In 2014, mobile apps became the next big thing. Overall app use skyrocketed 76 percent. Investors flooded money into any app that hinted towards traction, new service providers multiplied like rabbits and most importantly, app developers started earning some big-time profits. “The trend has been mobile was winning. It’s now won”, says Eric Schmidt of Google. While forecasts and predictions on such a young and rapidly developing sector aren’t easy, a number of industry heavyweights have given us a few clues as to what to expect in the year to come. Without further ado, here are the top mobile app marketing trends in 2015.
Unbundling Apps
Apps will unbundle and run on your mobile device as software you open. From widgets to notifications and API integrations, to extensions on iOS, and very soon apps on the iWatch, developers’ work will increase in complexity as they rethink how to design a service through multiple interaction points. According to Ouriel Ohayon, co-founder and CEO, Appsfire there will be a bigger gap between good and bad developers as the ‘era of a simple app to download… will be something of the past”.
More Direct Deals
Users are demanding a better experience. Dale Carr, founder and CEO of Leadbolt, says this will force the industry to open the marketplace, where direct deals between developers and advertisers can happen. This closer interaction will bring more transparency, control over the results, and optimized partner matches that yield better outcomes.
User Quality and Engagement
Ron Brightman, the CEO of Performance Revenues says the biggest issue for advertisers and publishers is of user’s quality. The main focus of most marketers and publishers will be on the emphasis on acquiring good users. What is a good user? People who will actually use the app, come back to use it again, and when relevant – hopefully pay. “Have you noticed that apps are getting more… playful? It’s as though devs are rebelling against the conservative nature of flat-design with brighter colours, springy panels and – crucially – jocular copy. Dialogue boxes that make you chuckle to yourself, little Easter eggs in update notes and so on“, says Karl Hodge, a lecturer in digital journalism at Leeds Beckett University. Apps will no longer be technical servants, but instead, they’ll be full of personality.
Customization and Apps as Content
The average American spends roughly 177 minutes per day looking at their smartphone or tablet compared to the average 168 minutes watching TV. As mobile has won the battle for screen dominance, expect content to become more relevant in app development and marketing. CEO and founder of Appnext, Elad Natanson, says mobile apps – from games to utilities – can deliver 2.5-4% percent CTR on average, while increasing user engagement and diversifying revenue streams, only if the apps are relevant in terms of content. This will also change how apps are marketed. Even though more and more publishers are relying on automated ad solutions, current UX and monetization trends have created a need for providing simple and seamless user experience. As a result, publishers will demand customizable units that bring the ad as close as possible to the app’s design and interface. Changing unit colors, messages, and other advertisement features will become easier and automatically optimized.
OTT Messaging Apps
Last year, Facebook acquired WhatsApp for $19 billion, Snapchat partnered with Square for payment services, andanonymous messaging app Yik Yak was valued at $400 million. To put it in another way, the messaging app market expanded by 148 percent and added 900 million users according to Esha Shah, mobile strategy and innovation manager of Fetch. Users want easy communication within their preferred groups to organize and share socially. In 2015, messaging apps will be leveraged as lifestyle tools so expect deeper functionality in terms of users to more conveniently plan and share within their networks. From email to OTT messaging, users will flood these platforms and turn them into prime location for mobile advertising.
Wrapping Up
As smartphone and mobile devices further penetrate into our daily lives, each and every one of us is spending more time using apps. These trends are changing what works, and developers need to adapt in order to keep pace with the competition. However, with there being enough trends on the menu, app developers have plenty to chew on in the upcoming year.