How to Create a GIF App?

People often look for quick ways to express their moods and feelings to others while conversing over the internet. This may be because they’re lazy and don’t want to type or it may be because their communication skills are not up to the mark. An easy and widely known solution for this is using Graphics Image Format (GIF). GIFs are commonly used all over the world today as they allow people to express their mood instantly and effectively.

A GIF can express emotions that simple written text cannot. Emojis are an improvement to text, but they too work only to a certain extent. While communicating, our body language and facial expressions play major part.

Without these, there can be serious misunderstandings and wrong interpretations of what you say. GIFs make it much easier to convey your ideas because each one is worth more than a thousand words. This is why they are so popular on social media platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook.

In addition to using them for interpersonal communication, people are now beginning to use GIFs for mass communication too. There was a time when they were considered unprofessional and childish, but not anymore. Large firms are using GIFs actively as a marketing tool on social media and on their websites.

Why Should You Invest in A GIF App?

You might be wondering why you should invest in a GIF app. Let’s take a look at some facts. The Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) is a bitmap image format that came into existence in 1987. It has since been used in a variety of applications, which will be discussed later in this article.

Millions of internet users search for GIFs online daily. Previously they were only used on sites such as Tumblr, Buzzfeed and Reddit, but now giants such as Facebook and Twitter have created their own GIF databases.

Twitter revealed that over 100 million people shared GIFs on its platform only in the year they created the database. According to Forbes, the number of users who use an online database called GIPHY is also ever increasing. The platform had more than 100 million users in 2017.

Furthermore, according to Web Technology Surveys, GIFs are used in 21.5% of all websites. In terms of traffic, the sites where GIFs are most used have the highest traffic. They lie at a better market position than most other image file formats, such as JPEG and PNG. All these facts prove that it is worthwhile to invest in a GIF app.

Before we see where GIFs are used and how to create a GIF app, it is necessary to understand the advantages of using them.

Advantages of Using Gifs

GIFs are typically short videos that have no sound and play in a loop. There are many advantages of using them in social media conversations and on websites.

In conversations, people can express their emotions using GIFs. Apps such as WhatsApp and Facebook have their own GIF databases that users can choose from while communicating with others.

For websites, GIFs have numerous advantages. Here are some:

• Easy to Make

GIFs are extremely easy to make and any web developer can create them for their websites. In fact, people with the least knowledge about development can also create GIFs, as it is a simple process without any coding requirements. Moreover, GIF creation apps have made the process much faster.

• Supported and Compatible

GIF is an image format that is supported by all web browsers. Therefore, these files are portable and can be used across a range of devices and operating systems. Suppose you have a file format that isn’t compatible with a specific browser. Can you even think about the valuable time you’ll waste in trying to convert the file into a suitable format?

• Less Storage Space

Have you ever faced storage issues in your device, or do you often exceed your websites’ capacity? These were issues of the past when people used to work with flash files for moving images. In the era of GIFs, storage is not a problem because these files are extremely small compared to flash files. The smaller size makes them easy to store and simple to use.

• Visually Appealing and Professional

A primary reason why websites have sufficient traffic but don’t get enough conversions is that they are not visually appealing. Attracting customers takes a lot more than just quality products. The whole experience you provide must be engaging and professional. GIFs help to make your websites look more professional because they support transparent backgrounds.

• Entertaining

GIFs convey your messages in an entertaining way. There is no better way to grab attention than to include a GIF on your website. They help enhance the customer experience that we mentioned earlier. What’s wrong with still images? Well, they will help you increase engagement to some extent, but still images will never have the same effects as GIFs.

• Tutorials and Demos

This is another exciting advantage of GIFs. Suppose you need to explain something to your audience, for example, a tutorial or demo on how to do a specific task. This will be tedious to do through images. If you consider adding a video, it will take too much space on your website. The best option for giving a tutorial is through a GIF.

• No Additional Plug-ins

Flash media files require additional plug-ins on your device. They may also require specific software to be installed. How irritating! GIFs solve this problem. You can view GIFs on any device effortlessly as they do not require such software or plug-ins to be installed. To view them, you can just click once.

• Lower Loading Times

Due to the less storage space they take up, they have much lower loading times. When you click on a GIF, it plays instantly. Some GIFs can also be programmed to start automatically when the user enters the webpage. This prevents users from leaving your website without seeing the GIF.

• Maintain Quality

GIFs are mostly of high quality. They maintain this quality even if they are compressed. This means that they are not distorted. How annoying would it be if you see a GIF and can’t make sense of what it’s showing.

When to Use GIFs?

Younger Audiences

GIFs are typically used in social media as a way of connecting with younger audiences. This is because they bring color and liveliness to your Facebook page, Instagram page, or website. These animated works of art bring playful entertainment to your brand. Younger consumers are not too keen on purchasing brands that appear too serious or old fashioned. GIFs can counter this phenomenon nicely and can attract youngsters to your brand as well.

Logos

The time for plain and simple logos has long gone. Many businesses are working towards enhancing their logos by adding animation to them. A logo is a unique symbol for your business, and it gives you an identity. It’s important to create a logo that can also help you stand out among competitors. The animation will bring the logo and your business to life and give your brand a better personality. The easiest way to add animation to a logo is through a GIF app.

Read more about animated logos here and read this article till the end to find out how to create a GIF logo using a logo maker for your brand.

GIFs and Marketing

GIFs play an integral part in marketing. If you cannot express enough through words about the product or service you’re offering, then using a GIF is the best way. You can also brag about your company and what solution it provides to customers.

Furthermore, GIFs are useful when you need to communicate a process (explaining how something works) or tell a story about your product in an exciting way. Today, GIFs are widely used in pre-marketing campaigns to release teasers for an upcoming launch of a product or service. They are also used in advertising on websites in the form of banner ads or full-screen ads.

That being said, it is important to remember that the internet is now full of amusing content in the form of GIFs. Use them wisely by timing them well with your content. Foolish overuse of GIFs can harm your brand image instead of enhancing it. There are some situations where simple emojis would do.

GIFs in Corporate Communication

Firm cultures have changed to an extent that GIFs are now acceptable as a method of corporate communication. We can easily comprehend that mistakes and misunderstandings cost more in a corporate environment. Also, if you need to explain a process to your subordinates at a meeting and there is a risk that they will not understand it through text, you are better off using a GIF or a practical demonstration. Otherwise, they’ll make mistakes that can cost the company a fortune. Moreover, companies that turn a photo to oil painting service or provide other similar services, need to focus on visual elements such as GIFs.

Furthermore, GIFs can be used to spice up boring data. You can make a wonderful impact by using GIFs in your corporate presentations that are usually monotonous. Other will be able to understand what you want to convey easily in one glance. They can then interpret the data more accurately.

GIFs can definitely lighten the mood in the workplace. However, care should be taken while choosing relevant GIFs. They should not be inappropriate for a professional environment. They  should also not be offensive to any gender, race, culture, or religion.

How to Make A GIF?

Now that you’ve fully understood where GIFs are used and what advantages they provide let’s see how to create one:

1. Download an existing GIF creation app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. (Don’t, worry, you’ll know the steps to creating your own app shortly)
2. Record a short video or take a short burst of photos.
3. If you want to use existing media, you can import videos from your gallery or from YouTube by entering the relevant URLs. However, the video must be a short one as most apps have a limit. If your video is longer, try compressing it or cropping it to decrease its duration and size.
4. You can also import images from your gallery. It is best to use burst shots for creating the best GIFs.
5. The GIF app ties the photos together automatically and in case of a video it turns it into a never-ending loop. Control the speed at which you want the GIF to be played.
6. You can add text, colors, filters, and further animations to your GIF. You can also add tags (by separating them with commas) if you want to upload it on social media.
7. Hit the Create GIF button and Voila! You’re all done. Watch the GIF again and again and admire your art work.
8. Save the GIF on your device and share it wherever you desire.

How to Make a GIF App?

Finally let’s look at how to make a fully functional GIF app. Here is the process in 4 steps:

1. Listing of Features

Before creating a GIF app, you need to list all the typical features such apps have and think about ways to improve them.

• Captions: Users must be able to add captions of their choice to each GIF they create and also have control over where and how they want to place the text.
• Fonts: Various font options must be included in the app as they also provide users more control of what they are creating
• Editing: Users should be able to edit the GIFs they’ve created in the past.
• Speed control: This is a valuable feature to have in your app as it allows users to slow down or speed up the animation in their GIF.
• My Library: In the My Library option on the app, users can view all the GIFs they’ve created. They can view individually or in the form of a slideshow.
• Save and export: Once users create their GIFs, it is necessary to give them the option of saving them to their devices.
• Share: Another essential feature is providing the ability to share on websites, GIF databases and social media.

2. Research About Costs

There is no fixed cost of creating an app. Once you have the list of features, you can calculate an approximate cost. It usually depends on the complexity of the features. Another factor that determines development cost is the hourly wages of developers. This can vary in different geographic areas.

Freelancers in Asia can do it in about 20% of the prices North America firms will quote you. However, we advise that you hire a reputable firm for an app development project. Read more about how much it costs to make an app in 2021.

3. Think of Ways to Monetize and Market Your App

After listing the features for your app, come up with an app monetization strategy. You can earn money through advertisements, in-app purchases, subscriptions, and premium features. Advertisements can be in the form of banner ads, full-screen ads, and native ads. Read more about app monetization here.

If you want to recover the cost of development quickly, then you must have a proper marketing plan too. People should know about your app once it is launched. You can use App Store Optimization, Search Engine Optimization, or paid marketing on social media for this purpose. Here is an article about app marketing strategies.

4. App Design and Development

The final steps in app creation are design and development. People often think they are the only steps, but there’s much more thought and planning involved, as we have already learned.

The app is designed in two stages. First, the wireframes or two-dimensional sketches are produced. Then a graphic designer converts these into a fully interactive design on a computer. Once the design is approved, an app development team works to produce the exact same features in a fully functional mobile app. The competed app can be published on the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, where users can download it on their mobile phones.

Where Do We Come In?

App development is not an easy task. You may be able to create a simple app on your own, but you will need support if you’re dreaming big. Retrocube offers app development, website design and development, SEO services, and much more. Share your app idea with us here, and we’ll guide you on the next steps. Furthermore, we’ll make sure you start earning a return on your investment as soon as possible.