In this technological age, the use of a smartphone is ubiquitous. There are 1.5 billion people over the world who have smartphones, 500 million people who have iPhones, and on average, one person uses smartphones 3-4 hours a day. On each of our phones, there are at least 10 to 20 applications running concurrently, from messaging apps, to social media apps, to entertainment app, to shopping apps, to productivity apps.
Mobile applications are the new way to keep things organized and efficient on your phone. These recent years, a new type of mobile applications came into play: apps from individual companies or services we use. how to make an app for the iPhone. We all have some of those apps on our phone, be it apps from taxi companies to call for a cab, apps from fast-food chains to keep up-to-date with their promotions and to redeem rewards, apps from cafes for their loyalty programs, or apps from food delivery companies to make online orders.
Developing mobile applications is a great strategic move for a company to increase customer loyalty, improve customer communications, and boost brand recognition. Many companies nowadays offer promotions that require customers to download their mobile app before getting the promotion. Once customers download their app, it is much more likely that they will continue to use the service or purchase from the company again.
This explains why the demand for mobile developers is on the rise. Almost every company needs an app, be it simple or complicated, to get better traction with its customers. If competitors in the field have mobile apps and one does not, the one that does not clearly have a disadvantage. In the past, companies have to spend a large amount of their budget to hire full-time or freelance developers to help them develop their applications. Nowadays, there are other options available, thanks to technology.
If your company only needs a simple application that allows customers to see your products and promotions, you can even develop them on your own using some services and third-party apps.
Before you Start Developing your App
- Develop a clear idea about your app: what it is for, what features will it have, what message will it convey.
- Write the content of the app – the logo, the home page, the sub-menus.
- Design the user interface: design the main page, the menu, the navigation, with suitable images and graphics. You can use digital tools such as Sketch, Framer X, or InVision Studio to design your user interface.
- Choose an option to build your app. You can use an app builder, or buy an app template and customize it.
How to Make an App for iPhone – Step-by-Step Guide
Creating an app for iPhone can seem like a daunting task, but with the right tools and knowledge, it’s definitely within reach. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to make an app for iPhone.
- Step 1: Choose an Idea
The first step in creating an app for iPhone is to come up with an idea for what your app will do. It could be something as simple as a calculator or as complex as a social media platform. The key is to choose an idea that you’re passionate about and that fills a need in the market.
- Step 2: Research the Market
Once you have an idea for your app, it’s important to research the market to see if there are similar apps already available. This will give you an idea of what features and functionality are popular, and what you can do to make your app stand out.
- Step 3: Design Your App
Now that you have an idea and have done some market research, it’s time to start designing your app. This includes creating wireframes and mockups, which will serve as a blueprint for your app. There are many tools available for creating wireframes and mockups, such as Adobe XD and Sketch.
- Step 4: Learn to Code
Next, you’ll need to learn to code in order to bring your app to life. Swift is the programming language used for creating iPhone apps, and there are plenty of resources available for learning it, including online tutorials and classes.
- Step 5: Develop Your App
With your design and coding skills in place, you can now start developing your app. This includes building the app’s user interface, connecting it to APIs, and adding any additional functionality. There are several tools available to help with this, including Xcode, which is Apple’s official development environment.
- Step 6: Test Your App
Once your app is developed, it’s important to test it to ensure that it works as expected and is free of any bugs. This can be done by using a tool like TestFlight, which allows you to invite users to test your app before it’s released.
- Step 7: Submit Your App to the App Store
Finally, once your app is tested and ready, you can submit it to the App Store. This includes creating an App Store listing, which includes screenshots, a description, and other details about your app. Once your app is approved by Apple, it will be available for download on the App Store.
Creating an app for iPhone is definitely a challenge, but with the right tools and knowledge, it’s definitely within reach. By following these steps, you’ll be well on your way to developing a great app that people will love to use.
How to Use an App Builder
Using an app builder is a great way to quickly build an app without coding. These digital tools allow you to develop your own app if you do not have the technical knowledge and do not want to spend a large amount of your budget to hire developers.
How to Use App Builders:
- Navigate to their website
- Choose the free version or the plan that suits your need
- Choose the app category that best suits your business
- Choose the color scheme
- Drag and drop the features you choose
- Customize the app
- Publish it on Apple Store
Some of the Best App Builders are Recommended Below
1. Use an Appy Pie
One of the best iPhone app builders which are well-known for its quality.
- Easy to use
- Build a new app within minutes
- Offer app analytics
- Over 100 features to choose from
- Automatically update app content
- High security for the apps
- You can earn money through advertisements on the app
- Only offer 2-day free trial
- A subscription fee of $60 per app per month to use develop iOS apps with premium features and no ads
2. Use an Apps Bar
A free and user-friendly app builder platform.
- Completely free
- Comes with video tutorials
- Tech support to help you build your app
- Do not have as many designs and features as some other app builders
3. Use an App Yourself
Software that allows you to develop iPhone apps without having a Macbook.
- Can be used on Windows
- Fast and easy to use
- Build one app and it can run on all iOS, Android and Windows phones
- Allow customization on the app
- Lesser features to choose from (over 30 features)
- Free at the building phase, but publishing the app needs subscription starting from $34 per month
4. Use an Mobincube
Free software that allows you to create your own app without coding while offering a high level of customization. It has a free version and a few subscription plans ranging from $2.99 per month to $99.99 per month.
- Easy to use, build your own app within minutes
- Offer great flexibility in customizing your app
- Has a visual interface that helps you to design your app
- Offering many templates for you to choose from
- The free version does not offer money earning through advertising
- The free version still has the Mobicube intro on the app
5. Use an Thunkable
An app building platform that is free and easy to use.
- Option to choose from their pre-designed themes
- Offer a completely free version
- Build one app for both iPhone and Android devices
- Directly publish to iOS App Store and Google Play Store
- The free version is public for anyone to see and access
- To make your app private, a subscription is at $21 per month
6. Use an Buildfire
A powerful and intuitive platform that has powered over 10,000 apps.
- Completely free for 30 days
- Allow customization
- Many features and themes developed specifically for different types of apps
- A free trial is for the development phase, subscription needed to publish the app
- Subscription starts from $89 per month
- If you stop your subscription plan, your app will be taken off the app stores
7. Use an AppInstitute
A powerful platform to build any apps without coding.
- Offer a variety of templates for different types of apps
- Loyalty program feature
- The social media integration feature
- Allowing the in-app calendar & booking system
- Allowing a great degree of customization
- 30-day free trial for the development phase, a subscription is needed for publishing
- Subscription plans start from $42 per month
How to Use a Template
Instead of building your app on the app builder platforms, you can also purchase an app template that suits what you need and customize it. There are a lot of templates available out there for your choosing, there are apps for every type of apps you might need. For example, if you own a restaurant business, you can simply search for “restaurant app templates” and this will give you a lot of results you can choose from. You can check out the websites below to see the templates that they have:
- iOS App Templates
- Envato Market
- Mockplus
- iOS Design Kit
- A great variety of choices for features and designs
- You do not have to design a user interface, just choose a design that you like
- Cost-effective, you just have to buy a template once and it’s always yours, no subscription needed
- Some simple templates may be free
- Harder to input your contents
- Hard to customize the theme, need some programming knowledge
- Takes longer to develop, typically a few days to 1-2 weeks
- Need to publish the app on your own
- Need to implement app updates on your own
- More difficult to get customer support
How Much Does it Cost to Make an iPhone App
If you are making an iPhone app on your own, there are 2 options you can consider:
- Using App Builders: This option is very fast and easy to use. It allows you to choose designs, drag, and drop features to build your own app within a few minutes. This option usually costs you a monthly subscription fee to publish your app on the iOS App Store. Subscription ranges from $2 per month to $150 per month depending on the package and features you would like for your app. If you want an ad-free app, it usually costs more, around $50 per month.
- Using Templates: You can buy templates online then input your contents and customize the app. Once you buy a theme, it is yours to use and you do not need to pay subscription fees per month to keep your app published. Templates usually cost from $50 for simple apps and up to a few hundred for apps with more complicated features. However, this method requires a bit more technical knowledge than using app builders, as it requires a bit of programming to customize the app and publish it on the App Store.
How to Make an App for Android
Similar to making an iPhone app, if you want to build an Android App on your own without heavy programming, you can use the below 2 methods:
- Using an App Builder: This method works best if you do not want to do any programming at all. You check out app builders such as App Maker, Appyourself, Mobicube, which allow you to choose your designs, drag and drop features, and customize your content within minutes. You can usually develop the app on their platform for free and pay a subscription fee to publish your app on the Google Play Store.
- Using templates: You can search for Android app templates online and choose a template that most suits your need. Once you purchase a template, you can customize and publish it for free. However, customizing the app is not as easy as using an app builder, because you will need a bit of programming knowledge to do so. Hence, you would want to choose an app that is as close to your desired app as possible.
Conclusion
The time when you have to pay thousands of dollars to pay a mobile developer for one app is over. You can now purchase your own template and pay a freelance developer to customize it, or you can build and publish your own app via a variety of app builders available online. Especially for small businesses, this is a great choice for a budget-friendly app that will boost your business and increase your customer loyalty. Having an app for your own company is a good investment to drive sales and attract potential customers.