“We have to get our life back. We need to get the country back,” states the US President Donald Trump with the US facing the most challenging period in their history. The situation is worsening day-by-day. The coronavirus pandemic has been reported in almost every country across the globe. Researchers and scientists are struggling to produce a cure for the disease. As of now, social distancing is the only cure we have against the infection spread. The intensity of fear amongst people is evident by empty roads all across the world. Almost every industry is shut indefinitely until the government’s orders. The nationwide lockdown has led to the closure of schools and colleges, as well.
With people in self-isolation, they are constantly exposed to excessive media coverage. These media outlets are stressing on the infected cases, and mortality counts rather than helping people. People need to know specific guidelines regarding the disease, preventive measures, and their locality’s status on the pandemic. As a result, they are in need of a smartphone application that can provide them with instant updates on the situation. Entrepreneurs can help people in need and gain revenue through the app simultaneously. In undesirable situations like these, giving back to our society is paramount. In this blog, let’s discuss how to develop a tracker app that can help people stay updated regarding the disease.
What is a coronavirus tracker app?
A tracker app essentially means a smartphone application that lets users track disease in their neighborhood and globally. Moreover, the app can also provide suggestions and tips to its users regarding the same. With the coronavirus pandemic in full swing, now is an ideal time to produce a tracker app. Now, a tracker app usually provides,
- COVID-19 updates on locality and worldwide.
- Self-assessment to users.
- Instruction to users.
- Healthcare suggestions and guidelines.
What are the ways of implementing this app?
Your primary aim with the app is to serve and benefit people. Now, you may be an emerging or an established entrepreneur in the field. There are multiple ways to implement your app in the market. Let’s discuss them here,
- Stand-alone application: You can develop an app specifically dedicated to this situation. The app provides instant updates on the pandemic, provides a self-assessment feature to users, and lets users access the healthcare tips and suggestions. Your app reliability among users will increase if you opt for a stand-alone application. With timely updates and proper maintenance, your app can scale among various users.
- Integration as an add-on: Now, a popular app in the market has a vast customer base. It is the duty of business owners to inform their users about the impending situation. To help the existing apps in doing so, add-ons are greatly beneficial. You can integrate your current app with a coronavirus tracker plugin. By doing so, users have a specialized dashboard providing them updates from time-to-time while using the app.
Either way, the tracker app must provide real-time updates and location-based results to gain popularity in the market. Now, let’s discuss the features of the tracker app.
What are the must-have features of the app?
A tracker app solution usually involves the development of a user app and an admin app. Let’s discuss certain features worth considering during app development,
Features of User app:
- User Registration: Users, after downloading the app, register with the app through different social media handles. They are asked to provide basic personal details while registering in the app.
- Granting location permission: In order to provide location-based results, users are instructed to switch on their GPS location or Bluetooth services in their smartphones.
- Instructions dashboard: A separate dashboard for giving instructions to users is made available in the app. Users can access instructions on preventive measures, official instructions released by governments.
- Self-assessment feature: To improve reliability among users, this feature can come in handy. With a self-assessment feature, users are tested on the probability of the infection. Questions on specific categories, including symptoms, foreign visits, etc., are gathered and sent to medical professionals. Users are provided with their results in no time through the app.
- Notification alerts: Users needn’t access the app every time. They are notified instantly on important information, test results, etc., through this feature.
- Route-planner: Users invariably need to step out for essential services. However, they fear if they’ll contract the disease by walking in the vicinity of infected patients. By this route-planner feature, users are provided with optimized routes to their destinations. This dramatically eliminates fear amongst people.
- Multi-lingual support system: In situations like these, users of diversified cultures will access the app. They expect the app to be in the language of their choice. As a result, this multi-lingual support system can come in handy and increase the number of users accessing the app.
Features of Admin panel:
It is the role of the admin to update the app continuously and provide users with instant updates in their locality. Let’s discuss some key features of the admin panel,
- Update instructions: Admins need to update instructions from time to time. Rolling out timely instructions regarding the pandemic can significantly help people fight the disease.
- Geo-fencing: Users need to know information on their locality. They find information related to other regions unnecessary. As a result, admins can set boundaries upto which users can get information. Geo-fencing essentially means assigning location boundaries within which information is visible to users. Geo-fencing helps in providing accurate results to users.
- Send alerts to users: Users of a specified region or locality need to be provided with essential instructions instantly. Admins can send alerts to these users with this feature.
What is expected out of a tracker app?
Any app needs to perform a certain specific task or meet the necessity of its users. Now, a tracker app must be effective as well as privacy-centric.
To maintain effectiveness or productivity:
Here are certain guidelines that can help tracker apps maintain productivity,
- They need to provide timely notifications regarding the disease.
- They need to update infected cases in a locality.
- They need to provide instructions regarding symptoms, hotspots, etc.
- They need to provide preventive measures to help people fight the pandemic.
- They need to have an emergency or ‘reach out’ option to help people in need.
To maintain privacy:
Users register in their apps by specifying their personal details. As a result, privacy must be your top concern.
- The app should encrypt user details safe and sound.
- The app should adhere to the latest medical standards available.
- The app should manage databases from time to time.
- The app should be transparent enough with its policy standards.
These are certain parameters that are expected out of a tracker app.
What are the steps involved in a coronavirus tracker app development?
Now, that we know the basic characteristics of a tracker app, let’s discuss the different development stages involved,
- Know your requirements: Initially, you need to know what is required to develop a tracker app. Basic research and market analysis can help you identify the requirements. Satisfying customer expectations is a primary requirement for any app.
- Designing the UI: Once you know what is required, you need to develop the framework for the app. UI/UX design is a crucial development stage. A simple interface can attract more users towards the app.
- Front-end development: This stage involves integrating features into the app. Being the user-end of the app, this stage involves the utmost care during app development.
- Back-end development: This stage consists of the creation and management of servers and databases. As the tracker app involves encryption of users’ data, this stage is crucial, as well.
- App testing: App testing is synonymous with app development. The more you test your app, the more bug-free it becomes. App testing helps in achieving the most efficient and effective app in the market.
- App launch and promotion: After the app development, your app must be launched across different digital platforms like Android, iOS, etc. Moreover, your app should be promoted across different social media channels and digital networks. Digital marketing services can help you gain a huge customer base within a short span of time.
What are the benefits to users accessing the app?
Any on-demand app service should be beneficial to users, isn’t it? Let’s take a look at some benefits that users enjoy with the tracker app,
- Users can stay ahead of the disease with instructions and preventive measures provided in the app.
- With location-based results, users are notified about COVID-19 cases in their locality.
- With a route-planner feature, users are eliminated with the fear of contracting the disease.
- By accessing multiple governments’ guidelines from a single place, users can enjoy the benefits of knowing more about preventive actions.
- Moreover, users can share important information with their friends and family, thereby reaching out to a wider community sitting from a single place.
Wrapping up
‘Necessity is the mother of invention’- ain’t it? People require a user-friendly app that can provide them instant updates regarding the pandemic situation. As a result, modern technology has paved the way for the development of a coronavirus tracker app. This app solution can be either made as a stand-alone application or an add-on or a plugin. Moreover, features like self-assessment and instant updates can scale the app forward in the market. Effectiveness and privacy are the two major factors to be considered during the tracker app development. With so many enticing benefits, a coronavirus tracker app is set to thrive in the market and reach out to billions of people in need of help during this pandemic season.