How can a WordPress blogger stand apart in the saturated online space? Starting a mobile app is a good way of doing so. Here is an article on how to make an app for your blog without coding.
Blogs are no longer seen as a small adage to a great website. Many online entrepreneurs start their journey by monetizing their blog.
CMS platforms like WordPress have further made it easy for bloggers to create powerful websites. You can realistically build a career out of a blog if you know how to leverage the incoming traffic to build a business.
Since starting a blog is easy, you can find hundreds and thousands of blogs across every little marketable niche. For a new blogger, it is difficult to stand apart online with a simple blog. There is a real need to look beyond blogs and blogging in order to distinguish yourself from the crowd.
How can a WordPress blogger stand apart in the saturated online space?
Start a mobile app: Go beyond the bush-league world of websites
According to a study, atleast 85% shoppers prefer to shop on mobile apps over mobile websites.
Ecommerce is not the only field where apps are becoming a mainstay. Social media is another great example. Instagram is solely focused on catering to mobile audiences. This is obvious as Instagram offers limited functionality to website users, but complete accessibility to app users.
There are many reasons that mobile apps are leaving websites behind:
- Apps are more accessible to an average mobile user. Websites can also be accessed through a browser, making the process longer.
- Apps are built to perform in a native mobile environment. While websites can be designed to be mobile responsive, they cannot offer the same level of functionality and performance.
- Mobile apps can deliver greater personalization options compared to websites.
- Features like push notifications make apps more marketable. The distance between a business managing an app and the app users is fairly small.
For all these advantages, making an app is not as simple as starting a blog. Traditional code-based development is not something an average blogger can learn overnight.
With a codeless iOS and Android app maker, you can build an app for your blog without any technical knowhow. The following sections provide a guide on how to build a mobile app for a blog without coding.
Build an app for your WordPress blog: The steps
WordPress is the most popular CMS in the world. If you are a blogger, there is a good chance you’re already using WordPress.
In the following steps, we will cover the process of creating a mobile app for a WordPress blog. For this particular article, we’ll use AppMySite as the no-code development solution.
Let’s begin.
Setup your app design
App design, in simple words, is a sum total of your app looks and feels. If your app looks the part and makes the experience of an average user worthwhile, you’ve already nailed app design.
AppMySite makes app design quite simple. You can design app elements using the tools available or upload artwork you’ve already created.
The following points highlight some of the screens you can design:
- Icon and splash screen: Design an app icon and splash screen for your app. Your designs will eventually be reflected in the app.
- Login, signup, & forgot password: Design onboarding screens which bring your app users into the app. You can style the on-screen buttons and fields as well.
- Color theme: Choose a color combination that will be reflected across all your app screens.
- Home screen: Make a home screen for your app. Manage the sections you wish to display on the home screen, change their arrangement, and more.
Connect the app to your WordPress blog
As a blogger, starting an app often means bringing your awesome blog content to a native app.
The next step in the process is connecting your WordPress blog and app. Simply follow the steps below:
- Download the AppMySite WordPress plugin on your website.
- Activate the plugin.
- Go to Connectivity in your AppMySite account and click on Verify on the Install Plugin screen.
- Your website and app will be connected.
Your app will now start showing your website blogs, pages, menus, categories, and other data within the app. Any change you make to your website content will harmonize seamlessly with your app.
Manage app settings
It is important to finetune your app settings to make sure it is ready for end users. You can configure a whole variety of app settings while building an app on AppMySite.
Here are a few settings you can change:
- Choose the app menu you wish to display on the app. You can choose to either import your website menu or create a new one on AppMySite.
- Manage the webview settings of your app. There is an option here to enable a webview interface for all your app screens. Use this option to render your mobile website within the app.
- Create a bottom navigation menu for your mobile app.
- Enter the basic information about your app such as privacy policy, contact details, and more.
- Add your social media handles. These will be reflected within the app.
Test and download your app
Once you’re done building your app, it’s time to test it.
You can preview the app on live Android and iOS emulators. These emulators will help you see how your app looks and works.
For further testing, you can also preview your app on a real device. Download the AppMySite demo app to see how your app works in a smartphone environment.
When you’re happy with your app, proceed to downloading it. You can download an APK & AAB build for Android and an IPA build for iOS and go live on Google Play and App Store.
In conclusion
Beyond blogging, there is a whole world of opportunities you can explore to grow your business and stand apart from the competition. One opportunity worth exploring is app development.
To make your own app, you don’t need to know any kind of programming. A WordPress blogger can easily use an online app maker and build a presence on Google Play and App Store.
This article presents a complete overview of the steps you can take to make an app for your WordPress blog.