As digital engagement spreads from the web (Facebook, Twitter, websites) to smart phones and tablets, apps have become a critical factor to gain user attention by providing a function, service or information. With the smartphone/tablet dimension, apps are embedded into the user experience landscape as serious, useful and fun additions to their device. Often the availability of the apps to improve the function of the devices from phones to tablets and the variety of apps available make the choice of host product purchase a real effort in research prior to purchase.
There are a few key few issues concerning the app marketplace. First is the exclusivity of an app to a particular platform. Often your favorite iPhone app is not available on Android or Windows or tablet platforms. Cost is an issue. While there are a number of apps in the free to three dollar range, there are apps with premium prices ranging from five to twenty dollars. The third issue is that perhaps the app or function you want or need is not currently available or doesn't function in the way you need.
Should you be so entrepreneurial as to want to create an app, you have two choices. Dig into this as a DIY project and buy the books to create an app yourself or hire a programmer and find out what it will cost. The price tag-- even on the bargain end can be about $3000. Most of the pro apps cost about $10,000 and can cost up to $100,000 or more depending on the sophistication of the app. The time frame for app development can range from six weeks to three months. Until now, these were the only options you had.
The apps paradigm has shifted courtesy of Appsbar.com, an open-to-all-ages website that offers members the ability to quickly and easily build an app for a specific platform with lots of bells and whistles in about 30-60 minutes-- and it's free! Plus once you create the app, it's funneled to the Apple, Android or Windows markets for others to download. It's a win-win proposition. In a little more than 2 weeks since the site launched, eleven thousand apps have been created.
Article comments
1 - Jason Matthews
I sense more and more ways of creating apps for free are going to start opening up.
2 - Stevie Wilson
The point is that while more free app creation opportunities will launch.. will they support all platforms & put them into the marketplace? That's the real nitty gritty bottom line. If they don't get into the store/market/ queue to download, they are pointless.