The opportunity for enterprises to influence, attract, and retain their audience through mobile apps is increasingly stronger than ever. By building custom mobile applications, organizations can expand innovation and growth. Typically, a hands-on coding approach is highly preferred to build complex and custom mobile solutions. The manual coding approach, along with the need for skilled developers can result in higher development costs. This financial burden can limit the ability of digital leaders to invest in tech innovation.
To overcome this challenge, tech leaders might consider using low-code platforms for mobile app development. This way, CTOs/CIOs can focus on defining the business logic and specification instead of getting involved in the extensive coding process. With the modern low-code platforms coming into play, leaders can deliver the best processes and experiences for their customers. The level of speed offered by low-code platforms accelerates the development lifecycle. Thereby, reducing the time and resources needed to bring mobile applications to market.
But why low-code is the future of mobile app development? What makes it advanced?
Digital leaders can revolutionize the way applications are constructed and empower teams to rapidly build custom solutions with minimal coding investment. The visual interfaces and pre-designed components make this possible. It allows professionals, irrespective of coding expertise, to instantly and easily create applications.
With low-code platforms, app creators can also leverage automation capabilities, resulting in modernized workflows and improved productivity. Additionally, the visual programming approach of low-code platforms facilitates lesser turnaround times, minimizes the possibility of errors, and promotes better accessibility for a range of users.
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Why Low-Code Platforms Scores High in Developing Sophisticated Mobile Apps
According to a survey, 66% of the app development procedures will be organized using low-code platforms by 2024. Also, the respondents cite that in the future, most of the custom apps will be built using employees outside the IT department.
The day low-code platforms entered the picture, organizations that adopted those experienced a steadfast, easier way to organize business processes. For instance, app administrators don’t have to depend on massive paper trails, set up separate data storage, and purchase additional licenses. Low Code mobile app development is extensively changing the way projects are completed.
Let’s look at some of the reasons why low-code is the future of mobile app development:
Lower Total Cost of Ownership
Low-code platforms support creating scalable mobile solutions that evolve with the organization’s needs. The low-code licensing models result in scalable pricing that is the cost rises in proportion to the number of users. This makes low-code development more cost-effective for organizations. The abstraction offered by low-code platforms can make final solutions more manageable and receptive to changes. As per a report, respondents mention that low-code development can reduce 71% of total IT spending and maintenance expenses since updates can be implemented more efficiently.
Reduces Churn Rate
Low-code development promotes rapid prototyping and iterative development. This makes it easier for business leaders to incorporate user feedback during the development phase. By addressing user concerns and preferences instantly, organizations can enhance the user experience, retain customers, and lessen the churn rate.
Higher Level of Abstraction
Low-code platforms support the formation of native user interfaces for each mobile platform. This is possible due to the availability of platform-specific UIs and shared code logic. This allows programmers to describe the UI once and have it rendered natively on each platform. This minimizes the need to understand the platform-specific guidelines before development.
Similarly, low-code platforms facilitate module reusability by enabling developers to share an important portion of their assets and information. This approach not only reduces development time but also offers a higher level of abstraction.
Equipped With IDEs
Modern low-code platforms support popular IDEs like Visual Studio for facilitating cross-platform mobile app development. With the built-in emulators and simulators, low-code developers can test their Android and iOS applications without the need for physical gadgets. This makes it easier to build and debug apps across different screen resolutions.
Some low-code platforms provide a user-friendly interface for integrating NuGet packages. This streamlines the process of incorporating and updating libraries. In addition, low-code platforms equipped with Visual Studio provide an intuitive code editor with features like code completion and design-time data. All these functionalities contribute to enhanced efficiency of low-code mobile application development.
Data Synchronization
Low-code platforms come with inherent data synchronization capabilities. This is required for building heavy UI offline apps. Synchronization allows the application to store and manage data locally. Also, it automatically synchronizes UI modifications when a connection is available and assures consistency across devices.
While experiencing offline scenarios, problems may arise when multiple users make modifications to the same data. For this, low-code platforms offer automatic conflict resolution mechanisms. This simplifies the handling of data changes during synchronization.
4 Powerful Ways for Technocrats to Build Mobile Apps Quickly with Low-Code
Use Built-in UI Controls
Rather than jumping directly into building mobile apps for Android, iOS, and Windows independently using frameworks, tech leaders can leverage low-code platforms to build multiple apps at the same time. They can utilize reusable modules to share logic across different platforms and enhance time-to-market. With access to pre-built layouts & controls, such as lists and buttons, developers can share the backend script across platforms in order to rapidly build well-furnished mobile apps.
Here are some of the standard UI components offered by low-code platforms:
- Buttons – By incorporating this basic component in apps, users can perform different actions in a simple touch
- Data Grids – These are an essential UI part of a mobile app. Grids allow businesses to display data in a structured tabular format in the apps.
- Drop-down List – By integrating a drop-down list component in the app, users can choose one tab at a time from the app pages. These lists are easy to use and save app space. Developers can customize the text in the drop-down list and fields to help the audience perform the necessary action.
Select Reliable mBaas for Seamless Backend Handling
Most of the business leaders building mobile apps are needlessly reinventing the wheel with enterprise-critical functions. For instance, organizations are purchasing and implementing Cloud platforms for app data synchronization, online/offline set-up, and analytics operations. This significantly takes up valuable resources of enterprises. All these crucial functions can be managed through a reliable mobile Backend system like Azure Mobile Apps Service.
Low-code platforms support integration with Azure mBaaS. This way, development teams can leverage the Cloud-based backend utilities sponsored by Azure. By setting up user authentication rules in Azure mBaaS, app admins can ensure that only authorized users can access mobile applications.
Likewise, low-code apps can be integrated with Azure’s Application Insights. Hence, administrators can monitor and gain insights into the utilization and performance of applications. This also allows stakeholders to identify and address issues, optimize performance, and enhance user experience.
Let’s look at a use case of mBaaS implementation:
Stash is a US-based FinTech organization that recently built a low-code app for handling customer operations. To process and analyze customer data, they integrated their app with Azure mBaaS. Enabling the BaaS model helps them to refine applications and deliver superior experience to customers.
“Our stakeholders can assess investor interests and be able to launch personalized offers and services. This contributes to 95% higher ROI, says Robinson, Chief Financial Officer.
Adopt a Peerless Testing Methodology
Peerless testing contributes to greater cost-efficiency since it reduces the possibility of post-deployment fixes on low-code apps. Adopting this approach promotes a practice of continuous enhancement. Developers can study the outcomes of testing, refine their processes, and apply best practices to enhance the overall development lifecycle.
The peerless testing process often necessitates generating documentation and test cases. This documentation is beneficial for transparency, offering insights into what has been tested, test outcomes, and the entire execution process.
Outsource Core Development Areas
Enterprises may have a team of skilled programmers at their disposal. But it does not mean that they should assign every development activity to them. By outsourcing mobile app projects to a low-code development company, enterprises can experience timely completion and operation of projects without burdening the in-house team.
The mobile technology scenario keeps varying day by day with the latest improvements. The offshore low-code developers leverage the most recent technology stack to provide end-users with unmatched service. Offshore developers focus on advanced stacks and collaborate with in-house stakeholders for custom development. They provide tailored solutions in the required volume based on technical specifications and the latest methodologies within a defined timeline.
Closing Thoughts
Since low-code development tools and platforms continue to evolve, they will secure huge market share and enhance adoption among enterprises. This adoption will not just swap some existing mobile app development efforts but also allow the citizen developers to broaden innovations. The composable experience models offered by low-code platforms are poised to help leaders reduce implementation time, enhance user experiences, and set up a robust digital ecosystem.
