Businesses may worry about the challenges associated with cross-platform development, like available resources, time, and cost. Luckily there are tools and resources available to help companies better manage the process. These tools can help developers more quickly create apps at a lower cost, with the bonus that many of these tools are simple to use. For example, LiveArt's HTML5 Mobile-Ready Online Product Designer and it's plugins for platforms like Magento, WooCommerce, or Shopify are available for phones, tablets, desktops, and other devices that don't support Flash. They also work with multiple browsers, and the Online Product Designer can be added to any existing website or e-commerce platform as a simple web component.
The days of an app that only performs on a single platform or browser are gone.
Cross-platform development not only allows developers to maintain just a single code base, but it also gives them the capability to fix bugs or other issues immediately on any platform. Having one code base will also reduce cost because it involves less testing.
Users on cross-platform apps also benefit because even those with limited experience can be taught to maintain platforms with a custom content management system. This further reduces the business's cost because it allows an in-house team member to maintain the content and make changes when necessary. Instead of hiring separate developers to create apps specifically for a single platform, businesses can leverage in-house teams and individual employees to maintain operations through the content management system. Changes made by that employee will be reflected across all platforms, rather than having to engage multiple developers to make changes on one single platform.
(Image Courtesy of Shutterstock)
Cross-platform development also offers the following advantages:
Reusable code
A developer can use code multiple times rather than rewriting sequences. Once something is coded, it can be re-used in other platforms.
Cloud access
Many cross-platform development tools and frameworks are designed to easily integrate with cloud services, allowing businesses to take advantage of their current enterprise solutions, such as Salesforce.
Plugins
Plugins and other modules can quickly and simply be plugged into available frameworks, tools, and services. These components make it easy to add specific new features to the app.
Ease of deployment
Cross-platform development makes it easier and faster to deploy changes and updates across multiple platforms. Developers can focus on one app and one code base rather than dealing with various programs, which saves the developer time and the company money.
Cross-platform development is a smart decision in today's world of ever-evolving technology. Businesses should take advantage of the tools and resources available to them, as it will save both time and money in the long run, which will allow companies to generate higher profitability overall.
Nick Rojas is a journalist based in Chicago, IL. His work often covers content creation and technology. You can follow him on Twitter @NickARojas.