Is the mobile app market being saturated of ideas or apps we are specifically talking about? Answer to the question

It is “mobile first” for most businesses. A few years back, people would rely on PCs to help them derive answers to certain questions. If you needed help with a recipe, or just wanted to search for shops selling a particular product, you would login to your PC and search for it. Things have changed now! With smartphones dominating your time, you are ready to finish the search using your phone. You have the ability to search for what you are looking using your mobiles. You want to know a particular destination, or want to know ways to surprise your partner; you just need get started with searching on mobile.

Taking a step further, some of the businesses have come up with their own mobile app development. These apps have been derived from ideas that have emerged from observing certain gaps that were existent in the market. You normally call the apps whenever you face some trouble or the other. There’s a food app that is called when you want to place food order, or you would call the dictionary app to know the meaning of some word. Basically, the app culture has taken over the PC searches, and business process analysis should seek insights to keep up with the demands of their user base. As a user you have newer needs, which the businesses need to identify and work on.

The App Culture

In a holistic context, businesses have considered the situation in which the user would need an app, before starting out with the development of the app. The app idea is derived from the need expressed by the user. A lot of apps have been developed to fulfill certain needs thus offering convenience to the users.

An excellent unique app development example would be Truecaller. Everyone receives calls from unknown numbers at some point or the other. This app was devised so that people know who had called them, and then decide whether they want to return the call or not. Truecaller spots a spam call, and helps you refrain from attending these calls. The app has evolved constantly to be able to introduce newer and better features to help make the app more helpful. Today, this app is considered for business assistance as well as individual assistance.

Food apps that give you user reviews, menu of the restaurant as well as in-app call facility have also been devised to offer convenience to the users. A lot of apps have been derived from ideas that were new and novel at that time. Dating apps, snapchat, Whatsapp etc. are such apps which have been unique in their segment. But, today you will find a lot of apps trying to ape the previous ones that have been launched in the market. A lot of clones have marched out in the market. When a taxi booking app was first launched in the market, it became a success, and let out an army of clones. Even the clones have managed to grab attention of the end users.

Of course, the clones have done well for themselves, but the question remains are businesses growing out of ideas? Is the app market reaching saturation? If yes, then what’s the solution to this issue?

Make Your App Stand Out

Some time back “Yo” app was launched. This app was not really created on a major idea. It allowed you to say hi or in this case yo to your friend list. This came as an emergency survival app. If you could not say anything to your friend, a yo will help them remember of your existence. This was popular among the college kids, who greeted each other with yo sticker. The app had considered app platforms, before staging itself on the app store.

Yo innovated the messenger application, and stood out amidst heavy competition. It’s 2015, and a lot of ideas have been used and overused now! What you are facing at present is not an app saturation, but saturation of ideas. At this point, if you want to stand out, you need to conquer an idea and then re-imagine it. You can find an existing gap, and then work through it to create an app. You don’t need to solve a problem; you just need to identify a gap. iOS vs Android app debate should also be considered before you strategize the app

The app idea should be well thought out, from execution point of view too. It is not only important to have a good idea; it is equally important to have the right execution method. Learn from all your failures, and create a fulfilling app. What businesses fail to understand is that it is not just about an idea, but also about complete concept and strategizing of the app.

To conquer the app quest, business app development should close existing gaps, and create experiential apps.