Investing.com is one of the most popular financial apps, providing real-time market data, news, analysis tools and more for investors. With over 20 million monthly users, Investing.com has become a go-to platform for tracking stocks, forex, commodities and more.
So how can you build an investing app with similar features and capabilities? Here’s a guide on developing an app like Investing.com.
Understand Your Users and Their Needs
The first step is understanding who your target users are and what pain points you can solve for them. Investing.com appeals to casual investors, active traders, financial analysts and more. Think about the core needs these users have:
– Real-time pricing data on stocks, forex, commodities, indices etc.
– Financial news and analysis to make informed investment decisions.
– Portfolio tracking tools.
– Alerts and notifications on price movements, breaking news etc.
– Advanced charting and technical analysis.
– Ability to trade through partner brokers.
Your app should aim to satisfy these core needs in an easy-to-use platform. Focus on the essential features rather than trying to replicate everything Investing.com does.
Plan Your App’s Features and Functionality
With your target users and their needs defined, you can start planning the key features and screens your app will need. Here are some essentials to include:
– Watchlists – Allow users to track stocks, currencies, commodities.
– Price Quotes – Provide real-time pricing data, percentage change etc.
– Charts – Interactive charts with technical indicators for analysis.
– News – Curated news related to markets, companies, economy.
– Alerts – Notify users on price movements, news events etc.
– Portfolio – Integrate with brokerages to show user’s portfolio, balances, returns.
– Trading – If offering trading, integrate with brokerage APIs.
– Community – Consider forums, comments for user discussions.
Also Read: How to Develop a Forex Trading App Like OctaFX
Select the Right Technologies
Now it’s time to select the right technologies and architecture for your investing app:
– Mobile Platforms – Native iOS and Android apps are a must. React Native can help build for both platforms more efficiently.
– Back End – Node.js, Ruby on Rails, ASP.NET are good options for rapid development.
– Database – MongoDB or PostgreSQL for storage and queries.
– APIs – Leverage financial data APIs like AlphaVantage, Polygon, FinnHub.
– Push Notifications – Firebase Cloud Messaging or similar services.
– Servers – Cloud infrastructure like AWS is ideal for scalability and reliability.
Make sure your technology choices align with the development skills in your team. Hiring additional mobile, backend or hire app developers in india to develop your app.
Implement Robust Data and Integrations
The core of your investing app will be market data powering the quotes, charts, news and analysis. There are a few options for sourcing this data:
– Direct integrations with stock exchanges via FIX protocols – More complex but results in low-latency data.
– Financial data API services like Polygon, AlphaVantage, FinnHub.
– Connect with a market data provider like Refinitiv, MorningStar or YCharts.
In addition to pricing data, you’ll need feeds for news, earnings data, filings, calendars and so on. Many financial data APIs offer these datasets.
For trading capabilities, you need to integrate with brokerages by using their mobile trading SDKs or FIX/APIs. Leading brokers like TD Ameritrade and E*TRADE offer developer platforms.
Focus on Performance and Security
With huge amounts of real-time data powering your app, performance optimization should be a priority. Ensure your backend infrastructure can scale smoothly as data loads increase. Use caching, load balancers, microservices and other tactics to improve throughput.
Security is also paramount when dealing with financial data. Encrypt sensitive data, implement strong authentication, validate inputs, rate limit requests and follow other best practices.
Also Check: How to Develop An Algo Trading App?
Design an Intuitive User Experience
Creating a great user experience is essential for investing apps dealing with complex data. Some tips:
– Strive for simplicity – Avoid overly complex workflows.
– Use clean, minimalist designs.
– Build responsive, mobile-first interfaces.
– Implement seamless animations and transitions.
– Make key info easily accessible.
– Personalize with themes, preferences.
Leverage great UX/UI libraries like Google Material Design to speed up development. Test prototypes extensively with real users to refine interfaces.
Consider Complementary Features
Beyond the core functionality, some useful features that align with Investing.com include:
– Premium subscriptions for advanced tools like backtesting, more alerts.
– Broker account integration for tracking balances, trade history.
– Educational content like guides, webinars, videos.
– Blog/forum for user discussions and commentary.
– Crowdsourced price targets, analyst ratings.
– Economic calendar of upcoming events, earnings reports.
These types of features provide additional value to users while also diversifying monetization beyond ads.
Roll Out on Mobile First
It’s best to initially launch your investing app on mobile platforms first before later building out web interfaces. Mobile usage dominates for stocks, finance and investing. Start with iOS and Android apps, potentially using React Native for efficient cross-platform development.
Once you’ve released and refined the mobile experience, you can launch a web version to broaden your reach. Maintain feature parity between mobile and web.
Must Read: How Stock Trading Apps like Robinhood are Disrupting The Financial Markets?
Market and Monetize Your App
With your investing app complete, it’s time for the biggest challenge – getting users! App store optimization, social media marketing, PR and paid advertising are some top promotion channels.
For monetization, offer a free ad-supported version along with premium subscriptions for advanced functionality. Partner with online brokers to allow in-app account opening and trading. Transaction fees per trade provide another revenue stream.
By continuing to refine features, marketing and monetization you can establish your app as a leading platform for investors and traders. The ability to build an engaged user base and drive recurring revenues make investing apps highly worthwhile to develop.
Conclusion
Creating the next Investing.com-like platform takes careful planning and execution across design, development, data integration, marketing and monetization. Find the best finance app development services cross the world. It’s not easy at all to make addressable market that makes investing apps viable if approached systematically. The combination of mobile convenience, powerful tools and real-time data can provide tremendous value to financial and investment professionals as well as casual traders. With the right product market fit, there is huge potential in this domain.
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