In fact, 86% of HR leaders say that employee training is critical for retaining talent. Businesses with comprehensive employee training programs generate 218% more revenue per employee compared to those without formal training. Furthermore, 92% of employees say that workplace training has a positive impact on their engagement, and 90% say they’re less likely to leave a company that offers development opportunities. 

Training modules are one of the most effective ways to train employees. Companies can build a training module for virtually any use case or learning initiative. Staff can complete modules at their own pace, while leaders can track and measure the results. 

If you’re interested in creating modules for training employees, you’ve come to the right place. I’ll break down the different ways you can use online training modules and types of training modules before walking you through the step-by-step process of building one that delivers real results. 

What is a Training Module?

A training module is a self-contained element of instructional information that focuses on a specific topic within a broader training program. Each module is designed to provide learners with skills, knowledge, and information related to a particular subject matter.

Training modules are components of an online course or instructional guide. Typically, multiple modules must be finished to complete a course or earn a certification. 

It’s common for training modules to be delivered through an online or mobile learning management system. Within each module, there’s a range of content that’s used for training—most often starting with informational content before formal assessments and evaluations.

For example, modules may start with a slideshow or video before testing what’s been learned through a quiz or test. 

Ways to Use Module Training For Employees

Module training can be used for any type of educational setting. But within the realm of an employee training program, these are the most common ways to use a modular training course: 

• New hire training, onboarding, and orientation
• Leadership training
• Sales coaching
• Product training
• Job-specific technical training
• Employee safety training
• Diversity training
• Mandatory corporate training (sexual harassment, soft skills, etc).
• Cybersecurity training protocols

You can create online training modules for virtually any type of learning objective within an organization. 

Types of Training Modules

Employee training modules come in all different shapes and sizes. But you can mix and match your content delivery and training assessments based on the specific goal or learning objective of the module. Here are some common types of training modules used for employee training:

Online Course

This type of online training module is a comprehensive e-learning initiative that’s designed to inform learners about a specific topic. It’s commonly presented in a slideshow format with a mix of text, images, and videos. Once a slide has been consumed, the learner continues by clicking a “Next” button to proceed. Online courses work really well for providing sequential training with information that builds on what was previously taught. 

Interactive Assessment

Interactive assessments are an engaging way to evaluate employees’ understanding of the training material. These assessments can include quizzes, drag-and-drop activities, or interactive simulations. The key is to make these assessments interactive and dynamic, allowing employees to apply what they’ve learned in a practical context. This type of module is particularly effective in measuring the retention of knowledge and skills, and it can be adapted for various topics ranging from product knowledge to compliance training.

Video Lectures and Presentations

Video lectures and presentations offer a visual and auditory learning experience that can be more engaging than text-based content. These modules can feature recorded lectures, interviews with experts, or animated explanations of complex concepts. They are particularly useful for delivering detailed information in an easily digestible format. Incorporating videos in training modules can enhance learners’ understanding and retention, especially for topics that benefit from visual demonstrations, like technical skills or product features.

Scenario-Based Learning

Scenario-based learning modules immerse employees in real-life situations relevant to their job roles. These scenarios require learners to make decisions based on the information provided—mimicking the challenges they may face in their actual work. This approach promotes critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Scenario-based learning is highly effective for training in areas like customer service, conflict resolution, and decision-making processes.

Microlearning

Microlearning involves creating short, focused training modules that cover a specific topic or skill in a concise manner. These modules are typically 5-10 minutes long and are ideal for busy employees who have limited time for training. Microlearning is effective for reinforcing key concepts, providing just-in-time training, and supporting ongoing learning. It’s suitable for topics that can be broken down into small, standalone units, such as software updates, policy changes, or quick tips.

Live Group Training

Live group training modules involve interactive sessions conducted in real time, either in-person or through video conferencing tools. These sessions can include workshops, webinars, or group discussions led by a trainer or subject matter expert. Live group training fosters collaboration and allows for immediate feedback and interaction among participants. It’s particularly useful for topics that benefit from group dynamics and discussion, such as leadership development, team building, and brainstorming sessions.

How to Create Online Training Modules For Employees (5 Steps)

Creating online training modules is easy when you follow specific guidelines. Use the five steps below to build each module.

Step 1 – Establish the Key Training Objectives

The first thing you need to do is determine the learning objectives for each module. By definition, a “module” is a set of independent units or parts of a more complete structure. So you don’t need to cram everything into one lesson. 

For example, if you want to train employees about cybersecurity protocols, you can break this down into three separate modules—one for BYOD policies, another for password management, and a third for breach protocols. 

Each module is completely independent of the other topics within the broader scope of cybersecurity. An employee doesn’t need to understand password policies to complete the module on breach protocols. But each of these is a key objective within the big picture of cybersecurity training. 

Step 2 – Define Success For Each Training Module

Every module needs to have its own definition of “success” or “completion.” This can vary depending on the type of training.

For example, success for new hire onboarding may simply require an employee to watch a set of videos and consume content within a slideshow. The act of watching the video to completion and clicking the “next” button after each slide may be enough for this. Then you could collect a signature from the employee that acknowledges they’ve read all of the policies and understand what’s expected of them in the workplace.

But success for using a particular piece of software or obtaining credentials may look very different. For these types of training modules, the employee may need to take a quiz, test, or exam and get a passing grade (such as 90% or higher) to complete the module. 

Step 3 – Determine the Right Content Format

The key to creating engaging training modules is picking the right way to distribute content for consumption. Text-only slides are boring and don’t always provide sufficient training for a particular subject matter. 

Interactive lessons that require the employee to make clicks and answer questions along the way tend to be more engaging. Leverage video content, audio files, and images whenever possible. 

You don’t need to stick with a standard training module template for every lesson. In fact, I advise against it. Changing the format based on the lesson is much more effective. 

Step 4 – Create Training Modules

When creating training modules, it’s easier to treat each one as its own mini-course. That’s why it’s so important to break down the key objectives, success definition, and content format before you start building the training materials. 

Here’s a sample of what you can include in just one module:

Don’t force content that doesn’t fit within the particular lesson. 

Remember, each module is completely independent of the other. This means that some training modules could take two or three hours to complete, while others may only take 20-30 minutes. 

Step 5 – Distribute and Track Results

Once you’ve completed your modules, it’s time to get them into the hands of your employees. It’s up to you to determine exactly when and how employees will use these. But try to tie them to specific job-related events or company-wide initiatives. 

For example, when a new employee gets hired, they’ll automatically be sent the onboarding module through your company’s internal employee app. From there, they can complete modules related to various corporate policies and go through specific skills training.

If an employee switches roles or moves to a new department, they’ll automatically be sent the training materials for this new position. If you’re rolling out a new product or using new software, you can send training modules to everyone within the organization. 

Some companies offer optional training for employees who want to advance specific skills and advance themselves within the company. Others roll out mandatory training sessions every year or quarter related to different HR initiatives and compliance. 

It’s crucial to use a learning management system that accurately tracks who has completed what modules. Beyond completion rates, you need to assess how well the training translates into improved job performance. This type of data can help identify areas where employees are struggling and need additional support. 

The Importance of Effective Employee Training For Your Company Culture

Employee training is far more important than simply ensuring your staff knows how to do their jobs. It ultimately helps enrich your company culture by creating employees who are skilled, engaged, and constantly advancing. 

A recent survey found that 76% of employees were more likely to stay with an organization that offers continuous training. 

Turnover rates are one of the most important KPIs when assessing company culture. If your office is like a revolving door, it instantly tells new employees that there probably isn’t much of a future for them within the company. But low turnover rates help build strong bonds between existing staff while conveying the message to new hires that they can be happy and grow within the company for the long haul. 

39% of employees say that the potential for future growth within an organization is an important factor in job satisfaction. By offering training, you’re always giving your staff the opportunity to grow and succeed. 

A whopping 86% of job seekers say they’ll avoid companies with a bad reputation. Meanwhile, 82% of business leaders say that a strong company culture gives them a competitive advantage in the workplace. 

These results are measurable—with 46% of leaders saying that improving company culture leads to a boost in employee productivity and 38% saying it leads to increased employee engagement. 

Final Thoughts — Using Mobile Apps For Employee Training Programs

Leveraging mobile apps for employee training programs presents an innovative and efficient way to enhance learning experiences. With solutions like BuildFire, you can create and deliver training modules directly to your staff’s smartphones—making learning accessible anytime and anywhere.

This approach perfectly aligns with the modern workforce’s preference for on-the-go and flexible learning options. 

In fact, 58% of employees say that they want to learn at their own pace. Mobile apps give them this opportunity to complete modules in bite-sized sections whether they’re on the job, at home, or on the go. They can fit training into their busy schedules without distributing their workflow. 

BuildFire lets you integrate various types of training modules into a user-friendly interface. From interactive assessments to video lectures, slides, and quizzes, everything can be distributed and completed from a smartphone or tablet. 

This not only simplifies distribution and tracking but also engages employees in a more dynamic and personalized learning journey. The convenience of apps encourages higher participation rates with real-time analytics and feedback mechanisms. 

By harnessing the power of mobile technology, you’re offering much more than an employee training solution—you’re fostering a culture of continuous learning and development within your organization. 

The post How to Create Modules For Training Employees appeared first on Buildfire.

App creators and consumers no longer find themselves limited to the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. Many other options and alternative app stores exist, and since such app stores are smaller than the Big Two, apps prove far more discoverable via these platforms.

Mobile app stores designed for specific niches and industries or for particular markets deserve your attention if you want more app downloads and better visibility. No matter the nature of your app, you want people to use it and interact with your brand.

Unfortunately, many mobile app stores have shut down over the last few years, creating confusion among both brands and consumers. That’s why we need an updated mobile app stores list so you know where to reach consumers in 2025.

Android Versus iOS

You’ll notice that the majority of mobile app stores in our list below focus exclusively on Android devices. There are a few reasons for the imbalance between Android and iOS.

For one thing, Android market share stands at just over 54 percent. For another, it’s a far more open platform, installed on devices ranging from Samsung and LG to the Google Pixel Motorola phones. Additionally, Google Play has certain limitations and restrictions that the other app stores don’t have, which makes the alternatives more appealing to certain consumers.

One of the exceptions, Cydia, is an online mobile app store designed specifically for jailbroken iOS devices. But we’ll go into that more below.

App Submission and Listings

Each of the mobile app stores we’re about to share with you has different processing for submitting apps and getting them listed in their marketplaces. Some are more restrictive than others, and a few are more focused on hyper-specific categories of apps, such as games.

Before you submit your app to an online marketplace or app store, read the submission guidelines carefully. Working with an experienced developer will ensure that your app meets minimum standards and can compete successfully against others of its type.

The Ultimate Mobile App Stores List

With those details out of the way, let’s look at our list of mobile app stores. We’ll start with the big two — Google Play and Apple App Store — and then look at the smaller, but no less viable, options for your mobile app.

Google Play Store

The Google Play Store, which hosts movies and other content as well as apps, was one of the first mobile app stores. It opened its doors in 2008 and exclusively targets the Android market. The platform boasts 2.6 million apps.

While the Google Play Store has a robust search engine that makes finding apps easy for consumers, brands sometimes find that their apps get buried in search results. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t list your app here — you should — but you also want to explore other Android-specific mobile app stores.

Apple App Store

For iOS users, the Apple App Store is often the first place to look for amazing new applications. According to Lifewire, the Apple App Store contains 2.1 million apps, though that number includes apps developed specifically for Apple TV and Apple Watch, among other products.

Building your app for both Android and iOS users gives your app the best potential for discovery. However, you’re looking at nearly 5 million competitors in these mobile app stores, which is why you might want to consider listing your app elsewhere.

Samsung Galaxy Apps

Many device manufacturers have discovered that they can integrate their customers more fully under their brands by offering mobile app stores of their own. The Samsung Galaxy Apps store is just one example.

Since Samsung can preload its own app store onto its Android devices, customers have the apps they want at their fingertips. Far fewer apps exist on marketplaces like this than on Google Play, so discoverability increases for app creators.

LG SmartWorld

LG has a similar mobile app store, called SmartWorld, that is automatically installed on LG phones. This app store also offers applications that are designed for LG TVs and other devices.

Huawei App Store

This mobile app store is primarily targeted to the Chinese market, with most app names and descriptions written in Chinese characters. Huawei is installed on many of the company’s devices and allows people in countries without access to the Play Store to download the apps they want to use.

Sony Apps

Like several of its competitors, the Sony Apps market is designed for people with Sony mobile devices who want to search natively on their phones or tablets without turning to Google Play. It’s geared primarily toward entertainment, but you can also find plenty of brand apps that offer other functionality, as well.

Amazon Appstore

It’s no surprise that ecommerce giant Amazon has branched into the app space. The Amazon Appstore hosts Android apps and comes preinstalled on devices like the Fire Phone and the Kindle Fire in place of the Play Store.

Remember that consumers take the road of least resistance to get what they want. If they already have the Amazon Appstore on their device, they’ll search for an app they want there first, before downloading another marketplace.

When your app appears for these customers, you save them the trouble of downloading more stores to their devices, which can help not only with brand recognition but also with brand loyalty.

Plus, consumers with any Android-powered device can download the Amazon Appstore. As we’ve seen in other areas of commerce, Amazon tends to dominate the spaces it infiltrates, so expect downloads to increase.

Aptoide

Many Android users choose Aptoide instead of the larger mobile app stores because of the ways it displays app listings. It’s highly intuitive and easy to navigate, which makes it an appealing alternative.

Additionally, Aptoide remains just as broad as the other mobile application stores. You can find games, productivity apps, store apps, and more. Since it isn’t niche-specific, other than catering exclusively to the Android OS, it’s a great choice for any brand with an app.

F-Droid

Consumers who appreciate open-source software feel magnetically drawn to F-Droid, which is, as of this writing, the only Android mobile app store to offer free and open-source apps in a marketplace.

It’s not the ideal choice for many brands because it flags any commercialized aspects of the app in the store. Additionally, the primary repository lists only apps that make their source code available.

However, F-Droid also allows users to create their own repositories, which might include apps from brands that enable features like user tracking with no pushback from the user base. Exploring the various repositories takes time, but it’s worth the effort if you want your app available to as many people as possible.

GetJar

The GetJar interface might look a little dated, but the simplicity of its website and mobile app store makes it a popular choice for both app developers and consumers. It’s an open app store, which means that it offers apps for Android, iOS, Windows, and other OSs.

This unique approach endears it to many consumers, especially those who own devices with different operating systems. For instance, Android phone users might have iPads or Apple TVs in their homes.

Over the years, GetJar’s open policy has made it vulnerable to people who upload apps infected with viruses. As long as you have anti-virus software installed on your device and you investigate apps before you download, however, you should stay safe.

ACMarket

Whether or not you want to host your app on ACMarket, you should be aware of this mobile app store’s existence. It’s designed specifically for cracked, hacked, or modded apps, which means that the apps found here have been altered to remove so-called “undesirable” features.

If you’re concerned that your app appears on ACMarket, you can investigate the situation and warn your user base should the need arise.

SlideME

As you can see, there are lots of mobile app stores for Android, and SlideME is no exception. It’s one of the most mainstreamed alternatives to Google Play Store and hosts both free and premium apps in its listings.

When it first launched, users complained about poor downloading and installation processes, but those quibbles have dramatically decreased. App creators can make their apps available to hundreds of thousands of users who prefer SlideME to Google Play Store.

Uptodown Market

This is another Android-specific mobile app store that also hosts applications for the Windows, Mac, and Ubuntu OSs. In terms of mobile apps, it rivals Google Play in a number of apps, app descriptions, and editorial reviews.

One of the primary unique selling propositions of Uptodown is that human beings filter all the apps submitted for listing in the marketplace, which can cut down on malware, viruses, and issues with fake descriptions.

Uptodown only offers free apps, which might make users more likely to search for content here rather than Google Play, and it has worldwide availability. Certain countries, including China, can’t access Google Play without a workaround, so Uptodown caters beautifully to those markets.

Itch.io

Although Itch.io caters almost exclusively to games and gamers, it’s still worth mentioning. Many brands have discovered that gamification makes their apps more appealing and more likely to be used, and incorporating gameplay into an app can make it more popular.

The great thing about Itch.io is that it was built for both developers and consumers, so it covers both bases beautifully. The interface isn’t as intuitive as some of the other alternatives on the market, but it possesses a clarity of purpose that makes it ideal for its audience.

Cydia

As mentioned above, Cydia is different from the other mobile app stores on this list. It’s designed specifically for iOS devices that have been jailbroken. Those devices can’t access apps on the Apple App Store, so consumers who purchase jailbroken phones or jailbreak their own phones often use Cydia.

neXva

Think of neXva as a mobile app stores with many different mobile app verticals that others have developed. It was built specifically for developers who want to control how their content is distributed among consumers, so it’s a highly useful part of any mobile app marketing strategy.

Bemodi

Originally known as the Opera Mobile Store, Bemodi is browser-specific to Opera and offers mobile app downloads via the web browser rather than a self-contained app. Consequently, it’s more useful to consumers who use Opera exclusively and who don’t want to load yet another app onto their devices.

AppBrain

AppBrain is simultaneously a collection of app promotion tools and a browser-based mobile app store. Brands can use AppBrain to make their apps more visible in various mobile app stores, including its own, as well as to drive more traffic to their app listings.

1Mobile

This Android-only online app store has been around for several years and developed an almost cult-like following. Although it focuses primarily on games and entertainment, it doesn’t discriminate when it comes to the types of apps it supports.

Appolicious

One of the selling points of Appolicious is that this mobile app store has very strict requirements about the specific apps that make it through its gatekeepers. Its goal is to provide the highest-quality free and paid apps on the marketplace, so getting your app listed here can improve visibility significantly.

Kongregate

Kongregate is one of the many mobile app stores that focuses on games and entertainment, yet has a robust selection of apps in other categories. Many consumers find their way to app stores because they’re looking for games, but discover brand-associated and other useful apps along the way.

Appland

Appland is designed for both app launches and app downloads, which makes it an ideal part of marketing any mobile app. Aside from ranking high amongst alternative Android app stores, it also offers support and functionality both Windows and iOS.

Chinese Market Mobile App Stores

Many mobile app stores have been created exclusively for the Chinese market. Although people in China and in other countries that can’t access Google Play can get mobile apps using a virtual private network, or VPN, many find it easier to use a Chinese app store instead.

If you plan to use these online mobile app stores, you’ll need to create Chinese-language versions of your app. Following are some of the most popular mobile app stores for the Chinese market:

• Tencent Myapp
• 360
• Baidu
• Oppo
• AppChina
• VIVO
• PP Assistant
• Wandoujia
• HiAPK
• Flyme
• HiMarket
• 2345
• Coolmart
• Anzhi Market
• MaoPao

If you’re looking for an alternative app store, Tencent is perhaps the most well-known of these, providing its huge user base to hundreds of thousands of high-quality apps from all over the world. It’s known interchangeably as Tencent, Myapp, and Tencent Myapp.

However, many of the other app stores have consolidated over the years, and although you can still access them individually, they’re actually part of the other markets.

This is where marketing your app in online app stores gets confusing because you don’t want multiple, competing listings. When you’re researching online app stores, check to see whether the parent company owns other stores on your list. That way, you’re not doing extra work for nothing.

Most of the Chinese-market mobile app stores support Android. A few also allow iOS apps to be distributed and downloaded, as well, though most don’t support Windows phones.

Designing Your Mobile App Stores Strategy

You don’t have to put your mobile app in every available store, but distributing your app widely, especially across other Android app stores, can increase downloads by a considerable margin. Plus, when consumers switch phones—and perhaps OSs—they’ll be more likely to take your app with them because there won’t be any barriers to entry.

Keep in mind, though, that all the submissions in the world won’t make your app discoverable. You have to optimize your app for search so consumers can find it easily.

Start with the name and description of your app. Think about what people might type in the app store to discover your app — keywords that best describe what your app does.

Make sure you fill out every field available through the app store you’ve chosen. Some app stores, for instance, allow you to attach keywords or tags to your app, while others do not. Customize your description and form fields for the app store you’re currently targeting.

Ask people who use your app via specific app stores to rank and review your app. Many mobile app stores take rankings into consideration when it comes to search results, so you don’t want to miss this opportunity.

Finally, optimize your thumbnail and images for the specific app store. Some publish recommended image ratios so that your images render properly. Pixelated or stretched images turn off consumers because they look unprofessional.

Final Thoughts

Building your mobile app is just the beginning. You need to keep track of the back end, submit it to mobile app stores, and make adjustments as technologies change. At BuildFire, we help take the guesswork out of building an app and provide a cost-efficient way to get your app released into the world.

Knowing what online app stores appeal to you most and making sure you’re submitting to the best ones will help your app spread far and wide. Ultimately, you want people to use your app for years to come, but first they have to download it.

There’s no single official app store. There are plenty of alternative app stores, third party app stores, Android app stores, and different app stores for you to choose from. Many smartphone and tablet manufacturers have launched their own app stores that you can take advantage of. Other apps on the marketplace, including popular apps take advantage of these as the low hanging fruit.

There’s lots of competition. Everyone wants their apps to be successful, so you have to take the extra step to ensure your app is available to anyone who wants it.

Which mobile app stores are most appealing to you? Why?

The post Ultimate Mobile App Stores List (2025) appeared first on Buildfire.

Now factor in the 1.14 billion tablet users worldwide, which a number that’s grown about 36% over the past six years.

If you take a second to look up from your phone during the day, I’m sure you’ll notice that everyone else has their eyes glued to a mobile device as well.

In fact, studies show that the average American checks their phone 262 times per day! That’s once every 5.5 minutes.

We use our phones at work, at home, on the street, while we’re eating, in bed, and even in our cars. You might be reading this from a mobile device right now.

What’s everyone doing on their phones? Well, 88% of mobile time is spent on apps.

This is encouraging news for app developers, app publishers, and anyone who plans on developing an app. But in order to be successful in this space, two things need to happen.

1. Users need to download your app.
2. Users need to use your app.

These two seemingly simple actions are what inspired me to write this guide. Sure, we know that people are using apps more than ever before. But that’s just barely scratching the surface in terms of the available data on this usage. You can’t develop an app based on this information alone.

That’s like saying, “People like to eat, so I’m going to open a restaurant.”

If you want to compete and claim your share of this multi-billion dollar industry, you need to have a better understanding of exactly how people are downloading and using mobile apps.

Use the research that I’ve identified in this guide to help you develop or improve your mobile app.

Key Mobile App Statistics for 2025

• Mobile apps generated over $935 billion in revenue in 2024.
• The Apple App Store has 1.96 million apps available for download.
• There are 2.87 million apps available for download on the Google Play Store.
• 21% of Millennials open an app 50+ times per day.
• 49% of people open an app 11+ times each day.
• 70% of all US digital media time comes from mobile apps.
• The average smartphone owner uses 10 apps per day and 30 apps each month.

Mobile App Downloads

Apps can’t succeed without downloads.

It sounds simple, but all too often I app owners overlook this. You could have the best app on the planet, but if nobody is downloading it, you won’t make a dime.

So before you can get people to download your app, you need to take the time to conduct the proper research. To get you started, I’ve found the most relevant mobile app download statistics for 2025.

Global Downloads

People all over the world are using smartphones and tablets.

As mobile app usage grows in popularity, the number of app downloads worldwide increases as well.

We’re seeing growth in app downloads each year. This trend will continue in the coming years as well.

Last year, there were more than 218 billion app downloads. That’s roughly a 7% increase from the year prior.

As you can see from the graph, there was a 55% jump between 2016 and 2020. The year over year growth rate isn’t quite as sharp, but it’s still on the rise.

Free vs. Paid Downloads

When you’re creating a mobile app, one of the first things you need to figure out is your monetization strategy.

That’s why you’re building an app in the first place, right? To make money.

Charging for app downloads might be something that’s crossed your mind. But will people download your app if you make them pay for it?

Let’s take a look at the number of free vs. paid app downloads. The vast majority of global downloads are all free.

In fact, 98% of mobile app revenue worldwide comes from free apps. Just a fraction of people are willing to pay for downloads.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying that you should completely dismiss the idea of launching a paid app. Depending on the type of app you have, there are benefits to both strategies.

If you charge for downloads initially, fewer mobile users will download the app. That’s because the majority of people are used to being offered free downloads.

Just look at your own mobile device. Do you have any apps that you paid to install? You’re in the minority if you do.

However, people who download paid apps are more likely to be engaged. They aren’t going to spend money on something and then never use it.

But you don’t need to charge for downloads to make money with your app.

For those of you who own an existing business and have an app as an extension of that business to improve the customer experience should definitely be offering free downloads.

Mobile app users don’t expect to pay for downloads. That’s because the vast majority of apps available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store are offered for free.

The above graph is based on a research from Statista as of Deptember 2021.

Even if you’re launching an app as a completely new business, you can still make money by offering your app for free. There are plenty of other monetization strategies, such as offering in-app purchases.

If you’re using your app to sell products or services, review the latest mobile ecommerce revenue and usage statistics.

Google Play vs. App Store Downloads

There are two places where the overwhelming majority of mobile users are downloading apps.

Users with iOS devices download iPhone apps from the Apple App Store, while Android app users download from the Google Play Store.

Look at how these two platforms compare to each other in terms of global app downloads.

Worldwide, there are more downloads coming from the Google Play Store. But as you can see, both stores saw an increase in the percentage of downloads from 2019 to 2020.

The Google Play Store downloads grew by 31%, while the Apple App Store had just a 2.5% growth rate.

In short, the Google Play Store has more downloads and is growing at a higher rate.

I expect to see these trends continue in 2025.

Note: Not sure which platform to build for first? With BuildFire, you don’t have to make that decision. The BuildFire app development process allows you to create iOS apps and Android apps, simultaneously. So you can launch on both stores and drive downloads from as many users as possible. 

Apple App Store Download Statistics

We’ve already looked at how the two app stores compared to one another. But now it’s time to break these numbers down even further and take a closer look at each platform.

Let’s start with the Apple App Store download statistics.

Most Popular App Store Categories

In order for your app to be successful, you need to understand what consumers want. This is especially true if you’re building a new app.

Your app might be revolutionary in terms of the software or concept, but if there’s no market for its usage, then you’re going to struggle to get downloads.

First, you should understand what types of apps are being downloaded the most. Here are the most popular categories on the Apple App Store by share of availability.

The gaming category dominates the App Store.

But unless you’re planning to build a new app from scratch, you’re probably not going to have a game. For example, let’s say you have an ecommerce store. It doesn’t make sense to launch a gaming app for your business just so your app can fall into a more popular category.

Your app category needs to be relevant to the purpose and functions of your app. So if you own a business or lifestyle app, you can’t just categorize it as a game to try and get more downloads.

In fact, it’s against the App Store review guidelines if you don’t pick a category for your app’s primary purpose.

Violating these terms can get your app removed from the App Store. Obviously, nobody will be able to download your app if this happens.

So don’t try to trick the system. Your app can still be successful even if it’s not in a top category. Those categories have more competition. Depending on your strategy, you could potentially target a niche category that’s less saturated and try to dominate a larger share of a smaller market.

Apple App Store Availability

As I just said, the mobile app industry is highly competitive.

But how many apps are going to be competing with? Take a look at the number of apps available on the Apple App Store.

The number of available apps is continuing to rise each year.

Based on all of the statistics we’ve analyzed so far, this makes sense. More people have mobile devices than ever before, and app downloads are at an all-time high. So it’s only natural that more apps are being sent to market.

But are app download numbers on the rise because more apps are available? Or are more apps available because so many more apps have been released?

It’s tough to say, and you can argue both sides. We’ll have a better understanding of this reasoning after we analyze the Google Play Store.

Google Play Store Download Statistics

Now it’s time to look at the download statistics from Android devices.

I took the time to create a more in-depth analysis of the Google Play Store.

Google Play Store Availability

We just finished looking at the Apple App Store availability. So I wanted to jump right in and show you the number of apps available for download on the Google Play Store.

As you can see, the graph doesn’t have the same trajectory as the Apple graph for this same category. We actually saw a drop in app availability after mid 2017. Although the number of apps have been steadily rising ever since.

Why is this happening?

The Google Play Store is highly competitive. Some apps just weren’t able to survive.

I don’t expect to see another downward trajectory. Based on the data over the past two years, the trend line should continuing rising for the foreseeable future.

As we already saw, Google Play Store downloads are still rising, even though the number of apps available for download had dropped a bit during that same period.

Let’s tie this back into our Apple discussion. The Apple App Store app availability numbers are rising each year, but the download growth rate is a lower percentage compared to the Google Play Store. Based on this information, I think it’s safe to conclude that the number of apps available on each store isn’t linked to rising app downloads overall.

Most Popular Google Play Store App Categories

You can measure the success of an app category based on penetration. According to Statista, these are the app categories with the highest penetration rate among Android users.

1. Tools — 99.81%
2. Communication — 99.93%
3. Business Apps — 99.33%
4. Video Players & Edit— 96.63%
5. Travel & Local — 95.7%
6. Social Media Apps — 95.02%
7. Productivity — 91.67%
8. Music & Audio — 88.38%
9. Entertainment — 83.85%
10. News & Magazines — 81.11%
11. Photography — 75.77%
12. Books & Reference — 70.74%
13. Lifestyle — 65.67%
14. Personalization — 61.62%
15. Games (Casual) — 58.86%
16. Games (Puzzle) — 56.5%
17. Games (Arcade) — 55.08%
18. Shopping — 35.79%
19. Games (Action) — 34.19%
20. Weather — 32.46%

Some of these categories for leading Android apps need to be taken with a grain of salt. For example, look at the top categories on the list. Those apps (such as communication apps) likely come pre-loaded on all Android devices.

But aside from that, this list is a good indication of what types of apps Android users have downloaded (apps like WhatsApp, Snapchat, Netflix, TikTok, Spotify, and Tinder). However, just because an app has been installed on a device, it doesn’t mean that it’s being used. We’ll discuss this concept in greater depth as we look at mobile app usage statistics.

Mobile App Usage

Now that you’ve seen how users across the world download apps, it’s time to analyze how people are using mobile apps.

The average smartphone user spends 3 hours and 10 minutes each day using their device. About 2 hours and 51 minutes of this time is spent on apps (apps account for roughly 90% of smartphone usage).

Research shows that there are 80+ apps installed on the average smartphone. But with that said, people aren’t using all of those apps. 

The average person uses 9 mobile apps per day and 30 apps per month. 

If the average smartphone user has 80 apps on their phone, this means that more than 62% of those apps don’t get used every month.

What does this mean? It’s simple. People are downloading apps and not using them. In fact, 25% of apps are used only once after being downloaded, and then never used again.

We’ll dive deeper into app usage statistics as we continue through this guide.

Mobile App Retention and Churn

As you just learned, app usage is not guaranteed after a download. Some of you might be aware of this if your app has already been brought to market.

You may have had an initial surge in terms of the number of downloads, but you’re struggling to make money because people just aren’t using the app. It’s a common problem that I see when I’m consulting with app owners.

But how do you know if this is happening to you? The best way to measure this is with retention and churn.

71% of app users churn within the first 90 days of downloading an app.

What does this mean for you and your app?

Basically, you need to track these metrics. Give users a reason to keep coming back and using your app down the road.

You’ll never have 100% retention, so you always need to be coming up with ways to get new downloads. But with that said, it doesn’t mean you should be ignoring existing users.

If your app doesn’t perform well and has glitches, bugs, or UX flaws, people will be more likely to churn. No app is perfect. Even the top apps have bugs now and then. But it’s your responsibility to identify those errors. Come up with updates and new versions of your app to improve the performance and user experience.

Most Essential Mobile Apps

Earlier we talked about app popularity in terms of what’s available for download, as well as penetration by category.

But just because they are available, it doesn’t mean they are being used. In fact, just because they are being downloaded, it doesn’t mean that they are being used either. We already saw the data to back that claim.

Now I want to show you the apps that smartphone users say they can’t live without.

If you look at this list, it makes sense. All of the top apps are used for different purposes and could be used on a daily basis.

• Facebook and Instagram for social media
• Gmail for email communication
• YouTube for video content
• Maps for navigation
• Amazon for online purchases
• WhatsApp and Messenger for instant communication
• Chrome for browsing the Internet

For those of you who want to develop a new mobile app, I can’t say I recommend building something that competes with one of these top apps.

There is nothing wrong with shooting for the stars. You can still build a mobile commerce app for your business and have plenty of success. But it would be an uphill battle, to say the least, if you wanted your app to be the next Amazon.

Can you build an app with GPS map services? Sure. But will it surpass Google Maps? Probably not.

Apple and Android Global Spending

As we’ve seen, there are clearly some download and usage differences between iOS and Android app development. Why?

Well, the users aren’t the same. If you compare Apple and Android users, you’ll learn that they behave differently.

For starters, let’s look at the way consumers spend money using their devices. Here’s the latest data from Q3 2021:

• Google Play Store Gross App Revenue: $12.1 billion
• Apple App Store Gross App Revenue: $21.5 billion

These numbers represent spending from paid app downloads, subscriptions, and in-app purchases.

Even with a smaller mobile app market share, Apple users still spend more money. Apple users dominate app spending, at nearly double the rate of Android users.

While your app should be appealing to all users, you’ll have better luck getting iOS app users to buy premium upgrades and other in-app purchases.

Mobile App Usage by Age

Technology usage varies by generation. Mobile app usage is no exception.

You probably assumed that younger generations spend more time using mobile apps than people who are older. If so, that assumption was correct.

However, that doesn’t mean you can’t target other age groups. As you can see from the graph, people between the ages of 45-54 spend about 1 hour and 15 minutes per day using mobile apps. That’s just 27 minutes less than people in the 25-34 age range.

Even mobile users over the age of 65 spend close to an hour mobile apps every day.

Mobile App Usage by Device

Not all mobile usage is created equally. In addition to the differences between operating systems, the usage will also vary by the type of mobile device that people use.

Smartphone App Usage

Digital content can be consumed from so many devices.

People have smartphones, tablets, desktop computers, and laptops. You can even access content and apps from smart TVs, watches, smart home devices, and smart vehicles.

But there are certain categories that are dominated with smartphone app usage. These are the top categories that people turn to their smartphones for.

In the United States, 96% of digital time using maps came from smartphones. 86% of digital weather content was consumed through smartphone apps.

Logically, it makes sense. People need to access maps and GPS services on the go, so a smartphone is obviously the best choice.

But if you look farther down this list, you’ll see other categories that aren’t as obvious.

For example, 47% of retail consumption comes from smartphone apps. People have so many ways to buy online, yet they still choose to use smartphones at a high rate.

News and information is another category that jumps out at me. While the smartphone usage is just over 40%, it’s still high considering all of the other platforms and outlets at our disposal.

Smartphones vs. tablets

Smartphones and tablets have some differences as well.

If you recall from earlier, there are twice the number of smartphones worldwide than tablets (2.7 billion vs. 1.35 billion). But tablet usage is starting to catch up with smartphones.

People download more apps on their smartphones and use more smartphone apps on a monthly basis. But as you can see from the visual, tablets aren’t too far behind.

Considering the fact that smartphones are seemingly always within an arm’s reach, it makes sense that they would be used more.

However, tablets outperform smartphones by a hair when it comes to paid apps or subscription purchases via an app. This could be a category that tablets will continue to control in years to come.

Tablet Usage

While tablets may not be as popular as smartphones, they are used for specific purposes.

Here’s a look at the most popular app categories used on tablets.

Here’s another instance where gaming ranks first on a usage list. If you compare this graph to the previous one, you could conclude that a user is more likely to pay for gaming apps that are installed on a tablet.

Since tablet screens are larger, the gameplay and user experience will be enhanced. That’s probably why tablet users are willing to pay more for downloads and subscriptions.

Mobile App Usage by Country

Like nearly everything else, behavior changes by location. This same concept can be applied to app usage.

We’ll take a look and analyze how people in different parts of the world use mobile apps. You can use this information to learn about the audience you’re targeting, or potentially see an opportunity in new markets.

App Downloads by Country

Here’s a look at the top app store downloads by leading countries worldwide.

Over the past four years, the number of app downloads in China has grown by 80%.

But other emerging markets like India, Indonesia, and Brazil are all seeing high growth rates as well. As you can see from the graph, India’s app download growth rate over the same stretch is a whopping 190%. This compares to just 5% in the United States.

As technology advances and becomes increasingly accessible in emerging markets across the globe, the potential for targeting international consumers with an app can be appealing for certain businesses.

Monthly App Usage (in hours)

Now let’s see how much time people are spending using mobile apps in select markets worldwide. 

In many ways, this graph mirrors what we saw previously. As downloads rise in India, it makes sense that users would spend more time using apps. 

There is one thing that remains consistent across the board for each of these countries. The time spent on mobile apps is growing each year. Take a country like Italy, with a fraction of the population compared India. But both of these markets have seen a 30% growth rate in the average amount time spent using apps from 2019-2020.

Apple vs. Google Play (iOS vs. Android) Downloads Worldwide

Android dominates the global market share. So it’s no surprise to see the vast majority of app downloads worldwide come from the Google Play Store.

As you can see from the graph, we have closer to a 50/50 split here in the US. Apple App Store downloads have a controlling share in Japan, but the Google Play Store dominates everywhere else.

Final Thoughts

Mobile apps are part of our daily lives. 2025 will continue to a big year for the mobile app industry.

Even though mobile usage and penetration are at an all-time high, every piece of data that we analyzed shows we are still trending upward.

This is encouraging for anyone who has a mobile app or plans to build one. But you can’t just develop and manage an app without staying up to date on the latest research and trends.

So use this guide as a reference to help you understand the mobile app industry from a download and usage perspective.

If you’re ready to develop an app in 2025, sign up and get started with BuildFire. Our easy-to-use platform allows you to create an iOS and Android app simultaneously, without writing a single line of code.

What metrics are you tracking to measure the usage statistics for your mobile app?

The post Mobile App Download Statistics & Usage Statistics (2025) appeared first on Buildfire.

If you’re into digital marketing, then you need to identify marketing blogs that will nudge you to keep at your game.

You already know there are thousands of online marketing blogs out there and it gets overwhelming for marketers and businesses to find and read the right ones.

But I’ve done all the heavy liftings for you. If you religiously follow and read the blogs below, your insights, experience, and conviction will take on wings and your business will fly.

It’s high time you stay updated on everything that’s happening in the marketing industry worldwide.

Here’s a list of 21 best marketing websites that you should read and learn from:

1. Unbounce

Unbounce is the official blog run and owned by Unbounce which is a platform that helps marketers create, convert, integrate, and optimize landing pages.

Their blog covers topics related to landing pages and conversion optimization. It publishes scientifically-proven tips and best practices about landing pages.

If you’ve always struggled to create landing pages that convert and do the job, Unbounce blog is where you’ll find all the answers.

22 Brutally Honest Landing Page Critiques is my favorite post from Unbounce blog that criticizes 22 landing pages and shows you what’s wrong and how it has to be fixed.

2. Copyblogger

Are you struggling with content marketing and copywriting? Copyblogger is the place you should be.

Brian Clark and Sonia Simone are the two big guns behind the blog. You’ll get to learn the best tips, guides, and strategies on copywriting that will make you a better blogger and copywriter.

My favorite post from Copyblogger is The Ultimate Copy Checklist: 51 Questions to Optimize Every Element of Your Online Copy. This post will make you a better copywriter than you are now.

3. Quick Sprout Marketing Blog

Quick Sprout’s marketing blog has tons guides and tips on everything digital marketing with a focus on traffic generation. If you religiously read Quick Sprout, I’m sure you’ll never have to struggle for web traffic again.

In addition to having one of the most comprehensive marketing blogs on the web, you can also find tons of helpful topics on link building, content creation, social media marketing, and in-depth blog posts reviewing marketing tools.

My favorite article is none other than The Beginners Guides to Online Marketing. If you haven’t read anything on digital marketing strategy, this guide will be more than enough.

4. Marie Forleo

As a marketer, there are times when you need motivation or life-changing advice from an expert. Marie Forleo is the blog where you’ll find ideas and resources that will help you change your life.

Let’s start your journey with Marie from this vlog: What to do when you feel useless and alone.

5. Mirasee

Mirasee is a brand founded by Danny Iny. The purpose of Mirasee is to provide businesses with resources and education that help them impact their audience and change the world.

This is what exactly you’ll find on their blog. It covers topics ranging from businesses to audience engagement to digital marketing to case studies and more.

My favorite guide is their inspirational 10 lessons from debt to 7 figures. You’ll not earn 7 figures exactly but the lessons you’ll learn will change the way you do business and earn.

6. HubSpot Marketing Blog

Inbound marketing seems to be incomplete without HubSpot. As one of the top digital marketing blogs in the industry, they have a massive marketing and a sales blog where you’ll find data-driven blog posts, case studies, templates, guides, expert opinions, and everything about inbound marketing.

If you cannot find it anywhere else on the web, chances are, you’ll find it at HubSpot.

State of Inbound is my favorite report by HubSpot that shares marketing trends and information that is worth millions.

Beyond digital marketing tips, you’ll also find tons of useful information on running a business and just being a good employee. Alternative topics range from how to write a memo to project management success, using the agile framework, and so much more.

7. John Doherty

This blog is run by John Doherty, who is an entrepreneur, marketer, and a top consultant. John mostly writes about search engine marketing, search engine optimization, and content marketing. One of best things about this blog is that you’ll find exclusive case studies and best content from around the web. John reads industry news, summarizes his findings, and shares the best content on marketing with his subscribers every week.

One of the most insightful posts and my favorite is SEOs are Growth Hackers. Do read it.

8. Content Marketing Institute (CMI)

Joe Pulizzi, founder of the Content Marketing Institute, is one of the most well known digital marketers on the web.  As an established entrepreneur, author, and speaker, Joe dives deep into content strategy and writes guides that can take an online business to the next level.

Content Marketing Institute (CMI) publishes new articles on content marketing and copywriting every single day. Not just that you’ll find content marketing guides and templates but they talk about recent news and events in the content marketing space.

I love the post by Brody: 12 Things to Do After You’ve Written a New Blog Post. It is old but still valuable.

9. Buffer

Buffer isn’t just an interesting social media scheduling app, their blog is even better.

At Buffer blog, you’ll find posts on social media marketing, digital marketing, case studies, and posts on news and trends. The real beauty of Buffer blog is their in-depth and detailed blog posts that cover every topic in extreme detail.

The first thing that you should read on Buffer blog is the Sidekick case study: 7 Powerful Social Media Experiments That Grew Our Traffic by 241% in 8 Months. You’ll love it.

10. Econsultancy

Econsultancy is an ecommerce data-driven blog that publishes content on marketing and analytics. It publishes statistics and opinions on marketing and ecommerce. If you plan to learn more about ecommerce, econsultancy is your best bet.

My favorite blog post on the blog is: What marketers need to know about Facebook’s ethnic affinity ad targeting. If you get a chance, do read it.

11. BigCommerce

BigCommerce blog provides you with some of the best and latest content on eCommerce. The blog posts regularly on the topics related to ecommerce, ecommerce design, payment processors, shipment and fulfillment, ecommerce marketing, and more.

If you want to stay updated on what’s happening in the ecommerce industry, stick to the BigCommerce blog. From influencer marketing strategy to Google Ads and beyond, you’ll learn practical advice that can take your online marketing efforts to new heights.

My favorite recent post is: Instagram Shopping: The Future of Mobile Ecommerce + 19 Tips to Increase Conversions Now.

12. 9Clouds

9Clouds is an inbound marketing blog that is must for those in the automotive marketing niche. While you’ll find articles on pretty much everything on marketing but since 9Clouds is an automotive digital marketing platform, therefore, most of their content is based on automotive marketing.

They also have a ton of posts related to email marketing and developing a content marketing strategy on getting the most out of your contact list.

My favorite article: An Excerpt From the State of Automotive Marketing Report

13. GetResponse

Get Response is an email marketing platform that helps businesses with email marketing, landing pages, marketing automation, and more. Their blog is one of the best in the market that talks about marketing, productivity, automation, and email marketing.

Nobody writes better than Get Response on email marketing.

My favorite article: How to Start a Video Content Campaign the Right Way

14. ConversionXL

Founded by Peep Laja, ConversionXL is the leading conversion optimization blog that publishes resources, guides, courses, and case studies on conversion optimization.

If you plan to learn more on how to get better at conversion optimization and how to grow revenue, subscribe to ConversionXL.

My all-time favorite blog post is: The Beginner’s Guide to CRO. It is a collection of several valuable articles that will enable you to get better with conversions.

15. Social Media Examiner

There is no better blog on social media marketing than Social Media Examiner.

Not just social media marketing but they publish on other marketing topics too like content marketing.

Whether it is new research, case studies, marketing insights, latest events and conferences or talk shows, you can develop and maintain a winning social media marketing strategy by reading this marketing blog.

My favorite article on Social Media Examiner: Essential Facebook Marketing Resources: A Complete Guide.

16. Inside AdWords

Inside AdWords is the Google’s official blog about Google AdWords. They post the latest news, best practices, guides, and updates about AdWords.

You’ll not see new posts very often but every time they post, you will learn something awesome and probably before your competitors.

Subscribe to the Inside AdWords blog if you use AdWords, you’ll never regret it.

One of the best recently published articles is: A fast start for click-to-call ads.

17. GetApp

GetApp is a home to more than 5200 apps for businesses. They blog about business apps including the best marketing apps, marketing plugins, marketing software, and more.

GetApp blog has several articles on employee management, business, customer engagement, sales, analytics, and more. You’ll find everything on apps and latest tools at GetApp.

My favorite article is: How to Choose Marketing Automation Software: A Handy Checklist.

18. Marketo

Marketo blog is a leading marketing blog that publishes extremely valuable and insightful articles on marketing.

The blog covers all types of marketing topics including automation, content marketing, modern marketing, lead management, branding, etc. There is hardly anything that you won’t find at Marketo.

One of the best things about Marketo blog is that it categorizes its posts on the basis of B2B and B2C that makes it easier to find the right content.

My favorite article is: The Definitive Guide to Engaging Content Marketing.

19. GetFeedback

GetFeedback is an online survey software. They publish insightful content on topics related to customer experience, surveys, salesforce, audience engagement, and data collection and analytics. If you’re planning to create a consumer survey to collect data from your customers, GetFeedback blog will provide you with some great articles.

My favorite post is: 3 Ways to Increase Retention with Customer Feedback.

20. Wistia

Wistia is a video platform for marketers and businesses. Their blog is your best resource for video marketing. It publishes tips, news, guides, and case studies on video marketing that will be helpful for video marketers.

My favorite article: Your Business’s Videos Should Include Faces. Here’s Why.

21. G2 Crowd

Final Thoughts on the Best Marketing Blogs

Essentially, you’re what you read and who you follow. If you frequent blogs that inspires you to do your best work and impact your world, you’ll be fired up to do just that.

These 21 marketing blogs aren’t the best, but they will keep you engaged all year long, and prepare you for what lies ahead. Constantly reading new posts on these blogs will keep you updated on latest happenings in the marketing industry, and help you build a thriving business.

The post 21 Best Marketing Blogs You NEED To Read appeared first on Buildfire.

Similar to previous reports, BuildFire has earned 11 G2 achievements, badges, and awards for the summer of 2022.

Most notably, BuildFire was named a “Leader” for the sixth consecutive quarter in the Drag and Drop App Builder Software Grid report. We also received a “Leader” badge in the Small Business Drag and Drop App Builder Software category. Both of these awards are the highest level of recognition in the classes. 

In addition to our new leader badges, BuildFire was named a “Momentum Leader” in three categories and a “High Performer” in six additional app development reports.

Here’s a full summary of BuildFire’s honors in the report:

Grid Reports

• Drag and Drop App Builder Software — Leader
• Small Business Drag and Drop App Builder Software — Leader
• Mid Market Drag and Drop App Builder Software — High Performer
• Mobile Development Platforms — High Performer
• Small Business Mobile Development Platforms — High Performer
• Application Development Platforms — High Performer

Momentum Grid Reports

• Trending Mobile Development Platforms Software — Momentum Leader
• Trending Drag and Drop App Builder Software — Momentum Leader
• Trending Application Development Platforms — Momentum Leader

Regional Grid Reports

• Asia Drag and Drop App Builder Software — High Performer
• Asia Pacific Drag and Drop App Builder Software — High Performer

For more information, check out BuildFire’s G2 profile.

The post BuildFire Receives Top Awards in G2’s Summer 2022 Reports appeared first on Buildfire.

This is the fifth consecutive quarter that BuildFire was named a “Leader” in the Drag and Drop App Builder Software Grid Report, the highest level of recognition in the category. We also received a “Leader” badge for Small Business Drag and Drop App Builder Software—up a notch from our “High Performer” rating in the previous quarterly report. Again, this is the highest possible badge awarded in that category. 

BuildFire earned the “Momentum Leader” honor across three categories, and six additional “High Performer” ratings across the most competitive app development reports. 

Here’s a closer look at all of BuildFire’s 11 G2 achievements, badges, and awards for the spring of 2022:

Grid Reports

• Drag and Drop App Builder Software — Leader
• Small Business Drag and Drop App Builder Software — Leader 
• Mid-Market Drag and Drop App Builder Software — High Performer
• Small Business Mobile Development Platforms — High Performer
• Mobile Development Platforms — High Performer
• Application Development Platforms — High Performer

Momentum Grid Reports

• Trending Drag and Drop App Builder Software — Momentum Leader
• Trending Mobile Development Platforms Software — Momentum Leader
• Trending Application Development Platforms — Momentum Leader

Regional Grid Reports

• Asia Drag and Drop App Builder Software — High Performer
• Asia Pacific Drag and Drop App Builder Software — High Performer

Check out BuildFire’s G2 profile for full access to our scores and reviews.

The post BuildFire Receives Top Awards in G2’s Spring 2022 Reports appeared first on Buildfire.

Fortunately, there’s an easy solution—UI kits.

The best UI kits simplify mobile app design projects. They improve a designer’s workflow, saving time and money—ultimately delivering a beautifully designed final product. 

Ready to transform your design system for iOS and Android with UI kits, mockups, and templates? This in-depth guide will teach you how. 

What Is a UI Kit?

A UI kit—or user interface kit—is a pre-packaged collection of all UI components for a mobile app or website. This includes fonts, colors, typography, shapes, navigation menus, text styles, and other UI elements. UI kits can even contain icons, layered design files, HTML files, and CSS files.

With a UI kit, designers don’t need to create every design component from scratch. You can just edit or tweak them based on your needs. It’s not worth it to re-create a new drop-down menu or form for each new design process, especially if you’re just prototyping. 

Designers can easily integrate UI kits into their design system workflow to speed up and simplify the entire process. 

Many UI kits can be used as templates for niche-specific use cases. For example, all ecommerce apps should have a similar user interface. So a designer can use an ecommerce UI kit or wireframe kit as a starting point and then customize the interface from there. 

Why Is UI Important For Mobile App Design?

Functionality is just one component of a successful mobile app. Apps must also look professional and provide a seamless user experience. If the interface is rigid and doesn’t allow users to navigate with ease, an app will struggle with conversions and retention. 

That’s why UI design and UX design are so important.

Your app should also have consistent branding across all digital touchpoints. The color schemes on your web design should mirror the colors in your app. You might even use the same typography from your website in the app design. 

Mobile UI kits make it easy for you to replicate the design features and functions, all translating to a smooth user experience. Designers love UI kits because it makes their jobs easier, and app publishers love UI kits because the end-users benefit as well.

UI design has a massive impact on how much time users spend in an app. If the app is well designed, easy to navigate, and responsive, users are less likely to churn or uninstall the app.

Examples Of Great Mobile UI

Let’s look at some examples of real apps that have a sleek UI design. All of the apps below were designed and launched with BuildFire, and you can get more UI design inspiration from our app showcase page:

AMMA (Agent Multimedia Assistant)

AMMA is a multipurpose media and branding solution for real estate agents and brokers. The mobile app offers templates and resources that agents can use for social media posts and digital marketing. 

The interface design of this is sleek but also delivers in terms of functionality. It’s easy for users to navigate and find what they’re looking for with just a few clicks from the menu.

NowRise

NowRise is designed to help entrepreneurs reach their personal and professional goals. If you visit the NowRise website, you’ll see the fonts, colors, and branding elements match on both channels. 

The use of white space is a great design trick that will still look great if Apple or Android users decide to enable dark mode on their devices. 

My Wealth & Wellness

My Wealth & Wellness is a financial resource app. Unlike other banking apps or finance apps on the market, this entire design system helps put the end-users at ease.

The design is light, bright, airy, and super inviting. These design elements help encourage users to learn more about good financial habits, investing, budgeting, and more. The user interface doesn’t have a boring, outdated, or intimidating feel—like other apps in this space. 

How Do I Create a UI Design Kit?

Effective interface design all starts with the right software and design resources. All of the design tools below will improve your workflow and overall design system.

The best option for you depends on your budget, technical ability, and goal. Some might be better for basic material design or mockups, while others provide all of the UI components you need to create a mobile app.

InVision

InVision is branded a whiteboard software to transform the future of work. But this versatile platform also supports designers, which is why they offer an extensive library of free design resources.

You can use InVision to find free UI kits, mockups, icon packs, and more. They even have some great options for niche-specific categories like food and ecommerce.

Adobe XD

Adobe XD is an all-in-one solution for UI/UX design. It’s one of the most popular design tools for both web and mobile worldwide.

In addition to providing a design platform, Adobe XD also offers UI kits. They have kits for both Apple and Google across a wide range of devices. This includes UI kits for iOS, macOS, watchOS, Google Material Design, and more. 

Sketch

Sketch is a design tool built strictly for Macs, and it’s perfect for app prototyping. The software is versatile, beginner-friendly, and something that can be used on a daily basis for collaborative design. It’s also worth noting that starting at $9 per month, Sketch’s pricing is really affordable.

What I like about Sketch is its compatibility with other UI kits. You can bring in components from an outside source and then make changes to the interface directly in Sketch. But in terms of mobile UI kits out of the box, the software lacks a bit compared to other resources. 

Figma

Figma is a popular graphics editor. It’s a free online UI design tool that can be used for a wide range of use cases. But lots of users rely on Figma for mobile app design prototyping. 

The best part about Figma is its extensive resources for designers. You can quickly find UI kits, wireframes, illustrations, design systems, icons, typography, illustrations, widgets, and more. The platform has resources for both web and mobile designs alike.

Advantages Of Using a UI Kit?

Here’s a quick overview of the benefits you’ll experience using UI kits:

• UI kits save time and money, allowing projects to be completed much faster.
• Design resources can be allocated to more complex areas of a project, rather than tedious or repeatable items like buttons and navigation.
• UI kits can provide inspiration for wireframing and speed up prototyping and mockups.
• Designers don’t need to create every UI component from scratch.
• UI kits are versatile and support product design for mobile apps, web apps, websites, and more.
• Designers can quickly and easily make design changes.

Overall, these resources improve the entire UI design system for your mobile app. Designers can even learn new skills when they’re working with UI kits, as they can pick apart different design concepts during the process.

Disadvantages Of Using a UI Kit?

As with anything else, UI kits aren’t always perfect. Here are a few things you need to keep in mind if you’re considering an app UI kit:

• Not every kit has everything a designer needs out of the box. This is especially true if you’re using a free UI kit. 
• Some designers think that UI kits limit their creativity. 
• If you want to match a new UX design to an existing design product, it can be hard to find a UI kit that matches everything exactly (fonts, colors, etc.).
• Pricing for different UI kits varies depending on the source and quality. You may need to spend some money to find good ones. 
• If you’re using an open-source UI kit, the design may not be unique. 

If you want to build something for yourself or for a client that’s 100% unique and customized, a UI kit may not always be the best option.

Conclusion

Overall, UI kits simplify the role of an app designer. But they’re not the only way to create a stunning UI design for your mobile app.

BuildFire has a wide range of app development and design services. You can use our platform to create an app on your own with no coding knowledge. Just pick a template, and you can quickly customize all aspects of the design on your own.

We also have an expert team of designers and developers that can create an app for you. With BuildFire Plus, we’ll handle all of the wireframing, prototyping, mockups, design, and development to bring your vision to life. Request a free consultation to learn more.

The post Best UI Kits For Mobile App Design appeared first on Buildfire.

But design inspiration can be tough to come by, especially when you’re trying to create unique designs for iPhones.

Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place. This extensive guide explains everything you need to know about nailing your iOS app design with actionable tips and best practices. We’ll even show you some examples of designs you can replicate.

The Most Important Tips For Designing iOS Apps

The following sections contain simple steps for designing better apps. Not only will this impress your users, but it will also help you stand out from other iPhone and iPad apps on the app store.

It’s also worth noting that the mobile UI design for iOS apps will look and feel different compared to Android apps. Your design concept for one platform may not translate to the UI elements of the other.

Choose the Right Color Palette

An app’s color scheme can significantly affect the user experience and usability of the app. That’s why it’s so important to start your iOS design with the right color palette.

Your color palette should match your branding, which ultimately influences user behavior based on familiarity. The colors help give users an immediate association with your brand and offerings.

Predefined color palettes are not only easy on the eyes, but they also help showcase important elements of the app. For example, contrasting colors can impact how CTAs are displayed or how other UI elements are viewed on each screen. The color palette must be consistent across each design element of the app.

Use Finger-Sized Tap Targets

This is another design concept that’s directly tied to the user experience. Users must be able to seamlessly click, scroll, and navigate throughout your app. But if the tap elements are too small or too disruptive, it will hinder the app’s usability.

Apple recommends a tappable touch target size of 44x44px for any user interaction element. This ensures that users don’t miss buttons or get frustrated when trying to click throughout your app.

Here’s another pro tip to consider when you’re designing tap targets. You can extend the tappable area of a CTA beyond the visual size of a button. So if someone clicks on the outer edge of a button but in an area that was clearly intended for action, the click will still be recognized.

Create a Wireframe For Your App

A wireframe is a simple layout of an app that demonstrates the key UI elements for key app screens. It’s essentially the initial design concept that you’ll put together before the actual design work starts.

Wireframes can start as basic sketches on a piece of paper or a napkin. The idea here is to think about the user experience (UX) design and user interface (UI) design for each element.

There are tons of popular tools out there that are perfect for creating wireframes. Try Balsamiq Mockups, Illustrator Figma, and Photoshop if you’re looking for options.

Wireframes help improve the brainstorming process, and they also can help you save a ton of time and money. It’s much easier to change something while it’s still a concept, as opposed to making changes after you’ve committed your design to code.

Did you know that BuildFire Plus handles all of your app design and development for you? This includes wireframes, prototypes, and everything else you need to create a stunning app.

Add Extra Views

Clutter is arguably the biggest design mistake that hinders the user experience. Rather than trying to cram a ton of information into a single view or screen, you can make things easier by adding extra views.

Extra views can come in the form of scrolling or buttons that bring users to another screen. Not only does this remove clutter from your screens, but it also avoids confusion when users are navigating through the app. This is something that you should take into consideration while you’re crafting a wireframe. 

When in doubt, it’s always in your best interest to leave white space and negative space instead of adding additional text, visuals, or buttons to a screen. 

Consider iOS Gesture Norms

Apple is unique compared to other platforms when it comes to gestures. You should familiarize yourself with the standard iOS gestures, as users will expect certain actions to yield specific results.

For example, when a user taps on a button once, they expect something to happen. So don’t require a double-tap on all of your CTAs. In fact, users expect another action to occur when they table tap—this is a standard iPhone gesture for zooms.

You also should make sure that your in-app gestures don’t interfere with system-wide iOS settings. For example, certain gestures will automatically bring the user back to the home screen. Swiping down from the top of the screen reveals the control center.

If your app does something different, it will add confusion and frustration to your users.

Don’t: Design Your Light and Dark Appearance Settings

Do not create separate designs for light and dark appearances. Dark themes are a growing trend in web design, but you shouldn’t apply this concept to your iOS app design.

That’s because Apple already has built-in system settings that allow users to adjust the appearance of their devices. Your light and dark designs could clash with the existing theme settings on a user’s phone or tablet, ultimately hindering the user experience. 

This is also a significant concern for people who have certain settings applied for accessibility reasons. So it’s best to avoid light and dark settings altogether. Let users apply those themes on their own devices, and don’t worry about it on your end.

Do: Design an Adaptable User Interface

One major point of emphasis for interface design is adaptability. You can’t design the UI elements with just one device in mind. Your interface design must work seamlessly across all iOS devices.

This includes all iPhone models and tablets running on different iOS versions. 

The user interface should change automatically when the app is being run on a different device. For example, split views for multitasking on an iPad should be taken into consideration. How will the typography or UI kit change when an iPhone user rotates the screen?

If you’re not designing for adaptability, there are going to be flaws in your app design and its usability.

Best iOS App Design Inspirations

If you still need help coming up with a design concept, the examples below will help steer you in the right direction. You can find iOS design inspiration for apps across a wide range of categories while following the latest UI/UX design trends.

Templates and existing apps are always an excellent source of guidance when you’re designing a mobile application.

Banking App

Here’s an example of a banking app design from Ishtiaq Khan Parag for unflip on Dribbble.

As you can see, it’s somewhat unique compared to traditional financial apps. The color palette is soft and friendly, which is something that users really appreciate in an iOS app.

If you look closely, you can see the design is also built for functionality. For example, if a user wants to click or access a credit card through the app, it’s easy to distinguish one card from another because of the color differences, space, and size.

Social Media App

The iPhone X Social App by Shakuro on Dribbble is a modern iOS app concept for social media. 

The design prioritizes a smooth user interaction when navigating through profiles. There’s a clear visual hierarchy for images, and the layout is easy to follow. 

You can clearly see the ability to search or quickly navigate to parts of the app. Overall, it’s really clean and works perfectly for iPhones. The imagery style is also visually appealing. From a user perspective, the design looks great but also functions well.

Ecommerce App

Here’s an e-commerce app design from BuildFire.

This design uses white space to focus on what matters most for the app’s purpose—the products. In each screenshot, the products clearly jump out at you. 

The lack of clutter on each page makes it easy for users to browse through products and add items to the cart. Since the screens aren’t filled with extra information, the CTAs like “add to cart” are a clear point of emphasis. 

Having a menu at the bottom of the screen also makes it easy for users to navigate to the app’s most important pages. 

Smart Home iOS App

The Smart Home Control App Concept by Kristina Malik for Steelkiwi Inc. on Dribbble is a great example that showcases a great design without sacrificing functionality.

This smart home app concept has a minimalist aesthetic but still has a highly functional dashboard. 

It’s easy for the user to navigate across screens, and they can get a ton of information at-a-glance from a single view. The color palette is unique and on-brand with the feel for this concept. 

All of this translates to a positive user experience as they’re trying to control so many different aspects of smart technology throughout a home.

Music App

When looking for music app inspiration, it’s tough to look past an industry leader like Spotify.

Beyond brand recognition, Spotify has a great app in terms of its functionality. Obviously, the primary function is a music player. But Spotify also makes it easy for users to find podcasts and customize their listening needs.

There’s a seamless ease of use throughout the app interface, and users can get different features and benefits based on the subscription pricing they select. 

If you want to create a podcast or audio content app, following the lead of Spotify or Apple Music is always a good idea.

Event Planner App

Here’s another event app concept from BuildFire.

You have a lot of flexibility with the mobile app design choices for events. It all depends on what type of event you’re planning.

For example, a concert app (like the design above) would be very different from a wedding planning app or a networking app for business conferences. The color palette must match the theme and feel of the event.

At the same time, functionality is always a top priority for iOS app design. Users should be able to clearly find event info, register, connect with other attendees, and perform other key tasks. Having a dedicated section of the app designed for sponsors and exhibitors should be taken into consideration as well.

So make sure you think about the CTA placement and colors when you’re going through the wireframe process for your event app.

Meditation App

Headspace is one of the most popular apps for meditation and sleep.

This is an excellent design concept to model after if you’re trying to create an app that offers similar functionality. The color palette is bright and friendly, which helps put users in the mood for meditation. 

It’s easy for people to navigate between screens to find the perfect type of meditation for unique scenarios. They can choose from stress meditations or anxiety-reducing tips. All of the options are quick to find and access because of the app’s functional design. 

Conclusion

UI/UX design is important when you’re creating an iOS app. Make sure you start with the right color palette, use finger-sized gestures, create a wireframe, add extra views, and consider iOS gesture norms in your design concept.

Following the latest design trends will keep your users happy and ensure the app’s usability isn’t compromised. You can get iOS app design inspiration from platforms like Dribbble, Behance, and Pinterest. Using a template is another useful starting point for inspiration. 

If you need some assistance with your iOS app design, request a free consultation with the experts at BuildFire. With BuildFire Plus, we’ll handle all of the app design steps for you. Then we’ll take that design and create a stunning app. Check out our app showcase page and customer stories for even more app design inspiration.

The post iOS App Design: Simple Tips and Inspiration appeared first on Buildfire.

A data breach or hack can cause significant damage to your organization. Security breaches are not only expensive, but they can also crush your reputation.

To ensure security for your business and customers, you must take app security seriously.

That’s why I created this guide. First, I’ll explain some common mobile security flaws and vulnerabilities for mobile devices. Then I’ll show you how to build secure mobile apps.

Mobile App Security Threats

Most businesses understand the importance of securing websites, databases, and cloud storage systems. But mobile app security is just as important, if not more important than these other categories.

Think about the scale of your mobile deployment. It might be installed on tens of thousands of mobile devices—maybe more. 

Mobile app security issues are more prominent than you might realize. In fact, 70% of all internet fraud can be traced to mobile devices. One in five hacks come from rogue mobile apps, and there’s a high-risk mobile app installed on one in 36 mobile devices.

Let’s talk about some common application security threats and mobile app security vulnerabilities you need to be aware of.

Data Leakage

According to a recent study, 85% of mobile apps have little to no security protection. Hackers and cybercriminals have realized this and have increased the frequency in which they target mobile infrastructures.

When a user downloads an app, they generally grant the app certain permissions to other data on the device. So if a hacker can penetrate the app, they’ll gain access to sensitive data beyond the primary use-case of the app.

This could include digital wallets and passwords. If it’s an internal app for employees, the hackers can get their hands on sensitive corporate data as well.

Malware and Spyware

Like computers, mobile apps are also susceptible to malware. 

Some devices are more susceptible to malware threats than others. In fact, a new study found that Android devices are 47 times more likely to carry malware than Apple devices. 

That’s because Androids support third-party app stores more than iOS. It’s easier for an Android user to download apps from somewhere other than the Google Play Store. 
Nearly one in four people think it’s safe to download third-party mobile apps as long as those apps aren’t accessing corporate data.

This is something that Android developers really need to be aware of. Once a malicious app has been installed on a user’s device, it could compromise the other apps on their device as well—even the ones downloaded from legitimate sources. 

Compromised Passwords

Our society has a huge problem with passwords right now. Since so many different tools, accounts, and subscriptions require a password, people just reuse the same passwords across multiple accounts.

So if one account is compromised, hackers can run wild across other accounts as well.

What would happen if one of your developers or someone on your software development team had a compromised password? Could a hacker use that password to gain app access on the backend of your software? 

If yes, that poses a huge risk to your organizational data and app users. Cybercriminals could use that access to deploy malicious links or hacks directly to all users who have your app installed.

Outdated Operating Systems and Software

Failing to keep all of your devices, software, and OS up to date is a mobile security vulnerability. 

As malware, ransomware, and other cyber attacks become more advanced, outdated software can’t detect and prevent newer attacks. But many software updates contain security patches. This holds true for mobile apps, mobile devices, and mobile security as well.

Check out these graphs Verizon’s Mobile Security Index Report:

As you can see, newer Android versions contain fewer CVEs (common vulnerabilities and exposures).Just a fraction of the newest Android releases contain high security vulnerabilities.

Now let’s look at Apple’s CVE’s by iOS version:

It’s safe to say that this graph speaks for itself.

If people are using mobile devices that haven’t been updated to the latest OS, they’re significantly more susceptible to mobile security threats. 

Social Engineering and Phishing

Social engineering is on the rise for mobile. Also known as phishing, this occurs when hackers send fake emails, text messages, or malicious ads in an effort to access passwords or private information.

We’ve all seen these before. You get an email from someone claiming to be Apple or another reputable business, telling you to reset your password or update an expired credit card.

Shockingly, nearly 60% of people say they can’t confidently identify social engineering attacks. Roughly 40% think it’s smart to reply to these attacks.

These numbers are alarming and pose a threat to mobile applications and developers. 

Encryption Gaps

End-to-end encryption is a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of mobile application security. 

Any data being transmitted from one point to another should be encrypted. Whether it’s going from your users’ mobile devices to your system, from your system to cloud storage, or from you to a third-party service, encryption is a must.

If these security measures aren’t taken seriously, hackers and cybercriminals can exploit holes in data transfer and steal data while it’s in motion. 

For example, let’s say you have an internal employee messaging app. If those messages aren’t encrypted, someone could potentially access everything your staff is saying when they’re chatting via mobile. This could put sensitive data and private company information into the wrong hands.

11 App Security Best Practices

Now that you’ve seen some common mobile app security threats, it’s time to talk about properly securing your app. The following security measures must be taken into consideration before, during, and after the software development process.

Here’s how you build secure mobile apps:

1. Choose the Right Development Platform

90% of your security vulnerabilities are eliminated if you build an app on the right platform. 

The best app builders have security features built into the system. You can rest easy knowing that your app is safe on the platform’s security architecture. 

If you’re planning to code the app yourself with an in-house development team or a third-party development agency, your app’s security could be a bit more vulnerable. The app code and sensitive data are at the mercy of your development team. If they have poor app security best practices, then your app could be in trouble. 

With BuildFire, not only is your app secure on the backend, but it also comes with features to enhance user security.

You can take advantage of features like SSO and custom registration to add an extra layer of protection to your app when people are using it. This helps prevent unauthorized users from accessing the app from a compromised account.

We have cutting-edge firewalls, robust encryptions, and data policies that are constantly being monitored and updated. Developers can rest easy knowing that our platform is built on AWS, and we have redundancies across multiple servers and geographic locations to reduce the risk of data loss. 

Not only is BuildFire the most powerful no-code app builder for iOS and Android, but it’s also one of the most secure ways to build an app.

So when you’re shopping around and comparing different development options, make sure you prioritize app security. 

2. Application Security Testing

If you’re developing an app on your own or with a team of developers, application security testing needs to happen on a regular basis.

You should test apps during the development process and after the app has launched as well.

Shockingly, 40% of businesses don’t scan app code for security vulnerabilities. 

The same study discovered that organizations test less than half of the apps they build. 33% of those companies never test apps to make sure they’re secure.

Not every security flaw is glaringly obvious. Mobile testing is one of the best ways to find potential vulnerabilities.

So why aren’t businesses testing their apps?

One of the main reasons has to do with lack of planning and poor budgeting. In fact, half of companies don’t have any budget for mobile app security.

Security needs to be part of your app maintenance process. So make sure you plan accordingly for this.

Not only is this important for preventing hacks and malware. But you need to ensure your application security evolves to support regulatory changes. I’m referring to things like GDPR, CCPA, ADA, HIPAA, PCI, and other data security standards.
Check out our guide on the five hidden costs of software you need to anticipate after you launch to learn more. App security and testing is definitely an important aspect of this.

3. Put Yourself in the Shoes of an Attacker

To build secure mobile apps, you need to think like a person with malicious intent. Ask yourself questions that a hacker or cybercriminal would ask when looking at your app.

• How can your app get hacked?
• What vulnerabilities are easily exploitable?
• Do you have weak points or gaps in your app security?

Ask these questions on a regular basis. You can do it during the building process but continue after the app has launched as well.

Penetration testing (also known as pen testing) is a great way to implement this strategy. This involves ethical hacks against your own software. You essentially have a team member try to penetrate your app’s security as if they’re an outsider. If that person is able to break through your security barriers, it’s a problem that needs to be resolved quickly.

4. Keep Software Up to Date

As previously mentioned, failing to update software means you won’t be able to fight off the latest mobile threats, malware, and malicious code.

Make sure you keep your operating system up to date and make it mandatory for your team to do the same. This is one of the easiest mobile application security policies that you can implement in-house.

Updating your software can help protect sensitive data and close outdated security gaps.

This is another reason why it’s so important to use the right app builder or choose the right development partner. If you’re creating an app with BuildFire, you won’t have to worry about any software updates on the backend. 

We’ll automatically update your app to support the latest versions of Android and iOS.

5. Include User Authentication

Adding login credentials to your app is an excellent way to provide an extra layer of security to users.

User credentials help prevent unauthorized account access, which is crucial if your app contains sensitive information. Let’s say you have in-app purchases enabled. You wouldn’t want an unauthorized party to access user payment information, billing address, or other data.

You can take this one step further with multi-factor authentication, 2FA, single sign-on, and more.

BuildFire makes it easy to implement user authentication for your app. 

Everything from custom registrations to OAuth, SSO, and social logins are supported on the platform. Rather than forcing app users to create a new username and password for your app, they can simply log in using their existing social credentials. This is an easy way to authenticate users. 

This eliminates friction and improves the user experience without compromising app security. It also prevents unauthorized users from getting into the app if they get their hands on lost and stolen devices.

6. Prioritize Data Encryption

We talked about data encryption earlier when discussing common mobile app security threats. So it should come as no surprise to see it again here in our mobile app security best practices.

You must have security tools in place to protect data. But when that data is encrypted, it takes your app security a step further.

Let’s say someone is able to get their hands on sensitive user data or app data. If it’s encrypted, that data is useless to them without an encryption key.

7. Apply Strict In-House Security Standards

You also need to consider the security controls for your app development team. Your app is only as secure as the weakest link.

You could implement mobile device management policies and or use MDM software to enforce internal security policies. 

For example, you don’t want your developers, designers, or anyone on your app team to be working on the app from an unsecured device. Something simple like working remotely or writing code on unsecured public WiFi could threaten your app’s security.

Even if you’re using a secure app builder, you want to make sure that anyone who has access to the app on the backend is taking steps to prevent a breach.

If someone on your team is using weak passwords like qwerty or password to access your app, anyone could potentially hack their account and make changes to your app without your knowledge. 

Apply the principle of least privilege to your app team. This means that everyone on your team should only have access to parts of your app that are strictly necessary for their job or task.
I found an excellent graphic from Heimdal Security that showcases the POLP in practice:

In this example, a programmer would have access to write application code—as it directly relates to their job. But they wouldn’t have a reason to access a payroll database. 

Not every team member who works on your app needs to have admin privileges or access to make live changes.

8. Educate Your Team on Mobile Security

Creating and enforcing internal policies is just one aspect of in-house security. You also need to educate your team on application security best practices and the importance of mobile security.

Explain the dangers of using the same passwords on multiple accounts. Tell them why they need to update the software on their personal devices. 

Show them statistics, studies, infographics, and useful resources on mobile security. You can send them this blog that you’re reading right now! 

If you make it clear to your team that you’re taking this seriously, they’ll follow your lead. But if you have a haphazard approach and you’re not reinforcing these app security best practices, you can’t expect your team to care. You can even consult with your in-house security team on a plan for employee education.

9. Eliminate Unnecessary Permissions

What kind of permissions are you trying to access from mobile users?

Try not to collect confidential data or anything that’s not necessary for the direct purpose of your app. Does your app really need to access someone’s camera, pictures, or contacts? If not, then don’t ask for it.

The more permissions you collect, the more risk you’re putting on your company. 

Every additional permission or connection poses extra vulnerabilities. So use a zero-trust approach when you’re building secure mobile apps.

If a permission isn’t related to the app’s key features, don’t bother with it.

10. Be Careful With Third-Party Code

Many Android apps, iPhone apps, and apps available from the official app stores have similar code. So it’s not uncommon for developers to take shortcuts and take code from third-party sources.

Sometimes you can find pre-written code available for free. Other times they’re on paid platforms.

But you can’t assume the code you’re taking from a third-party source is safe. Hackers leverage these code-sharing platforms as a way to inject malicious code into software. If you’re simply copying and pasting someone else’s open-source code into your app, you could be unknowingly opening the door to new security vulnerabilities.

That’s another reason why it’s so much better to create an app with BuildFire. You won’t have to worry about writing a single line of code, so you know everything is secure.

11. Stay Informed on the Latest Mobile Trends

Your mobile app doesn’t exist in a vacuum. You need to keep your finger on the pulse and see what’s happening in the mobile apps industry.

Are there new emerging threats? Have there been any high-profile data leaks? How are hackers exploiting mobile data breaches?

I’m not saying you need to do this every day. But find a trusted source of mobile trends and information, and check on it at least once a month.

Mobile App Security Checklist

Here’s a quick cheat sheet for you to reference as you’re building a secure mobile app:

• Find a secure platform for app development
• Encrypt your data
• Keep all software up to date
• Run app security tests
• Create an internal policy for mobile security
• Educate your team on app security best practices
• Don’t request permission to data you don’t need
• Limit your data exposure
• Avoid unsafe code from untrusted sources or third party libraries
• Follow mobile security trends
• Implement a strong password policy
• Authenticate users

All of these tips and app security best practices will help you create an app that’s safe and secure.

Final Thoughts on App Security

If you’re coding an app from scratch with a traditional development team, your security vulnerabilities are significantly higher. There is just so much that needs to be protected and taken into consideration.

Using a no-code app builder like BuildFire to create an app is a safer alternative. Not only is this faster, easier, and cheaper than traditional development, but it also alleviates nearly all of your application security concerns.

You don’t have to worry about applying advanced mobile security policies to the app. BuildFire handles everything on the backend. All you need to do is apply basic password protection to your account and be careful who you grant admin privileges to on your team.

BuildFire comes with built-in security, user authentication, automatic updates, and more. It’s everything you could possibly need to create a secure mobile app from scratch. For DIY apps, enterprise apps, business apps, internal employee apps, and more, BuildFire has app security covered.

If you decide to code an app on your own, that’s fine too. Handling the security aspects will be a bit more of a daunting task. But your life will be easier if you follow the tips and best practices explained in this guide.

The post App Security: How to Build Secure Mobile Apps appeared first on Buildfire.

You can use push notifications to drive engagement, increase app usage, influence conversions, and so much more. The possibilities are truly endless.

But there’s definitely a right and wrong way to use push notifications, which is why I created this guide. Continue below to learn more about how push notifications work, why you should use them, when to use push notifications, and how to leverage them effectively. 

What is a Push Notification?

Let’s start with the basics and definitions before we move into the high-level strategies of push notifications.

Elements of a Push Notification

A push notification is a message that’s delivered directly to the home screen of a mobile device. 

Push notifications are superior to email and other customer communication methods because of the delivery. Similar to an SMS text message, pushes go straight to the smartphone user. This almost guarantees that they’ll see it the next time they check their phone or tablet.

When users download an app, they’ll usually opt-in to these messages by default. But the user ultimately has more control over how each notification gets delivered.

While push messages are similar to texts, there are also some significant differences you should be aware of. When users open a push message, they’re brought straight to the app. They don’t land on a screen where they can read the rest of the message. This means that the message must be short, ensuring the users can read everything in its entirety directly from the lock screen.

That’s one of the reasons why push messages with fewer words have a higher click rate:

Unlike emails and texts, push notifications can be sent without the user sharing any contact information. Assuming the user has notifications enabled on their device, app publishers can send them at any time.

Push Notification Functionality: How it Works

There are lots of moving parts behind the scenes for a message to pop up on a user’s notification center. 

A push notification service specific to each operating system is the first requirement. Then the app publisher needs to enable the app with each service. The push services ultimately give the publisher an API (application programming interface) as a communication method with each service. From here, the publisher must add an SDK to their app, which is a code library for each operating system.

Apple Push Notification service (APNs) is one example of an OS-specific service. Here’s a visual representation of how it works:

The process looks a bit different if you’re using APNs to send messages from multiple providers to multiple devices (like smartphones, tablets, and computers).

Beyond Apple, Google Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) is an example of a notification service for Android devices. 

Once an app gets installed on a user’s device, incoming messages can finally get received.

Technical stuff aside, the basic concepts behind how this works from the publisher’s end is pretty straightforward. After you’ve been set up with a sending platform, it’s just a matter of drafting a new message, selecting the target audience, and sending the notification. 

Why Do Apps Use Push Notifications?

There are countless benefits of push notifications. They increase open rates, keep users engaged, drive user retention, and ultimately enhance the user experience. 

Think about the overwhelming amount of messages the average person sees on a daily basis. We’re constantly bombarded with TV ads, radio ads, billboards, social media ads, email ads—it’s never-ending. Most of those messages are of little interest to us.

But push messages are different. Users have already expressed interest by downloading a mobile application. This interest makes push notifications highly actionable. 

That’s one of the reasons why push notifications perform better than email marketing.

I’d like to quickly clear one misconception. Push notifications are not for user acquisition. Remember, the user has already downloaded the app. So campaigns surrounding acquisition wouldn’t relate to push notifications. Read this guide if you’re trying to get more people to download your app.

The great part about push notifications is the ability to target different users based on interests and intent. You can leverage automation to send targeted messages to the right people at exactly the right time.

For example, a user who just downloaded your app shouldn’t get the same message as an existing user who hasn’t used your app in a month. The former needs a welcome message, and the latter needs a nudge to come back.

Here are some common types of push notifications for different apps:

• Promotional codes for discounts off next purchase
• Sports score updates
• Abandoned cart messages
• Send an alert for rideshare driver on the way
• Send an automated alert for food delivery arrival
• Triggered messages based on a location or action
• Reminder messages
• Breaking news updates
• Onboard a new user

As you can see, push notifications are really versatile. As an app owner, you’ll also have the ability to see data for your push messages. You can use that information to improve your campaigns moving forward. Tracking page visits to the promoted page, conversions, opens, and other KPIs will tell you which campaigns are working and which ones need improvement.

How Can Push Notification Campaigns Support My Business?

Now let’s dive into the nitty-gritty. Here’s where you’ll find the most important tips for high-converting push notifications. 

Whether you’re targeting existing customers who are highly engaged or want to focus on users who are about to churn, the following strategies will help you nail every push notification campaign.

Provide Valuable & Relevant Content

If only two words cross your mind each time you craft a new message, make them “value” and “relevance.” 

Is this message valuable? Is this message relevant? If the answer is no to either, then you need to rethink your intent and go back to the drawing board. 

So many apps make the mistake of sending messages just for the sake of contacting the user. But if you’re not adding value or the message is irrelevant, mobile users will unsubscribe. We’ll cover this concept in greater detail later on.

Here are my favorite ways to ensure you’re sending the most relevant content to a user’s device:

• Send Targeted & Valuable Message Content — You should be segmenting users into different categories. Earlier we gave an example of sending a different message to new users than you would to an existing user. But you can break that down even further and send messages based on in-app actions, like a purchase or page visit.

• Use Location To Your Advantage — With GPS and geofencing enabled, you can send targeted messages to users based on their real-time location. For example, if a user walks or drives within three blocks of your restaurant during lunchtime, you can send them a promo code off their next lunch purchase. If you have an ecommerce app, users in southern California could get targeted promos about bathing suits, whereas a user in Colorado could get promos for winter coats.

If your messages aren’t relevant and they aren’t adding value to the end-user, they can end up doing more harm than good. But if you start each campaign with these concepts, your messages will convert on a higher level.

Test & Optimize For All Devices

You need to keep the user’s device and operating system in mind when you’re crafting push messages. There are differences between Android devices and Apple iPhones. There’s even a difference in the way Android users behave compared to iOS users.

For example, the text gets cut off on an iOS device around 170 characters. But for Android, you can have a 65-character title and 240-character description.

Aside from Android messages being longer, they also appear differently on the screen:

Even on the same OS, you’ll see subtle differences in push notifications between different software versions. The iOS 10.0 push notifications look different than the iOS 15.0 push notifications, even if they’re being sent to the exact same iPhone model.

Beyond the initial send, you need to be aware of differences between devices and OS for what happens after delivery.

With iOS notifications, the message disappears once the device is unlocked. But Android notifications remain in the notification center until an action is taken. Web push notifications in Chrome disappear when users leave that screen.

Understanding these subtleties between devices and OS is crucial for success. A message might not be performing well just because it’s too long for the device. It could have nothing to do with the intent of the campaign. 

One way to combat this challenge is to segment users by device and OS. So your Android users will have different messages than iPhone users. 

Incorporate Best Practices For Higher Success

As discussed, there are many different types of push notifications. Whether you’re sending abandoned cart messages, subscriptions, re-engagement messages, onboarding messages, social media messages, transactional pushes, or something else, you should keep the following tips in mind:

• Find the Right Send Frequency — Don’t send more than one push notification per week. Nearly half of all app users will opt out of messages if they get between two and five per week from the same app. So you need to be a bit more selective when you’re putting campaigns together. When in doubt, send at a lower frequency.

• Keep Word Count Low — Aside from the differences between devices and OS, it’s typically in your best interest to keep your messages short and sweet. Earlier, we saw the data showing that messages with fewer words have a higher click rate. So trim the fat from your campaigns and craft short messages, ideally in ten or fewer words.

• Personalize Messages For Higher Conversions — We’ve already discussed the importance of user segmentation. But you can take this one step further by personalizing campaigns with the user’s name, assuming you have that on record. Just look at the difference in opens between personalized content and non-personalized content:

Sending messages based on a user’s purchase history is an excellent way to do this. 

For example, let’s say you have a restaurant delivery app. You can send a quick “reorder your favorite” message to users who placed an in-app order within the past week. If they ordered a large pepperoni pizza last Saturday, send them a personalized message this Saturday for a one-click pizza order.

Gain Results in Customer Engagement & Conversion Rates

Earlier I discussed the importance of relevance and value when deciding whether or not to send a push notification. But now I have two words to focus on for the results—engagement and conversions.

What are you trying to accomplish from your campaigns?

Your push marketing strategy should all boil down to higher conversion rates and increased customer engagement metrics. 

That’s another reason why you should be tracking KPIs and other mobile marketing indicators. You’ll also want to monitor in-app user engagement and see if there’s a correlation between those numbers and your push campaigns.

Who is more likely to open and engage with a push message? An active user or inactive user? You might have an assumption, but the data will be the only way to truly know.

Always track the total number of notifications delivered. Then look at the number of clicks and the click rates for each individual campaign. You should also consider factors like the timing of your message or the day of the week.

Is it better to send notifications first thing in the morning so a user sees it when they wake up? Or do you get more clicks in the afternoon? Is there a difference between weekday pushes and weekend messages?

All of this needs to be taken into consideration and analyzed when you’re trying to optimize campaigns for engagement and conversions.

Dangers of Inappropriate Use of Push Notifications

App users are sensitive to mobile push notifications that are irrelevant and don’t add value. That’s why it’s so important to prioritize the user experience when you’re making new campaigns.

50% of people say they find push notifications annoying. Don’t burn your communication bridge with your users. Once they unsubscribe, there’s probably no chance they’ll opt-in again to pushes from your app.

You also need to ensure your campaign workflow is bulletproof. Some apps have accidentally sent inaccurate or inappropriate messages to an entire user base. That’s a quick way to hurt your brand reputation, and people could lose faith in your company. 

Push notifications are great when used correctly. But they can do more harm than good if you’re not careful.

Don’t just send messages haphazardly for the sake of getting something out there. Each message must have a valid intent. Otherwise, users will unsubscribe, or worse—they could delete your app altogether. 

Implementing Push Notifications For Your App

Ready to start sending push notifications to your app users? As previously mentioned, you need to set yourself up with a push notification service.

But if you’re using BuildFire to create your app, you can send and manage push messages directly from your admin dashboard.

As an app publisher, this will make your life ten times easier than going through a third-party.

In addition to crafting your messages directly from a simple dashboard, you can also enable automatic push sequences for different scenarios. BuildFire supports location-based messages with geofencing, and you’ll have full access to the message history and analytics.

Use BuildFire for activity-based notifications, drip notifications, messages for specific users, and custom user segments—the list goes on and on. 

BuildFire is the easiest way to manage push notifications at every step of the user journey. Here are some helpful how-to articles from our knowledge base to get you started:

• Standard Push Notifications Tutorial
• On The Go Push Feature Tutorial
• Automatic Push Notifications Tutorial
• How to Send Push Notifications With Zapier

The post What is a Push Notification and Why Do They Matter? appeared first on Buildfire.