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		<title>Getting Your App Idea onto Paper</title>
		<link>http://futuradigital.com.au/2017/07/10/get-your-app-idea-on-paper/</link>
		<comments>http://futuradigital.com.au/2017/07/10/get-your-app-idea-on-paper/#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 Jul 2017 02:28:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Evan Harrison]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[App Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[native apps]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://futuradigital.com.au/?p=1194</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>So you’ve come up with an idea for an app and you’re thinking of approaching a developer to have it created. But going in with nothing but a great idea isn’t necessarily going to give developers confidence in your product. Before making your pitch it’s a good idea to arm yourself with  a basic app... <a class="view-article" href="http://futuradigital.com.au/2017/07/10/get-your-app-idea-on-paper/">View Article</a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://futuradigital.com.au/2017/07/10/get-your-app-idea-on-paper/">Getting Your App Idea onto Paper</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://futuradigital.com.au">Futura Digital</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="opening">So you’ve come up with an idea for an app and you’re thinking of approaching a developer to have it created. But going in with nothing but a great idea isn’t necessarily going to give developers confidence in your product. Before making your pitch it’s a good idea to arm yourself with  a basic app brief – a short written document outlining some fundamental information that will make the process much easier, and more actionable. As well as showing you’ve put a reasonable amount of thought into your idea, a brief will allow you to communicate it more efficiently, and the process of creating it will give you the opportunity to think about some practical issues you might not have considered.</p>
<h2>Define your minimum viable product</h2>
<p>In most cases, simply having an idea of the purpose of your app &#8211; and what problem it’s going to solve &#8211; isn’t sufficient. Before approaching a developer it’s important to have a concise understanding of <i>how</i> your app is going to fulfil its goals, and a great way to gain this is to write down your minimum viable product (MVP). Your MVP is your app in its simplest form, without all the bells and whistles that could be added later. It should only include the features that are essential to accomplishing its purpose and satisfying your initial customers. When deciding whether to include a specific feature, ask yourself ‘If this feature was left out, would the app still be able to complete its main function? Would the user still be able to use the app for its primary purpose?’ If the answer is yes, then it’s a nice-to-have and can be included in a later iteration of your product. Think of something like Microsoft Outlook. Its core purpose is sending and receiving emails. The Tasks and Groups features are add-ons that wouldn’t be included in its MVP.</p>
<p>Another valuable process to work through (and possibly something to consider before mapping your MVP) is planning out the big picture using a <a href="https://docs.google.com/previewtemplate?id=16uOd158UzJM9oqGWgJOtbppzGNPmZ4fWMSV6_xBz3Z8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Lean Business Model Canvas</a>. This process will help you develop actionable and entrepreneur-focused plans that focuses on problems, solutions, key metrics and competitive advantages.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1207" src="http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/lean-business-model-canvas-1.jpg" alt="Lean Business Model Canvas" srcset="http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/lean-business-model-canvas-1.jpg 799w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/lean-business-model-canvas-1-250x184.jpg 250w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/lean-business-model-canvas-1-768x565.jpg 768w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/lean-business-model-canvas-1-700x515.jpg 700w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/lean-business-model-canvas-1-120x88.jpg 120w" sizes="(max-width: 799px) 100vw, 799px" /><br />
Defining an MVP and completing a Business plan will allow you to develop your idea and get it to market much sooner, and much cheaper. Once your app has been created you can look at user feedback to determine if the idea is worth pursuing further, and if so what extra features might your users want. By starting with an MVP you ensure no resources are wasted on features your users don’t want or need.</p>
<h2>Competitor research</h2>
<p>As at May this year, the<a href="https://www.lifewire.com/how-many-apps-in-app-store-2000252" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Apple App Store contained 2.2 million apps</a>. In March, the Google Play Store counted 2.8 million apps; and the rate at which these stores are growing is increasing rapidly. With numbers like this the chances that your idea hasn’t been thought of in some form or another aren’t high. Before pouring your time and money into creating an app you should take a good look  into your potential competition. The easiest way to start this is by searching Google, the App Store and Google Play for keywords or potential app names relating to your idea.</p>
<p>You can also use products designed to track and provide statistics for apps, such as<a href="http://www.apptrace.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> apptrace</a> or<a href="http://appstatics.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> appstatistics</a>. These will not only allow you to search for potential competitors but also show you how they are performing based on their ranking in the app store, number of downloads, etc. If you can’t find any similar apps this way, it might also be a good idea to search<a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Patentscope</a> or similar databases for existing patents relating to your idea. <a class="inline-twitter-link inline-tweet-click" href="#" onclick="inline_tweet_sharer_open_win('https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F2t3OLsJ&text=RT+%40futura_digital%3A+Just+because+it+hasn%E2%80%99t+been+developed+yet+doesn%E2%80%99t+mean+your+idea+hasn%E2%80%99t+been+thought+of...');" title="Tweet This!">Just because it hasn’t been developed yet doesn’t mean your idea hasn’t been thought of already. <span class="dashicons dashicons-twitter dashicons-inline-tweet-sharer"></span></a></p>
<p>Finding competitors in your space isn’t necessarily a reason to give up. If your idea already existed in its perfect form, chances are you would have heard of it before doing your research. Instead, this is your opportunity to see if the idea could be improved. Download your competitors’ apps and use them. Look for pain points and go through user ratings and reviews to identify common problems. Then, implement this feedback into your own idea and execute it better.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1223" src="http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/apps.jpg" alt="app research" srcset="http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/apps.jpg 800w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/apps-250x140.jpg 250w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/apps-768x430.jpg 768w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/apps-700x392.jpg 700w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/apps-120x67.jpg 120w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></p>
<p>If you can’t find any apps similar to your idea there are a few possible reasons&#8230; ideally it’s because your idea is truly unique, but it’s also possible your idea is impossible or, that no one actually wants it. This is where market validation comes in.</p>
<h2>Market validation</h2>
<p>Market validation involves testing your product concept with your target market. It’s essentially selling or creating measurable interest in your product, without having to actually build it. Answering the question of whether there’s a market for your app can be easy if your idea already exists, as you can use the stats and performance of the existing version as a guide. If you think your idea is unique though, you’re going to need to go to some effort to confirm this. You can start by simply asking family, friends, co-workers, and anyone you think will be honest with you. To validate your concept further though, you’ll need to look outside of your social circles.</p>
<p>An easy way to do this would be looking at keywords in <a href="https://trends.google.com/trends/">Google Trends</a> to see if anyone out there is looking for your idea or a solution to the problem it solves. To get even more structured feedback you could create an online survey targeted at who you think your customer demographic will be. A tool such as<a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com"> SurveyMonkey</a> is great for this as it can be used to not only create your survey, but also distribute it if you don’t already have an email list or some other way of contacting potential users. While online surveys can give you better feedback than simply asking your friends, they do come with some disadvantages. For one, people don’t often do what they say they would do. So while people may respond to your survey that yes, they would use your app, the amount of confidence you can place in this is limited.</p>
<p>One option to gain some concrete validation would be to use <a href="https://unbounce.com/">Unbounce </a>or a similar service to create a basic landing page. The landing page should contain a call-to-action such as an email sign-up to let potential users know when the app is available, or an actual ‘purchase’ button that is met with a message advising the app will be available in the near future.</p>
<p>By doing this you’ll be able to see just how many people are interested in your product and actually want to use it. As an added benefit, including an email sign up option gives you a way to directly contact your first users.</p>
<p>To get people to your landing page,  you can spend a few dollars on Google Adwords, or Facebook Ads. It’s better to spend a few dollars up front to validate your concept then to spend months building something that nobody needs or wants.</p>
<h2>Sketch your interface</h2>
<p>Having some rough sketches of your app’s interface will not only solidify your own understanding of your idea, but you’ll also have a much easier time communicating it to potential developers. This in turn will allow them to give you a more accurate timeline and quote than they’d be able to with just a description.</p>
<p>You don’t need to sketch every screen of your app in minute detail. While you might have an idea of what you want them to look like, the colour scheme and your ‘Contact’ page probably aren’t particulars you need to have worked out just yet (i.e. forget about the design).</p>
<p>Instead, you should focus on a select few screens that show the key features and usage of the app. When thinking about these steps and what they will look like, keep the goal of your app in mind. For example if the purpose of the app is to carry out a simple action, the interface and amount of steps and screens involved should reflect this.</p>
<p>There are plenty of tools available for sketching some basic wireframes and mockups, but simply using a pen and paper is your best starting point. Once you have an idea of how the overall layout of the interface is going to look you can then use software for tidying up your concept and adding further detail.</p>
<p>Some of the most popular software available for this is <a href="https://balsamiq.com/">Balsamiq</a> and <a href="http://www.adobe.com/au/products/experience-design.html">Adobe XD</a>, while my personal favourite is <a href="https://www.sketchapp.com/">Sketch </a>(for Mac users only). These are paid tools however each allows for a free trial. Ultimately though, you can use anything that allows you to communicate your idea effectively &#8211; even if it is just pen and paper.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1218" src="http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/balsamiq.jpg" alt="Balsamiq Wireframe" srcset="http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/balsamiq.jpg 800w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/balsamiq-250x219.jpg 250w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/balsamiq-768x672.jpg 768w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/balsamiq-700x613.jpg 700w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/balsamiq-120x105.jpg 120w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></p>
<p>You may also want to use your sketches to do some basic user testing. By sketching each step of a process in your app, you can have people pretend to carry out some of the main tasks using the sketches to confirm the information and steps flow clearly. A great platform to share design concepts for feedback is <a href="https://www.invisionapp.com/">InVision</a>. After uploading your design files, you can easily add animations and transitions to transform your static screens into clickable, interactive prototypes.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1220" src="http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Invision.jpg" alt="InVision Mockups" srcset="http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Invision.jpg 800w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Invision-250x166.jpg 250w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Invision-768x509.jpg 768w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Invision-700x464.jpg 700w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Invision-120x80.jpg 120w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></p>
<p>While this isn’t an imperative step you need to take before approaching a developer, doing it will allow you to address any obvious pain points early on rather than later when you’re spending money.</p>
<h2>Monetisation</h2>
<p>One more thing you might want to think about prior to approaching a developer is just how your app is going to make money. Apps can cost a significant amount to make, so it may seem that the quickest way to recoup your costs would be to charge for it. In addition to costs, how much you charge will be guided by the purpose and complexity of your app, the price of competitors and whether there’s a free alternative available.</p>
<p>If you are going to go down this route, it might be a good idea to gauge how much your target market is willing to pay during market validation. You could do this in an online survey by simply asking people, or by conducting some A/B testing using your landing pages (e.g. have a number of landing pages with different prices to see which receives the greatest response).</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1221" src="http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/monetisation.jpg" alt="Monetisation" srcset="http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/monetisation.jpg 800w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/monetisation-250x166.jpg 250w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/monetisation-768x510.jpg 768w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/monetisation-700x465.jpg 700w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/monetisation-120x80.jpg 120w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></p>
<p>It’s also important to consider that people can be reluctant to pay for apps, particularly when they’re unsure of exactly what features it contains. This will be especially true with the first few iterations of your app, where the available features might change. A common option is to offer both a free and paid version, or offer in-app purchases. Structuring your price this way can be beneficial because it gives people who wouldn’t pay for your app sight unseen an opportunity to test it out before making a decision.</p>
<p>If you’re not happy with either of these options, or your app doesn’t provide a service warranting payment (a basic game for example), another option is advertising. Be cautious though; if you’re going to use advertising as a source of revenue you’ll need to consider how you’ll go about this in a way that doesn’t hinder the user experience. Think of a basic game on your phone that has ad popups between each level or death, or even interrupts gameplay. Chances are it won’t stay on there for very long.</p>
<p>By using the above as a guide you’ll be able to create a basic app brief that you can use when presenting your idea to developers. While you might want to get your idea to a developer as soon as possible, these are actions that are going to need to be taken at some point if you want to see it created.</p>
<p><strong>By doing them early, you’ll not only allow developers to give you a more accurate quote and timeline, you’ll have a much clearer idea of the feasibility of your app and you’ll no doubt save yourself a lot of time (and money).</strong></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://futuradigital.com.au/2017/07/10/get-your-app-idea-on-paper/">Getting Your App Idea onto Paper</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://futuradigital.com.au">Futura Digital</a>.</p>
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		<title>6 Universal UX Tips for Increasing Sales on Your Website</title>
		<link>http://futuradigital.com.au/2017/06/29/6-universal-ux-tips/</link>
		<comments>http://futuradigital.com.au/2017/06/29/6-universal-ux-tips/#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Jun 2017 00:47:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[John McCann]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Insight]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UX Design]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://futuradigital.com.au/?p=1159</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>While they might not realise it at the time, people are generally wary when it comes to buying online, especially when purchasing a product they’re not familiar with. To break down this sense of uneasiness and encourage people to make purchases it’s important to build trust between the user and the website &#8211; good design... <a class="view-article" href="http://futuradigital.com.au/2017/06/29/6-universal-ux-tips/">View Article</a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://futuradigital.com.au/2017/06/29/6-universal-ux-tips/">6 Universal UX Tips for Increasing Sales on Your Website</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://futuradigital.com.au">Futura Digital</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="opening">While they might not realise it at the time, people are generally wary when it comes to buying online, especially when purchasing a product they’re not familiar with. To break down this sense of uneasiness and encourage people to make purchases it’s important to build trust between the user and the website &#8211; good design that provides a positive user experience is an effective way to do this. A website that provides a good user experience is one that is simple, intuitive, and easy to navigate. If you get it right, the user should flow from homepage to checkout with ease, barely noticing the aids and techniques used. Poor design however, and the negative user experience that comes with this will quickly prevent the building of trust, and have your customers looking elsewhere.</p>
<p><strong>There are countless ways in which good user experience can be designed, but below I’ve outlined 6 UX tips for increasing sales on your site (techniques that can be applied universally).</strong></p>
<h2>1. Create familiarity</h2>
<p>The exposure effect states that the more familiar people are with something, the more they will like it, and online content is no exception. People are conditioned to associate certain characteristics with different standards or benchmarks of different categories. For example, most people would recognise a typical online store as having a header with navigational items and a search bar, a side bar for filtering, and a main page area of thumbnails.</p>
<p>While this isn’t to discourage originality, <a class="inline-twitter-link inline-tweet-click" href="#" onclick="inline_tweet_sharer_open_win('https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F2sojT5Y&text=%23uxtip++when+designing+a+website+it%E2%80%99s+important+to+design+with+user%E2%80%99s+expectations+in+mind+%23UX+%23webdesign');" title="Tweet This!">when designing a website it’s important to design with user’s expectations in mind <span class="dashicons dashicons-twitter dashicons-inline-tweet-sharer"></span></a>. When people are presented with information different to what they expect it interrupts the flow of information, creating friction, and making them more prone to scrutinising what they see. This applies to more than just your layout; user expectations should be considered in every aspect of your site, including the colours that are used (think red sale banners with white text for sales promotions), the type of information presented (details contained in product descriptions), and even the information requested in form fields.</p>
<p>You easily notice the effect of familiarity when you’re searching for something you wouldn’t ordinarily purchase, and where you’re unsure of the type of store you’d purchase it from. Earlier this month I had to replace a small part of a coffee machine, something I’ve never had to buy before and something I was unsure I’d be able to buy separately. I didn’t even know what to call it. I searched online by the part number and some results looked like a stock list; others had a shopping basket, a cart and a checkout all on the one page. The site below is the one I ended up purchasing from, because it was the first one that immediately looked like an online store. It has all the familiar elements, its structure is clear and there’s nothing unexpected.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1167" src="http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/coffee-shop2.jpg" alt="Coffee Shop UX example" srcset="http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/coffee-shop2.jpg 805w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/coffee-shop2-250x134.jpg 250w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/coffee-shop2-768x412.jpg 768w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/coffee-shop2-700x376.jpg 700w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/coffee-shop2-120x64.jpg 120w" sizes="(max-width: 805px) 100vw, 805px" /></p>
<h2>2. Use breadcrumbs</h2>
<p>Breadcrumbs are navigational aids that are used to show the user where they are in a site, where they’ve come from and where they can go next. This contextual information is important to the user experience as people want to know where they are and what options they have. Providing it encourages exploration, whereas leaving it unclear can cause uncertainty and frustration. A good breadcrumb trail should start with the site’s homepage and end with the user’s current page, showing the site’s hierarchy in between (for example, <i>Home &gt; Men &gt; Shirts &gt; Long Sleeve &gt; Carhartt WIP Donaldson Shirt</i>).</p>
<p>Breadcrumbs are also effective in showing users how far along they are in processes, such as checking out. Psychologically people enjoy a journey more when they know how far along they are and how far they have until they reach the end. When progress is unclear, users can become impatient and abandon the process. Alleviating this can be as simple as placing a ‘Step X of Y’ message under ‘Next’ button, though a breadcrumb trail will have a much more encouraging effect as it tells the user what they can expect in the coming steps.</p>
<p>Asos is one online retailer who uses breadcrumbs effectively in both scenarios. Here the user is able to clearly see how they’ve arrived at this page, and can easily navigate back to different levels of the site, for example to view other zip hoodies.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1170" src="http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/asos-example.jpg" alt="Asos Example UX Design" srcset="http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/asos-example.jpg 802w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/asos-example-250x81.jpg 250w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/asos-example-768x249.jpg 768w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/asos-example-700x227.jpg 700w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/asos-example-120x39.jpg 120w" sizes="(max-width: 802px) 100vw, 802px" /></p>
<p>Asos also uses a breadcrumb-like style in their checkout, making it clear where the user is in the process, how many steps are left and what each of them will be&#8230;</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1177" src="http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/asos-checkout-2.jpg" alt="Asos Checkout UX Example" srcset="http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/asos-checkout-2.jpg 800w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/asos-checkout-2-250x184.jpg 250w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/asos-checkout-2-768x566.jpg 768w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/asos-checkout-2-700x516.jpg 700w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/asos-checkout-2-120x89.jpg 120w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></p>
<h2><b>3. Take advantage of social proof</b></h2>
<p>People are more likely to pay their bills on time if told the majority of their neighbours do, more likely to speed if the cars around them are speeding, and more likely to have contributions to charity deducted from their pay if a colleague does as well. Social proof is a powerful influencer of behaviour. We look to others to guide how we act, especially in situations of uncertainty, such as buying a new product online.</p>
<p>One way of including social proof that’s been <a href="http://influence-central.com/e-commerce-reviews-the-dramatic-impact-of-online-reviews-on-consumers-purchasing-journey/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">shown to have a drastic effect</a> is reviews, especially if the reviews contain a picture of the reviewer. Other methods that can be used include categorising products in terms of popularity or simply showing how many people have bought the product. eBay stores do this effectively by displaying the remaining quantity of a product followed by how many have been sold, tapping into social proof while also creating a sense of scarcity.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter wp-image-1174 size-full" src="http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/ebay-ratings.jpg" alt="eBay Ratings UX example - UX tips for increasing sales" width="802" height="470" srcset="http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/ebay-ratings.jpg 802w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/ebay-ratings-250x147.jpg 250w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/ebay-ratings-768x450.jpg 768w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/ebay-ratings-700x410.jpg 700w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/ebay-ratings-120x70.jpg 120w" sizes="(max-width: 802px) 100vw, 802px" /></p>
<p>While it may not make sense to include ratings on your own website&#8217;s ecommerce store, you can easily boost your business&#8217;s social currency by <a href="https://support.google.com/business/answer/7035772?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">inviting your customers provide reviews</a> on your Google Business Listing or Facebook page.</p>
<h2><b>4. Wherever possible, automate </b></h2>
<p>A good user experience is one where the user is required to do as little as possible, and where the few actions that they do need to take are quick, easy and simple. The more difficult a process is, the more likely the user will give up halfway through, if they start it at all.</p>
<p>Automation involves reducing the amount and complexity of these tasks. Whenever your site can perform a step on the users behalf, it should. Automating can be as simple as auto-populating suggestions as a user types, or showing previews of items by hovering over them rather than having to click a link.</p>
<p>One place automating (also referred to as scaffolding) is especially useful is during the checkout process, as this step generally requires the most action from the user. Chances of abandonment are already much higher here because this is where users are about to part with their money and are most wary, so it’s important to reduce any additional strains you can. When asking for address details for example, ask for the postcode first and then autopopulate suburb and state fields so the user doesn’t have to type them in. When asking for credit card details, don’t ask the user their card type. Instead, have your site identify the card type from the card number.</p>
<p>EBay again provides an excellent example of this principle in action in their listing an item process. From the very first field where the user is required to enter information, the site offers suggestions of appropriate categories, defaults to the most common options, and provides recommendations for any area the user might feel uncertainty.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1179" src="http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/ebay-scaffolding.jpg" alt="eBay Scaffolding Example UX Design" srcset="http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/ebay-scaffolding.jpg 802w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/ebay-scaffolding-250x170.jpg 250w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/ebay-scaffolding-768x523.jpg 768w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/ebay-scaffolding-700x477.jpg 700w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/ebay-scaffolding-120x82.jpg 120w" sizes="(max-width: 802px) 100vw, 802px" /></p>
<h2><b>5. Error handling</b></h2>
<p>As mentioned earlier, unexpected information interrupts the flow of information and causes frustration for users. A common source of unexpected information is errors. Errors can be made by the user or your site, but regardless of fault they can’t always be prevented. It’s therefore necessary to focus on how you respond to them</p>
<p>Following an error the goal is to guide the consumer back onto their path as painlessly as possible. The most effective way to do this is to explicitly point out the cause of the error, show the user where it is, and tell them what needs to be done to continue. If information is left out in a form, rather than displaying an error message along the lines of ‘incomplete fields, highlight the specific field/s that are missing and give an example of how it should be completed.</p>
<p>Gumtree does this well by letting users know as soon as they’ve made an error, but allowing them to continue to other fields and reducing the interruption in their flow. They also clearly highlight which fields need addressing, and are clear about how to do so.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter wp-image-1181 size-full" src="http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/gumtree-error-correction.jpg" alt="Gumtree UX Example - UX tips for increasing sales" width="802" height="794" srcset="http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/gumtree-error-correction.jpg 802w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/gumtree-error-correction-150x150.jpg 150w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/gumtree-error-correction-250x248.jpg 250w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/gumtree-error-correction-768x760.jpg 768w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/gumtree-error-correction-700x693.jpg 700w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/gumtree-error-correction-120x119.jpg 120w" sizes="(max-width: 802px) 100vw, 802px" /></p>
<h2><b>6. Evoke emotion with colour</b></h2>
<p>There is overwhelming evidence that different colours cause different emotional responses and as a result you can optimise your site’s design to induce desired reactions at specific points in the user experience. For example, red increases people’s heart rate and is associated with excitement and confidence, which is why it’s generally used as the default for advertising sales (ironically, red can also increase feelings of indebtedness). Blues on the other hand calm people and creating an inviting, communal feel, which is why they’re often used for social media and communication sites e.g. Facebook, Skype.</p>
<p>While well-placed uses of colours can help shape the feeling users have towards your site, there effects are limited. Colours can’t be rapidly changed so that your users move from homepage to checkout guided entirely by their emotions. There are other ways though that colour can be used to improve the usability of a site and contribute to the user experience. While it may seem obvious, the benefits of highlighting call to actions and allowing for readability by using contrasting colours cannot be understated. Further, keeping colours consistent with branding and using colours that are associated with specific industries (e.g. browns and greens for natural products) greatly improves consumer confidence.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s also important for website colours to look contemporary and up to date. Google&#8217;s <a href="https://material.io/guidelines/style/color.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Material Design</a> approach recommends “<span style="color: #212121;">muted environments, deep shadows, and bright highlights”, i.e. bright and bold. Material Design aside, there are many examples of web designs incorporating <a href="https://www.materialpalette.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">bright colors</a> to effectively increase emotional engagement. <span style="color: #000000;">Asana’s color-drenched homepage is a great example&#8230;</span></span></p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1183" src="http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/asana-homepage-example.jpg" alt="Asana Homepage" srcset="http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/asana-homepage-example.jpg 802w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/asana-homepage-example-250x127.jpg 250w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/asana-homepage-example-768x391.jpg 768w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/asana-homepage-example-700x356.jpg 700w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/asana-homepage-example-120x61.jpg 120w" sizes="(max-width: 802px) 100vw, 802px" /></p>
<p>As another example, the <i>Calm </i>website (and even more strategically, the <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/calm-meditation-to-relax-focus-sleep-better/id571800810?mt=8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Calm app</a>) uses colour very well. The cool blues and <a href="https://www.pantone.com/color-of-the-year-2017" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">greens</a> not only reflect the tranquil nature of the site, they conjure up corresponding emotions as well. On top of this, the white text and call to action contrasts strongly with the background, effectively highlighting the user’s options and key information.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1191" src="http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/calm-website.jpg" alt="Calm Website UX Example" srcset="http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/calm-website.jpg 802w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/calm-website-250x134.jpg 250w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/calm-website-768x412.jpg 768w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/calm-website-700x375.jpg 700w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/calm-website-120x64.jpg 120w" sizes="(max-width: 802px) 100vw, 802px" /></p>
<h2>UX Tips for Increasing Sales</h2>
<p>The level to which the design of your site can shape user experience will ultimately come down to how much you experiment with different techniques and discover what works best for your particular audience. The above is just a few principles that should be considered regardless of your sites purpose. By taking them into account you’ll be able to ease the inherent uncertainty felt by people shopping online, and the trust that comes with this will encourage users to engage with your site over those that don’t.</p>
<p><strong>Of course there are range of other factors that will determine how well you website performs, including site speed, effective sales copy and calls to action, but if you nail these 6 UX techniques for increasing sales you&#8217;ll give you website the best chance possible of converting visitors to your website into repeat customers.</strong></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://futuradigital.com.au/2017/06/29/6-universal-ux-tips/">6 Universal UX Tips for Increasing Sales on Your Website</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://futuradigital.com.au">Futura Digital</a>.</p>
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		<title>Is Bitcoin A Good Investment in 2017?</title>
		<link>http://futuradigital.com.au/2017/06/19/bitcoin-good-investment-2017/</link>
		<comments>http://futuradigital.com.au/2017/06/19/bitcoin-good-investment-2017/#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Jun 2017 01:04:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[John McCann]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Insight]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bitcoin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[investing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://futuradigital.com.au/?p=1068</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>In 2011, a close friend of ours, Mitchell Bourne (CEO of Comply Flow), started mining Bitcoin with Sergiu Mesesan who he had met in a coffee shop. Together, they set up a mining rig in their kitchen and waited for the money to roll in. The rig was a clunky, noisy mess of hardware that... <a class="view-article" href="http://futuradigital.com.au/2017/06/19/bitcoin-good-investment-2017/">View Article</a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://futuradigital.com.au/2017/06/19/bitcoin-good-investment-2017/">Is Bitcoin A Good Investment in 2017?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://futuradigital.com.au">Futura Digital</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="opening">In 2011, a close friend of ours, Mitchell Bourne (CEO of <a href="http://www.complyflow.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Comply Flow</a>), started mining Bitcoin with Sergiu Mesesan who he had met in a coffee shop. Together, they set up a mining rig in their kitchen and waited for the money to roll in. The rig was a clunky, noisy mess of hardware that stood at waist height and mined around 12 Bitcoin a day (at one point, the pair had mined around 1,700 coins). The profit was modest, but barely offset the electricity or &#8220;the annoyance of having an industrial machine running at 100 degrees next to the toaster&#8221;.</p>
<p>Despite their unsatisfying dabble in mining, Mitchell (second from the left) and Sergiu (far left) went on to organise the world’s first <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkcK4ZpoFS0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">European Bitcoin Conference</a>. On the way to the conference, Mitch inadvertently erased 60 Bitcoins from the hard drive of his laptop. The conference was a moderate success, but Bitcoin seemed to be going nowhere so Mitch wasn&#8217;t too worried about the cryptocurrency he&#8217;d erased from his hard drive (around $200,000 AUD by current valuations).</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1075" src="http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Eurobitcoinconference.jpg" alt="European Bitcoin Conference" srcset="http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Eurobitcoinconference.jpg 700w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Eurobitcoinconference-250x155.jpg 250w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Eurobitcoinconference-120x74.jpg 120w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></p>
<p align="center"><em>(Sergiu Mesesan, Mitchell Bourne, Raul Condea &amp; Max Keiser post conference)</em></p>
<p>Fast forward and few years and Bitcoin was trading at around $750, Saxo Bank analyst Kay Van-Petersen made an ‘outrageous claim’ &#8211; that Bitcoin would hit $2,000 in 2017. The same analyst says he doesn’t see any reason why Bitcoin can’t hit $100,000 in the next 10 years. And this time, Van-Peterson’s claim is being taken a little more seriously &#8211; take a look at past few week’s headlines, and you’ll see a media storm: ‘<a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/01/bitcoin-may-hit-4000-by-the-end-of-the-year-analyst.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bitcoin may hit $4,000 by the end of the year</a>’, ‘<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/bitcoin-price-taking-off-after-one-of-chinas-biggest-exchanges-resumes-withdrawals-2017-6?r=US&amp;IR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bitcoin is taking off</a>’, ‘<a href="http://www.iii.co.uk/articles/416732/bitcoin-produces-1000-cent-return-its-2015-bottom-bubble-grows">Bitcoin produces 1000% return</a>’, and <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/bitcoin-price-could-reach-10000-in-few-months-with-fund-managers-bullish-sentiment" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">‘Bitcoin price could reach $10,000 in a few months’</a>.</p>
<p><strong>But is Van-Petersen right?</strong> Let’s start with the basics.</p>
<h1>What is Bitcoin?</h1>
<p>Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency &#8211; a decentralised digital currency that enables instant payments without the need for a central authority, such as a bank. Bitcoin appeared in 2009 and has been credited as the world’s first cryptocurrency. As of today, it is certainly the largest.</p>
<p>Key to understanding the Bitcoin as an investment is understanding the way it operates, and its limited nature. Bitcoin operates through mining, where miners are people with computers. When somebody wants to make a Bitcoin transaction, that transaction is broadcast to the Bitcoin network, where it is added to a ‘block’. A block is a collection of a few hundred pending transactions, bound into a mathematical puzzle by a miner. Other miners then solve that mathematical puzzle, which adds the block to the ‘blockchain’, a digital ledger in which Bitcoin transactions are publicly recorded. For solving these mathematical puzzles, miners are rewarded in Bitcoin, which incentivises them to continue mining and verifying transactions without the need of a central authority.</p>
<p>So is Bitcoin a good investment?</p>
<h1><strong>Why Bitcoin Is A Good Investment</strong></h1>
<h3>Limited quantity</h3>
<p>Bitcoin has a limited supply. There are only 21 million Bitcoin available &#8211; of which a little more than half have been mined. This means that, as Bitcoin become more and more scarce, their value should increase &#8211; as long as demand remains the same or increases also.</p>
<h3>The halving</h3>
<p>Every time 210,000 Bitcoin are mined, the reward for solving a block is halved. This event is called ‘the halving’. This has happened twice &#8211; in 2012, and in July 2016, and is expected to happen every 4 years or so. When Bitcoins become harder to mine, as they do during the halving, those already in circulation become more valuable &#8211; it’s no surprise that in the year since the last halving event, Bitcoin’s price has skyrocketed.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1092" src="http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Bitcoin_price_and_volatility.svg.png" alt="" srcset="http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Bitcoin_price_and_volatility.svg.png 567w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Bitcoin_price_and_volatility.svg-250x141.png 250w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Bitcoin_price_and_volatility.svg-120x68.png 120w" sizes="(max-width: 567px) 100vw, 567px" /></p>
<p align="center">(The price of 1 bitcoin in USD, and volatility calculated on yearly basis &#8211; Courtesy: Wikipedia)</p>
<h3>Government recognition</h3>
<p>Japan recently deemed Bitcoin a legal form of payment, driving the currency’s value to further heights, and making Japan the largest country in the Bitcoin industry. <a href="https://seekingalpha.com/article/4078023-bitcoin-russian-regulation-inflows-spur-next-leg-higher" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">It’s rumoured that Russia is the next country</a> considering recognising Bitcoin &#8211; investors predict Bitcoin rates will spike if this happens.</p>
<h3>Mrs Watanabe</h3>
<p>Mrs Watanabe is the metaphorical name given to the housewives of Japan, who seek to invest their family savings. Mrs Watanabe has been labelled <a href="http://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/mrs-watanabe.asp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">an important player in the currency market</a> in the last decade, as Japanese interest rates provide such low returns that she is forced to widen her investments. <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bitcoin-asia-idUSKBN18T0K2">Recent reports</a> suggest that Mrs Watanabe is turning to Bitcoin in force, alongside South Korean retirees and thousands of other Asian investors seeking new options in a time of low returns.</p>
<h1><strong>Why It Isn’t</strong></h1>
<h3><strong> </strong><strong>Uncertainty</strong></h3>
<p>Quite simply, the reasons not to invest in Bitcoin can be grouped under the broad heading of uncertainty. Major hedge funds refuse to invest in Bitcoin and consider it a gamble. Nobody, it seems, truly understands the nature of Bitcoin and how it will evolve &#8211; remember, this is the world’s first cryptocurrency.</p>
<h3><strong>Hacking prospects</strong></h3>
<p>Bitcoin is an entirely digital currency, and for that reason it can be hacked. Tim Lea, author of Down The Rabbit Hole, estimates that around a third of Bitcoin exchanges are hacked &#8211; further hackings could spook investors and cause the currency’s value to fall dramatically.</p>
<h3><strong>Legality issues and bans</strong></h3>
<p>Bitcoin is seen as anonymous and was used as the primary currency on the black market website The Silk Road. It’s not unlikely that governments may choose to ban or regulate Bitcoin transactions in the future, though the Indian Government has denied recent reports that they are seeking to ban the currency.</p>
<h3><strong>Rival cryptocurrencies</strong></h3>
<p>Do not confuse investing in Bitcoin as investing in cryptocurrency &#8211; Bitcoin may be the first of the cryptocurrencies, and it may currently be the largest, but it is not the only one. Other digital currencies may learn from Bitcoin, write better code, and take over the cryptocurrency market. Current competitors include <a href="https://ethereumprice.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ethereum</a>, a cryptocurrency that has also skyrocketed in value in the last year and now sits at a value of around $250. The future may be in cryptocurrencies, but it may not be in Bitcoin &#8211; only time will tell.</p>
<h1><strong>The Bottom Line</strong></h1>
<p>After organising the first ever European Bitcoin Conference, Mitchell sold his Bitcoins in 2012 when the currency’s value rose to around $5 a coin. Today, a single Bitcoin is worth over $3,500. If he’d held onto them, Mitch’s share of his mining operation would have made him a multi-millionaire, comfortably. If he’d kept up the rig for another year, his fortune would be astronomical &#8211; well over $10 million.</p>
<p>There are plenty of reasons that Bitcoin may prove a shrewd investment, and <a class="inline-twitter-link inline-tweet-click" href="#" onclick="inline_tweet_sharer_open_win('https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F2rL6k0i&text=RT+%40futura_digtal%3A+there%E2%80%99s+evidence+to+support+Kay+Van-Peterson%E2%80%99s+claim+that+Bitcoin+may+one+day+hit+%24100K+%23bitcoin');" title="Tweet This!">there’s evidence to support Kay Van-Peterson’s claim that Bitcoin may one day hit $100K <span class="dashicons dashicons-twitter dashicons-inline-tweet-sharer"></span></a>. But, when it comes to investment, Bitcoin brings unprecedented uncertainty. This is the world’s first cryptocurrency, a digital experiment, a phenomenon that is quite simply impossible to predict. Governments, hackers, housewives &#8211; all have a part to play in the future of Bitcoin.</p>
<p><strong>This year, Mitch found his old, smashed up Samsung and replaced some hardware. His phone still has 2.48 Bitcoin left from the mining days &#8211; that’s nearly $10,000 AUD. </strong></p>
<p><strong>But Mitch isn’t selling. He’s on now on Kay Van-Peterson’s side.</strong></p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1101" src="http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/bitcoins-broken-phone.jpg" alt="Bitcoin broken phone" srcset="http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/bitcoins-broken-phone.jpg 750w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/bitcoins-broken-phone-250x141.jpg 250w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/bitcoins-broken-phone-700x394.jpg 700w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/bitcoins-broken-phone-120x68.jpg 120w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></p>
<p align="center">(This Bitcoins recovered from this phone were worth over $8.2K at the time of writing).</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://futuradigital.com.au/2017/06/19/bitcoin-good-investment-2017/">Is Bitcoin A Good Investment in 2017?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://futuradigital.com.au">Futura Digital</a>.</p>
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		<title>What&#8217;s the difference between native, web, and progressive web applications?</title>
		<link>http://futuradigital.com.au/2017/03/20/whats-a-web-app/</link>
		<comments>http://futuradigital.com.au/2017/03/20/whats-a-web-app/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 20 Mar 2017 00:41:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[John McCann]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Insight]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[native apps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[progressive web apps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[web apps]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://futuradigital.com.au/?p=817</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>As responsive layouts and web technologies have evolved, web-application development has become a more cost-effective (and easier to maintain) alternative to developing a native iPhone or Android app. Unless you are considering a game or an application that relies heavily on native technologies (built-in cameras, microphones, etc.) web applications can now replicate most  &#8211; if... <a class="view-article" href="http://futuradigital.com.au/2017/03/20/whats-a-web-app/">View Article</a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://futuradigital.com.au/2017/03/20/whats-a-web-app/">What&#8217;s the difference between native, web, and progressive web applications?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://futuradigital.com.au">Futura Digital</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="opening">As responsive layouts and web technologies have evolved, web-application development has become a more cost-effective (and easier to maintain) alternative to developing a native iPhone or Android app. Unless you are considering a game or an application that relies heavily on native technologies (built-in cameras, microphones, etc.) web applications can now replicate most  &#8211; if not all &#8211; &#8216;required&#8217; functionality available in native mobile applications.</p>
<h3>What’s the difference between a web application and a website?</h3>
<p>If you are wondering what the difference is between a website and a web application is, there’s a developer joke that suggest “a few thousands dollars”. While this might be true, the main differences is that a web application depends on interaction and requires programmatic user input and data processing (in the backend), whereas a website generally only serves dynamic content and allows for simple inputs from users.</p>
<h3>What’s the difference between a web application a native mobile application?</h3>
<p>A ‘native’ mobile app is a program that is downloaded and installed onto a user&#8217;s mobile device (for instance, from the Apple App Store). A native app does things like sending push notifications, and working offline. A web app is an app that runs from the internet, and often adapted to tablet and smartphone formats or can be &#8216;desktop only&#8217;. Something to keep in mind is that <strong>creating a web application does not mean that you can not publish your app in one or more App Stores!</strong> (there are tools available which can package web apps for publishing in various app stores).</p>
<h3 class="p1"><span class="s1">What is a progressive web app (PWA)? </span></h3>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">A Progressive Web App uses modern web capabilities (like JavaScript caching) to deliver an app-like user experience that is reliable, fast and feels like a natural app on the device. PWAs can be installable live on the home screen of a device with out the need for an an app store.</span></p>
<p class="p3"><span class="s1">Generally speaking, </span><span class="s1"><a class="inline-twitter-link inline-tweet-click" href="#" onclick="inline_tweet_sharer_open_win('https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F2nfQiwH&text=RT+%40futura_digital%3A++progressive+web+apps+have+a+new+level+of+quality+in+design+and+architecture++');" title="Tweet This!"> progressive web apps have a new level of quality in design and architecture  <span class="dashicons dashicons-twitter dashicons-inline-tweet-sharer"></span></a>, allowing functionality like instant loading </span><span class="s1">(by pre-caching resources) and storing input, regardless of the network state (i.e. information can be saved offline and then sent when a connection is available).</span></p>
<p class="p3"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1012" src="http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/iphone-select.jpg" alt="" srcset="http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/iphone-select.jpg 1100w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/iphone-select-250x150.jpg 250w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/iphone-select-768x461.jpg 768w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/iphone-select-700x421.jpg 700w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/iphone-select-120x72.jpg 120w" sizes="(max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px" /></p>
<p class="p3"><span class="s1">To see what makes a “Progressive web app” (or PWA). check out <a href="https://developers.google.com/web/progressive-web-apps/checklist" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">this checklist </a>provided by Google. It breaks down all the things they consider are the Baseline for a PWA. </span><span class="s1">From this table you can see that a Progressive Web App is collection of technologies and design approaches that work together to create a user experience that feels more like a native app. </span></p>
<p class="p3">You might also notice that one of the key concepts behind Progressive Web Apps is <strong>“Service Workers”</strong> which are in simple terms, scripts or APIs that handle functionality like offline capabilities and content caching.</p>
<p class="p3"><span class="s1">If you&#8217;re building a web app, or have an existing web app that you are thinking about improving, the good people at Google have even put together an <a href="https://developers.google.com/web/tools/lighthouse/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">open source tool</a> to help developers create better web apps. Using <a href="https://developers.google.com/web/tools/lighthouse/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Lighthouse</a> you can run a bunch of tests against any page and see how well it performs as a web app &#8211; Lighthouse will then recommend any improvements. </span></p>
<h3>Why you should consider a web (or progressive) application vs a native iPhone or Android application</h3>
<p>The are a number reasons why a web application is often a better idea than developing a native application, but here are the main reasons:</p>
<ul>
<li>It’s easy to prototype and create proof of concept &#8211; development times are often half that of building native mobile apps (meaning that this approach is also more cost-effective)</li>
<li>Web applications can be used with any modern browser so you don’t need to pick a platform</li>
<li>With progressive web apps some functionality can still be made available offline</li>
<li>Code is easier to update &#8211; if you are testing a new concept, or launching a new service with a web application, it’s a lot easier to pivot and roll out new changes (with an native app you often have to wait for a lengthy review process)</li>
<li>If you are building an app that requires a web-service (i.e. you want to be able to access data via your app from ‘the cloud’), you develop your front-end and back-end as integrated solution, not as 2 separate parts operating as a whole &#8211; there’s no need to manage two code bases</li>
<li>It’s still possible to publish your web application to app stores. Depending on the requirements of your app you may be able to wrap it in an application layer and publish it to one or more app marketplaces</li>
</ul>
<p><img class="alignnone wp-image-1011 size-full" src="http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/iphone-android.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="525" srcset="http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/iphone-android.jpg 1200w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/iphone-android-250x109.jpg 250w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/iphone-android-768x336.jpg 768w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/iphone-android-700x306.jpg 700w, http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/iphone-android-120x53.jpg 120w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></p>
<p>At Futura Digital, we’ll work with you during concept development to determine which approach will be the best match for your idea. Often we’ll end up providing 2 or 3 different options for native apps or web-application development so you can <a class="inline-twitter-link inline-tweet-click" href="#" onclick="inline_tweet_sharer_open_win('https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F2nfQiwH&text=RT+%40futura_digital%3A++assess+all+of+the+pros+and+cons+of+app+vs+native+apps+and+make+an+informed+%C2%A0decision+about+the...');" title="Tweet This!"> assess all of the pros and cons of app vs native apps and make an informed  decision about the best direction for your project  <span class="dashicons dashicons-twitter dashicons-inline-tweet-sharer"></span></a>.</p>
<hr />
<h2>NUFIRE CASE STUDY</h2>
<p>Futura Digital recently completed an web application for Nufire (a local Fire Safety Company) to replace their existing paper-based Fire Equipment Auditing processes. The platform includes a responsive web application for onsite staff visiting their customer’s properties, allowing them to perform Fire Safety audits from a mobile device.</p>
<p>Using a Progressive Web Application approach, we were able to take report data and cache it to mobile devices, helping mitigate against service dropouts and connectivity issues that can be encountered when working in remote locations. While this solution is completely web-based, it looks and feels much like a native app when used on a mobile device (the screenshot below shows the backend of the app).</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-839" src="http://futuradigital.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/nufire-app.jpg" alt="nufire app on tablet device" /></p>
<p>When audits have finished, reports are sent directly to a web-services where ongoing edits and administration can be completed (including PDF generation of reports and intuitive workflows based on the status of each report). Nufire now have a streamlined web application (and process) for managing assignment and reporting on field audits, dramatically cutting their time spent on admin and filing.</p>
<p>This project is an example of where a native application was considered as part of the solution during kick-off, but we were able to quickly determine the needs of the project to scope a more affordable solution that performed the same required functionality using a web app &#8211; incorporating elements of progressive web app design.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>If you have an idea for a web application that you’d like to discuss, we’d be <a href="http://futuradigital.com.au/app-development/">happy to have a chat</a> about your concept to see if this approach might be a good fit for your product or service.</strong></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://futuradigital.com.au/2017/03/20/whats-a-web-app/">What&#8217;s the difference between native, web, and progressive web applications?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://futuradigital.com.au">Futura Digital</a>.</p>
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