Beware of Mobile Myths

You don’t need Mythbusters to set you straight about mobile misconceptions.

Mobile devices and operating systems have evolved rapidly over the past few years, setting a high bar for new apps. Unfortunately, there are a lot of misconceptions about the best solutions for achieving your mobile initiatives.

But don’t worry. We’ve identified the top five myths to help you make all the right mobile moves.

Myth: You need an entire team of developers to build a native app.

Reality: I agree that writing code for each operating system and for every device is labor-intensive. However, companies can use available enterprise mobile platform to develop native apps centrally and deploy across multiple devices.

Myth: If you want cross-platform support, you need to build an app for each device.

Reality: Building apps from scratch for each operating system is a major project. Instead, use the “configure once, run anywhere” strategy. Using a mobile platform is cost-effective and reduces the amount of manpower needed to build cross-platform native apps to just one person. Depending on the complexity of the app, you can build and deploy apps for each platform in just two to ten weeks.

 

Myth: Web-based apps provide the same user experience as native apps.

Reality: Some people think HTML5 is a magic bullet. While HTML5 in an important new technology, its ability to support native mobile capabilities is narrow. Native applications can provide customized user experiences. They integrate with native device features like GPS, accelerometer and camera. Make sure your mobile development platform enables offline data storage and allows you to build intuitive, rich native apps that integrate with the device operating system and hardware.

Myth: Once you build an app, it can’t be changed.

Reality: Use mobile development platforms with the ability to make real-time changes. You can skip the recoding, recompilation, regression testing, and resubmission to the App Store. The agility and flexibility associated with such solutions is essential to companies who aim to grow and evolve, allowing you to add new features and tweaks that keep users involved and satisfied.

Myth: If you want to build an app for your company, you need to pay per app and per user.

Reality: Building cross-platform apps shouldn’t cost a fortune, and now it doesn’t have to. Find a mobile development solution with a pricing model that scales with your mobility needs. The platform price should align with the number of CPUs you need to run those apps rather than paying per app or per user. That way, you have total control of your mobile strategy, giving you the ability to build as many apps, on as many devices, for as many users as you want.

Let us know what else you’ve heard about mobile app development and we’ll separate fact from fiction. 

Christopher P. Willis is chief marketing officer at Verivo.