappdeveloper.com/apps-developers-how-to-find-the-right-iphone-smartphone-apps-developers” style=”standard” showfaces=”false” width=”450″ verb=”like” font=”arial”] Apps developers are plenty and widespread around the world.  You can find apps developers in North American and all the way over to India, south Asia and the Middle East.  Having used some developers from the Middle East, this author can honestly state that some developers in the Middle East really know there stuff.

However there is one big problem with using these developers…

Most Middle East apps developers usually have a poor understanding of the English language.  Along with poor English the time difference of 7-12 hours is a huge downfall.  Getting anything done the day of can be very difficult.  I guess the question would be “why do so many people use developers from other countries and not developers from their own back yard?”  From my understanding and personal experience, using developers in other countries usually means you can save a huge amount of money on development costs.

But…..Are you really saving money?

What is your personal time worth?  Having personally used these types of app developers I have found that when you calculate the time and effort used to communicate your ideas the cost is not as cheap as one may think.  For example, I required a website to be built a few years ago and used a development company from Pakistan.  These guys were hard working and always put out amazing work.  Sadly, it took 4 weeks longer to build the same website someone in North America could have done for $400 more.  Since my site was online 4 weeks later then expected, I lost more then I saved.  So the question to ask yourself is, “what is my time worth?”

Apps developers usually have design costs that are very reasonable with build times that are achievable.  Frankly, saving $400 but having a project finished weeks later is not practical to me.  What about you?

Vog Calgary App Developer has fun, creative apps developers ready to work at a price that is very reasonable.  Along with building you an amazing app for your business, we help you learn how to use it and market it to your customers.  Our team provides both 24/7 support and one on one app training.  So you know what your app can do for you.   Something I know apps developers in other countries won’t be able to provide you.

Finding the right apps developer shouldn’t be based on the best price you can find.  Although price is a big portion of most business decisions, make sure that you are not sacrificing price for quality.  If you are reading this post then I encourage you to check out our app design packages.  Our packages can be modified to your needs, just use the contact form if you have any questions that need to be answered.

For more info please visit our pricing page

How Much Does It Cost To Have An App Built?

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[twitter url=”https://vogcalgaryappdeveloper.com/how-much-does-it-cost-to-have-an-app-built” style=”horizontal” size=”large” float=”right”] How much does it cost to have an app built for a business looking to connect with their customers?

Building an app can be very expensive.  In fact, web designers, app developers and web content creators will charge anywhere between $80-$120 per hour.  Considering that most apps can take anywhere from one week to 3 months to build, the costs for an app can add up quickly.

On the low range a typical app with with images and content supplied by the customer costs around $2000-$3000.  App developments that required back end access, content upload and image scaling can cost upwards of $4000 or more.  Game apps can exceed $100,000 or more easily but can be a good return on income if the game goes viral (think Angry Birds).

The answer to “how much does it cost to have an app built?” really comes down to what you want the app to do.  When doing some research on other companies and web developers, Vog Calgary Apps found that the average rate for most apps developed for small and medium businesses was around $3000.  A bit high in comparison to our pricing for app development but fair when considering the amount of work that is needed.

Since we are still adding content to our portfolio, a few emails have been sent to us asking what our apps typically look like.  Since all companies are different, no two apps will be exactly the same.  However, we did find a great app that looks a lot like the apps we design for businesses.  That app is the Obama app.

During the 2012 presidential election in the US, President Barack Obama campaign had an app developed which provided more information about the president and is stance on many political views.

The type of app the Obama campaign used is called a table app.   A table app has many features which the app user can scroll through.  Features like maps, info, twitter and social media connections, etc.

If you are a business or own a company that wants an app which represents your company, then this is the type of app Vog Calgary App will have built for you.  Table style apps are very effective apps for providing quick and useful information to the user.  These types of apps are hugely liked with Apple because of the friendliness and usefulness it provides to the app user.

The Vog Calgary Apps team suggests to check out the Obama app and see what you think.  Remember, Vog Apps builds unique apps for each and every company and we only suggest the Obama app as a visual aid for the type of app we can design for you or your company.

To finish off, our response to the question “How Much Does It Cost To Have An App Built?” is in our pricing.  Just because our packages are affordable doesn’t mean we are cheap on features.

The Vog Blog Team

 

New App Software Developer In Calgary Doing Local and International Work

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[twitter style=”horizontal” size=”large” float=”left” use_post_url=”true”] We here at Vog Calgary Apps are please to announce our official start in developing new apps for local and international businesses.

Although the market for app development seems very overcrowded, which in some ways it is, Vog Calgary Apps is bringing a different strategy to clients and customers. We are showing local and international businesses that app development is not as expensive and some would have you believe.

Sadly, the app development market has been over priced for many poor quality apps. It’s no wonder that the current view from many smaller businesses is that there is no need to have an app which represents their business and products. However, in the next 5 years the app market is going to explode and having a business app will be just as essential as having a website.

Over the next 5 years, up to 98% of collage and university students will have a smartphone. It is estimated that over 110 million people in the US alone use smartphones with this trend expected to only rise.

With figures like this it is easily foreseeable as to why every business will need a smartphone app. Unlike a website, a smartphone app is better suited to fit the smaller screens of iPads, iPhones, Droids and other smartphones. Further more, apps are more versatile and can have direct communication with app users. Push notifications, an exclusive feature of mobile apps, will further push the interest of businesses looking for different marketing avenues. A key to all apps developed for business will be the features it provides users while opening many new doors for direct customer service. Sending notifications of new deals, coupons, promos and special offers will dramatically change how marketing is done.

Forget the days of billboards and radio ads. The new media that will continue to open new possibilities will be smartphone apps.

The days of laptops are nearing the end of their life cycle with many people switching to tablets instead. Looking at the home computer, those days are finished with many looking at stationary computers as a relic.

As the next 5 years approaches, the cost of app development will increase due to the demand and need for these apps. At the same time, developers of smartphone apps will also increase but will not be able to keep up with demand. Since the demand will be greater then the supply, costs will rise to reflect this.

 

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VogCalgary AppDeveloper.com New Logo

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[twitter style=”horizontal” related=”https://twitter.com/CalgaryAppDev” size=”large” float=”right”] VogCalgaryAppDeveloper.com is pleased to show our brand new logo which was created with the help of 99designs.ca.  The new logo represents our commitment to building fun, creative and unique smartphone apps for local and non-local companies. It is with great joy that we are able to work locally for many businesses who are in need of a smartphone app.

Further more we would like to introduce Vog, our website companion and vogcalgaryappdeveloper.com mascot.

 

Our Vog Calgary Apps Logo

Vog – The Vogcalgaryappsdeveloper.com mascot

Vog Apps Thanks 99Designs.ca For Logo

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[twitter style=”vertical” related=”https://twitter.com/CalgaryAppDev” size=”large” float=”left”] Vogcalgaryappdeveloper.com thanks our friends over at 99designs.ca for creating a cool looking logo for our website.  Our new logo and Vog, our company ambassador, would like to put out a special thanks to logo designer Vian Stef.

99Designs.ca is a logo design company which posts jobs from website developers and companies who are looking for a new logo or website template.  Once you complete out a few questions and submit your request, creative artists submit their ideas and images.  The really cool part about 99designs.ca is that you can choose which logos you would like and which you can refuse.  Usually after a few days of going back and forth with many different designers, you will have what you are looking for.

We here at Vog Calgary App Developer would like to tip our hat to the hard working folks over at 99designs.ca and hope to do more business down the road with that great company.

Thanks guys