In brief
Treat apps as an integral part of your product: they can influence purchasing decisions, simplify complex functions and increase usefulness. Aim for a complete, enjoyable and convenient experience by integrating app content and features with your products, tools or services.
The earliest apps on the market may have been little more than gimmicks, but they have evolved into much more. They are becoming remote controls for the Internet of Things. Apps are no longer accessories; they are necessities.
On Android alone, the number of apps currently available has reached 1.3 million. This abundance of choice creates a fiercely competitive market, particularly given that 90% of apps are used only once after being downloaded and installed.
Apps have played an important role in the product experience for some time. Consumers’ expectations of apps now extend to even the most complex products and industries. They want innovative ways to use products, and the right product app can deliver them. A good app can make complex things simple, and companies should aim to do this when developing apps.
Apps can make or break a product
Companies tend to focus on mobile primarily as a channel through which consumers can buy their products. After all, 82% of the time consumers spend using apps is spent within applications. In 2014, online retail sales of goods reached US$345 billion, so it is hardly surprising that companies focus on promoting their products through mobile.
However, these companies are missing out on a growing market. Apps are more than a sales channel; they are part of the overall product. For many products, apps will play an important role in consumers’ purchasing decisions.
Take Apple Watch as an example. Smartwatches are a less popular category of wearable devices, owned by only 2% of US consumers. In one survey, when respondents were asked why they did not plan to buy a smartwatch, 83% said these products lacked the features they needed. Currently, 47% of smartwatch users use them as fitness trackers. As a result, smartwatches have previously been pushed into a niche market aimed mainly at fitness enthusiasts.
However, this could change following the launch of Apple Watch. Some estimate that by 2018, Apple Watch could account for as much as 73% of the wearable device market. This smartwatch comes with 14 apps as standard, offering functions ranging from email to remote control of Apple TV. The watch itself is merely an expensive timepiece; the selling point of Apple Watch is its apps.
Mobile apps can simplify complex functions
When people use apps, they are looking for simplicity and ease of use. They want to use existing products in new ways, or do things that were previously impossible. A good app can create that experience.
Using apps simplifies complex tasks and gives users access to new product features. It can even change a company’s business model to maximise user satisfaction and sales of its products.
Let users’ expectations of apps inspire your brand. How can you integrate app content and functions with your products, tools or services? How can you use apps as a selling point to attract users along the purchasing journey? And how can apps extend a product’s usefulness and enhance its value and significance? The goal should be to provide users with apps that deliver a complete, enjoyable and convenient service。