The reasons to make your no-code app with AppSheet

If you need to develop an App quickly and at a lower cost -than using traditional methodologies- the new Google AppSheet no-code tool is for you. In this article, you will find its features, how to create an application, and the advantages of working with it. We will also give a tour of the benefits of creating an application and the advantages of using no-code.

Are you ready? Let's get started. 

What is no-code development?

No-code development is a way of creating digital products that dispense with traditional programming languages. Its way of development is by dragging and dropping elements on visual platforms, without the need to code anything. 

If you are interested in knowing more in detail about no-code you can read this article. 

What does this mean? It means that the possibility of creating software is no longer limited to only one part of the population, which are software engineers. This generates new roles both inside and outside companies because people acquire greater autonomy and speed. 

To learn more about how no-code transforms people into Citizen Developers you can read this article.

No-code development has many benefits that you will find below. Now let's take a look at AppSheet. 

Create no-code apps with AppSheet

AppSheet was created in 2014 and bought by Google in 2020, to be integrated into Google Cloud, the company's web development application platform.

What is it for? AppSheet allows you to create applications without writing code, but by using Google spreadsheets. Broadly speaking, what it makes possible is to convert the data organized in the spreadsheets into applications.

So, it is not about working with code but with data. To use AppSheet the process is as simple as creating a Google spreadsheet, enter the necessary data and click on extensions (at the top of the page).

In this video you will find a tutorial to take your first steps with Appsheet.

With this platform you can create all kinds of apps, from calendars, maps, to forms, but to access all its features you must purchase a subscription. 

Below we will see these and more features of the platform. 

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Features of AppSheet 

• The simplicity of use: Its interface is intuitive and allows anyone without programming knowledge to create an application in just a few steps. It also has templates so that you don't have to start from scratch.

• Real-time updates: Since the datasheet is synchronized with the application, the modifications you make will be instantly visible on your users' screens. 

• Security: It is integrated with the Google Cloud platform, so AppSheet has the highest security standards provided by Google.

• Compatibility: The applications you create can be compatible with different operating systems, including Cloud, Saas, IOS, and Android. In addition, the applications can be used on computers, tablets, or cell phones.

• Affordable price: The platform offers a free version with basic tools but also offers very economical plans to increase functionality. The initial plan is only €5 per month, while an average plan is €10 per month.

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Why create an app

The “App Economy”

Applications are of great importance in the economy, so much so that this segment has its name: the "App Economy". This is because nowadays businesses and other items cannot overlook having an app, making this segment one that produces millions of dollars year after year.

Sources such as Statista estimate that the value of the app economy in 2021 was $6.3 trillion. This value translates to about 72.5 billion app downloads globally in 2021, which is 1.7% more than in 2020.

In addition, the centrality of cell phones as mass-accessible, easy-to-use technological objects continues to boom. Cell phones continue to be the preferred means of navigation, which is why the market is increasingly oriented toward this segment.

What does this generate? A whole economic ecosystem around applications: new and greater investments, new professions, and new agencies dedicated to developing apps. 

Reasons why you need an App

• Establish a direct channel with your customers: Apps, besides being a simple and easy-to-use medium, are also characterized by the speed of interaction between people and brands, so they can access your products and services quickly and directly.

• Greater brand presence: With an app, you have another way to showcase your products or services, which leads to greater visibility of your brand. This way you will be able to build customer loyalty and attract new ones since they can be in contact with your company 24 hours a day.

• Incorporate more information about your customers: With an application, you can incorporate more information into your customer databases. You will be able to measure how they use the application, how they interact, what interests them the most, or how much time they spend on the App. The more information you have, the better service and content you can provide.

• Provide exclusive content: An app is another means of communication with your customers, which can be used to increase their loyalty even more. This objective can be achieved through exclusive content such as coupons, free services, promotions, etc. 

Steps to create an App

1. Establish an objective: Before starting the design and development of the application, it is essential to ask questions about what you want to achieve, to establish the objectives. These can be diverse and depend on the industry you are in, but defining them from the beginning helps to define the following steps.
2. Define the audience: Conducting a market and behavioral study of your audience is vital for any project you plan to carry out. To create an App adapted to the needs of your customers you first need to know who they are, how they behave, and how they use mobile applications.
3. Design the application: Depending on the scale of the project, at this point it may be necessary to hire third parties to make the first wireframes and flows of the application. Previous research will help to ensure that the user experience is optimal, accompanied by an appropriate visual system.
4. Development: Several tools enable the creation of applications without code, making the process fast, accessible, and cheap. In this article you already learned about the advantages of doing it with AppSheet but if you want to learn about more no-code tools and services you can do it on our web page.
5. Launching and testing: Being able to test the application you make with real users and within the market is essential to establish the necessary changes and offering a better service to your customers. In this article, you can read about the importance of no-code MVPs, which are minimal and iterable digital products that help to refine the products you develop

Benefits of no-code products

No-code development offers multiple benefits whether you are a student, an entrepreneur, a company, a designer, or a startup. The reduction of development time and costs is useful for many segments, but no code can offer much more than that. Among the main benefits of no-code we can mention the following:

• ‍Increased agility: necessary product modifications can be easily made thanks to its ease of use, which allows for greater business agility. In addition, people can decide on what to do and at the same time carry it out, without having to resort to someone else.

• ‍Less dependence on the IT department: It is no longer necessary to depend on developers to carry out projects; anyone (with the necessary time) can carry them out. 

• ‍Greater attention to user experience: With no code, since it is not necessary to focus all efforts on functionalities and their development, it is possible to focus much more on what users need, since it is not necessary to worry about whether the code will work or not.

• ‍Resource optimization: Resources, both monetary and personnel, can be better utilized. No-code relieves the burden on programmers so they can focus on more complex things.

The future is no-code

No-code is more than a trend, it is an established way of working to expand into the future. According to a TechRepublic study, by 2024, 75% of large companies will use at least four no-code tools in their projects.

The pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus generated an acceleration in digitization that increased software-related work. A Salesforce survey of 100 U.S. IT leaders revealed that 88% of them saw an increase in demand for work since the start of the pandemic.

If you want to read more about this survey you can do it here. 

The problem with this acceleration is that there are not enough skilled people to keep up with the pace. Non-code platforms can solve this, because they reduce time and costs, because they offer increasingly advanced solutions and because they can cover the demand for programmers with non-technical people capable of developing their solutions (the so-called Citizen Developers). 

You can read more about the future of no-code in this article. 

So, if you are thinking of creating an AppSheet application, it can be the solution, since it has all the benefits we told you about no-code. If you have any doubts or questions about application development, you can ask them through our website. We are Fluo, a pioneer no-code agency in Argentina and Latam and we can help you.