To app or not to app – what will you do?
In our fast-moving digital world, things change quicker than you can imagine. Take apps, for example. They’re a big deal. Everybody loves and downloads them. But then there are the statistics. They show that back in 2014, the average user installed 95 apps on Android devices.1 Two years later, in 2016, the same figure went down to 35.2
In other words, the user experience quickly moved on to something bigger and better than the one-stop-shop solution of the app as we know it. It seems easy access is now one of the new ways to improve and enhance the user experience. Take Google Play Instant for example. It allows you use an app without actually installing it. This makes it very convenient for the target audience to explore applications directly on a website without further installation. Apple is preparing a similar solution which allows you to use apps instantly – no downloading required.
In my opinion, apps on the Go or Progressive Web Apps (PWA) have a good chance of becoming the next big thing that will influence the user experience in the future. They’re a cross between a responsive website and an application. Accessible via any browser, they are platform independent and can also be used offline. They are safe and current without the need for updates.
From a development perspective, PWAs will have a tremendous impact on time and budget. Currently, a native developed app needs to be continuously maintained to work with new operating system updates and new devices. This can turn into a considerable investment, especially when you offer an app for two worlds, e.g. for both Apple and Google, where two separate developments are required. With PWA, that will become a thing of the past since there is only one code basis. This will greatly reduce time and budget spent.
Interested in discussing how PWAs could revolutionise your digital development? Please feel free to give me a call or drop me an email.
