How Have Mobile Apps Changed the World?

Netmatters
Posted by Netmatters
A mobile phone on a world map
“There's an App for That!” 

With the rise of smart phones and tablets, apps have completely changed the way we live, helping to simplify our lives beyond belief.

Ordering a takeaway from your sofa, catching up with friends and family or even checking how many steps you’ve taken throughout the day. There’s no denying that there is a plethora of apps online for all aspects of life.

So, Why So Popular?

You take your phone everywhere, it’s become such an important tool to you that you can’t be without it, people have even claimed to feel naked without theirs.

When you mix the fact that everyone always has their phone on them with the convenience of being able to download an app straight to your phone means that the growth of apps exploded. Once users began to experience how easy they were to use and the benefits it gave them, developers tried to build new and improved apps to fill any gaps in the market.

Proven Types of Apps: 

Social Media

Everyone has their own opinion on whether Social Media is a godsend or the Devil’s work.

Either way there is no denying that these apps have fundamentally influenced our social behaviour and the way we interact with one another.

It has never been so easy to get in touch with friends and family. Posting updates, sharing pictures and even real-time video / audio communication with anyone anywhere in the world means that we are in constant communication with each other.

The variety of Social Media apps continues to grow everyday with new ideas, new trends and new methods of communicating being published every day.

A mobile phone displaying social media app icons


E-Commerce [Online Shopping]

Online shopping is one of the easiest ways to shop nowadays. Companies like Amazon make it possible for us to shop for near enough anything and everything all from our phones.

Other companies soon caught onto this idea and most high street shops and brands now have their own shopping app available for you to download.

Someone using a mobile app while shopping


Healthy Living

Exercise and Fitness has become more and more popular each year since the arrival of apps. It’s now easier than ever to download a combination of apps which act as your personal trainer and provide you with a diet plan.

Certain apps can even sync with third party equipment such as Fit Bits and Heart Rate Monitors to help you keep track with how many calories you’re burning as well as how much you’ve exercised.

There are even apps which tell you how to exercise without the need for a Gym membership, an appealing idea to the average user who wants to keep in shape but isn’t a hardcore gym goer. 

Mobile Gaming

Mobile Games have always been around, nearly everyone remembers playing Snake on the Nokia 3310. Over the years, however, as mobile technology has evolved so have the games. Popular games such as Angry Birds and Candy Crush became heavily addictive to many users. In-game purchases for extra lives or the ability to even skip a level meant that King, the popular mobile gaming development company, would earn an average of 0,000 Per Day!

Another significant game is Pokemon Go. The game launched in 2016 and was a huge success immediately. Both adults craving that nostalgic feeling and young children already into the franchise would be seen out late at night walking the streets trying to catch Pokemon they could see using the in-games Augmented Reality (AR).

Since then development companies have been trying to push the boundaries with this new technology and we are beginning to see more and more Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) games being released.

Phone showing the sign-up screen to an AR mobile game


Business Benefits

The average user aren’t the only ones who have seen the benefits of apps.

Many businesses nowadays look to develop applications to help run their day to day workflow, streamline their processes and aid productivity.

Retailers and E-Commerce businesses have not only seen an increase in sales with the help of applications, but development of Bespoke Software such as Delivery Apps has helped drivers view their workload, gain quick access to the customer’s information and even plan delivery routes to help save time.

Service providers often look at developing Quote Builders to help produce estimates to their clients whilst onsite; making it even easier to provide a final price and securing the sale.

Push Notifications

Push notifications is a passive method of marketing your business. If a user has your app installed they can often be integrated with the user’s GPS and notify them of special promotions and offers at the right time.

Users can now walk past a restaurant, shop or even the cinema and certain notifications will flash on their phone to let them know that an establishment is nearby with a note of the most recent offer. This is more commonly known as Proximity Marketing and can be beneficial if your business operates in a busy location.

Push notifications don’t necessarily require the user to be near your business, however. They can also work in a similar way to Email Marketing Campaigns in the respect that a flash notification can appear on any lock screen with your app installed. Opening the notification then leads the user directly to the specific area on the app for the optimal user experience.

Push notifications have become one of the most valued forms of marketing businesses with the use of an app. 

Convenience

The sheer need for everything to be instant nowadays and with the decline in people's attention span has opened up a channel of profitability in businesses. 
The more you simplify a process, making it more convenient for a user, the more willing they are to engage. 

This in turn then means that they will frequently return to the app, share it with friends and ultimately become a valued customer. 

It's safe to say that Mobile Apps have had a significant impact on our lives. They help us in both our personal and professional lives, making everyday tasks simpler and simpler.

With the rise of new technologies such as Smart Watches there will always be a place for new apps and there doesn’t appear to be an end to them on the horizon.

If you have an app idea and are looking for a team of developers to help build it, get in touch by filling out the form below or giving us a call on 01603 515007. 

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