It seems we have run into a conundrum in terms of mobile devices and the value of apps as we currently know them today. While people around the world spend more time on their cell phones and devices and are more reliant upon them than ever before, it is becoming increasingly more difficult for app developers to establish their offerings as relevant, value-laden entities. The app market is oversaturated, and the mere download of an app means very little compared to how often it is actually used. In fact, 4 out of 5 users who have downloaded an app fail to become active users.
Statistics show that most mobile users download zero new apps per month. If this figure were not ominous enough, another report from Forrester shows that users typically spend 80% of their time on mobile on only a handful of given big-name apps, leaving the others in unused obscurity, doomed to collect metaphorical dust.
Where did apps go wrong?
Apps as we know them in their current forms, are headed for extinction. A generous collection of them can become visually unappealing, disorganized, and take up too much space and memory on our devices.
It may be wiser to take a look at the dejected status of apps not in terms of what services they provide, but instead of what functionality they lack. The world of mobile evolves more and more with each passing year, and apps need to stay one step ahead of the game—in terms of technological innovation, a favorable user experience, breadth of offerings, and more—in order to have a fighting chance in both the marketplace and the lives of its users.
What's on the horizon?
As we settle into 2017, we are taking notice of specific sectors in the app world that are proving to gain significant steam. The biggest adaptations are (and will continue to be) instant apps or app-streaming, which was recently introduced by Google and does not require multi-step installations that often deter users from completing the download process. Progressive web apps (PWAs) also provide favorable alternatives to the soon-to-be-outdated native app, allowing for a quicker, more streamlined web experience with fewer steps and less red tape. PWAs are also more favorable for developers, who now have the ability to program one definitive app, rather than draft three different versions of the same offering separately on iOS, Android, and web.
Next, apps that allow for multi-action functionality within a single interface might be the brightest stars on the app horizon. Savvy device users are increasingly aligning with "mobile first" mentality, which encompasses the separate but equal needs for speedy efficiency and heightened accessibility. Simply put, time and effort must be minimized while maximizing productivity.
Leading mobile discovery platforms like Appnext have realized early on that the true battlefield is no longer growth, but engagement. In other words, driving growth beyond installs and making sure your app is used again and again has taken precedence. As such, re-engagement strategies and relevance of every mobile interaction will become the focus of the industry, retiring "growth hacking". Targeting geos and "guestimated" personas is no longer enough. Each ad, message, and placement will be driven by unique real-time context, opening the era of ads that serve, not annoy and interrupt.
In China, WeChat has taken off with flying colors since its inception in 2011, and by 2015 reached 549 million monthly active users (MAUs). (By comparison, Facebook Messenger logged 600 million global MAUs by the same time, despite not having a Chinese presence.) It's perhaps the most shining example of "mobile first" done correctly, and may very well set the standard for all apps that come after it.
WeChat is much more than a simple messaging app, and though it's currently available for use only in China, there are several key takeaways that make its model not only relevant, but essential, to consider for future app building. The most striking element of WeChat is its seemingly limitless functionality; it truly serves as a one-stop shop for a host of services and activities including but not limited to the social sphere. From within WeChat, users can order food delivery, hail a taxi, play games, transfer money, shop online, access fitness tracking data, download bank statements, pay bills, read the news, and so much more — all without leaving the app, thanks to its "app-within-app" framework. It has essentially condensed the whole of the internet into a single interface from which users can access any and all of their desires in the digital sphere.
So what now?
Going forward, app developers would be wise to tailor app offerings and the experiences therein to fully encompass their users' daily propensities and even their most minute needs. The "mobile first" user prizes multitasking apps that encompass various parts of their lives, including but not limited to entertainment, communication, and the tasks they need to get done. Furthermore, the total user experience needs to be as simplified and streamlined as possible in order to attract the user from the get-go.
As they say, you only get one shot to make a great first impression. Design a forward-thinking app with multi-layered functionality that puts the individual and his/her mobile-mindedness at the fore, and you'll find that apps aren't so much doomed as they are entering a brand new, revived, and more effective era of existence.