Author: Michael Blood
Are Apps Safer Than Websites?
Is using an app guaranteed safe? Why or why not? Read below to find out.
When you download an app you might have to pay for it. The app is run through Apple’s Store so it’s probably safe right?
Maybe. When was the last time that you checked to see who the author or developer of the app was? Are they reputable? Are they a company? An individual?
When you downloaded then loaded an app, what information were you asked to provide? Were you asked for an email? A phone number? How about a home address?
Believe it or not, all of the above has been asked within apps in the past. Sometimes this info is taken without you knowing it.
Questioning the fact that an app knows where you live?
Do you happen to allow location tracking with any of your apps? If you do, more than likely you go home to sleep at night correct? Do you think that the app doesn’t recognize where you go every day? Or where you are when you are using it? That’s the whole point of location tracking after all isn’t it? To track you?
Now let’s talk about websites. When you visit a website there are these things called “cookies”. These should be called bread crumbs. You recall Hansel and Gretel right?
To explain cookies simply, when you visit a website that has cookies enabled they are able to see where you go from that website. At each new website you visit thereafter, you leave a breadcrumb. Those websites can then use that data to target you and the others that visited their website with new information and new data. You’re basically leaving a trail for them to follow.
So are apps safer than websites? No. They might track you or your information a little differently than a website, but that doesn’t make them safer. It doesn’t necessarily make them unsafe either. You just need to be aware and judicious of what information you are providing.
If you’re bored and want to know the kind of information an app collects, try reading the privacy agreement in the app store. It’s quite…informative.
Or if you don’t feel like reading all that fancy jargon give us a call at 208 344 1115, or shoot us an email at hello@matraex.com. We’d love to break down app security versus website security for you.
Are Apps Free In 2022?
Free apps? They might not be as “free” as you think.
Are apps free to download in 2022? Yes. There most certainly are free to download apps out there. Check out the screenshot from our phone.
Do you see the word “GET” there? Those apps are free to download. Now, check out the first app on the list, “A Musical Story” it costs $4.99 to download. That’s a paid app. But, if you look a little closer under the “free” apps you will see “In-App Purchases”. Are they really free?
Your “free” app could just be a trial
You might be able to download the app for free but that doesn’t always mean you will have access to all of the main features. Sometimes it will be a 7-day trial. Sometimes you can only play the first level of a game. Sometimes you get the whole app for free. Sometimes.
Your powerbill will reflect the cost
Researchers at the University of Southern California, the Rochester Institute of Technology and Queen’s University did a study on phone usage found that phone apps with ads use 16% more energy. This translates to 1.7 cents every time a user used the app based on a per MB charge by AT&T. So if you are the type of person that plays on your phone throughout the day, your “free” app is actually costing you.
Do you consider your data free?
In 2018 Semantic did a study on 100 free apps in the Google Play Store and the data that they were able to gather on their users. Here’s some numbers:
45% had users’ locations tracked
46% had access to a user’s camera
25% could record audio
10% got your phone log
4% had user addresses
If you put a price on this kind of information would you really call it “free”?
You might want to check your data usage
with your phone carrier
Free doesn’t mean that it doesn’t use cellular data. If you don’t pay for unlimited data free apps might cost you, and if you pay for unlimited because of all of your “free” apps, they already are.
The Verdict?
So are apps free in 2022? Sure if it says “GET” that app is free to download. But is it really free? We’ll let you be the judge.
What Would You Do Differently If You Were To Build Your App Again?
Most app developers start with one but have so many ideas they end up developing multiple apps. After
you’ve built your first app, it’s time to evaluate the process and figure out what you might do differently.
Let’s look at a few things to consider before you decide to develop your next app.
Fewer Features
Did you include too many features in your first app? After launching, maybe you found out users felt
overwhelmed by the features or simply didn’t use most of them.
While you want your new app to be the coolest with the best features, too many features can cause
issues. It’s better to start off with an app prototype with the most important features and add features
as users make suggestions.
Investing too much Money
Maybe your first app cost you a large sum of money and you really don’t want to go down that road
again. With our app prototype service, you can keep the initial investment lower and fine-tune your app
before investing a larger amount of cash.
Focus on the User More
Did you spend months upon months with tunnel vision the first time around? You treated your app like
a new baby joining your family and wanted it to the absolutely perfect. It turned out to be your vision
and launched just as you wanted, but the users barely factored into the equation.
Getting as much input from test groups, user groups, early adopters, early investors, and others helps to
make your app stronger. Our team will help you with your next app by providing an app prototype
service. In just two weeks, we deliver a working app to your phone, which you can use for testing with
users and presenting to investors.
Outsource the Work
Did you have your app developed in-house? This can get rather expensive since you pay for the people
working on your app day in and day out.
When you outsource the work to a development company, you pay when you need them, not when
they show up to work.
When you hire Matraex, we charge a flat fee for our app prototype service. It doesn’t matter how many
developers we have on the project or the amount of time it takes them each day, the fee is the same.
Outsourcing your app development can help you avoid unnecessary expenses. The right developers will
already know the programming language you need and will likely work faster than an in-house team.
Plus, ongoing expenses only occur when you need work done instead of when employees clock in for
the day.
If you’re ready to develop another app, our app prototype service offers the right solution for you. Why
should you have to fork over tens of thousands of dollars and wait months to see your app in action? Let
us create an app prototype for you in just two weeks!
What App Will You Launch Next?
You’ve finished launching an app and you have a mind full of ideas for the next one. What will it be? Did
you learn from the process? Are you going to go about it differently this time around?
There are a few key things to remember when launching a new app. Even if you’ve been through the
process before, you have decisions to make with this new app. Let’s look at a few things to remember
before you launch your next big app idea.
Will users find value?
The most important factor to help you decide to develop a new app is whether or not the users will find
value. Will they be willing to pay for the app, refer others, or will there be another way you can turn a
profit from the app?
If the users don’t find value in your app, it won’t provide the profits you desire.
How long will it take to build your new app?
Did the first app you developed take months or even a year to finish? Do you really want to go through
months of development again?
Some apps take longer than others to develop. It depends on the type of team you choose and how you
go about app development. Maybe you’re ready to jump back into developing another app, but you
want to look at your options this time around.
You can choose traditional app development and wait an average of four to six months. Another option
is to choose our app prototype service and have something to present to investors and customers in just
two weeks.
If you don’t want to invest the full cost of app development in time and money, start by creating an app
prototype. With a prototype, you gain the advantage of getting an app on your phone in less time to see
what users and investors think.
How much will your new app cost to build and maintain?
Figuring out the cost is vital to any app project. If you choose to develop the app in full before launching
it, you will likely spend tens of thousands of dollars, maybe more. Maintaining the app will also come
with ongoing costs to consider.
You can lower the cost of development by starting with our app prototype service. We charge a flat fee
of $10,000 to develop your app prototype and you’ll have a working prototype in just two weeks.
If you’re ready to launch your next app, it’s time to consider the right process. Maybe you went through
the full app development process last time around without a prototype first. This time, it’s wise to start
with an app prototype with only the most important features. After gathering suggestions and data from
users and investors, you can develop your app better while keeping the initial cost down.
So, You’ve Launched an App, Now What?
You went through the process of developing an app and launched it. Now, what do you do with the app?
What’s next?
After you’ve launched, it’s time to gather data, make adjustments, and, in some cases, re-launch. You
want to find out the features users like the most and anything they want next. Of course, this is
assuming your app has a way to collect suggestions from users.
For most apps, development is continuous. You will launch updates and add features as you discover
what users want. It’s important to know, app development is a marathon, not a sprint. You will want to
make your app even better by adding in new features, improving existing features, and getting rid of
unnecessary features.
User Suggestions
Depending on the type of app you’ve launched, collecting user suggestions is the next step after
launching. Let users tell you what they like and what they wish your app provided. Whether you provide
a survey or give them away to make suggestions in the app, this data is priceless if you want to create a
better, more user-friendly app.
Cut Costs & Create a Better App with an App Prototype
If you haven’t developed your app yet or you’re about to start working on the next app, it’s time to
consider an app prototype. By choosing full app development, you’re committing the maximum time
and money to a project without collecting any user suggestions. An app prototype provides a better way
to launch your app with a lower investment.
Instead of wasting time and money guessing what users want, create an app prototype with minimal
features. Then, when you find out what users actually want and need, you can invest in the features you
know they will use and like.
At Matraex we provide a fast, low-risk app prototype service to ensure you gain the tools to develop the
best app for your users. Our team will create an app prototype in as little as two weeks giving you
something tangible to present to investors and customers.
You can gain invaluable insight into what users want with our app prototype service. Once you have the
right information from your app users, you can make a larger investment into the right features you
know will be a hit!
Matraex App Prototype Service
Understanding what an App Prototype is
When you want lean implementation of your app and you want it fast, an app prototype service is right
for you. It comes in at a lower cost compared to traditional app development and provides gives you
something you can present to investors.
Our app prototype service takes your idea and reduced it down to the basic core to create a prototype.
It will include the concepts and ideas that show the value and how your app is unique from others on
the market. The goal of our app prototype service is rapid implementation to get your app idea in hand
faster.
At Matraex Software Development, we’re able to create your app prototype in days instead of months.
Skip the waiting and get your app prototype done faster!
Top Benefits of an App Prototype Service
Developing an app prototype comes with many benefits. Of course, getting it done faster is one of the
benefits, but there are several others including:
Provides a tangible concept you can present to investors
Allows you to see your app in action at the smallest investment possible
You gain an idea to show off to your customers
Helps to validate an early concept
Test usability and identify issues
Allows for a more efficient app design
There are many other benefits that come along with an app prototyping service. If you’re looking for a
faster way to see your idea come to life, our app prototype service is the right choice for you.
App Prototype Discovery Session
This is where it all starts. At Matraex, we want to gain a full understanding of your custom app concept,
so we start with a discovery session. During this session, we gain an overview of the idea and concepts
from you and begin the discussion about the custom features for your app. A priority is placed on the
features most important to you and the value the app will provide.
When the app is a good fit for us and we are a good fit for you, the discovery session will lead to a
commitment document with a proposal for you from us. This document will provide the details of the
features we will deliver in your app prototype, along with our commitment to you and our money-back
guarantee.
The app discovery session begins with a simple app survey. This survey offers a few quick questions to
help give us a start on what you’re looking for and your app idea.
Our Simple & Fast Process
When you choose to work with Matraex, you will go through our very simple and fast app prototype
process. This process includes:
1. Discovery Session
2. Defining the prototype and providing a schedule commitment
3. Review and approval
4. Beginning the High-Intensity Development Sprint
5. App development, delivery, and feedback between three and six times
6. Completed app prototype delivered
7. App review session
8. App commitment review session
App Prototype Service FAQs
Is it really possible to have an app on my smartphone in just 3 days?
Yes, with our ability to use Test Flight on Apple, or with an APK file for Android, we can have an app
prototype on your phone in just three days.
What is the cost of the app prototype service?
We charge a flat rate of $10,000 for our app prototype service. Full custom app development can cost
tens of thousands, if not millions of dollars. By limiting the features and providing a scaled-down app
prototype, we control our costs.
How are you able to create an app prototype so fast?
With our in-house prototyping tools and prototype services, we are able to create new app prototypes
very fast. We have API tools and existing accounts setups ready to go with your idea. Since our team is
familiar with all the tools we use, it makes going from concept to prototype much faster for us.
What type of app prototypes do you build?
The majority of the apps we create focus on business, productivity, and utility. Not every app will exactly
match one of these categories and we might be able to build your app prototype if it doesn’t match
perfectly.
Do you build games?
No, we do not build games.
Can you prototype with an app purchase?
Yes, we have a system in place to make it very easy to set up in-app purchases very quickly. This is one
of the longest delays when developing an app. It can take a long time to get your account set up in the
App Store and start receiving funs. We will discuss with you what makes the most sense.
Did You Spend Too Much Time or Money Building Your App?
Traditional app development may cost tens of thousands of dollars. Some apps cost millions to develop.
If you have an idea for an app, you might not have this type of cash to invest upfront for full app
development.
You can spend too much money or time building your app only to find out there’s no market for it.
Maybe you already went through the process and you’re finding out now that you spent too much time
or money building your app.
What’s a normal amount of money to spend building an app?
The amount of money you will spend to build an app will depend on the type of app, the platforms it’s
built for, the design, and a few other factors. The average cost to develop an app will range from about
$38,000 to $170,000. However, it can reach as much as a half-million and even go into the million-dollar
range.
The type of app will play a factor with IoT or wearable applications having the highest cost. M-
commerce apps can also be rather expensive, along with Enterprise mobile apps. Depending on the type
of app you plan to develop, the team you choose for development, and the overall design, your costs
can range quite a bit from just under $40K to more than $1 million.
What’s a common amount of time to spend building an app?
Just as the cost to develop an app can range quite a bit, so can the amount of time it takes to develop
the app. The amount of time will depend on the design of the app and the team you choose to develop
the app.
For most apps, it will take between four and six months with some taking longer and some not quite as
long. A small percentage of apps will take more than 10 months to develop.
Did you spend too much time or money developing your app?
This isn’t the easiest question to answer and it really depends on what your goal was and how the
process went for you. If your app was rather simple, yet took several months to develop, it might have
cost you too much time and money.
However, if you took on investors, developed the app, and found out it’s hard to make any money from
it, you probably spend too much time and money on the app.
How can you keep the cost and the time investment down when developing a new app?
Maybe you’re ready to try again with a different app idea or maybe you just want to avoid spending too
much time and money on the idea without proof of concept. If you’re working with a limited budget and
you need an app developed fast, our app prototype service is the right choice for you.
With an app prototype, you get a scaled-down version of your app idea created quickly to present to
investors and customers. It will allow you to see your concept working on an actual smartphone before
deciding to invest any more time or money into the idea.
Our team develops app prototypes for a fraction of the cost compared to full app development. We get
a working app on your phone very fast and you will have something tangible to present to investors and
customers in two weeks.
Compared to investing months of time and tens of thousands or maybe hundreds of thousands of
dollars, developing an app prototype is a better solution. You will be able to see your app working and
gain proof of concept before making the mistake of investing too much time or money into an app idea.
Understanding App Prototyping for Beginners
You’re brand new to the app development game and you’ve heard of app prototyping, but you’re not sure what it is. Maybe you’ve figured out that the app development process can become very costly. App prototyping is a more affordable way to see what your app will look like and how it will function.
If you’re not sure what app prototyping is or how it works, the following guide will help you better understand this concept.
A Cost-Efficient Way to Test Your Ideas
Developing an app from beginning to end is very costly. However, when you use app prototyping, you’ll gain access to a cost-efficient way to test out your ideas before fully developing or launching your app.
When you want to develop an app that millions of customers will use, app prototyping is a great place to start. It can act as a springboard into full development while giving you the ability to attract the right investors during the funding stages of your business.
Prototyping isn’t a new concept. Inventors and product creators have used prototyping for many decades. App prototyping, however, is a bit of a newer concept, but it works in a very similar way.
Before you commit to fully developing your app, prototyping allows you to see how it will look and function. You can make adjustments to your ideas early in the process instead of waiting until the final stages.
Top 5 Benefits of App Prototyping
1. Save Money
Instead of creating a fully developed app, with app prototyping, you’ll be creating a “ready-to-code” mockup of your app. This helps save money as you won’t need to go through full development stages until the ideas behind the app have been fully vetted and tested.
2. Ability to Quickly Share Your Concept
Developing an app takes time. With prototyping, you can quickly get a tangible mockup ready to share with co-founders, test groups, and investors.
3. Gain Customer Feedback
You don’t have to wait until you’ve launched your app to gain feedback from customers. With app prototyping, you’ll be able to gather feedback by sharing the prototype before you go into full development stages.
4. More Time for Changes
The prototyping stage allows you to make changes without spending as much money or wasting as much time. Since it’s just a mockup of the app, you can test it out, analyze it, refine it, and repeat the process.
5. Better Final Product
Since you will be able to go through the testing phase a few times, you can create a better final product. When you present a mockup to investors and customers, they might have valuable input to help you make adjustments.
When you’re new to app development, prototyping offers a great solution. It’s the best way to see your ideas come to life at the lowest cost. Once you have your app ready to be fully developed, you’ll have a tangible mockup to present to potential investors for additional funding.
If you’re looking for a way to see your ideas developed into a functioning app quickly, app prototyping is the right option. It’s faster and more affordable than full app development, but it can also springboard your app into full development when the time is right.
Use App Prototyping to Impress Investors
Pitching an idea to investors isn’t easy. Some investors want to see sales, while others struggle to grasp your concepts. With app prototyping, you can provide a tangible mockup to help investors grasp what you’re trying to accomplish.
You might think it’s enough to just create a few sketches or even a PowerPoint presentation. Sure, this might work, but it won’t have the effect an app prototype will have. Here are a few ways using app prototyping will help you impress investors.
Sets You Apart from the Competition
Investors see multiple pitches every month. You’re not the only one with an idea for an app or a startup company. They want to invest in the best ideas and the most promising companies.
If you’re trying to secure funding, an app prototype will help set you apart from the competition. Instead of just being another entrepreneur pitching the “next big thing” you’ll have something tangible investors can see in action.
While all the entrepreneurs pitching the investors will have a business plan, projections, and maybe a few sketches for their app, you’ll have a prototype. This will set you apart and help you gain the funding you need to complete your app and move into full development.
Shows you Have Skin in the Game
If you funded your app prototype yourself or you had to pitch your idea to investors to find funding, it shows you have skin in the game. Investors like to know you’ve put up the money and you’ve taken on the risk, too.
When they choose to invest in your idea, they will be taking on a big risk. They are betting on you, and if you don’t have any skin in the game, it makes it harder for investors to bet on you.
You can Better Show Off Your Vision
Have you ever had a conversation with someone and you just couldn’t figure out what they were trying to explain to you? When you have an idea and it’s hard to show it through sketches and a presentation, an app prototype helps.
You can show off your vision better with a prototype because it will be a functioning mockup of the final product. However, there’s still room to make adjustments to your app before it’s fully developed. As you show off your vision, investors will be able to provide feedback, which makes it even better for you and the investors.
Sometimes, it can be difficult to get other people to grasp your idea. When you need investors to quickly understand what you’re trying to do with our app, you need a prototype.
Investors didn’t come up with the idea like you did. They don’t understand the idea you have and it’s your job to show them how you’re trying to solve a problem and why it works.
When you choose app prototyping, you’ll gain a tangible mockup you can use to impress investors. You’ll stand out from the crowd of entrepreneurs and you’ll be able to bring your vision to life.
What are the Benefits of App Prototyping?
App prototyping offers plenty of benefits compared to full app development. It’s a great way to get your ideas from paper to a functioning mockup.
The phrase, “a picture is worth a thousand words” is an apt analogy to comparing an app prototype to the idea you have for an app. When you create a prototype, it helps bring the idea to life. Let’s look at some of the core benefits of app prototyping.
6 Benefits of App Prototyping
1. Highly Cost-Effective
Compared to developing your app completely, app prototyping is a much cheaper option. It’s cost-effective because you gain a working mockup to help show off the idea without investing in complete app development.
Whether you’re starting a new business or trying to create an app for your existing business, investing in app prototyping offers a less expensive solution.
2. More Clarity
You might have an idea for an app, but you’re not sure how it will work or look. With app prototyping, you get the ability to see your app function and gain clarity throughout the process. It works as the ultimate visual aid to help you gain feedback from others and make adjustments to the design and functionality.
3. Gain Feedback
It’s hard to send a sketch to someone and get their feedback on an app. Sure, they might be able to give you some pointers on the colors or the design, but they cannot see any functionality or see the app on an actual screen.
When you create a prototype of your app, you can gain feedback from potential investors and customers. This feedback can be priceless as it can help you make changes to better suit your target market.
4. Perfect the Design before Development
When you choose app prototyping, you get the ability to test, analyze, adjust, and repeat multiple times. You can try out different functions and figure out what works best for the end-user.
Instead of launching an app and releasing update after update, you can fix issues and adjust functionality during the prototyping stage.
5. Provide Something Tangible for Investors
It’s hard enough to gain funding when you cannot show sales yet. Investors need to understand your idea and how it works to solve a problem or provide convenience.
With app prototyping, you’ll be able to provide something tangible for investors. They can see how the app works and what to expect with the end results once the app is developed.
6. Validate the User Experience
One of the most important factors for any app is the user experience. Without a working mockup, it’s hard to validate the user experience. App prototyping allows you to find out if your app provides a good user experience or needs some work.
When you choose app prototyping instead of full app development, you gain access to a more cost-efficient way to bring your idea to life. Many benefits come with creating a prototype first and developing the app later. These are just a few of the core benefits you’ll gain from the app prototyping process.