The smart phone industry is booming. One in two Americans owns one and it’s popularity is growing exponentially, as is the tablet market’s. Since the introduction of the iPad in 2010, Apple has sold over 25 million units. Mobile devices have become essential parts of lives and are constantly in use for different tasks. There are differences in what they are used for in distinct parts of the world, in Japan browsing is more common, whilst in the USA people tend to text more and play a lot of games on them, however apps are equally popular worldwide.

Software applications were originally intended for productivity, such as checking emails, the weather, GPS etc., however due to demand both their number and the variety of functions rose, now there are about 500 000 apps available for iOS based devices alone. The most commonly used platforms are iOS (Apple), Blackberry, Android, Windows, Amazon and Ovi (Nokia), these all have their own specifically designed apps.

Since the introduction of applications, the online market has fundamentally changed. Having a business online doesn’t just mean that there’s a website that can be promoted or found through search engines. It is a huge advantage if a business or brand appears in tools consumers use on a daily basis.

Making an app

Creating an app is relatively simple and doesn’t consume a lot of time or money either; after it has been sprung to life there’s a monthly fee that has to be paid for hosting, the price of this can range from about $10 to $100, but considering the price of other forms of advertisement, it can be called a bargain. Apps for apple are probably the easiest to create, but Blackberry and Android are close behind.

Making an application is the easiest through websites designated to host apps, there’s a wide selection to choose from, a few of the most commonly used:

– Swebapps

– App breader

– Kanchoo

– BuildAnApp

– My App Creator

Key steps

The process of creating of an app can be summed up in three steps:

1. Sign up to one of these websites and create an account. This usually doesn’t involve a fee, but can differ depending on the website.

2. Build the actual app. Each site has a different setup, but all of them offer a wide range of App-gadgets and opportunities for customization. Although seeking the help of a graphic designer requires a larger investment, it can greatly improve the final result.

3. The final step is when the application gets published in the appstore, after this it will be available for downloading.

This is the way to simple apps are created, more complex applications require both designers and developers, these run on fairly larger budgets.

Apps are still new to the public, it is important to realize the importance of them, which comes mainly from their popularity, this can be turned to the advantage of brands and businesses.