The Ever-Growing Presence of Businesses Thorough Their Apps.
The world is ever changing and has been since its foundation. Technology in business is no different. Businesses have been changing and growing over the years. Just twenty years ago, people had to meet face to face in order to conduct business. Given these advancements in technology, we have been able to conduct business online for the past few years. But, just when we thought things couldn't get any better, mobile apps come along.
Older phones came preloaded with predefined programs. Initially, the programs only allowed us to make calls. As technology progressed, we were allowed to send short text messages. Even the first so called smart phones could only do things they were pre-designed for like sending email, task management and a few others. There was no way to make changes to the programs that came with the phone. If there were interesting new programs or phone features on the market, you had to upgrade your phone. Things got very interesting with the development of mobile apps.
There is not much documentation about the origin of apps or the first ever app created, but there are many varying attempts to define it. According to Hudson Horizons, a website design and development company, “A mobile application, also known as mobile app, is a term used to describe software that runs on smart phones and mobile phones. Mobile applications are designed to educate, entertain, or assist consumers in their daily lives”. According to Dictionary.com, an app is “an application, typically a small, specialized program downloaded onto mobile devices”. What those definitions failed to mention is that, unlike programs on older phones, an app is not necessarily developed by the phone manufacturer. In fact most apps are developed by third parties. Businesses quickly grabbed the opportunity to capitalize on that new feature.
Businesses find it increasingly difficult to grab and keep current and potential customers. The ability to develop a mobile app for a specific purpose became a powerful competitive tool. With the explosion of mobile devices, almost everyone has at least one that they work or play with all the time. Getting people to download apps is a great way for businesses to constantly present their product or brand to current or potential customers. But, not all business apps are designed the same way.
Some apps are clearly commerce related. They do not hide their intent to make money. Retail apps and some paid apps are examples of those kinds of apps. Other apps are not as direct about their intentions. They may provide a service that people are interested in free of charge initially, and make money through advertisements that they frequently display, or by requesting payments for premium features. Radio and gaming apps can be put in this category. Others are designed to indirectly make money or protect a company money source by increasing consumers’ intimacy with the company. Customer Relation Management apps are part of this kind of apps.
In the next few posts, we will discuss in detail, specific business apps or categories of apps. In the mean time, we would love to hear from you. What particular app is the most appealing to you, and why? What do you think can be done to make that particular app, or any other app, better? You may respond to those questions or make other comments in the comment section.
