How to choose an app builder?

Mobile apps are the perfect option to retain and convert customers by connecting and engaging with them. When you want to create a mobile app there are several ways you can go about: there are some questions you should answer before starting to create an app with an app builder

It could be strange to hear that, but it is important to understand if an app can help your business . Don’t build an app just to build one. Do it if you have a need to communicate with your users/customers/fans on their mobile devices. Build an app if you have great content you want to distribute on mobile devices. Most of all, build an app only if you plan on maintaining it!

I’m saying that because creating and maintaining an app can become very expensive. Upon this subject, just a few weeks ago, we wrote an article about “How much it costs to create an app”. Read it to have a clear vision of app building expenses, and also of the difference between working with an agency or with an app builder.

Mobile apps are a fast-growing industry. The App Store and Google Play are believed to be the two largest stores, where users can choose from millions of apps: 1.5 million apps for iOS and 1.6 million apps for Android (Statista).

With these numbers in mind, it's up to you to decide if you want to hire a developer or an agency, learn to code yourself or choose an app builder. As you can imagine, learning to code doesn't come easy and takes time. So, unless you wish to add this skill to your resume, you might want to focus your attention on the second option.

Today I’m only going to discuss app builders and I will try to explain what elements you should be looking for when choosing yours.

With lots of choices, take the time to do some research. Do not overlook this step, you will make up for "lost" time thanks to the time these development tools save.
There are app builders for all sorts of requirements. Some platforms are even specialized in specific types of apps: choosing the one that meets your needs requires benchmarking between different app builders.

Follow these 10 criteria to choose an app builder: 

People tend to immediately think about pricing, but actually, quality comes first. If you want users to notice your app and keep coming back to it, don’t neglect user experience and design. 

To ensure high quality for your product, design matters but also, simplicity of use, seamless integration with social networks, multi-platform options, CMS and a set of engaging features to choose from. These are all elements your app builder should have to start with. 

And now, let's take a closer look at each one of them.

The platform should be easy to use and intuitive. App builders are an efficient DIY solution for people that don’t have developing skills, so make sure the promise is kept and that you can navigate the interface smoothly. For instance, you should be able to connect your content easily. 

Think about the user experience too. Using the app must be easy not only for you but for users as well. The best way to know if the app builder provides a good user experience is to download one of their apps and play with it for a little while. Do you like how it looks, how it feels? If you don’t, why would your users?

GoodBarber puts a strong focus on providing its subscribers with a back office that is as intuitive as possible. If you would like to view and download some of the Beautiful Apps made with our platform, you can start by downloading the GoodBarber News app or visit our Succes Stories section. 

Spreading the word about your app is crucial. Your users should be able to share your content on social networks. It’s important to give people the option to create a conversation around your app and its content. It creates brand awareness and ultimately, more app downloads. Look if you can add a section in which users can give feedback, submit content or recommend your app. The more viral options the better.

GoodBarber apps come with social sharing features, a rating pop-up... What's more, you can add a "Submit" section to retrieve User Generated Content (text, videos and pictures). With UGC, users become contributors instead of only readers.

Push notifications are a pivotal element of your mobile communication strategy. These messages are the perfect way to reach out to your users directly and keep them informed about the latest news, updates, promotions, you name it! So the question is, how does your app builder handle them? Are there any limitations? Does it support scheduled push? Can you manage your user base and target notifications accordingly? Push notifications are a good marketing channel, make sure you have the freedom to make the most of it. 

GoodBarber lets you filter and target your users by time zone, country, language, etc. You can also schedule push notifications, personalize ring tones and a lot more. With these options and detailed statistics, you can craft relevant messages and generate more conversions. We provide you will all the tools necessary to make smarter notifications.

It is important to start out with a clear vision of your end product. Do you want a progressive web app (PWA) or a native app? An app for iPhone (iOS) or Android, or maybe both?

Native apps are very advantageous because they can access the phone's capabilities, they deliver more fluidity, speed, interactivity, allow for a more refined design and an overall incomparable user experience. On the other hand, PWAs work on all devices and allow for more market penetration. The best is thus to have both if you can ;)

That being said, it is also better to have your app on both platforms, iPhone and Android. The best advantage of app builders is definitely that, with many of them, you create you app once, for a fraction of the price of custom development, and have it available for both OS.

GoodBarber provides you with the iOS, Android and PWA versions of your app. You can use the progressive web app for a mobile version of your website, linking it to your own domain. 

Tracking your app's analytics gives you valuable information, helps you get to know your users and their preferences. It’s possible to identify which pages are most viewed by visitors, where the users are coming from, etc. This allows you to create different target groups based on location, demographic information, language, device used, etc. With this information, you can offer better content, target push notifications... Choosing an app builder that provides such data, with a built-in tool or the option to connect external services is key when it comes to monetization and cost efficiency.

With GoodBarber, analytics are directly available in your back office. Our analytics will tell you who your users are. You can also plug external analytics services, like Google Analytics and Flurry. 

At last, check if you have the opportunity to monetize your app. It is not fair to build an app and not have the opportunity to make earnings off of it. For instance, having the option to handle the submission to the stores, lets you choose to make a free or paid app, at the price of your choice.

Besides, some app builders offer the opportunity to enable advertising inside the app, with external ad network or internal servers, to circulate your own campaigns. Just check if the app builder takes a percentage off the revenue generated by your app.

GoodBarber integrates the SDKs of AdMob, Facebook, AdManager, AdSense and more. You can use also our internal ad server to display your own ads , splash screens and banners. The revenue is yours 100%. You also publish your app to the stores with your own developer accounts.

One of the most popular solutions to monetize your app is to offer subscriptions through in-app purchases . With this built-in feature, only paying subscribers can access your private content. You set your price, your rules, you're in total control.

Now it’s time to talk about pricing. But watch out, even then you shouldn't look at numbers blindly. It’s easy to fall for low prices, but pay attention to possible hidden additional costs. That's why, if it’s possible, it's always best to try the service before completing your purchase or subscription. If a free trial period is offered, take the opportunity! Test every feature and check all the points mentioned above.

App builders can publish your app under their company's name or let you publish it in your name. Some offer different types of plans, monthly or yearly. Some also offer free plans, but be careful because, usually, with this type of pricing strategy, features are very limited and mandatory ads can be displayed inside your app. 

One more thing, if the great advantage of app builders is that you do not need a team of experts to make your app evolve in time, make sure that you can modify your app after its initial submission, without having to pay for each submitted update.

GoodBarber offers 3 simple plans for each platform (Content and eCommerce): STANDARD, PREMIUM and PRO, with monthly or yearly subscriptions. Apps are always published under your name. Beautiful Apps made with GoodBarber are also free of ads, it's your choice to enable some or not, with an external ad network or using the internal GoodBarber ad server. Our free trial period lasts 30 days. You can create your app, and start to pay only when you are ready to publish it.

If you are still undecided whether or not to adopt an app builder, then a SWOT analysis of this No-Code technology can help you to unlock your decision and make your choice.

1. Customization: app builders allow users to create customized applications that meet their specific needs without requiring extensive technical knowledge.
2. Cost-effective: using a No Code app builder is often more cost-effective than hiring a professional app developer to create a custom app from scratch.
3. Time-saving: app making software provide pre-built templates and drag-and-drop tools that allow users to create applications quickly and easily.
4. User-friendly: many app builders are designed with a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate, even for non-technical users.
5. No coding required: users don't need to have coding knowledge to create an app.

1. Limited functionality: an app builder may have limited functionality, which can restrict the features that users can add to their mobile applications.
2. Not suitable for complex apps: an app making software may not be suitable for creating complex applications that require advanced features or customization options.
3. Limited control: app maker software may not provide users with full control to customize the code or access to the app database.
4. Generic design: some app builders may provide generic design templates that can make applications look similar to each other, which is not the case with GoodBarber's app builder.

1. Expansion of mobile usage. With the increasing number of mobile users worldwide, app builders have an opportunity to grow their user base by providing easy-to-use mobile application development solutions.
2. Emerging technologies: app builders can leverage emerging technologies like AI and machine learning to improve their functionality and provide users with more advanced features.
3. Increasing demand for customized solutions: with more businesses seeking customized solutions to meet their specific needs, app builders have the opportunity to provide tailored solutions to their clients.

1. Competition: the app builder market is becoming increasingly competitive, with new companies entering the market and established players expanding their offerings.
2. Security concerns: some app builders may not provide the same level of security as applications developed by professionals.
3. Limited scalability: some app builders may not be scalable to handle large volumes of traffic or complex applications, which can limit their use for businesses with high growth potential.
4. Rapidly evolving technology: Rapidly evolving technology can make app builders outdated and irrelevant, forcing them to constantly adapt to stay relevant in the market.