Location based Mobile App Development- Features and Importance You Need to Know

From Target to Uber and Foursquare to Pokemon Go- these top apps have one thing in common. Yes, they are based on the user’s location. We witness a huge surge in the popularity of location-based services in recent years. The corporate world wants to leverage this trend, and as-as a result, the mobile app development companies remain busy in integrating location-based features in the business mobile apps.

Advanced smartphones have increased people’s dependency on mobile apps.People use their smart devices for navigation, search, shopping, and other daily activities. Their, the location-based services remain handy for them as they can be used for

– Navigation and Search
– Local advertising
– Infotainment
– Gaming and Tracking

The location-based mobile app development services can help businesses to reach app users on the basis of their location. The location-based apps also enable the companies to make the most of thriving on-demand economy.

Nowadays, many entrepreneurs tend to jump on the location-based app development bandwagon globally. Therefore, it is necessary to integrate some top-notch features in the location-based app to stay ahead of the curve. Before knowing about a few of such features, let’s go through the impact of location-based mobile apps on various industry sectors and service providers.

• Service and Industry Sectors that can benefit from location based app development

1. Emergency Service Providers
Emergency or crisis never gives a hint. It is necessary to stay prepared to handle such a situation. A location-based app enables the emergency service providers like the fire brigade, police, and ambulance to find the user’s location. On the other hand, users can get the emergency services without changing their location through such apps.

2. Weather information company
Location-based weather forecasts are very helpful for locals as well as visitors. The weather information providers can keep the app users updated as per their locations. It is easy to send location-focused notifications for hurricanes, tsunami, blizzards, and other natural calamities through such apps.

3. On-demand services providers
The on-demand services rely on the GPS technology. If we want to find a nearby restaurant, order food for home delivery, book a cab, or ask for the domestic help, the on-demand services are available. Most of such services require location-based mobile apps to serve their customers in a better way.

4. Dating and Social Media
Dating apps need geolocation to connect users. Let’s take the example of Tinder. This app uses the location of the users. It enables the users to know that the other person with whom they share information is from the same place or from the other place. Social media apps like Instagram and Snapchat also show the posts based on location thanks to geotags.

5. Hospitality
From food delivery to table booking, the hospitality sector is one of the biggest beneficiaries of such apps. When the user gives order through a food delivery app, they can track the orders and ensure delivery at their doorstep. The GPS data can enable the app users to find nearby restaurants and choose the convenient delivery spot.

6. Retail
It is easy to find the nearby branch of a superstore like Walmart and Target through a GPS-powered mobile app. Customers can also select the pickup and delivery point on the basis of their location also. What’s more, the iBeacon app development can assist the retailers to provide nearby marketing facility and indoor navigation feature. It also works on the basis of location of the app users.

7. Travel
Map view is very common in any travel app. The app users can readily find the restaurants, hotels, and must-visit places with the help of this location-based feature. Also, the users can find assistance in any travel destinations through geolocation capabilities of a travel app. Airbnb and Marriott apps provide such features.

8. Transportation
Location-related features are necessary to track the consignment and fleet for the transportation and logistics business. It can help the transporters to deliver goods on time and provide real-time information about the location of consignment to the customers.

9. IoT
Well, the emerging technology IoT can also get benefits of location-based apps. Wearable devices, fitness trackers, and other IoT devices can be connected through geolocation technology and manage readily.

Related Reading- Building Geolocation Mobile Apps? Here’s a Quick Run Through for Deeper Understanding

• Features need to be included

The location based mobile app development services can integrate the following features in the customized app.

> Map – Well, this is the first and foremost feature of any location-based mobile apps. As location or GPS-based feature remains the core of such apps, the map feature should be integrated as a major feature, which is integrated with various app-related operations. This feature facilitates the users to get more precise information on the basis of their location.

> Notifications – Push notifications can keep the app user updated about just anything! It is possible to send alerts about hurricanes, information about the upcoming events, and other details with the help of notifications.

> Filter – The location-based information or content can be filtered by the app users using this feature. It can empower the users to select what they want to see or read on the basis of their location.

> Community – These days, the community feature is not restricted to dating or social media apps. Even B2B mobile apps can also have this feature. Thinking about the location-based apps, the facility to build the local community. App users can share relevant and useful information freely in the community. Also, you can readily promote goods and services in the local community.

> Feedback and Suggestions – The app users can give their feedback or suggestions through this feature. You can readily get to know what they think about your app and it enables you to make the location-based app better.

> Loyalty Program – The location-based app can help you build a loyal customer base. The location-oriented reward program attracts more users. It can include deals and points to persuade the app users to go to the local business and purchase products.

> AR-based feature – Augmented Reality (AR) can be integrated with GPS and location sensors to provide an immersive experience to the app users. It can make data sharing easy on the location-based platform.

> Analytics – The location-based app can fetch a lot of data regarding the user’s behavior, location, and preferences. The analytics feature can assist your business to come up with more user-friendly ways by analyzing the data.

The location-based apps can help you send notifications at the real-time, provide personalized user experience, and offer better navigation. In other words, you can improve the customer services and enhance the user experience. The location-based mobile app can assist you to grow business by unleashing the potential of the user’s location. Here we discuss the location-based app development price in brief.

• Location based app development cost

Like other mobile apps, the cost of a location-based mobile app also depends on the complexity and duration of the app. Here, you should consider the hourly rate of app developers. You may come across a great variation in the developer’s rates in different parts of the world. For example, the US and Canada-based app developers take anywhere between $150-$200 an hour, whereas Indian app developers take around $30 an hour.

If we consider lower hourly rates, then the price of a location-based app with basic features can be $12000 for Android and $10000 for iOS. However, many factors need to be considered while estimating an app price. Broadly, we can keep the range of app development cost at $12000 to $30000 for the Android platform and $10000 to $28000 for the iOS platform.

It is better to keep in mind that this development cost may not include the app maintenance cost.

A reputed and reliable mobile app development company that provides location based app development services can shed light on the aspects of feature and cost of a location-based mobile application.

• Concluding Lines

The location-based mobile apps are all set to rule in the coming years. The role of such apps will not remain limited to retail, travel, and on-demand domains. In such a situation, it is fair to mention that your business will get a boost from customized location-based mobile apps and you can serve customers with more improved and personalized services based on their location.

Do you want to hire mobile app developers for developing location-based mobile apps? Do you want to integrate location-related features in your business apps? Solution Analysts can transform your idea into a brilliant app by integrating technological advancements in IoT, blockchain, and iBeacons. Connect with us at sales@solutionanalysts.com to know what evolving technology can do for your business.