Cross-Platform App Development: A Complete Guide

A decade ago we never imagined an era of the internet where we could order things online within a few minutes. Today, regardless of the time and location we are in, if we are hangry or want to purchase anything, the first thing we do is go online, search for a website or an app, and purchase from it, food or otherwise.

Consumers are so used to purchasing things online from the comfort of their homes that providing them a seamless experience regardless of the platform they use has become a need of the hour. Today businesses need to develop a responsive website and an application with uniform designs and experience. But, providing this seamless experience is difficult and expensive for companies due to native app development.

 

Many companies opt for cross-platform app development looking at the complexities of native app development and high investments. If you are wondering what cross-platform app development is, you are at the right place. Herein, I will walk you through everything about it, its framework, benefits, etc.

Keep reading:

What is Cross-Platform App Development?

Cross-platform app development involves developing a single app that runs on multiple operating systems instead of having different versions of the same app. Developers can start with mobile app development using a single code-base compatible with any operating system and work seamlessly.

Cross-platform app development uses the “Write Once, Run Everywhere” approach to build mobile apps; it removes the app development versions for Android and iOS. Reusability of code and a single code-base is one of the major reasons most startups opt for cross-platform development. This type of development is compatible with various mobile operating systems, and so it reaches a wider audience. It has a rapid development, turnaround time and is cost-effective, making it a go-to choice for everyone.

There are two types of development, i.e., cross-platform and native app development. Both have their merits and demerits, but most people wonder about the difference between native and cross-platform app development. So, let’s see the major differences between them:

Difference Between Cross Platform and Native App Development:

With cross-platform app development, users don’t need to write code multiple times; a single code base allows developers to write code once and run anywhere. Here, regardless of the platform, you are developing an application for, the application will run and support various operating systems. Whereas with native app development, you will need to code dedicatedly for multiple platforms, it will also require you to invest in dedicated employees for each of the technologies.

Native app development is costly compared to cross-platform development, and with the increasing demand for the applications, the market is competitive. To meet these increasing demands, companies shift their focus to cross-platform app development.

Going further, let’s see some of benefits of cross-platform app development:

Benefits of Cross-Platform App Development:

Increase Audience Reach:

Using cross-platform apps, you can deploy an application for multiple platforms at the same time. With the single app, you can target iOS, Android, and web platforms. This helps you reach broader audiences and attract the correct audience from across the world. As your application will be available on a large number of devices, it is obvious that you will reach a larger audience.

Code Reusability:

Code reusability is one of the major benefits why companies and developers prefer cross-platform app development. Developers can easily reuse and rewrite the code because of the “write once, run everywhere” approach. They don’t need to create new code for each platform, and as a result, it helps them save some time and money.

Faster Development Time:

Cross-platform app development uses a single-code base which makes the development process faster and easier. Developers need to write code only once on either of the cross-platform frameworks and while compiling it, the source code will run like native. Once the application deploys and there is a need for further updates like new features, security patches, tweaks in features, etc., you can write the code once and push the platforms’ updates.

Uniform Design:

Cross-platform app development helps you to develop an application that is responsive and has a uniform design. Regardless of the platform on which the user accesses your application, it will be responsive. The application developed using cross-platform recognizes the user interface elements easily and responds accordingly. This enables designers and developers to have uniform UI/UX for different devices and provide a better and consistent user experience.

Having uniform design on all platforms is essential as it helps businesses to have their brand voice and marketing strategy. It will help you to stand ahead of competitors, rank on various search engines, and retain customers on your website.

Native App-like Experience:

Application built using cross-platform technology feels and runs like native apps. Pick up any technology you want to develop an app in, you will have to write code once, and upon compilation, it runs like a native app. With the latest tools and advanced frameworks, the entire process of ecommerce mobile app development becomes easy. Today various frameworks make it easy to write the code, run it, and convert it into source code which helps apps run like native apps. When the application runs like a native app, it loads faster and is responsive. As a result, it helps in better customer experience.

Cost-effective Development:

In native app development, businesses need to hire multiple developers for each platform, increasing their investment cost. Whereas, with cross-platform app development, businesses don’t need to invest in hiring multiple developers. As cross-platform uses a single code-base, developers are skilled in developing applications for multiple platforms. Hence, cross-platform app development can help businesses to save time, money and increase their ROI.

Easy to Update:

Updating your application becomes easier with cross-platform. Let me explain how–with native app development, you will have to write the same code multiple times for different operating systems; next up you will have to test, check, evaluate and update multiple times. Further, based on different devices and operating systems, you might face different challenges, and based on it, you will have to make changes. All these things end up being extremely difficult and time-consuming.

On the other hand, updating using cross-platform app development becomes easy. You don’t need to write code multiple times, evaluate, make changes according to different platforms, etc. Just write code once, check, test, evaluate, and push the updates. Based on the platform, the code will work accordingly and provide better performance.

Originally Source: Here