How to Create a Weather App Able to Exceed Users’ Expectations

Posted on by Anastasiia T

Creating a mobile service to surpass users’ expectations you better figure out who your target users are and what they are looking for. Our research is devoted to key points to consider to come up with an amazing mobile weather platform.

Of course, it’s critical to learn today’s market to realize who your future competitors are. Let’s discuss a few bright representatives of weather prediction applications.

1Weather

Given platform is considered to be one of the best weather apps. Such service is much in demand, as it offers any weather info users might need. The program is convenient and customer-oriented.

1Weather key characteristics:

  • reporting weather situation every week;
  • online weather forecast;
  • nice motion pictures of the sun rising and the sun setting, moon phases;
  • the option to make a list of any 12 cities (maximum) to check some parameters, like, air temperature, wind velocity, any precipitates, etc.;
  • embedded weather mapping.

There exist greater 1Weather functionalities being a part of a free package. Those who get a little bit annoyed with advertisements can pay $0.99 to turn ads off to enjoy the platform even more.

Yahoo! Weather

When building a weather forecast platform, developers might want to take a look at “Yahoo! Weather” experience, as its developers have found a really attractive solution.

“Yahoo! Weather” refers to Flickr to upload amazing images and to select those to correspond users’ current locations and weather conditions, say, day or night time, sunshine or snow, and so on. It creates an outstanding user experience.

“Yahoo! Weather” key characteristics:

  • the option to see weather situation in 20 cities at once;
  • in-depth weather predictions for another day, as well as the next 10 days: information on humidity, wind velocity, air temperatures, UV intensity, etc.;
  • online weather map that alerts to unfavorable weather;
  • sun rising and sunset great animations;
  • Apple Watch support.

Being free, “Yahoo! Weather” platform includes ads.

There exist much more reliable weather observation programs. After you get an understanding of who your potential rivals are, it’s time to have a look at tools to develop a precise weather platform.

Instruments for accurate predictions

Primarily, it is important to receive information on weather conditions for your service to present it for your users. Why don’t you refer to professional resources which collect meteorological data? There exist quite many of them, and we shall devote our time to the most reliable API providers for your prediction service.

Weather Underground API

Given the operator created its own online platform for the audience who would like to know about the weather forecast. The company in question gladly assists independent developers who are designing their weather observation platforms, offering them few API packages options. Freelance makers select solutions to better fit their circumstances.

Such a corporation owns a massive amount of weather stations. Asking for their services will largely facilitate the process.

Let’s distinguish what the API data package consists of:

  • Data core – the most valuable weather APIs, information obtained from radars or satellites.
  • Improved current situation – high-definition weather prediction networking.
  • Adverse weather circumstances – real-time informing on unfavorable weather replacing.
  • Lifestyle indicators – information on air quality, pollen, flu outbreaks, dry skin, etc.
  • Historical weather info – historical weather precedents.
  • Seasonal forecasts – info on temperature, precipitations, etc. for periods of 3-5 weeks, 1-4 months and even 5-7 months.
  • Road movement info – traffic conditions, road situations, and incidents information obtained from 300 mln sources covering 8 mln kilometers of roads in 50 countries.

Openweathermap API

Openweathermap API represents a great tool for building a mobile weather program fast and easy.

While building such a module, IT specialists wanted weather data to be for free and available for everyone. Thus, those enthusiasts came up with an open source API. The given resource provides access to the following real-time weather info:

  • online map providing current weather info;
  • one week forecast of the city;
  • historical information from 120 000 cities worldwide;
  • info from over 40 000 weather stations from all over the world;
  • multiple web maps, like, cloud map, temperature map, precipitation map.

AccuWeather

In addition to being a pretty reliable forecast program, the mentioned company also delivers services to independent developers. AccuWeather supplies makers with API, thus, they could create mobile forecast platforms.

To get it started a developer has to get registered at AccuWeather platform, so he or she could get access to mentioned below data:

  • current weather situation (after specifying the location);
  • local weather info;
  • notifications on weather changes;
  • forecasts every hour and every day;
  • images from satellites and radars;
  • weather data on ebbs and flows;
  • astronomical information.

How to come up with a great mobile weather platform

While developing such service your task is to do everything possible, and maybe a little bit of impossible, to design an efficient and practical program for your future audience to enjoy. Thus, we would like to distinguish the main features to make the platform popular.

Weather platform functionalities:

  • precise in-depth prediction to provide the user with multiple weather parameters, like, the wind velocity, air temperatures, precipitates, UV intensity, etc. Let your users choose what exactly they need: every hour report, twice a month forecasts or something else;
  • Friday to Sunday forecasts to help your audience in planning their weekends according to weather situation;
  • online maps to assist tourists in their preparation for their journey;
  • intellectual push notifications which warn users about quick changes of weather conditions, say, any kind of natural disasters, like, earthquakes or floods;
  • hyper-local predictions to be a part of any forecast platform to become one of the market leaders;
  • animations are to help users in perceiving data easier and faster. Forecast visualization is important, so think of employing experienced designers to ensure proper UI/UX;
  • social platforms integrating to give the possibility for users to provide their feedback to given weather service, thus you as a developer enjoys the situation due to such cost-free promotion.

Sometimes developers might have some second thoughts regarding designing such app. We all understand that making money is one of the key reasons which motivate makers to create any online products. Thus, we shall see whether a weather platform notion is profitable, shall we?

Does it worth it?

Yes, it does! And such fact that mobile weather observation market is filled with various mobile platforms confirms such a concept to be profitable. The key secret here is to develop a proper strategy.

Below listed main aspects are to be carefully thought through to drive profit from your forecast service. Here they are:

# Idea

The general idea is understandable – the creation of a weather observation program. At the same time, developers can make it more attractive for users to stand out from the crowd of competitors. For instance, CARROT Weather adds lots of jokes when describing weather situation. Think of approaches to come up with a unique service.

# Weather service UI/UX design

Figure out possibilities to give your future customers really amazing and vivid products.

# Target users

Make sure you learn who your future user is. That info will help to decide on functionalities which your final customers will enjoy.

# Monetization

Some of your rivals make money by means of placing advertisements, others increase their revenue when customers pay to turn off irritating ads. Another option would be to offer your audience a basic free version and a paid premium package. It’s your decision.

# Unique Selling Propositions

It could be incredible parameters or an amazing design – everything will work to differ your weather service from others.

It’s all in your hands and you can make it work both for you and your users to enjoy.