The citizen development movement has started to empower business departments across all industries to build apps without the help of the IT department. It helps the entire team cut down on time to market and budget because you don’t have to pay for an entire development team. The rise of no code app builder software is allowing businesses to be more agile and flexible with their app development! Let’s take a look into the details of how to create an app without coding. Know What Type of App to BuildBefore you begin the building process and become an app maker, you need to ask yourself what you exactly want to build. You need to ask yourself not only how to create an app but also what do I want or need to build for my specific use case? There are native mobile apps, web apps, hybrid apps, and Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) that you can choose from. Your first idea of an app is probably a native mobile app, which you download from an app store and takes up space on your phone. Native mobile apps can be extremely expensive and time consuming to develop since you have to build an app for different operating systems. If time and money are not on your side, there are many other options than the ordinary native mobile app. For example, PWAs take the best of native mobile apps and web apps and combine them into one. A PWA builder can deliver an app on a URL that can integrate with native device functionalities - think camera, geolocation, etc. Native mobile apps and PWAs are not the only options and it is imperative to find your mobile champion prior to starting the building process. Find the Right App BuilderFinding the right app builder is imperative to building an app with little to no code. There is a difference between low-code and no-code and you need to make sure you understand what each app builder’s capabilities are and what coding knowledge the users will need. Take Appy Pie and Lumavate, both offer a friendly user interface that allows users to build apps using a no code platform. However, Appy Pie is a no code platform that allows you to build hybrid apps. Appy Pie does not allow you to bring in any of your own code to customize apps. So if there is a feature or integration you want to have, you either have to pay for it or learn to live without it. Whereas, Lumavate is a low code platform that allows you to build apps with no code but also gives you the option to bring in your own code if you desire. You can use any programming language of your choice when extending the functionality of Lumavate’s platforms. This allows you to build the foundation and advance features of your app with no code by using the user-friendly interface but it also gives you the ability to adapt and add in customizations if that is a desire for your team. Both can be extremely useful for different use cases but it’s important to know what type of flexibility and obstacles may come up based on the app builder you choose to use. Become a Citizen DeveloperLastly, you get to join the citizen developer community and become an app creator! If you haven’t heard about citizen developers it’s okay because it’s exactly what you are planning on doing! It’s being able to build an app using little to no code required. You no longer have to ask others “how to create an app for android” or “how to make an app for iPhone” because you will know what type of platform to build apps on and how they can be used for operating systems and other devices. As a citizen developer, you are going to see how low code and/or no code platforms can transform your team into an agile and flexible app-building team. You no longer need to wait for IT to build out your next native app because you have the tools to build your next app right in front of you.
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