More efficient use of the budget
In the cross-platform environment, the code is written once. To make the app work in another operating system, the code is converted to another programming language. As a result, the time and money required for outsource cross-platform apps development is 1.5 times less.
Broadest possible use
The cross-platform approach takes advantage of the fact that outsource cross-platform mobile development for Android and iOS is based on markup languages and styles. This includes JavaScript, CSS and HTML used in the creation of sites. This approach is reasonable because eventually most of the content is presented in the form of HTML pages. Apps of this type are written and fit almost all existing mobile gadgets, as they are based on the browser operation mechanism.
Speed of development
Outsource cross-platform application developers do not have to spend time learning several technology stacks for each platform, since they work with one universal stack.
Integrity of corporate identity
Using the same interface and UX to promote a mobile app, both the design (UI) and the user experience (UX) are important, and a solution for all platforms developed by one team ensures the same look and interface for each device.
Diverse audience
If the target audience is more actively using iOS or Android, you can begin with the native app for one operating system. If the maximum coverage is important from the start, it is better to choose a cross-platform development option.
Test the hypothesis (MVP development)
If there is a promising idea, but there is no certainty that it will succeed, it is risky to invest a large budget in the development at once. It makes sense to first study the users’ reaction and make strategic decisions on this basis.
Apps are not only popular among modern Internet users, but also quite profitable for their owners. If we combine these two factors, we can conclude that almost any business development strategy can include development of an app. However, there is a dilemma concerning choosingthe right way of mobile app development.
One of the first steps toward digital success is the decision about the mobile operating system. By the way, this was not so easy ten years ago, when Android, iOS, Microsoft, RIM and Symbian were equally viable options.
Today, the choice is much easier because the only major players are Android and iOS, which together account for about 99% of the total market share of mobile operating systems. According to various statistics, Android has the most users. However, many users have iOS, which has 25.75% of the market share. While the Google Play Store offers a wide range of apps (2.5 million), the Apple App Store contains over 1.8 million apps. This fact reveals that neither of the two platforms should be neglected.
Since the choice of mobile operating system is a matter of a user's personal preferences, rather than a matter of performance or availability, it would be appropriate to create a mobile app for both Android and iOS eventually. There are three ways to do it.
Cross-platform software (in our case mobile apps) can run on multiple platforms.
Cross-platform mobile app development allows covering two operating systems, iOS and Android, with one code. It does not involve writing the code in the native programming language, though it provides almost native experience through a visualization interface with the use of its own controls.
To date, many companies use cross-platform solutions, while the others are considering switching to them in the near future. These are not only vendors of the solutions, such as Facebook with its React Native, which is used by Facebook and Instagram apps, but also other major market players who have products, such as Flutter - Alibaba, Philips Hue, Hamilton, Tencent, Grab, Groupon and others.
The selection should be based on the tasks and existing resources. Cross-platform development is a good and clear direction, but has its specific pros and cons, which should be kept in mind even before launching the project. A developed cross-platform application is obviously better than an unmade native one. You can develop it quickly and cheaply, upload it to the store and simply check demand among the users - whether anyone is looking for your app, whether it is installed and what functions are used.
Depending on the results of such an experiment, you can determine the future of the mobile area in your company and the investments in it. We, in turn, offer not only outsource cross-platform application development, but also comprehensive consulting to determine what kind of solution will best suit your goals.