Is the “App for That” era over?
Is the “App for That” era over?
In 2008, Apple had introduced the slogan “There’s an app for that” showcasing the power of apps. With time, we started using an app for everything. Name it, and you actually have an app for it! In fact, there’s a tough competition in the app market, with businesses trying to differentiate for the same app segment. The question is, whether 2017 will mark the end of the app era?
According to Gartner, we are moving towards a post-app era, which definitely does not mean we are nearing the end of the app era. In fact, we are slowly moving towards an era where the role of mobile apps will evolve, transforming the way we interact with them.
Apps have Evolved
The apps, when they started out, had to be downloaded and physically opened, in order to measure the usage. In order to be able to use the app, the user had to stay within the app. The apps could not run in the background.
With increasing popularity of mobile apps, certain changes were made in order to allow apps to run in the background. At present, when you use your Whatsapp, Facebook or other popular apps, you don’t need to stay in the app to keep yourself updated. Regular notifications on new messages, status updates help you stay engaged with it, even when you are not using it.
The main aim was to offer sticky experiences to the users. This will improve user engagement and their overall app experience. The metric used to measure the user engagement even now is the time the users spend in the apps.
Do we need new Metrics?
The user has evolved, and his journey and behavior will mark the entry of new metrics to measure user engagement. You are not going to stay in the app throughout but, that doesn’t mean you are not using the app. Users want to experience apps without really using them in the foreground or calling out to them.
This has been made possible with the entry of emerging technologies such as Chatbots, and Artificial Intelligence. You will observe how these technologies have allowed users to use the apps, without really calling out to them. For example, a user can call Siri to use the message app to send a message to their friend. This is a product of artificial intelligence combined with Chatbot.
Emerging Technologies and Mobile Apps
In the post-app era, you need to give importance to app experiences as compared to app usage. This is what will determine their engagement. You will need to measure experiences, even when the app user is away from the app or, the app is running in the background.
The role of apps will evolve in this era. You will find fewer apps on the screen and more interactions with the apps. Your user will need to link the different app accounts, create recipes and link them to the Chatbots for an enhanced experience. As a business, you will need to identify different metrics to identify your user engagement.
Users can set up custom notifications, be alerted on different topics, and finally experience the app as they want to. The same app will deliver personalized experiences, marking a new era.
Summarizing the post-app era
If businesses are not moving towards the post-app era, which marks the entry of an evolved and personalized app culture, you might stagnate. It is important businesses consider app experience as a potential metric as against user engagement. You will need to evolve with the app by bringing in new metrics to improve app usability.
Sodio technologies help you move towards the post-app era with capable solutions. We incorporate emerging technologies to ensure you are moving ahead with a quick and competitive pace.
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