Create Powerful Cross Platform Apps or Hybrid Mobile Apps Using Ionic Framework

If you want to increase exposure for your business online, the creating an app is an excellent strategy and one that we highly recommend.

Not only can a mobile app help you to extend the service you provide to your clients, or provide a separate income stream of its own, but it also means you’ll have another ‘inroad’ to your business that helps more people to discover your brand through the Play Store or App Store. Even when your app doesn’t get downloaded, simply having it there means more people will get to see and interact with your business. Creating an app makes your business look more professional and it sounds great on paper. And if your app lets your fans view your content or order your products, then you’ll be making it easier than ever for them to work with you and generate more profit.

What is Ionic Framework?

But despite all this, a lot of companies still don’t have an app with their name on it and there are a number of reasons for this. There are many challenges involved with mobile app creation but with a tool called IonicFramework, many of these can be completely circumvented.

Ionic Framework is a free and open source framework for creating high quality apps in just minutes. It uses very minimal code (similar to a website) and has a very intuitive, graphic interface. You can find out more here.

But what makes Ionic such a good choice?

Simple and Easy Interface

The first challenge when it comes to app development, is that it’s a complex, skilled task. Normally, creating an app for Android or iOS will involve using a programming language such as Java or Objective C and then combining this with the specific ‘SDK’ (software development kit) of the chosen platform. In terms of design, you’ll need to think about the unique specifications and different screen sizes of each device and that’s before you’ve even started to think about issues like security…

This leaves most businesses and entrepreneurs with two choices: spend months or years developing an app in-house, either by learning the platform or by investing in a whole new department; or outsource the process to a professional. The latter option is the better choice in most cases but can be expensive, while at the same time removing some of the creative control that most businesses would like over their app.

Ionic Framework though provides a third solution. Ionic Framework makes it possible to create professional looking apps in a few minutes rather than a few months and it uses a simple interface that lets you see a visual representation of everything you’re doing, as you do it. This means you don’t need to learn to code but you’ll still retain complete control over the final product. And because it’s completely free and open source, it won’t cost you anything!

Cross Platform

One of the biggest advantages of using any ‘app builder’ tool, is that the final product will be cross platform. Once you’ve built an app in Ionic Framework, you’ll be able to seamlessly publish it to the Google Play Store for Android users and the App Store for iOS. This means you don’t need to create two versions of your apps and also makes the process of updating much simpler.

Ionic handles responsive design for you too and works on every different version of the two most popular mobile operating systems. This means you get universal compatibility, without having to think about it.

Limitations and Alternatives

With that said, there are some limitations to using Ionic, so it’s not for everyone. For starters, Ionic Framework doesn’t support Windows Mobile yet, so for that you’ll need to use Visual Studio Community.

As with any app builder, Ionic Framework also limits you in terms of functionality. You’ll be able to create basic ‘static apps’ that are suitable for small businesses, but if you want to provide advanced functionality, you’ll need to look elsewhere. That said, as Ionic is open source, you can also tamper with the code yourself to bring more advanced features – but that would be harder than creating an app from scratch.

If you want a truly powerful custom app built for your business, then be sure to get in touch and we’ll be glad to discuss it with you!