Native vs Cross-Platform: Navigating Social Media App Development

Native vs Cross-Platform: Drive Social Media App Development

Why Make A Social Media App?

Why Make A Social Media App?

Worldwide, people typically spend approximately 2 hours and 25 minutes daily using social media, with those living in the US spending an average of 2 hours and 3 minutes daily using this channel.

Meanwhile, Philippine residents average spending 3 hours 53 minutes daily on this social network!

Why am I providing you with so many numbers? These statistics represent reality as best they can. Social media is an enjoyable pastime, and todays market aims to meet this desire with tools.

Undoubtedly, the Coronavirus pandemic has altered digital behaviors. GlobalWebIndex conducted an in-depth research project and discovered that over 40% of internet users began spending more time using social media within months after exposure to Coronaviruses.

Building a social media app can be an extremely worthwhile venture as there are so many potential users on the market.


How To Make A Social Media App?

How To Make A Social Media App?

Step 1. Identify the Right product/market fit

Product/market fit refers to an ideal state in which startups provide the appropriate product or service to their target market.

They should work towards meeting all user demands step-by-step.

Startups develop mobile app social media must remain flexible when developing them; often, the final result can differ drastically from their original vision.

Instagram and Twitter both saw great success through constant tweaking until they reached product/market fit.

Startups can learn from Whatsapps transformation into a full-fledged messenger thanks to push notifications introduced by Apple.

Social media apps should remain responsive to user behavior factors.

Finding your target market and audience in its early stages may prove to be challenging for startups, so companies may utilize an established method such as designing an app specifically to address one group, then replicating when successful.


Step 2: Market Research to Gain Competitive Advantage

The success of an app doesnt simply depend on writing code and releasing it for users; its success also relies heavily on correct market research conducted beforehand by startups.

Prior to building their application, startups should conduct extensive studies of competition before creating one themselves.

Startups with an understanding of their market can find success in filling value gaps with unique offerings if they know exactly where there is room.

A new app design must stand out by having distinctive selling points that draw users in.


Step 3: Improve your perspective with Target Audience Analysis

Target audience feedback should be sought when creating social networking apps, giving startups the ability to implement features based on the real preferences and behaviors of target customers.

Companies looking to build apps based on assumptions should conduct interviews directly with users before planning.

Doing this allows founders to gain an in-depth knowledge of user issues while at the same time working towards solutions; early interactions also build subscriber bases quickly.

An interview can be improved using additional methods such as persona creation and customer satisfaction journey mapping.

Persona creation has proven very successful by brainstorming users characteristics and behaviors unstructuredly.

CJMs provide startups with a tool for understanding user behaviors and collecting relevant data that will aid their app enhancement process.

An effective CJM should involve personas, timelines, actions, and expectations that make up its composition.


Step 4: Select a Profitable Business Model for Your App

Social media apps must appeal both to their target audiences and be profitable for users and investors. When selecting a business plan that promotes long-term growth while still meeting revenue goals, here are some popular business models used by social media apps:


Option 1 - Freemium Model

Freemium allows users to sign up for many basic features without incurring fees; accessing premium services requires paying membership.

For instance, LinkedIn charges users an annual membership fee to access tools like InMail and job matching services.


Option 2: Advertising Model

Advertising is the main revenue generator for social media apps like Facebook and Instagram, which use this business model.

Through targeted advertisements served up directly by data, this strategy aims to rapidly expand user bases while simultaneously targeting relevant ads to them using data-driven strategies.

Social media apps must collect personal data about age, gender, and location to be attractive to advertisers. Traffic volume plays an integral part in how much advertisers pay per ad on the platform.

TikTok allows various forms of advertising, including placing sponsored videos in its "For You" feed.


Step 5 - Engage with a User-Friendly and Intuitive Interface

Startups should make full use of all research data collected during their startup journeys. Social media apps success will rely heavily on user satisfaction; startups must understand user expectations before tailoring their apps accordingly.

Tinder is an app that matches users based on photos. While Tinder used to focus solely on returning compatible matches based on profiles, its algorithm was enhanced in 2019 so as to allow active users to be connected instead - thus protecting user engagement from clicking profiles that are no longer live and clicking them without realizing it.

Social media apps can become more minimal. Startups must ensure their app is both visually attractive and functional to attract subscribers; unorganized or disorganized layouts will drive away potential subscribers.

Instead, they should focus on who their target audience will be and offer features with added value for subscribers.


Step 6: Build an MVP to Test Ideas

An MVP (Minimum Viable Product) is the building block of an app - including only its essential features - necessary for it to run successfully.

It can serve as an invaluable testing ground for startups in an easier market environment.

Startups will appreciate not having to manage all of the features typically included. At the same time, users may benefit from an app with fewer features.

How can startups determine which features should be included in an MVP app? List out its essential functions.

Prioritization matrixes can assist startup founders who are having difficulty selecting features for their MVP product roadmap, including any "nice to haves," which will likely be implemented later.


Step 7: Gather feedback to refine your social media app

Launching a social media project application is only the initial step toward developing an impactful app. Next, collect feedback from users regarding your MVP to assess strengths and weaknesses within it.

Startups must continuously enhance based on user feedback in order to meet users needs and preferences. Analytics tools must also be employed by startups so as to anticipate user behaviors and trends better.

Keep in mind that innovation will remain essential since apps must constantly adapt to meet user preferences and respond appropriately.

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8 Features Required for Any Social Media App

8 Features Required for Any Social Media App

Social media apps target similar demographics; however, each offers unique use cases and value propositions for specific audiences.

TikTok users like sharing funny videos, while Instagrams lifestyle influencers can reach massive levels.

No matter how different social media apps may be, some complex features must always remain standard across them all.


Sign In & Tutorial

Users can sign up using different registration options, including Facebook or email and password authentication.

Provide an onboarding guide once users create new accounts to assist in their transition into being productive members of society.


User profile

Apps designed with social interaction at heart must provide user base with enough tools and space for them to create individual profiles and tailor how they consume content.


Content Feed

Content feeds offer users access to tailored material tailored specifically for them based on their interests.


Search

Searching for groups, people, content, or any other type of data is now simpler with our powerful search feature.


Chat

Chat is integral no matter the apps focus; chat messengers allow users to communicate by text, voice, and photos/videos.


Content Creator

Social media apps thrive on relevant content. Users should have the chance to express themselves using words, images, and videos shared from within them.


Push Notification

Push notifications can be useful tools for notifying users about messages, reactions, and new content that is created or available online.


3rd Party Social Network Integration

Most users are active on at least two social media platforms, making it possible for an app to access third-party social network application in order to promote content sharing and increase participation rates.


What Is A Native Mobile Application (NMA)?

What Is A Native Mobile Application (NMA)?

Native mobile applications (NMA) refers to software designed and created exclusively for one specific mobile platform or operating system - for instance iOS or Android.

Apps written specifically for each of these operating systems use platform-specific languages, frameworks, and tools; native apps take full advantage of device capabilities and features while accessing system resources directly, using hardware components like cameras, GPSs, or accelerometers, resulting in optimal performance; examples being the Instagram Android and Facebook iOS applications respectively.


Native Mobile Applications Benefits

Native Mobile Applications Benefits

Here are some reasons why you might want to use native mobile applications:


Improved performance

Amazon states that one advantage to develop social media app native mobile applications is taking full advantage of resources unique to each apps environment, using programming frameworks designed specifically for iOS or Android for better optimization on user devices than cross-platform solutions.


Unique device and operating system features

Native mobile apps take full advantage of unique platform features. iOS developers will find native development much simpler for integrating Siri when developing for iPhone - not to mention easier ways for Android social media developers to integrate Google services using its proprietary development tools.


Improved user experience

Users can experience more satisfying applications by optimizing for specific platforms with better performance, access, and features of their devices.

With optimized apps, they will experience fewer bugs with better interface integration, resulting in smoother applications for users.


Offline Functionality

Offline functionality for an app that runs across different platforms can be more challenging since native tools offer easier access to internal storage on each device.

Suppose your goal is creating an offline-centric app without significant management efforts required. In that case, native development should be considered cross-platform development.


Better Security

As part of their app development process, native tools tend to offer greater security than their cross-platform counterparts.

Native tools allow platform-specific security updates, while cross-platform apps may use unoptimized frameworks, which leave hackers open to more vulnerabilities. Native vs Cross-Platform Mobile App Development offers potential customers who care about long-term reliability many advantages over time.

Also Read: Exploring The Trends In Mobile App Development For Social Media


The Disadvantages Of Native Mobile Applications

The Disadvantages Of Native Mobile Applications

Here are some of the main disadvantages of native applications:


Platform Restrictions

Native apps are tailored specifically for each platform - iOS or Android, for instance - which necessitates separate resources and development efforts for both.

As a result, both costs and timeline will increase substantially; two distinct development teams would need to be set up; knowledge gained during iOS development wouldnt translate well to Android development and vice versa. Ajay Kapoor at PixelCrayons noted cross-platform vs native development as more costly for everyone involved in creating cross-platform digital products than native ones.


Update

Native apps for each platform must be updated separately, which requires additional time for fixing bugs, updating security patches, and addressing compatibility issues.

Its not possible to solve the issue by having separate development teams (if one team targets both PC and mobile versions, it could even worsen matters), therefore reducing resources available or attention paid toward PC versions.


Longer Development Cycle

Development of multiple native applications on different platforms typically results in slower development cycles than cross-platform or web development, delaying time to market.

Also, release delays can hurt user loyalty: iOS users could receive certain features faster than Android users, resulting in possibly losing customers to them faster; additionally, native tools have changed significantly, making similar features difficult and leading to longer development periods overall.


What Is A Cross-Platform Mobile Application (Cmp)?

What Is A Cross-Platform Mobile Application (Cmp)?

Cross-platform mobile applications (CPMAs) are programs developed from one code base that runs across various mobile platforms and operating systems such as iOS or Android, thus decreasing development time and effort when compared with creating native apps for each platform.

Cross-platform frameworks like React Native, Flutter, or Xamarin allow experienced developers to construct apps with consistent UI/UX/Functionality on multiple platforms while still accessing native device features via platform-specific APIs - offering developers both code reuse as well as platform-specific abilities in balance CPMA development time/effort savings when developing native apps individually for each platform compared with creating native ones; cross-platform development reduces development effort greatly when compared with creating native versions for each.


Cross-Platform Mobile Applications: Benefits

Cross-Platform Mobile Applications: Benefits

Cost Efficiency

Cross-platform development costs less than developing native apps for each platform, which eliminates multiple development teams and their costs.

Their main advantage over native apps lies in being more affordable.


Faster time to market

Cross-platform frameworks enable faster development cycles, as they enable apps to be released on multiple platforms simultaneously - leading to shorter market launch times for apps like the Clubhouse application, which was limited only on iOS, which resulted in its failing to attract attention from a wider global audience.


Code Reusability

Developers can reuse significant portions of code across platforms to reduce development time and effort, while cross-app development requires creating unique code for every platform - but whats the advantage here? Well, it depends; native development may be easier.


Consistent User experience

Cross-platform apps aim to deliver an integrated look and feel across platforms, though differences between native mobile apps and cross-platform ones cannot be avoided entirely; creating similar functions and interfaces using disparate programming languages may prove challenging and could potentially mislead users into thinking some versions are superior to others - leading them to believe developers favor one over the other.


Easier Maintenance

Updates and maintenance for one codebase simplify the update and maintenance process, saving both time and resources by being made universally across platforms.

Also, having just one team makes updating both security-oriented features much simpler. With cross-platform apps, it becomes simple to quickly release updates both for security issues as well as new feature releases.


The Disadvantages Of Cross-Platform Mobile Applications

The Disadvantages Of Cross-Platform Mobile Applications

There are several problems with cross-platform mobile applications:


Performance Limitations

Fastdev has revealed that cross-platform apps may suffer performance issues in comparison with native ones due to using an abstraction layer to interact directly with platforms, which may lead to slower performance, issues accessing certain hardware, or optimization issues.

In contrast, native app development costs more and yields less optimized products.


Limited Access To Native APIs

Cross-platform frameworks may not give full access to native APIs or functionalities, limiting app capabilities or necessitating custom plugins, making integration more challenging with Siri than with native apps.


Platform Specific Bugs

Cross-platform apps must work across various platforms and may encounter bugs or compatibility issues that are platform specific, which must then be addressed individually for each platform - increasing development and maintenance costs significantly while still working with one team but needing to allocate funds specifically towards platform groups (this could cause long-term issues with software maintenance if certain platforms change).


Native vs. Cross-Platform: A Comparison

Native vs. Cross-Platform: A Comparison

Overall, this review illustrates that both native and cross-platform apps possess both benefits and drawbacks. What sets each framework apart? Cost.

A native app costs more to develop but provides app users with a superior user experience. However, more money needs to be put into its development than its cross-platform equivalent does. Ultimately, it all comes down to what your needs are; we will outline below some other factors you need to keep in mind in deciding the optimal path forward for your business objectives.

Also Read: Social Media App Development: Challenges and Solutions


Native App Development Or Cross-Platform App Development: Which Is Better?

Native App Development Or Cross-Platform App Development: Which Is Better?

What factors influence my decision between native platform or cross-platform development? Here are those influences:


Performance

First and foremost, consider platform compatibility. Native software outperforms cross-platform apps in competition between native versus multi-platform apps for reasons related to optimization by platform developers themselves, leading to greater compatibility of use among their own platforms compared with any third-party services or apps that claim multi-platform support.

Furthermore, native apps tend to perform better for convenience (speed) considerations versus cross-platform alternatives.


Development speed

Cross-platform apps clearly outperform native ones when it comes to speed. Their convenience lies in not requiring two teams for one app ideas and having specialists switch platforms within teams - saving months of work if only creating one version instead of two!


Costs of development

Both platforms provide cost benefits when it comes to cost of developing a social media app : Cross-platform apps can be designed by one team that specializes in one task and are generally less expensive over the short term, while native apps typically incur greater launch expenses and require two separate teams; additionally theyre less susceptible to major modifications from developers.


Data Security

Cross-platform applications often lack access to all native APIs, making security updates unavailable; cross-platform development also uses more translation layers, which make cross-platform apps more prone to bugs than their counterparts - both within native code as well as a development framework.

Such bugs could manifest into interaction bugs as well.


Customization options

Theres an undeniable winner between native and cross-platform apps when it comes to customization - native apps.

They allow access to deeper operating system additional features through platform-specific API integration and allow developers to build feature-rich applications more quickly than their cross-platform counterparts can.


Cross-platform vs. Native: Industry by industry recommendations

Cross-platform vs. Native: Industry by industry recommendations

Do you want to know which apps are better for specific industries? Well look at a few interesting options available on the market.


Gaming industry

Native development is typically recommended in the gaming industry experience due to the need for high-performance graphics and real-time responsiveness.

Native development allows developers to take full advantage of platform capabilities for optimal gaming experiences that deliver immersive gameplay and optimal performance; platform-specific games often outshone others in terms of graphics and Must-Have Features ; Sony and Nintendo excelled at crafting innovative experiences by pushing their platforms past their limits.


Financial Industry

Financial industry applications demand high performance, security, and integration with complex systems. Native development is typically chosen because it offers superior protection, easier API access, and seamless legacy system integration compared with cross-platform apps that may not offer such guarantees for handling data handling and transactions securely enough.


E-Commerce industry

Both cross-platform development and native development offer advantages to the ecommerce sector. Cross-platform frameworks like React Native and Flutter offer cost-effective and quick digital solutions suitable for basic ecommerce functionality.

At the same time, native development excels when used to develop complex user interfaces or advanced features like Augmented Reality.


Digital Healthcare Industry

Digital healthcare requires accessing sensitive patient data while simultaneously integrating medical devices and systems.

Due to strict regulations, high-security standards, and the necessity of seamless integration between systems and native apps, native development is often best. Native apps offer improved privacy controls, compatibility with medical devices, as well as health APIs specific for platforms.


Native Apps Versus Cross-Platform: Which Is Better?

Native Apps Versus Cross-Platform: Which Is Better?

Decision-making when building apps should always start with understanding who, why, and what the audience needs, as well as any budgetary and security constraints or goals that need to be considered before choosing either native or cross-platform development approaches.

Consider factors like audience demographics, development timeline, budgetary constraints as well as performance/security requirements when making this choice.

As part of our discussion on choosing an approach, well outline several of the essential criteria.


Time For Market

Startups and new product lines frequently face this dilemma when trying to launch their product as quickly as possible in order to gather user feedback quickly.

Cross-platform app development would prove more suitable in such instances than native mobile development, which takes much longer and requires additional maintenance costs, thus prolonging the time it takes them to get their product or service on the market.


Security

Consider what it would mean for your business if users lost trust in it, especially banking apps that carry significant risk.

When creating native mobile development projects idea with high risks associated with them such as banking apps, native development may offer better security features like file encryption and fraud detection using OS libraries; native apps offer superior protection, stability, and scalability than cross-platform mobile applications.


Performance

Gaming apps, in particular, often demand significant computing power and speed, making native mobile development the optimal solution.

Cross-platform frameworks would require additional work and knowledge of native apps - by optimizing for one operating system specifically, you can ensure maximum efficiency for each runtime platform.


Development Costs

Some companies can afford to spend more money developing mobile apps. Cross-platform apps may be ideal for companies on tight budgets, only requiring a few people for creation while keeping costs to a minimum by taking advantage of existing code/projects.

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Conclusion

Decide which operating systems your mobile app will support before creating it so it is compatible and successful.

Development methods could include both native and cross-platform development methods.

Your mobile application should take security, performance and scalability into consideration regardless of whether its active users use Android or iOS phones.

While no universal solution exists, cross-platform or native development isnt always the most appropriate solution - always consider its future when starting the development of any new project.

Native vs. cross-platform is an ongoing struggle thats hard to predict wholl win out, yet no clear winner emerges.

Native is ideal if you require feature-rich apps with tight security advanced features, while cross-platform provides speed and cost advantages. Confused about what direction to go in? Reach out to our best social media app development agency - our staff would be more than happy to provide recommendations regarding which approach and framework are appropriate for your development!


References

  1. 🔗 Google scholar
  2. 🔗 Wikipedia
  3. 🔗 NyTimes