Author: Eva Triantafillopoulou

The importance of augmented reality in modern-day digital agencies, how to build (or hire) a development team, and pitching tips for new and repeated business.

Digital agencies know all too well that they need to go the extra mile if they wish to stand out and attract more leads. There are many ways of doing so, but, staying in touch with innovative technologies to create well-contextualized cases is key in maintaining market relevance.

In this article, we explore why and what it takes to get started with augmented reality technology as a digital agency.

Technology and Digital Agencies

Be the agency traditional, creative, or digital in its core nature – or a mix of the three – there is one commonality amongst these businesses: necessity to adapt to the evolution and demands of the market to maintain relevance.

In the present digital-age day, not surprisingly, marketing and advertising are mainly digital. However, simply working with digital technologies doesn’t cut it. It is necessary to captivate and truly connect with the target audience through inspiring and eye-catching campaigns that bring results.

Most – if not all – digital agencies have probably already encountered augmented reality features to some degree in social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, or Snapchat. And as fun as face filter may be, augmented reality has so much more to offer than that.

If your agency strives to be successful in the consumer-brand-experience field, consider including personalized, goal-driven AR content in your digital solutions and offerings.

AR is a must-have brand experience in various marketing segments:

Brand storytelling:

Inform, entertain, and engage your target audience while telling your customers’ awesome story.

Customer engagement:

Boost visitor interaction and satisfaction, and increase visibility, sales, and social sharing.

Interactive print:

Turn print materials into portable sales channels or add flair to company flyers, posters, business cards, and other branded marketing and sales materials.

For additional inspiration, check our vast collection of clients’ success stories and 7 ways to use AR in marketing today.

We covered a few of the advantages and diverse possibilities of working with AR. But, what does it take to create a successful augmented reality experience? Let’s talk about in-house and outsourced development.

Manpower: in-house or outsourced AR development

Depending on the size of your digital agency, you might already have the manpower in-house to get the AR ball rolling. If that is not the case, hiring an AR development partner might be the best way to go. Below we explore the details of both situations:

1. Outsourced development – working with an AR partner

When hiring an augmented reality developer, there are many things to take into consideration. Reliability, being one of the most important factors.

When searching beyond recommended AR app developers – such as the verified Wikitude Solution Providers, make sure to investigate if your candidate is reliable by checking ratings, reviews, and investigating their portfolio and client network.

Choosing the right developer or development firm is a critical aspect of your AR project. For in-depth guidance, access this complete guide with tips on how to choose the ideal augmented reality app developer for your project.

If you would like to skip the search altogether, contact the Wikitude team, tell us about your project and requirements and we will be happy to pair you with potential augmented reality app developers and agencies within our Solution Provider program.

2. In-house development: creating the ideal team structure

As a reference, an AR app development team usually requires a mix of specialists that varies between Business Analysts, UI/UX Designers, Project Managers, and, last but not least, Software Developers and QA Engineers.

You might already have some of these specialists within your team. To learn more about which role each of these positions play, final costs, and other aspects of the AR app development process, access this guest post by Wikitude premium partner HQSoftware, exploring the Client, Specialist, Functionality, and Content tetrad in AR app development.

How to pitch AR

Okay, so, you are already convinced that working with AR is a great opportunity to expand and improve your digital agency offerings. Time to transform your bright AR ideas into reality.

Below you will find some tips to successfully pitch AR to clients and potential customers:

• Explain the added value
  Exceptional user engagement; unique brand experience; enhance brand value, drive sales, stimulate conversions; behavioral information.
  
• Demonstrate return of investment (ROI)
  Show a clear example of how AR can be linked directly to revenue: e-commerce; in-game purchases in an AR environment; location-based deals; time-sensitive offers; augmented shopping; premium apps; etc.
  
• Show the future of AR with facts
  Digi-Capital’s long-term virtual and augmented reality forecast is for the AR/VR market to reach around $65 billion revenue by 2024. And Worldwide spending on AR/VR products and services throughout the 2019-2023 forecast period, should achieve a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 77.0%
  
• Highlight the simplicity of the tech
  The Wikitude AR SDK allows developers to easily create cross-platform AR experiences on multiple platforms and devices, according to their needs and preferences.
  
• …and most importantly, show a demo
  We can help. See proof of concept section below.

We covered these topics in detail earlier this year. Access 5 tips to help pitch AR for your next project for an in-depth review of the topics above.

Proof of concept (augmented reality demo)

Can’t wait to dip your toes in AR waters? Prepare something you are proud of using a free Wikitude AR SDK trial license – no trial watermarks.

Enhance images, objects, and spaces with extraordinary 2D and 3D content, with support for Android, iOS, Windows & smart glasses. Choose to develop AR apps in JavaScript, Unity, Cordova, Xamarin, Flutter, & Native API.

Our vast documentation section will help you from your very first steps with the Wikitude SDK all the way through to advanced concepts and examples for developing your augmented reality project. Each section of our documentation accompanies a sample app. Use it to get a quick overview of the capabilities offered by your platform of choice.

Additionally, you can access the Wikitude developer portal for specific development-related questions. The portal hosts a very active developer community forum where Wikitude staff members are constantly assisting other developers with helpful tips and advice. You can find How-To’s and a constantly evolving FAQ section there as well.

Questions? Ideas? Curious to know more? Talk to one of our augmented reality experts for inquires and to learn about our special packages for digital agencies.

Learn how the Client, Specialist, Functionality, and Content tetrad can influence the cost of your AR project 

Augmented reality has been growing in popularity and commercial significance, and is now expected to top 2,500,000,000 installed base and $70 billion to $75 billion revenue by 2023 (mobile AR, smartglasses), according to Digi Capital. With these and many more positive AR predictions and statistics arising, it is not alarming to see that so many businesses and brands are looking to invest in an AR project of their own. And, naturally, one of the big questions that come up, rather sooner than later, revolves around AR development costs.

With that in mind and in order to provide a realistic cost estimation to our AR community and readers, we invited an AR, VR, and IoT development company, and Wikitude Premium Partner to share their experience on the AR cost development topic.

Guest post by Wikitude premium partner HQSoftware

Client Input

The project starts with the client. The client might have a couple of ideas for an app, or the whole specification ready. That will determine the size of the team, influencing the cost of the app.

We can divide clients into three different types:

• The client who might only have a rough idea of the application and no technical information. In this case, he/she has to work with the whole team of Business Analyst, Project Manager, Designer, Software Developers, and QA Engineer to kick off the project.

• The client who has some ideas in any form of specification, so a Business Analyst (BA) comes in to polish these specs and make sure that everything is in order. After that, they are good to go with the development process.

• And finally, the client who has the full specification ready. In this case, no BA is involved in the project. After making sure that the specification is feasible, the Project Manager steps in to decompose the project into tasks. Then, the project starts.

AR app development specialists

Now let’s take a closer look at the role of each specialist engaged in the AR app development, and how their role influences the cost of the project.

• The first specialist the client interacts with is a Business Analyst. He starts guiding the client to work out the ideas and come up with a project specification. It describes the value and functionality of the app. At this stage, the BA also determines if the client’s idea is feasible from a technical standpoint. 

• After the BA has enough information on the app design, the UI/UX designer starts working on it. They may be engaged in the development process later as well to tweak and polish the design.

• Then the development phase starts. During the process, the client can keep in touch with the team through the Project Manager. He communicates with the client and makes sure that the project is completed in time, with no technical issues, and within the agreed budget.

• Software developers are the ones doing most of the work. If we are talking about AR applications, the BA might offer two ways to go about the development. One way is having both iOS and Android developers in the team to build separate iOS and Android apps. The other way is to have one team of cross-platform developers — they will build one app for both platforms. Each of those approaches has it’s pros and cons, and they both influence the project cost differently.

• To guarantee that the final product meets the technical requirements and works properly, a QA Engineer is engaged in the project.

AR app functionality

Apart from the team composition, the functionality of the application also determines its cost.

• A simple AR application takes a couple of days to build. Such an application is marker-based: the app scans a marker and displays 2D or 3D content. The content can be created from scratch or purchased.

• A more complex application may have several markers and more complex features. Such features can include social media sharing, marker gallery, etc. It takes around one month to build a complex application — around 160 hours of development itself. Add roughly 90-140 hours of BA, PM, Design, and QA work and you’ll have 250-300 hours of development.

3D AR content

Apart from the regular app development costs, AR software costs also include the appropriate content. 

The client might want to build the app which is marker-based, markerless, or with points of interest. Each type of app is associated with the particular problem it solves, determining the type of content it needs.

• The maker-based application is the simplest one. It may include 2D markers and somewhat simple 2D, 3D, buttons, video, or audio content to display. Marker-based apps with simple content can often be used in marketing.

• With markerless apps, the development may get more complicated and take more time. With no markers, the application needs more complex recognition technology, which it will use to identify surrounding objects. In simpler words, the app needs to understand which way to put an AR couch on a real floor. Usually, the content for those apps is 3D and interactive. It also includes video or audio. Such tech can be utilized in product or interior design.

• Apps with points of interest will display the AR content only at a certain place, meaning that the developer must build a geo-positioning tech into it. POI AR is often used in navigation, meaning that apart from 3D content, the app pulls the data from map services.

• For more complex AR software, the cost of making the content may be even higher than the cost of app development.

Collaboration Methods

While choosing a technical partner, don’t forget to negotiate the way you will collaborate. There are three ways to go about it:

• Time and material. That approach is the most straightforward: you pay for the time it takes the team to complete your project. You can move the deadlines as long as you have new ideas or want to further polish the app.
  
• Fixed price. A fixed price does not offer much flexibility but you can determine the price of the project before you start. You can’t change anything during the project since the deadlines and scope are fixed. Such projects are completely managed by the outsourcer.
  
• Dedicated team. It basically means having temporary employees. You can have them work on your terms remotely or on sight. You select the specialists you need, set your own deadlines and change them whenever you want. Unlike the other models, dedicated teams are paid an hourly salary.

We hope the insights and information above will help you better understand the dynamic behind augmented reality app costs. If you are still in the planning phase, access the first article of the Wikitude AR app development series to learn how to successfully start and strategically plan your augmented reality project.

Want to calculate the cost of your AR project, consult on your idea, and get answers to your questions? The Wikitude team and premium partner HQSoftware will be more than happy to help.

A complete guide with tips on how to choose the ideal augmented reality app developer for your project.

You’ve decided to incorporate an AR application as part of your digital strategy but don’t have the skills in house to bring the project to life. If looking for an app development partner is your next step, this blog post will help you achieve that. 

1. Define your AR project

Having a clearly defined AR project plan will make communicating and negotiating with your development partner candidates much easier.

If you take the time to properly plan your AR project, the chances of hiring a compatible and capable developer are much higher, and the development process itself and final AR project results should be much better. 

If you would like to have a more thorough outline of what you want for your AR project before contacting potential AR development partners, we suggest following the 7 steps contained in this article: How to start your augmented reality project: strategic planning and tips to succeed.

However, if you prefer to plan your AR project with the development partner from the get-go, we recommend having, at least, a few videos and/or links to provide as a reference so you can get the conversation going. Oftentimes, AR developers are willing to help with the creative process, by providing ideas, inspiration and sharing other examples currently available on the market.

2. Cost estimation x budget

Budget discussions should start early on in the AR app planning process, but it’s in the development phase when things transition from rough estimations to the real deal.

As with all else, different developers come at different prices. However, there is one common factor you can expect with certainty:

AR apps, as with other app types, vary greatly in development price. Expect a starting point of around 10 thousand euros. And depending on app complexity, that number could go as high as 300 thousand euros. 

If you have a fixed pre-established budget, inform your development partner candidates so they can state what can and cannot be done in that price range. If budget is not a limitation for your project, simply explain what you want to receive a price quote from the developer.

3. Market vertical expertise

Maybe your AR app will be used for a marketing campaign or is intended to be the next big gaming experience, or it has the purpose to help educate people or optimize processes in industrial maintenance. Naturally, these experiences can be quite different from one another even though they share the same technical background. 

Check the portfolio of the candidates, search the app stores to find and download other projects they have created, and analyze your findings to see if the quality standards and technology capabilities match your expectations and requirements.

Keep in mind, however, that even though having experience in a certain area is a clear plus, it is not necessarily a deal-breaker. If the overall quality of the developer projects across different categories is high, that could be a sign that they are capable of delivering even in uncharted territory. 

Speak openly with the candidates, ask how comfortable they feel with the type of project you wish to create and use your best judgment from there. 

Regardless of the app category though, it is wise to verify if your AR developer candidate has previous experience with augmented reality technology.

4. Experience with augmented reality technology

AR development requires an additional set of specialized skills that go beyond the traditional app creation process. 

To avoid unnecessary negative surprises in AR app results, it is essential that you choose a development partner that has had previous developing contact with AR technology and feels comfortable delivering the precise experience you wish to create.

Ask not only to see previous augmented reality projects of their authoring, but also about the AR tools they work with, how many devices the AR experience will be compatible with (which varies depending on the AR SDK of choice – Wikitude offering the most expansive support on the market), which augmented reality features they can create and any other specifics related to your AR project.

5. Location of the augmented reality app developer

From our experience in pairing clients with the appropriate AR developers (more on that on item 6), we noticed that a few elements usually come to light before the final decision: location, language, business culture, and timezone (for availability reasons).

If some of the items above are important to you, we recommend searching for your AR development partner using a geographical division as shown below:

Keep in mind, however, that with today’s globalized facilities in communication, you are not restricted to having to hire locally. If the elements mentioned above are not a limiting factor sometimes the best fit for your project is located halfway across the globe. If it seems to be the right fit, go for it no matter the distance.

6. Reliability

To the unguided searcher, the quest for an AR development partner may seem overwhelming. But, we can help.

As AR technology providers dedicated to offering the best AR tools on the market, we do not develop apps ourselves. However, we do keep a list of trusted AR app developers that have successful experience with creating AR apps using the Wikitude AR SDK. 

We call them Wikitude Premium Partners.

Not all Wikitude clients are Premium Partners, after all, we have more 130.000 registered developers that use our augmented reality technology. But all Wikitude Premium Partners are highly qualified AR app developers with proven AR experience.

When searching beyond our recommended AR app developers, make sure to investigate if your candidate is reliable by checking ratings, reviews and investigating their portfolio and client network.

Without a doubt, choosing the right developer or development firm is a critical aspect of your AR project. 

If you would like to skip the search altogether contact the Wikitude team, tell us about your project and requirements and we will be happy to pair you with potential augmented reality app developers and agencies within our Premium Partner program.