2021 is wrapping up in just a few days and it has proven to be another great year for mobile internet usage. According to Statista, the global mobile internet population is at 4.28bn already. The global internet penetration rate is 59.5 percent, with Northern Europe ranking first with a 96 percent internet penetration rate among the population. The pandemic has also accelerated mobile usage frequency making online shopping and banking more accessible than before.
Currently, the Apple App store has 1.96 million apps available for download while there are 2.87 million in Google Play Store. The average smartphone owner uses 10 apps per day and 30 apps each month. With these kinds of numbers, experts agree that an app is almost a necessity for businesses. As we discussed in No Code Apps: Growing Your Business With It, having an app can have so many advantages apart from sales.
Here are some trends that can shape the app development industry in 2022. Take note of these trends and see where your business fits in.
During the last few years, no-code has been building traction in the IT industry. It has allowed several programs and personalized apps to be built which now democratizes a once exclusive creation for coding experts.
With more platforms being built and more improvements being done, many are touting that not only will low code/ no-code be in 2022 but even beyond that. Its advantages are not limited to personal use but even for small businesses, startups and even Fortune 500 companies. Read the benefits of low-code and no-code for your business HERE. The number of no-code agencies has increased as well and even traditional coding agencies offering it as well.
Some even say that in the near future, we can even see apps being written by artificial intelligence or AI which is slowly becoming a part of everyday life as well.
Artificial intelligence may sound like the stuff you hear from movies. If you have ever chatted with a chatbot online or asked Alexa anything, that’s AI for you. For users, it allows personalization, digital assistance and convenience for everyday life. For companies, it helps understand the customer better on what they need and how totailor fit it. Highlighting the respect for privacy and data, people are more open to using AI as long as it solves the problem. The question is what problem does your future app want to solve?
With the launch of Metaverse, augmented reality or virtual reality may just become mainstream. AR in apps offers more personalized experiences to the users by letting them engage with products, people, or services even if they’re at home.
Augmented reality can help in advancements in different industries like medicine, military and public safety. Apps implementing augmented or virtual reality can contribute in simulating life-threatening situations to prepare in real life.
Blockchain technology has almost been known to be the same as cryptocurrency but what is it? It is defined as a “system of recording information in a way that makes it difficult or impossible to change, hack, or cheat the system”. It is essentially a digital ledger of transactions that is duplicated and distributed across the entire network of computer systems on the blockchain. In other words, it can hold transactional records while making sure it is safe, secure, and decentralized.
Apps backed by this blockchain technology are end-to-end encrypted so no one – not any company or person – can have ownership or change the data. It is used for secure digital transactions and sensitive user data that are prized among hackers.
This concept on mobile app development is an interactive approach that leads to app development numerous short cycles or small parts known as mini-projects. This methodology ensures early and frequent delivery of valuable software by embracing constant iterations. It can also include productive collaboration between stakeholders, customers, and developers to ensure that everyone is on the same page as the developer.
This streamlines the process without the redundancies and repetitive revisions from concerned departments. It aims to incentivize collaboration without taking away the freedom from the developer. By removing bloated processes and repetitive, time-consuming tasks, the end product will be better for the client, company, and developer.
2022 is an exciting year for app development and these trends show there’s a lot more to expect. Knowing these trends canhelp in the latest for the industry but always take note of product-market fit.
Will these trends support the need of your target market?
Do they improve the current state or will it confuse customers?
These are the key questions when considering the application of trends to your existing or new product. Always come back to yourcore mission and vision, since customer satisfaction will always be a trend.
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