Switching from Native iOS or Android to Ionic

App development platform designed to make development of mobile apps more efficient
Development Efficiencies

Huge Savings by Developing for Both Platforms

Enterprise-level ecommerce companies live, grow and die due to various kinds of margins: overall profits, wholesale costs of materials, shipping costs, market penetration percentages, payroll expenses, internal operating costs and many others. Companies that develop their own customer apps, which are increasingly critical in ecommerce, can save considerable time, money and resources by cutting back on creating entirely native and separate iOS and Android apps and developing their customer-friendly tech with a hybrid approach. The benefits of this plan of attack include reaching a greater audience, speeding and simplifying the coding process of writing apps for both iOS and Android devices and taking advantage of free frameworks and plugins by using open source tools. Every operational saving increases profits, and switching to Ionic hybrid development offers many efficiencies and cost savings.

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Open-source, Cross-platform

The Hybrid Development Process

Developers face several questions when deciding to go hybrid for cross-development. Choosing a framework partner involves different programming languages, frameworks and costs while remaining aware that stability could be an issue. That's why Ionic's hybrid platform offers many advantages for hybrid programming. The platform enjoys high name recognition and a big base of fans because it's not only stable but also free.

Simplicity of Coding

Benchmarks for Cross-Platform Development

Using Ionic is the simplest and most effective method of creating apps in HTML5, and developers don't need to learn Java or SDK for Android or Objective C or Swift for iOS. The framework uses Apache's Cordova, which is free, stable and popular. The programming language is AngularJS (JavaScript), and the process works as follows:

  • Developers can use package.json, bower.json, config.xml and gulpfile.js files as the base for an Ionic project
  • Programmers work most of the time in the www/ folder, which acts as a mini Web project that opens within a browser
  • Coders essentially wrap the API layers within a native UI shell
  • Writers can create the UI with Storyboard/xibs or new cod
  • Cordova offers plenty of open source plugins from which developers can customize their apps
  • After Ionic-built apps are finished, they can be distributed through commercial outlets like Google Play and the Apple App stores
  • Since ecommerce companies don't need to pay thousands for licenses when using the Ionic framework, the process tends to stimulate greater creativity and innovation

Today's competitive marketplace for customer apps has grown exponentially, and Ionic's open source framework levels the playing field between IT developers and creative, energetic startups. Traditionally, enterprise-level ecommerce companies are viewed as major consumers of IT, but high development costs often cause these companies to favor proven or conservative strategies that don't excite customers or innovate deeply. The Ionic framework licenses ecommerce companies to experiment and innovate, build workable hybrid mobile apps at minimal costs and develop rapid prototypes for testing or market research.

Development Efficiency

Ionic Stability

More than 85 percent of Ionic mobile apps work fast and reliably on their first tests. The framework enjoys an excellent reputation for stability, which is an issue that might concern some developers in ecommerce companies. One option is to test the app on different devices, which is standard practice in ecommerce. Mixing Ionic code with native UI code allows developers to produce working apps at astonishing speed. The framework's best feature is its simplicity. Developers can use it to make prototypes, test ideas, conduct market research and build fully functional apps that can be distributed commercially. Ionic can cut development time in half, leverage CSS transitions and transforms for animations and exploit available processor time.

Improved Security

Security Considerations

Security breaches remain an ever-present concern in ecommerce, but there's little chance that anyone can get users’ data from Ionic apps if they're encrypted with AES. If someone is able to modify the source code, he or she would need a password, which falls under standard ecommerce security arrangements. If a hacker is determined enough, he or she could drill down or decompile any app regardless of whether it's native Android or iOS or Ionic. The Ionic framework doesn't generate any greater risks. Hackers attack data in multiple ways for insights, so ecommerce companies simply need to think differently about security in the age of collaboration, cloud applications and mobile devices.

 
clarity mobile app designed for medical client in Utah
Differences Between Platforms

Xamarin and Phone Gap

PhoneGap uses a different kind of technology for cross-platform apps than Xamarin by running apps within the platform's Web browser. Developers use a standard API across iOS, Blackberry, Android, Windows, Blackberry and Firefox OS, and the code is built on the common Web languages JavaScript, HTML5 and CSS. Unfortunately, it's difficult to build large, useful apps with JavaScript because its libraries and global integrations have multiple incompatibilities for cross-development. Developers can reuse 100 percent of their coding across platforms, but UIs suffer when compared to those built in Xamarin, which usually appear like a native app on each device.

Does it Compare to a Native App?

Strategy Guides App Development Decisions

Regardless of the application or a company's sales or marketing goals for building an app, some planning needs to be settled before programmers write the first line of code. Development decisions for ecommerce companies depend on many factors that include which devices their customers tend to use, what other apps they have installed and how important a unique UI or native integration might be to build a useful app that customers embrace. Fortunately, Ionic users can implement native transitions by taking advantage of the Cordova plugin called "Native Page Transitions." This resource allows developers to slide, flip, fade and curl as well as to control animated transitions and to use native hardware acceleration.

Despite Ionic's convenience and speed of development, there may be times when a native app serves an ecommerce company more efficiently while providing a strong cost-value profile. In these cases, choosing a native app makes more sense. Ionic adds possibilities at minimal costs without limiting a company's options to follow the traditional native development process.

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Strengths of the Right ecommerce Platform

The right ecommerce platform provides a robust API layer where information can be shared between apps and regular business systems. This kind of information empowers important automatic functions like making tax- and duty-calculations, triggering automatic notifications, updating inventory and ordering protocols and using social media insights to strengthen on-page and off-page SEO. The right platform allows Ionic-generated apps to work like the most carefully curated, client-side iOS and Android apps.

The right platform allows Ionic-generated apps to work like the most carefully curated, client-side iOS and Android apps
Mobile Development Team

How Clarity Can Help

Clarity can help when you switch from native iOS or Android to Ionic by providing customized and proven ecommerce solutions for your enterprise-level business. Our team of expert developers can help you troubleshoot any issues that develop when switching from native apps to more efficient cross-platform coding so that you can concentrate on core business initiatives. Clarity's customizable, scalable platform ensures that your hybrid apps integrate seamlessly with your existing systems, marketing efforts and Internet presence to deliver great and consistent experiences to each customer. contact Clarity today for a consultation, free price quote or advice on switching from native to hybrid apps.