According to research company Gartner, by the end of 2013 mobile devices will have become the most common way to access the Web. The potential this offers marketers is huge. Gartner also predicts that by 2015 more than 80% of handsets in mature markets will be smartphones. This creates new opportunities to increase revenue and engage with customers on smartphones anywhere at anytime.
However, to attract consumers using smartphones and encourage interactions businesses must offer a great mobile experience. This is why mobile apps have taken the consumer market by storm. Compared to a traditional website, an app offers a more user friendly experience that is easier to navigate, to consume information and to carry out transactions.
There are over 900,000 apps available for iOS devices and a similar number for Android. There are apps for just about everything – some are simple, some brilliant, some are just for fun. To drive revenue out of apps you can charge the consumer up front, or be paid by advertisers or it could boost your marketing strategy for example by enhancing customers’ shopping experiences and encouraging brand loyalty. Or, if you are an entrepreneur, the app itself could be bought – Facebook recently acquired mobile photo sharing app Instagram for a reported $1 billion.
Barriers to building and distributing mobile apps have significantly reduced. Apps are much more accessible – they are inexpensive to create and can generate serious revenue as the distribution channel is huge – basically any user with a smartphone or tablet can access it.
Currently native apps that are built for a particular platform offer a superior user experience. However, there could be a shift from native apps to HTML5 web apps as this technology improves and becomes more standardized. Web apps work on any platform with a modern web browser so users on iPhones, iPads, Android phones and tablets, and Windows Mobile devices can use the same app. The growth of web apps will make apps even more accessible – driving down development costs and increasing distribution prospects.
While the potential for enterprise apps is yet to be fully realised, it is predicted that most organisations will deliver mobile apps to workers in the next few years. Employees are becoming less reliant on PCs and tablets have already become a popular choice for presentations and external meetings.
Enterprise apps will create a mobile office with a virtual personal assistant to remind you about what you need to do and when. These will allow employees to use their mobile devices to complete sales, acquire new customers, carry out administration, download information and connect with people anywhere. Being able to carry out these tasks when employees are out of the office will significantly speed up business processes and improve efficiency. AppMesh recently announced venture capital funding of $3m to build a “designed for mobile first”, CRM application.
As new tools and apps are created for tablets and mobile devices the app market will continue to grow exponentially. To take advantage of the opportunities this brings businesses must invest in their mobile offering as part of an integrated digital strategy.