If you are feeling like me right now, you have mixed emotions about the world in general. And this is translating into a pretty distinct design trend that’s happening almost across the board: Websites aren’t using many images of people right now.

There are just too many questions about what is appropriate (mask, no mask? groups?), so the default answer seems to be using more “artless” options focusing on typography, graphical elements, and small animations.

Here’s what’s trending in design this month.…

1. No Photos Above the Scroll

As the world works to pull itself out of the pandemic, designers struggle with post-pandemic design elements, mainly photography.

Many brands and companies started to refresh their libraries with new imagery that included smaller groups and masked people. Now some parts of the world are pushing to reopen, making some of these images seem immediately dated.

What is a designer to do? First, you have to weigh keeping a fresh-looking design with a world that’s changing quickly right now.

That’s likely the big reason why so many website designs are launching without photos above the scroll. Instead, the hero areas are dominated by oversized typography, graphical elements, and small animations to grab attention.

There aren’t many images that contain people or real-life scenes.

This middle ground allows designers to create something interesting within some pretty distinct constraints while preventing a design from looking dated if local pandemic health guidelines change. (It’s a fine line to walk that may continue for some time to come.)

Each of these three sites does it differently, but with similar themes.

Michael Sumner uses bright color and subtle text animations to keep you look at the design. Clean lines and flowing graphical elements almost seem to counter the in-your-face color choice.

Gus uses a grid background – also with a nontraditional color palette – to draw attention. You keep looking at the design thanks to the animated “gus” on the screen. This small element is just enough to help users click deeper into the design.

Radian takes a different approach while also embracing the no photos design trend. With a lot of white space and clean fonts, the design uses simple scrolling logo boxes to help tell the company’s story.

 

 

2. Left Align Headline Dominates the Hero

This website design trend is a twofer of sorts: There are no photos above the scroll, and the main headlines are aligned left with dominance in the header area.

A left-aligned stack headline can be a striking and dominant element. It can have even more impact with the right words in the headline that entice and engage users to learn more. (If you use this design trend, it is imperative to spend time on the words to ensure that the design says something meaningful.)

Here’s where it gets tricky. To push the eye across the screen, you want the stacked headline not to extend all the way across. Most of the designs using this trend are going half to two-thirds across the screen.

Then the text size needs to be large enough so that the words don’t break awkwardly. (Sizing depends on how many words and letters you have to deal with.)

Finally, you want to stack lines of text to fall nicely into the main, first scroll of the design. If the headline sits too low, it might be distracting. The same is true of a headline that’s too close to the navigation or breaks funny on the scroll.

The lesson here is that stacking text in this manner is a fine art, takes just the right (and highly readable) typeface to pull off, and requires meaningful messaging.

Steadfast Collective does it with a simple headline and “pieces” of images that encourage scrolling.

Nebulab uses some imagery, but what you really see is the giant, two-deck headline. Note the clever use of “next big thing” in an oversized typeface.

#Yallbikeforkids uses an all-caps configuration with intentional underlines to bring attention to keywords. The stark black and white color palette with yellow accents is a bonus for this design and style.

 

 

3. Fun with Fonts

When you don’t have many images to work with and no faces to show, it leaves more room for typographic creativity.

From experimental typefaces to line styles to interesting weight combinations to completely artistic font treatments, designers are having a lot of fun in this area.

Here are three examples to crush on.

Mantic uses a fun dot-style experimental typeface for an AI tool with a futuristic feel. Using a type style that matches the tone and content of the design is key for making a technique like this really work wonders.

Ballistic Moon also uses a funky, experimental typeface for the intro to the online storybook adventure. What’s really nice about the use of the trend here is that the fun font has a distinct purpose and is used for only that use and is not scattered all over the design.

Kazuki Noda has fun with the letters of his name so that the same cool and majestic feel as the rest of the design. Look closely at the uber-blurred video background and phrases that pop into the hero area to describe the portfolio and art direction therein. It’s artful and fun.

 

 

Conclusion

There aren’t a lot of pictures to look at with website design projects this month. And that theme is at the heart of what’s trending right now. It will be interesting to see how long this continues in an uncertain world landscape.

What’s nice about these projects that aren’t so photo-heavy is that it forces designers to develop creative solutions and use other tools to help draw attention to the projects.

Designing within these types of constraints can seem a little overwhelming at first, but the best designers can run with this challenge to create something amazing. (And it can even feel freeing in some ways.) Good luck if you are working on one of these projects, and we hope these trends serve as a source of inspiration.

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It’s a widely known fact that when it comes to business, every company is looking for a competitive edge. Odds are, you might not be thinking of website security as your means of gaining a leg up on the competition.

However, with cybersecurity and data privacy being top of mind for more consumers these days, it’s more important now than ever to lock down your digital assets. That said, let’s explore how organizations can win with website security. Not only will the tips that follow keep you and your customers safer online, but they will help you to establish your company as more trustworthy as well.

1. Get Your Employees and Vendors on Board The Website Security Train

You’ve heard the phrase “To err is human,” but that’s not going to make you feel any better in the event you suffer a digital break-in. Proverbs and catchphrases aside, it’s critical that you get everyone in your team on board with the important things they need to know about website security. Many of the mistakes that can happen are a direct result of their actions or lack of actions in some cases. Some of the mistakes that people can make include:

Using weak passwords – If cybercriminals can guess login details, they can wreak havoc on your site. It’s worth noting cybercriminals are using programs and bots to try and crack the code that stands between them and getting into your website. That’s why stronger credentials and multiple methods of authorization are so important. 

Not only should passwords contain a mix of lowercase and uppercase letters, but they should also feature numbers and other characters. Requiring two-factor (good) or multifactor (better) authentication can also assist you in thwarting savvy hackers who are trying to sneak in. 

Sharing their login credentials – All it takes is one disgruntled employee having a bad day using shared credentials to delete website pages, leak documents, or commit other bad acts leaving your company none the wiser as to who the guilty party actually is.

Forgetting to log out – Leaving an account logged in can open your company up to privacy leaks, and depending on the nature of your business this can lead to fines and standards violations.

Using “admin” as their username – No employee, vendor, or person engaging with your website should be called admin. Not even the admin! The reason? Bad actors try to guess that password first because it holds the proverbial keys to your digital kingdom.

Neglecting to update software – Whoever is in charge of updating plugins, software, themes, etc… must do so in a timely fashion in order to patch security vulnerabilities.

Clicking malicious links – No matter how innocent a link looks, if it’s malicious, it can cause any number of threats to download and spread throughout your website and your entire network.

Allowing large files to be uploaded to your website – Blocking large files and limiting file types can prevent bad actors from loading malicious files that they later use to worm their way into the back end of your site. If you allow any uploads, it’s also a good idea to encrypt files that are received so that these malicious individuals can’t find them and exploit them later.

Connecting to your website’s backend over an unsecured network – Some cybercriminals have gotten very smart about using public WiFi networks to spy on sensitive data.

The list goes on. Every person on your team as well as independent contractors, third-party vendors, shareholders, etc… must all be schooled in the dangers that are posed by bad actors online. This is especially true for anyone working within your company that will be logging into your website’s backend for any reason. Not only should they be informed of the threats that exist, but educating them on how best to mitigate these risks can go a long way in keeping your organization safe online.

It would be beneficial for your IT department to create and run an internal risk audit to learn where your most pressing security issues are. Then, implement training and protocols to limit, if not prevent, as many of them as possible from being an issue for your company. Ongoing internal audits and regular updates of security-related training are a great way to keep website security top of mind for all of the people that work in, on, and for your company.

2. Install an SSL onto Company Websites

If you don’t have an SSL for your website(s), you’re telling your customers that your website isn’t safe without even realizing it. When they type your address into their favorite browser, they are likely getting met with a notice that says your company’s website is “not secure.”

To make matters worse, they might never even land on your website in the first place if they aren’t already aware of your business. Why? Because search engines like Google are blacklisting websites that don’t have or use an SSL certificate out of the top search engine results making it harder for potential traffic to reach your site. For those that do manage to keep their first page of Google rankings, once their website is clicked the user may receive a warning that reads “Your connection is not private,” “The site ahead is not secure,” or some other notice prompting them to head “back to safety.”

With an SSL, which stands for secure sockets layer, the website instead earns a padlock and an “s” in their HTTP address before the colon. The “s” in your address and your padlock tell the world your website is more secure than those without an SSL.

3. Invest in Automated Security Tools

Did you know there are automated website security programs that can help keep your website safe? From vulnerability scanning and patching programs to malware scanning and removal software, there are tools available that work 24/7/365 thwarting threats to your website, and therefore your organization.

It’s a good idea to invest in a web application firewall (WAF) as well to block malicious traffic to your website as well. And, while you’re at it, consider investing in a virtual private network (VPN) to help your employees initiate encrypted and anonymous browsing sessions over network connections if they must log in outside of the walls of your organization.

These Steps Are Just the Beginning

Winning with website security is a long game. You’ll need to be ever vigilant about the threats, and work continuously to thwart them. Ongoing communication and training your employees, installing an SSL, and investing in automated tools are very large steps in the right direction, however.

If you take nothing else from this article, hopefully, you will begin investigating the threats that exist towards your website, and start taking steps to mitigate them. Your customers, your employees, shareholders, and more are counting on you to keep your website and them safe.

There was a time when it took days to get a doctor’s appointment – even for regular health check-ups. But these days, the waiting times are slowly disappearing as physical appointments are being replaced by virtual real-time video appointments.

What’s more, this ease of service story is not confined to the patient’s side alone – the doctors also have a similar positive take on mHealth.

The journey of healthcare from a straight-jacketed approach to a more digitized avatar has contributed to making healthcare available and affordable to all. While there are several benefits of mHealth app development, there are a few challenges as well. 

The global mHealth market is predicted to reach $166 billion by 2028, registering an astonishing growth rate of CAGR 17% over the 2016 – 2028 periods. And this sector is expected to record the fastest CAGR surge from 2021 to 2028 due to the rising demand for mobile apps by both patients and doctors.

The rise in demand for mHealth applications can be attributed to increased mobile penetration, internet availability even in remote locations, and the need for access to healthcare facilities.

While mHealth app development company have gained traction in the healthcare industry, they are continuing to face challenges. In this article, let’s look at some of the features of mHealth apps and the challenges.

Features of mHealth Applications

Doctor’s Appointments

The ease of fixing doctor’s appointments is one of the most basic functionalities required in a mHealth app. A decent mHeath app should make it easier for patients to book appointments and help doctors get a holistic view of their day’s appointments.

Healthcare Tracking

Healthcare tracking is another fundamental feature of a mHeath application. It allows patients and doctors to have a complete understanding of the patient’s health conditions. Healthcare app development companies should pay attention to enhancing tracking features in their application so that it becomes easier to monitor blood pressure, blood sugar level, blood oxygen levels, pulse rate, caloric intake, and more.

Scheduling and Notifications

mHealth App Development should also focus on helping patients and users schedule timing and receive notifications for medicine intake, water consumption, daily caloric intake, track sleep, and more. 

Information Database

This feature is mainly helpful for healthcare professionals and organizations to get real-time access to a patient’s healthcare records, medical history, diagnosis, lab reports, prescriptions, and treatment strategies.

Accessing Healthcare Facilities

This feature helps patients lookout for physicians and specialists near their location using the healthcare application’s built-in map. It is particularly useful during emergencies or when the patient is not in their primary area.

Real-time Video and Chat

When the need to stay indoors is imperative these days, real-time video and chat features have become a standard in healthcare software solutions. Remote assistance has ensured patients have access to healthcare facilities while still being indoors. Doctors can now provide consultation through video or chat, even to patients in remote locations.

Easy Payments

Another feature that makes these healthcare app development companies stand out is the inclusion of payment gateways in their mHealth applications. Integration of wallets, net banking, debit/credit card payments gives patients an easier way of paying for doctor’s services. Moreover, they can also use this functionality to pay for insurance and for treatment. It also makes it easier for documentation and billing.

Review of Services

Sometimes it becomes difficult to select the right specialist when there are doctors practicing at every corner of the city. These apps incorporate reviews and ratings into their system to help patients choose the right doctor depending on their efficiency.  

Analysis

It is a no-brainer and a must-have in any mHealth app. Healthcare app development companies should pay special attention to having analytics in the mHealth app. The app should have a dedicated dashboard to help all stakeholders, including doctors, to have a place where they can track patient count, resources, finances, and other health-impacting concepts.

Cloud Integration

Digital transformation of healthcare is truly possible when apps can protect patient data in a secure system. Cloud integration goes a long way in helping safeguard information and assuages patient’s concerns regarding privacy.

Challenges of mHealth App Development

Regulations and Compliance

Regulatory compliance is one of the biggest challenges faced by those providing healthcare software solutions. Most major countries have their own set of rules and regulations that app developers should follow. For a start-up looking to launch a mHealth app, it’ll become highly challenging to adhere to all rules. Unless you can engage the services of a reputed app development company, it’ll be a hassle to put the apps in the market.

Information Safety

Data privacy is a huge concern for many users, and since mHealth apps gather personal medical data about patients, it is a rather genuine concern that app developers should consider. It is essential for healthcare software solutions providers to abide by the rules laid down by regulatory agencies for data privacy.

Complexity in Integration

Applications that integrate seamlessly with existing systems and are easy to use have much more chances of being adopted by users. Most mHealth apps prove to be difficult to integrate as they run on complex programs.

Applications should integrate well with the systems used by hospitals and doctors, ensure ease of use and not require overhauling of the entire system.

Health Awareness

The true purpose of digital transformation of healthcare is when medical information is available to patients despite geographical restrictions. While the medical fraternity will have immense details, it is highly unlikely that ordinary patients will also possess the same knowledge.

The solution lies in increasing the medical literacy levels of patients by delivering crucial information in a simplified manner to patients and caregivers.

Security of Payment Information

mHealth apps should make it easier to disperse medical information to patients seamlessly and ensure swiffer billing and payment resolution. App development companies should have a system to ensure sensitive data is handled well and is resistant to security attacks.

Wrapping Up

The focus should be on developing apps that can bring affordable healthcare services to patients – regardless of their location – maintaining an iron grip on payment security and information safety. No doubt, there is a lot of hard work and challenges involved. Engage the services of app development companies and get the wheels in motion for a winning application. Digital transformation of healthcare is a powerful force that can solve some of the pressing issues of this sector.  

Every day design fans submit incredible industry stories to our sister-site, Webdesigner News. Our colleagues sift through it, selecting the very best stories from the design, UX, tech, and development worlds and posting them live on the site.

The best way to keep up with the most important stories for web professionals is to subscribe to Webdesigner News or check out the site regularly. However, in case you missed a day this week, here’s a handy compilation of the top curated stories from the last seven days. Enjoy!

Finding Design Inspiration for a New Website

Fresh Resources for Web Designers and Developers (May 2021)

These Are the Hottest Logo Design Trends of 2021

NocoDB: Open Source Airtable Alternative

What Is Generative Design? A Full Guide

9 Sites That Will Pay You To Test Websites

A Guide to the Modern Minimal UI Style

How to Generate Random Background Colors With JavaScript

7 Modern Website Design Examples (and What You Can Learn From Them)

Full Site Editing in WordPress 5.8

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The post Popular Design News of the Week: May 31 2021 – June 6, 2021 first appeared on Webdesigner Depot.

Colin Oakley:

• Accessible — Use semantic HTML, and make sure we meet the WCAG 2.1 AA standard as a minimum and it works with assisted technologies (this sits alongside the DWP Accessibility Manual)

• Agnostic — Build mobile-first and make it work across a range of devices, and user contexts

• Robust — Use progressive enhancement, make sure what we build fails gracefully

• Performant — Optimise our code/assets for the best possible performance across a range of networks and devices

• Secure — Create a secure service which protects users’ privacy. Use strict content security policies and guard against common OWASP attacks.

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Do you know logos? Is branding your thing? Then try our fiendishly hard logo quiz…

We’ve lined up ten logos belonging to household names. We’ve even given you four options to choose from to identify the logo. There’s just one catch: we’re only revealing a small part of the logo.

We’re kicking off with a couple of obvious ones to ease you in but be warned, they get tougher…

Featured image via Pexels.

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I just joked that we’re basically getting everything we want in CSS super fast (mostly referring to container queries, my gosh, can you imagine they are actually coming?). Now we might actually get parent selectors?! As in .parent:has(.child) { }. Traditionally it’s been nope, too slow, browsers can’t do it. Brian Kardell:

Igalia engineers have been looking into this problem. We’ve been having discussions with Chromium developers, looking into Firefox and WebKit codebases and doing some initial protypes and tests to really get our heads around it. Through this, we’ve provided lots of data about performance of what we have already and where we believe challenges and possibilities lie. We’ve begun sketching out an explainer with all of our design notes and questions linked up

Like I said in 2010: Want!

Here’s some other use cases in the blog post and comment section.

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What drives people to pay attention to your brand? Is there a way you can get people to engage with your product and come back, over and over again?

In marketing, companies use different tactics to create advertisements that not only use elements that are attractive to the general audience but also help recall their brand’s identity. 

Today, billion-dollar companies like Nike, Coca Cola and Google amongst others leverage Gamification as a way to increase engagement and ROI on ad spend. Every company uses a different plan whether it’s a short interactive ad, a brand activation campaign, or in-game marketing. 

How can gamification help companies succeed in marketing?

According to MarketsandMarkets, the gamification industry in 2020 had a global value of $9.1 billion and is estimated to mark an impressive growth rate of 27.4%, reaching $30.7 billion by 2025.

In general, gamification is the application with typical elements of game design including point-scoring, level, leaderboard in non-game contexts; it is defined as an online marketing technique to solve problems and enhance customer engagement with a product or service.

Gamification is an excellent strategy to help you spice up your content marketing and engage your target audience in new ways by providing a great user experience, fostering consumer loyalty, and building a positive image of your brand.

93% of the marketers say they love gamification  

We have been familiar with gamification for some time; it is adaptable and applicable to almost all types of corporations. The allure of gamification can be used for many diverse objectives, whether it involves marketing, creating a company profile, project supervision, hiring, employee management, and much more. 

Let’s go through the eight perfect examples of gamification in a business environment. 

1. Lay’s Doritos – Can You Handle the Doritos Roulette Challenge? 

Lay’s Doritos are renowned for their wide range of flavors and addictive taste. It’s no surprise that they’re the number-one go-to snack in parties and other crowd settings. In order to engage and promote their snack to the general public, Doritos launched a potato chip campaign that asked customers to taste their new pack of spicy Doritos named ‘Roulette.’ Just like the name implies, people could get a chip anywhere between mildly spicy to super spicy.  

The response was outstanding, and the brand acknowledged many short videos of consumers playing Doritos’ Spicy Roulette Challenge. This idea is nothing new, but it aims to a market that likes potato chips, making it a prosperous flavor. 

2. Flavor Inventor By Vitamin Water – Taste It! Rate It!

Another excellent example of gamification that attracted everyone’s attention is Vitamin Water’s marketing campaign for Flavor Inventor. In order to be direct with the public, Vitamin Water asked its Facebook followers to support the company so as to help the company invent the upcoming flavor of the drink. 

The audience helped this process wholeheartedly, and the event was widely recognized by fans, surprisingly many celebrities, including 50 Cent and Steve Nash, who also participated in the contest. This campaign not helped the general public engage with the company directly but also gave people a choice to create their own product flavors.

3. Samsung Consumer Engagement Program – Chat and Discuss  

Samsung uses an excellent gamification strategy that helps the company get in touch with their consumers and helps the consumers engage with each other. Samsung provides a feature on its website that allows users to discuss existing problems by simply engaging in a conversation. The idea was to build a strong and supportive community that rewards users who help their fellow Samsung users.

The liveliest contestant receives an honored badge which creates a sense of accomplishment inside the mind of the user – The more you help, the more you’re rewarded for.

4. America’s Army – Play, Experience, Join the force. 

You don’t always have to be smart when you want to integrate gamification advertising into your business. Take a simple approach and include actual miniature games in your promotional activities, and portray the brand image to your audience. 

Another fascinating example of gamification is the U.S. Army’s approach to developing an interesting recruitment tool where anyone can register for free and download a game that helps them strategize and test their skills. Candidates may set up multiplayer settings and participate in the shooting environment and evaluate their capabilities.  

This community is called Army Online. In the game, capable players will be honored with different ranks and badges, similar to the actual method of gratitude granted by the U.S. military. 

Apparently, a simulated game is just a fun element, which can barely replicate the actual nature of the battle. This is why the goal of this gamification strategy is double: it is mainly used as an advertising tool that can promote the U.S. Army, thereby growing the number of recruits. 

The brand created a digital online game reminiscent of Super Mario. However, every website has a built-in actual competitive environment.

5. Magnum BonBon Hunt – The Heroic Online Experience

Ever wondered why you loved Super Mario as a child? Did it have anything to do with collecting gold coins as you progressed through the game? 

Different game companies capture the concept of collecting gold coins, and while many might not have been successful, Magnum Pleasure Hunt thrived on becoming as big as Super Mario itself. 

Magnum’s quest takes place in a unique environment where users can ride, glide and slide their way to collecting coins shaped like chocolates. Users can accumulate points and build their rankings. When the player returns to the Magnum central location, the game is finished, and your chocolate becomes a delicious Magnum Temptation bar. 

6. NikeFuel – Lively Activities 

For the massive Nike+ community, Nike introduced a campaign named NikeFuel. On NikeFuel, visitors compete with other members in the amount of daily physical exercise. They can install Nike App on their smartphone, record all visitors’ activities, and transmit them into loyalty points. 

After accomplishing each level, NikeFuel presented its users with various trophies and prizes. These have brought great inspiration to Nike consumers to engage in sports, share their achievements on social networks, and strengthen brand awareness. 

7. My Starbucks Rewards – Collect More Stars and Shine Bright

Starbucks effectively implements gamification technology through its “My Starbucks Rewards” loyalty program to expand buyer engagement and motivate them to come again. Consumers who become members of the Starbucks Rewards Program will collect rewards such as free food and beverages and earn Stars points for each order. 

Customers can exchange these stars for different products or prizes listed by Starbucks. As customers get more stars, they will receive other astonishing rewards, like free birthday snacks and free top-ups. Those who get a gold medal position can get the best return. In this case, Starbucks offers enticements to make consumers feel fulfilled and supports the notion that they will be more pleased if they are loyal to the company. 

8. M&M’s Pretzel Special Campaign, Puzzle Candy

M&M’s Eye-Spy Pretzel app is a decent illustration of how an elementary gamified promotion campaign can cause a sensation. It is suggested that you always easily keep your game and don’t make the game too difficult or contain lengthy rudiments. This way, you can guarantee that your visitor will not be overwhelmed or upset, which means they are more prospective to like and share your campaign. 

The inkling of ??the advertising campaign is around M&M’s pretzel-flavored, which was one of its most popular bonbons. Mainly the idea is to promote M&M’s pretzel items; that’s why the company initiated this marketing campaign. 

M&M’s impression was ingenious: the user must hint at a hidden pretzel in M&M colorful bonbon pictures. This simple puzzle game that only runs on Facebook has taken hundreds of thousands of new likes and shares to M&M. We have never witnessed that kind of admiration in any other activity in a short period of time.

You could be a freelancer or a leading app development company with a million-dollar turnover, but some mistakes could cost you the future of your business.

It happened to Buzinga in 2017 and Appster the very next year. You wouldn’t want to be next. Being passionate about software development and mobile applications is one thing. Turning this passion into a sustainable business is another. Every business requires robust management and some foundational ethics among a number of other things you ought to judiciously take care of.

1. Setting Wrong Expectations

Overpromising and under-delivering is the preface of a death sentence in business. When you meet your client for the first meeting, or when presenting your wireframe/prototype, always set realistic expectations. To win the client’s confidence, developers often go overboard with projecting what the app will look like when it’s ready.

While this might work in getting you a client, it won’t end in a satisfied client. Quite the opposite really, as most of Appster’s clients reported feeling. Post the infamous liquidation of Appster – the famous Australian app development company – multiple clients reported being offered a world-class product in their ‘workshops’ and receiving kindergarten material in the end.

“We spent two days in the workshop, and afterwards we were glowing. The designers were articulate and well-researched, we thought it was fantastic. But that’s where it stopped”

said clients of Appster who were left with little to nothing after spending as much as half a million dollars.

When you’re starting out (or even when you’re quite successful in fact), acquiring new clients is a high-anxiety part of the work. You want to impress clients. You want to win their business. To that end, you may find yourself overpromising and setting exaggerated expectations.

The decision to not do that needs to be so strongly ingrained in your business ethic and professional policy that it never happens. Transparency with the client will be more rewarding in the long run, and make you a dependable business with satisfied customers.

2. Choosing Scale over Stability

Every business must scale. Stagnation isn’t a virtue by any means. However, do not try to birth an adult. Scaling a business needs to be an organic process. It needs to take its time.

Amazon – the giant that it is – began as a humble online bookstore. Netflix was a movie rental service in Scotts Valley, California. All robust businesses of today started small and grew over time. Those that exploded onto the scene with hundreds of thousands of users overnight suffered significant growing pains and even imploded sometimes.

Give your business the time it needs to grow and diversify. Choose stability first. Build from the bottom up and define your scope before you scale.

As an app developer, you sure want to dive into AR and VR, as you should. If you have extensive experience in that technology already, you might be ready to offer that as your core service. However, if you are primarily an iOS/Android developer with a passion for AR/VR, give yourself the time to first establish a mobile app development business with a steady cash flow and bankable clientele. Once you nail that, you could slowly dip your feet in other verticals. Do not rush this process.

3. Never Saying No

That can’t be a mistake, right? That’s a mantra for life. Right?

Well, sometimes in life, you have to say no. If you’ve been doing well and have enough ongoing projects in a given timeframe, it might be necessary to say no to a new query. It’s the hardest thing to do. You once worked your shirt off to get a single client to do business with you. How then, can you decline incoming business now?

But if you are working on one or more apps right now, and know that there’s no way you can handle another development without compromising on quality, you may have to politely say no to a client, without losing future opportunities with them. In a perfect world, you’ll want to ask the client for adequate time, and the client would agree. But if that doesn’t happen, trying to work on 5 projects when your team is already stretching at the seams with 4 might lead to overburdening, cutting corners, and damaging compromises in quality.

It’s always quality over quantity. Anytime a business went the other way around, that was the beginning of the end. Deliver quality and you’ll be able to charge more per app. Trying to build too many average-quality apps might seem like a workable bargain at first, but is never a sustainable model.

4. Not Keeping a Tab on Your Expenses

It is easy to get carried away by figures like revenue, funding, and the number of successful apps rolled out.

As a developer, it is also easy to find yourself engaging with the technical aspects of app development more than the business aspect of it.

However, to run a successful app development business, you need to know your numbers, all of them. That’s the difference between being just a developer and being an app entrepreneur. You need to know your expenses just as well as your revenue.

You could be spending way more than necessary on office space, just to maintain a certain image. You may be spending more on marketing than on building a talent pool.

Familiarize yourself with essential business metrics every founder should know, like ROI, cash flow, acquisition cost, burn rate, and more. Know where to cut costs so your business can stay cash flow positive. Avoid spending more than you should, as that is what leads to Appster style liquidations down the line.

5. Being a Jack of All

And the master of none. That’s a bad thing. As good as it sounds on your website, you can’t really be somebody who excels at mobile app development, web app development, artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain, AR, VR, Smart TV, enterprise apps, and the whole nine yards.

Trying to do all of those things will lead to not being a true expert of anything. When a business lacks focus, growth becomes scattered. When starting out, be as focused on one thing as you can. Even when you scale, be cautious of your boundaries. You want to build yourself up as the master of a niche.

That always attracts deeper clout as compared to spreading yourself too thin. Know your strengths and play to them. Most clients would like to work with someone who has built several apps similar in tech to their requirements.

If you specialize as an enterprise app developer, you can not only command a premium price thanks to a robust portfolio but also build a solid client base and a lot of good word-of-mouth publicity in inner circles. Of course, as mentioned earlier, there’s always room to scale and diversify, but do it organically, only once you’ve built a stable foundation.

Wrapping Up

Building a successful app development business depends on how clearly you define your goals and ethics. Some things are downright detrimental to the growth of a business.

Avoid them and you’ll find yourself on the path of steady growth with a stream of happy clients to vouch for you and advocate for your brand. Don’t make mistakes that many have made before you. Stay focused, stay organic, prioritize quality over quantity and know your numbers.

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Creator, Hiral Atha, CEO of Moveoapps
Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

You could be a freelancer or a leading app development company with a million-dollar turnover, but some mistakes could cost you the future of your business.

It happened to Buzinga in 2017 and Appster the very next year. You wouldn’t want to be next. Being passionate about software development and mobile applications is one thing. Turning this passion into a sustainable business is another. Every business requires robust management and some foundational ethics among a number of other things you ought to judiciously take care of.

1. Setting Wrong Expectations

Overpromising and under-delivering is the preface of a death sentence in business. When you meet your client for the first meeting, or when presenting your wireframe/prototype, always set realistic expectations. To win the client’s confidence, developers often go overboard with projecting what the app will look like when it’s ready.

While this might work in getting you a client, it won’t end in a satisfied client. Quite the opposite really, as most of Appster’s clients reported feeling. Post the infamous liquidation of Appster – the famous Australian app development company – multiple clients reported being offered a world-class product in their ‘workshops’ and receiving kindergarten material in the end.

“We spent two days in the workshop, and afterwards we were glowing. The designers were articulate and well-researched, we thought it was fantastic. But that’s where it stopped”

said clients of Appster who were left with little to nothing after spending as much as half a million dollars.

When you’re starting out (or even when you’re quite successful in fact), acquiring new clients is a high-anxiety part of the work. You want to impress clients. You want to win their business. To that end, you may find yourself overpromising and setting exaggerated expectations.

The decision to not do that needs to be so strongly ingrained in your business ethic and professional policy that it never happens. Transparency with the client will be more rewarding in the long run, and make you a dependable business with satisfied customers.

2. Choosing Scale over Stability

Every business must scale. Stagnation isn’t a virtue by any means. However, do not try to birth an adult. Scaling a business needs to be an organic process. It needs to take its time.

Amazon – the giant that it is – began as a humble online bookstore. Netflix was a movie rental service in Scotts Valley, California. All robust businesses of today started small and grew over time. Those that exploded onto the scene with hundreds of thousands of users overnight suffered significant growing pains and even imploded sometimes.

Give your business the time it needs to grow and diversify. Choose stability first. Build from the bottom up and define your scope before you scale.

As an app developer, you sure want to dive into AR and VR, as you should. If you have extensive experience in that technology already, you might be ready to offer that as your core service. However, if you are primarily an iOS/Android developer with a passion for AR/VR, give yourself the time to first establish a mobile app development business with a steady cash flow and bankable clientele. Once you nail that, you could slowly dip your feet in other verticals. Do not rush this process.

3. Never Saying No

That can’t be a mistake, right? That’s a mantra for life. Right?

Well, sometimes in life, you have to say no. If you’ve been doing well and have enough ongoing projects in a given timeframe, it might be necessary to say no to a new query. It’s the hardest thing to do. You once worked your shirt off to get a single client to do business with you. How then, can you decline incoming business now?

But if you are working on one or more apps right now, and know that there’s no way you can handle another development without compromising on quality, you may have to politely say no to a client, without losing future opportunities with them. In a perfect world, you’ll want to ask the client for adequate time, and the client would agree. But if that doesn’t happen, trying to work on 5 projects when your team is already stretching at the seams with 4 might lead to overburdening, cutting corners, and damaging compromises in quality.

It’s always quality over quantity. Anytime a business went the other way around, that was the beginning of the end. Deliver quality and you’ll be able to charge more per app. Trying to build too many average-quality apps might seem like a workable bargain at first, but is never a sustainable model.

4. Not Keeping a Tab on Your Expenses

It is easy to get carried away by figures like revenue, funding, and the number of successful apps rolled out.

As a developer, it is also easy to find yourself engaging with the technical aspects of app development more than the business aspect of it.

However, to run a successful app development business, you need to know your numbers, all of them. That’s the difference between being just a developer and being an app entrepreneur. You need to know your expenses just as well as your revenue.

You could be spending way more than necessary on office space, just to maintain a certain image. You may be spending more on marketing than on building a talent pool.

Familiarize yourself with essential business metrics every founder should know, like ROI, cash flow, acquisition cost, burn rate, and more. Know where to cut costs so your business can stay cash flow positive. Avoid spending more than you should, as that is what leads to Appster style liquidations down the line.

5. Being a Jack of All

And the master of none. That’s a bad thing. As good as it sounds on your website, you can’t really be somebody who excels at mobile app development, web app development, artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain, AR, VR, Smart TV, enterprise apps, and the whole nine yards.

Trying to do all of those things will lead to not being a true expert of anything. When a business lacks focus, growth becomes scattered. When starting out, be as focused on one thing as you can. Even when you scale, be cautious of your boundaries. You want to build yourself up as the master of a niche.

That always attracts deeper clout as compared to spreading yourself too thin. Know your strengths and play to them. Most clients would like to work with someone who has built several apps similar in tech to their requirements.

If you specialize as an enterprise app developer, you can not only command a premium price thanks to a robust portfolio but also build a solid client base and a lot of good word-of-mouth publicity in inner circles. Of course, as mentioned earlier, there’s always room to scale and diversify, but do it organically, only once you’ve built a stable foundation.

Wrapping Up

Building a successful app development business depends on how clearly you define your goals and ethics. Some things are downright detrimental to the growth of a business.

Avoid them and you’ll find yourself on the path of steady growth with a stream of happy clients to vouch for you and advocate for your brand. Don’t make mistakes that many have made before you. Stay focused, stay organic, prioritize quality over quantity and know your numbers.

---

Creator, Hiral Atha, CEO of Moveoapps
Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash