App-Scoop

​The sole purpose of creating an app for a service or product is so that customers can use it. But when the customer has got a plethora of options that provides a similar service or product, then why should they download your app? What does your app offer that the other doesn’t? To ensure that the customer picks your app each time, you can use a tool that will help you build the product or service that the market needs: The Product/Market Fit Canvas.

What’s a Product/Market Fit Canvas?

Marc Andreessen, founder of Netscape and Andreessen Horowitz defined product/market fit as, “Product/market fit means being in a good market with a product that can satisfy that market.”
https://web.stanford.edu/class/ee204/ProductMarketFit.html
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In a great market with lots of real potential customers, the product or service has to be able to solve the user’s problems. You need to create a need for your product/service in the market by targeting a market segment that finds your product/service attractive. 

While drafting the product/market fit canvas you need to focus on:

• Creating a better product than the product/service launched in the market or be the first to launch it
• Developing an app that solves a core purpose and help the users solve problems with key features available in the app
• Outlining the strengths of your app and constantly updating it as per user feedback and updating trends
• Identifying metrics that are important for the app and ensure that the user is visiting it at regular intervals

​Using Product/Market Fit Canvas at Each Stage
​

​​During the pre-launch stage, use the canvas to update your targeted user’s profiles according to their type.
Based on their type, segment them into a user group; for instance, classify them according to their gender, profession, age, etc.
Thirdly, list the features that your app offers them which will help them solve their problems; for instance, Uber solved a core problem which is door-to door travel service and then later kept solving user’s crisis by introducing Uber Pool, which is cheaper and more environment friendly.
Taking the Uber example, take a look at the table that can be created: 

Of course, not every column can be filled as per your assumptions; some data will surface once the app is launched.
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During the Beta testing stage, use the canvas to:

• Analyze the application features and come up with ideas to improve them (Update App Features)
• Identify the main competitors and find a way to out-do them by introducing better features

Taking the Uber example, take a look at the table that can be created: 

Factors of an App that is a Product/Market Fit

Requesting User Feedback
User feedback is the most important factor that decides if your app is going to be a hit or miss. Email surveys can be used to ask users to give feedback. One of the most popular way is to use the Net Promoter Score (NPS).
An NPS is obtained using a survey that asks users to rate an app on a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 means they would never recommend this app to family and friends and 10 means they would definitely recommend the app to family and friends. You can add some extra questions to such a survey to let users explain what they like and dislike about the app.
Once the user shares their feedback, you can make the necessary changes and use the Update feature to incorporate it. Although, there are times when the feedback received is not valid or has confusing and not very detailed feedback.

40% Rule
Sean Ellis, who founded GrowthHackers, suggests that the company should use the 40% rule to conclude if the users actually like and need their app. Ask the users, “How would you feel if you could no longer use this app?” with the below options:

• Really disappointed
• A little disappointed
• Not disappointed
• Already not using the app

If 40% or more of surveyed users say they’d be really disappointed, your app is considered to be a success. This feedback should come from users who have either used the app twice or used it within the last two weeks. This will help you get a definite KPI for your app which you can set as a goal.
  
Active Users
Andrew Chen, the former Head of Growth at Uber and a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, stated that the app’s success depends on active users – further segregated into Daily Active Users and Monthly Active Users. The app metrics that showcases 20% of daily or monthly users, the app can be called successful; whereas, if an app has 50% or more daily or active users, they are considered to be “superstars”. Some examples include, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, etc.

Retention
Alex Shultz, VP of Growth at Facebook, has his own criteria to measure if an app has product/market fit. He focuses on the retention rate; when it remains stable for a certain period of time or even keeps growing, you’ve achieved product/market fit.
This helps you to have a definite metric to focus on based on your business specifics. The metric also hints at when you need to update your app and also helps you predict your app’s growth.

To Conclude
Most of the information you get on product/market fit is about making an app that achieves just more than a marginal niche. There are a number of products or tool kit apps that can be considered as good examples of a niche service/ product. These are rarely few brands in the mobile app industry, as most apps are mainly focusing on the mass markets.
To build a product or service that is worthwhile, mobile app developers need to keep their attention and invest their time on the product. If mobile app development is not your main business and you choose a company to help you achieve the best fit! Contact the Vancouver Mobile App Developers App Scoop team. 

​Digitization has swept across the world and has changed almost every industry – one such primary industry is the Real Estate. Gone are the days where you had to refer to newspapers and circle out the properties that you are interested in or find worthy agents to search your dream home. It’s time to welcome Real Estate 2.0! 

According to a real estate report, 

• 80% of all home buyers are searching online
• 83% of home buyers see pictures of the property online
• 52% of the prospects used an iPhone in their home search
• 49% of the leads come via referrals
• 91% of realtors use social media to list real estate properties
• 33% of first-time buyers research for real estate properties online

Reference Site: https://www.nar.realtor/sites/default/files/reports/2017/2017-real-estate-in-a-digital-age-03-10-2017.pdf
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The US real estate has taken a huge leap – the overall growth equity funding has been up by 84% in 2018, according to the Real Estate Technology Sector Summary 2018 Year-End Review by GCA Altium.
Reference Site: https://gcaaltium.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/GCA_Real-Estate-Technology-Q4-2018-Review.pdf
There has also been a transformation in site visits since the past few years. It is said that by the year 2025, nearly 20 million households in the US would be owned exclusively by folks in the millennial generation. Hence, there needs to be a change in the way real estate is marketed and sold. Let’s take a look at how we can turn the tables around in this rapidly changing market.
​
First Step: Online Viewing of the Property (Searching and Listing)

Before buyers and sellers are matched to each other, they have to be matched to real estate agents; but now buyers and sellers can get in touch directly through online apps. At the same time, buyers and sellers can view the agent’s rating online and choose the best one in the marketplace.
There are already three brands that have made their place in the market:

Nobul.com is an online Canadian real estate marketplace that allows agents to compete for clients. It allows buyers and sellers to compare the agent’s services. Interested agents can then reach out with their offerings. Nobul charges agents a 20-basis point referral fee – $2,000 per $1 million of real estate value – for closed deals.

Property Whispers is an Australian matching platform that covers the residential marketplace, including real estate that’s advertised for sale and that’s for sale off-market. The platform is well-known amongst agents, brokers, and vendors since it helps them get the contact information of matched buyers. In a world where traditional advertising campaigns cost thousands of dollars, the platform charges agents only $99 plus GST per listing (with a free trial provided). Private vendors, in turn, pay only $139 plus GST to list their properties.

Homes.com has a Snap & Search feature that allows buyers to take a picture of the real estate that they wish to buy and the service helps them find a similar one. The platform also allows the buyer to navigate to their ideal location providing average area pricing. Filters such as “must-have” and “around” (for approximate pricing) enable buyers to find relevant listings. All property results have a match score on a scale of 0 to 100, showing how closely a property matches the buyer’s preferences.
In the distant future, there are going to be multitude apps with key features like location based, VR technology and more.

Second Step – Real Estate Showings (Viewing the Property)
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Once the property has been listed, the next step is the buyer going to tour the property. Time is todays money; hence, technology has stepped in. Real estate apps can conduct showings online. According to a report by the NAR, 10 weeks was approximately the time spent by buyers to find a property (in the year, 2018).

There are two ways of real estate showings:

1. By booking an appointment to view the property
2. Virtual tours – where the buyer can see the property and its features online

For easy offline home tour bookings; the buyer can use:

The Redfin Aggregator asks the buyer to fill in the form of a “Go Tour This Home” option on listing pages. The buyer can also choose their preferable time and date. A lightning bolt symbol by the time slot means that it has been confirmed and accepted by the listing agent.

Another way is by using the Showing Suite app. This app is tailored to schedule property viewings through text messages. When an agent signs up, they can import their active MLS listings to the platform. Then agents can activate a Showing Robot on those listings to automate scheduling. They can also customize how they and their sellers prefer to be notified of new showing requests and confirm them manually.

For virtual tours and video walkthroughs; the buyer can use:

Zillow à Zillow 3D Home feature, a free platform for listing agents. Agents just have to capture panoramas and the app automatically creates a tour.

Realync is an app that is solely dedicated to virtual tours. It allows buyers, agents and sellers to interact via live video and audio, take pictures and notes, and send messages. Each tour file is automatically saved to the cloud for later access and sharing.

The Zillow Real Estate app (iOS only) can be used to show walkthroughs, i.e. short videos of a listing recorded by a mobile phone or some other device. As an intermediary between a seller and buyer, agents strive to ensure stable communication until the deal is closed. The best way to do that is in-app messaging.

Another app that can be used for showings is the Periscope app. It is a live-streaming app by Twitter It allows anyone to film any event they want. This is what is required for an open house! Periscope can help buyers, sellers and agents to sell homes if it is not possible for any party to make it physically to a showing.  

Third Step – Digital Documentation

After the showing is done and the buyer decides to buy the property, he/she no longer needs to run around pillar to post like before. Today, there are several websites and automated tools available that take a fraction of the time needed earlier to prepare all documentation. 

If engaged early during the transaction, these portals record and manage each step:

• Documents needed for the first visit pre-requisites to transaction-related documents
• Payment information
• Ongoing rental revisions

Such portals also allow direct validation credentials with government authorities, enable digital verification of documents, and help with other legal requirements. For the buyer, this means transparent pricing and taxation, transparent and legal payments and the elimination of fraudulent transactions.
The real estate industry involves huge quantities of signed paper documents which must be kept for several years due to legal purposes. Staying organized, finding documents on time and making sure you have all the right papers with you when showing a house can be complicated. In today’s era, the buyer, seller or agent can opt for digitized:

• Signature cards
• Leases
• Contracts
• Loan agreements
• Affidavits
• Assignment of liens
• Purchase agreements
• Real estate disclosure forms
• Financials
• Work orders
• Move–in and move-out documentation
• Notices
• Invoices

This would help realtors save time, boost productivity and increase room in the workspace.
 
Some the real estate apps include:

• Follow Up Boss for centralizing communication
• Folio for organizing your inbox
• Cloud Attract for building real estate-specific landing pages
• Wise Agent for real estate marketing automation
• LeadSimple for reporting on real estate leads and sales
• LionDesk for recording and embedding videos into emails and texts to bring properties to life
• Mojo Dialer for dialing real estate leads
• Showing Suite for scheduling home viewings via text messaging
• Spacio for digitizing open house sign-in forms
• Magicplan for digitally creating floor plans and furnishing rooms
• PalmAgent ONE for estimating closing costs
• Disclosures.io for organizing and sharing disclosures
• DocuSign for signing offers and closing documents

 
To Conclude
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Every good thing comes with its own set of challenges. Similarly, online transactions and interactions could also prove to be a death-wrenching experience if gone wrong. Ensuring that the opposite party, i.e. the buyer, seller or agent that you are speaking with is genuine. Apps like Silent Beacon and Trust Stamp are tailored to ensuring realtors’ safety. 

For example, Silent Beacon has a panic button and is considered the most trusted app. It provides a list of emergency contacts to send alerts to by means of call, email, or text message. In addition, it shows an agent’s current location to trusted people within five seconds. The greatest feature of the app is that agents can use it to reach 911 directly.

As per the recent trends, there has been a speculation that the agents in real estates will be redundant since all the formalities can be taken care of through different apps and digitalization.

There are also speculations that the Bitcoin market will have a gigantic impact on the financial transactions that are done in the real estate industry. This technology is considered to be a secure system because cryptology is used to ensure that nobody can intermingle with the timestamps or blocks. If somebody does so, there is digital evidence in the system. This makes it ideal for handling data structure and to keep track of records of anything that is valuable, such as financial transactions. A significant benefit of Blockchain in real estate will be an immediate reduction in service fees.
So, if you wish to know more about how to digitalize the real estate industry or make an app for the real estate industry; feel free to contact the App Scoop Vancouver mobile app developers and app development team: https://app-scoop.com/

Advertisements are the oldest form of marketing. They catered mainly to a mass audience who were grouped based on gender, occupation, etc. In today’s times, companies are trying to target each individual based on their unique preferences. Hence, the best way to target individuals is through mobile apps!

Did You Know?
There will be roughly 7 billion mobile users worldwide, by 2020? Annual mobile app downloads in 2022 are projected to reach 258 billion? App store consumer spending is projected to increase by 92% to $157 billion worldwide in 2022?

Yes, it’s all TRUE!
Reference Source: https://www.appannie.com/en/insights/market-data/app-annie-2017-2022-forecast/

​In the United States, the average user spends almost three hours a day in mobile applications out of less than four hours a day spent on mobile devices. The mobile app industry is blooming, especially with the constant changes being made in the AI software. Artificial Intelligence helps mobile apps store the user’s data to identify and pre-empt their preferences, needs and choices of the user. This immensely helps brands to market their products. 
Currently, businesses are targeting different app stores for enhancing their brand’s visibility and to reach out to their customers; they are monetizing the applications and reaping out large profits.
 
Advantages of Having a Mobile App for your Business

Quick Search, Quick Find
If the user wishes to purchase a product, he/she needs to log in online, search for the product, keep waiting for URLs to download and gives them the opportunity to compare it with other brands. With a mobile application, companies can ensure that the user just needs to click on an app, type in their preferred product in Search and voila!
An app makes it for the user to even find a product if they are offline and it hardly takes a few seconds. Amazon is one of the leading e-commerce apps because it allows the user to search and get their items delivered by just performing a few steps.

Enables a Direct Marketing Channel
Using mobile apps allows brands to directly sell their products to end-users. It serves many functionalities such as it can provide general information, product prices, search features, news feeds, and so on.
Through push notifications, brands can get even closer to a direct interaction with their customers; and even alerting them if new or discounted products and services are being launched. 

Awareness and Visibility of The Brand
There are different ways to increase awareness and visibility of the brand – as we mentioned, initially different ways of advertising the brand included radios, hoardings, TV, pamphlets, etc. Using a mobile app is like a blank hoarding. Brands can make it stylish, informative and functional as per the business requirement.
For best results, brands should create apps with features that the customers would get attracted to, for instance, simple payment methods, virtual intelligence features, etc. The more often customers get involved with the brand’s app, the sooner they tend to buy their products and services.

Collecting Consumer Data
If an app appears to be trustworthy and is helpful for the users, then certainly the users would love to share their personal data with the brand. Brands can use the AI feature in their app to get personal data from their users.

Onboarding option is one of the best options through which the brands can collect information about the users with a set of few questions that would be produced while registering. If the application offers special offers, discounts or bonuses, then the brand can present a set of questions in return of bonuses that would likely attract the users.
Another way is to track reviews about products and tracking in-app behaviour – this would help the brands take initiative for making effective digital marketing strategies. For instance, the Starbucks mobile app helps Starbucks collect user data, try out new ideas, and roll out targeted data-driven initiatives. The company’s personalization and customer satisfaction efforts are reaping excellent rewards. As of April 2019, Starbucks boasted 16.8 million active loyalty program members.

Geo-Targeted Push to Increase User Base
One of the biggest beneficial factors of the Internet is shattering borders and making the world one place. Mobile apps can not only increase the brand’s user base in the country of their origin but also gives them the scope to enter the International market.
With the help of geo-targeted push notifications, localization and location-based content brands can send specific messages to the right user base. Brands can give users specific content based on their region or even exact location mapping. Location-based calls-to-action feel much more personalized and drives more effective sales.

Connecting with Users
With mobile apps, it becomes easier for the brand to connect with individual users.
Personalizing content for each user makes them feel special and they keep coming back for more. Customers want to experience content that is relevant to them and their interests.
Push-notifications reminds users about your brand and encourages them to use it. Although brands should remember not to overdo it – too many push notifications about irrelevant information would just irritate the users.
In-App messages allows the brands to message the user in the app itself. It is a good way to reach the target audience as it is built into the app experience and is extremely personalized. Messages can introduce new features, and drive conversion.

Social Network Marketing Through Mobile Apps
Due to the ability to synchronize with the social networks, the brand has a higher chance to disperse the virtualization of their content. Users can easily share the brand’s content on their social networks, thus creating viral posts. For instance, the new PUMA ad of Propah Woman has created a stir in society and gained many followers and brand customers.

Summarizing Mobile App Marketing
Mobile apps make the brand stronger. They break all boundaries geologically. The user can walk through the application anywhere and anytime, whether it is during their leisure time or long journeys. To attract maximum attention from the user brands should create apps that reflect all the features the target audience is looking for and involve the users in the app as much as possible. ‘Effective frequency’ exposes the app to more users, hence, the chances of a purchase are even higher.
If you are a brand and wish to create a mobile app, you can contact the Vancouver mobile app developers App Scoop team.

Most times developers and companies measure their app’s success based on the downloads of their app; but most forget that the app only gets profitable if the user actually uses it. The “traffic of the users” on the app is what actually measures its success. You could attract the user to download the app but the question is the user actually using the app after a week, a month or a year. This in the app world is called retention of users.

Keeping the users engaged is one of the most difficult stages; especially in this fast-paced world where similar functionality apps are being introduced in the market with new and better features. This is where customer loyalty comes into play. A loyal customer is the one that will choose your app over your competitors even after a week, a month or a year. The key to gaining a loyal customer could be achieved by gentle “pushing” – in the app world known as a Push Notification.

​What Are Push Notifications and How Do They Help?

​As most of you must be aware, they are the messages that pop up on your smartphone reminding to use the app or sending you offers and updates.  As a whole, push notifications are effective; they encourage both purchases and user retention. However, these messages become even more effective when they’re expertly crafted and personalized.
It’s worth investing time and effort into building push notifications that users really care about. These ensure the most engagement. Remember, if your push messages aren’t valuable, people will simply opt out; or perhaps they won’t opt in to begin with.
As per Localytics, most app users who have enabled push notifications will use an app for at least 9 sessions, with 46% remaining beyond the unofficial retention point of 11 sessions. However, almost half of users who don’t enable push notifications will abandon an app after just 2 sessions. Also, they discovered that the perception of push notifications has improved over time, with 52% of respondents to a 2018 poll stating that pushes were better than they were several years ago.
Reference Source: http://info.localytics.com/blog/21-percent-of-users-abandon-apps-after-one-use

There are 3 essential types of push notifications to inspire loyalty from your users: ​

1. Mechanical Push Notifications
2. Behavioral Push Notifications
3. Location-based Push Notifications

Let’s take a look at each one in detail.
​
1. Mechanical Push Notifications: This type of push notification is sent for a specific activity – it is triggered by a user action, predetermined time, or event. 

• User Action: For instance, if the user has been shopping on an e-commerce app and leaves their cart abandoned, he/she will get a push notification to go back and purchase the items. Nearly, 75% of all shopping carts are abandoned – hence, mechanical push notifications are important.

• Time: For instance, a phone provider will send a notification to the user 24 hours before their card expires. If an app is integrated with a calendar, it can send reminders every time a user has an event planned.

 

• Event: For instance, if someone comments or likes a picture on Facebook, the user will get a notification stating so. This push notification is triggered by a simple event.

Mechanical push notifications are used in a wide variety of apps and have simple logic. Google and Apple provide their own native services for building mobile apps with push notifications for business. Check out these services for Android and iOS.
To set up mobile app push notifications, you can also use third-party tools such as Kinvey, Localytics, and Kumulos. Their advantage is that they can be used cross-platform.

​2. Behavioral Push Notifications: This type of push notification uses Artificial Intelligence to gauge user behavior based on user data and statistics. In other words, the application predicts what the user wants before they even know it.

A recent study by Localytics discovered that users consider notifications triggered by in-app behavior as spying. About 49 percent of respondents stated that they prefer apps that send pushes based on stated preferences over in-app behavior.
 
Reference Source: http://info.localytics.com/blog/push-notification-survey-2018
 

• New Releases: For instance, if a new comedy show is going to be released on Amazon Prime, and the user has seen most comedy shows on this platform; it will send a push notification to the user that a new show is going to be released soon.

 

• New Arrivals: Similarly, if the user has been shopping in a certain store, for instance Marks and Spencer and a sale is going to come up; M&S will send a push notification to user intimating them about the upcoming sale.

 
H&M uses deeply personalized behavioral push notifications to increase sales. The H&M app acts as a personal stylist, offering items that go great with your latest purchases.
 
Reference Source: https://apps.apple.com/ru/app/h-m-we-love-fashion/id834465911?l=en
 

• Cheer-up Notifications: Apps belonging to Fitness genre or Mental Health genre would ideally send out a message to the user during the day. For example, Activity app on Apple Watch is a fitness app that sends helpful and supportive notifications during the day; MyFitnessPal, will kindly remind you if you forget to log a meal; Headspace, a mental health app, sends users notifications to improve their mental state.

 
3. Location-based Push Notifications: This type of push notification is geo-targeted; which means that it is sent to the user when they go to a certain place. These are relatively new in the market. Say for example, if the user has an M&S app, they will be sent a notification that a M&S store is 500m from their current location. 

According to a Localytics survey from 2018 of 1,000 smartphone users, 49% would use an application more if it sent them push notifications in their hometown, and 42% said they would use an app more if it sent pushes triggered by their present location.
 
Reference Source: http://info.localytics.com/blog/push-notification-survey-2018
 
Two types of location-based push notifications:
 

• Based on collected user data: This type of notification is based on a user’s IP address, city, region, and country.

 

• Geo-triggered pushes: Such notifications are sent in real time when a user enters or leaves a certain geographic zone (if they’ve shared their location via their phone).

 
These two types of location-based pushes may contain:

• Announcement of discounts, rewards, and other special offers
• Information about new products
• Information about buying top-ups when travelling
• Updates on the status of orders (for example, when a taxi has arrived)

 
Examples of location-based push notifications:
 
Welcome to Paris! At Starbucks? If you use Foursquare, you probably recognize these questions.
 
Alexa, set a reminder to pick up a book from Penguin Bookstore. When you pass by Penguin’s bookstore, Alexa will notify you. The Alexa app lets users adjust the reminder location radius to as close as 500 feet, which is helpful if you’re on foot.
 
Google Keep, an easy-to-use note-taking app, looks like a dashboard and provides a location-based option for each note. A user can tap “Remind me,” choose “Pick place,” and type an address or search for a location. Users can share notes and location-based reminders with friends who have Gmail accounts.
 
Don’t Push the User Away with Push Notifications  
 
Like they say, all good things should come in small packages; similarly, make sure that you do not overwhelm the user with push notifications. Sending them a lot of information in a short duration of time could drive the user away instead of winning him/her. Give the user the opportunity to choose the push notifications that he/she is interested in; for example, a retailer could add preferences such as, Online Specials, Product Suggestions, New Range, etc. 

When users download an app, give them the option to opt out of allowing you to collect data related to their location and send them pushes. Permission is key! You don’t want the user to feel like they are being stalked or their personal information is being used against them. Conduct thorough research and test notification timing and content to figure out what resonates with your customers.
 
If you are building your app and require assistance with setting push notifications, you can contact the App Scoop mobile app developers and app development team: https://app-scoop.com/contact-us.html

In today’s time, there is not a single service that can’t be availed via a mobile app. Anything you want is literally, “at the tip of your fingers”. There are over five billion mobile users in the world, with global internet penetration standing at 57%.
Source: https://www.businessofapps.com/data/app-statistics/
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Did you know: As of the first quarter of 2019, these app users could choose to download between 2.6 million Android, and 2.2 million iOS apps. And they certainly are choosing: App Annie sets the total number of app downloads in 2018 at 194 billion; up from 178 billion in 2017.  

The Apple App Store and the Google Play Store dominate this landscape: as such, they are two of the most importance marketplaces in the world, truly global in scope.
Let’s take a look at 50 mobile app statistics, and what we can look forward to in the year 2020.
​
General Mobile App User Statistics:

• Total time spent on mobile devices per day: 215 minutes, or three hours and 35 minutes. It’s expected to reach three hours and 49 minutes by 2020.
• Time spent on mobile websites? 13 minutes a day, according to eMarketer. By 2020, that will likely drop to 12 minutes daily.
• Expected mobile ad spending in the future: Over $160 million worldwide in 2019, and more than $186 million in 2020.

​Source: https://www.inmobi.com/blog/2019/05/21/52-in-app-advertising-statistics-you-should-know

• There are over 10 Million voice-enabled units in circulation between Alexa and Google Home with over 20% of mobile queries being voice searches in 2018, growing to 10% by 2020.Source: https://quoracreative.com/article/mobile-marketing-statistics
• As consumers spend over 5 hours a day on smartphones, and the number of mobile devices is anticipated to reach 16.8 billion by 2023.

Source: https://www.iflexion.com/blog/mobile-banking-trends

• There will be roughly 7 billion mobile users worldwide, by 2020.
• Annual mobile app downloads in 2022 are projected to reach 258 billion. That’s a 45% increase from 178 billion downloads in 2017.
• App store consumer spending is projected to increase by 92% to $157 billion worldwide in 2022.
• In 2019, the average US adult spent three hours and 43 minutes a day on a mobile device.
• Mobile app users in the United States have over 100 apps installed on their smartphones.

Source: https://www.appannie.com/en/insights/market-data/app-annie-2017-2022-forecast/

• The average mobile user checks their smartphone 63 times a day.
• Source: https://www.bankmycell.com/blog/smartphone-addiction/
• 87% of users will check their phones at least one hour before sleep, and 69 % of those users will check their phones within 5 minutes before sleep.

Source: https://www.bankmycell.com/blog/smartphone-addiction/

• Generation Z (ages 16-24) spends 20% more time and engages with their most-used apps 30% more often than the rest of the population.

Source: https://www.appannie.com/en/insights/market-data/gen-z-redefining-mobile-world-order/

• Mobile apps account for 57% of all digital media usage.

Source: https://www.comscore.com/Insights/Presentations-and-Whitepapers/2017/The-2017-US-Mobile-App-Report

•  By 2020, 30% of all B2B companies will employ artificial intelligence (AI) to augment at least one of their primary sales processes.

Source: https://www.mediabuzz.com.sg/research-analysis-and-trends-feb2018/by-2020-one-third-of-all-b2b-companies-will-have-employed-ai-to-augment-their-primary-sales-processes-gartner-said

• By 2020, Facebook predicts that more people are predicted to have mobile phones than running water or electricity at home. An estimated 3 billion people will gain access to mobile phones by 2020.

Source: https://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-2020/

• 83% of enterprise workloads will be in the cloud by 2020.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/louiscolumbus/2018/01/07/83-of-enterprise-workloads-will-be-in-the-cloud-by-2020/#5b7666a96261

• The global mobile workforce is expected to reach 1.87 billion workers (over 42 percent of the global workforce) by 2022.

Source: https://www.ibm.com/topics/mobile-workforce

Voice-based Apps

• 50% of all online searches will be voice-based by 2020.
• 30% of all web browsing sessions will be done without a screen by 2020.
• 55% of households are expected to own smart speaker devices by 2022.
• Global voice commerce is expected to be worth $40B by 2022.
• Voice commerce is expected to jump to $40B by 2022.

Source: https://99firms.com/blog/voice-search-statistics/#gref

Banking Mobile Apps

• eMarketer expects that by 2022, almost 78% of the US millennial population will become digital banking users.
• By 2021, credit cards, debit cards, and mobile wallets are projected to surpass cash at all point of sales.
• By 2020, the expected fraud losses incurred on credit, debit, and pre-paid cards could surpass $12 billion.

Source: https://www.iflexion.com/blog/mobile-banking-trends

• By 2020, 90% of smartphone users will have made a mobile payment.
• By 2022, mobile transactions are projected to grow by 121%, eventually composing 88% of all banking transactions.
• The combined market share of Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Google Pay in mobile payment will be 56% by 2021 in the U.S.
•  U.S. in-store mobile payments will rise steadily at a 40% compound annual growth rate to hit $128 billion in 2021.

Source: https://carsurance.net/blog/fintech-statistics/

Fintech Blockchain Statistics

• Fully 77% of financial services incumbents responding to a recent survey expect to adopt blockchain as part of an in-production system or process by 2020.
• Global revenue from enterprise blockchain applications is expected to rise from $2.5 billion to $19.9 billion by 2025.

Source: https://carsurance.net/blog/fintech-statistics/

Artificial Intelligence in Fintech Statistics  

• Successful banking-related chatbot interactions will grow 3,150% between 2019 and 2023.
• Robo-advisors are expected to manage $2 trillion in assets by 2020.

Source: https://carsurance.net/blog/fintech-statistics/

Extended Reality Statistics

• The extended reality market amounted to $27 billion in 2018 and is expected to expand dramatically in the coming years, with forecasts for 2022 surpassing $209 billion.
•  By 2020, 100 million consumers will shop in AR both online and in retail stores.

Source: https://carsurance.net/blog/fintech-statistics/

Food/Restaurant Apps Statistics

• By 2021, more than 20% of US smartphone users will use a food delivery app.
• By 2020, food delivery app usage will surpass 44 million people in the US, reaching nearly 60 million by 2023.

Source: https://www.emarketer.com/content/us-food-delivery-app-usage-will-approach-40-million-users-in-2019

• Orders placed via smartphone and mobile apps will become a $38 billion industry and make up nearly 11 percent of all quick-service restaurant sales by 2020, according to Business Insider Intelligence reports.

Source: https://www.qsrmagazine.com/outside-insights/mobile-ordering-races-38-billion-future

Gaming Apps on Mobile Growth Statistics

• The mobile gaming industry has proven it’s on track to increase market share, with the global industry projected to reach $106 billion by 2021.
•  By 2021, mobile gaming (which includes tablets) is expected to account for over half (59%) of the entire gaming market.
•  The total number of U.S. mobile gamers is predicted to rise to 213 million by 2020.
•  The world’s mobile gaming population is expected to rise from 2.2 billion in 2018 to over 2.7 billion by 2021. China is one of the countries where mobile gaming is most popular, with 459 million total mobile gamers—the equivalent to the U.S and Japan’s populations combined.

Source: https://mediakix.com/blog/mobile-gaming-industry-statistics-market-revenue/
 
Advertising Statistics

• Global mobile app revenue is projected to generate $582 billion U.S. dollars through paid downloads and in-app advertising in 2020.

Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/269025/worldwide-mobile-app-revenue-forecast/

• By the end of 2020, it’s projected that Instagram’s ad revenue will make up 30% of Facebook’s total ad revenue.

Source: https://www.smallbizgenius.net/by-the-numbers/social-media-marketing-statistics/

Video Statistics

• 82% of internet traffic will come from video by 2020.

Source: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/12-video-statistics-to-guide-your-2020-online-marketing-strategy-infograph/562271/

• The number of users viewing video content on a mobile device in the United States is projected to reach 179 million in 2020.

Source: https://www.statista.com/topics/1137/online-video/

Social Media Apps Statistics

• Facebook predicts that by 2020, 80% of smartphone users are projected to be using a mobile messaging app.

Source: https://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-2020/

• By 2021 mobile users are predicted to spend roughly 47 minutes daily on social network apps.

Source: https://www.emarketer.com/content/daily-forecast-time-spent-with-social-network-apps-in-the-us-continues-to-outpace-messaging-apps

• The volume of brand-sponsored influencer content on Instagram is projected to amount to 6.12 million posts in 2020.

Source: https://www.smallbizgenius.net/by-the-numbers/social-media-marketing-statistics/

In Conclusion
The year 2020 is going to be a beginning in the revolution of the mobile app industry. Remember, mobile marketing is not an easy task – with hundreds of apps being rolled out every week, it is imperative that you need a plan to break into the market by developing a mobile strategy that best suits your company’s or product’s business objective.
Breaking into the mobile market is an iterative process that requires in-depth research, extensive planning, and unbeatable dedication. If you need a helping hand to design and launch your app and take a piece out of the cake in 2020, get in touch with the App Scoop mobile app development Vancouver ​ Team: https://app-scoop.com/contact-us.html

Blockchain has been disrupting the tech and financial market since the past 5 years. Blockchain was originally created to support the Bitcoin but soon the tech community has started using this technology for other purposes.
​
Blockchain is the brainchild of a person or a group of people known by the name of Satoshi Nakamoto. In 2017, the global Blockchain technology market is predicted to reach 339.5 million U.S. dollars in size and is forecast to grow to 2.3 billion U.S. dollars by 2021.
Reference Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/647231/worldwide-Blockchain-technology-market-size/   

An article in Forbes states, “One of the most notable changes was the increase in vibrant conversation around Blockchain, which is being introduced to broaden the market’s transparency, track ownership and provenance, and provide an infrastructure for the tokenization of fractional artwork sales.” But the question is, why is the Blockchain technology being leveraged above all the other technological upsurge?
Reference Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/zoharelhanani/2018/12/17/how-Blockchain-changed-the-art-world-in-2018/#480288a23074
 
Blockchain’s Key Feature: Secured Database

Blockchain has its database in more than one location, with hundreds, thousands, even potentially millions of duplicated records around the world, all updated every 15 minutes and unchangeable, immutable. 
Furthermore, this technology is considered to be a secure system because cryptology is used to ensure that nobody can intermingle with the timestamps or blocks. If somebody does so, there is digital evidence in the system. This makes it ideal for handling data structure and to keep track of records of anything that is valuable, such as financial transactions.
Hence, Blockchain technology is being widely adopted by sectors who need a secured database for financial transactions. Let’s take a look at how Blockchain is being used in the Auction Industry.

Blockchain: Auction Industry: Real Estate

As we know, that real estate forms a big part of the Auction Industry. It touches the lives of just about everyone, but we also know that real estate transactions can be complicated for the parties involved; buyer, seller and sometimes the agent.
An article in Biz Journals states:

“Blockchain is now being used to list and sell properties as I wrote about here at Business Journals for a recent “Packer’s House” in Greenbay, Wisconsin. Now it is being used for a first-ever real estate auction in Rome Italy for the renowned Palazzetto Hotel.
This is listed and being serviced by Propy, a real estate firm in the San Francisco Bay Area. In a recent interview I spoke with the CEO, Natalia Karayaneva, and CTO, Alex Voloshyn, about the ramifications of this for buyers, sellers, and for real estate professionals.”
Reference Source: https://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/how-to/technology/2018/07/how-Blockchain-can-change-real-estate-transactions.html

Real estate in the Auction Industry is one of the perfect examples that could benefit from adopting Blockchain. For the buyer, seller and the agent, it can:

• Save money (taxes, service fees, etc.)
• Increase security in transactions
• Make the processing time faster than ever

A significant benefit of Blockchain in real estate, out of the above, is an immediate reduction in service fees. You need to involve a professional (ideally, who would charge a good fee) for a real estate transaction. But what if we said that Blockchain can make a smart contract that would take care of the following:

• Prepare a detailed, thorough, extensive contract that would lay out what is needed to be done, and when
• List the nitty-gritty in important details and didn’t allow funds to transfer until specific requirements were met
• No interference in exchange of funds due a third-party or ‘a bad actor’ once they have been verified as completed

Great, right!? This technology is changing the workings of the real estate world, especially people who
have won the auction on a house.

Blockchain: Auction Industry: Art

Another sector that is popular in the Auction Industry is the art world. According to an article in Forbes:

“The art world witnessed an extraordinary auction on November 13th at the Christie’s Auction House in New York. Not only the collection of the late Barney A. Ebsworth raised over $300 million, setting the new world auction records for Edward Hopper and Willem de Kooning, but also for the first-time-ever, the results of the major auction sale were recorded using Blockchain technology. To do so, Christie’s has collaborated with Artory, the leading independent Blockchain-based registry for the art market built on Ethereum Blockchain.”

​Reference Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/elenazavelev/2018/11/26/is-Blockchain-the-right-solution-for-the-auction-houses/#70b4d2a31bf8

Artory’s Registry, built on the public Blockchain, creates a system for vetting, memorializing and protecting transactional data, while simultaneously allowing the artwork’s owner to stay completely anonymous. One of the striking features of Artory’s Registry is that the company uses third-party vetted service providers, such as auction houses, to supply the data for their registry, creating a reputational guarantee that the information is correct.

Weeks before the auction Richard Entrup, CIO at Christie’s, commented in a press release: “Our pilot collaboration with Artory…reflects growing interest within our industry to explore the benefits of secure digital registry via Blockchain technology.”
​
Reference Source: https://news.artnet.com/market/christies-artory-blockchain-pilot-1370788

The art world wasn’t very open to a decentralized database technology, but as we are approaching a new era of online transactions, Blockchain would benefit the younger collectors who want to partner with notable brands and establish relations with living artists.

Another reason of the art world excepting Blockchain is because of the success of Bitcoin cryptocurrency. Jason Bailey, the founder of Artnome and an advisor to Portion suggests that, “the lack of good data has led to a major problem with forgery and misattribution”, and the fact that Christie’s used “Blockchain for the Ebsworth collection is an early step towards data transparency and improved provenance.” Bailey also suggests that “the art market currently fails to support most working artists in any meaningful way.”

Reference Source: https://coinspectator.com/news/1084395/is-blockchain-the-right-solution-for-the-auction-houses

​Future of Blockchain in the Auction Industry

Now, that the world is opening up to a decentralized database for secured transactions, we are to see if all auction houses will now add Blockchain tools to record auction data routinely.
Real estate professionals at Propy state their opinions on how it will affect the industry in an interview recorded: https://steemit.com/blockchain/@terrybrock/blockchain-first-ever-auction-in-real-estate-what-it-means-to-you

The art industry’s growing interest in blockchain was made evident by its presence in the media. There was a noticeable increase in art and blockchain-related news, and a number of conferences were dedicated to the subject. 2018’s Ethereal Summit, a global conference about blockchain technology, placed emphasis on the art world, even concluding the event with a live auction.

Reference Source: https://www.etherealsummit.com/

A lot will depend on the extent to which the big art market players, will adopt this technology in their operations and we are yet to observe how long it will take. If you need more information on Blockchain, you can get in touch with the App Scoop mobile application development Vancouver team: https://app-scoop.com/contact-us.html

How many times have you been not able to obtain information or receive help from an app because of network issues or no network? We have become so dependent on our smart devices that when they don’t work, we feel helpless; like time has come to a halt and we are back in the 90s. In order for the user to retain your app, it should also work offline. Apps with GPS navigation, medical facilities/information and banking apps should be programmed in a way that they can also work offline.

Some of the advantages of offline working apps include:

• No internet connection
• Quick information download
• Not draining the phone’s battery

Let’s take a look at how to create an app that can be built for offline use.

Deciding on Offline Features
​
Let’s begin by listing down the steps that will help the company/organization to decide on offline features for the app:

• Firstly, it is important to have your app plan in place which includes listing down the core purpose of the app, analyzing the workflow of the app and jotting down the features that need to incorporated to build the app.
• The next step would be to prioritize the features (must-haves, good to have, etc.) for the app.
• After deciding the features that are the most essential for the app, the same needs to be communicated to the developer so that they are able to understand the business goals and plan a well-tailored solution.

The Eisenhower Decision Matrix can be used to help you see more intrinsically on what features are important and which are not. 

In order to fill the matrix:

• List the features that need to be available offline in your app
• Based on user vote and research, determine how important each feature is for them while using your app
• Decide the difficulty level of incorporating each feature
• Fill the matrix with the collected information and prioritize

For instance, if your app offers taxi service, there will be multiple features in it, such as map, costing, location of the driver, location of the customer, customer contact number, etc. Hence, the next step will be to decide which of these features need to be available offline and how difficult would it be to incorporate them offline.

Key Technologies that Allow the App to Work in Offline Mode

Mobile apps can be built with two core capabilities:

1. Local storage/database
2. Data synchronization 

 
Local Storage/Database
When the app works offline, the data will need to be stored on the client’s device, so that it can be used when its offline. Offline data storage can be done using different methods (and different for different platforms). Let’s go through them.

Local Caching and Cookies
​

 

• If web technologies are used to build a mobile app, the browser application uses cache and cookies. In order to make the data available offline to the user, the developer will need to program a cache manifest, i.e. a simple list of essential files. In this manner, the browser can use pages that have already been downloaded rather than displaying an error to retrieve the page when there is no longer a network connection.

 

• The other approach is to retain browser cookies. This is one of the most basic approach but is very limited because cookies only tend to store 4KB of data. A disadvantage of using this method is that cookies are re-sent to the server with each HTTP request, which results in a waste of a lot of bandwidth to re-send the all offline data even when it is not needed. Storing data in cookies is only recommended only for simple storage.

 
Tools for storing data in the web browser:

• “IndexedDB is a low-level API for client-side storage of significant amounts of structured data, including files/blobs. This API uses indexes to enable high-performance searches of this data. While Web Storage is useful for storing smaller amounts of data, it is less useful for storing larger amounts of structured data.”

Reference Source: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/IndexedDB_API
 

• The service worker is like a shared worker in that it runs in its own global script context (usually in its own thread). It isn’t tied to a particular page and has no DOM access. Also, it can run without any page at all, can terminate when it isn’t in use, and run again when needed (i.e., it’s event-driven) and has a defined upgrade model.

Reference Source: https://github.com/w3c/ServiceWorker/blob/master/explainer.md
 
Shared Preferences 
For platforms such as Android and iOS, there is a certain mechanism that allows storing of user’s preferences (pieces of information saved persistently and used to configure the app) which allows the app to work in offline mode.
 

• Android platform provides SharedPreferences, APIs that can be used to save a relatively small collection of primitive data in key-values pairs. To simply put it, a SharedPreferences object is a reference to the file that contains key-value pairs and APIs provide simple methods to read and write preferences.

In this case, you have a key that can only be the string type, and the appropriate value for that key. In turn, the value can be one of the following types: boolean, float, int, long, or string.
 
Each of the SharedPreferences files is managed by the Android platform and is internally stored as an .xml file in a private directory. An app can have multiple SharedPreferences files and, ideally, they are used to store app preferences.
 

• iOS Platform uses the NSUserDefaults class in order to save and update user’s preferences. The NSUserDefaults class provides a programmatic interface that permits an app to customize its behavior to match a user’s preferences.

 
For instance, users can save a profile image offline or add a feature that saves documents automatically. These preferences are recorded by the app in what is known as the iOS “defaults system.” In this way, information is cached, which helps avoid the opening of the user’s defaults database each time you need a default value.
 
The iOS defaults system is available within all of the code in your mobile app, any saved to the defaults system data will persist through app sessions. What this means for the user is that after the app closes or reboots, the saved data will still be retained.
 
Reference Source: https://dzone.com/articles/how-to-make-mobile-app-work-offline
 
Local (Internal/External) Storage 
An Internal/External Data Storage method is used specifically for those situations that need to store data to the device filesystem which doesn’t require relational database capabilities. Furthermore,

• It allows very fast storage of data.
• It is easy to use.
• All of the data that was stored using the Internal Storage method is thoroughly private to your app, and after your app is uninstalled, the data is deleted from the device.

 
SQLite Database

Majority of mobile platforms, such as Android, iOS, and Windows Phone, provide support for apps to use SQLite databases for data storage, although database managing is specific for each platform. SQLite is an open source database system which works great on mobile devices as its storage offers an app the speed and power of a full featured relational database. SQLite uses a single file to store all the data to make management of data simple. It is an easy and simple to use alternative for queuing or caching information.
 
Reference Source: To read more, https://dzone.com/articles/how-to-make-mobile-app-work-offline
 
Data Synchronization 
​
Performing some action in offline mode and then synchronizing it with a central repository is one of the core features of an offline app. Generally, an app has both client-side storage and server-side storage, and the app manages the flow of data between the server and the client. The offline mode feature allows the user to edit information on the server-side and, at the same time, on the mobile side. 

With this approach, the synchronization logic should ensure that after successful synchronization, data will be up-to-date on the mobile and server side at the same time. This can be achieved by adding certain “audit” fields to each object that should be synchronized between mobile and server, and vice versa. These fields can be like these: ‘last_updated_on’, ‘created_on’, and if the data isn’t physically removed: ‘deleted_on’.
Reconnecting too often might drain the battery, hence, slots need to be defined that are good for downloading data. It is necessary to determine different synchronization cycles for different data according to the needs of the business. It is better when small data packages require high-frequency updates.

Summarizing
​
In today’s time, the user expects offline services from apps and hence, it can no longer be ignored. The mobile app’s user experience will improve leaps and bounds, if majority of offline scenarios are implemented. If you wish to incorporate an offline mode for your app, but need help or clarification, you can get in touch with the App Scoop mobile app development team and developers : https://app-scoop.com/contact-us.html
 

In this fast-paced tech world, the convenience of the user or customer is held in high regard. Hence, we’ve seen a number of e-commerce companies and apps that are dominating a space in the market. This disruption in the market has changed caused by e-commerce has had a direct impact on the freight industry. The shipments have become smaller but the number of shipments has grown immensely. 

The majority of shipments aren’t enough for a Full Truck Load (FTL) and hence, more retailers are relying on less than truckload or Less Than Load (LTL) shipments to deliver the purchased product by the customer to their location. As per statistics, LTL vehicles only carry 1000 pounds worth of freight through a tedious route.
​
Reference Source: https://www.supplychain247.com/article/what_is_ltl_shipping_and_why_is_it_important_to_corporate_america

The growing demand for LTL shipment has brought about a demand in technology that helps optimize and automate transportation processes through the whole supply chain – i.e. fleet management, report generation and communication between all three parties. Some of the major LTL carriers include FedEx, DHL and XPO Logistics.
​
Importance of Technology in the LTL Industry
​
In order to operate the LTL industry smoothly, technology comes in as a big help! Let’s take a look at the few advantages it offers. 

​Algorithmic Pooling

Imagine how LTL efficiency will increase if the goods on a truckload need to travel in the same direction. A company, Flock Freight, earlier known as AuptiX, uses machine learning and automation which helps in algorithmic pooling. This technology smartly combines shipments from several customers who are on the same route (finds the best route) and unloads it into one truck.
Also, as per Flock Freight, it says that the shipment doesn’t leave until it’s delivery time which gives it time to add more products (if any) during the waiting period. This type of approach reduces the risk of damage by 21.2% compared to traditional LTL methods.
Reference Source: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190808005115/en/AuptiX-Modernizes-LTL-Shipping-Industry-Algorithmic-Pooling 

Mobile Applications

​There freight apps that LTL sectors will benefit from – for example, Uber Freight and GoShare.
Uber Freight is an app that connects the drivers with shipping companies that have goods to move. During the two-month pilot, truck drivers left more than 10,000 reviews about the companies that use them to transport freight. It allows the truckers to choose the kind of cargo that they want to deliver and view the reviews and comments from other truck drivers about how the particular company is when it comes to communication, payment, etc.

Reference Source: https://www.businessinsider.in/Uber-Freight-is-helping-combat-a-1-3-billion-problem-that-the-trucking-industry-has-ignored-for-years/articleshow/67776734.cms

​On the other hand, GoShare connects clients and drivers who are ready to transport the cargo. The clients can pay the drivers for their services through the app. They can also track the movement of the cargo in the app.
Apps that deal with LTL, can also notify the customers by updating them with real-time notifications, time definite requests, for instance calling the customer before delivering the goods. It can also give them visibility by allowing them to verify when certain shipment milestones are met and when a person needs to sign the confirm receipt. 
Reference Source: https://www.rockfarm.com/clarity-ltl-notifications/

Artificial Intelligence-Based Pricing

Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers great potential for LTL shipments. XPO is the second largest provider of LTL transportation in North America. Mario Harik, chief information officer of XPO Logistics, said, “Our technology is spurring growth across all the services we offer. We’ve pinpointed four high-impact areas where we can lead the LTL industry in transforming traditional approaches to serving customers. Two of these innovations – dynamic route optimization and linehaul bypass – are already in pilot. Given our capacity for innovation, our opportunity for creating value in LTL is nearly limitless.”
Reference Source: https://news.xpo.com/en-us/news/1841/xpo-logistics-announces-four-new-technology-initiatives-for-ltl-optimization/
XPO has AI-driven pricing tools that help predict elasticity. AI companies are looking to understand historical data and emerging trends which will help them respond to customers faster and they are also looking to develop algorithms to forecast future marketplace conditions.

Robotic Process Automation

Companies are looking to incorporate cost-effective ways to categorizing incoming files. Manual labour takes a lot of time; hence, they are focusing on technologies that can streamline data. Polaris Transportation, a Canadian LTL company, focusses on cross border freight. It recently started using robotic process automation to streamline entering details about new orders.
The robotic process automation tool can handle about 85 percent of the customs process and the paperwork that comes with it, it also pulls system data from incoming emails. It saves workers 2-3 hours in a day.
Reference Source: https://www.ccjdigital.com/polaris-transportation-using-bots-to-automate-cross-border-freight/

Predictive Analysis

Improving pricing methods is another milestone that LTL wishes to achieve. XPO recently started using predictive analysis – it tracks how workers perform and then compares the output with the desired performance targets.

​Incorporating the Right Features and Functionalities
Let’s take a look at few features and functionalities that would benefit LTL companies.

​Transportation Management System

A Transportation Management System (TMS) with shipment planning functionality can facilitate logistics by automatically turning orders into shipments and determining the most suitable truck for their transportation.
A TMS system should have a shipment database that must include:

• Information on planned and actual shipments
• Orders
• Shipping details of products
• Individual products in those orders

Fleet Management

GPS technology should be incorporated in each product, so that the customer gets a real time view of when and how the package is going to be delivered. The company that ships their product will also be able to monitor the truck and shipment locations in real time, changes in shipment size and destination and the driver’s performance. Based on this information, they will be able to penalise the right people in case of any complaints.

Reporting and Analytics Functionality

The TMS system should have a reporting and analytics functionality:

• A dashboard should provide consolidated information about shipment statuses for managers
• General actionable reports should include carrier scorecards, distributional patterns, financial analytics and shipment trends which would improve the level of service.

RFID Technology

RFID (radio-frequency identification) technology can be used to manage logistics and inventory problems faced by LTL companies. RFID tag scanners automate the verification of sorting and pooling within a terminal which reduces delays, as it enables faster creation of waybills and delivery notes, ensuring smooth sorting of shipments.
To use RFID technology, an LTL carrier’s terminals need to have RFID readers and software installed and also implement tagging capabilities to tag new shipments and follow them through the LTL network.

Convenient Working Conditions

A feature-rich driver app would help retain the good staff in the company. The app should include:

• Advanced search and filtering which would enable carriers to search for and accept shipment requests in the nearby area.
• Route optimization that would direct the drivers the most optimal routes in a few taps – this would save you time and petrol costs.
• To eliminate time on tedious writing, implement a convenient check-in feature that automatically creates a QR code with a gate pass.
• When the package is delivered to the client, an e-signature would be the proof of delivery; drivers just ask the client to verify receipt by signing for shipments right on the driver’s mobile device. This allows recipients to sign faster, increasing drivers’ productivity and simplifying the delivery process.
• A driver dashboard should provide all details of a driver’s delivery history in one place, which include earnings and miles driven – consider integrating with management tools for accounting, payroll, payments, and time for transportation tracking.

Wrapping It Up

It is recommended that each freight company create their own app instead of using the off-the-shelf solutions. Sure, it saves time, but it does not work effectively.
For instance, a poor UX can make the application to complex for the user, which in turn requires experts to train the staff on how to use the app. Also, TMS vendors offer apps that have a standard functionality and your company would need to customize the app – purchasing the app and customizing it would come up to the same cost as making a new one.
Forward thinking businesses are giving these modern technologies a try so that they can benefit from the LTL business. If you wish to learn more about incorporating a system to help your LTL business, email the App Scoop Vancouver mobile app developers : https://app-scoop.com/contact-us.html

Companies want to develop apps as soon as there is a market demand. The tech world in the 21st century operates on lightening speed. It’s not the time to dwell over your app for months before you release it. Gone are the days where the developers needed to develop time-consuming codes for different platforms. Cross-platform development of apps does not only make it quicker and easier for the developer to build the app but also cheaper.

But the question remains which app development cross-platform to choose – Flutter or React Native? Let’s compare the lead market players to identify which framework would best choose the company’s app idea.
​
Introduction to Flutter ​

Flutter is a portable UI toolkit that was built by Google to build natively-compiled apps across mobile, web, and desktop from a single codebase. The programming language used to build this platform is Dart. Some of the apps that are developed in Flutter include Xianyu app by Alibaba, Hamilton app for Hamilton Musical and Google Ads app.
Popularity: 68,000 Stars on Github (June 2019)
Reference Link: https://flutter.dev/

​Introduction to React Native 

React Native is a framework developed by Facebook for building native applications using React. The programming language used to build this platform is Javascript. Some of the apps that are developed in React Native include Instagram, Facebook, Facebook Ads, Skype and Tesla.
Popularity: 78,400 stars on Github (June 2019)
Reference Link: https://facebook.github.io/react-native/

Flutter v/s React Native 
​​
User Interface
New and old version apps that are built using Flutter have the same up-to-date operating systems. Since, it has only one codebase, the apps look and behave identically in Android and iOS.
Flutter has two types of widgets which conform to specific design languages: Material Design widgets implement Google’s design language of the same name; and Cupertino widgets imitate Apple’s iOS design. Hence, the Flutter app looks and behaves naturally on both the platforms imitating their native components, for instance, a button will have the same look and feel on iOS, as well as Android.
Reference Links:
 https://flutter.dev/docs/development/ui/widgets/material
https://flutter.io/widgets/cupertino/

Flutter uses the Skia Graphics Library, which means that the view changes each time the UI is redrawn (be careful so as not to cause redrawing of those elements of the view whose data has not changed). Most of the work is done on GPU (graphics processing unit); that’s why Flutter UI is smooth and delivers 60fps (frames per second).
Reference Link: https://skia.org/

On the other hand, React Native uses native components. The app’s components will get instantly upgraded after any OS UI update. In order to give the same look to the app across platforms and older versions, the developer would need to consider using third party libraries which will enable you to use Material Design components, in place of native ones.

Sharing Codes

Currently, Flutter uses a single code base between iOS and Android on mobile. Although, the long-term vision is to allow developers to write one code for desktop, mobile and for the web. Flutter for web (only preview available) and desktop are currently in the nascent stages.

On the other hand, React Native have select libraries that allows the developers to use the same code to build iOS, Android, web, and Windows10 apps. They can also extract shared code in mobile, desktop, and web apps, to a separate repository; treat it as a separate project; then inject it in the same way as another dependency. Hence, the developer can just focus on writing code for a specific platform and be assured that it will be compatible with the other.

Time-Frame to Develop the App

When developers make changes to the codebase in Flutter or React Native, they are immediately reflected in the application. This is the so-called Hot reload feature, and it typically takes (milli-)seconds for changes to show. Hence, developers can add features, fix bugs, and experiment with new ideas in an instant. It is also is very handy when it comes to developing designer collaboration.
From the developer’s perspective, Flutter offers a more dynamic and faster app development. React Native uses bridge and native elements which may require separate optimization for each platform which makes it longer for the developer to make it market-ready.

Performance

Flutter employs the C/C++ library, which is much closer to machine language and delivers superior native performance. All the components, including the UI, are compiled using C/C++.
Whereas, React Native compiles UI components using their native equivalents, and the JavaScript acts as a bridge that connects to each native module and performs the required actions.
The performance of Flutter is more efficient than that of React Native.

Competitive Advantages

Flutter offers:

• Rich widgets which enhance the look and feel of the app
• Popularity and a growing community base
• Easy to understand documentation with strong support from the Flutter team
• Fastest development time

React Native offers:

• Stability (it has been in the market for almost 5 years) and reliability
• Successful and known market players such as Facebook and Instagram
• Code can be reused for both, web app and desktop app development.
• Mature and vast community
• Plenty of tutorials and libraries makes it easy for the developer to understand

Drawbacks/Limitations

Both, Flutter and React Native apps have their own limitations when it comes to incorporating certain elements in the app.
Flutter doesn’t allow:

• The use of 3D touch (although, it is in the pipeline for future development)
• Design elements to be platform specific
• The app to have multiple interactions with an OS or rare native libraries
• Significant usage of phone hardware, in case the app needs a minimal UI
• To create an instant (small-sized) app

Native React doesn’t allow:

• Less common, or ultra-specific tasks (like calculations) in the background
• Custom communication via Bluetooth
• To create an Android app only

The Future – Flutter or React Native?

Both, Flutter and React Native are constantly trying to improve and refine the tool. Both these platforms have their own competitive advantages and drawbacks, so they are both here to stay!
Flutter is trying to make improvements – using a single codebase to create not only mobile applications but also web and desktop apps. They are also working on implementing the use of 3D touch.

React Native is currently focussing on a large-scale re-architecture of the technology. They have included Support for the community to create an open environment. The developers will be able to suggest changes to the framework’s core functionalities through an RFC process that uses a dedicated GitHub repo.

Reference Links:
https://github.com/react-native-community/discussions-and-proposals/issues/
https://facebook.github.io/react-native/blog/2018/11/01/oss-roadmap
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If you have any further doubts or questions on Flutter or React Native frameworks, you can contact the App Scoop mobile app developers or the  Vancouver app development Team: https://app-scoop.com/contact-us.html

In the year 2019, our phones have more personal data than ever! From banking apps to social media apps to official apps – we all have sensitive data on our smartphones. Our phones in the wrong hands could result in an apocalypse in our life. Did you know that the top 100 paid Android apps on Google Play Store have been hacked, and more than 56% of the top paid iOS apps have been hacked?
Reference Source: https://www.arxan.com/press-releases/arxan-discovers-top-100-android-apps-hacked-in-2013

Surveying the Mobile App for Security Issues
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The most common mobile app that handles information insecurely are e-commerce apps. The major areas where a data breach occurs is:

• Storage data in a location that other apps can access
• Unintended data leakage
• Poor authorization
• Handling of sessions
• Broken cryptography

With the right strategies, there is a possibility to safeguard this information. So, the question remains, how can we enhance mobile app security? Let’s take a look at 8 steps that will help us protect our sensitive information. 

1. Cautiousness While Dealing with API 

The secret language between mobile apps are called Application Programming Interface (API) – this interface needs to be secured because it is the most vulnerable to get attacked.
 
The ways to make APIs more secure are:

1. To use authorized APIs in the application code which means that each API must have a key to modify or interact with another app
2. Embedding an API gateway
3. Adding a firewall for web apps or conducting code reviews
4. Using API keys to monitor use and metrics – which also gives you a built-in analysis

 
2. Protect Network Connections 

Another factor that contributes to breach of environment are unstable or not secure. These kinds of network connections lead to unauthorized access by other (cloud) servers. Let’s take a look at the different ways that we can protect our phones from being hacked due to network connection issues.

1. Employ penetration testers who would detect the vulnerabilities and offer solutions.
2. Incorporate a process called containerization where the app is bundled with its libraries, dependencies and configuration files that run in several computing environments. This process is considered to be bug-free. This process ensures that every document’s data in a secure encrypted container.
3. To ensure additional layers of security, encrypt database through SSL (secure sockets layer), TLS (transport layer security (TLS), or VPN (a virtual private network).
4. Another method to secure the mobile app is to disperse resources across different servers and separate key resources from the users. This method is called federation.

 
3. Encrypt Local Data 

The data that is more vulnerable to attacks is the data stored by the user (local data) in the smart device. Encrypting a whole lot of data might affect user experience, hence, it is advisable to encrypt only sensitive information stored by the user, for instance, credit card details, passwords, etc. It is important for the developers to design the app in a way that this information doesn’t get stored in the device.
 
Mobile database can be encrypted using the following methods:

1. Use of Ciphered Local Storage Plugin while working with OutSystems – this is used to encrypt local storage database
2. SQLite module by the Appcelerator program
3. Protect data on a file-by-file basis known as file-level encryption to encrypt at-rest data

 
4. Create Unique Source Codes 

Obfuscating codes meaning creating machine code or source code that is difficult for the hackers to read. There are strategies that can be used to ensure that the hackers cannot reverse engineer a software program. Sirius, DashO, and TotalCode are examples of obfuscation tools that are available in the market.
 
Some ways to create unique source codes are:

1. By removing non-essential metadata and debugging information, manually
2. To add meaningless labels to use variable and class names
3. Use dummy codes in a way that they do not affect the working of the app
4. To inject anti-tamper protection into the source code where in case of tampering the application shuts down automatically and notifies the concerned authorities

 
5. Checklist of Possible Weak Spots 

Before making a mobile application, it is good to make a checklist of threats and weak spots. Involving all team members is a wise option as it ensures security at each stage while creating the mobile app. Some common weak spots include:

1. Server-side controls
2. Data leakage
3. Authentication
4. Data transmission
5. Point of entry
6. Data storage

 
6.Test for Bugs and Vulnerabilities  

Examining data security issues is one of the most important process during the testing process before releasing the app in the market. The best way to do that is to perform a beta-testing on the app to find out if there are security ruptures present.
 
Here are some tips to help in testing the security of your app:

1. Create a dummy DDMS file and provide a mock location. This helps in ensuring that drivers are unable to send mock GPS location from their smart device
2. Ensure that all the app log files don’t store the authentication tokens
3. Check whether the data specific to a driver is visible after login
4. Check whether the drivers are able to view data as per their access rights
5. For web service, check the encryption of login authentication token

Some of the security tools that can be used include Android Debug Bridge, iPad File Explorer, QARK, Clang Static Analyzer, Smart Phone Dumb Apps, and OWA SP Zed Attack Proxy Project.

7. Using an Updated Library 

One of the common elements that is likely to be compromised are libraries. While working on the mobile application, remember to use the latest version of the libraries to avoid any breach of security.
 
“All categories of applications tend to use third-party libraries to accelerate the development process. Based on analysis of the Central Repository (one of the largest open source code repositories), Sonatype estimates that 90 percent of all software development requires the downloading of components. While most critical vulnerabilities in third-party libraries are disclosed as Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs), it is disconcerting to note that the applications that use them are not updated in a timely manner. Also, CVEs do not represent all of the vulnerabilities found in third-party software, and other unidentified weaknesses may exist.”
 
ReferenceSource:https://techbeacon.com/security/third-party-libraries-are-one-most-insecure-parts-application
 
8. Impose Access Policies 

Mobile app development must be in sync with the corporate policies of the organization’s IT administrators. Also, it should comply with the Google Play Store and iStore (Apple). It is possible to reduce the attack surface of your application by using secure frameworks.
 
Reference Source: https://www.techaheadcorp.com/services/mobile-application-development/
 
Wrapping Up
 
If all the security measures stated are incorporated, it will be almost impossible for the hacker to phish data. It is important to stay updated with the latest security tools and techniques to further secure the mobile app making it a seamless experience for the user. Also, it is important to keep a tab on the different techniques that are used by hackers to compromise the security of apps.
 
If you wish to know mobile app security tools and techniques, you can contact the App Scoop mobile app developers and Vancouver app development team on: https://app-scoop.com/contact-us.html