Mobile App Development

Wink Advertising Agency designs and develops mobile applications for iOS, Android and cross platform delivery. The work covers secure, scalable and user friendly apps built to improve customer experience and support digital transformation. Design, development, store launch and post launch support sit with one team rather than three suppliers.

What mobile app development covers at Wink

Eight services sit under this category, spanning the full life of an app.

• Android app development for native Android builds.
• iOS app development for native iPhone and iPad builds.
• Cross platform app development for one codebase on both stores.
• Ecommerce app development for mobile shopping.
• Custom business app development for internal and operational tools.
• UI/UX for mobile apps for the design process behind the build.
• App store optimization for visibility once the app is live.
• App maintenance and support for everything after launch.

How the platform decision is made

The choice between native and cross platform is made against the app's requirements rather than by default. Native builds suit apps that lean on device hardware and platform specific behavior. Cross platform suits products that need to reach both stores from a single codebase on a tighter timeline.

Why the design stage comes first

Interface and flow are designed before development begins. An app whose navigation is decided during coding tends to ship with the structure the code found convenient rather than the structure a user expects. The design stage is where that order is set.

What secure and scalable means in practice

Security and scalability are treated as build requirements rather than later additions. Authentication, data handling and API design are decided at architecture stage, because retrofitting them into a shipped app means a rewrite. Scale is planned for the user count the business expects, not the count it launches with.

What happens at store submission

Publishing an app is a review process rather than an upload. Store listings, assets, metadata and compliance requirements are prepared as part of the launch instead of discovered during rejection. App store optimization then works on the listing so the app can actually be found.

Why the work does not end at launch

Operating systems update, devices change and stores revise their requirements. Maintenance and support cover the updates, fixes and compatibility work that keep an app functional after release. An app left unmaintained stops working on new devices without anyone deciding that it should.

Which businesses build apps with Wink

Two broad cases account for most projects.

• Customer facing apps, including ecommerce apps where the phone is the storefront rather than a smaller website.
• Internal business apps, where the app replaces a manual process for staff rather than serving the public.

Why brands choose Wink for mobile apps

Three things separate this from commissioning a developer.

• One team across the whole life of the app. Design, build, launch and support are not split across separate vendors.
• Both delivery routes available. Native and cross platform are both built in house, so the recommendation is not shaped by what the supplier happens to do.
• Visibility treated as part of the job. Store optimization is part of the category rather than an afterthought once downloads disappoint.

Who this service is for

This is for businesses launching a first app, replacing an app that no longer performs, or extending an existing product onto mobile. Companies whose need is operational rather than public usually compare this with business systems development first, and companies wanting interface work alone start at UI/UX design.