WHAT IS AN APP?
App is short for ‘application’. Simply put, there are two categories of apps: Native apps and web apps.
A native app is an app you install on the operating system of a device (phone, tablet, smartwatch, etc.). The two most popular operating systems, used on mobile devices, are Android and iOS. You install a native app through an app store. The two most popular app stores are Apple App Store and Google Play Store. When you install a native app, an icon appears on the device homescreen. When you click on this icon, the app opens. When developing a native app, you need to develop separate apps for iOS and Android. So, if the app needs to work on both operating systems, you need to develop two different apps.
A native app can use the capabilities of the device such as GPS, push notifications, camera, Bluetooth, offline mode, Beacon, etc. When you use Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Snapchat, etc, on your phone or tablet, you are using a native app.
A new method has emerged for developing native apps. It is called cross-platform app development. We are experts in the cross-platform framework Microsoft Xamarin. In our opinion, Microsoft Xamarin is the best cross-platform technology in the market. A cross-platform app works on both iOS and Android. This means that you only need to build and maintain one app instead of two apps. A cross-platform app is significantly cheaper to develop than two native apps (iOS and Android). Nonetheless, there are a few limitations to using Microsoft Xamarin. For example, Microsoft Xamarin is not very good for developing games. Games get developed better as conventional native apps.
A web app is an app that you access through the browser (Apple Safari, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, etc.) on the device. All devices (phones, tablets, smartwatches, laptops, desktops, etc.) that have a browser can access a web app. A web app does not need to be installed on the device before it can be used.
There is a new kind of web app that goes by the name PWA (progressive web app). A PWA is, also, a web app but it can use some of the capabilities of the device. In that sense, it is a step closer to a native app.
Weighing the pros and cons, a native app is potentially more capable and versatile than a web app. On the other hand, building a native app costs more money than creating a web app. Likewise, native apps take longer to develop.
Whether you need to create a web app or a native app depends entirely on your needs and the features you would like to have in the app. We are happy to help you assess what is right for you.
At Tiblo, we offer five different products within the app universe:
Cross-platform apps, developed in Microsoft Xamarin
Native iOS apps
Native Android apps
Web apps
Progressive web apps
BENEFITS OF APP DEVELOPMENT WITH TIBLO
Everything is possible
We build things from scratch, so almost anything is possible and there are very few restrictions.
No design limitations
You can customize the design 100% as you would like it to be. This allows you to create the perfect visual appearance and optimal user journey.
Full ownership
You have complete ownership and rights to everything (data, the source code, etc.).
High security
We influence everything and can, thus, build a solution that contains a high level of security.
INCREASE IN REVENUE IN APPS STORES
In 2021 customers spent 133 billion US dollars, collectively, in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. The money was spent on paid apps, subscriptions, and in-app purchases. That number was 58.2 billion US dollars in 2017, which is an increase of 128.5% in five years; on average, 25.7% each year.
Mobile phones and tablets continue to attract users every day, and more and more purchases are made through these devices. Revenue from apps has increased every year for the last many years. There are strong indications that this trend will continue in the coming years.
NUMBER 1 IN APP STORE
One month after launch, the ONLY app became number 1 in the Apple App Store (Denmark) in the category ‘purchase’.
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Rating in the Apple App store (1.4K Ratings)
0st Place
In the Apple App Store one month after launch
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Total downloads of all native apps developed by usFIGURES REGARDING NATIVE APPS
5.5% annual increase in app downloads
The total app downloads increased from 192 billion in 2018 to 218 billion in 2020. Annual average increase: 6.8%.
10% annual increase in smartphone users
Smartphone users worldwide increased from 2.5 billion in 2016 to 3.8 billion in 2021. Annual average increase: 10%.
4.2 hours spent on apps daily
On average, users spend 4.2 hours per day on mobile apps.
58 on-offs a day!
A survey reveals that, on average, smartphone users open their phones 58 times a day.
The mobile market today is dominated by two operating systems:
Android and iOS. In January 2022, in Europe, about 35% of all phones were running on iOS while 64% were running on Android. Samsung, Windows, Blackberry, Linux, etc., collectively amounted to less than 1% of the pie.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BUILD SOMETHING FROM THE SCRATCH?
There are no restrictions when we build an app from scratch, and almost anything can be done. Although, when we make your app from scratch, we often use a lot of prebuilt modules. A prebuilt module is an existing, independent script of code written to carry out some specific functions. A prebuilt module can, for example, be a login module, user administration module, newsletter module, calendar module, booking module, animation module, or a pop-up module.
There are prebuilt modules for most commonly used functions in an app. Some modules cost money, while others are free. By using prebuilt modules, you save a lot of development costs and time.
When we build an app from scratch, we often use many of these prebuilt modules. We focus on writing code for the additional functionality we need, which does not exist as a prebuilt module. If required, we can, also develop extra functionality on top of an existing standard prebuilt module. Thus, there are almost no restrictions when we build your app from scratch, and we can build almost anything.
WHAT ARE DEVICE CAPABILITIES?
When developing an app, it is possible for the app to use the capabilities of the device. For example, if you install an app on a phone, the phone has some capabilities that your app can use. Users of the phone, of course, have to give ‘permission’ before the app can access the capability. Some examples of the capabilities that a phone has are:
Camera access
From an app, it is possible to access a phone's camera. You can, for example, take pictures and videos with the phone's camera and use them within the app. You can also use the camera for other things, for example, to scan QR codes.
Offline mode
Most apps require the internet to work. By using offline mode, your app can work even if the phone has no internet connection.
Bluetooth
People occasionally connect external devices (speakers, headphones, etc.) to their phones via Bluetooth. An app can access the Bluetooth functionality on your phone.
Camera roll access
An app can access the camera roll on your phone. You can use videos and photos from the camera roll in the app.
GPS
An app can access your phone’s GPS. You can use this positioning system for many things in an app. For example, the app can tell the user how far she is from a specific address or it can send the user a message when she is in a specific geographical area (close to a store, hospital, etc.).
In-App purchase
When you create a native app, you have the option to let users make purchases directly in the app with Google and iOS In-App purchase features. By just swiping a finger, without entering payment card information, the user can do a one-time purchase or subscribe to a periodic payment service.
Push notifications
Many apps today use push notifications. For example, if you receive a message on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, or LinkedIn, a small prompt generally appears at the top of your screen indicating that you have received a message. This notification is called a push notification. An app has the ability to send these push notifications to the user.
Other information
The above is just a small listing of the capabilities a phone has. You can use more capabilities than those shown above (including beacon, NFC, background tasks, audio, etc.).
However, it is not only phones that have capabilities an app can use. Other devices, such as tablets, smartwatches, and smart TVs also have capabilities an app can use. Capabilities available for use by an app differ from device to device.
Native apps can use all capabilities on a device. PWA and web apps only have the option of using a few selected capabilities on a device.
MORE INFO ABOUT XAMARIN APP DEVELOPMENT
With traditional app development, you need to develop two apps: one for iOS and one for Android. Microsoft Xamarin is a cross-platform framework. With Microsoft Xamarin, you only need to build one base app, which can be used as a native app on both iOS and Android. So Xamarin development requires fewer resources and makes it possible to deliver your app at half the price compared to traditional app development.
Xamarin is used by some of the biggest brands in the world. See the short video (2 min 25 seconds), below, to understand the benefits of using Xamarin and observe some of the big brands using it. The video is self-explanatory and requires no prior knowledge of programming.
APP UDVIKLING TIL HALV PRIS MED XAMARIN
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We are among the most experienced digital agencies in Northern Europe working with Microsoft Xamarin. Most of our experts have been working with this technology since it matured in early 2013. Click the button below to read more about Xamarin and our offerings.
MORE INFO ABOUT IOS APP DEVELOPMENT
iOS is an operating system owned by Apple. Only Apple products (iPhones, iPads, Apple Watch, etc.) use the iOS operating system. Native apps made for iOS will work only on Apple products and will not work on Android devices. When you build a native iOS app you can use all the capabilities on an iOS device.
We are experts in coding native iOS apps for Apple devices. We can code your iOS app in Object-C or Swift. Native iOS development is more expensive compared to cross-platform development with Xamarin. But it does offer some advanced features that are not present in Xamarin.
MORE INFO ABOUT ANDROID APP DEVELOPMENT
Android is an operating system owned by Google. Many manufacturers make devices (including phones, tablets, watches, etc.) that use Android as the operating system. Samsung, Sony, Xiaomi, OnePlus, Huawei, Nokia, and Motorola all use Android. Native apps made for Android will only work on Android devices, they will not work on Apple devices. When you build a native Android app you can use all the capabilities on an Android device.
We are experts in coding native Android apps for Android devices. We can code your app in Java or Kotlin. Native Android development is more expensive than cross-platform development with Xamarin. But it does offer some advanced features that are not present in Xamarin.
MORE INFO ABOUT WEB APP DEVELOPMENT
A web app is software that runs on a web server. A web app can be accessed through a browser. All devices that have a browser, for example, phones, tablets, smartwatches, smart TVs, desktops, or laptops, can access your web app. A device, mandatorily, requires a network connection to be able to access the web app.
A web app has a responsive design. This means that the web app adapts to the screen that visits it. Thus, a web app can suit all types of devices. Web apps are faster to develop than native apps and cost less. They are also cheaper than progressive web apps (PWAs). Nevertheless, with a web app you have lesser options to interact with the capabilities of a device compared to a cross-platform or native app.
We are experts in developing web apps. Among other things, we use Microsoft frameworks to make web apps, which in our opinion are the best technologies to develop web apps. We use ASP.NET Core, Blazor, C#, Azure, etc. In addition, we use other technologies such as JavaScript, HTML, CSS, etc.
MORE INFO ABOUT PWA DEVELOPMENT
In recent years, the progressive web app (PWA) has become more and more popular. The PWA is closely related to a web app, they are similar in many ways. A PWA is, also, software that runs on a web server and is accessed through a browser. All devices that have a browser can access your PWA, for example, phones, tablets, smartwatches, smart TVs, desktops, or laptops.
A PWA, also, has a responsive design. This means that it adapts to the screen that visits it. Thus, a PWA can fit all types of devices. PWAs are faster to develop and cost lesser than native apps but they cost more than web apps. With a PWA, you have far more opportunities to use the capabilities of a device compared to a web app. This is the big difference between a PWA and a web app. However, a PWA has lesser options to integrate with the capabilities of a device compared to a cross-platform or native app.
We are experts in developing PWAs. Among other things, we use Microsoft frameworks to develop PWAs, which in our opinion are the best technologies to develop PWAs. We use ASP.NET Core, Blazor, C#, Azure, etc. In addition, we use other technologies such as JavaScript, HTML, CSS, etc.
BEAUTIFUL DESIGN
We understand how important your app’s aesthetics are for its users. Therefore, we spend a lot of time and effort creating appealing and functional designs that align with the app’s purpose.
Our design process has been appreciated by many of our clients. We start the process by deep diving into your style preferences to decode what delights you, such as colours, fonts, moods, designs of some other apps you like, etc. Based on these preferences, we create three different design proposals for you to give you multiple options. After that, you select the design you prefer or ask us to provide fresh designs. This is an open-ended iterative process that continues until we arrive at a design you love.
Below are some pictures of designs created by us. You don’t need to pick any of these designs, they are just examples. We will customise the design for your app according to your wishes.
A PROCESS THAT ENSURES SUCCESS
From our experience, we understand that every development project is unique and, therefore, we always tailor the process to our client’s individual needs. While being totally flexible, we broadly follow the following five steps.
1. Concept
2. PROTOTYPE
3. Development
4. Release
5. Maintenance
ALWAYS START WITH A PROTOTYPE
We, always, recommend that our clients opt to make an interactive prototype of their forthcoming app before the actual coding begins. A prototype costs between 2,300 GBP and 4,600 GBP, depending on the scope of the app. The finally designed prototype lets you preview exactly what your real app will look like. This helps explore how the app functions and spot areas for improvement before you spend anything on the actual coding.
We have a non-binding approach. You are free to buy the interactive prototype from Tiblo and then get the app coded by another agency. In case you choose to stay with us, the payment for the prototype will be adjusted in your bill for the development of the real app.
OUR COMPETENCIES
Tiblo's competencies include more subject areas than just coding apps. UX design, UI design, user testing, user behaviour, IT security, business process optimisation, finance, business strategy, marketing, etc., are other important fields that we are knowledgeable in.
Our team includes people with multifaceted expertise that can benefit your project. As an example, one of our experts has worked on business process optimisation (LEAN, Six Sigma, etc.) in some of Denmark's largest companies. Another expert has worked in the field of user research and consumer insights for one of the world's largest data and analytics companies (Nielsen).
We can help and answer all your queries such as: How do I monetise the app? How do I get users to download the app? How do I ensure an efficient workflow for users? How do I retain users in the app? How do I best communicate with my target audience?
We will incorporate all our multifaceted knowledge and experience into your app when we build it.
YOU DO NOT NEED PRIOR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT APPS OR PROGRAMMING
If you choose Tiblo to make your app, you do not need prior knowledge of apps or programming. You just need to tell us your initial thoughts and ideas. We will work and guide you through the entire process to transform your ideas into a app.
90% of our clients have no technical skills, but that is not a problem at all. We have the skills and experience for effectively communicating complex technical concepts in simple and easy to understand language.
SHORT DELIVERY TIME
Specific delivery time examples from previous projects.
Working days
Development of an iOS app, Android app, and backend modules for customers of 200+ physical stores situated in three countries.
Working days
Development of an iOS app, Android app, and backend modules for a minor insurance company.
Working days
Development of an iOS and Android app for use by large construction companies.
WOOCOMMERCE PRODUCTS WE OFFER
Microsoft Xamarin app
We can make a brand-new Xamarin app, built from scratch, based on your requirements.
iOS app
We can make a brand-new iOS app, built from scratch, based on your requirements.
Android app
We can make a brand-new Android app, built from scratch, based on your requirements.
Web app
We can make a brand-new web app, built from scratch, based on your requirements.
Progressive web apps
We can make a brand-new progressive web app (PWA), built from scratch, based on your requirements.
Redesign and optimisation
If you already have an app (Microsoft Xamarin, native iOS, native Android, web app, or PWA) we can help make a new design to enhance its visual appeal and provide a better user experience. Likewise, we can help optimise your current app based on your needs, like improvement of load time, conversions, user-friendliness, etc.
PRICING
MAX 50 GBP PER HOUR BUT OFTEN SIGNIFICANTLY CHEAPER
We prefer to provide a fixed price for your app project. That way, you know the exact cost of the project right at the start itself. However, it is only possible to calculate the amount after we know what you have in mind, such as what functionalities would you want in the app, what should the design look like, which devices (phones, tablets, watches) would the app be working on, etc.
If you want a native app, Xamarin development is guaranteed to be significantly cheaper than iOS and Android development.
If you require app development work done at hourly rates, it costs a maximum of 50 GBP per hour. The hourly rate falls with an increase in the number of hours purchased. 90% of our clients buy fixed-price projects and, in practice, obtain hourly rates that are significantly below 50 GBP per hour.
The mentioned hourly rates apply to all our experts irrespective of their seniority level or domain (project managers, team leads, software architects, senior developers, etc.).
Our prices are significantly lower than many other UK agencies that build apps. In our experience, our prices are also lower than many agencies in Eastern Europe (Poland, Ukraine, Romania, Belarus, Lithuania, etc.) that make apps. This is, of course, without compromising on quality. You may be wondering how we can offer apps of high quality, in short delivery time, at such low prices. The answer lies in The Tiblo Model.
YOU OWN THE RIGHTS
Once the app is finalised to your satisfaction and you have paid the entire amount, you own all rights to it. If you decide to do further development in the future, you can continue working with us, find another (external) company or do the work in-house. You own the rights, so it’s all up to you.
HOSTING
After we develop your app, you can host it in two ways: either we host your app for you or you can find an external provider for the same. If you’d like us to host the app, we will handle all the work, and you don’t have to do anything. We typically use Microsoft Azure, which is one of the biggest hosting providers globally and has a high level of security, performance, speed, and uptime. You can read more about our hosting services here.
FREE CONSULTATION
We would be glad to invite you to meetings where we can share our knowledge and learnings about apps. You can decide the subject for our meetings. We will offer valuable advice regardless of the stage you are at: ideation stage, development stage, a live app, etc.
The meetings are 100% free and non-binding. You are in no way obliged to buy anything from Tiblo after these meetings.
TESTIMONIALS
Read small excerpts of what companies and individuals have said about their collaboration with us.
Tiblo developed our bespoke loyalty app. Customers can use the app to gain benefits when shopping in one of our 700 physical stores in Europe. Tiblo has functioned as a close and valuable sparring partner throughout the process, maintaining constant support from the idea stage till the app launch and beyond. The cooperation with Tiblo has been satisfyingly productive. We are delighted with the high quality of work delivered promptly and at a fair price.
Allan Svinth
Director and CFO
Danske Idræt
Danske Idræt is an independent sports association for employees of Danske Bank in Denmark, with approximately 2,000 members. We needed a new digital platform (mobile app and administration module) to offer our association members a better experience and, at the same time, to simplify the administrative work for our volunteers. Tiblo has been a competent partner while working with us on this new digital platform. Tiblo understood our requirements and took the time needed to understand our organization and pains. We are delighted with the collaboration and the high quality work, offered at a good price.
Christina Jørgensen
Vice-chairwoman
*The picture of Christina Jørgensen is a dummy. The correct picture will be uploaded soon.
If you are looking for high-quality work, low prices, and a fast delivery time for your app project, we can help you. Just give us some information about your project, and we’ll get back quickly with a price and delivery time estimate. No project is too big or too small for us.
I will do the estimation with my team and respond to your query within two business hours (Monday to Friday: 08:00 am to 06:00 pm).
