This guest-post is courtesy of our partners at Messapps.
Only a quarter of 2020 has passed, and how many things have already happened. However, do not lower the level of optimism, all good things are ahead!
The world of mobile apps continues to impress in the way it evolves and grows, and there’s no doubt whatsoever that the mobile app industry of 2020 will vastly outshine all the years which came before. Indeed, even conservative estimates put the total number of mobile app downloads by the end of the year up to 353 billion… demonstrating clearly that this is a marketplace that simply won’t stop growing, won’t stop changing, and won’t stop presenting new surprises and opportunities for those willing to put their ideas on the line.
That’s not to say that things are easy in the mobile apps industry, however. Just because the market continues to grow doesn’t mean that every app idea reaches the final stages of development, and even the ones that do don’t all manage to find an audience, or reach anywhere near the hoped-for levels of success. The key to getting your app noticed in 2020? Embrace the latest technological developments, understand the demands of today’s audiences, do a ground-breaking app marketing, and be willing to do what it takes to stand out from the crowd. Here are our top 10 ideas for start-up apps in 2020, and what you’ll need to include to get your app noticed.
It wasn’t all that long ago that virtual reality was the stuff of sci-fi movies. Even just a couple of years ago, the technology didn’t seem to have much reach beyond advanced video games. Today, VR is everywhere, and the opportunity to explore its potential grows each day.
Apps which are VR enabled are going to stand out from the crowd for a whole number of reasons, not least because they invite a level of interactivity that, as yet, cannot be matched. VR experiences in shopping, healthcare, and design are soon going to be the norm, so if your app can include an aspect of VR, it’s definitely an approach you should be considering.
Bots and customer service chatbots have come a long, long way over the past few years, and the AI interactivity they offer customers has been widely embraced by the general public. AI chatbots increase efficiency enormously, reduce costs, and streamline operations. If you deal directly with your customers, and want to reduce time wasting and struggling to meet demad, AI chatbots are, quite frankly, an indispensible aspect of app development in 2020 and beyond.
It’s no great secret that healthcare apps are big news right now, with telemedicine being something on everyone’s lips nowadays. From apps providing basic diagnoses to apps helping fill prescriptions and arrange medical orders and deliveries, mobile technology is helping to streamline the industry in ways hitherto unimaginable.
There is an awful lot of misinformation and confusion about blockchain, something which we’ve all heard of, which became one of THE buzzwords of 2019… but which remains widely misunderstood by the general public.
No, blockchain is not all about dodgy cryptocurrencies and unreliable investment schemes. It is, in essence, a way of storing data which is completely uneditable, unchangable, and highly reliable. As such, it’s going to become more and more prevalent in app design and creation in the coming years, with estimates claiming that the US blockchain market will be worth up to 25 billion USD by 2023. Now ask yourself: why wouldn’t you want to get on board with that?
The lines between the real and virtual are being increasingly blurred in 2020, and augmented reality (or AR) is something we’re going to see a lot more of on the app market. We’ve all gotten used to seeing AR in interactive gaming, with cartoon images being superimposed over photographic images of our surroundings. However, other industries are getting involved, and finding AR to be an indispensible tool for marketing in creative and effective ways.
For example, would you customers want to know how their living room would look with a brand new sofa? Or how that shade of lipstick would look on their face? Or how it would feel to see themselves owning your fantastic range of products? AR allows these images to come to life, and it’s only going to spread further and further this year.
There’s been a lot of talk recently of the power of the student market, who are proving to be more willing and open than ever before when it comes to investing in apps which help streamline their work, and increase connectivity. The student market is definitely one to keep in mind for app developers in 2020, and we can expect to see more apps in the App Store relating to school project collaboration apps, student-centric messenger apps, and apps which help students get hold of academic texts, books, and stationery at the best prices.
There are plenty of apps out there which do a great job of allowing customers to book tables at restaurants, seats at sporting events, or tickets for live music experiences. 2020 is going to be all about building upon these existing great ideas… so how could such apps be heightened to meet the ever-growing demands of the general public?
Well, one approach would be to add extra bonuses and features to these apps. For example, what if your restaurant booking app also scoured the net for discount vouchers for the listed restaurants, too? Or offered advice on dietary requirements and calorie counting for the restaurant’s menu? It isn’t hard to see what further steps can be taken, and there are plenty of fantastic ideas which could easily be applied.
They say that the death of the high street has long since occurred, and that ‘real world’ shopping in malls etc is also on its last legs, and that apps and online shopping have been the poisoned apple that has led to this fall. Well, we say this isn’t necessarily true… and even if it was, then apps could also provide an innovative and lasting cure.
Improving real-world shopping experiences with apps is surely something we will see more of in 2020. Imagine walking into a brand new mall, or a huge hardware store, and having an app which told you exactly where everything was, and also provided vouchers and codes and discounts, too. Who wouldn’t love that?
We live in a world where apps like Uber, Ola, and Lyft etc have completely changed the nature of urban travel. We all have our favourites that we rely on, but as more and more competition for each provider emerges, wouldn’t it be great to have an app which directly compares prices, reliability, and punctuality statistics for each one? Apps that work alongside existing apps are always a great approach for app developers, as they often blaze trails long before the big companies catch onto the ideas. The taxi app market is, in 2020, absolutely ripe for such innovation.
Sometimes, app developers have to look closely at trends in the marketplace, as well as out in the wider world, in order to ascertain which are passing fads and which are here to stay. It’s fair to say that environmental concerns, and a growing awareness of our carbon footprint and the amount of waste we produce, is far more than just a passing fad… so, it’s only natural that apps will arise to solve problems that contemporary public face in this regard.
While there are many, many directions one could go when looking for ways to develop eco-conscious apps, food waste apps are proving highly popular, as they can benefit both the public and the small businesses they serve. Restaurants want to reduce their food waste, customers are happy to get cheap or free food, and as such, app developers can bring these two sides of the same coin together to produce truly groundbreaking results.
There you go - ten top ideas for app developers to consider in 2020. The new year is a fantastic time to start thinking outside the box, and considering how apps can really transform your business, or offer a new source of dynamic income.
Though a lawyer by trade, Vasily Malyshev found his passion in mobile tech, self-taught design and development. He is the founder of Messapps, one of the top New York app development companies. Today, in addition to working with Messapps, Vasily is also teaching app development and marketing at New York University and regularly invests in other tech startups.
The future of technology is AI and the future of AI is mobile. The latest data shows that the market size of artificial intelligence was valued at $27.23 billion in 2019, this figure is projected to reach $266.92 billion by 2027 (Fortune Business Insights, 2020).
This guest-post is courtesy of our partners at Input Logic.
Today nobody can imagine life without smartphones. They connect us with our friends and family, and provide entertainment and access to social media. That is why mobile phones have become an integral part of everyday life.