Education has always been ready for digitalization. In the past few years, eLearning solutions and EdTech apps have slowly replaced the traditional face-to-face education model. The last few years were a turning point for the development of education apps and have set them up for growth - $1.72 trillion between 2022 and 2026. This peak in digital learning is a result of social distancing and lockdowns. There are also fewer entertainment options. App-based learning is gaining popularity due to its unique approach, 24/7 accessibility, and unique learning methods. Mobile-based education is a great way to train effectively today. You'll face fierce competition if you decide to enter the education market. This is why we have prepared this comprehensive guide to create an educational app.
Educational App Market Statistics
Before investing in eLearning or learning how to create a learning application, it is essential to understand the market size and other statistics. We have, therefore, shared the six most important statistics about the online learning apps market. Let's look at some statistics before we learn how to create an eLearning app.
- Global Market Insights reports that the eLearning market will reach $1 trillion by 2027.
Image Source: Global Market Insights
- Markets and Markets predicts North America, particularly the USA and Canada, will have the largest educational app market in 2020-2025.
- Statista estimates that the revenue from online education in the USA will reach US$74.80 Billion in 2023.
- HolonIQ's report states that EdTech will grow 2.5 times between 2019 and 2025.
- Duolingo is a popular education app that has raised $183.3 million from over 12 investors.
- Statista's report states that the Apple App Store has the third most popular category for education, with an 8.7% share.
Different Types of Educational Apps You Can Develop
The market for creating educational apps is diverse and rich. Many apps cater to target audiences, such as teachers or aspiring students. You should, therefore, assess the market before developing an eLearning application.
Language Learning Apps
It can take a long time to learn a new language. Language learning apps are helping to make this process easier for more people. In 2022, this app category grew by 31% YoY as the borders were reopened. Immigrants are a key driver of the market. Around 84.8 million U.S. residents were born overseas, about a fifth of the number of migrants worldwide. The rapid adoption of virtual realities in language learning will also lead to market maturity. Blended reality, for example, amplifies immersive language learning, leading to faster academic progress.
Learning Management System (LMS) Apps
LMS apps can track and manage student progress in many educational institutions. This app category also aims to facilitate managing and delivering academic courses and training programs. A typical LMS allows an organization to create and track courses, manage enrollments, and deliver course content. It also helps assess student progress and generate reports. The global LMS market will reach $37.9 billion by 2026. This category's demand is evolving as well to include more employee training. LMSs, which allow for flexible and inclusive training, are increasingly popular as millennials comprise most of the global workforce. The demand for LMS educational app development services platforms will increase from 2021-2022 due to the increasing number of companies bringing their own devices (BYOD). BYOD is a trend that will continue to grow with the rise of hybrid work environments post-pandemic.
Classroom Education Applications
This type of app includes apps that are designed for classroom use. Teachers can use these apps to manage their classrooms by keeping track of student grades, homework, and other important information. Students can use this app to take notes, study for tests, etc. GoGuardian, a great classroom app for students and teachers in grades K-12, is an excellent example. It includes products for parents and other user groups.
Online Courses Applications
Mobile learning platforms can be a great tool to learn new skills and improve your expertise. Although online course apps can differ, they all have similar features. These include access to high-quality course material and the flexibility to learn quickly. Online upskilling is also popular due to the growing trend of skill development, which helps keep employees marketable in a constantly changing economy. The U.S. market for test preparation is expected to reach $10.72 billion in 2024. Analytical tools for test preparations play a crucial role in this market.
Educational Apps for Children
Gamification and interactivity are key to gamifying learning solutions for children. Mobile preschool applications can be used to enhance child development in the classroom. Some of the most popular kids' educational apps in the U.S. have seen a decline in revenue from month to month in 2022 due to the return to traditional schooling.
Steps to Educational Mobile App Development on iOS and Android
You can create an application in 6 easy steps. This step-by-step guide will show you how to develop educational apps like Brainly, Memrise, or Duolingo. Let's go through each step one by one.
#1. Plan What You Will Be offering
There is much more to learn about education. Why? There are so many educational apps and ideas that it's probably challenging to explore them all. Once you have decided what you will offer with your eLearning development solutions, you can decide on the features and functionalities you need. If you're building a language-learning app, you should focus on integrating different languages from the perspective of learners and students. Plan your features, including small tasks, bite-sized tutorials/videos, audio, and tests. Think about the appearance and feel of your application. It is essential to identify your target audience, as the features and design of your application will attract users. In the next section, we'll discuss how to identify your target audience and conduct competitor research.
#2. Conduct Market Research
When you are an entrepreneur and invest a great deal in something, you don't want to risk it. It is, therefore, recommended that you do market research before developing an educational application. Why do you need to research before creating an app?
- Analyze what your customers want from your product
- Know the challenges your customers face
- Create a possible educational solution for your audience
- Apps can help you run your business more efficiently
- Understanding the revenue models and finalizing the monetization methods
- Improve existing strategies by identifying market trends
How do you conduct research before starting the app development process
- Find similar apps to your idea for an education app in the app store
- Appreciate the feedback received by these apps to understand what your audience wants
- Take note of mistakes and opportunities made by competitors
- You can hire a professional company to conduct market research.
There is still one thing you must do, and that is to conduct a SWOT analysis of your app idea. This will ensure that your mobile education app is successful in the market. SWOT: Strength Weakness Opportunity Threat
#Conduct SWOT Analysis for Developing Educational Application
You can then choose the features you wish to include in your mobile education application. Let's move on to the third step.
#3. Educational Mobile App Development: Features You Must Include
You can identify features by knowing what you want to offer your students. You can also check out educational apps' most popular comment sections on Google Play Store or Apple Play Store. In the comments section, app users usually share their expectations and feedback about the app's functionality. You can create a poll to ask potential customers about their favorite features. You can then choose the features you wish to include while creating an educational app. We have also shared the advanced features of a few education applications. This list has been curated with the latest trends in education in mind.
#Advanced features of the Educational App
- Audio-visual content
- Live classes and tutorials
- Offline courses
- Gamification & 3-D lectures
- Push Notifications
- Discussions in the app and group chat
- Regular practice and analysis
- Screen recording
- Student/parent dashboard
- Track your progress and achievements
#4. Select the App Development Platform
You have decided to build your app for Android or iOS. Do you prefer cross-platform development – a single application that can run on different platforms? The right platform is crucial to the success of your online education app Google's Android currently has around 2 billion users. Despite Android having more users than other platforms, iOS is preferred by more than half the U.S. market. You may want to create your app for both iOS and Android. You can also choose to develop a cross-platform mobile app. Consider these factors before choosing an app development platform.
- Geographic Location
- App development time
- Development complexity
You can contact a company offering educational app development if you're still unsure. They will help you choose the right platform for your application and develop it according to your needs.
Also Read: Top Educational App Ideas To Fuel For EdTech Startups In 2023
#5. Hire Mobile App Development Company
You need to hire a professional education app development company that develops educational apps after you've decided on all the factors. This is the most crucial stage of app development. As an entrepreneur, it is unlikely that you will want to compromise on the quality of your educational app by choosing an amateur developer or company with no experience in developing mobile apps. You can still find professional developers through Clutch.com, Upwork.com, and Toptal. Before hiring companies or developers based on the requirements of your business, check their websites and portfolios.
#6. Launch and market your app
You can be sure that JPLoft will develop a successful education app. We will assist you in launching your app successfully. Launching the app in the respective app stores forms part of the mobile app development. We also provide post-launch maintenance services. Your app has now been launched. What's next? What is next? We have the answers to all your questions. You can use social media to reach your audience. You can also introduce your app on your website or do a press release to attract traffic. Check out some other strategies. Here are 6 steps for building an educational app. You want to know the timeline for making an educational mobile application now that you have learned how to create one. Isn't it?
Best Practices to Follow for Educational Application Development
We'll briefly review a few best practices in creating an educational application.
Gamification
The addition of achievements and rankings to educational apps can improve user engagement. The following are some of the most common gamification features found in popular apps:
- Animations
- Rewards and bonuses for repeat actions
- Ranking users according to performance
Social Elements
A social network-like feature is another essential part of a successful app for learning. Duolingo, for example, allows you to track other users and encourages you to share your progress. It also offers rewards to invite friends. Consider these social features:
- Comment on the lessons
- Encourage self-regulation through the use of flagging content and comments from other users
- Include easy ways to share your progress
Bite-Sized Lessons
When building an educational application, it is essential to pay attention to the structure of the learning materials. It seems that bite-sized lessons, which teach only one or two concepts per lesson, work best. This format is more likely to be quickly digested by people.
Personalization
It's essential to consider each learner and their abilities as they progress through an educational application. Artificial intelligence and machine learning may be helpful when we want to create highly personalized learning experiences.
Use Advanced Tech
Some technologies can benefit software focusing on geography and other "real-world" subjects. Virtual reality allows students to experience seemingly impossible scenes (e.g., an erupting volcanic eruption or the Mariana Trench). It can also be very effective in providing directions and instructions for layovers. Even lazy children will be engaged by placing an Eiffel Tower outside the window.
Tips to Monetize Your Educational Mobile Application
Not all monetization methods are suitable for every app. You should, therefore, always try different methods to improve your ROI. The type of app, the target audience, and the end goal will determine the monetization strategy. Here are some ways you can monetize an educational app.
Apps that are paid
Even though it is a simple solution, not everyone will pay for software. You should emphasize the advantages of your app in comparison to competitors, highlight unique features, and explain why users will need your app. You can choose from the following strategies to monetize your free app:
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This is a trendy way to monetize. A monthly subscription or a lifelong subscription is available. Drops, an application popular for language learning, has successfully implemented this technique and reached over 25 million users. This is a great solution.
Advertisement
This is an excellent opportunity for businesses to promote their brands. Your app can be used to advertise your client's brand while generating a steady cash flow. It's essential to ensure the ads are not flashed in front of users' eyes. It may distract their attention from the content and cause them to stop using the application before they even begin.
Premium features
This feature lets you distinguish between an app's free and premium versions. Free versions of apps typically provide users with basic knowledge materials, which allows them to gauge their proficiency and skills. Premium resources may have advanced content to help learners progress through their educational program.
In-App Purchases
Users can access most features. You can create rewards for learners, such as badges or coins, that they can redeem to unlock premium modules, features, or facilities. Those who do not have virtual money can pay real cash to continue with their course. This is a marketing strategy, but it is not obsessive.
Cost of Developing Educational Mobile Application
Cost is one of the most difficult questions to answer in software development. The total cost will vary depending on several factors. Your development costs for an educational app will depend on:
- Application complexity (simple vs. medium vs. complex)
- Platforms and devices
- The core features
- UX/UI design;
- Costs of integration (third party)
- Dashboards and Animation
- Features that are innovative (AI-based functionality) and more.
Our experience suggests that developing a mobile app could take between $50K and $300K. The more complex the app, the higher the investment required. We always recommend creating an MVP to help reduce costs. The MVP can help app owners reduce development costs and better understand user needs while reducing costs.
The Key Takeaway
Educational apps are exploding as knowledge becomes more accessible. Online courses, language-learning apps, and other opportunities for online learning make the education process more interactive and personalized. It is now if you've been waiting to enter the market, this is the right time to hire an education software development company and start creating an app. Contact us, and we will help you develop a competitive eLearning app. Mobile educational apps provide superior accessibility and create a systematic approach to learning in a distant environment. Research and Markets have shown that eLearning app downloads will continue to increase due to the benefits.
