Define the Project
You may have noticed that most weather apps offer a lot of features free of cost, but it charges for some of them that are directed towards advanced users. You can think of developing your app similarly so that the advanced features are directed towards business requirements. You can aim at building an app for Android, iOS, or both. However, keep in mind the developing costs for both platforms are different since the software architects would have to test the programs for a lot more devices for Android. The app can be directed towards the English speaking community initially. But if you are planning to penetrate the global market, we would suggest including several other language options.
Assemble a Team
Your team should have a project manager, IT architects, and business analysts. Some of the key members of your IT team would be:
User Interface designersAndroid developer with expertise in JavaiOS programmersTestersDevOps experts
If you do not want to hire all these individuals, we would suggest hiring professional service providers for app development and business analysis. However, you will need someone to discuss things with the business stakeholders. You will also need to design a website to market the app.
Formulate a Development Approach
To ensure that the app gets developed for your targeted customers on time, you must formulate an approach plan. You can use one of the open-source Content Management Systems (CMS) for your website. We would recommend using cloud service platforms so that you do not have to invest a lot in infrastructure. You can also use a software development kit that can expedite your timeline.
Find a Suitable Weather API
The success of your project will be largely dependent on the API that you choose because it will decide the accuracy of your app. We suggest that you look for an API like Climacell that gathers information from a range of sources. Beware of APIs that repackage the data obtained from government agencies like NOAA. ClimaCell’s API gathers information from weather satellites, network towers, traffic cameras, cars, and almost any electronic device that is connected to the internet. You can find out more about the proprietary technology they use from Climacell’s blog. The API will give you the historical data, current information, forecast details, air quality index, pollen spread, precipitation measurement, and several others. It can also give you hyper-local data that will allow your app to provide weather detail of a small area as well, such as a block of a city.
Find Suitable Cloud Services
If you do not wish to spend a lot of money on hardware infrastructure, we would suggest that you look for cloud solutions for a range of requirements. You will need a cloud hosting service provider for hosting your website. Choose a service provider that also has a moving back-end, so then you do not have to build one for yourself. Cloud services do not only save costs but also allow you to implement several features, such as security, user management system, notification system, and many others. If you are developing an app for Android, or both Android and iOS, you would need to test the app for several types of devices. Therefore, you should also consider choosing a cloud-based mobile device lab that offers testing browsers from a lot of mobile devices. Some of them can offer browser combinations of up to 5000 devices.
Find Ecommerce and Payment Gateway APIs
Since your product will be targeted towards business users, your app must facilitate payments. Whether it is a subscription to advanced features or an upgrade to the premium version, you will need eCommerce and payment gateways. We recommend using Shopify as an eCommerce API and Braintree by PayPal for payment gateways. Once you have sorted these essential steps of planning, you can start with the development of your app. We know you will have to devote a lot of hours to develop the codes, test them, and hold trials before you can launch it. However, the planning steps are crucial to ensure that the rest of the development process is smooth and hassle-free. Thank you for visiting techfollows.com.
