Anyone who has ever shopped at Walmart knows how big the stores are and the deals they offer on every item. Shoppers are guaranteed good deals and savings at Walmart.

Consider this – Walmart has more than 7 million items for sale. Like every retailer, Walmart is trying to make it easier for its employees and customers to find what they need in a quick and convenient manner.

Therefore, to take the shopping experience to the next level, what new additions did the retailer make that has the market abuzz?

• Pharmacy – easy refills, no lines and the entire transaction takes just minutes

• Money Services – no extra paperwork, save time by going through the express lane with money already loaded in the wallet

• Express Lane services (yet to be introduced)

• E-Receipts

Read Also: How to Create An App Like Amazon?

 

Walmart introduced these features upon customer requests with an intent to offering a “personal assistant” who makes finding items and deals super easy.

Retail App use hasn’t been made available in every store and is expected to happen soon. The introduction of such capabilities makes Walmart the “go-to” store.  Even Walmart is investing a lot of money so that it can transform its business model and remain competitive.

The company’s emphasis is on streamlining the entire shopping process, especially since customers can buy everything under one roof.

Even a company like Walmart is trying to incorporate changes in the marketplace to enhance customer experiences by introducing new features periodically

Retail mobile app play a critical role in bridging the gap between physical and digital commerce. Not only do they facilitate convenient and fast buying, mobile apps are also fast transforming into vital platforms for interaction between retailers and customers.

Walmart’s current e-commerce sales graph for the US market shows:

However, in spite of the slight dip in the trend, the market for Walmart’s e-commerce business is picking up in 2019 again. In fact, experts project a staggering 25.8% of Walmart’s entire business to be generated through e-commerce in the United States by 2022.

Considering that shopping with apps has touched 57% in 2018, it is absolutely evident that customers will continue to use this method even in the coming days. As a retailer, if you want to create a retail app which is as successful as Walmart’s, this is what you need to get done.

Features to Incorporate:

• Availability of Items along with Stock Count:

This feature informs shoppers whether a specific item is available for purchase and how many are currently in stock. If a specific item is sold out, then the likely availability date should be mentioned along with a reminder to purchase when there is enough inventory in stock.

• Price Check:

This feature lets customers check the current selling price and do comparison shopping. This a key feature that is must have for any ecommerce app development.

• Other Product Information:

Including customer reviews have proven to be quite useful and motivates customer buying. Including recipes or new use ideas additionally boosts customer interest.

• Similar Products:

If customers can look at similar products and their functions, they will definitely buy what they want. This will cut down on item returns and assist in streamlining the management of returned merchandise.

• Previews:

With growing AR use and 3D modeling, companies which offer product previews and features stand a better chance of selling any product. This is especially true in the case of clothing and electronic items where customers like to take a closer look before making the final purchase decision.

• Geo-Location:

This feature works well if a customer is going shopping to a specific store. Use this effectively to promote sales with offers, deals on product combinations and loyalty programs as well. Include store maps so that these products can be located easily by the customer.

• Multiple Payment Gateways:

Offering customers a choice of payment methods will boost app use. Whether it is Apple Pay, Braintree, PayPal, Google Pay or some method popular in a specific country, redirecting shoppers to specific pages for their convenience will ensure higher sales.

• QR Codes:

This feature is now being used by many companies to get information on products and their prices. By using their phone to scan this code, customers can get other information like buying trends, reviews and discounts.

• Product Finder:

This feature must be included so that customers are quick to find exactly what they need. Adding it to the smart search feature will let customers find a product based on size, colour and any are filtering – criteria that may be applicable to the specific product search. It saves time because there is no need to scroll through an entire catalogue, mindlessly.

Read Also: 10 Best Shopping Apps UK 2019

 

Closing Thoughts:

The Walmart online business model acts as the benchmark for retailers when developing their individual ecommerce apps. They exactly know which key features are useful to in order to generate business and streamline searches.

If a customer must spend a lot of time searching for deals at their favourite retailer, they are bound to give up and find the same product elsewhere, if search consumers a lot of their precious time.

Simplicity and convenience are essential for a seamless shopping experience. Spending time upfront to integrate a retail app with inventory and payment methods will play a key role in staying competitive.

Whether app development is done in-house or outsourced, look at what the competition is doing right. This will offer a great roadmap to getting the formula right, and ultimately paving the way to success.

Less is more – this philosophy has a big role in design, whether it is physical spaces, web pages or app design. When minimalist ui design is used in web page or mobile app designs, only essential features are retained.

Think about it – when you visit a web page or install a new app on your phone, what is – it that appeals to you about it? Its design, usage of colors and ease of use.

Web page and app designers agree that the following features are essential in a successful UI design:

• Clean
• Uncomplicated
• Simple
• Visual appeal
• Attention to composition
• Good use of space
• Lots of white space
• Good proportion
• High functionality of each design element
• Using the right font
• Leave out non-essential elements

Read Also: Effective Post-Launch App Strategies That Can Drive Success

 

When these elements – are used in the right combination, it is easy to have a sophisticated app or web page which users love and will in all probability recommend to others as well.

Using minimalist ui design and keeping things simple does not mean that it is primitive or vague. It is all about keeping only the important elements and leaving out the fluff, which can be a distraction.

Trends to look forward to in 2019

Statistics and market trends are testimony to the fact that minimalism in UI will dominate in 2019.

One of the major reasons for this shift is the fact that users are more impatient and will only use a platform which is appealing, with pleasing colours, animation elements which are intuitive and touch friendly.

Some trends to expect especially in 2019 are:

• Mobile first: In the last decade, the sheer number of mobile users have gone up and overtaken those who use their laptops/desktops. This gap will widen with time as smartphones are becoming faster and can offer the same access to information. Businesses are investing in app development just as aggressively to stay relevant and retain their customer base.

• Designing with thumb usage in mind: Users these days prefer panels which are 18:9 instead of 16:9. Since a phone’s control is at the bottom of a screen, apps are designed to be within easy reach of the user’s thumb. App designers will work towards making this functional change so that their audience can navigate any site quite easily.

• Overlap of effects: Designers are harnessing the power of a smartphone’s processor and combining multiple layers of graphics to create beautiful interfaces. Thanks to the use of good displays, colour gradients and minimalism, users can look forward to a lot of great apps

• Designs without frames: Trends keep up with changes in the physical design of phones. Phone manufacturers are making new devices in which the screens and edges are really close together, with rounded edges. This helps in creating an immersive display and interface integration that is much smoother. Expect 2019 to be the year in which Frameless Designs are introduced

Why Minimalism Is So Critical?

Minimalism is in high demand these days, especially – when deployed in the enhancement of UI design and experience with websites and mobile apps.

The minimalist approach in ui has all the elements to enhance the cognitive experience of a user – keyboard design, screen displays, use of colours, fonts etc.

The perfect definition of minimalism is “marriage of function and form”. This philosophy makes even the most complex subject easy to understand by clear, concise and consistent copy along with visual aids.

Though all of this may sound complicated, it boils down to offering an app which can be navigated easily to find needed information, fast.

Read Also: Why Should App Developers Consider Flutter in 2019?

 

To do this well, the following elements play a key role.

• Colour scheme: Since apps are a visual medium, using soft colours and just a few can have a big impact. Choose one colour and different shades of it from a colour palate. Modification can be done by increasing the brightness and saturation of the same colour – you have a range to play with and it is visually pleasing. Using an analog palate is another idea in which 3 colours next to each other on the colour wheel are picked. Different colours can be used to prioritize important tasks and use lighter colours to denote less important tasks.

• Blurring effects: This is an important feature as it allows developers to layer the interface. Done right, it lets designers explore overlays and different menus to present information in one place. Details are brought to the forefront and less relevant information fades into the background – together it offers an intuitive interaction, making navigation and understanding information easy.

• Even fonts across an app: Picking the right font is very important. Using too many fonts can be hard on the eye and distracting. Try different fonts and see which one appeals to your sensibility and then change the weight, size and style of a font – don’t use different fonts in one area. Check to see which font the platform uses – Apple and Google use specific ones to keep the look even across the board. It is not something that users think about a lot, but it does have an impact on the overall user experience. It may be in the background, but users are subconsciously aware of it. Also, make sure that your colour choice has enough contrast to the font in order to help people with visual problems to read information properly.  Since font size is important and there is limited space on a phone screen, accent colours and slightly larger headlines can capture reader attention faster. Make sure that the spacing between the letters is also good.
• Focusing the spotlight on specific data: Here, developers can use their basic colour palate and a larger font to draw attention to a call to action. Using a neutral colour, for e.g. grey for the overall scheme and a contrasting bright blue or green to focus user attention on calls to action works very well. It draws the eye to the task that a user should perform. Larger fonts and a bright colour together draw the eye to a specific area on the screen without the need for more hints.

• Division by space and elements: Again, using minimalism and eliminating clutter in the form of lines and boxes can keep an interface clean and tidy. Colour can be used to draw the eye to important information. Grabbing a person’s attention can be done with the use of shadows etc. and define sections in a subdued fashion.

• Icons: Icons are a great resource as they are pictorial and universally understood. These are great additions to the minimalist trend and can be used in many areas of an app to let a user know what they are doing. Highlighted icons indicate the active sections and tabs. Thus – recognizing them is straightforward.

How Using the Above Elements Leads to A Great and Minimalist UI?

• Focus on the most important elements: The beauty of using minimalist ui design is that it helps designers keep only what is necessary. Every single element has a purpose and fulfills a specific need. It leads to a clean and lucid layout. The question – “Is this component really necessary?” will help in retaining only that which is needed.

• Fewer colours: Using just a few colours helps in focusing a user’s attention while making the interface clean. It also promotes positive interaction – sometimes too much colour can be distracting.

• Harmony: Minimalistic ui design leads to harmony in a site. Place all elements in a simple but invisible grid to create a great visual hierarchy.

• Expressive use of fonts: As a core visual element, it informs a user of the content but also sets the style of a page. Combining colour and the right font, designers work very hard to find the right combination for harmony and elegance. Each element is put in place to make the right emotional impact. Readability is in no way compromised.

• Limited choices: An important driver in the minimalism philosophy, the focus is on functionality. By using easy fonts and pleasing colours, a reader’s attention is maintained so that problems are easy to solve and information easy to find.

• Navigation: Attention is also focused on navigation because the entire purpose is to find the much needed help or information. A simple and unobtrusive navigation menu which works well in the background is a key element in a minimalist website.

Read Also: 11 Top Mobile App development Frameworks 2019

 

Conclusion

All in all, minimalism is a great – technique to design a terrific user interface. The goal in using minimalist ui design is to ensure a clean interface which is functional and easily understood by any user around the work.

The whole idea is to create very simple flows for users, employ clear visuals and create an interaction which is seamless. It is a fact that the success or failure of an app will depend on whether it can make a user come back for more.

Any app which can present information in one snapshot is deemed to be successful.

To reiterate, simplicity is highly effective.  Let your app draw in users by combining a well-crafted and easy to look at layout by using minimalist ui design elements to the max.

Finding the right balance need not be tricky – put yourself in the customer’s shoes. This will help in including important elements, leaving out the inessential and provide a captivating experience to the end user.

All of this requires planning and careful decisions. Going through this process can lead to gratifying results.

App development is pretty big these days and more and more people are getting into it. Almost every industry is dependent on technological advancements for their progression and those who are not are heavily investing in new technologies. One such industry is the healthcare industry.

If you are thinking about making a healthcare app then you must first learn about the healthcare industry in general. You need to learn about all the tips and stats of the industry if you want to involve in the development of best healthcare app.

Many things go into the process of developing a new app. And in this article, we are going to discuss the tips and tricks in healthcare app development.

Read Also: Growing Prevalence of Healthcare Mobile Apps in UK

The Healthcare Industry

The healthcare industry has been investing heavily in developing digital apps which will help the industry develop and achieve new heights.

Among all the other industries, the healthcare industry is utilizing smartphones for app development and they are incorporating more and more digital technology to further their business.

The term health is often used in the medical and healthcare industry to describe the application of mobile phones and other devices in the industry. Healthcare apps are really useful, and they have a lot of benefits.

Healthcare apps are dominating the market as of now and they have become quite popular. There are more than 97,000 apps available on Android and iOS. With these, patients can check their status and order meds online.

Most doctors these days rely on these apps to help them keep a proper record of their patients. Currently, North America is dominating the global health market.

But countries like India and China aren’t far behind either. Europe is also developing rapidly in this regard and the UK and Germany are among the best options for digital healthcare solutions.

Benefits of Healthcare apps

Healthcare apps have immense benefits. The apps are easy to use and as mentioned above almost all doctors and their patients use these apps.

These apps give the user access to many services and features. Earlier if you wanted to book an appointment with the doctor then you either had to physically go to the clinic/hospital and book an appointment or you can call the hospital/ or clinic.

But now you can do that with an app and it’s a lot easier and saves a lot of time. You can even interact with doctors or check your medical reports without physically visiting the hospital. But apart from this, there are any other services provided by these apps.

The apps help the doctors and nurses to collect data with ease and they ensure easy and immediate access in the remote areas. By keeping a record of everything, these apps minimize the risk of incorrect data.

Patients can gain access to their medical record anytime etc. This also provides scope for new business opportunities.

Types of healthcare apps

If you or your company wants to create amazing healthcare apps then you should learn about the types of healthcare apps that are out there. Healthcare apps are used by doctors and patients and this is how the apps can be differentiated.

The apps used by the doctors are best when it concerns medical records. But the apps that the patients use have a wide range of features and services which they can use at their discretion.

But there are many apps which can be used by both doctors and patients. Apps that help you track your weight, lifestyle, mental health are a few such apps. Some apps will let you keep track of your schedule or let you book appointments with doctors.

The apps that let you track your weight is probably the one that’s the most used by the two parties i.e. the doctors and the patients.

These apps also offer many other services and also monitor your heartbeat which is very essential these days. Healthcare apps do not take up much space which is why almost everyone can download and use them.

Read Also: 10 Best Health and Fitness Apps 2019

Tips for facing Problems That Arise in the Development of  a Healthcare App

Making an app for the healthcare industry can be quite difficult. You have to consider many factors before you start developing such apps.

1) HIPAA Guidelines

The first thing you will have to do is follow the HIPAA guidelines. For those of you who don’t know what HIPPA stands for, it’s Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

This protects all the information related to health which can be identified individually. And if you’re wondering why this is important then you should know that this is the only law that checks how is being stored and how it is being shared over an application.

Before you or your company starts developing apps, go through this guideline thoroughly and if you decide to hire a developer then make sure that they know all the laws, and constraints.

But some apps do not have to follow these guidelines, but those apps usually offer general information about health and nothing more.

But this isn’t the only constraint, modern healthcare apps have a tough time integrating with the outdated systems that the hospitals and clinics use.

As a developer, you will have to make an app which can be accessed by both the parties and only then will you be able to develop the best healthcare app.

2) Good UI/UX

Making a good UI/UX is very important.  Most of the apps have a complicated user interface which makes it difficult to use and they also tend to have complex user navigation. After a while, this can get quite annoying hence you should spend a considerable amount of time on the app’s UI.

You will have to make sure that your app’s UI is user-friendly and that it doesn’t consume a lot of battery while running in the background. If you make your UI unique the chances of people downloading your app will increase significantly.

The app developers usually have direct access to the patient’s health records. Therefore, it’s important to maintain a certain level of transparency. Your app needs to have good privacy settings and the terms and conditions should be mentioned.

Otherwise, people might complain, and they can even file a lawsuit against the app if they please. So be careful while creating the app’s privacy settings.

3) Test Your App

Finally, the most important thing that you have to do is test your app. You need to make sure that your app is functioning properly before releasing it because if the app malfunctions then it can give out false or negative information to its users which can have some serious consequences.

The things that you should give priority while checking are the privacy settings, whether it’s following the HIPAA guidelines or not and the authenticity for PII and PHI regulations.

If your app is a fitness tracker and uses location services, then you should also check whether the services are working properly or not. Make sure to test your app in low connectivity.

If your app uses a scanner then make sure that the scanner works properly. And lastly, your app should be compatible with both Android and IOS. Also, make sure that the app doesn’t take up too much space.

4) Marketing and Monetizing the App

Now that you know how to make the app of your dreams, it’s time for you to focus on how to monetize your app once you are finished developing the app. You can start by creating paid accounts and adding ads to your app.

This way it will be easier for you to earn money. And there are many other options besides this which you can look for on the internet. You will have to promote your app all over social media to get the best response.

Your app needs to reach everyone and as you know the competition is fierce, there are thousands of healthcare apps out there. Therefore, you will have to make sure that your app gets exposure.

If you can then try to make your app unique (as mentioned earlier) or at least add a unique feature to your app that will make people want to download your app.

Consult other developers on how to promote your app and how to sell it to a healthcare company. The more you talk to other developers the more you will be able to understand the industry and make your dream app a success.

The health industry is flourishing as of now and you won’t have to struggle too much to find success. Everyday people are downloading healthcare apps and using them.

New developers and companies are launching apps almost daily. More than 84000 health app developers have launched their apps recently and the numbers just keep growing.

Read Also: Effective Post Launch App Strategies That can Drive Success

Final Thoughts

If you’re a young and budding app developer and have decided to make it big in the healthcare industry, then you have made a good choice. The need for technology is ever-growing and soon all of the hospitals will rely on digital tech to get their work done.

And make sure to sell your app to a legit company otherwise your app could be misused by a lot of people. And if you manage to sell it, then be sure to promote it as much as you can and of course, the company will help you with this.

So do not worry too much, and start developing your app. If you follow the above development tips and stats, then you will surely make the best healthcare app.

The phrase Tech Stack may sound like a peculiar jargon for non-technical individuals, but for people in tech domain its quite common workaday term.

For those living off the tech field, Tech Stack is a set of most essential technologies (tools, framework and software) that power web/mobile application and its entire ecosystem and drive the product success.

When spoken in terms of web or mobile application development, a fully blown, mature tech stack comprises of programming languages and software that enable developers to write application.

We are first going to briefly glimpse into the importance of Tech stack before taking a plunge into the depth of the subject.

Read Also: Impact of AI in Banking Sector

 

Importance of considering the perfect Tech Stack

As your entire mobile or web app is built using the power of technology, it is important to learn and acquire enough knowledge about the tech stack.

However, for a person who is into ideation and conceptualization, the job gets a little cumbersome and daunting. But you must know that these technologies are going to determine the future of your web and mobile app structure.

For instance, the choice of cloud technology where your app is migrated from the local storage has a lot to do with the operations and high-volume traffic of the server system.

Furthermore, the application development tech stack will also affect the security level and scalability of app functionality.

When you mull over the different user expectations and think about urgency of delivering flawless app performance, you will realize how important it is to invest in Tech stack that powers your app.

Hence, getting in involved in the extensive brainstorming for deciding on tech stack before the production work is highly considerable since making any changes later will impose intimidating risks related to cost and time.

1) Backend server-side technology

Backend technologies contribute to creating a skeleton for your web or mobile app and stay invisible to users. What users see as visual interface of any app is the result of the powerful involvement of backend technologies.

The set of backend Techs usually includes frameworks, languages, operating systems and servers. What you choose as your backend building is crucial to what you want to deliver.

 “LAMP” is quite popular abbreviation in the world of web development understood as a combination of Linux OS, Apache HTTP server, MySQL database system, and PHP programing language. The backend stack can also involve Ruby on Rails framework instead of PHP core.

The Tech stack choice for backend has nowadays been upgraded to MEAN which is another backend tech acronym for MongoDB, Express.js, AngularJS, and Node.js. They are especially handy for creating MVPs.

2) Front end (client side) technology

Front end technologies are used to build the visual presentation (client side) of your app that users directly interact with. Users see and depend on the tools and elements exhibited on the screen to get things done.

Front end tech stack is simple and more straightforward than back end stack, and it helps convert your application into a readable form.

Most common front end interface technologies are:

• JavaScript: makes the web page interactive and responsive
• HTML: Defines information structure
• CSS: Adds style to the content elements (font, colors, layouts, etc)

You can also consider contemporary frameworks such as Angular JS, Backbone.js, and ReactJS.

Front end technologies for smartphone apps:

• Objective-C/SWIFT for iOS apps
• Java for Android apps

Apart from major app development frameworks, you can also opt for certain development-focused software that helps expedite the process efficiency and ensures coordination among developers. It will be great to integrate time tracking and project management tools.

3) How to make the right choice for Tech Stack?

Finally, it all boils down to how you choose your app development Tech Stack. Here is what you should focus on:

a) The purpose of Application

It is easy to find developers pocking technologies that they have experience with or knowledge about. However, one must primarily focus on application purpose to determine what technology suite will create an optimal, project-friendly tech stack.

The factors that play central role here is the application niche such as banking, social media, game or ecommerce. Ask yourself: Is it desktop app or a mobile app? Is it targeting millions of daily users or resolving security concerns?

Read Also: Everything You Need to Know About Chatbot Development

 

Each purpose requires its own unique set of approach and skills for including programming languages and tools.

b) Price vs Flexibility

For project handlers, the confusion between the price and flexibility of tech usage often poses a crux during the discussion. PHP is a commonly used open source structure unlike other solutions and enables affordable code writers.

Other languages may ask you to buy its premium libraries and readymade platforms which will demand more finance.

The price will be easily compensated with flexibility if you seek technology that allows future changes in app functionality. Hence, if your app is focused on evolving features, it is better to choose the extensible language which may add to your upkeep.

c) Business scale and objective

The scale and stage of your business will be another contributor to determining a comprehensive tech stack. For beginners, it is pivotal to launch the MVP in shortest while possible.

Choose the language or framework or CMS that allows you to build a functional app prototype as quickly as you need. That said, WordPress would be perfect for a landing pages or blogging websites and saves you a lot of programming hassle.

Java and PHP sound appropriate if your business space is as sophisticated as banking and commerce.

d) Project scope and length

What are your detailed project requirements? Does it entail real-time live functionality such as a modern-day chatbot? Or does it require developing a GPS-based functionality as found in food order service?

In such cases, concurrent stack like Node supports best. WordPress and Drupal best suits blogging whereas Angular and React helps develop best UI with complex interactions. Remember that any wrong selection will lead to an unpleasant loss.

e) Resources and talent

Apart from choosing the right Tech stack that best goes with your business objective, it is equally important to discover finest developers who are versed and familiar with technologies you practice.

What would influence your decision about tech stack is making sure you hire web/mobile app development experts who can work within your Tech stack. Don’t select the technology that targets only a specific type of projects.

Choose a frequently used tools and frameworks preferred by wide community of developers so that you can easily hire a team of app developers.

4) Cost of development and post-development process

As we discussed above, what you stuff in your Tech stack will influence development cost. Additionally, it would also affect the cost of hiring the right talent.

What kind of skills and experience developers possess for a given technology will drive cost decisions as much as how much maintenance the application requires after MVP development. Think of maintenance and product improvement cost along with development cost.

5) Implement analytics

To better manage the entire tech stack in place, developers also need an efficient, well-synchronized product analytics.

These analytics software bring together available data sources across the whole stack and provide information on the real-time activities and minute tracking data.

Using this, developers can easily identify ongoing issues with user experience and fix them quickly.

6) Timeframe constraints

You would amply appreciate the Tech Stack that optimizes development timeframe so that you will have enough space for marketing the app. Faster you finish the development, the more time you will gain for post-launch marketing and implementing user feedback.

The leading factor that impacts the development cycle is integrating third-party apps. The Tech stack you choose should facilitate swift integration of features in your web or mobile application using third-party APIs.

Aside from integration, also check your technologies for the amount of ease for running tests on the given platform. Having a tech stack that facilitates rapid bug testing, fixes and feature improvements will give you advantage of saving a lot of time.

Read Also: Role of Blockchain in App Development

 

7) Create a Powerful Technology Stack

Deciding on Technology Stack requires you to imagine all the wild technical possibilities typically woven in web and mobile app development process.

From project managers and designers to developers and testers, everybody should unite together in an agile fashion to build a powerful Tech stack because this crucial decision can directly affect company’s performance.

To make things faster, dynamic and more controlled, you need to spare some time and talk to a team of experienced developers about your requirements and business priorities. They will suggest software testing tools and software you need to turn your idea into a mature mobile or web app.

What is Biometric authentication ?

In UK, Biometric authentication a method of authenticating a persons individuality using your features mainly the fingerprint to logging you in an examination, an app, a tool or so on.

This confirms your identity based on your body capacity and one additional thing added to this feature is that it utilizes the data to contrast you against a record and enters your data in a service as required.

Statistics are a part of the norm in the financial sector and what do financial institutions have to do to safeguard their customers and their businesses?

Technological change is impacting every aspect of life and it is evident with the increased dependence and use of mobile devices.

Read Also: 9 Steps To Ensure Security For Mobile Banking Apps

 

As more information is generated and stored in the cloud, on computers and even mobile devices, it is important to safeguard personal information.

But striking a balance between easy access and security can be a bit of a challenge for everyone.  It is not easy to remember more than five or six passwords at any given time.

In this digital age, the use of biometrics provides us with an efficient and user-friendly way of ensuring top-notch protection services.

Consider this fact – global spending on Biometrics in the banking and financial sector is expected to cross $9 billion by 2024.

The use of biometric authentication in the banking industry against a backdrop of fraud and security breaches is on the rise and a good development for many reasons in UK.

Things such as iris scans and fingerprints are unique to each person and offer the best possible security measure when compared to passwords.

Passwords can be obtained by sharing, phishing and even hacking while biometrics signatures of an individual cannot be replicated.

Here are some reasons why biometric authentication is expected to transform the banking sector in UK.

Simple:

Experts suggest that people change their passwords frequently and use a combination of numbers and symbols for each account that they access.

Most people use dates, names and other information which is easy to remember but can be hacked easily. Using biometric authentication in UK can change this completely.

Higher security:

News of data breaches has become very common and the increase in mobile devices is exacerbating the problem and will continue to do so, unless changes are made.

Biometrics, while not fraud-proof, provides a larger measure of security. Mobile app development companies are working with authorities in the financial sector to devise multi-factor authentication which is easy to use and is also hack-proof.

Device-based:

Biometric security elements like fingerprint and voice recognition can be developed to work on different devices. Switching completely to biometrics could isolate a number of customers, which is why banks use a hybrid approach.

Using devices with a pin and an iris or fingerprint allows for higher accountability. Continued research is being done to make biometrics accessible and easy to implement, beyond devices.

Read also : App Development Cost- Design, Development, Deployment

Rising demand:

Studies show that over 90% of customers in the financial sector want to use biometrics but so far only about 13% have implemented some features.

Quite a few feel they don’t have -adequate experience or are confident in dealing with biometric security features as the requirements keep changing.

User experience:

Enhanced security measures make consumers feel a lot safer and more amenable to adopting new technology as it keeps their money and personal data safe.

On the flip side, adoption of such measures by banks and customers reduces the workload on banks to a large extent and is a great time saving measure. The transition to a cashless society is becoming a reality much faster than expected.

The need for biometric security has gone up a lot since the financial crisis of 2008.

Many a mobile app development company is working on developing software applications in the financial and regulatory technology to not just automate compliance but also regulate activities at every level in the finance as well as other industry sectors too.

Image Source: IBM’s Future of Identity infographic

Some of the benefits to financial institutions include:

With the deployment and use of fingerprint technology and facial recognition systems on iOS and android phones, companies are investing time and money to explore cross platform app development with biometrics.

Smartphones today use fingerprint recognition and this technology is easily integrated to unlock a banking app and authorize payments.

This is very convenient and far more user-friendly than using passwords. Biometrics also help in safeguarding sensitive customer information from employees and prevents phishing.

Trends to look forward to in 2019

Many more people are making the digital shift and using their phones to conduct banking related transactions. Over 50% of users are comfortable with the available authentication technology.

According to projections, the biometric market is expected to touch $24.5 billion by 2023 and close to 2.6 billion users.  With cyber-criminals becoming more sophisticated and adjusting their tactics to breach databanks, regulators and software developers have to figure out what works best.

Here is a look at some of the trends in UK which could take place during the next few years and how biometric authentication technology will impact mobile banking in particular.

• Other modalities like voice, heartbeat and facial recognition can be used as a part of the enhanced security process for a new and better user experience (UX).

• PINs, passwords and touch ID will no longer suffice. Many institutions are considering various combinations to make it difficult for hackers to penetrate a firewall and gain access to personal information. Two or three factor authentication processes is under consideration. However,- it will be a while before current manual login processes will be phased out completely.

One important factor to consider is the security related to such systems. Whether it is for iOS app development or Android app development, templates are created and used to carry out authentication.

These have to be encrypted end to end and information with regard to authentication keys cannot be saved or stored on the server or the device in use. Overall system security related to logins will depend on how secure a device is.

Surveys done after the implementation of biometrics for mobile banking has garnered positive reviews from customers.

Key takeaways are as follows:

Decreased login issues:

By getting rid of frustration related to remembering passwords and the easy use of mobile banking apps, 86% of users are positively inclined towards biometrics.

Over 20% of customers check their accounts and make payments with biometrics enabled on their accounts.

Familiarity and comfort:

Consumers are also becoming aware of the need for security and biometric use is becoming a familiar presence.

Since mobile users already have to scan their fingerprints to use their phones, the transition to apps to carry out tasks related to banking is not that difficult.

Trust:

Biometrics also help in encouraging positivity towards brands which offer the latest technology and security to their customers.

More than 75% of users are in favour of biometrics and are of the opinion that their information is more secure.  These users are also comfortable trying out new technology if it keeps their information safe.

Latest Reports

According to reports in UK shared by Spiceworks, approximately 90% of global businesses will adapt to biometric authentication technology in some form by the year 2020.

Current data suggests that almost 62% of businesses worldwide have already migrated to biometrics. Regardless of the ascending trend in biometric technology, the financial sector is still trailing behind other industries.

There is no doubt that biometric technology is not just powerful, but it is also disruptive. Millions of customers have eagerly embraced this technology to keep their data and money safe.

Read Also: 10 Best Mobile Banking Apps UK 2019

Conclusion

Biometrics also offer a good balance between security and convenience.  Whether one uses mobile apps or ATMs, transactions can be carried out from anywhere, any device and at any time.

It eliminates the need for passwords and no special equipment is needed to carry out transactions.

Thanks to technology and a more connected world, biometrics are not only effective but also a sustainable method to prove identity.

Biometric technology is expected to become more accepted and popular. It would be interesting to see what will develop in the future and how technology will evolve to address banking and customer security needs.

It will also be interesting to see how app development companies develop software for each issue and how changes will be implemented in the foreseeable future.