November 8, 2021 by David Henderson

Software development for apps may have just taken a surprise turn. With the majority of people using apps every day in some shape or form, they have proven to be extremely useful. No matter if you are checking your email, grabbing a ride to meet friends, or checking the weather, chances are, you are using an app.

Our experts on mobile development in Kitchener are informing clients about a recent change in apps and how it may affect their business. Regular apps are the ones that most people are currently downloading and using, but many people don’t understand the way they work or how they can be improved upon.

Short for applications, “apps” refer to programs that are downloaded and installed onto your phone or other mobile devices. These apps rely on available storage space on your system to run successfully.

Who Uses PWAs?

Progressive web apps (PWA) are the newest mobile development that many businesses are turning to, including Starbucks, Instagram, Uber, and Tinder. PWA’s are stored on a server and are always available as long as the server is up. This new type of app acts just like a mobile app, and users shouldn’t even be able to tell the difference.

Exceptional User Experience

The goal of a PWA is to deliver the best possible user experience. This means that no matter if a customer views the app on the latest iPhone or a much older one, it will always work the same. Some of the features of a well built PWA include:

PWAs load instantly, meaning there is no downtime
They act just like the standard app, complete with the same functions
They can be installed on the user’s home screen without having to install through an app store
PWAs are quick to respond to a user’s input
They have smooth scrolling and animations
They can take advantage of web push animations.

How a PWA Can Help Business

Perhaps one of the best things about PWAs is that they can help small businesses or those in a start-up phase tap into a much larger audience. By utilizing a PWA instead of a native app, users on multiple types of devices can be reached. These apps can allow businesses to showcase what they want to display using their preferred devices instead of a specific one. This means that the content can be accessed by people in a crowd, sitting at the office, or travelling on a plane.

Users of PWAs don’t need to worry about extra storage as these apps are not downloaded. Research has shown that 25% of users delete apps to install new ones on their devices. If yours isn’t a PWA, you may run the chance of being deleted.

Your customers will never miss out on the latest version since PWAs do not need to be updated by the user. Nobody likes having to update an app when opening it to use. But with PWAs, are like websites, so they always stay up to date.

For smaller businesses and start-ups who don’t yet have a loyal customer base willing to download an app, a PWA means that customers just need to find the website and immediately interact with your business.

The Right Digital Presence
To compete in your marketplace and gain your customers’ attention, you need the right mobile digital presence. For mobile development in Kitchener, the experts at Unwired Web Solutions can help make sure your business has the app best suited for your needs. Contact us today to learn more about our services and what we can offer.

March 25, 2021 by David Henderson

You understand the importance of a strong online presence to the success of your business. That’s why you have invested time and money in a strong content marketing strategy that incorporates search engine optimization. If you’ve noticed that, despite efforts such as these, your pages are not generating the rankings and traffic that they should, it may be that your website is not mobile-friendly. Fortunately, a website design company Waterloo specialist may be able to help redesign your site for better compatibility.

What Is a Mobile-Friendly Website?

A mobile-friendly website has been modified for better display and functionality on a device with a smaller screen. Compare your desktop monitor to your smartphone screen, and you’ll notice some significant differences between the two. Not only is your monitor screen larger, but it is also wider. While you can turn your smartphone to display in landscape view, many people using their smartphones to use the internet do not. Therefore, a website that is not optimized for mobile devices does not fit well on a smartphone screen. The text may be too tiny to read, or the consumer may have to do a lot of swiping, pinching, and zooming to see all the content.

Why Is a Mobile-Friendly Website Important?

It hasn’t even been 15 years since Apple introduced the first smartphone, but since that time, the devices have become an indispensable part of many people’s lives. A majority of Canadians — 85% — own a smartphone, and since 2014, more people worldwide use mobile devices to access the internet than a desktop computer. The average user spends nearly 2 1/2 hours out of every day interacting with his or her smartphone. Tracked individually, the total number of smartphone engagements averages about 200 per day.

All of this means that your customer base is far more likely to engage with your website on a mobile device than on a desktop computer. Having a mobile-friendly website allows you to meet consumers where they are.

How Is It Detrimental if Your Website Is Not Mobile-Friendly?

Since most of your customers are probably going to access your website with a smartphone or tablet, their user experience is likely to be frustrating if your website is not mobile-friendly. If customers cannot read your website or find what they are looking for easily, they are unlikely to linger on it for very long. As a result, you may see high bounce rates for a website that is not mobile-friendly. In other words, people may visit but do not linger on your site for very long. A mobile-friendly site that is easy to search, navigate, and read encourages smartphone and tablet users to stay longer and look around at all you have to offer.

It may be that having a website that is not mobile-friendly prevents customers from finding your site in the first place. Since at least 2016, Google has used mobile-friendliness as a factor for ranking sites in web searches, and in 2018, it became a minimum requirement due to mobile-first indexing. Because of these changes, you may not be making it onto the first page of search results if your website isn’t mobile-friendly. Since a majority of people performing web searches do not look past the first page of results, your website may as well be invisible if it isn’t ranking.

How Can a Website Design Company Waterloo Help You?

It is important to note that a website that has been resized to fit on a smartphone screen isn’t necessarily mobile-friendly. A truly mobile-friendly website provides the user with an optimum experience through elements designed with their habits in mind. A cookie-cutter solution won’t do. That’s why Unwired Web Solutions works with you to create a custom experience geared toward your targeted demographic. Find out more about our design process for mobile development.

October 22, 2020 by David Henderson

Even when websites are mobile-friendly, it is generally much easier to purchase items online using apps. Consider, for instance, the difference in using the Amazon shopping app over its website on your phone. Because of this, web development teams are now pushing to create more apps for e-commerce websites. Should your company invest in this?

What the Data Says About Smartphone Use

The data on smartphone ownership and usage differs across national and cultural lines. However, most indicators point to smart devices taking over the market in the near future:

Pew Research estimates that 84% of men and 79% of women own a smartphone.
The higher a person’s disposable income, the more likely someone is to own a smartphone.
Statista reports that in the third quarter of 2019, 52% of the world’s population had recently bought something online using a mobile device.
In Canada, a third of the population had bought something online; meanwhile, in Indonesia, 80% have done so.
CNBC estimates that by 2025, almost three-quarters of the world will use only their smartphones to get online.

What the Most Common Challenges for App Development Are

Building an app for your business requires high levels of skill and creativity. You need professionals who know the ins and outs of not only your business but also your industry. Otherwise, the team may create an app that does not solve the pain points your products or services address for your customers.

To hire the necessary level of experience and skill, cost becomes an obstacle many small businesses struggle with. However, if you believe an app can take your business to the next level, a business loan can help make it happen. You may even have the opportunity for creative payment options, such as a commission basis.

Finally, apps require ongoing maintenance to function properly. As customers provide feedback on how well they operate across multiple platforms, making changes is important. This adds to the cost of the investment in both time and money.

Why You Should Get Your Own App

Many business owners feel intimidated by the success of Amazon and other large e-commerce platforms. After all, if these companies already sell everything imaginable, why should customers use small business apps that only provide a limited supply of items?

1. Brand Loyalty

Even if the checkout process simply takes the buyer to Amazon or eBay, your app makes it easier for buyers to pinpoint all the products and services you provide. They may discover new ones along the way and begin to choose your products over available options. This works especially well when companies offer lower shipping rates for bigger orders or subscriptions.

2. Personalization Opportunities

How well do you know your customers? Can you tie specific orders to names and addresses? When companies can do this easily, it becomes much easier to personalize communications, offers and other key aspects of your marketing campaign. Encouraging people to make accounts when using your app makes this possible.

3. Potential for Ad Revenue

Businesses that diversify their incomes stand a much better chance of weathering economic storms. One way to do so is to pitch partnerships with other companies. An excellent example of this is when apps that allow you to find vehicles for sale also incorporate offers for financing. Lenders may offer commissions or pay to run ads on the platform.

How To Create an App for Your Business

The first step is hiring qualified professionals for the design, creation and ongoing support work necessary to create a successful app. You should also write down your goals for the app and how it will integrate with other aspects of your marketing plan, such as SEO.

Unwired Web Solutions has a team of qualified professionals eager to assist with web development and the SEO process. Contact us for more information on how we can assist with your app development.

August 13, 2020 by Ares Separa

The world continues to evolve and emergent technologies are leading the charge. In every aspect of our lives — from communication to work — the latest tech trends are innovating the way we do things.

Over the last decade, we’ve seen the rise of integrated techs such as Smart TVs, self-driving cars, drone deliveries, and advanced AI. Adoption rates to these new technologies have been phenomenal. It makes sense for businesses in Canada to take advantage of these digital trends, not just to remain relevant, but to stay ahead of the curve.

For 2020, an estimated $24 billion will be spent on the software industry alone, making Canada one of the global leaders when it comes to the software industry. Technology can help businesses update processes to become more effective and productive.

Adapt. Innovate. Lead.

Here are the top technology trends to watch out for in 2020:

Artificial Intelligence

AI is the driving force behind many other technological advancements, making it number one on our list. Artificial Intelligence has been widely used in many organizations to increase efficiency and operational productivity. The ability of machines to learn and act intelligently is already transforming our world.

SaaS and Cloud Computing

Complex digital infrastructure has become a thing of the past with Cloud Computing and Software as a Service (Saas). This is especially useful for small to medium enterprises that are not able to afford the more traditional setup. Saas is customizable according to specific needs and offers a variety of options that include payment processing, point of sale systems, digital marketing and so much more. This is made possible by cloud technology that stores data online making it accessible any time, from anywhere.

Mobile Evolution

Mobile adoption rates have been steadily increasing since the introduction of smartphones. You’d be hard-pressed to find an industry that does not have at least 50% of traffic coming from mobile users. People are constantly on their phone using it for different purposes ranging from entertainment to information, purchasing to and more — it touches all aspects of their personal and professional lives. The introduction of 5G will be a game-changer with people wanting even faster, more reliable network speed, bandwidth, and power. Our team at UWS works with you to help create an engaging and great user experience for mobile users. Our goal is to empower your brand’s success with strong mobile development services.

Voice Search

Currently, 20% of mobile Google searches have been made through voice activation, and it is expected to escalate to 50% or more this year. This can affect the way businesses optimize their sites. People are now using normal speech patterns and questions in their search queries. Voice searches are more intuitive and convenient than typing out a request, so there is immense potential to design content that can be found easily when using voice searches.

Wearable Technology

This is still a hit-or-miss type technology at present (hello, Google Glass, we’re looking at you!). There are a few types of wearable tech that have had high adoption rates such as fitness trackers, smartwatches, and Apple’s AirPods. Wearable tech designed to make human lives healthier, safer, or more efficient seems to be doing well. Keep an eye out for it and see how it will evolve further.

Drones

Remotely or autonomously piloted aircraft have been used for delivery service, surveillance, and transport. We’ve seen many ways to innovatively use unmanned aerial vehicles for rescue missions, firefighting, and law enforcement. No doubt the future is bright for this type of technology.

Cryptocurrencies

Bitcoin, ether, and other cryptocurrencies have created a paradigm shift in the way we look at money. It is completely decentralized — meaning it is not governed by any central bank or monetary authority. While the concept of digital currencies is by no means perfect at this point, it is an emergent technology worth looking into. Even more so, at the heart of this technology, is blockchains and distributed ledgers, which are a super-secure method of storing, authenticating, and protecting data that can have many applications in the future (from medical records to government paperwork).

Cybersecurity

With advances in technology comes unparalleled threats to personal information and digital safety. Putting resources towards securing information and mitigating threats is a must for any business and will be critical to their success over the next decade.

There are many more advances in technology coming out every second of every day. It is vital to the survival of businesses to stay on top of the changes. At Unwired Web Solutions we understand the difficulty in keeping up to date with new trends whether that be for website development or changes to SEO. We will work with you to help answer any questions you may have and ensure your website is current with the latest mobile development and any advances that can further improve your marketing strategy.