Category: How-To

What would you pick: watching a movie or reading a book? Most of us would choose the first option because a video is more engaging and more memorable than text. And that is why – our brain processes visuals 60,000 times faster. Besides, 90% of the total information transmitted to our brain is visual.

Owners of video-streaming platforms are unlikely to think about these figures. But the fact is, the live streaming video industry is expected to reach $124.57 Billion by 2025. And, if you want to jump on the bandwagon, and create a live streaming website, this article is right for you. Below, we share a guide on how to create a live streaming website like Twitch, the development steps, and costs. 

What is Twitch streaming platform and how does it work

Twitch. tv is an online streaming platform where users can watch or broadcast live or prerecorded videos. Twitch was started in 2011 as a small platform for live video streaming called Justin. tv. In the same year, Justin Kahn, the platform founder, received $8 million in venture investments for platform development. In February 2014, Justin. tv was re-branded as Twitch Interactive, and in August of the same year, the service was acquired by Amazon for $970 million. Now, Twitch had an average of 2.78 million concurrent viewers in 2021, a 31% increase on 2020. Average concurrent viewers increased by 68% the year prior. The 30 million unique users view Twitch streams daily There are an estimated 51,500 Twitch Partners, as of August 2021.

When players are broadcasting videos, they usually add audio comments via a webcam appearing in the corner of the screen. As well as this, platform users are involved in live chat with gamers who have similar interests. Such interactive chatting creates a real-life social experience in the digital world. 

However, Twitch users use the platform for more than video game live streaming: 

• Twitch hosts E-tournaments and upcoming games demos. 
• The platform users use Twitch for video game tutorials, when many users can interact with each other and the instructor in real-time.
•  Also, Twitch performs as a software development learning environment where user communities stream programming projects and talk through their work. 

Apart from gaming, Twitch also has non-gaming live-streaming categories, like IRL (In Real Life), Talk Shows, Creative, and even Cooking. 

The Twitch business model includes the following revenue sources:

• Advertising. Twitch charges a cost per mile (CPM) fee from gaming companies, portals, and developers for running ads. The cost of CPM varies between $2-$10.
• Subscription. Twitch users can buy a subscription from the following options $4.99, $9.99, $24.99 per month. A paid subscription allows users to watch videos without ads and use premium Twitch features. Twitch premium features include an Expanded Emoticon Set, Custom Chat Username Colors, Priority customer support, and so on.  
• Partners. To support favorite streamers, Twitch users buy paid subscriptions for some channels. Twitch splits the subscription cost 50/50 with the channel owner. 

Now, let’s take a look at other business industries that can benefit from live video streaming. 

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Do live streaming services fit your business?

The Twitch example shows us live-streaming is a perspective industry for more than just streaming games. Below we have gathered other perspective spheres: 

• Education is the most prominent niche for live video streaming. According to the University of Dartmouth, 86% of colleges and universities have a presence on YouTube. Thus, you can create a live video streaming website to stream live lessons to extend the students’ classroom experience. 
• Conferences. 67% of viewers are more likely to buy a ticket to meetings after watching live streaming of the same event. You can build a live-streaming platform to stream scientific conferences or other industry-specific events. 
• Concerts. Concerts and festivals make up 43% of most-watched live content. Besides, 30% of people who watch a live stream event will attend in person the following year. In total, more than 4.6 million people watch music festivals via live streams each year. Thus, you can start a live streaming business to stream music festivals. 
• Online retail. 40% of customers say live videos of products impact their purchase decision. Thus, e-commerce is another industry where retailers can go live with their products and conduct see-now-buy-now strategies. 
• Healthcare. Live-streaming in healthcare can benefit in different ways. By using live video, doctors can hold training sessions or guide surgeons during a surgical procedure. Also, live-streaming allows for direct communication of patients with healthcare professionals to diagnose treatment.
• Gaming. The role of live-streaming in this industry is tremendous. By developing a live-streaming game website, you may reach a maximum amount of users, increase engagement, and create a loyal gaming community. 
• Fitness. A fitness live-streaming website where coaches and health diet specialists share their experience is another perspective niche. A live-streaming website would help your fitness business to attract new customers and build loyalty among existing ones.  

Must-have features of the best live tv streaming app

Now it’s time to take a closer look at the essential elements to build your live streaming website. You can consider this feature list for your live streaming website MVP. 

User registration. Allow users to register and login to your website via social media profiles, like Facebook. By tying your streaming website with other social media, you would give your users the option to share live stream links with their friends in social media and attract more users. 

User profile, where users add personal information, preferences, and links to social media. Your website should include two types of users such as watcher and gamer or trainee and trainer. Thus, they should have different user profiles with a distinct feature set. 

Player. Your website users could watch live streaming videos via a player from any device. As well as this, you can give your users an option to customize the player theme, control video replays, resolution, and notifications. 

Live video streaming. The quality of streaming video is the most critical factor for 67% of viewers who use live video streaming services. To provide users with high-quality video streaming, you would need to use RTMP. RTMP means real-time media protocol that maintains low latency connections. To achieve this, RTMP splits the entire stream into smaller chunks to travel from the server to the client.

Security. If you wish to run live streams of paid content, consider advanced security features. To prevent video assets from a data breach, you can use AES encryption, DRM, and IP-based access control.

Chat. This feature allows users to communicate with each other during live streams and ask the streaming person questions. In this way, you would create a sense of real-life experience online. To empower your website with a live chat, you can integrate a third-party solution or develop a custom chat which might cost more. 

HOW TO MAKE AN APP: LIFE CYCLE OF MOBILE DEVELOPMENT

Streaming Service Additional features

Below we share other features to consider for the second development phase of your live streaming app:

Personalized content. If the streaming website includes multiple video categories, allow users to select the most relevant content in the Discover section so that users can see new videos from their selected categories. 

Analytics. To make your platform successful, you need to track user engagement, peak traffic, and viewership. It would also be great if your analytics could compare traffic for different video events. In this way, you would know which streaming category performs better. 

Auto video categorization. To catalog streaming data in real-time manually is almost impossible. This is where Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning come in handy. Use AI to automatically analyze the video content and Machine Learning to prevent copyright infringement on your platform. 

Schedule Live Streaming. Your streaming website might attract people from different countries and time zones. Thus, a live streaming schedule feature is essential. Allow streamers to schedule the next session and inform their followers about the new stream via Push Notifications. 

Monetization. You can provide users with paid subscriptions, paid access to premium content, or donations via a built-in payment gateway. Your payment processor should accept credit and debit cards, PayPal, and other payment methods, like Apple Pay. As for Twitch, they use the Xsolla payment system. 

OUTSTAFFING VS. OUTSOURCING VS. MANAGED SERVICES: DIFFERENCES AND BENEFITS

How to create live streaming website like Twitch: The project roadmap

And now, let’s go through specific steps required to build your live video streaming platform: 

1. Business vision

Here you need to identify what you want your potential live streaming platform to be according to your goals. In this way, you will give your business a clear focus and avoid heading in the wrong direction. Thus, you need to research your competitors and choose your niche. You also need to decide how your streaming platform will stand out and how to attract users. You can formalize a live streaming platform business vision by writing a vision statement.

2. Discovery (inception) phase

You and your development team will create a Functional specification describing the inner logic of your website, the feature list, and so on. This document should also include functional requirements relating to ways the product must behave, and non-functional requirements explaining the general software characteristics. 

3. Tech stack

Now you need to select the platform that will power your live streaming website and third-party services to integrate. You can choose among existing live streaming platforms such as Vplayed, Brightcove, and Contus Vplay or develop a custom one. At this stage, your development team will also create server architecture, database schema, and other live video streaming solutions.  

4. Design

To create an engaging design, you and your team will go through several steps. First, you, as the main stakeholder, should visualize your vision of the website layout and elements by creating sketches. Then, the team will use those sketches to create a wireframe for every screen of your website. Next, they will turn wireframes into a website prototype to receive feedback from you. Only after approving the prototype, the team will start developing the website design. 

5. Development

The team will begin building the front-end, back-end, and adding third-party integrations such as payment gateway. Such projects require the integration of comprehensive cloud architecture for keeping and streaming a large amount of data. Thus, we recommend starting the development off with a live streaming website MVP. The MVP will include high-priority features, such as user profile, live streaming player, and others. In this way, you can validate your business concept and minimize risks for your business. 

6. Testing 

For a successful launch, the QA team will thoroughly test your live streaming website to ensure every website element operates correctly. To achieve this, the QA team runs both manual and automated testing. 

7. Second development stage 

After the launch of your streaming platform, gather feedback from users to decide what features they want you to implement next. Honest user feedback may point out some disadvantages in your platform. By using such feedback, you can select a list of features to implement during the second development stage and improve your website. 

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How much does it cost to create a live streaming website like Twitch?

Real-time video streaming platforms are complex projects that require a certain amount of effort and time to develop. Below, we share a list of streaming website MVP and estimation in hours. 

FeatureScreen	Functions required	Design	Front-End	Back-End
Architecture				From 24 Hours
Design		From 80 hours
Registration	Registration via Email  Facebook  Google +			From 12 Hours
Login	Login via Email Facebook  Google+			From 8 Hours
User Profile/Account Settings	Edit user profile, photo Get user data from social media Homescreen			From 12 Hours
Screen of video	Video player Online chat with other users Online streaming from webcam			From 8 Hours
Streaming live video	Integrating Cloud hosting Creating a player on the front-end side for taking data Managing data on the server and returning it to other users in live mode based on sockets	From 4 Hours	From 40 Hours	From 120 Hours
Messaging between users	Online Chat (third-party integration or custom development) Push Notifications	From 8 Hours	From 32 Hours	From 40 Hours
Total:		Design from 92+ hours	Front-end from 72+ hours	Back-end from 224+ hours

The cost to develop a live streaming website MVP varies from approximately $10,000 to $50,000. 

How to monetize a live streaming video platform

And now, let’s find out how you could make money from live streaming websites like Twitch. 

Subscription model. You can charge platform users monthly or annual subscription fees. In exchange, you can provide users with premium content or advanced platform features.   

Advertisements. Running ads on your streaming platform is another live streaming business model. For this monetization model, you can choose among the following options:

• Pre-roll. Ads run before the stream begins
• Mid-roll. Ads run alongside the live stream
• Post-roll. Ads run after the event

Donations. Users may like to show their appreciation and donate money so you can make your online service even better. To empower your website with this feature, embed a build-in “donate” button. 

MONOLITHIC VS MICROSERVICES: CHOOSING THE ARCHITECTURE FOR YOUR BUSINESS APP

The APP Solutions – Success Story

CASE STUDY: VIDEO STREAMING APP PROOF OF CONCEPT

At The APP Solutions, we often receive requests from potential clients for video streaming app development. Clients, who consider The APP Solutions as a tech partner, are looking for evidence that we have expertise in video streaming and social media app development. 

We decided to build a proof of concept of a video streaming application to ensure the ownership of the tech expertise. We also gave a detailed description of the overall architecture, feature list, and technologies we applied. 

The development of the video streaming app proof of concept gave us the following expertise:

• We integrated video streaming functionality to the POC using Agora.IO SaaS.
• We implemented the authentication and authorization by Firebase Authentication.
• We worked with Firebase Realtime Database, which supports direct connectivity with end-users applications (like mobile, web, etc.) server-side applications.
• We optimized the development process by applying ready-to-use Firebase functionality.

As a result, we showcased our expertise in video streaming app development. 

In a nutshell: how to create a live streaming website

As you can see, live streaming sites like Twitch are becoming new social networks where people share the same interests and building communities. 

As for the live-streaming itself, it is a prospective technology. You can apply live streaming, not only for gaming, but in almost every industry such as education, online retail, and so on. Still, to build a live streaming website, you will need a well-thought-out business vision, as well as a bunch of advanced technologies to provide users with high-quality video transmission. To find out whether your business idea has earning potential, launch your streaming platform as MVP and add other features during the second development stage.  

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Our life is quite unpredictable. Imagine that you came home after overtime at work. The last thing you want is to walk your dog, who is staring at you with its sad eyes. A lack of time is a common concern for many dog owners. Nevertheless, the dog still has its own needs, and it should be walked regularly. Now we have a mobile app even for dog walking. 

In the past, dog owners had to find a walker in advance, and most dog walking businesses operated offline. Now, pet walking apps work great for both planned and unplanned on-demand dog walking services. 

In this article, we have gathered the main steps on how to develop an app like Uber for finding dog walkers. 

What is an on-demand platform for dog walkers? 

All dog walking or sitting mobile application operates as an on-demand two-sided marketplace:

• A pet owner sends a request for walking a dog. 
• A dog walker receives the request in real-time and confirms the booking.
• During the walk, the dog owner can track the route with GPS, receive photo updates, and even poo and pee reports. 
• When the walk comes to its end, the dog walker brings the pet home and receives payment via the app. 
• The dog owner can rate the walker and even write a review about the service. 

And now, let’s look at the best dog walking apps. 

FUNCTIONAL VS NON-FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS: MAIN DIFFERENCES & EXAMPLES

Popular dog-walking platforms overview

As we said, apps that bring together dog walkers and owners have significant market opportunities, and to create the app “Uber for dog walking”, you should keep up with the industry leaders. 

Rover for dog walking 

The company was established in 2011 in Seattle, Washington. Currently, Rover’s annual revenue reaches $11 million. The company counts over 65,000 dog walkers and pet sitters across the U.S. The leading River service is pet sitting. Rover is also known as Yelp for dogs because to book a walk, a dog owner searches through dog walker profiles and then selects one to set up a walk with. App users can receive the following services: 

• Dog Walking from $30. You can track start and stop walk times, a map with a total distance, pee, poo, food, and water breaks via the app. 
• Doggy daycare from $20/ day. You can book daytime pet care in your sitter’s home.
• Drop-in visits from $20. Instead of a full-time pet sitter, you can book someone to drop by a few times a day to feed and check on your pet.
• House sitting from $20. In case you are leaving town, Rover gives you the option to book a sitter to take care of your dog and your home. 
• Dog boarding from $20. You can connect with a sitter who’ll welcome your dog into their home when you’re out of town. 

All Rover sitters and walkers have to pass a background check and a safety quiz. Pet owners can book an in-person meeting with a walker to discuss expectations. 

GEOLOCATION BEACONS EXPLAINED

Wag! for Pet Services

Wag Lab, also known as Wag!, was founded in 2014 in Los Angeles. Currently, the estimated Wag! Annual revenue reaches $2,5 million. Wag works like Uber for dogs. When a dog owner requests a walk, all nearby dog walkers receive notifications. If the dog owner is satisfied with the service he or she can tip the walker right through the app. Whoever responds the quickest gets the walk. Wag! has even more services to offer:

• Wag! Walk from $20. You can give your dog a walk with a selectable walk length.
• Sitting from $39. You can book a sitter who will care for the dog at your home.
• Boarding from $39. If you leave your hometown for a vacation or  business trip, a boarding host will care for your dog in their home 
• Daycare from $39. You can leave your pet at a daycare host’s home for a one-time, or repeated visit.

To build trust among pet owners, Wag! does comprehensive background screenings to ensure that dog walkers and sitters are reliable. Besides, the platform has 24/7 customer support. 

WHAT IS MVP IN SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT?

All these on-demand dogs walking Uber app examples are very inspiring. But what does it take to develop an app like Wag for dog walking? Let’s check it out.

How to make an app for dog walkers: a step-by-step guide

To launch your dog walking business, you will need to go through the following steps. 

1. Find your niche 

By choosing a narrow niche for your dog service app you guarantee your business success. Below we have gathered the most prominent niches for an Uber for dogs two-sided mobile app: 

• Pet Sitting. Professional pet sitters will play with pets, feed them, or provide more personalized care, like giving medication. 
• Dog Training. You can create an on-demand service for dog training with professional handlers. There is much space for dog trainer services because in the US alone there 74 million dogs. 
• Pet Grooming. On-demand grooming is another prospective pet service niche. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says the demand for pet groomers is expected to rise by 12% during this year.

2. Research competitors 

At this stage, your main goal is to get a comprehensive competitive landscape view. To achieve this, you can do the following:

• Search for companies with similar service ideas or overarching business ideas
• Check their social media profiles, websites, and online communities. 
• Use ReferenceUSA, Hoovers, Ahrefs, Alexa, and Keyword Spy to receive deeper insights. 

Then, categorize competitors into three levels: 

• Primary Competition, i.e., businesses that are targeting the same audience and provide similar services
• Secondary Competition. Companies that offer their services to a different target audience fall into this category. 
• Tertiary Competition. These might be companies that provide related services or products, like pet supplies or food. Such companies could become your partners when you decide to expand your services. 

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3. Choose a Monetization Strategy

Most dog walker marketplaces apply the business model of the service aggregator platform. Thus, you can choose between:

• Fees form transactions. You can charge a percentage from each payment made via your dog walking marketplace. 
• Paid promotions. Dog walkers can increase their visibility in the search with advertising.
• Paid ads. You can charge pet-related businesses for running their ads on the app. 
• Surge Charges. In some areas, the demand for dog walking is higher than the supply. Thus, you can put in surge pricing to stimulate dog walkers offering their services at a higher price. 

4. Create a Feature list 

 To connect dog walkers and pet owners, your app should perform like a two-sided marketplace where there are a buyer and seller. For such projects we suggest the following feature list:

For Pet Owners

• Personal profile where the pet owner can put the dog’s name, age, personal preferences, things that the dog does not like, and so on. 
• Search where pet owners can see available dog walkers and sitters in their area. Such a feature requires Google Maps API integration, as we did for the QuePro app. To find out more, read the full case study. 
• Filters for search results to find the nearest available dog walker. 
• Walk booking and scheduling. The pet owner can book the next walk of the dog or schedule the days and time for a walk. 
• Walk report. In this section, the pet owner can track the walk route distance, start and end time.

WHAT TECH STACK TO CHOOSE FOR YOUR PROJECT

For Dog Walkers

• Profile. A walker can tell about the previous dog walking experience, put a photo and links to social media profiles.
• Requests. In this section, dog walkers will receive all new requests for a dog walking job. 
• Time availability. Dog walkers can add the time when they are available for dog walking in the calendar.

Other Important Features 

• Log in via social network accounts such as Facebook, Google, or LinkedIn for new users. 
• Online chat, where the pet owner can discuss all details with the dog walker.
• Build-in Payment gateway allows pet owners to pay walkers with their credit cards. 
• Push-notifications for new requests and walk progress. 

5. Develop the App Design

Well-Thought app design is key to smooth user experience and app success. To create a convenient and user-friendly design you will need to complete the following: 

• Sketching. You need to prioritize the app features and visualize them through user experience. You can achieve this with a few rough sketches of the primary app screens. 
• Wireframing. Now you can start creating the app wireframes. The wireframe should include app elements such as text, buttons, boxes, lists, and event descriptions. 

[The App Solutions app wireframe example]

• Prototyping. Now the design team will use your sketches and wireframes to create the app design prototype. With an app prototype, you will make your app more real for your potential investors. Besides, you can receive feedback from testers on app usability and user-friendliness. 

[The App Solutions app prototype example]

6. Develop an on-demand dog walking app MVP

By launching your app as MVP, you can manage the user’s expectations. Below we share the Rover app clone MVP estimate in hours based on our assumptions to kick off the project. 

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO DEVELOP AN APP: DETAILED FEATURE BREAKDOWN

FeatureScreen	Design	Android/ iOS
User registration (email, Facebook)	12 hours	18 hours
Profile of user (photo, bio, dogs and their photos)	12 hours	24 hours
Add/edit information of dogs to the user’s profile	8 hours	20 hours
Filter routes by type, location	8 hours	16 hours
Search on map	8 hours	26 hours
Booking section	6 hours	4 hours
Total	54 hours	108 hours

The development and design stage of app MVP takes from 2 to 4 months and costs from $25K. Once your app MVP is ready you can make the project live and upload it to app marketplaces. 

7. Gather user feedback

Gathering feedback from app users has several advantages. Firstly, you can find out:

• Whether your app meets user expectations or not
• How well the user experience is shaped, and so on. 

Besides, app users can point out app disadvantages that you would never notice. Secondly, you can ask them what features they want you to add to the app to make it more convenient. By implementing those features, you will give app users the sense of being heard. Besides, you will also encourage them to participate more and send more feedback in the future. 

HOW TO MAKE AN APP: LIFE CYCLE OF MOBILE DEVELOPMENT

In a nutshell

In recent years dog walking and sitting apps have become very popular among pet owners. Such applications give pet owners more freedom and the ability to take care of their pets even in the unforeseeable conditions of modern life. To create your dog walking app you need to go through the stages described in this article. 

Do you remember those days when family members argue about what to watch next? Now, those days belong to the past. With online movie streaming services, you can watch anything, anytime, from any device. Moreover, the global video streaming market is estimated to be worth over $125 billion by 2025. And if you want to join the party, this is the right time. 

Below, you will find Netflix’s success story and tips on how to start a streaming service. 

Let’s begin. 

[Source: finance.yahoo]

The story behind Netflix success

Netflix is the leader in the video streaming industry. Starting as a DVD-by-mail company in 1997, now Netflix has over 118 million paid subscribers. In the U.S. alone, over 50% of households use this service. But why is Netflix so popular?   

In 1998, Netflix launched a web-page. Besides, the platform changed from a ‘Pay per rental’ to  ‘Monthly Subscription’ model. In the early 2000s’, Netflix focused on online streaming services, and it paid off. In 2008, Netflix finally introduced the Streaming service we know today.

How to make a live stream website like Twitch

Today, the company is famous for its original shows, television classics, and movies. According to Statista, In the third quarter of 2022, the streaming company Netflix based in Los Gatos, California, reported net earnings of around 1.4 billion U.S. dollars, whilst this amount was of roughly 1.45 billion in the corresponding quarter of 2021.

Before answering the question of how to start a streaming service, let us take a closer look at Netflix. 

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Netflix business model 

The business model is not only about the way you monetize your business. It is also about how you embrace your audience. Besides, the business model creates an organization ecosystem, able to scale upwards in the future. 

Netflix uses a subscription-based business model. In combination with global expansion, this business model allows the company to scale up quickly and steadily.

Netflix Value Proposition

The Netflix value proposition includes four essential elements, such as: 

Accessibility. The company delivers video across different platforms, operating systems, and devices. By using this approach, Netflix maximizes its fan base. Subscribers watch their favorite video content via browsers, tablets, and other devices. 

Original content. Netflix broadcast exclusive programs and third-party publisher’s shows. Besides, the service offers some in-house shows which are not available on other platforms. 

No ads. Netflix shows ads only to free account users. But, we all know how irritating ads are when you are watching your favorite series. At the same time, premium subscription owners enjoy online streaming without ads. In this way, the service motivates users to buy a subscription. 

Recommendation algorithm. Netflix has thousands of T.V. shows available for streaming. The recommendation algorithm gathers relevant content and increases engagement with the platform. 

HOW TO CREATE VIDEO SOCIAL MEDIA APP LIKE TIKTOK

[Netflix recommendation Systems. Source: Uxplanet]

The recommendation algorithm analyzes user data from different sources. The Netflix machine learns recommendations for ranking, searching similarity, ratings, and more. Netflix also works with groups of various tastes. Thus, each subscriber fits into many groups that also affect recommendations. 

HOW TO CREATE A MUSIC APP LIKE SPOTIFY

How does Netflix make money?

The essential Netflix revenue source is subscriptions. Users can choose from the following three subscription monthly plans (for the USA): 

• Basic at $9.99 per month. With this plan, users can watch movies and T.V. shows on laptops, T.V., phones, and tablets. This plan does not include high-definition viewing, and users can only watch HD videos on one screen at a time.
• Standard at a cost of $157.49 per month. At this price, users can watch Full HD videos on two simultaneous viewings.
• Premium costs $19.99 per month. After paying the subscription fee, users can watch 4K videos on four screens at the same time. 

There is also a new Basic with ads* plan available (from November 2022). Its price is $6.99/month.

As for the target audience, Netflix has three main business segments:

• Domestic streaming. The platform revenues come from monthly fees, paid by U.S. subscribers.
• International streaming. Monthly membership fees came from subscribers outside the United States.  
• Domestic DVD. Revenue generated by US subscribers who pay DVD-by-mail monthly subscription fees. 

Now, let us look at the steps on how to start a business like Netflix and estimate the app development cost. 

Our Success Story

CASE STUDY: VIDEO STREAMING APP PROOF OF CONCEPT

At The APP Solutions, we often receive requests from potential clients for video streaming app development. Clients, who consider The APP Solutions as a tech partner, are looking for evidence that we have expertise in video streaming and social media app development. 

We decided to build a proof of concept of a video streaming application to ensure the ownership of the tech expertise. We also gave a detailed description of the overall architecture, feature list, and technologies we applied.

In addition, social media applications, doctor-on-demand projects, and virtual events software also apply video streaming functionality. 

How to Create Your Own Streaming Service App

The development of a Netflix style business is not as hard as it seems. To achieve this, you need to go through several steps as described below. 

Step 1. Find your niche

The first thing to do is to decide what content your app will stream to users. To give you a clue on profitable steaming niches, we have gathered several ideas below. 

• Entertainment. Netflix and HBO show us that entertainment streaming services are very profitable. The audience is big enough to accommodate a new streaming provider. 
• Fitness. Fitness is another prospective niche for VOD services. People would love to pay for a subscription to have access to fitness-related videos anytime. Besides, you can add different video categories, like yoga, dance training, or a healthy diet to enhance a wider audience.  
• Education. Nowadays, people are more likely to watch “How to” videos, rather than reading tutorials and instructions. Moreover, you can choose from many sub-niches, like magic tricks, cake making, or even origami to attract a specific audience. 

Step 2. Decide on the content availability

Since the content is the basis of your on-demand streaming service, you need to determine what your content will be. 

• Would you use videos from other distributors? 
• Or, would you want to create your video content? 

If you want to cooperate with video distributors, you need to get a license for public performance. There are two ways to deal with that:

• Renting a movie from the authorized distributor with licenses
• Contacting the copyright holder 

Both options are legit, and the choice depends on your business goals. If you choose the first option you might contact one of two leading authorized distributors or movies and T.V. series in the USA: 

• Motion Picture Licensing Corporation (MPLC)
• SWANK Motion Pictures

As for the second option, you need to get in touch with the studio which is the rightful holder of specific content. 

Step 3. Choose the monetization model 

For your proposed on-demand video service you can choose between three methods of video monetization: 

Pay-Per-View is the most straightforward pricing scheme which means the user pays for each video to watch. You can apply this model if you want to develop a platform to broadcast concerts, trade shows, conferences, or sports events, like boxing and MMA.

Advertising. You can charge other companies for running video advertisements on your platform. Still, this monetization strategy would only work if your platform will become famous among users. 

Subscription. As you remember, Netflix uses this exact monetization strategy. Besides, the subscription model is used by a third of professional broadcasters. Subscribers are charged a monthly fee to receive access to a content library. You can use this monetization technique if you will regularly release new content on your platform.  

[Source: Toulousevip]

Step 4. Study the video streaming app requirements

For your video to perform well, you need to balance the following performance characteristics:

Internet Speed

Internet speed impacts the platform’s ability to stream on-demand videos. The minimum internet speed to stream standard definition movies is more than 2 Mb/s (megabits per second). But to broadcast HD, 3D or 4K, your Internet speed must be much higher. Let us check the Netflix example. 

Cloud hosting and computing architecture

For keeping video content we recommend using cloud hosting platforms since cloud hosting has the following advantages:

• Cloud hosting platforms are flexible and increase the amount of space automatically. 
• Such platforms allow quick access to video content 
• Cloud hosting platforms are cheaper than hard drives

An on-demand video platform requires complex architecture. As your business develops, the complexity of your architecture will only increase. Subsequently, you need to think about your platform scaling from the very beginning. In this way, you can avoid complex data migrations.  

Besides, you can use cloud computing capabilities for many operations, including: 

• Search engine
• Recommendation system
• A/B testing
• Streaming service
• Caching architecture 

Recently, we developed a cloud dataflow for the Nanopore DNA Sequencing app. We solved the issues with the data transfer speed by using data processing and subsequent storage of incoming data. To find out more, read CASE STUDY: REAL-TIME DIAGNOSTICS FROM NANOPORE DNA SEQUENCERS

Network connectivity

Even if your online streaming platform doesn’t grow quickly, consider that it will scale up in the future. To achieve this, you need to integrate a content delivery network to your service. The content delivery network (CDN) broadcasts videos to subscribers via a server network. CDN turns your streaming app into a scalable system to handle significant traffic.

Security

You need to consider content protection from unauthorized access across customer devices. To ensure that your video streaming service is secure, consider the following:

• Network background provides 24/7 monitoring and content availability in the case of server failure.
• Token security prevents access to the videos of a 3rd-party source without your approval.
• Domain restriction locks content to a specific domain. Thanks to this feature, other users cannot see the embedded link in the source code and insert it into another platform or website.
• Geographical restriction excludes specific locations due to licensing agreements.
• Watermarking provides an extra level of live stream security. Thus, you maintain the rights to your content.

Payment gateway 

To provide your subscribers with various payment options, you can use the following popular payment solutions: 

• Stripe, which supports subscription services, has premade UI components and an API-first approach to customize the payment gateway for your platform. 
• 2CheckOut supports payments via Visa, Discover, MasterCard, JCB, PayPal, or other credit/debit cards.
• PayPal Payments Pro, which allows you to create and host your own checkout pages for complete control.
• Braintree. This payment gateway operates in over 40 countries and accepts payments in more than 130 currencies

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Step 7. Develop an on-demand streaming service MVP 

The last part of our guide on how to start an online video streaming business is the development stage. During this stage you must clarify functional and non-functional requirements, set timelines, think about the design, and so on. 

Pay extra attention to your proposed platform design since seamless user experience is the key to Netflix’s success. The platform needs an intuitive user interface. Thus, users can easily navigate films and shows, create “lists,” search by genre, actor, director, and so on. 

In the table below, we have gathered the essential MVP features and estimation in hours. 

Feature	Description	Estimation in hours
User Registration	Users can register their accounts on the platform and login to it later via email, Google, or Facebook.	From 32 hours
User Profile	Users can edit the name, upload photos, choose preferred genres, actors, directors, movies, shows, etc.	From 16 hours
Subscription and Payment Gateway	After the end of a free trial period, the service’s users will choose from several subscription options and pay for it via Stripe, Paypal, Braintree, etc.	From 80 hours
Content Search	Users can search for their preferred content on the basis of actors, movies, TV shows, ratings, genres, user reviews and more.	From 20 hours
Push Notifications	Users receive a notification when: Their subscription is about to expire Their subscription is renewed  They choose to cancel the subscription They decide to upgrade their subscription The new episode in on air	From 24 hours
Reviews and Ratings	This feature provides an option to review and rate the content they have just watched.	From 44 hours
Design	The team creates engaging platform layouts as well as each screen of the user’s experience.	From 100 hours
Total		From 316 hours

You might also like: WHAT IS MVP IN SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT?

Step 8. Gather feedback 

After the MVP launch, you need to gather user feedback from your platform. First, you need to find out how they like the existing features. Then, you can ask them what features they would like to add to your on-demand video service. This step will help you to understand the experience of real users with your service. You can gather user feedback in several ways:

• Email survey.
• Social media. 
• Pools. 

Bonus section: Important metrics to track

And now, let us look at the most critical parameters you need to measure:

Customer acquisition cost (CAC). This metric tells you the cost of acquiring a new subscriber. To calculate CAC, you need:

• Pick a specific period
• Divide the cost of marketing by the number of paying subscribers  

The lower CAC, the better. 

Retention Rate. This metric evaluates the percentage of active subscribers and those who have stopped using the service over a given time. You can calculate the retention rate by doing the following: 

• Subtract the number of new subscribers at the end of a season
• Divide this number by the number of subscribers you started the season with 

In this case, your goal is to keep the retention rate as high as possible. Still, this metric varies depending on the industry.

Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) shows how much revenue you receive from repeat customers. This metric also helps to evaluate the quality of your product. If you can keep your average user for a year, then the revenue such users bring during the year is your CLV. 

Return on Advertising Spending (ROAS) shows the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns. You can calculate ROAS in this way:

• Divide the sales generated by your advert spending. 

Final Word

Since 1997, Netflix has become one of the media industry’s leaders. With the subscription-based model, the company continues scaling and investing in technological innovations. 

When developing a video streaming app, let the industry leaders, such as Netflix, be your successful example. In this way, you can adapt their business strategy for your video service. Consider choosing a niche and technology stack for your online streaming app. Besides, take into account certain industry-specific requirements, such as complex cloud architecture. Once you have a clear picture of your project, you can hire mobile app developers to bring your idea into reality.  

What our clients say 

Food delivery is something most of us can’t leave without. The pandemic and safety regulations made applications like UberEats even more popular. Now, to taste their favorite meal, restaurant guests place an order and wait for a courier to deliver it.  

Moreover, food orders are the only way for restaurants to earn money, while dine-ins are prohibited in numerous countries, including the U.S. 

Even though Uber Eats popularity, many restaurant owners criticize the platform for unfair service commissions that reduce restaurants’ already small profit margin. 

For that reason, savoy restaurant owners are considering developing their food delivery marketplaces like UberEats. As the saying goes, if you can’t beat them, lead them. 

Suppose you are one of the brave and optimistic food tech entrepreneurs and considering developing an app like Grubhub or UberEats. In this case, you need to know UberEat’s business model and simple steps to build such an app or even better. Let’s see how food delivery marketplaces similar to UberEats operate and how much it will cost you to make a food delivery aggregator. 

UberEats Business Model

The UberEats app is both a restaurant aggregator and a delivery agent that performs two different ways:

• UberEats uses a traditional food delivery model, listing partners-restaurants in a single app.
• UberEats also handles order delivery using its own logistics network to deliver orders from restaurants that don’t have a delivery option. 

The most notable features of this food delivery application include:

• Recommendations
• Advanced search
• Order tracking 
• Delivery details 

Now, let us take a look at UberEats monetization strategies.

How does UberEats make money? 

The company applies three monetization strategies:

• Delivery Fee from $2 to $8 per order depending on the distance between customers and restaurants
• Service Fees from 15% to 40% fee for each order received via UberEats. 
• Promotion -when partner restaurants pay for ranking first in the search, which increases their visibility to customers. 

How to make a food delivery application: 5 steps to follow

To develop apps like UberEats and make it popular among users, you need something more than copying its features. To help you surpass UberEats, we suggest applying the following steps:

Step 1. Track Food Delivery Industry Trends

You need to be aware of the new delivery channels and other trends:

Social Networks

To make your project unique in the selected niche, consider integrating ordering via social media accounts functionality. 

The first company that used this ordering option was Domino’s Pizza, which offered customers orders via Twitter accounts. App users “tweeted” a pizza emoji to the Domino’s Pizza Twitter account to place an order. 

A GUIDE ON STARTING A FOOD MEAL KIT DELIVERY SERVICE

[Source: Domino’s Pizza]

Before ordering at Domino’s Pizza vis Twitter, users need: 

• Create a “pizza profile” and list a favorite pizza
• Fill in the “default orders” section on Domino’s Pizza website
• Link a pizza profile with a Twitter account

Virtual assistant

Chabot allows placing orders via messengers and requests food by a single word:

Domino’s pizza has developed Dom, a chatbot that allows placing orders on Twitter and Facebook messengers and learn about special offers.

Grubhub has integrated its system with Alexa, Amazon’s virtual assistant, allowing customers to reorder any of their last three purchases.

Just Eat has decided to keep up with the current trends and integrate Alexa into its ordering system. Thanks to new Amazon hardware, Echo Show, Just Eat can place orders by voice and check the courier’s location.

Smartwatch

Food delivery companies widely use wearable devices: 

Domino’s was a pioneer who launched a food ordering app for Android watches which simplifies ordering.

[Image source: Domino’s Pizza]

OrderUp introduced its latest app for the Apple Watch. OrderUp customers can place orders, track delivery statuses, and see when the courier will arrive.

BALANCING THE SUPPLY AND DEMAND WITH AN ON-DEMAND GROCERY DELIVERY APP

Step 2. Choose Food Delivery Model

Now, you need to select a food delivery model among two business models that will suit you the best: 

	Order-Only Model	Order and Delivery Model
Companies	Delivery.com Eat24 JustEat	Deliveroo Doordash UberEats
Description	Companies only manage orders.	Food startups are responsible for both managing orders and delivery. In some cases, such businesses cooperate with courier services.
Monetization	Order-only businesses charge restaurants 10 – 30% of order value.	The business model includes a commission from restaurants (25-30%) and the delivery fee. You can set a flat-rate delivery fee or charge a fee based on customer and restaurant distance, as UberEats does.
Limitations	This business model has a low barrier for entry. Thus, this niche is quite crowded with competitors.	You need to hire and train carriers, etc. The increased amount of management works may impact business scaling.
Benefits	By using this business model, you don’t have to worry about cooking and delivery.	Once such a food delivery is in place, you will develop a company and receive a profit.

[Statistics for on-delivery services income by Statista]

Step 3. Research target market 

To develop an excellent food delivery app, you need to know the target audience. Once you understand who will use the food delivery app, it is easy to build an app that ideally meets target audiences’ needs. 

The target audience could be narrow, such as gluten-free raw vegans, or broad, like pizza lovers. 

To draw a clear picture of the target audience, use demographic criteria and create a target customer profile by clarifying the following info:

• Social characteristics, including income, gender, nationality, and age
• What potential customer problem may your project solve?
• What feeling will your application provoke from customers?
• Why should customers use the platform rather than competitors? 

By clarifying all of these points, you will have a good idea of the target customers. 

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO DEVELOP AN APP: DETAILED FEATURE BREAKDOWN

Step 4. Choose the main features of UberEats-like food delivery services

When developing a mobile app like Uber for food delivery, consider the following features: 

Login allows login to the app using email or social networks profile. 

Search allows searching by meal, filters, as well as food category. This section should include pictures of dishes, the process, and a description of the meal.

Order placing allows adding meals to the cart. 

Order checkout includes all selected dishes and the order total. 

Payment allows users to pay for the order via the built-in payment gateway. Our advice is to integrate several payment systems, such as PayPal, Stripe, MangoPay. We applied this strategy to custom marketplace development. You can find the complete case study on the link. 

Notifications inform users about the order status via push notifications and SMS.

Order tracking shows real-time order tracking using the CoreLocation framework for iOS apps and Google Location API for Android apps. Besides, Mapkits and Google Maps will help couriers to find the best route to the customer’s location.

User Reviews allows app users to share their experience and rate restaurants. 

Step 5. Select the Technology Stack of Food Delivery App Development 

Depending on the business model of a food delivery startup, you might need different technologies. Still, we have gathered an essential tech stack for Uber-like apps in the table below:

Restaurant listing

• Grubhub API
• FourSquare API

Payment gateway

• Square API
• Braintree
• Stripe
• PayPal

Find user location

• Core Location Framework
• Google Places API
• Google Maps

Push notifications

• Amazon SNS
• Urban Airship
• Firebase Cloud Messaging

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How Much Does It Cost to Develop a Food Delivery App?

The mobile app’s cost consists of many elements, including the number of platforms, feature list, the number of integrations, etc. 

The mobile development team will create a detailed app estimation only after the discovery (inception) phase. 

What does this mean? 

The discovery (inception) phase is the first step you and the development team take to build a solid foundation for app development. This stage includes several components, such as:

• Functional specification
• UX/UI design 
• Visual prototypes

The product discovery phase can help you with:

• Defining the scope of work 
• Developing the project roadmap 
• Setting a realistic MVP budget 
• Planning resources
• Testing the app MVP with a target audience 
• Developing a solid investment pitch

So, how much will the food delivery app cost?  

We need 50+ hours to create UI/UX design, 66+ hours to build the app’s back-end, while the development stage may take 120+ hours per platform. 

To make your app like UberEats stand out, keep an eye on current food ordering industry trends, and don’t forget to give your customers added value that your competitors don’t have.

For a food delivery app, you can apply either an Order-Only or Order and Delivery Model. With the app MVP, you can gather insights from the target audience and add other features during the second development stage. 

Our Successful Story

CASE STUDY: Alfredo Ibiza On-demand Food Delivery App

Alfred Ibiza is an on-demand delivery mobile app that connects restaurants, stores, couriers, and customers in Ibiza. The app allows customers to order from restaurants, pharmacies, and supermarkets, listed on the platform. The APP Solutions got to work!

We managed to develop the Alfred Ibiza platform within just three months, at a total project cost of $70,000, 50-60% cheaper than the average development cost of a food delivery app.

The platform includes an app for customers, couriers, an admin panel for restaurants with only necessary functions. Besides this, we also developed a marketing landing page to promote the Alfred Ibiza platform.

Our tech stack

• Node.js
• React.js
• React Native
• Stripe

Team composition

• 1 Back-end Node.js developer
• 1 React.js developer
• 2 React Native developers
• 1 Quality Assurance manager
• 1 product owner

What our clients say 

Related articles: 

AI in the logistics industry 

How to develop Uber for trucking 

How to create an application like Uber 

HYPR taxi app development case study 

 “Ah look at all the lonely people” sang The Beatles in their Eleanor Rigby song. Since the 60s, many things have changed, including the way people find soulmates. After the revolution caused by Tinder in 2012, the niche of dating applications is still up and running.

Below, we share the main Tinder features, explain its matching algorithm, and monetization strategy.

But there is more.

You will also find mobile dating app development, step-by-step guide.

Current Dating App Statistic

As we said, modern technologies have completely changed the way we find someone to date and online dating is no longer a taboo.

A quick look at some statistics:

•   Over 27% of committed relationships starting via the Internet.
•   Approximately 40 million people use dating applications and websites around the globe.  
•   The annual revenue of all dating apps is estimated at around $2 billion.
•   Being the most popular dating app Tinder counts around 50 million users across the globe, while 60% came from the U.S.
•   The total worth of Tinder is estimated at around $1,6 billion.

The dating apps market is growing, as well as the customers’ demands. Therefore, if you what to make a dating app, this is the right time. And in this case, you should look up to industry leaders, like Tinder.

Now, let’s learn how to make a dating app like Tinder. 

HOW TO DEVELOP AN APP LIKE NETFLIX 

What are Tinder’s Main Features?

As we said, Tinder is one of the most popular dating applications around the world, and the secret weapon of Tinder is a gaming spirit and swiping feature. If you like someone’s profile, you swipe right, if you don’t – you swipe left. 

Now we’ll look at Tinder app features in more detail.

Login via social networks. Users can log in with their Instagram or Facebook profiles. Then, users can connect their Facebook and Instagram profiles with a Tinder account. Such social authentication helps the platform to become more trustworthy.

Geolocation. Tinder use users location to see which social spots, like bars, coffee shops, etc. they visit more frequently. Other users who have visited that place receive a notification only after the app user leaves that place. Besides, Tinder uses geolocation to find interest-based matches. This way, the app improves its services. For instance, the app will remove cinema halls from the social spots list if a lot of app users keep deleting them from their lists.

Matching algorithm. The app algorithm compares the new user profile with other profiles that are already in the database and suggests relevant matches.

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How Tinder algorithm works. 

•   The app uses the score to rank people by the attractiveness
•   For this, the app counts how many people swiped a person’s profile right (or Liked). 
•   The more likes, the higher the user’s score 
•   The app shows their profiles to other people with a similar amount of likes
•   Thereby, the app makes the match from the most liked people

Swipe Surge. As we said, Tinder users can like other profiles with a right swipe and dislike them by swiping left. According to the Tinder press release, Swipe Surge increased user activity up to 15x higher. This feature also increases the user match-making potential by 250 percent. 

Image source: Luceverntech

Find matches. Users can set interests, age, gender, etc. as search criteria. Then, the app makes a match of users who like each other’s profiles.

Profile setting. Tinder users can set their profiles to make them more trustworthy and attractive.

Push notification. When the app algorithm finds a suitable match, the user receives a push notification.  

Private chat. When the app makes a match, users can chat in build-in unscripted messenger.

Our next step is to learn how to develop a dating app.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO DEVELOP AN APP: DETAILED FEATURE BREAKDOWN

How to create your own dating app: A Step-by-step guide

To turn your idea about a dating app into a reality, you need to go through the following stages:  

Step 1. Find our niche

Finding a niche is the first stage of starting a dating app. While there are many dating apps already present in the market, you still have an opportunity to stand out from the crowd. For that, you need to choose your niche.

Below you will find the most exciting dating niches, currently present in the market. 

Preferences in food

There are many people with particular menu choices, such as gluten-free people, vegetarians, and vegans. Still, it is hard for them to meet a soul make in everyday life with the same preferences. So, you can base your dating app on some individual diet preferences.

Example:  

Gluten-Free Singles. This dating website was created for gluten-free people so that they can find dating partners, friends, and activity groups with people of the same preferences.

Preferences in lifestyle

We are all different, having different ideas of the perfect place to live. While some of us are children of big cities, others might prefer living in the countryside. Shared preferences in lifestyle can be a solid basis for people to start their relationship.

Example:

Equestrian Cupid. This dating website, developed for country and horse lovers, is a perfect place to find a cowboy or cowgirl. Equestrian Cupid gathered millions of people who dislike busy cities and dream to live in the countryside. Even if the user does not own a horse, they can join the website if they share down to earth values.

Favorite pets

Favorite pets are another theme that may bring people together. Some of us are cat lovers, while others like dogs. Thus, you can base your dating app on common interests in pets.

Example:  

Purrsonals.This dating website brings cat lovers together, so they can look for love while discussing their pets.

So, what’s next?

DO YOU NEED A MOBILE ECOMMERCE APP FOR YOUR STORE?

Step 2. Choose a business model

There are several business models that Tinder and other dating apps use for earning money:

Premium business model

Users get a free set of basic app features, but they can buy a premium app version with the following advanced features :

•   Boosting profile. The app charges users a fixed fee to show their profile as the first in the search result.

•   Advanced swipe. This feature, powered by a machine learning algorithm, changes the way users see photos. 

what is the technology behind it? The smart algorithm adjusts the user photos on the basis of the interests of other users. In this way, the owner of a premium account receives more chances to get matched.

•   Unlimited likes. While users of the free app version have a limited amount of right swipes or likes, users with a paid account have an unlimited number of likes.

You can use other ways of app monetization, such as: 

In-app purchases

App users are pleased to give and receive gifts from each other. To do this, empower your app with paid gifts, such as greetings, flowers, and kisses.

Ads

Many applications use this monetization strategy. You can charge other businesses for running their ads in your app. These might be cost-per-click or cost-per-mile models.

Step 3. Choose the tech stack for a Tinder-like app

Now you need to choose the technologies that will power your app and the main thing you need to keep in mind is scaling.

But why does it matter?

As we look at Tinder as an example:

Since the app’s launch, the Tinder app developers used MongoDB, the NoSQL database, to match people. But, as the app becomes popular and gains users, it becomes hard for the team to maintain the MongoDB database performance. So, the team needed to move to the more powerful Amazon Web Services hosting.

With this in mind, consider the following Tinder technology stack for your dating app.

Now it is time to find some mobile app developers, right? 

BREAKING DOWN AVERAGE COST OF IPHONE APP DEVELOPMENT (THE APP SOLUTIONS EXPERIENCE)

Step 4. Choose a Dating App Development Team

With numerous options presented on the mobile app development market, you need to consider the following parameters to find the best app development team:

Developers Hourly Rate

It is no secret that developers from different countries have a different hourly rate. At the same time, they might have similar experiences and skillsets. Therefore, if you want to decrease development costs, you can consider partnering with developers from other countries.

Check the table with developers’ rates across different countries below.

Image source: Clutch 

Portfolio

The portfolio is another sign you need to check when looking for a mobile app development team. This way, you will receive insight into the company’s level of expertise. Besides, it would be great if the mobile development company have dating apps in their portfolio.

Our recent project is WizzLuck, a mobile dating application that connects people of similar interests. 

The client hired us to refactor the MVP, debug it, and make an upgrade for the new market.  For this project, the team remastered the code, fixed the bugs, and developed a new design.

We also integrated a geolocation feature to help WizzLuck users find matches nearby.

Now, moving on.

Previous Clients

Ask the mobile development team for a list of recent clients. By contacting them, you can learn about your future developers’ reliability, communication skills, and commitments.

Development Capabilities

The size of the development team is another thing to consider. If you want to create an enterprise-level solution, you need to find a big development team. On the other hand, to create a project MVP, you can cooperate with a team with one or two mobile developers.

Step 5. Develop and Launch MVP 

After you’ve selected the development team, they will start the discovery (inception) phase. This stage will include clarification of the project’s requirements, your business goals, and project prototyping.

Feature	Description	Estimated development time
Social sign-in	Empower your app with sign-in via social networks like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn for a more seamless experience.	24+ hours
User profile	Each user has their own profile where one indicates interests and hobbies.	12+ hours
Geolocation	With this feature, the app users will choose the region where they want to find a soulmate and even choose nearby locations.	8+ hours
Matching	To make the matching process more accurate, use AI-based algorithms.	45+ hours
Chatting	When users have a match, they can start chatting and get to know each other better. Also, it is possible to add stickers and GIFs optionally to make messages more vivid.	6+ hours
Push notifications	Push notifications will inform your app users about their matches.	18+ hours
Settings	Settings include main features like select by categories, on/off the sound, customize different filters, and so on.	16+ hours
Total		From 129+ hours

 

The Bottom Line

The development of a dating app might be a very profitable investment. Still, matching app development is a complicated procedure that requires, not only financial resources but also significant experience from your mobile development team.

We hope that our guide on how to create a dating app has helped you to understand how to make your own Tinder app and monetization strategies you should apply.

The only thing left is to find an experienced development team to turn your ideas into reality.

You might remember the Greek myth of King Midas, who turned everything into gold with his touch. Well, we did not expose his magical abilities. But we offer you valuable insight on how you can add value to your business app.  

The market for mobile applications is quite crowded, and to stand out from the competitors might be challenging. Still, you can consider adding new features to your app, like a taxi-hailing service.

For that, you do not need to reinvent the wheel. To empower your app with the taxi-booking feature, you can integrate the existing Uber API, and Ride Request Widget. Besides, with the new Rides SDKs, the development team will make such integrations easy and fast.

The numerous successful examples of Uber integrations, like Foursquare, Amazon Echo, and others, show us that this strategy works.

In this article, we are going to tell you about Uber’s successful collaborations with other businesses, the benefits of Uber API integration, and a step-by-step guide to doing it.

Key Uber statistic

Being present in 85 countries, Uber remains the most popular taxi-hailing apps. The company is a dominant player, taking in 70% of the U.S. ride sharing-market in 2022. 

As you can see in the graph, during COVID-19, the number of trips dropped catastrophically, but in February 2022, the industry slowly began to recover.

Image source: Second Measure

But there is more. Uber generated $17.4 billion revenue in 2021, a 56% increase year-on-year and better than its 2019 figures. In 2020, Uber’s revenues declined by 21% due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The revenue is expected to exceed $133 billion by 2023, with an annual growth rate of 12.8%. As of May 2021, Uber’s stock price was $51.73. However, financial experts predict a future value of at least $72 by 2022 and $169 by 2026. According to 2022 Uber stats, the ride-hailing company is far ahead of its competitors by a landslide.

Thus, Uber remains the most popular taxi-hailing app across the globe. Therefore, it gives exciting opportunities for mobile app owners.

Still, what benefits you can get from Uber popularity?

Keep reading to find out.

FUNCTIONAL VS NON-FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS: MAIN DIFFERENCES & EXAMPLES

Benefits from Integrating Uber API

As we said, Uber is a leading taxi-booking app that provides free API for all app developers. What you could receive from such an integration:

Improve goods transportation. Uber API integration brings the opportunity for online shops and local retailers to build on-demand delivery solutions. 

Add geolocation tracking. You can use Uber API functionality to share and exchange the location. As a social networking project or a messaging service owner, you can empower your app with the feature of notifying users about their position in real-time.

Recently, we have integrated the geolocation feature to TransProLog, a logistic app from Brazil. The TransProLog users can control the tower and know what is happening with the cargo in real-time. We also empowered the app with the built-in messenger. Visit our portfolio to learn about our other projects.

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Reduce development time and cost. You can empower your app with Uber API without spending money on developing an Uber-like taxi app from scratch. The Uber development team has already done a significant part of the infrastructure.

Solve user problems. If you empower your app with Uber features, you will solve the users driving issues by letting them quickly get to their final destination. It would be exciting if your app users prefer to travel around the city or to eat out.

Provide a ready-made business model. With Uber API well-built and organized infrastructure, you can receive deceits from the whole of Uber’s business model. This way, you gain access to the Uber drivers pool without holding meetings, signing agreements, and doing tons of paperwork.

Below, we share the most inspiring examples of cooperation with Uber.

The most successful examples of Uber API integration

Before digging into the Uber API integration success stories, we’ll clarify what API is.

The application programming interface or API is a set of rules by which the application components interact with each other. By using API, developers can transmit and pull the necessary data from the application. Besides, API helps to reduce the development time to create a consistent app across the platform.

Uber API had become public in 2014. It represents a fully functional platform including a fair price estimate calculator, ride time estimate, car ordering, trip history, and so on.

Uber cooperation with other well-known companies and their benefits received from Uber API integration.

Amazon Echo

In 2016 Amazon has integrated Uber API to Amazon Echo, smart speakers connect to the voice-controlled intelligent personal assistant service Alexa. This integration enables Echo users to order an Uber by using simple commands as “Alexa, ask Uber to request a ride.” This way, Echo and Uber’s cooperation allows bringing some Sci-fi experiences to users’ everyday life. 

Image source: Hackernoon

Jobcase

Jobcase, a job marketplace, integrated Uber API to showcase driver reviews. Because high-quality customer service is an essential differentiator for drivers in a competitive job market. 

Image source: Uber 

Now, Jobcase users can share their Uber experience and rating right on their profile by using /me endpoint. This way, Uber drivers receive a competitive advantage in the job market, as well as the opportunity to find the next employers if they look for the next step in their career.

Foursquare

Foursquare, a location platform, allows users not only to check the nearest china food restaurant but also to hail an Uber taxi in-app. Judging by increased Foursquare user activity/engagement, they love Uber integration:

•   Users who hailed the Uber taxi in-app are two to three times more active than average Foursquare users
•   Users who tap the Uber button also generate three to four times more venue views and interactions
•   According to statistics, users who hailed Uber via Foursquare are 74% more likely to use this feature again during the following week.

For that, Foursquare and Uber’s cooperation is a win-win for both parties.

Stride

Stride, an online tax app, integrated Uber API to help Uber drivers to increase the take-home earnings. By using the Strive Tax Calculator, integrated with the Uber Drive API, drives receive a report with a breakdown of their income. Besides, they are informed about expected taxes and personalized recommendations on how much to set aside each week.

Image source: Uber 

By using Strive, Uber drivers keep 21% more of their earnings. The Strive services also helped driver-partners claim more than $60M in tax deductions.

TripAdvisor

As we know, TripAdvisor is a traveler website where users share their experiences with local businesses and attractions. But there is nothing more disappointing than no possibility to get to the museum you have dreamed of when planned the trip. And Uber fills this gap by providing TripAdvisor users a convenient taxi-hailing experience.

By integrating the Uber API, TripAdvisor started to provide a complete travel experience inside just one travel mobile app. Now, users can quickly get to their desired point in an unknown city. Moreover, TripAdvisor app users also can create a cheaper and simpler tailored tour around local Sights & Landmarks.

Image source: Vulcanpost

Below we share how to integrate Uber into your app.

MONOLITHIC VS MICROSERVICES: CHOOSING THE ARCHITECTURE FOR YOUR BUSINESS APP

How to integrate Uber API to your app

There are different levels of Uber integration. For your mobile app, you can consider the following:

Button. The button is the easiest way to empower your app with the Uber Request Ride feature. The button will display the fee for a ride and transfer your app users to the Uber app. This type of integration requests low efforts from your development team. On the other hand, the Button option provides zero customization options.

Deeplink. With this type of Uber integration, users can launch Uber from within your application. Deeplink also could be integrated very quickly into your app and customized to suit your app design and layout.

Client libraries. If you want to create your custom end-to-end experience for your users, you might consider this option. With the help of mobile developers, you can use Uber’s SDK to empower your app with desired Uber features.

HOW TO ESTIMATE BASIC EXPENSES FOR ANDROID OR IOS APP DEVELOPMENT

Webhooks. You can create an app like Uber and integrate it direly to rider’s and driver’s experiences with reactive webhooks. Uber servers will send the Webhooks to your app. This way, your application can easily understand what action it may want to take based on the contents of the payload. For this type of integration, you might need help from mobile app developers.

Rest API. By using Uber’s Rest APIs, you will receive a high level of customization options and integrate the power of Uber into your app. Currently, you can incorporate the following Uber APIs:

•   Rush API. This type of Uber API is aimed at on-demand delivery services. The UberRush API is currently available in New York City, Chicago, and San Francisco.
•   Rides API. By using the Rides API, your developers empower your app, making Uber requests on behalf of a user.
•   Driver API lets your mobile development team create services and solutions that make the driver experience more productive. With the driver’s permission, the developers receive access to driver profiles, including ratings, trip count, and account status from drivers, as well as driving activity – which includes the city, fare, distance, and duration of each trip. Currently, access to Driver Uber API documentation is limited.

Step-by-step Uber API tutorial

Below we describe the steps the development team would follow to integrate Uber API into your app

Step 1. The team will check and research the Uber API documentation and apply for Driver API access.

Step 2. Next, the developers will study the SDKs for Uber Android or iOS API integration.

Step 3. Then, they will register on the Uber Developer Dashboard.

Step 4. Install the corresponding Uber SDK for your mobile platform (Android or iOS)

Step 5. And finally, the team will set up the SDK and add the necessary functionality, such as the trip request button or any intention to book a ride predetermined by the app’s navigation.

While Uber API integration might take up to four days, it brings unbearable advantages to your mobile application.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO DEVELOP AN APP: DETAILED FEATURE BREAKDOWN

Uber API ideas for integration

Apart from Uber API use cases described above, you might consider such integration, if your business belongs to the following niches:

•   Local food & grocery store

Solution: UberEats API. UberEats app allows delivering food from restaurants to your customers using Uber cars.

•   Logistic

Solution: Uber Freight. The Uber delivery API connects shippers and carriers for goods transportation. 

•   Car repair, beauty industry, and other B2C businesses

Solution: Uber Vouchers. Uber Voucher, a part of Uber for Business API, allows companies to engage with their customers more and pay for their trips with vouchers.

•   Business trips

Solution: Business Travel. The app enables organizations to control their workers’ business trip expenditures and make their business trips more comfortable.

•   Health care

Solution: Uber Health. This service for hospitals provides patients with convenient and reliable Uber services. 

•   Events

Solution: Uber Events. This service allows arranging guests of your events flexible door-to-door transportation. You can also empower your event app with the feature “remind me to request Uber” to send the user notification beforehand.

•   Hotels

Solution: Uber Central. Developed for hotel needs, Uber Central lets you deliver reliable rides to guests. The trip could be hailed immediately or scheduled in advance.

Conclusion

While Uber is a leader in the taxi-hailing market, it also becomes a competitive advantage for businesses who decided to integrate the Uber API. Such integration has a positive impact on user experience. The results of such cooperation are increased user engagement, average total, and raised users’ loyalty.

If you want to provide your app users with a new experience and stand out from the crowd, you can integrate Uber to your app.

After choosing the degree of integration, the last thing is to hire the mobile development team to make this integration for you.

And The App Solution is here to help.

What our clients say 

See also:

HOW TO CREATE A MUSIC APP LIKE SPOTIFY

HOW TO CREATE VIDEO SOCIAL MEDIA APP LIKE TIKTOK

HOW TO BUILD A DATING APP LIKE TINDER

HOW TO MAKE A LIVE STREAM WEBSITE LIKE TWITCH

HOW TO DEVELOP AN APP LIKE NETFLIX

Online retail is the most steadily growing industry. It has significantly changed the way people search and buy things. Besides, when almost everyone has a mobile phone, m-commerce makes the online shopping experience even more convenient. 

According to the Tech Jury report, m-commerce has a more significant market share worldwide (51.1%), while the desktop market share is 44.2%.  

So, the mobile shopping market is even more profitable than usual online retail. 

And, if you want to enter mobile retail, you are on the right road to success.

Still, you should be aware of current trends and industry leaders. 

In this article, we highlight Wish, the most popular mobile shopping app. We will discover how to make a shopping app like Wish, and how much it costs.

Read on.

THE ULTIMATE MARKETPLACE DEVELOPMENT GUIDE: TECH STACK, FEATURES, AND COSTS

Shopping App Market Prospective 

So, if you want to develop a Wish clone you need to consider the following: 

•   As Statista reports, e-commerce sales worldwide are expected to reach 4878 billion US dollars by 2021. 

•   63% of all US online traffic comes from smartphones and tablets.

•   79% of smartphone users have made a purchase online using their mobile device in the last six months

To sum up, m-commerce revenue continues to grow. The reason is simple. Online shopping is one of the most popular online activities for millions of people across the globe. And, there is no sign that the growth of mobile shopping apps will slow down. 

But how can you benefit from this trend? 

The answer is, “by investing in shopping app development.” And, if you do not want to reinvent the wheel, you can use the business model of other popular shopping apps like Wish.

Want to find out how to make a selling app? Continue reading.

What is the Wish app?

You probably wouldn’t be surprised to find out that Wish is one of the most hyped shopping apps worldwide. 

Wish app connects over 1 000 000 merchants with more than 500 million customers around the world. The app has become extremely popular for exclusively low prices on various items, such as clothes, smartphone cases, and even wearables. 

See also: How to Use Machine Learning in Mobile App?

Many of these items are unique and you cannot find them easily on Walmart’s shelves.

But there is more

•   Users rank the Wish app #3 in the App Store shopping category.
•   The latest report from sensortower.com tell us that with 25 million installs, Wish is the second most installed shopping application 
•   Statista report said Wish was ranked as the most popular shopping application in the US in July 2018.

So why Wish is so popular? 

Let’s find out. 

Available for both iOS and Android, Wish has six additional apps, divided as to their particular topic from hi-tech electronic devices to home accessories. Such an approach simplifies the user journey and personalizes the shopping experience. 

If you want to create a shopping app for selling clothes, you might also look at Poshmark, an app similar to Wish. 

• Poshmark is also a two-sided mobile marketplace where users can create a small personal store and resale clothes or hand-crafted items. 

Image source: Sleepinginonsundays

• After its launch in 2011, the application for the online store now has over five million sellers. 
• Poshmark is trendy among teenagers who what to earn money selling clothes because the app is simple to use and anyone can list items there. 

Image source: Sleepinginonsundays

Now it is time to take a deep breath. 

In the next paragraph, you will find the most exciting part of this article about shopping apps like Wish monetization.

Are you ready?

Business models to create a shopping app like Wish

As we said, Wish is a two-sided online marketplace that connects shoppers and merchants without being involved in the transactions between them.   

But how does the app make money? 

Well, some time ago, Wish charged a cost-per-click commission from sellers and advertisers. 

But now the platform charges merchants 15% from the cost of each item they sell on Wish. Quite a simple business model, right? 

Another example of a working monetization strategy is the Poshmark business model.

The platform charges a flat rate of $2.95 for items sold under $15 and a 20 percent cut for sales over $15.

But there is more: 

•   The main focus of Wish marketplace is on mobile users
•   The app offers users various items from different categories 
•   Wish has separate apps for different product categories.
•   Wish is mainly focused on impulsive shoppers
•   All products have ridiculously low prices

So, the mechanism is simple. When buyers purchase something at a low price they can’t stop buying another cheap item, and so on. While buyers think that low prices help them to save, Wish stimulates them to buy more things.  

The bottom-line? 

To make your mobile shopping app successful, you should provide users with discounts and special offers. In this way, you will increase not only brand loyalty but also the average total cost. 

To better understand the intricacies of e-commerce marketplace app development like Wish, let’s consider its essential options.

FASHION AND TECHNOLOGY: HOW ONLINE CLOTHING RETAILERS CAN LEVERAGE AI

Main features to make a shopping app like Wish

Now, let’s dig deeper into the essential elements of a mobile shopping app. 

Account

First, when you open an app, you need to create an account. You can easily do this by connecting your Facebook profile. Now the application knows some essential characteristics about you such as age, date of birth, and gender. Without registration, you can’t see any deals or conduct purchases. Now, all offers are relevant to your demographic portrait.

The authorization feature is usually implemented by direct interaction with client-server API. For logging in to an existing social media account, you can also use open authorization protocols.

ULTIMATE TRENDS OF LUXURY WEBSITES AND APP DEVELOPMENT

Shopping/Surfing

The next step of the Wish app experience is to choose the categories you are interested in. This information, together with your data, provides the application with the info for more personalization.

Shopping cart 

Wish users have two options: to add a product to their wishlist or to put it in their shopping cart. All selected items are stored in the shopping cart until the user decides to complete the purchase.  

Payment gateway

The payment gateway is an essential feature of the proposed online shopping app. You need to provide secure payment options to both your customers and merchants. Also, it is crucial to take into account such cases as order cancellation, cashback options, etc.

The most common ways to submit payments is via PayPal, payment card, direct bank transfer, or cash on delivery.

ECOMMERCE UI/UX DESIGN: PRINCIPLES AND ELEMENTS

Image source: Wish

Recently we did a payment system research for our marketplace development project. For this project, we decided to integrate MangoPay, Stripe, and PayPal to provide app users with several payment options at once. See the full case study on the link. 

HOW TO CHOOSE BEST E-COMMERCE PLATFORMS? STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

Push Notifications 

After the user logs onto Wish, the app asks you to allow sending push notifications. This feature is essential for shopping app development. You create another communication channel with your customers. 

Now you can send all discount notifications and trigger notes right to the screens of users, and there are few chances they can miss them.

Image source: Gleantap

Read also: 10 Ways to Build a Bulletproof Push Notification Strategy

Social media integration 

There is an exciting feature of this step that helps to sell more. Wish actively pushes the social media channel. And they have several reasons for this. First of all, it makes relations between buyer and seller more clear and transparent. Also, according to Forbes, 40% of consumers are purchasing goods after liking them on Facebook. People are feeling more comfortable buying things when they know a friend or colleague made a similar purchase successfully.

Other cool features for an app like Wish

To make the shopping experience of your users even more fascinating, consider the following features:

Virtual fitting rooms. With augmented reality technology there’s a brand new and exciting shopping experience. Just imagine: your users can try on a pair of new glasses before purchasing them with the help of the front camera in their smartphones. 

Read also: Benefits of Using Augmented Reality for Business

Reviews from real people. Photos of goods from real life also help to make that hard decision “to buy or not to buy.” I should note that Wish uses this feature, so, don’t fall behind!

Style boards. Girls are going to love this feature. It can look like a more sophisticated wishlist where your customers can create their look by combining existing items with desired ones.

The next question after “How to build a shopping app like a Wish?” should be the  “What is something unique I can suggest to my customers?” By answering this question you can also figure out the cost to make an app similar to Wish. 

To develop a Wish app clone, APP Solutions has researched the app in detail, and have our own set of personalization instruments. These retail-oriented tools can help analyze customer preferences and offer the goods that are the most attractive. 

WHY IS A RETAIL APP USEFUL FOR BUSINESS?

How much does it cost to create a mobile app like Wish

How much is it to build a store app like Wish?

Well, we do not have a single answer to that question. It is hard to estimate the development cost without knowing

•   The number of mobile platforms 
•   The number of features required
•   The hourly rate of your mobile developer and his location

Why? Because the hourly developer rate varies depending on the county. 

Example: 

•   U.S.-based mobile developers charge $80-$250/hour
•   Western-Europe: $80-$200/hour
•   Eastern-Europe developers charge $50-$150/hour

WHAT TECH STACK TO CHOOSE FOR YOUR PROJECT

To create an app like Wish, consider the following features:

Feature/Screen	Functions required	Design/hours	BackEnd/h.	Android/iOS/h.
Buyer application part
login signup, pass recovery	– Login, Social login – Restore password	4	16	12
User Profile/Settings	– Edit user profile, photo – Manage shipping addresses	12	24	16
Orders	– List of orders with statuses	16	24	16
Category	– Category structure tree	8	8	8
List of items	– List items to buy – Filters items – Sort items	12	24	32
Item page	– Item description – Size, color variety	8	24	24
Review	– List of customers review for an item – Add own item review	4	8	12
Search	– Search items – Search result list – Search items, brands, stores	4	24	8
Report inappropriate item	– Send report form	4	8	8
User wishlist	– Manage wishlist	8	16	8
Message	– List of messages -Messaging system	8	40	16
Shopping cart	– Shopping cart functionality	8	24	24
Payment	– 3rd party payment system integration – List of payment methods	2	40	8
Text pages	– Terms & conditions	8	8	8
Email integration	– mail server integration – Email notification about users action	8	40	12
Total		114 hours	328 hours	200 hours
Seller application part
login signup, pass recovery	– Login, Social login – Restore password	4	8	8
Registration form	– Fill in the registration form – Upload documents	2	8	16
Seller Profile/Settings	– Edit seller profile, photo	8	12	16
Orders	– List of orders – Update statuses	16	24	24
Category	– Request for adding a category	2	8	8
List of items	– Manage own items to sell	16	32	40
Message	– List of messages – Messaging system	2	16	16
Transaction	– List of transactions	8	24	16
Total		58 hours	132 hours	144 hours

HIRING A DEVELOPER FOR YOUR BUSINESS: A SIX STEPS GUIDE

Takeaway

While the e-commerce industry continues to grow, m-commerce will remain the prospective sphere for investments. 

To receive benefit from these trends you can develop your mobile shopping app like Wish and apply the Wish business model. 

For your mobile shopping app, consider the features we have described in this article as well as the monetization strategies.

What our clients say 

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Imagine you’re a college student who develops a photo messaging app with your frat buddies. Everybody says that it’s a terrible idea.

But several years later, Facebook or Google offer you from $3 to $4 billion to buy it, but you reject the offer. In another three years, your company is worth $20 billion. It might seem like a dream, but it’s a true story.

This is the success story of Snapchat, a mobile messenger with text, photo and video content that disappears a few seconds after it is received. Snapchat’s success inspires a lot of entrepreneurs, and we receive a lot of requests to estimate the cost to build an app like Snapchat.

So, if you want to create a similar app, read on. In this article, you will learn how to create Snapchat and the estimated development cost.

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Current Snapchat stats

Currently, there are numerous social media platforms. However, the latest statistics show us that Snapchat is the leading social media network in the United States and France. 

You might also like How to Develop a Messaging App Like WhatsApp?

Snapchat copy app might be a good idea for a startup. You can create a Snapchat clone, add some new features, and get  a slice of the action. Just have a look at Snapchat’s stats below:

• Snapchat Q3 report said, in 2022 the app had 363 million daily users
• Snapchat’s daily video views have increased by 400% year-on-year. 
• More than 60% of 13- to 34-year-old U.S. smartphone users are on the service.

But there is more: 

From the beginning, Snapchat owners didn’t care about making money. But later, the app provided several ways of generating revenue.

• In 2022 Snapchat revenue amounted to $4,1 billion
• In Q4 2021, Snapchat reported its first quarterly net profit.

As we can see, the Snapchat multimedia messaging app is very popular among users and generates significant revenue.

How to Make an App Similar to Snapchat in 7 steps

Now, let’s dig deeper into the Snapchat-like app development process, which includes:

Step 1. Discovery (inception) phase

The main goal of this stage is to find out the functional and non-functional requirements for the future project, estimate the project budget, and business needs.

Step 2. Documentation

During this stage, business analysts and project managers prepare the project’s specifications, user stories, and other project-related documents that describe how your app will perform.

Step 3. Prototyping

Then, the mobile development team creates prototypes of your future app scenes and user journey and sends it to you for further improvement.  

Step 4. UI/UX Design

Based on the screen prototype, the design team develops the design for your app.

Step 5. Development

When the design is ready, the mobile development team integrates all the necessary features to your app. As the development stage moves forward, your Snapchat-like app developer might clarify specific requirements toward the project’s functionality.

Step 6. QA

The quality assurance team conducts tests to ensure that the application is bug-free.  

Step 7. Deployment

When the messenger like Snapchat is ready, the team will deploy it to the workspace.

HIRING A DEVELOPER FOR YOUR BUSINESS: A SIX STEPS GUIDE

How Snapchat makes money

So, to generate revenue, Snapchat uses:

In-between Snap Ads. Snapchat shows users 10-second promoting videos. Users can swipe up and access more content, such as a longer video, app install, or blog post.

Branded GeoFilters. Depending on the geolocation, users can access fun augmented reality filters that stay available for 30 days. The app charges businesses $5 for coverage of 20,000 square feet.

Sponsored Lenses. This monetization strategy is similar to Geofilters. Businesses advertise through their own customized lenses that appear in particular locations. In this way, they can promote their brands or events. This ad type is popular among big companies. 

OUTSTAFFING VS. OUTSOURCING VS. MANAGED SERVICES: DIFFERENCES AND BENEFITS

Example: 

A collaboration with KFC. When visiting KFC,  app users revive access to the Colonel Sanders lens filter, which turns users into the white-maned colonel himself.

The “Discover” section. The app place promotion content in the Discover section. The Snapchat live story costs $0.15 per view. Currently, the app is partnering with around 20 big-name publishers, such as CNN, Cosmopolitan, and People.

Sports Partnerships. The app is partnering with sports organizations to promote attendance at sports events. By using this strategy, the app is partnering with Adidas and Nike so that they can advertise their products to sports fans.  The app charges $400k to $500k for complete exposure to the company’s user base.

In-app purchases. App users can buy additional features such as Re-play to a feed such as a picture or a video that the user has already seen.

Premium access. The app users can buy premium access to new app features and experience new lenses.

Now that you are aware of Snapchat’s monetization strategies, move on, and find out the app’s core feature set to make an app like Snapchat.

HOW TO OUTSOURCE MOBILE APP DEVELOPMENT

The Snapchat App Core Functionality

When you heard about Snapchat a few years ago, it was a simple messaging app with the primary feature of vanishing messages in one to 10 seconds. But, over time, it has added a vast amount of new incredible features that provide more immersive interaction with the app. 

In other words, Snapchat gradually evolved into a mix of private messaging and public content, including brand networks, video-sharing, and live events. Moreover, Snapchat expanded its capabilities and became a multi-entertainment app, transforming from a messaging platform into a media giant with 10 billion video views per day, Bloomberg has reported.

Read also:

Case Study: Video Streaming App Proof of Concept

How To Build a Mobile App With Geolocation

Memories are one of the features that provide a new way to save Snaps and Stories on Snapchat. Users can create new Stories from Snaps they’ve taken, or even combine different Stories into a more extended narrative.

Also, Snapchat has launched some new features, including new photo and video filters, the capability to add emoji stickers to videos, and changes in chat.

Snapchat social media app functionality comprises features that can be used for two purposes:

• Message exchange
• Public content

Message Exchange

Snapchat has added additional value to such a simple thing as chatting, providing it with a set of amazing features.

In Snapchat, app Users can create multimedia chats called “snaps.” These snaps can comprise of a photo or short video; they can be edited with filters and effects, text captions, and drawings. In the Chat 2.0 recent update, you can send audio notes, make video and audio calls. Snaps can be directed privately to selected contacts, or a semi-public “Story.” These personally posted messages can be self-destructed automatically after a few seconds.

Also, the app allows location sharing. When the user starts typing an address into chat, it displays a card that links to the Google or Apple Maps app.

FUNCTIONAL VS NON-FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS: MAIN DIFFERENCES & EXAMPLES

Automatically self-destructed messages

Self-destructing messages are a custom feature of Snapchat and one of the things that made it so popular among teenagers. 

Before you create custom features, you need to develop a messenger app. Answering the question “How to make a messenger app?” we recommend using the ready-made solutions as a basis for your future product to save you money and time.

You might also like: Android vs. iOS Development  

But how does it work?

• When the user sends a message, it’s uploaded to the Snapchat server.
• The user receives a push notification about the new snap, which is downloaded to a temporary location on the user’s phone.
• When the user opens the snap, the app deletes the temporary message copy from the phone and alerts the app server.
• Then, the message is destroyed from the Snapchat server. The app also automatically deletes messages if the user has not viewed them within 30 days.

Now, moving on.

WHAT TECH STACK TO CHOOSE FOR YOUR PROJECT

Stickers

Stickers have become an inevitable part of modern communication. Snapchat contains 200 stickers built into its app. You can use a custom solution (design your stickers) or use a ready-made solution that is much cheaper. 

Location sharing

By using this feature, Snapchat users can share their location with friends or other users. Their site will appear on Snap Map. App users can also choose who can see their place or update it only when they have Snapchat open.

 Image source: Techadvisor

Adding friends

It is an essential function of a social media app. Besides the standard methods of adding friends via usernames and phone contacts, Snapchat provides some smart ways:

• Snapcodes. Black dots that surround the Snapchat Ghostface Chilla logo is a personalized QR code. Another user can scan it by using the Snapchat camera, and he instantly begins to follow you. Here, a  recognition algorithm is being used, and an algorithm for the generation of such codes.

• Add Nearby function. This function uses your location to scan other users in your proximity who also have Add Nearby open. The app sends the device’s coordinates to the server, the server in its turn compares the geolocations of devices with the Add Nearby screen opened.

Video and Audio Calls

In the updated version of the chat,  app users can start talking or video chatting instantly with one tap. If the recipient isn’t online, you can send an audio note.

This feature turns Snapchat into a phone alternative and brings it close to Facebook Messenger and Whatsapp.

Geofilters

A feature, known as “Geofilters” is a unique graphical overlay that is available when the user is within a precise geographical location, such as a city, event, or destination.

To allow your users to mark their location on the images,  developers use geocoding. Geocoding is a computational process that converts the geographic coordinates to a description of a location, usually the name of a place. Then the name of the area is overlaid on the image in a template.

HOW TO MAKE AN APP: LIFE CYCLE OF MOBILE DEVELOPMENT

Lenses or Filters

The “Lens” is one of the most exciting features of Snapchat. It allows users to add real-time effects and alter video images by using face detection technology. This feature became possible when Snapchat acquired the startup Looksery. The startup does a facial modification and enables users to simulate their appearance for a photo or video chat in real-time on mobile platforms.

Now, we find out how it works.

• The app uses the Active Shape Model to detect a user’s face by marking their facial borders.

• Powered by a machine learning algorithm, the app creates the average face and aligns it with the image provided.
• Then, the app algorithm corrects errors to make the filter perfectly match the user’s face by analyzing the pixel data around the face borders.
• Next, the app uses these points to coordinate and adjust a mesh, a 3D mask that the user can shift and scale with a face.

Snapchat filters based on 3D face masks enable users to deform the mask to change their face shape, add accessories, set animations, and more.

Stories and Discover

Stories functionality enables users to broadcast photo and video content from their lives to friends; each story lasts 24 hours. It refers to free content and provides users with capabilities in the same way as social networks do.

Later this feature was expanded to “Live Stories.” Stories enable new functionality when Snapchatters who are at the same event location (such as music festivals or sporting events) can contribute Snaps to the same Story.

The “Discover” option provides a new way to explore Stories from different editorial teams. It contains sponsored short-form content from major publishers, such as BuzzFeed, CNN, Mashable, People, and many others. Every edition is refreshed after 24 hours, because, as the Snapchat team believes, “what’s news today is history tomorrow.”

SHOULD YOU HIRE APP DEVELOPERS NEAR ME OR OUTSOURCE OVERSEAS?

Tech Stack for the Snapchat-like app

Below you will find what software Snapchat uses. Consider the following technologies to develop an app like Snapchat so as to be on the same page with your development team.

How much does it cost to build an app like Snapchat?

A Snapchat mobile app seems to be a vast machine with many features. It will take more than a year to create apps that look like Snapchat. And the price of this will be high as well. 

How much does it cost to make another Snapchat?

You also can check out the feature list and estimated development cost below.

Automatically self-destructed messages	Facebook Messenger SDK Telegram SDK	1,5 months for two platforms – iOS and Android.	It costs about $10K for the iOS platform and $9K for the Android.
Location sharing	Apple MapKit Google Location SDK	120 hours	From $2K to $4K for both platforms.
Snapcodes	Eventdex Android Semacode iOS	One month	From $8K to $10K per one platform.
Nearby function	Android  Android. location  Google Location Services API  iOS Google Maps SDK Apple MapKit	One week	From $3K per platform.
Video and Audio Calls	AddLive	About one month	$12K for iOS $14 for Android
Lenses or Filters	Mirror Reality SDK	About one month	$8K for iOS $8K for Android

But we recommend launching apps similar to Snapchat as MVP. The MVP of a Snapchat-like app will include only the essential functions as registration, media content sharing, user profile, and text messages. Find the estimated time in the table below:    

Feature	Description	Estimation in Hours
Registration/ login feature	The user can log in via Email Phone number Social network	Around 10 to 16 hours.
User profile	The app user can modify  Profile picture  Password Contact details  Name Gender Phone number	From 60+ hours
Posting	Users can post  Images  Videos Users can apply editing tools Effects Filters Smileys  Emoticons	Up to 320 hours:  applying filters 120+ hours creating custom filters 120+ hours cropping and rotating photos 80+ hours
Embedded messenger	Enable users to exchange messages	Up to 40 hours
Total		From 430+ hours

The App Solutions experience

Our latest social media project is QuePro, a public chat mobile app that will connect users with professionals from various spheres.  QuePro allows users to post their queries or questions and receive answers from local professionals.

[QuePro Newsfeed]

• To speed up the development process we used EventBus, an open-source event library that simplifies communication between components and performs well with UI artifacts.

• We also enabled the app by sending notifications to users using Google Cloud Messaging.
• Despite tight deadlines, we managed to implement the critical features after just three months.

Read the full case study to find out more about this project.

We have also developed AllSquare, a social media application for golfers. AllSquare offers users many opportunities to share their golf achievements, engage with golfers from all over the world, and find a golf course nearby.

[AllSquare Newsfeed]

To create AllSquare, we used:

• Retrofit
• Okhttp 
• Picasso 

in combination with RX Java for accessing the app backend. 

In this way, we implemented the reactive programming paradigm for asynchronous operation with API, files, and databases.

Follow the link to find out more about this project.

The Bottom Line

Snapchat, one of the most popular social media platforms, provides users with numerous tools for photos and video editing. The most notable Snapchat features are lifters and masks, powered by a machine learning algorithm.

If you want to develop an app like Snapchat and make it accessible, you should consider these features. Besides, with many monetization options, you can make your app like Snapchat profitable.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO DEVELOP AN APP: DETAILED FEATURE BREAKDOWN

Since the platform has many integrations and sophisticated features, it is hard to give an accurate project estimation. However, you should take notice of the following – chat app development cost is determined by three main factors that have an impact on the total budget and project duration.

They are:

1. The project scope. It’s not obligatory to implement all of the features presented in Snapchat. You can choose some of the best features and then we will estimate how long it will take and how much it will cost.
2. The timing of the project. The same amount of work can be carried out in different time frames. It depends on the number of developers involved in the project.
3. Budget. We prefer Time&Material budgeting for smaller projects and Dedicated Team models for longer-term projects.

So, feel free to contact us with any questions on how to develop a chat application. The App Solutions team will help you to estimate and realize all of your project ambitions. 

Everyone likes music. The tempo of life is getting faster and faster.  Often there’s no time to go through an entire list of music tracks and purchase the ones you like. Fortunately, audio streaming applications have changed the way we listen to music.

With modern technologies, we get an effortless user experience and receive music in a matter of clicks. Mobile devices and a stellar speed Internet connection only complement this trend.

If you want to learn more about music streaming apps or create a music app, this article is right for you. Below, we share the music streaming market statistics, song streaming app monetization strategies, and how to make a music app like Spotify.

Read on!

5 Steps to create an app like Spotify 

Step 1. Consider the main Spotify-like app features 

A music streaming app includes such features as registration and signing up, music organizing, music discovery, social sharing, push notifications, and a music library. 

Step 2. Choose licensing type

As for Spotify, the platform has two types of licenses including the Sound Recording License Agreement and the Musical Composition License Agreement.

Step 3. Find music app developers

Choose a team that will build an app like Spotify for you. There are a lot of factors for you to consider. You also should check the portfolio of your music application development company.

Step 4. Develop an audio streaming app UI/UX design

Now, you and your development team should agree on how the future app will look. For that, you need to create an app Wireframe, Mockup, and Prototype. 

Step 5. Create audio streaming app MVP

At this stage, you will decide on your MVP (minimum viable product), and all the other details with your development team and you are ready to go.

READ ALSO:

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HOW TO MAKE A LIVE STREAM WEBSITE LIKE TWITCH

HOW TO DEVELOP AN APP LIKE NETFLIX

Why consider music streaming

If we’re talking about music services – there are typical online radio stations and music streaming services, like Spotify. That’s how people enjoy quality, easy-accessible sound spots.

What’s more, people globally shift to their mobile devices to do pretty much anything. Phone calls only use a fraction of the time people spend on their cell phones.

But there is more!

• The global music streaming market is growing steadily — the global subscriber base is expected to reach 2.81 billion by the end of 2025.

[Image source: Goodwater]

• Music Streaming Application Market is expected to reach $17.50 Billion by 2025
• Statista said 14% of the population use paid music streaming services several times a day.

[Image source: RIAA]

• There are 186.7 million digital music users in the U.S.
• Spotify has over 200 million active users, more than 109 million paid subscribers, and about 40% of the global music streaming market

Did I mention that 72% of Spotify users are millennials, who, it seems, were born with mobiles in their hands?

Driven by advantageous technologies, the music streaming industry continues to grow. Therefore, the development of your live audio streaming app might be a great idea.

Current Leaders of the Sound Streaming Market

There are three leaders in the sound streaming market, including

• Spotify with 31% market share
• Apple Music with 15%
• Amazon Music counting 13% market share

Now, let us take a closer look at each of them.

Spotify

Being a pioneer in the music-streaming market, Spotify is the best-known music app. The app has 109 million premium subscribers and 232 million monthly active users.

App users receive access to different music services. They include Discover Weekly playlists and experimental ones, like the Australia-only station.

Spotify has Facebook integration, which allows users to share with their Facebook friends. Besides, this feature enables Spotify users to share their music easier than competitors.  

[Example of Spotify interface]

Apple Music

Apple Music is the second most popular music streaming app. It provides users with plenty of features and a discount for families and students. In June 2019, Apple Music had over 60 million paid subscribers, and 50 million songs in the library. All Apple devices, including Apple HomePod, are compatible with this app. Still, unlike Spotify, the app does not have robust sharing options.

[Example of Apple Music interface]

Amazon Music Unlimited

Amazon Music is an advanced version of Amazon Prime Music, provided to Prime subscribers for free. For an extra payment, users receive access to an expanded catalog. Amazon Music recommends playlists grouped around artists the user already listened to. Also, the app shows the song lyrics on the “now playing” screen. 

[Example of Amazon Music interface]

To conclude, Spotify is not alone in this online music thing. Other significant players are Apple Music and Amazon Music.

All music streaming services have a lot of benefits, including:

• Quick access to music
• Affordability
• Unlimited storage
• Social engagement

As you can see, all these services appear to be outstanding because of these common features- they are effortless, intuitive, and easy to use. 

The Killer Idea Behind Spotify

To give you a clear idea of how to start a music streaming service, let’s discover the inner logic behind Spotify. 

• Spotify stores music on various servers
• To stream a random track on your mobile, Spotify finds it on one of the millions of servers and sends it to your device
• Servers, in this case, are computers and all other gadgets of Spotify’s subscribers 

This concept is more effective than hitting servers with requests to download the track. At the same time, you become an essential link for the global social music sharing network, which is engaging too. And, it enables users to listen to all this music legally by paying royalties to authors. 

Now, let’s learn how to build a music streaming app and make it profitable.

How to Make Money with a Spotify-Like App

Music streaming services, like Spotify, have two main ways of earning; premium account and running ads. Let’s check how Spotify applies these strategies.

Premium Services

The premium Spotify account provides users with free access to unlimited music across other devices. Besides, the app allows the temporary downloading of songs for offline access and plays the highest quality music. There are several types of paid plans, including:

• Student plan cost $4.99 per month
• Individual account – $9.99 per month
• Duo account – $12.99 per month
• Family account – $15.99 per month

Ad-supported Services

App users with a free account can listen to a limited among of songs on demand, which may be interrupted by an advertisement. By using this business model, Spotify charges advertisers a cost-per-click and cost per mile fee.

According to their site, Spotify spends a significant chunk of money to pay royalty rewards to artists.

Read also: How Do Apps Make Money?

This concludes how to earn with your Spotify clone. You have to become a part of “back to paid music” preachers, deal with authors and provide your users with a good deal of music value for their membership.

Critical Features to Include in a Spotify-Like App

If you are looking for ideas on how to make an app like Spotify, consider the following app features:

Registration / signing up

First, a user should be authorized to use your system. Users can register in Spotify via email or social media like Facebook. 

Make sure you take this step very effortless for users. Connect it to social media and you get new subscribers in a matter of taps.

Music organizing

The app should provide features of grouping one’s music, etc.

So, users can create playlists for different purposes, like current activities and genres.

Music Discovery

To motivate users to engage with your app more often, you need to provide them with personalized content. And here is where Spotify has a great competitive advantage over other services.

Spotify uses an AI-based recommendation algorithm that selects songs for the Discover Weekly section. Spotify developers created their own powerful discovery engine.

Let us check how it works.

For Weekly Discovery recommendation, Spotify uses three types of recommendation models, including:

• User crossovers with the listening history of other users
• Natural language processing. In Spotify, this technology works on the Echo Nest API. It learns about the music genres by analyzing the text and looking at similar terms associated with the artist across the Internet. Kafka manages the data in real-time.
• Deep learning to analyzes the raw tracks. For this, Spotify applies a” convolution neural network.” This deep neural network learns from experience using only raw data input.

All things social

This feature allows users to share songs with friends and highlight favorite tracks on a social feed. It’s also going to serve your app with a good deal of word-of-mouth advertising at the same time.

Read also:

Case Study: Video Streaming App Proof of Concept

How To Develop a Social Media App?

Push notifications

Push notification is a deciding feature for such a social community based on follow-ups and spreading content. People want news from their favorite sources; that’s how it works now – users wish to have valuable personalized benefits from your service.

Music Library

Unfortunately, this feature is absent in Spotify. Because of this, users can not host or upload their tracks and create a music library. The only option is to create personal playlists and subscribe to music channels created by other users.

At the same time, this feature is available in Apple Music. It allows users to add and synchronize songs on their devices and in-app playlists. Users can store a certain amount of songs on their app for free or upgrade to a premium plan.

To give you a clue of how to make a music app, and even better app than Spotify, consider this function as well.

Now, let’s find out, how to build a music app.

Where to Start: Your Guide to Making a Music App like Spotify

Now, let’s dig deeper into the process of music streaming app development. Below, we share a step-by-step guide on how to make a music streaming app, together with cost estimations.

Check this out.

Ideas are everything

For music app development, you need to specify the whole concept of the app.  In order to do this, find a similar application, and of course, think of something that makes your app special. 

Licensing

When developing a music streaming service, you need to get a license to provide your subscribers with legal audio content.

As for Spotify, the platform has two types of licenses for music distribution, such as:

• Sound Recording License Agreement, covering recording rights. Spotify uses licenses received from the big three record labels – Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment Group, and Warner Music Group.
• Musical Composition License Agreement. This covers the rightful owners of the songs, managed through two main firms in the U.S.-BMI and ASCAP.

When looking for an answer on how to make your own music app, do not forget to get such a license.

Find music app developers

Now it’s time to come to the actual work and choose a team that will build an app like Spotify for you. There are a lot of factors for you to consider. To estimate how much it costs to develop a music app like Spotify, check developer rates among regions:

• USA/Canada-based dev teams – $50 to $250/hour
• Western Europe – $80 to$170/hour
• Eastern Europe – $50 to $150/hour
• Australia – $80 to $150/hour
• India – $30 to $80/hour

You also should check the portfolio of your music application development company.  From the beginning, communicate with your team to make sure you’re on the same track. At the APP Solutions, we usually hold meetings with our clients on a regular basis via Skype.

See also: How to Outsource App Development?

Plan & Estimate

This market has significant potential, but that’s not enough to run and spend all you have for a killer application. You need to run a study and learn about your target audiences’ preferences. Then, communicate your business idea to your development team. The team will come up with some technological solutions, cost estimation, and project requirements.

Develop an audio streaming app 

UI/UX design

Now, you and your development team should agree on how the future app will look. Here, you can offer the design team some ideas, if you have them.

The necessary process of the music app design creating includes the following stages.

• Wireframe. The team will create a black and white app that shows the general concept of the app.
• Mockup. The team develops colorful but static screens of the future app. Mockups include icon design, button shapes, spaces, etc.
• Prototype. The team creates an interactive model of the app that shows how the app acts. As a rule, prototypes give you an option to tap, swap, drag, and see the result. 

Choose tech stack

To develop your Spotify-like app, consider Spotify developer tools, like Python and JavaScript. Besides, Spotify uses PHP for the server-side and Java for the back-end structure. As we said, Spotify stores all the music files on the device cache. For this, use Cassandra, PostgreSQL, as well as a general memory caching system.

When looking for a clue on how to create a music streaming service, take into account that Spotify uses the following technologies:

• Kafka software for real-time data management and processing
• GraphWalker for model-based tests and Python integration
• Amazon S3  for cloud-based music streaming
• Dataproc  for platform infrastructure
• Chromium embedded framework for building UI for desktop application
• Bootstrap for web app development
• Nginx as open-source HTTP and proxy server
• C++ for Windows/Mac clients
• Java for Android music streaming app
• Objective-C for iOS  music streaming app

How to make a music streaming website?

You can empower your app with Spotify players by integrating Spotify player SDK. This library contains classes to stream management and audio playback. It takes on all the negotiation with Spotify’s back-end, digital rights management, and decoding.

[Spotnews screens]

We did such integration for our recent project, SpotNews. SpotNews is an audio streaming platform that provides personalized music content. The idea behind the app is to allow users to listen to their favorite songs while reading the news sections. 

We also used:

• Spotify SDK for authorization via the Spotify user profile
• Java Android SDK, Retrofit, Fresco, Crashlytics, and Realm to provide smooth app performance
• PHP, Silex, MySQL, Composer HTML5, CSS3, Twitter BootStrap, Jquery, Bower, Less, Nginx to moderate the news feeds via the Admin Panel

You might also like: HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO DEVELOP A CHAT APP LIKE SNAPCHAT IN 2019

Create audio streaming app MVP

At this stage, you will decide on your MVP (minimum viable product), and all the other details with your development team and you are ready to go.

When looking for ideas on how to create a music app, consider the following features for your music streaming app MVP: 

Feature	Integrations	Estimation in hours
Registration / signing up	Email Facebook Google+	From 32 hours
Profile user	Edit user profile Choose genre	From 36 hours
Social Share	Facebook	From 15 hours
Personalization	Pick-up algorithm that will choose the next music track for each individual user. Use ML to find  appropriate songs for users	From 100 hours
Music player	Key visual Music player functionality Play, stop, pause, forward, etc.	70
Track search	Search in connected music service	From 32 hours
Playlist manager	Create playlist Edit playlist	From 60 hours
Total		From 345 hours

The average development cost of a music streaming app like Spotify is about $40-50K per platform.

For a more detailed estimation, you can use our project cost calculator. Now you know how to create a music app like Spotify.

You might also like: HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO MAKE AN APP?

Take it to the test

After the application is ready, the team does in-depth testing to ensure the app runs smoothly. We usually implement it right after the app is prepared and approved. Plus, three months after release our developers can fix any issues occurred for free.

Wrapping up

The music streaming app market is growing, and its revenue is expected to reach $17.50 Billion by 2025.

Spotify is the leader among music streaming apps. It uses a raft of modern technologies to provide users with relevant music content.

While music streaming is a hot trend, you have a chance to get your share of the music streaming market, as Spotify did.  

But, to achieve success with your app, and be ahead of competitors, you need to get started asap. 

The last thing that remains is to find a development team. And we are here to help.

Do you have a fitness app on your mobile phone? If yes, we are not surprised. After the fitness boom of the Apple Watch in 2015, more and more people have become more aware of their health and body shape. Thus, the industry of fitness applications continues to grow. 

Do you want to develop a fitness app and get your market share? Then, you are on the right path to success.  From this article, you will learn how to create a fitness app, different monetization strategies, and fitness app development costs.

Fitness app industry perspectives

• Fitness App 2019 Global Market Net Worth US$ 14.7 billion Forecast By 2026, and it anticipated to grow at 23% CAGR through the forecast period.

[Source: Marketwatch]

• According to a Statista report, the revenue in the Fitness segment amounts to US$16,857m in 2019.
• The revenue is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2019-2023) of 5.0%, resulting in a market volume of US$20,499m by 2023.
• The revenue is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2019-2023) of 7.2%, resulting in a market volume of US$3,072m by 2023.

[Source: Grandviewresearch]

HEALTHCARE APPS DEVELOPMENT: TYPES, EXAMPLES, AND FEATURES

How to develop your fitness app in 4 easy steps 

Step 1. Choose the monetization model

Pick the monetization model among paid apps, in-app purchases, freemium, ads or sponsored content.

Step 2. Consider basic fitness app features

The basic features for a fitness app are User profiles, Notifications, Social sharing, Geolocation. 

Step 3. Hire a development team

To make your own fitness app, you need to hire a mobile development team to turn your business idea into a working solution.

Step 4. Workout application development

If you are launching an app for Android and iOS, you will need at least three developers – iOS and Android mobile app developers as well as a backend developer.

HOW DO FREE APPS MAKE MONEY

Types of fitness apps

To create a fitness app you need to choose its type. Fitness apps provide their users with different features: result tracking, motivation to keep going, socializing, and even education on the topic. It’s like having your own affordable personal coach in your pocket.

The performance features divide fit apps into three types of mobile healthcare apps:

• Activity tracking apps
• Diet and nutrition apps
• Workout and exercise apps

Let’s look at each of them.

MACHINE LEARNING IN MOBILE APPLICATIONS: BEST EXAMPLES

Activity tracking apps

The apps in this category can track a user’s physical activity – pretty much everything you’ve done during the day. Activity tracking apps collect user information about the number of steps taken, stairs climbed, hours slept, distance and speed run, and calories burned.

The app shows the user data on the app screen, and the app is usually capable of building charts, saving routes on the map, and showing the user’s progress.

One example is the HealthKit  app, which stores and manages the following data:

• Body measurements/weight history

• Number of steps/distance traveled

• Calories burned

• Favorite types of activity/sports
• Exercise duration

Diet and nutrition apps

Diet and nutrition apps help users monitor their food habits, count the number of calories taken/burned, control water balance, body weight, and so forth. With a vast range of diet applications, users can set personal goals, create grocery lists, and even collect recipes. 

They could also possess some user-engaging features or gamification elements, scoreboards, or slimming competition, for example. Diet and nutrition apps can also be considered as activity tracking apps because they track your nutrition habits. The difference is that they have more specific functionality.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO DEVELOP A DIET APP FOR IOS?

One example is the MyFitnessPal mobile app and its main features.

Diet Tracker. With the application, users receive access to a massive database of foods and acquire a target number of calories based on their age, sex, and weight.

[Image source: MyFitnessPal]

Community. Users can share tips and advice, as well as build connections through sharing personal experiences or struggles using the build-in MyFitnessPal forum.

[Image source: MyFitnessPal]

Calorie Counter. Each MyFitnessPal member uses an online diary with a calorie counter.  The app also automatically saves favorite user food and snacks and makes them easy to find.

[Image source: MyFitnessPal]

On the whole, users install a diet app for the purpose of sticking to a diet, tracking calories, and controlling water and coffee intake.

Your nutrition and diet app should provide users with detailed and comprehensive daily stats. Most importantly, an app should push users towards their goals.

WHAT TECH STACK TO CHOOSE FOR YOUR PROJECT

Workout apps

A workout application gives you a personal fitness trainer on your smartphone. You can take it everywhere and exercise with that trainer wherever you want. Sometimes you can even choose a coach by name and level of physical training, as it is done in the Abs Workout app.

Our example is Sworkit and its features. 

Different programs. Users can choose which part of the body they want to work out first. The options include”Full Body,” “Upper Body,” “Core Strength,” “Lower Body,” “Anything Goes,” and “Custom Workout.”

Timer.  When doing either strength or the “Yoga, Cardio & More” option, you can choose the length of time to perform movements, starting with five minutes. Then, while working out, you can pause, skip exercises, and turn sound on and off from the workout screen.

Social sharing. When users are done with their training, the app allows them to invite and challenge their friends by posting on Facebook and Twitter.  

How to create a fitness app: the step-by-step guide

If you want to turn your business idea about a fitness app into a reality, follow the steps described below:

1.    Choose the monetization model

How to make a fitness app profitable? 

Well, there are several ways to receive profit. For your future business, you can choose among:

• Paid apps. Before using your app, users should buy it. The price of the app may vary depending on the application type, mobile platform, and content you offer  
• In-app purchases. If you want to launch a free fitness app but make it profitable, you can encourage users to buy something in your app. There are many types of in-app purchases you can offer, from premium content to healthy diet recipes.
• Freemium. Your users receive basic app features for free but should pay for the premium feature set. Such a business model is also known as a premium subscription model. It means that basic features are free, and advanced fitness plans or personal coaching services are paid.
• Ads. You can cooperate with other fitness-oriented businesses and allow them to run advertising campaigns in your own fitness app. You can charge a cost-per-click or a cost-per-mile commission.
• Sponsored content. This business model includes partnering with fitness experts and gyms. Your partners can distribute valuable content to the app users and enrich your app with their expertise.

HOW TO OUTSOURCE MOBILE APP DEVELOPMENT

2.    Consider basic fitness app features

While each fitness app has a unique feature set, there are some basic features presented in all apps. To create your own fitness app, consider the following fitness app ideas:

User profiles. Nutrition apps are aimed to help users achieve their personal goals, including healthy eating, losing weight, or even gaining weight. Thus, it’s necessary to create a profile with personal data where users can enter and update their physical characteristics such as current weight, height, and age.

Notifications. In-app notifications remind users about workouts and motivate them continuously. Notifications can be set in connection with a workout plan or personal goals and notify users about the upcoming exercise.

Track physical activity.  Connecting your app to a smartphone’s sensors to implement the tracking function is made simple using Apple’s HealthKit and Google Fit via APIs to access the health and fitness data collected on their platforms.

Social sharing. Allow your users to connect, share their results, and they will be happy to tell the world about your app

Geolocation. Seeing how many kilometers you’ve run, walked, or cycled, by looking at a map, gives you a massive boost of motivation and satisfaction. 

SHOULD YOU HIRE APP DEVELOPERS NEAR ME OR OUTSOURCE OVERSEAS?

3.    Hire a development team

To make your own fitness app, you need to hire a mobile development team to turn your business idea into a working solution. At this stage, consider that the developers from different countries have a different hourly rate.

• Developers from the US and Australia charge on average $110/hour
• Western Europe from $80/hour
• Eastern Europe from $50/hour

4.    Inception phase

Every development project starts with the product discovery phase.  During this stage, you and your development team will:

• Define the scope of work required for your project
• Create the project roadmap
• Plan resources and set the MVP budget

The discovery phase takes several weeks. It includes a functional specification development, the creation of UX/UI design, and a visual prototype of your app to give you a clear vision of the end product.

5.    Technical documentation

When making a fitness app’s technical documentation, a technical writer is a person who prepares the product’s technical specifications based on the client’s requirements. It includes use cases, platforms, and all other required information for the fitness app developer to start working out the solutions.

6.    Design

Our design team needs around two months (160 hours) to create an outstanding design for the fitness app – both UX well as UI parts. Again, to create your own workout app design, the cost depends on the requirements – perhaps you only need standard features, but you might also want some custom micro-interactions.

7.    Workout application development

If you are launching an app for Android and iOS, you will need at least three developers – iOS and Android mobile app developers as well as a backend developer.

8.    Quality Assurance

Testing and bug fixing takes up another chunk of the development time. Besides checking the code for bugs, QA engineers test the overall user experience of the project and whether the features work as they are expected to.

FUNCTIONAL VS NON-FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS: MAIN DIFFERENCES & EXAMPLES

How much does it cost to make a fitness app?

It is quite hard to give an accurate price for developing a fitness tracker app without clear terms of reference. The cost to build a fitness app depends on the app’s type and its complexity.

The table below contains a rough estimate of hours for fitness app development.

Phases	Estimation in hours	Average rate
Technical documentation	80+ hours	$25/hour
Design	160+ hours	$30/hour
Development	960+ hours ,	$50+/hour
Project Management	240+ hours	$35/hour.
Quality Assurance	288+ hours.	$40/hour.

Here is what you need to know about the fitness app cost:

• The total cost of fitness app development depends on the time and the number of developers involved in the project
• An average amount of time for developing a fitness app (without the inception phase) starts from 4 months
• Project timing depends on numerous factors, including the platforms targeted (iOS and Android), the app’s features, and the type of app

HOW TO MAKE AN APP: LIFE CYCLE OF MOBILE DEVELOPMENT

Takeaway

Fitness application development can be quite a challenging task. But now that you know how to build a fitness app, we hope it will be easier for you to estimate the cost of your idea.

A few things to summarize:

• Your solution should have the best fitness app features such as personal account, setting goals, actual activity tracking, and social elements.
• The app can offer a custom workout plans creation feature.
• It’s an excellent idea to collaborate with as many wearable producers as possible (and cost-efficient)
• People love competing or comparing themselves to others – give them this opportunity.

When building a fitness app, consider gamification features so that people are motivated to use your app and share it with their friends. 

Finally, to build your own fitness app, we recommend starting such an ambitious project as a fitness app by creating a fitness app MVP (Minimum Viable Product). This approach helps you to save money and test out the idea without spending vast resources and efforts.

What our clients say 

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HOW TO BUILD A MOBILE APP WITH GEOLOCATION? 

HOW TO CREATE A MOBILE TRAVEL APP?

HOW TO DEVELOP AN APP LIKE YELP?

AUGMENTED AND VIRTUAL REALITY IN MEDICINE AND HEALTH CARE