With more than 4.3 billion smartphone users, which translates to more than 77 percent of the world’s population, mobile apps have become indispensable to consumers and revolutionized how people live. They serve various everyday purposes across personal and professional lives, from email to food delivery.
Consumers today expect user-friendly mobile apps from businesses across all industries, including food, retail and education. A study found that more than two-thirds of consumers (68 percent) listed time savings as their number one consideration when downloading a business’s app, followed by simplifying their lives at 65 percent. Since mobile apps often save time and simplify the user experience, integrating a business’s service within a mobile app can widen its audience, compared to only having a website.
Why Do People Delete Mobile Apps?
- Poor user experience (e.g., software bugs, slow loading times).
- Poor user interface.
- Poor security features.
The Rise of the Mobile App
There are 8.93 million apps worldwide, and this market is expected to generate more than $935 billion in revenue in 2024. With this growth, younger generations now expect businesses to provide a mobile app option for their customers. In fact, nearly a quarter (20 percent) of Gen Z members download an app per week.
Since 2016, the number of apps available for download worldwide has increased by 82 percent. Although some of this growth can be attributed to necessity, consumers are also downloading apps due to their heightened ease of use when compared to a company’s website on a mobile web browser. As mobile app expectations also increase, businesses need to get ahead of the curve and ensure they’re providing a user-friendly mobile app. With 18 percent of consumers having more than 30 apps on their phones, securing a spot on the coveted home screen of everyone’s devices is becoming ever more challenging.
What Does Mobile App Growth Mean for Businesses?
Businesses across industries are affected by the mobile app surge since consumers use apps for nearly all their everyday activities, such as buying groceries, working, communicating with friends and sharing parts of their lives with the public. Businesses can and should capitalize on this growth as a successful, easy-to-use app can provide customer data, which they can then use for marketing and customer loyalty.
Regarding the restaurant industry specifically, mobile ordering and rewards programs provide new business opportunities that were not as prevalent prior to the growth of mobile apps. Research shows that 71 percent of consumers prefer restaurant-specific websites or mobile apps over third-party solutions due to lower costs, convenience and personalized loyalty benefits. Additionally, with in-app rewards and loyalty programs, consumers are more likely to take advantage of these benefits and increase their spending.
With respect to retail, people often use mobile apps in-store as well. The availability of mobile payment through apps has made transactions smoother thanks to the use of near-field communication technology. This technology lets users pay for goods and services simply by tapping their devices.
Why Do People Delete Apps?
With the increased competition among mobile apps, businesses must focus on how to get consumers not only to download theirs but also how to ensure they don’t delete them. A recent study found that the number one reason consumers delete mobile apps from their devices is poor user experience (e.g., software bugs, slow loading times), followed by poor user interface and poor security features.
To ensure that consumers remain satisfied with an app, the business must prioritize app maintenance and implement high-security features. When developing and updating consumer apps, companies should consider adding new trending technology, such as artificial intelligence and personalization, to remain competitive.
For instance, this year has seen a clear shift toward hyper-personalization. This entails using advanced AI and machine learning algorithms to provide highly customized experiences to users. By analyzing user behavior, preferences, and past interactions, apps can offer personalized content, recommendations, and features to suit each user. Features, like tailored shopping recommendations, can be implemented into apps by partnering with an app developer to integrate these modern tools.
What Is the Future of the Mobile App?
The rise of generative AI is occurring at a time when the demand for increasingly sophisticated digital experiences and digital transformation is also increasing. Businesses should embrace the latest technologies, such as AI integration, and prioritize user-centric design principles, to stay competitive in a field that is not only constantly adapting and improving but increasingly crowded.
Businesses are increasingly using AI technologies like machine learning, natural language processing, and predictive analytics to improve customer experiences, marketing strategies, and operational efficiencies. AI integration within mobile apps can range from customer service chatbots to shopping recommendations. Although this technology is evolving every day, there are still significant challenges that AI must overcome. With chatbots, for example, many applications still need improvement regarding complex queries, nuances within language understanding and emotional intelligence.
Similar to AI, personalization has become essential in today’s world, transitioning from a luxury to an expectation. Customers now demand experiences tailored to their specific preferences and needs in their mobile apps. Whether personalized recommendations or customized privacy settings, businesses must anticipate and meet these expectations. This high level of customization not only boosts user engagement but also strengthens the sense of connection and loyalty to the brand. Companies that use data-driven insights to deliver personalized experiences gain a significant competitive edge in today’s fiercely competitive market.
By collecting app data and categorizing customers based on their purchase history, location, app usage, feedback, or loyalty status, businesses can tailor their push notifications to provide personalized and meaningful incentives. This approach ensures that notifications are relevant, engaging and valuable to everyone.
A recent Accenture study found that an overwhelming 91 percent of consumers prefer to shop with brands that provide personalized offers and recommendations tailored to their preferences. For instance, imagine a retail app that analyzes your purchase history to better understand your shopping habits. This means it can group customers based on their preferences, so those who love a good sale get notified of upcoming discounts, while those who prefer new arrivals are alerted about the latest collections. The goal is to make your users’ experiences more personalized and enjoyable.
Businesses prioritizing user experience and technological innovation are well-positioned to succeed in the mobile app market. To stay ahead in this revolution, companies need to focus on exceeding consumer expectations, building stronger connections, and driving sustainable growth. Across all industries, consumers want to see companies take risks and build competitive technology that upholds ever-changing trends.
