Untold Challenges That Remote App Developers Are Facing

Remote working has become the new norm around the world. The Covid-19 pandemic did not give the app developers in Kenya much of a choice. Working from home now is the only sure way to stay safe and maintain monthly income.

Despite the safety and convenience that remote working presents, it has its shortcomings. You must have heard about poor collaboration and data security issues.

Employers are slow in trusting remote workers. Distractions and network issues are also mentioned often as challenges to effective remote working.

However, some of the challenges that remote workers face are rarely mentioned. It is almost as if remote workers are expected to find solutions on their own yet the issues affect their performance.

Here are some of the unusual challenges that our app developers have reported so far.

Loneliness

Remote workers have tens of tools for collaboration with other team members. Video calls are now cheap and readily available on many platforms.

Social media platforms are good alternatives to stay connected to friends while working remotely.

However, none of these tools takes away the loneliness that comes with working from home. The feeling is worse when you first transition from an office setting to a home office.

For iOS developers in Kenya loneliness is amplified when issues arise that only other developers can understand. For instance, you cannot just talk to family members about debugging.

The Covid-19 crisis has just made the loneliness worse with the calls for social distancing and staying at home.

Even after the crisis, remote workers still have to contend with the isolation associated with working from home.

Resentment

Family is always a welcome distraction when working from a home office. You can only control it to a certain limit.

People understand when you need a few hours to work. However, long hours of no interaction every day in the home setting come with resentment.

In the world of kids, parents being at home means playtime. The more parents say no the more the kids resent them. Older kids may not show it but they feel the gap too.

Sometimes parents feel guilty and abandon their work. However, the demands of the jobs for workers such as Android developers in Kenya do not allow such compromise.

The resentment affects the working parent or family member’s emotional health, which may eventually affect their performance.

Finding the balance between family and work is a tough call for remote workers.

Undefined working hours

When does work end when working from home? Well, it is easy to say that one will log off at a particular time.

Some freelance app developers try to follow the 9 to5 work schedule. The schedule works for a while until a tough project comes along.

Some development projects take months, especially when developing customised apps.

The result is developers working into the night on many occasions. Once the undefined working hours start, it is hard to go back to a defined schedule.

The greatest disadvantage of such an approach is the lack of balance between the work and play.

Eventually, the lack of balance shows in terms of slowed performance.

Conclusion

Remote working maybe the new normal even after the Covid-19 crisis is over. All workers including app developers must prepare for this reality and the challenges that come with it. Knowing the challenges before taking the leap from the office to remote working helps with the preparation.   

4 Proven Tips To Increase Revenues From Your E-Commerce Website

E-commerce websites form a significant part of web design in Kenya. Entrepreneurs have warmed up to online sales to keep up with the changing times.

Many logistics companies have been established in the past few years. Consequently, some business owners can now run online ventures with minimal overhead costs.

However, with increasing competition among online stores, business owners contend with high fluctuations in revenues.

If you are facing this challenge, consider these tips to increase online sales:

1. Identify and fix technical issues

Here is an open secret that website owners should know. Internet users are impatient, very impatient.

Online customers have thousands of options and have no time to wait for a website to load. A few seconds in site speed may cost you hundreds of customers without knowledge.

Before you complain about sales, audit your site for any technical issues. Any broken links must be fixed immediately.

Sometimes it is easy to identify issues by tracing the path of incomplete transactions.

Why did customers abandon a cart half-way? Are all payment options visible and working? How fast does each page load?

Website developers in Kenya can help you identify and fix technical issues.

2. Identify the most profitable pages

Where is the money from? Which products sell best? Is it the product or the easy navigation process that lead to high sales?

You need to address these questions from your sales statistics. You cannot run any kind of business blindly. Data analytics are important for e-commerce as well.

Your priority when identifying and fixing issues should be on the profitable pages. You want to keep those revenues coming as you explore other options.

3. Improve site architecture

You may have heard of this phrase before. If it is working, do not touch. Well, this does not work for website design in Kenya if you want to maximise sales.

If you hired the best developers, your site may have to technical issues. However, the layout and navigation must be tedious for shoppers.

Make it easy to find items on your site. Suggest complementary or related products. Remove unnecessary processes.

Use direct and short phrases to describe products.

4. Consider a partial redesign

Everyone loves the smell of new, even a new website look. If you have a few technical issues to fix, you do not need to redesign your website from scratch.

However, a few tweaks with the design can earn you new customers. You could be struggling to fix an outdated website design.

Top web developers in Kenya will give you direction on the items on your site that you can play around with to make it look new to visitors.

For instance, large blocks of text and large media files may need attention.

Many internet users are hesitant to explore drop-down menus. Instead, they prefer to keep scrolling one page for all the details they need.

Hence, it is important to talk to experienced web developers when redesigning a website. Be willing to give up outdated designs and adopt changes. At the end of the day, an e-commerce website should earn the maximum revenue possible. Any changes should help you attain that goal at the lowest cost possible.

Do I Need a University Degree to Become a Successful App Developer?

Career decisions are critical because of their consequences. If you pick the wrong career path, you will waste so much time and money before you get back on track Some people realise when it is too late that they made the wrong move when they had a chance.

With so many programming schools in Kenya that offer short courses, aspiring developers often water down degree programs. The argument is that you can do a crash program within months and avoid 3-4 years of learning in a college or university.

The argument is only valid if you have basic training in programming. However, if you have never been to any coding class, you may jeopardise your career. What difference does a degree or diploma make?

Let us start from the basics. Sometimes you think of a career based on something heard or saw someone do and admired it. You can admire successful developers or creative apps and develop a passion in the field.

A coding school in Kenya will give you expertise in that field with the assumption that you know the basics of programming. A university, on the other hand, will teach you that and a variety of other related courses.

You might find out that websites interest you more than apps in your first year of college. You can take it a step further and join a programming school to perfect your web development skills.

University programs often start with a broad outlook of a career or field. In other words, you get a taste of everything in your first and second year. By the third year, you know what you really want to specialise in and pursue as a career.

Universities and colleges do more than pass knowledge in your field of interest. You learn how to communicate and live with diverse cultures. Think about 4 years of meeting people from different cultures.

You might have been raised in a tight community that speaks nearly the same language. Four years is enough time to grow the inter-personal skills that you need later in the business world. University teaches you how to build a strong network, solve conflicts, and build new relationships.

Do not be surprised that the relationships you build at this level will usher you to your first job. They say that your network is your net worth. 3-4 months in a coding school in Kenya is not enough time to build your network.

A university or college certificate qualifies you for better jobs, which translates to a higher salary. Generally, university graduates are preferred for most job opportunities. The additional skills you get in a coding school help you beat the competition among fellow graduates.

Here is another advantage of enrolling in a university. You develop organizational skills. How do you manage to take different courses simultaneously and delivery all assignments on time?

You learn how to handle pressure when exams come around. You learn tough assignments with short deadlines. By the time you hit the job market, you have the boldness to face challenges.

Final thoughts

We have heard of people that build a successful career against all odds with short courses. However, that path does not work for all. Do not take a shortcut. If you have a chance to get a degree certificate, go for it. Use the lessons from programming schools in Kenya to build your skills further.

What Do You Need To Join A Coding School In Kenya?

Who qualifies to join a coding school? Many people disqualify themselves from programming lessons even without asking questions. You will be surprised at how easy it is to join coding schools in Kenya and elsewhere.

Let us look at the requirements.

1. Fundamental training in computing

Coding schools do not teach the basics of computers such as fixing system errors or installing programs. You need to know how to handle a PC or laptop. Some schools require basic training in programming languages.

The training requirements will depend on the course that you choose and your level of training. For instance, if you are fresh from high school, you need to learn the fundamentals of programming. Choose a school that offers such lessons.

For college graduates in computer programming, such basic training is not necessary. You just need training in the specific area of programming that you want. Remember that a computer science degree or its equivalents do not exempt you from joining a coding school.

Graduates struggle to get good jobs or projects. Academic curricula are not customized to meet market needs. Do not dismiss learning after schools. Coding bootcamps in Kenya can help you improve your coding skills to suit market needs.

2. Resources and Fees

If you do not own a good laptop or PC, get one before the coding lessons begin. Rarely do schools provide computers to students. In addition, you will have tons of things to do at home such that a personal computer is necessary.

You need a plan to pay the tuition fees, especially if you cannot raise the amount at once. The most frustrating part of learning to code is leaving a program halfway because of fees. Programming schools in Kenya have different fee structures.

Choose a school that suits your budget and income flow. For instance, some schools demand full fee upfront, which might not be practical for all students. While comparing the fee structures, prioritize the quality of education over the amount.

3. Passion

Let us face the facts. Coding is demanding. Sometimes it requires you to work continually for hours to complete projects. It does not have to be that way every day but sometimes developers have no choice.

You cannot handle such pressure if you are not passionate about creating solutions. Coding may become easy for you with time as you master the concepts. However, you will deal with different clients every time with different demands.

Determine from the beginning to enjoy the journey of achieving your dreams. Keep your focus and have fun even in the worst of days. However, you must drop the excuses and join a coding school. Training is the most critical part of the journey to becoming a developer.

Coding Bootcamps in Kenya: Tips to Learn Programming Faster

Setting life goals is great. However, the most important thing is to work daily toward achieving those goals. Many people dream of becoming world-class but never take the first step. You cannot become a developer without taking the right lessons.

Coding bootcamps in Kenya offer aspiring developers a chance to gain coding skills first. However, you may need the basics of coding before considering joining a coding bootcamp. The internet has enough tutorials with introductory lessons to coding.

As you learn from the tutorials, consider the following as well:

1. Avoid shortcuts

Bootcamps are helpful if you have taken the basic lessons in development lessons. However, if you are a newbie, you need to go join one of the coding schools in Kenya. You can then attend bootcamps regularly to sharpen your skills further.

Most coding schools hold occasional bootcamps for different categories of developers. You may be lucky to find free coding bootcamps in your area. Make the right decision between a full school program and bootcamp depending on your level of skills.

2. Do your homework

Whether you join a college or bootcamp, you have a great responsibility to make the best out of the learning experience. Your tutors will introduce you to programming and explain the concepts. However, the secret lies in applying the concepts in real projects.

Go past completing assignments to playing with codes at homes. Start with sample codes before trying to write codes from scratch. You can search for samples online as well. Simply do not sit back and rely on the class lessons alone.

3. Keep the balance 

Programming schools in Kenya have different programs. However, the demands of programming do not change. The truth is, you will spend hours on your computer when you start coding. Even the best developers are sometimes stuck at the desk all day or night.

The tough days will come but you must learn to take breaks. Do not wait until you are worn out to take a break. Schedule your breaks and keep the rhythm. Create time to catch up with friends or do your hobbies. Coding cannot be your only hobby!

4. Get help

Coding is fun until you come across a bug that you cannot understand or debug. Some coding concepts might also prove hard to understand with the first mention. Do not shy away from asking for help when you hit a dead end.

Be willing to acknowledge your weaknesses. Ask as many questions as you need to until you understand a concept. If you have been all night staring at the same code, that’s a good sign that you need help. You do not need to wait that long to ask for help.

Here is our final tip. Have fun with it! Enjoy every bit of the learning experience including the hard stuff. Every problem or challenge sharpens your skills and teaches you something new.

4 Reasons Why Small Businesses Need Apps

When software development companies in Kenya market their services, they target companies of all sizes. However, many times small business owners exempt themselves from developing apps. Most assume that social media and conventional marketing plans are enough to grow their businesses.

Think about it. Why spend money on an app while you can invest it in equipment or pay off some bills? We understand the financial constraints that business face at the start. However, market forces apply whether businesses have enough money or not.

Here are the reasons why new entrepreneurs must consider mobile apps:

1. Competition

Competitors do not wait for business to grow. In fact, they hope to keep new entrants out of the market. Today, mobile app developers in Kenya are busy creating solutions for businesses that understand the trends.

If small businesses wait to grow big, competitors will have gained the largest market share. It will be hard to catch up with competitors who invested in apps right from the time they were introduced.

2. Consumer engagement

App owners hope to solve all kinds of problems with mobile apps. The reality is that they are achieving this goal and earning from it. The popularity of apps has penetrated to the business world.

Consumers are enjoying the convenience of interacting with companies via apps. Internet services are now affordable unlike before when data charges were a concern. If there is a functional app, consumers will prefer it to chats on a website.

3. Feedback

It is easy for consumers to give feedback about products or interactions with support staff when using an app. Both positive and negative feedback informs the product strategy to grow a business.  With the best software development companies in Kenya onboard, app users should give feedback within seconds.

4. Quick sales

Everyone is worried about the declining human interactions that come with technology. We must face reality. Many customers prefer to buy with minimal interactions with sales agents. They do not wait to interruptions when making decisions.

Buying via an app is easy and fast, especially for returning customers. The buyers already trust the brand and are comfortable with the price. In addition, e-commerce has taken over most industries. Operating without an app in such an environment is a disadvantage to business owners.

4 Essential Things To Consider When Developing A New App

Are you thinking of tapping into the profits in the mobile apps market? Software developers in Kenya will encourage you to do so before someone takes over your app idea. Individuals and companies alike are working day and night to identify gaps in the market.

Your approach to this niche will determine if you make profits or not. Here are some factors to consider before contacting a developer:

1. Needs in the market

Can you identify any needs in your preferred niche? Recycling an app idea does not make much sense unless if your solution will make a difference. What are your competitors doing or not doing that can attract phone users to your app?

Sometimes entrepreneurs approach app developers in Kenya with one idea and end up doing something different. A good developer will not simply implement your idea but also advice you on its profitability.

The consideration is equally important when developing an app for your business. The app must stand out from your competitors even if you are offering similar products or services.

2. Right Platform

The decision here is between developing a native app or a cross-platform app. The performance of native apps is incomparable to that of cross-platform apps. However, the latter is preferred if you are on a tight budget.

When choosing a platform for your app, think about your target audience. For instance, Android is still popular around the world. You can build a native app here, test its performance, and then expand to other popular platforms like iOS.

3. Third-party services

Will you need to link third-party services to your app? The answer depends on the features on the app. What can users do on the app? If the features include payments, you may need links to third-party services.

The same applies to some business apps when customers may need to link to other services to use an app. For instance, for instant loan apps in Kenya, customers need to access their mobile money accounts to access borrowed funds.

The same link is required when repaying the borrowed funds. Hence, if you pursue this niche, you will need to integrate the third-party service into your app.

4. Fast Database

The choice of a database will determine the speed of your app. You do not need to guess the outcome of a slow app. The losses are huge in a fast digital world where users have several options to choose from in every niche.

Choose a fast database with a large capacity to handle the processes in the app. Think about the type of data that users will upload or download on the app.

For instance, images and videos require a good database. Hence, if you want users to share such files fast, be keen with the database. Remember users are cautious about time and data usage.

Consult mobile application developers in Kenya if you are unsure about the right database to use. Professional help saves you from mistakes that may lead to failure or poor performance of your new app.