The benefits of making your application work offline
Most of the time, the users find the applications working as best once there is smooth connectivity of WiFi or data connection. The instances are many when users can avail various benefits from the applications that work quite well as offline. On considering many commuters, they tend to spend more time in subway travelers or tunnels who are not interested in paying the hefty price for the international data. As poor connectivity can cause poor user experiences too. The applications having poor UX are considered to be quite frustrating, and many users also consider deleting them too.
But, how can you develop your application parts available without any internet connection?
At OSI we love exploring the working for applications, their benefits and have launched some apps which have successfully launched its offline capabilities.
How do most of the applications work?
Usually, the application follows a simple data transfer structure including the application on one side and respective content connecting server and another side. Both of these things should be complementary to each other for ensuring a smooth data transfer if needed anytime.
Everyone thinks that various e-commerce applications or photo stocks should always be online and can slow down once the connectivity of the internet becomes slow. The applications are considered to be "offline first" as they will never slow down if the connectivity is poor.
Benefits of using offline applications:
Poor connectivity will never frustrate your users:
If you are using an offline application or an app that is supposed to have a partial offline function then you as a user can use it more likely at various areas having poor connectivity. Do make sure where your target audience belongs to as they are residing at a place where data connectivity or WiFi range is slow. If this is the case working with the offline application will help you in increasing the user retention and acquisition rates.
Edge on competition:
The market for application is quite huge, and there are always one or more competitors on considering Lyft and Uber or Facebook and WhatsApp messenger. People can choose the application based on many factors, some of them do opt for better functionality while some of another look for top-notch UI or UX design. But if your competitor has an online application while you are sourcing an offline one. In zones where there is no network the chance for winning the competition are very much higher.
The user can gain more loyalty:
If the user knows that they can trust the application in the areas of poor connectivity they will love to use your application:
Users do appreciate the applications that operate offline due to the below reasons:
Examples of offline Application:
There are a much offline application which can make your life easier, your time to be efficient and work to be more productive.
Netflix:
In 2016, the Netflix announced for the users that they can download all data from the most popular movies and shows and can save them locally in your device for streaming videos require a high-speed internet connection. Ensuring the access of data for users after downloading makes sure that user can have access to Netflix in poor connection areas too. Nowadays you can download videos from Netflix while on WiFi and can feel comfortable for watching videos from anywhere.
Google Maps:
Wondering how often users travel from one part of the world to another part and this is one of the reasons the Google map application can work partially offline too. The app allows you the download the direction of the predetermined area of the worldwide map. The users are allowed to have access to detailed instructions and maps. Most of the GPS installed in mobile phones works without internet connections too. This makes the users roam around without internet connection with the help of Google Maps.
Cost Control :
The offline application built by us have a secure backend system which on recognition of any change in price update the system, minimizing the manual labor.
Benefits of using offline access for the application:
It is quite understandable that many applications can be developed entirely offline, but a significant portion of them or data can be accessed without any internet connection.
If your application works offline, then the same allows you to ensure better UX, excellent customer loyalty and an edge over the competition.