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If you’re going to pay for custom software development, it only makes sense that you’ll want to hire the best programmer around. That way, you won’t just get a tool that helps you manage important business tasks, but also a platform that’s stable and easy to use.

Because most business owners and executives don’t understand a lot about the art and craft of programming new apps, they fall for marketing hype and half-truths – or worse, simply hire the lowest-cost software developer they can find. Then, when they are underwhelmed by the results they are forced to abandon the project, live with something that isn’t quite what they wanted, or start their search over again from scratch.

We don’t want you to have to do any of those things. So today, we are going to give you some top tips you can use to find a mind-blowing software developer for your project. Here are some things you’ll want to do as you meet with different candidates…

Pay Attention to the Questions They Ask

A great software developer knows that the client is the centerpiece of any project. They will ask a lot of open-ended questions because they will want to understand the challenges you’re facing and the outcomes you want to achieve. They will know from experience that almost anything can be created with the right understanding, but that a project is only successful when you receive the perfect solution.

Look for Passion

While it isn’t something that business people necessarily understand or expect, programming software is as much a creative art as it is a science. It’s something akin to writing a play where all the pieces and parts need to mesh together. That’s why the very best in our field are passionate about finding simple, creative, and elegant coding solutions wherever possible.

Try Some of Their Work

You wouldn’t hire a caterer without trying their food, would you? Apply the same kind of thinking to custom software development. If you need a person or team to create an application for you, test drive their work by using another app they have already created. Does it seem fast, easy to use, and full of features? If so, that’s a good sign they’ll deliver something you’re going to like as well.

Talk to Former Clients

It’s unfortunate, but some software developers are perfectly happy to tell you one thing and then do another. That’s why you should always speak to former clients to see what their impressions were like. They can tell you not only about the quality of the software that was delivered, but also whether the vendor was clear with their pricing and able to hit important deadlines.

Get It All in Writing

A reliable software developer is going to be happy to put their promises and assurances in writing because they don’t have anything to hide. So, look over the proposals received very carefully. If what you see is clear and straightforward than you’re probably working with a reputable company.

Need New Software for Your Business?

If you need a custom application or plug-in to make your business run more smoothly, now is the perfect time to talk to the software development experts at Kinetik IT in Phoenix. Let us show you how we can put our skills and experience to work for you!

Developing custom software can be a peculiar business. That’s because most of our clients know what they want, but don’t have the technical skills needed to evaluate the process that will create it. As a result, they can sometimes find themselves taken in by firms that don’t do quality work. The result is an application that doesn’t function the way it’s supposed to.

The signs of poorly written and design software can show up immediately or after a period of use. There might be crashes, error screens, slowed system performance, or even corrupted data. Once these symptoms appear, a business owner or executive can find themselves scrambling around looking for someone who can repair the problem. That often leads them to ask: can a great programming team fix bad code?

The short answer is “yes,” but there are a few things you should keep in mind…

Fixing Bad Code is a Tedious (but Necessary) Process

Repairing broken pieces of software isn’t always easy. More often than not we have to use specialized software (and good old-fashioned eyeball tests) to dig through millions of lines of coding to get to the heart of the issue. In some cases, it might not be that one section is “wrong,” but that there are inconsistencies, small mistakes, or functions that have been copied from one file or application to another.

Regardless of what some vendors might tell you, this isn’t work that can be finished overnight or completely automated. However, it’s a necessary process to go through if you’re going to end up with a piece of software that works exactly as advertised.

It’s Well Worth the Effort

Because of the time and effort involved, we understand that some business owners or executives would rather forgo this process altogether. They may be tempted to just live with the bad coding they have. However, getting a team of experts to repair software and apps that aren’t working is a good decision and the right investment to make.

When your software isn’t functioning properly it affects productivity throughout your business. It might also impact your ability to effectively measure things like revenue and inventory. Worst of all, an issue with one piece of software could spread to other applications or devices. So, don’t put off the programming work needed to fix the problem any longer than you have to.

It’s Better to Start with Quality Work

It goes without saying that it’s much better to hire a reputable development team from the start than it is to have them audit, analyze, and then repair broken coding. Not only will you save time and money, but clean code is much easier to expand and update than messy pieces of software programming.

It’s always better to be healthy than it is to know a good surgeon, and the same kind of analogy applies to the software you need to run your business. When in doubt, spend a little extra time and money finding a developer you can trust, so you won’t have to deal with bad code later.

Looking for a Software Development Partner You Can Trust?

Whether you need custom software written for your company, unique programming of a website, or just a new mobile app for your customers or employees, the Kinetik IT team in Phoenix can help. Contact us today so we can get started on your development project!

Quality assurance testing (or QA for short) is a crucial part of the process when developing a website, app, or custom piece of software. Unfortunately, this is also a step many clients don’t particularly understand or appreciate. Many are so eager to see their new project put to work that they want to rush through this step.

If anything, we have learned over the years that creative teams and their clients could use more QA, not less. So today we want to give you five easy ways you can take to help your vendor deliver error-free programming that works exactly the way you expect it to.

#1 Leave Plenty of Time for QA Reviews

The most important thing you can do, as a business owner or executive, is to stress the importance of QA testing to your development team and leave them enough time to do their work. In other words, make sure you don’t hire a vendor who would agree to rush the process even if you wanted them to, and then be patient as they perform detailed checks and stress tests.

#2 Expand Your QA Testing Team

Often, a programming team will do their first round of QA testing in-house in a controlled environment. However, it’s never a bad idea to get some of the people who will actually be using the resulting app or website in on the act. Let them test it just as they would in a real-world setting and you might find needs or repairs that weren’t immediately apparent.

#3 Log Every Error or Instance

Whether it’s during the testing phase or in a real-world application, you should document any errors you come across when using your new piece of programming. Pay attention to what occurs, when the problem creeps up, any error message that's displayed, and any other details that you can recall. The more information your programming team has to work with, the easier will be for them to find the problematic bits of code that need to be removed or rewritten.

#4 Double Check on Different Devices

One challenge for programmers is that a given app can work perfectly in one environment – say a certain device or browser – but not function on another. The best way to discover issues of compatibility is to simply try your software out within a number of different platforms. The more narrow your QA testing profile, the greater your odds of coming across hidden issues later.

#5 Revisit QA After Changes or Updates

Naturally, the most comprehensive QA testing is going to be undertaken prior to launching your application or website. However, that doesn’t mean you should forget about it after you go live. It’s a good idea to continue QA testing at regular intervals, and particularly after major changes, upgrades, or updates to your custom programming project.

Thinking About Web Programming or Software Development?

It’s entirely possible that the tool you need to take your business to the next level would be easy and inexpensive to create. But, you’ll never find out if you aren’t willing to meet with an expert programming team. Why not contact Kinetik IT in Phoenix today to learn a little bit more about the ways we can help save your company time and money with custom development?

More and more, clients are turning to us for web-based app creation. They are waking up to the fact that they can do more than ever with technology, particularly when it comes to automation and custom programming.

As big as the possibilities are within this realm, though, you might be wondering how you can narrow them down to solve the specific challenges you’re facing on a day-to-day basis. So, today we want to give you a quick guide to creating the web-based app your business needs now. In order to help you find the perfect concept, we would invite you to answer a handful of simple questions that can point you in the right direction…

What Do You Want to Accomplish or Automate?

You can use web apps for ecommerce, scheduling, logistics, resource management, and so much more. The possibilities are as endless as your imagination. For the moment, though, think about what it is you would actually like your website to do. What is the one task or function that would make the biggest difference in your business or organization?

When you can answer that, you have the basis for a very profitable web-based app.

Who Will Use Your App? How Will They Use it?

Getting to a core idea is great, but it’s only a first step. Next, you have to know who your base of users will be. Does your website need to be designed for customers, employees, or even associates and volunteers? Is it some combination of these groups?

Think carefully about who you need your web app to work for, and how they’ll interact with it. For instance, it’s one thing to build a web app that functions as a front-facing website (like Amazon), and another to build a native app that will live on a smart phone or tablet.

How Can You Streamline the User Interface?

In a best-case scenario, you’ll know your target audience and purpose so well that the visual and user experience aspects of your web app will take care of themselves. Still, it’s worth considering what you want your app to look and feel like.

We live in a digital world where aesthetics are a big deal. You don’t have to match Apple in terms of your attention to detail for fonts and colors, but you should strive to create a web app that is as sleek as it is powerful.

Is Your App Being Properly Tested?

We like all of our clients to remember that testing is a crucial part of web app development. Otherwise, your programming might not work the way it’s supposed to, or fail to function on certain devices and operating systems. In some cases, it could even create performance or online security issues.

Remember, this is all about designing the web app your business needs. Safety and stability are important parts of that equation.

When Will You Update Your Web App?

No website or app is ever really finished. Instead, they simply get to the point where they can be launched and then improved later. Keep that in mind and create a schedule for future feedback and additional updates.

You certainly don’t want your web app to become stale over time, or to stop working with newer forms of other software. That’s why you should be thinking about future releases before the first version ever goes live.

Learn More About Custom Web App Development

Want to learn more about custom web development, and how you can use small apps to realize huge savings or marketing gains in your business? Contact the programming team at Kinetik IT today. We’ll help you explore your ideas while showing you how we’ve become Arizona’s number one web app development resource.

As a leading web design firm and IT provider, we always advise our clients to back up any sensitive data they need to run their companies. This applies especially strongly to websites, copies of which should be made regularly and stored on a secure and remote server.

Unfortunately, many business owners and executives don’t have someone reminding them to back up their websites. And even when they do, they don’t always follow this good piece of advice.

With that in mind, today we want to take a look at what can happen when you don’t back up your website regularly. Here are just a few of the possible consequences…

Your Content May Permanently Disappear

If your website isn’t being backed up, then it’s entirely possible that the only layout, content, and collected information might live on a hosting server somewhere. Although it doesn’t happen often, these servers can crash or suffer hardware failures. And, they can be targets for hackers.

Should any of these events come to occur, you could lose access to everything that has been written and designed for your company. That could set your marketing plan back years.

Sales and Leads Might Grind to a Halt

Once your website goes down without a backup copy ready to use, you won’t just be facing the pain and expense of rebuilding your web presence from the ground up. That’s because you’ll probably miss out on lots of sales and leads in the meantime.

Imagine what would happen to your bottom line if your most powerful source of new revenue suddenly dried up. Why risk that when it’s so easy to put backup copies of your website in place?

Your Credibility Takes a Big Hit

Obviously, a website that’s offline can’t generate online sales, leads, or walk-in visits for your business. However, it’s worth pointing out that a missing website sends a bad message to potential customers or colleagues. How likely would you be to contact the company if you visited them online and found nothing but an error message or a “coming soon” page?

Even worse, with no existing website in place it could take weeks to get back online. That means a lot of lost sales and some business opportunities you might not ever get back.

You Could Lose Access to Email

In some cases, a hosting plan might be tied in together with an email server. In other words, if one disappears, or has to be reinstalled, you could lose access to the other.

What this really means in the real world is that an issue with your website could lead to an unexpected email outage. For that reason, a good IT provider will ensure your email messages are being backed up along with any content on your business website.

You Start Your Next Web Design from Scratch

As we’ve already mentioned, losing your website without any backups can mean wiping out all the pages, blog posts, and updates you’ve worked to create over the years. That creates headaches because it means your next web designer has to start from nothing, while Google may ignore you because your website appears to be broken.

There’s never a good time to begin from nothing online, particularly when you've already devoted time and money to building up your online footprint. Don’t throw away the progress you’ve made simply because you don’t have backup copies of your website in place.

Want to learn more about protecting your website and data? Contact the Kinetik IT team in Phoenix today so we can help you find the first steps you’re looking for.

Do you know what to look for when you’re looking for a programmer to help with custom software creation? Most businesspeople don’t.

That’s only natural. Business owners and executives have no reason to be familiar with programming languages and design processes. They have to be focused on the bigger picture, which largely involves what they want from the finished product in terms of appearance and functionality. They can’t get those outcomes, though, until they have the right team in place.

The need to hire a programming team without having programming knowledge can lead to a bit of difficulty. How do you hire a team when it’s difficult to properly assess their qualifications? How can you be sure about who you’re going to if you aren’t entirely sure what separates one from another?

The first thing to know is that you absolutely can find the right software programming partner even if you've never written or seen a line of code in your life. All you need are the proper set of criteria to examine. Just like non-engineers can pick out great cars, our job is to look for the obvious signs of quality.

As veteran developers ourselves, today we are going to give you a quick peek behind the curtain. We are going to show you, in non-technical terms, exactly what to look for in a custom software programming vendor. It all starts with the one quality you would probably look for in any specialty…

Your Software Programming Partner Should Have Experience

The more you do anything, the better you get. With experience, it’s easier to avoid common mistakes and pitfalls, and to streamline your working process to come out with the right result.

Software programming is no exception to that rule, although a lot of startup firms and independent programmers would like you to ignore that fact. That’s because the least expensive and least experienced programmers want you to think that it’s all a matter of putting a few simple lines of code together. However, things are more complicated. Believe it or not, programming software takes vision and creativity along with a base of technical knowledge.

If you’re serious about creating a tool that helps you to market, automate, or better process information, then work with someone who understands the way a piece of software comes together. The experience level of your team matters, particularly if you have a complex project.

You Want a Programming Team with a Willingness to Listen

Although programming software isn’t as simple or straightforward as people tend to believe, in some ways it is the easier part of the job. That’s because the most valuable work happens when your vendor asks you what kind of program you want to create, and why certain features or ideas are important.

If your programmer isn’t listening carefully, they might miss the important details or jump to conclusions. That’s not a good idea, since programmers never know a client’s industry as well as the client does. The finer points of functionality, appearance, and usability all come into focus through a gradual question-and-answer period. That can sometimes take an hour, but it can last longer, too.

This is something a lot of business people wouldn’t necessarily consider to be important, but you don’t want a programmer who doesn’t take the time to figure out what you’re hoping to get from their work.

Choose a Software Programmer with Lots of Patience

In a lot of ways, designing and programming a custom software package is a lot like writing a book. You can begin from an outline, but they’re going to be revisions, additions, and even major plot changes along the way. You’ll find pieces of code are missing, need to be amended, or aren’t compatible with one another.

This is to say that good software programming takes a bit of patience. You have to be able to be calm and work through the little issues that are going to come up as you write line after line and then test your work. You also have to be able to step back and assess things when clients realize that what they asked for isn't exactly the same as what they wanted.

If you choose a software programming team that isn’t patient, you are going to end up with an app that feels rushed. That might get you to a finished program quicker, but over time you’ll have to deal with more errors and patches that hurt your profitability.

Your Software Development Partner Should Emphasize Reliability

There are software programming firms out there that specialize in giving clients more glitz than substance. That is, they build programs that look great, with interesting design features and animations, but don’t necessarily work as well as they should once they’re put to use.

In some cases, that can mean a lack of functionality. The resulting software just doesn’t have as many tools or features as the client originally intended, or those features aren’t as deep (in terms of reporting, etc.). In other cases, speed and reliability can be compromised. The app might run perfectly in a test setting, but crash repeatedly when it’s used on a different workstation or website.

When it comes to creating software, reliability is the name of the game. Refuse to work with any programming team that prioritizes speed or budget above long-term value.

Examine a Software Programmer’s Portfolio and Case Studies

Even if you know what you’re looking for in a software programmer, it’s not necessarily easy to find it. That’s because some people will tell you virtually anything in order to close the sale. You might have to do a little bit of research to get to the truth, or to verify that what you’re hearing is accurate.

This is where a custom software development company’s portfolio and case study examples come into play. You want to have the chance to take a good long look at their previous work, and to evaluate the statements past clients have made. What you’re looking for isn’t just positive feedback, but a sense that business owners and executives who have hired them the past are emphasizing experience, patience, etc., in their praise.

No one knows your software programmer like the people who have already hired them the past. Take the time to read what they have to say before making your decision.

Pay Attention to Your Developer’s Budget and Scheduling Terms

Before you sign the bottom line, it’s worth looking through the budget and terms proposed by your creative partner. What are they promising you in terms of delivery? What about additional costs for edits or revisions? How do the cancellation terms look?

Pay attention to each line item and don’t assume that the price you're quoted will always be the final cost. Some software companies make their money off of add-on fees, or aren’t great about meeting deadlines. You don’t want to get caught in a situation where you’re tied to a company that won’t deliver and you can’t get away.

A reputable programming partner is going to be confident enough in their work to offer you terms that are fair but friendly. If you get the sense that you’re being locked into something you might regret later, ask a few questions before finalizing the deal.

You Can Hire the Best Without Breaking the Bank

All things considered, it probably won’t come as a major surprise that the best software programmers aren’t usually the cheapest. Experience, technical skill, and business know-how tend to come with a cost.

With that being said, however, you can definitely work with the best in the business without breaking your IT budget. In fact, many of our clients actually save money on custom software programming because they don’t have to pay for delays, deal with unexpected errors, or suffer losses from apps that don’t do with they are supposed to. Quality always wins out in the end, especially in our industry.

So, if you want to work with the most trusted software programming team in Arizona, contact the experts at Kinetik IT. We’ll be happy to give you a free, no-obligation consultation to hear about your project. Then, we’ll show you just how easy it is to turn your idea into a finished product your clients, customers, or employees can use.

Custom software development can be the key to boosting revenue and productivity with the perfect app. Or, it can be expensive, time-consuming, and pointless if the process drags on or the buyer gets a piece of software that doesn’t meet their business needs.

Having worked within the software development industry for so long, we know that the biggest issues that affect developers and their clients don’t appear out of thin air. Instead, they stem from things like poor planning and a rush to get a finished product out the door quickly.

That’s because a good piece of custom software is sort of like a cake that has to be baked. If you have a solid recipe, the right ingredients, and a diligent baker, you’re going to end up with something that looks and tastes great. On the other hand, if you wing it every step of the process, substitute salt for sugar, and give yourself an unrealistic deadline, the final result will be unappetizing to eyes and stomachs.

Because this is so important to understand – and because custom software development can be so profitable for businesses that use it correctly – we want to help you avoid making the common big mistakes. Here are nine ways you can prevent or solve the kinds of software development issues your colleagues and customers are struggling with…

#1 Ask Customers or Users What Features They Want

One of the classic mistakes you see in custom software development occurs before a single line of code has been written: moving forward with the wrong idea. If you aren’t creating something your customers, employees, or users want, then it doesn’t matter how great your software looks or what the performance is like.

You might use polls, questionnaires, or interviews. No matter what you prefer, though, it’s important that you get a sense of what features and functions matter most to the people who will actually use your software. Otherwise, you could end up with something they aren’t going to adopt in the first place.

#2 Plan Extensively, Even if You Think Your Project is Simple

Ideally, you’ll want every phase of your custom software development project planned out in advance. You’ll want to know exactly what your app will do, what it will look like, and which tools will be integrated before your programming team starts putting it together.

You might even anticipate stumbling blocks, programming challenges, and future releases. That information isn’t crucial at the outset (and in fact can be difficult to predict), but having more information and insights is better than less.

#3 Get a Written Agreement with Milestones Spelled Out

Naturally, your software development team is going to want you to sign a written agreement or proposal before any work begins. When you do, be sure that the deadlines and expectations for major milestones are spelled out thoroughly.

From a client’s perspective, this can add a little bit of peace of mind. You want to know when you’ll start seeing early versions of your software, at what date you can expect it to launch, and so on. For developers, these sorts of milestones also prepare the client so they can be ready to make important decisions in a timely way. That helps everyone to keep the process moving along.

#4 Decide on a Look for Your Software Interface

What do you want the various screens or pages within your software package to look like? At some point, early in the process, it’s good if you can decide on a certain aesthetic that will carry from one interaction to the next. That’s because you don’t want your programming team making a lot of last-minute changes to the visuals if it’s not necessary. That can lead to crashes and inconsistencies.

If you have a sense of how you want your interface to be presented, bring that up early on. The design element of your app isn’t necessarily as important as the concept itself, but it does add to the overall feel and usability of the finished product.

#5 Create Flowcharts for User Flow and Interface Design

In some ways, custom software projects are similar to web designs. That’s not only because many new apps end up on the internet; it’s also because you want to manage things so it’s as easy as possible for users to get from one screen, prompt, or feature to the next.

To maximize usability, work with your development team to come up with flowcharts and menus that guides users through the various steps needed to complete common tasks. You’ll double check this work in the testing phase later, but it’s easier if your software is set up in a coherent way from the beginning.

#6 Give Prompt Feedback to Your Development Team

As they move through the design and programming phase of your software development project, your creative team is going to present you with various models and mockups. These might be screenshots, artistic designs, or versions of your app with limited functionality.

When you receive them, take care to respond with any feedback in a timely way if possible. That will stop the development project from stalling, of course, but will also make it easier to facilitate a back-and-forth discussion that influences future work. To put it another way, it’s easier to prevent the same mistakes from being repeated again and again when your programming team is getting solid and immediate responses.

#7 Leave Time for Beta Testing and Security Evaluations

Sometimes, business owners, nonprofit directors, and executives get so excited about a software development idea that they want to rush the product to market, or get their team using it as quickly as possible. That enthusiasm is wonderful, but you should always leave a little bit of time on the calendar for beta testing and intensive review from your creative team.

No matter how well-planned or envisioned an app is, there are often small corrections that need to be made once real humans start interacting with the product. Additionally, you’ll want to ensure your software is as stable as it can be, and that it isn’t leaving you open to any kind of security concerns. It can be hard to wait while testing goes on, but it’s an important step that shouldn’t be skipped.

#8 Plan for Future Updates

Once your app is ready to launch, schedule some time with your development team to review your progress and talk about version updates later. You might not have any idea what those updates will be like, but you are very likely to need something once your software is in use.

Little patches, revisions to text, and feature growth are all common requests that come into play after an app or software package has been delivered. By planning to review for these changes ahead of time, you can make it easier for you and your team to keep track of what you might like to see done.

#9 Choose a Software Development Company You Can Trust

It’s worth pointing out, of course, that everything we’ve suggested on this list is easier to accomplish and manage when you have a team of experienced and professional software developers on your side. That expertise is going to come with a cost, but you’re also going to get what you need and expect in the end.

There is a common misconception that programming is all the same and it doesn’t matter who you work with for custom software development. However, the lowest bidders and newest providers start out on the bottom wrong for a reason. If you want software that helps your business to grow, and wish to avoid the kinds of headaches and issues that can cause you to give up on the project before it’s finished, then do yourself a favor and work with professionals you can trust.

Turn to Us for Custom Software Development

An experienced Arizona software development team won’t just give you a completed application you need – they’ll also have plenty of questions and guide you step-by-step through the programming process.

That’s how we’ve been so successful at Kinetik IT. With more experience than virtually any other team the Phoenix area, we have helped our clients to develop usable software that works in a variety of situations, and on just about any kind of platform or operating system you can imagine.

Whether you have a perfect idea of what you want your custom software package to do, or need to talk about the possibilities with a team of experts, we’re here to help. Contact our development team today and will be happy to schedule a no-obligation consultation for you. In just one short conversation you could get all the information you need to grow your company, automate repetitive tasks, and improve your bottom line.

Why not reach out now and get the answers you need?

Are you thinking of developing a mobile app for your business?

Perhaps you have a great idea for a tool that can be sold as a stand-alone solution. Or, you might be thinking (like so many other business owners and executives) that a mobile app could be a good companion for your website. Perhaps you want to encourage e-commerce transactions by letting buyers make purchases from you directly without having to log in to your website. You might even want several of these benefits.

Whatever the specific reason, mobile app development is more popular than ever before. But, while more businesses are building apps and more creative teams are providing them, it’s easy to make costly mistakes or overlook details that can make or break the finished product.

With that in mind, today we want to give you a step-by-step look at what’s needed to create and release something your customers can use on their phones and tablets. Let’s dig into our advanced guide to mobile app development…

The First Step Towards Creating a Mobile App is Coming Up With a Winning Concept

What will your app do? This is an important question, and one that speaks to both function and profitability. You should know what you want your app to accomplish for users or customers, but also how it can contribute to your company or bottom line.

Coming up with an idea for an app isn’t necessarily difficult, but refining it to the point that it’s workable, unique, and marketable can be a challenge. Believe it or not, this is an area where an experienced creative team can be a huge help. While you might think of mobile app development as revolving around design and programming, brainstorming and finding answers before work begins is just as important.

You’ll Have to Decide Which Features Are Going to Go Into Your Mobile App

Even after you have a sense of the purpose of your app, and how you will fit it into your business, you’ll have to develop a list of features. Again, this is an area where enthusiasm can come into direct conflict with reality. Budgets, timing, and available technology can all be real constraints when you’re trying to decide which features will make it into your mobile app development project.

Keep in mind that not everything on your mobile app wish list has to be incorporated right away. Some features can be added post-launch, or following testing and reviews by real-world users. This can be a good solution, particularly if you want to generate revenue from your app before devoting too much to its development.

Mobile App Design Helps You Find the Right Look and Feel

When you know what your mobile app development project is all about, and which features you'll need in the initial launch, your creative team can go about designing the interface. This is all about aesthetics and usability, so it should fit your existing branding and make the app feel like a pleasure (rather than a chore) to actually open and interact with.

This also tends to be a part of the process where owners and executives are most involved. Don’t be afraid to let your designers know how you want your mobile app to look and feel so they can draw layouts to meet your preferences. People will notice the look of your app, so the way you package the underlying features matters.

Next, a Programming Team Has to Code Your Mobile App Into a Workable Piece of Software

After you have a set of working layouts for the different screens and prompts on your mobile app, coders will get to work behind the scenes to add all the features and functions you specify. In some cases, this could mean pulling from existing software; in other situations, they may have to work from scratch.

This is often the longest part of the process, and the point where clients are least involved. What’s important is that your development team knows exactly what you want to accomplish and has the skills to deliver it. If so, they should be able to deliver a working version of your app on time and within the budget range quoted.

Testing Your Mobile App Is Critical for Its Stability and Usability

Many business people tend to think that after an app is and programmed it can be launched immediately. However, there are still a couple of steps that need to be taken before it’s ready to go out to the public.

The first is a round of rigorous testing that ensures your app is usable, stable, and adaptable. In other words, it should work exactly the way it’s supposed to, and for a variety of users who might have their own distinct hardware and software. For instance, it’s likely that some of your customers will have iPhones, while others prefer Galaxy or Android. Additionally, they might be using different versions of the underlying operating systems. Testing lets you ensure your app will load, display, and function correctly in each of these environments without crashing.

Every Mobile App Development Team Should Prioritize Security

The other part of testing you should pay particular attention to has to do with online security. You don’t want to roll out an otherwise perfect app and then find out it has flaws that can be exploited by hackers, or that can leave sensitive information exposed.

In this day and age, the security of your mobile web app is almost as important as its functionality. Users want to know their information is safe and protected, particularly if they will be sharing email addresses, financial data, or other sensitive information through your software.

The Rollout and Launch of Your Mobile App Are Important to Profitability

You could simply put your mobile app online and hope buyers will find it and download it, but that’s not a good strategy if you want to make the most of your investment. A better idea is to treat the launch of your mobile app like you would the rollout of a new website or marketing strategy. Don’t just promote it heavily, but plan ahead to ensure your most important customers and prospects will hear about it multiple times.

A successful mobile app launch might include website announcements, social media ads, email newsletter updates, and press releases. You might also want industry thought leaders to review your app, or to get reviews from actual users. All of these can help you ensure you get attention from your market quickly after it launches, so your app can gain those all-important early users, who will in turn help share it with others in their personal and professional lives.

You Can Keep Improving Your Mobile App With Updates and Compatibility Checks

Even after you launch your app and see it being used by customers, your work isn’t done. You should keep improving your mobile app over time. Some of your updates might be driven by necessity (changes to operating systems and so on), or to fix bugs that are discovered by customers. In other cases, customers may ask you for features you didn’t originally think of.

However you go about it, remember that the best apps usually improve and develop over time. You don’t have to spend a lot of time and money on your app to keep it fresh, but you shouldn’t simply think of it as a finished product immediately after launch, either. Maximize your long-term ROI, and keep users engaged, by continually looking for ways to make your software better. Don’t worry – your creative team can help you manage this process.

Ready to Bring Your Mobile App Idea to Life?

If you’re tired of wondering what your business could do with a mobile app, or letting your idea pass you by, then why not take the first step towards bringing the concept to reality? When you have a strong creative team on your side, developing and promoting a mobile app is a lot easier and more affordable than most people tend to think.

The experienced team at Kinetik IT can help you bring your mobile app concept into focus, and then turn your idea into something customers can start using right away. We have helped dozens of businesses across Phoenix make the most of the internet, and you’ll be amazed at what we can do for your company, too.

Contact us today to setup a free consultation and see how we can help!

Many companies now look to custom software development as the ideal solution for organization and management. Some, however, avoid it completely, favoring off-the-shelf solutions instead. While the reality is that any company can utilize custom software development, Phoenix is full of industries that should ALWAYS consider it over any other solution for a variety of reasons. Here are the top three:

Financial Services

The world of finance is very different from any other industry today. Not only is understanding the data and math behind complex processes like securities valuations, risk and trading a must, there are also myriad compliance issues to consider. From portfolio managers to the traders themselves, those in the industry know that sacrifices in functionality can mean lost profits, and that’s not a choice you want to be up against. Custom software development here is a must. Because financial services companies are all different and they have a niche environment in which they must work, challenges abound, and only the right program can meet those. 

Healthcare

Patient care, insurance, HIPAA security, regulation, certification, billing and coding – the list of concerns when you’re dealing with any healthcare organizations is vast. While the list of vendors selling one-size-fits-all software programs is lengthy, for most healthcare entities, cookie-cutter software simply won’t make the grade. Each healthcare organization has its own angle, its own concerns, its own budgets, and choosing a software project that means meeting every aspect of an organizations needs is a necessity. You need a team that has expertise with medical software projects and knows enough about health interoperability standards to create the right solution to meet your needs.

Logistics

Business is about being at the right place at the right time, and in the logistics business, you understand that you need a software solution that will allow you to process and move as quickly as possible. In an industry where the margins are slim, a half-second delay caused by software not specifically designed to suit your needs is either going to cost you time, money, or a customer. The only way is to go with something that has been specifically optimized to meet your exact needs. 

Even if your industry is not listed here, there’s a strong possibility that off-the-shelf software won’t address all your company’s needs. In the long run, customized software development is always going to be the only way to move forward for your company. Off-the-shelf software is developed to appeal to the mass markets of your specific industry. By using off-the-shelf software you disregard the fact that the needs and potential of your business are as unique as the business itself and locks you into using the same technology as your competitors.

Kinetik I.T. has vast experience in developing unique custom software applications for all types of industries. Whether your business simply needs a current application enhanced or you need us to develop a complete solution from the ground up to fit your business, contact us and we will show you how we can make a difference in your organization.

Relational database. When you hear the words, you may notice your mind going blank and your eyes glazing over, thinking the term completely uninteresting or unrelated to your work. Dig in further, and you’ll find terms like normalization, entity and referential integrity, superkey and abstraction layer. Relational databases, however, play a huge role in our daily office activities, and even how we shop.

The relational (which refers to mathematical relations) database was created in 1970 by E.F. Codd, a researcher at IBM. At its core, the database is made up of a group of connected tables. With anywhere from 10 to more than 1,000 tables, a typical relational database contains a column or columns that other tables can key on to gather information from that table. Since its creation, databases have become a standard for most businesses and websites—Amazon’s site contains hundreds or thousands of tables all used together to quickly find the exact information needed at any given time—even deciding what products to suggest, based on the user’s activity and interests.

A relational database sorts and filters data, provides stronger security, ensures increased data integrity, and shares information.

Data Integrity

Data Integrity is the foundation of a solid and proper database design. A relational database is able to cross reference data.  The lack of data integrity will cause duplication of data, missing records, and orphaned database records.

Information Sharing

Another key aspect of a relational database is it gives the ability for users to share information simultaneously. The database automatically updates the system when information is deleted, added, or changed. Users are able to immediately access all changes.

Security

No data can be totally safe; still, a relational database allows for different access levels and password protection. Also, authentication steps can be set to ensure that users are only allowed to access information relevant to their job. Authentication steps can also produce a record of user access that can be used to determine access for different users.

While building a custom relational database may take time, its positive impact on a business can be tremendous. A relational database can quickly and efficiently compare information, allow access to vast amounts of information to numerous people at once, and keep information protected by the use of passwords authentication steps. If you are considering a relational database for your company, it is easy to see how important it could be to your business and your bottom line.