Technology is a sector and an industry that is constantly on the move. Driven by the unrelenting challenge of creating the next ground-breaking app, the most sought-after mobile phone, or whatever the latest software of hardware upgrade may be, the competition is fierce. This is not just about the professional pride that comes being a tech industry giant or leader, it is also about consumers and the billions of dollars that mobile markets now generate.
When it comes to apps, this level of competition is stratospheric. Whether it is a full-service banking, booking holidays, finding car and home insurance, placing a sports wager, finding a job or looking for love via dating apps, companies are always looking to get downloads and users as they strive to be best in class. It is as much about functionality as it is how an app looks, with the more user-friendly applications offering the better user experience.
With so much competition for every click, apps are now critical to the success of many companies rather than being a secondary part of it. Apps are now about both the practical as well as information, from getting the latest breaking news around the globe to searching for tips to help you win roulette, every app has a purpose and every app developer wants your business and your loyalty. So how much does this mobile market, the ubiquitous nature of the app, and the corporate clamour to ensure that applications deliver the full desktop functionality drive company strategies?
Desktops Diminishing: Younger Users Now See Apps as Primary Sources
When the internet first came into use it was basic in terms of mass consumption and functionality. As the technology, both software and hardware developed, the desktop website became king and almost every industry and company you can think of focused on delivering the best website, both aesthetically and functionally that you could design and develop. But as the desktop stayed all important for a while, and still has a pivotal role to play in the internet arena, the emergence of mobile phones and tablets changed things quite significantly and irrevocably.
In 2008, the world of the application as we now know if came into being. Apple released the first app store and the android world soon followed, each of which offered users around 500 applications or more from which to choose. Today, millions of apps fill the online space. A day does not go by where companies don’t launch, update ort upgrade thousands more. Younger users became not just used to the use of app as a primary source of contact with companies, but as the only way they want to.
From being able to book things like taxis or holidays, use apps as their method of banking, browse and engage with social media, a form of global communication and more, apps have appeared as the frontrunner for mobile access. This has made many companies started to refocus, making the app their focus while not (in most cases) ignoring or downgrading their main website presence. With this status quo becoming more entrenched, the already competitive app arena is set to continue being developed and shaped by the requirements and demands of the millions of users that see apps as the best way to be online.
Advancing Your App: Mobile Phones and Tablets Constantly Evolving and Improving
As the hardware and software used by mobile phone and tablet manufacturers continues to evolve, the quality of apps is right behind them. With an ever-agile approach app developers now expect constant updates and upgrades to be a part of the overall development project and process. The first development and release of any app is, of course, important, but keeping that app up to date in terms of software, hardware on which it will be accessed and used, and the changing functionality it needs to deliver is equally important, if not more so.
With ever new phone released, every new tablet, with processing chips and graphic capabilities improved and enhanced with each of these, the app developer world now works at a rapid rate amidst febrile levels of competition and consumer expectations. In the past, app developers simply concerned themselves with getting their app released. Many corporations, such as banks, travel companies and ticket sellers, among others, offered an app but without the full functionality of their desktop site.
It is this constantly evolving app landscape and user demographic that has created a more demanding application expectation. Rather than directed to a website, users want the app to offer them a chance to do whatever they need to do. For apps that do not provide this experience, the danger is that they will not be the online destination, company, social network or service provider of choice among the most discerning user demographic. To put it another way, the app appreciation demonstrated by resolute users highlights how and why they lead mobile strategies of so many companies and corporations.
