It still might be too early to say that humanity has become inseparable from our mobile devices. But remember the feeling of dread when you realized you left home without your smartphone by accident. Think about spending a whole day without a smart device in your pocket. You’ll easily see just how much we need our connected devices to feel, well, connected. Much of online advertising activity relies on people’s smartphones allowing them an instant connection to the internet. That’s what makes smartphones so great, but also what makes things like smartphone apps important. People might spend a lot of time looking at their smartphones, but they are mostly spending it on certain apps. Building an app is an important step for businesses. We know this because we build apps, and we’re used to walking business owners through the decision-making process. This time, however, we’ll focus on why businesses who decide they need an app should have it developed for iOS. Even though Android devices dominate the market, you should never overlook iOS. Here are five reasons why.
It’s Incredibly Secure
Apple software products have a reputation for being secure for a reason. Sure, hacked accounts happen on iOS devices, and no one is immune to social phishing and other forms of scams. However, when it comes to viruses, malware, and other forms of malicious software, it seems like Apple’s users are not under as much fire as people using Windows or, in the smartphone market, Android is.
On top of all that, Apple provides a host of security services and benefits that do a lot of the work for you. There’s a hyper-secure layer of protection against all kinds of threats. Plus, things like user identity and data privacy are all managed by the system for you. That’s important for several reasons, including compliance and standardization.
The Market and the Audience
Having an app for people who use iOS devices is a smart business move because it can mean a ticket for the most lucrative markets in the world. Developed countries are where the bulk of Apple’s user base comes from and targeting them with an app can be a very good business move.
Another benefit of going after an iOS audience is that they’re technologically savvy. They are people who appreciate creativity and disruption. If your product or service relies on or produces either, an iOS app will fit it like a glove.
A Great User Experience Is Almost Guaranteed
True, your developer will still have a huge input on how your app will look and behave. But Apple has made it incredibly easy to deliver a good and standardized user experience to anyone who uses your app. All it takes is to follow a set of Apple-issued guidelines during the production process, and the result will be an app that looks, feels, and behaves just like iOS users expect it.
Quicker to Develop
On average, it takes less time to develop an iOS app than an Android app. One of the key reasons for this is the extensive testing Android development needs to include. Android runs on a much wider range of devices, with differing sizes and even versions of the operating system.
iOS devices are not as varied, and the user base is much more disciplined. We only need to test the app for the devices Apple released in the last couple of years. And around three-quarters of iPhone users use the most recent version of iOS, so there’s not that much reason to test for ten-year-old versions.
The Quality
Apple has a reputation for creating high-quality products. Their devices look good. They behave in a predictable way. They perform well. That’s probably the major thing that people find attractive about the brand — it’s just so effortlessly good.
Your iOS app can have the same air about it. It will look good with a sleek user interface, and work in a predictable way, thanks to Apple’s guidelines. It will provide all the security users need to rest at ease when using it. And if your product or service is able to attract a user base, the app can continue providing all those benefits for as long as you want it, with proper maintenance.