How To Make A News App Like Khaleej Times?

Newspaper-based apps constitute a huge share of the internet traffic. With the growing popularity of mobile apps, a significant share of news consumption moved to apps.

Every region has its own influence on the global news sources. If we talk about Dubai then, one of the largest news apps is Khaleej Times.

According to OneWorldMedia, Khaleej Times has an average issue readership of 1.03 million and reaches 4.5 million browsers each month through Kaleejtimes.com.

Khaleej Times is a Dubai-based newspaper application providing complete UAE and international news coverage along with other utilities including Dubai draft rate, UAE exchange rate, Dubai Gold Price, and more.

It has been observed that Newspaper-based apps have played a crucial role in getting users across the world.

According to Statista, the revenue in the News and magazines market reached $529.40 million in 2022 therefore, the total revenue is expected to grow (CAGR 2022-2027) by 12.72%.

The known revenue of the Khaleej Times news app is making it one the most influential news platforms in the world.

Hence, if you want to invest in a newspaper app development like Khaleej Times, it is your time to do so!

This blog will discuss how to build a news app like the Khaleej Times while covering factors one should know before investing in any similar application.

Let’s get started!

What is Khaleej’s Times?

best mobile news app that offers news and details of global affairs specifically in UAE.

The newspaper emerged in 1978 in Dubai and since then it has become a source to validate all the happenings around the world and in its region.

In this modern age, the Khaleej Times uses the most suitable medium as a mobile app to provide news and cover a massive range of topics like national and international news, sports, entertainment, business, and others.

Meanwhile, the users can personalize the app by choosing their topic of interest. Knowing the popularity of the Khaleej Times, businesses anticipate creating news apps because of its huge readership in Dubai and across the world.

Below is a detailed representation of the growing impact of the news app medium.

How to Build a News App Like Khaleej Times: A Step-by-Step Guide

Creating a newspaper application like Khaleej Times or any other popular news app involves various steps starting from ideation to the final development & launch.

To mainly focus on making the whole newspaper on-demand app, it’s important to craft the app in a well-structured and appealing way.

mobile app development company in Dubai and create an application that can make a difference in the news industry.

Meanwhile, these are the core steps involved in the development of a news app like Khaleej Times.

Check Your Competitors

Before starting to develop an app, do your market research and examine your competitor’s app model, features, limitations, and more.

Because there are various new apps like Khaleej Times available in Dubai. So, identifying the popular newspaper applications in the UAE would also be helpful.

You must study the user’s demographic and interests; it will help you understand the current market trends and user requirements.

• Identify what is popular right now
• What features would make your app the best for your business?

Know Your Target Audience

Developing a newspaper mobile application is all about providing news on mobile instantly, and meeting readers’ expectations by providing quality content.

The helpful news app for the users will focus on their needs and interests. Therefore, it’s important to segment your target audience before you proceed with other steps.

Choose the News App Development Format

Now, select the type of News app that you want to build based on which news app suits the best to your business objective.

Your market research will help you in making the best news update app. Keep in mind, your app must be attractive and interesting, covering regional, local, and all kinds of news including fashion, entertainment, politics, the stock market, and much more.

So, you can hire a professional mobile app development company that will not only streamline the process but will give you a clear roadmap leading towards your desired outcome.

Choose Unique Features & Maintain Quality Content

Select the features for your news app that are most likely to attract the audience.

One of the core elements is offering updated news, and sharing it in a compelling way that keeps the readers hooked with it.

Secondly, the content must be premium, authentic, and error-free to offer a memorable reading experience to your readers.

Intuitive UX/UI

Implementing unique UX/UI design is one of the most crucial aspects of app development. So, if you want to make a news app like Khaleej Times, you must consider all the principles of design to create a feature-rich mobile application.

Do not complicate the app’s interface for the users by rushing down the elements on a single screen. It would be great if you keep your target audience in mind, and choose the color theme, layout, and placement of the elements accordingly.

03 Types of News Mobile Applications

Before creating your own newspaper application like the Khaleej Times, you must know the different categories of news apps that are trending in the market these days.

Here are the most popular types of news applications  we’ve mentioned below:

News Aggregator Apps

These apps accumulate news from various sources whether regional, national, or international.

This is the most popular way among readers as it lets them be aware of the world’s news whenever they want.

However, it is fundamental to present news that is interesting and captures attention instantly. The app owner can decide whether the app can be accessed, paid or free of cost.

News Resource Apps

These apps are for news resources and help people who own web media or newspapers. Such types of news applications are highly in demand!

Local News Apps

These news apps offer news specific to a particular region, state, or region. They usually cover politics, community news, and local events.

10 Must-Have Features For A News App Like Khaleej Times

Whenever you’re planning to create a news app it’s important to include some primary features without which your application will be incomplete.

We’ve mentioned all the primary and secondary features in this section, so you can have a clear idea for your app development.

Login

However, Giving access to the audience, a registration or login feature is essential for a news app. Users must make a profile by logging in via email or phone numbers to refrain from unauthorized access issues.

For more convenience, allow users to log in with their respective social media accounts such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

User Profile

When a user makes their profiles, it becomes simpler to suggest content as per their interests. It is a crucial aspect to take the user into account while creating a news app like Khaleej Times.

The profiles are then used to build engagement on any of the content, which eventually boosts the reach.

Advance Search Filter

The search bar filter is also vital for a news app, allowing users to find the news. It also enables the app to understand the reader’s interest.

Though, the keyword, date, location, or any trending news will all be used to determine search results.

Push Notifications

Push notification is an essential element to incorporate in a news app like the Khaleej Times.

Try to offer users personalized news alerts based on their desired topics and interests.

Therefore, it is significant to integrate a strategic push notification feature that is welcoming to its readers and useful for your app conversion rate.

Filter the Feed

This feature helps identify what users want and what not. You can integrate the “Don’t show me this” option on every post.

When you optimize the app and feed according to the user’s needs, the more time they spend on the app.

Offline Reading

Usually, users prefer saving exciting content to read later, and their offline reading option should be handy.

This feature lets readers save content to read in an offline mode when they have no internet connection.

Live Streaming

Live streaming is one of the great services that brings money to your news application. It allows users to watch live news on the app and boost the user retention rate.

However, using the advanced elements in newspaper applications will increase the app development time & cost.

Videos Integration

Always build a news app that boosts user engagement and makes it more interesting. It will also be achieved by integrating video files in your app, you can stream live news, and political debates, and record news items by integrating video resources.

Like, Comment & Share

These are the most common features to engage users and should not be removed from a news app. The option to share the news with your friends and family is a wholesome experience for a user.

Audio Format

Reading complete articles takes most of the time and bored users. So, you have to incorporate the advanced feature audio format. This will help the reader to know all the news in one go.

Effective News App Monetization Strategies to Boost Revenue

It doesn’t matter how much you invest in news app development, as long as it gives a good return.

You can opt for the top three monetization strategies mentioned below to boost the return on investment for your news app.

Subscription

You can apply a subscription method to deliver quality content to people in exchange for a fee.

Popular news apps such as NYTimes have a subscription method where they provide certain articles free to read, and if the users want to read more than that, they have to buy a subscription.

Advertising

Organizations spend lots of money on mobile app advertisement, which is the best source of revenue for news apps.

Moreover, personalized ads for businesses can be an excellent option to customize ads according to the user’s interest.

Sponsorship

Another way to get revenue is by running a personalized campaign for sponsors on your news app.

On your news app, you can sell tickets for performances or events for a specific region or group of individuals sharing the same interest.

Why is Investing in a News App Development Like Khaleej Important for Your Business?

Businesses want to invest in news apps like the Khaleej Times because of the increased demand for digital news consumption.

These apps offer retention, boost user engagement, and personalized content.

According to Statista, the mobile app market is increasing with more than 6.6 billion smartphone users across the world.

Individuals spend a lot more time on their phones, and engage with different apps, whether they are news, eCommerce, or streaming apps.

Moreover, news apps have different monetization avenues from subscriptions to ads to sponsorships.

A reputable news app can strengthen your brand’s authority while offering real-time news updates.

Nowadays, news apps have emerged as a compelling asset with a global reach and lots of benefits, which opens the door for a collaborative partnership.

Why Developing a News App is a Smart Move: Benefits and Opportunities

However, developing news can be a smart move in this digital era, and offers several benefits and opportunities.

Nowadays, all popular newspaper companies have a mobile app to boost their presence.

Here are some reasons to develop a News app like Khaleej Times:

Own Your Channel

The best thing about developing a news app is that you can manage the channel. You can decide when to broadcast the news, and when it makes the most sense in front of readers.

Having your own app creates a direct relationship with your users and ultimately revenue.

Great User-Experience

It is a fact that mobile Apps offer a more evolved user experience as compared to sites or any traditional channel.

And the news app is developed on the device’s native functionality to serve the best user experience.

Always, keep in mind that users want fast loading, no intrusive banners, or ads, easy-to-use, and an offline mode.

High-Engagement

News apps are bound to have more effective audiences. As people check their phones often, there is a huge chance that they open the app on their phone for any new update.

The news app allows users to create a community, where they share, discuss and comment on articles.

Revenue Opportunities

A newspaper application offers you more chances to generate revenue just like the Khaleej Times Online.

You can display banner ads throughout the app, screen ads, native ads, offer walls that fit well with the content, and endorse relevant offers.

Therefore, news apps are making a return as part of the large production pivot to reader revenue.

How Much Cost is Needed to Build a News App like Khaleej Times?

For the development of a new application, all you have to do is find a reputable Mobile App Development Company.

Meanwhile, the app development cost usually depends on different aspects including technology stacks, app features, UI|UX mechanism, app complexity, third-party APIs, and overall app security.

However, the average news app development cost is between $5,000 to $20,0000.

It may vary if you want a premium news app with additional features and security, then it may cost between $30,000 to $70,000 or above.

Best Practices to Adopt While Creating a News App Like Khaleej Times

Developing a news app like Khaleej Times involves planning, design, development, and execution.

Here we have enlisted the best practices to consider during the news application development process.

Sort News by Relevance

Try to optimize the user experience by displaying the most relevant stories first. It prevents users from having to unreasonably navigate through their feeds.

As a result, it will boost the app’s CTR (click-through rate) for breaking news and stories.

Organize Content

However, listing content into categories will make it simple for users to discover content relevant to their interests and user needs.

Categories are also useful when recommending users similar news to what they have already read. It will increase page views as well as session length.

Display Estimated Reading Time

Showing each article’s reading time as part of the thumbnail. Which helps users to know whether they want to read or not.

This is also a smart way to enhance the user experience by providing a clear view to the audience.

Push Users to Share Content

It would also help if the news app included a share option to allow users to share content they find attractive across social media.

Your purpose should be sharing content as simply as possible, allowing readers to integrate social media channels with their profile so that they can share content in a click.

Avoid Clickbait Notifications

It’s essential to be honest and clear with your readers, especially when sending push notifications.

Readers want to be notified with headlines and breaking news with an option to learn more.

Offer Related Posts

The other way to boost session length and articles per session is to offer your readers related posts. This is usually shown at the bottom of the article to avoid distracting the user experience.

Best News App You Should Know

Staying updated with the latest news is necessary, so here are the five best apps for news available on iOS and Android:

Gulf News

The National

Emirates 24/7

Al Arabiya English

DubaiNow

How Tekrevol can help you build an app like Khaleej Times?

Tekrevol is a reputable Mobile App development company with a proven record of creating apps and providing a complete news app solution, which eventually increases reader retention, engagement, and social media presence.

However, there has been enormous progress in the development of apps in recent years.

Tekrevol adopts new trends and carries out market research to help you progress and stay ahead in the competitive industry.

So, if you want to create a news app like Khaleej Times, you can consult with our specialists who will guide you through the complete journey of on-demand Mobile app development in Dubai.