In today’s technological world there are numerous location-based apps in the market. In reality, location-based apps have developed into an industry. A lot of industries are using location-based apps to improve their services. Apps like Uber, Cream, Instagram, Facebook, and tinder use location-based apps to change the lives of millions of people. The location-Based service market is increasing rapidly. These apps also provide new opportunities for Entrepreneurs. As the use of smartphones is increasing tremendously the market of geolocation apps is also expanding at the same rate.

Some of the main industries that are using location-based apps are the following.

• Retail industry:

The retail industry uses GPS data to help their customers to find the store nearest to them and also give the option of home delivery. Customers could easily buy groceries online from famous stores like Walmart, IKEA, Target and they will deliver it to their addresses.

• Automotive:

The automotive industry got boom by using location-based apps. The services like Uber and Cream comforts million of people around the world by using geolocation apps.

• Travel:

We can easily book flights and hotels around the world. Every hotel booking app has a map view of the hotel so that users can easily choose the location which is best suited for them.

• Social Media:

The apps like Instagram, Facebook, and snap chat also use map view and allow users to geotag so that they can easily interact with the people nearby.

• Games:

Many popular games also use location-based apps to attract users from different parts of the world. The games like Scavenger, Scavify, and Pokemon use geolocation apps.

Importance of Location-Based Apps:

There are numerous mobile applications that are dependent on geolocation. Some applications don’t work without location-based apps and some make their services more convenient by using geolocation apps. Some of the main functions of used location-based apps are the following.

• Location-based apps give the opportunity to know the location of users.
• One of the main functions of location-based apps is to provide information about the nearest places or objects.
• We can easily register a place on a map and it can be viewed by everyone using this app.
• There is also the option of leaving feedback about a certain visiting place and read reviews of others about that place.
• Location-Based Apps also emerge as a tool to target an incentive marketing campaign.

Types of location-based apps:

We can divide location-based apps into many types.

• Maps and navigation:

This type of app helps users to show the maps of certain places and also gives them an idea about the estimated time required to reach a place. It also shows the traffic routine so that users could avoid traffic jams.

• Location-based apps are also helpful in Geosocial applications. Users can easily geotag the address of a restaurant, gym, or resort.
• Fitness trackers and health care applications are also using location-based apps to comfort their users. Users could easily find the nearest track jogging routes and also show their achievements in the social networks.
• Users could easily find the best dining places nearest to them and also have the opportunity to read reviews about that place.
• Geolocation apps are also helpful in weather forecasting apps. For instance, a weather forecasting app uses location data to give information about the weather at a certain place.
• Geolocation apps are also helpful in many e-commerce businesses. Famous E-Commerce websites like eBay and amazon use location-based apps to improve their quality of business.

Method to create a Location-Based App:

Location-based app development consists of the following stages.

• The first step in developing a location-based app is to explore the market and analyze the competitors. We can hire a professional agency for this purpose.
• The second step is to make a prototype of our app. The logical structure of the app is made and visualized in this step.
• The next step is to design mobile apps with GPS geolocations. Usually, UX/UI design is used by the experts. The design must be intuitive, clear, and understandable.
• Then the coding process of the app is done by the experts. It is very necessary that our location-based app should be compatible with iOS, Android, and web developers.
• The testing stage is very important because we should test everything in the app before launching it to the market.
• Then the final stage is to release the app in the market.

Cost to develop a Location-based app:

The cost to develop a location-based app depends on many factors such as accuracy, speed, reliability, range, power consumption, and many more. The cost also varies from country to country and the functionality of the app. A simple app took about 300 hours of work while a complicated app could take about 700 work hours to develop.

Looking to build your own location-based app? then contact Aalpha.