Mobile Apps are entering a stage of maturity to the point of ubiquity. A comprehensive approach is needed to meet the rapid shifts in consumer behaviors and the underlying technology that drives these experiences. As the mobile ecosystem matures and new capabilities emerge, user expectations have never been higher.

Let’s recap the past year in the mobile landscape and look to the future as the mobile ecosystem evolves outside of the app and into the virtual world.

Narrow your Focus to What you Do Best

In 2010, there were only 210,000 apps in the Apple App Store. Today, that number has grown exponentially to 4.5M apps. Even though there are more options than ever, the average smartphone user only has about 40 apps installed on their device. In the increasingly competitive mobile landscape, a bad user experience can take you out of the game. 71% percent of app uninstalls occur due to application crashes. For any mobile product to succeed and keep users engaged, you must listen to your users. Managing a mobile product involves researching new ideas, iterating quickly, and using those learnings to move in the right direction. A mobile product runs its course until it no longer meets the needs of your business.

Keeping your users focused and engaged becomes more difficult as your app becomes more complex. Most companies are moving away from the super app concept in favor of a more focused approach. A super app is a mobile app that provides multiple services and effectively becomes an all-encompassing solution. While the emerging super app concept is the ambition of companies like Facebook and PayPal, the do-it-all approach is not always better for the end user. In most cases, apps with too many disconnected features and functionalities lack the focus and usefulness consumers expect from a mobile app.

For example, Airbnb had planned to move in the direction of creating a super app for all booking experiences. When the pandemic hit, their CEO reduced investment activities that did not support its core business of home share and experiences. The result was increased bookings for the quarter and the year. One of their competitors, Booking Holdings, took the super app approach and saw bookings fall more than Airbnb during the pandemic. Only 50% of their bookings were direct, versus 90% for Airbnb.

It pays to focus on your core offering by utilizing mobile apps to do a few things well and leave out the rest. Simplify your approach to serve up relevant content outside of your app and focus on solving customer problems. This will give your app an advantage against emerging super apps in the future.

The Experience Outside of your App is Equally Important

Android may hold the crown for worldwide market share, but Apple continually accelerates user adoption of new hardware and features. Apple’s WWDC announcements this year emphasized the importance of performance across the operating system outside of your app. Sharing, widgets, notifications, and other features have advanced and are becoming essential. It is predicted that 135.6 million US users will be using voice assistants in the coming year. Does your app work with Siri and my AirPods? How about CarPlay?

As we saw with the Apple Watch, or widgets previously, one of the toughest challenges is that these experiences provide limited real estate as you move outside of your app (smaller screens, less content, etc.). To take advantage of these experiences, you must simplify your offering and solve a few problems well. You do not have to jump on all the latest software or hardware, and some may not fit your business or solve a customer problem. Still, it is essential to monitor how it changes user behavior and listen to your users to meet their expectations. Considering the entire mobile ecosystem is critical to long term success, as the future of mobile applications is no longer limited to the phone.

Mobile Experiences Enter the Metaverse 

Apple’s top trend for apps in 2021 was connection, or apps that restore our sense of togetherness. Mark Zuckerberg recently sat down with Gary Vee and discussed a new reality commonly known as the Metaverse or Omniverse. Zuckerberg says these new experiences need to satisfy human connection and make people feel like they are together. Forward-thinking brands are already turning their attention to this new reality. Chipotle, Verizon, and Nike have built digital worlds on metaverse-like platforms such as Roblox. Web 3.0 and a decentralized system on the blockchain will require a complete overhaul of the mobile ecosystem. Digital currency/tokens and NFTs will be how users purchase and obtain digital ownership of your products.

Shipments of augmented reality and virtual reality headsets nearly tripled year-over-year at the start of 2021. Facebook recently changed its name to Meta and put $10B towards this bet in the future. Rumors are flying that Apple has a headset of their own on the horizon. A simple pilot or prototype is a great way to try out these new mediums and see how your customer responds. Sooner than later, one of these new platforms or devices will become more important than the phone itself and require you to reimagine your mobile offerings.

We’re Here to Help

Perficient’s Mobile Solutions Group specializes in Mobile Product and App Development. We partner with mobile product management and engineering teams to build and evolve your most important mobile product initiatives.

Evaluate your current mobile experience, operations, and technology with Mobile IQ℠. For more information, contact Perficient’s Mobile Solutions experts today!

A global pandemic requires a quick response and accelerates digital transformation. The brands that can operate with speed and agility win in this environment. As consumers rely on their mobile devices now more than ever, mobile device and mobile app usage are surging. 

eMarketer predicted US adults spent over three and a half hours per day on mobile apps this year and expect this number to rise in 2021.  

McKinsey suggests new behaviors will become norms. 56% of BOPIS (buy online, pick up in-store) and 45% of grocery delivery users plan to continue using these services after the pandemic.  

A responsive and resilient mobile product strategy is a must in these conditions.

Panic is Not a Strategy, But Viewing Your Mobile App as a Mobile Product Is

A typical project starts with a defined scope and timeline. Shifting to a mobile product approach eliminates those constraints and gives you the speed and agility needed in today’s world.  

A mobile product approach is built upon fast iteration. Managing a mobile product is about researching new ideas, iterating quickly, and using those learnings to move in the right direction. A mobile product runs its course until it no longer meets the needs of your business. 

The winners in this environment move fast. Microsoft’s platform allows companies to create new mobile apps and workflows in hours or days, not weeks or months. Twilio can transfer a call center to the cloud over the weekend. The best way to achieve this sort of speed and nimbleness is through a mobile product approach. 

Nike’s CEO John Donahoe describes how suddenly digital platforms became the only way to interact with customers once stores shut down.  Nike deployed a chatbot to support users in their mobile app and to enable store employees to connect from home. Pinterest and other retailers had to reimagine the fitting room. Pinterest launched a computer vision experience inside of their mobile app for consumers to try on lipstick virtually. 

Nike and Pinterest likely did not have some of these recent updates at the top of their backlog before the global pandemic. But with a mobile product approach, they were able to pivot in a new direction. It is not too late to join them. You can start making changes today to manage your mobile app as a mobile product and adapt to this new reality. 

Shifting Gears to a Mobile Product Approach 

A successful mobile product needs an owner. Budget and resources can slow down any mobile product‘s dreams. Whether you monetize your mobile app or collect insights, you must prove the mobile product‘s value to keep it alive. A mobile product owner serves this role and understands the needs of the business.  

For any mobile product to be successful, you must listen to your users. User feedback should drive the decisions for your mobile product. You may not be able to get out in the field right now, so look for other ways to connect with users. In-app feedback and surveys can be excellent ways to monitor user pain points and areas of friction. A/B testing is another way to target audiences and gradually roll out features.   

Mobile tech debt needs to be managed and addressed. Legacy, bloated technology stacks can slow down even the best mobile products. Try leveraging a more modular architecture and dedicate teams to your most important features. Reusable frameworks and components can expedite your development needs. Code analysis and performance monitoring tools can also increase code quality and decrease development time.

Release early and often for mobile. Measuring results and gathering feedback helps develop your strategy. The top mobile apps have a regular release cadence. Automate as much of this as you can, and encourage small updates instead of holding back for one big release. It shows your user that you are listening, and it keeps your team sharp when it comes to deployment.  

Native mobile app solutions accelerate a mobile product approach. Top brands choose native mobile app solutions to offer the best experience and performance for users. A native mobile app provides long-term stability and reliability, which is crucial for a mobile product approach. Building directly on the platform allows you to push updates quicker and access the latest features. Platform alignment speeds up development and maintenance over time and provides a solid foundation to achieve your vision.  

We’re Here to Help 

Perficient’s Mobile Solutions Group specializes in Mobile Product and App Development. We partner with mobile product management and engineering teams to build and evolve your most important mobile product initiatives.  

Get started today. Our Mobile IQ℠ evaluates your current mobile experience, operations, and technology to deliver the best possible user experience. 

Communication is an exchange of information. Easy to define. Difficult to master.
Problems caused by insufficient communication can be underestimated and hard to identify. Most of us “think” we communicate effectively and enough, but while too much communication can become overwhelming, it is rarely a problem for most teams.

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” – George Bernard Shaw

Here are three tips for promoting effective communication within your team:

Tip #1: Encourage knowledge sharing and collaboration

A team is a single unit working toward a common goal. When one person is successful, so are the others. Individual failure impacts the whole team. Think about a team sport like football and the importance of everyone on the field doing their job. If someone misses an assignment, that pass would have never been thrown and caught for the winning score.
True collaboration and sharing require conversations out in the open. People often default to hiding information, which creates a false perception that everyone is on the same page. The complexity of organizations in today’s fast-paced world does not support this behavior. Information must flow freely so everyone shares the same consciousness and is empowered to make decisions.
Whether you are starting a new job, new project, or with a new client, open collaboration is critical to building relationships and instilling confidence. Over the course of my career, I’ve encountered what I call “backdoor conversations.” It can be easy to hop on a call with someone or send them a direct message. But how does that information get back to the team as a whole? It often does not. We encourage everyone to communicate project-related information in public channels and capture notes to deliver proper handoffs to others. While it may sound like a simple adjustment, it can have an immediate impact on your team’s success.

Communication is a crucial element in a team’s effectiveness. Good communication helps build cohesiveness, trust, and strong relationships among team members. It is valued above improving tech skills.  – NASA

Tip #2: Leverage multiple channels to gain understanding and awareness

A new music album came out today. You opened up Spotify and saw the promotional banner on the main page. Maybe you follow that artist and you receive a push notification to your phone. You and your friends like the same artist and a couple of them texted you about the new album. Driving home from work, you notice a billboard advertising the album. It is safe to say you are now aware of this new album, and that checking it out is on your to-do list?
Now, what if I removed some of the channels utilized to inform you of this new album? What if only the billboard ad was used? You might not see it, or you may see it and then forget. As you can see, limiting the announcement to only the billboard would fail to create as much urgency.
All of these scenarios represent multiple channels, which are a vital part of any communication strategy. One channel may convey something differently or provide that needed reminder for necessary action. The same principle of leveraging multiple channels is essential for your project teams.
How often do you call something out in a team meeting, but it gets lost in other details and the needed action fails to happen? Keep pressing and use another channel. You could also follow up on it later in the day via email. If a response is required, then make sure a task is created for the issue and get it prioritized.
There is also no reason to wait until an official team meeting to raise topics. Reach out and start the conversation and then bring it up again in the team meeting. A blocker that prevents you from doing your work should be communicated as often as possible until it is solved. There is no harm in letting people know where you stand throughout the day and repeating it throughout available channels to raise awareness.

Tip #3: Processes and tools can support your common goal

We have more ways than ever to communicate effectively. Tools and processes can encourage more communication, but you have to make sure your team is educated on how to use them properly. There is no official standard, but any project management philosophy should focus on continuous improvement. At the end of each iteration, velocity should be captured and compared to previous iterations to gauge productivity. Feedback is also crucial to ensure the team is staying focused and not running into any issues. Project leads should also attempt to limit distractions and make sure everyone on the team is working towards a common goal.
The standard scrum ceremonies run effectively are a good base for any project. You can add or remove based on your team needs. For example, it might make sense to do an official handoff for the QA team to make sure they understand how and what to test. A pre-grooming session between the product owner and a project leader is also a good idea to make the official ceremonies less painful. Also, do not underestimate the impact of having people on site to kick projects off or during a critical release. No matter the format, never hesitate to provide and collect feedback.

Start improving your communication today

You do not have to wait until things are on fire to start communicating better. When it comes to communication, err on the side of providing too much rather than too little. When has anyone responsible for the success of a project told you to quit providing them updates?
Today’s environment is about understanding the process and using it to your advantage. You can be strong in your area of expertise, but if you are not clearly articulating your progress, you cannot succeed.
No matter what your role or responsibility, communication is going to be one of your most crucial skills. A developer needs to keep tasks updated and moving through the workflow, calling out blockers immediately. Project leaders must provide clear statuses of where the project is and make sure the team has what it needs to succeed. The CEO needs to set and communicate the vision and make sure it is ingrained in everyone at the company.
Communication can drive change, build trust, and empower others to make decisions. So what are you waiting for? It is a simple adjustment that you can apply today and every day after that.

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There is no denying the success of the subscription economy. It seems to be a win-win for the customer and the business. The world is transitioning from products to services, and this is something companies cannot ignore. However, before your company considers making the switch, I think it is important to pull back the layers a little bit to understand why the subscription model is so successful.
Gym, news, music, apps, video games, packages, food, etc. What do most of these have in common? You subscribe to them on a daily basis. Whether you realize it or not, you are part of the subscription economy.

A brief history of the subscription model

When you look at the history of the subscription model, technology has always played a role. Back in the 15th century, the printing press allowed small publishing companies to increase the volume of production without having to raise the cost of doing business, which led to a regular subscriber base. AT&T was formed in 1885 and created a monopoly around the communications market, which allowed the company to charge monthly subscription fees to access their service. Then we fast forward to the 21st century where companies such as Netflix and Spotify have caused major disruptions to their industries.

The expert’s opinion on the subscription model

If you are looking for the expert in this field, look no further than Tien Tzuo, employee #11 at Salesforce and founder of Zuora, a cloud-based subscription company. In his book, Subscribed: Why the Subscription Model Will Be Your Company’s Future – and What to Do About It, Tzuo says that the subscription economy is creating a pivotal moment in business history, one we have not seen since the Industrial Revolution. He explains that most companies are built to sell products instead of services, and if they are not shifting their business model now, the chances are that in a few years, they might not have any business left to shift. His team found that subscription models grow their revenue more than nine times fast than the S&P 500.
Now you might be quick to say, sign me up (note the pun), but it is important to understand what makes a subscription business so successful. Tuzo points out that customers are demanding more today and want a new way to engage with businesses; there is no longer a one-size-fits-all approach and constant improvement is expected. A subscription company assumes more responsibility because for it to work, it has to grow and maintain a relationship with each one of its customers. There is no more launching a product and walking away from it.

A customer-first approach is the secret sauce of the subscription business

The subscription model shifts your focus from the actual product to the customer. Much like the “Lean Startup” method, it requires shorter development cycles, experimentation, validated learning, and iteration. You are creating this never-ending feedback loop where customers help shape the product. Being agile and customer focused are not new things, but one could argue are some of the primary drivers behind what makes the subscription model successful. Which is also why an approach such as design thinking, a user-centered, empathetic approach to problem solving, is gaining popularity with clients today because it is a user-centered, empathic approach to problem-solving. See the theme?
Look at Amazon (even before Prime) everyone is always trying to figure out their secret. From the very beginning, it is not hard to see what they did differently. Jeff Bezos always said the mission of Amazon was to raise the bar across all industries in what it meant to be customer focused. Amazon does not focus on their competitors they focus on their customers.

Customer feedback drives the product vision

More often than not we are coding to timelines and fulfilling what the client wants, rather than what their actual customers want. When I go to initial meetings with clients they often ask for a mobile app or some piece of software that does X, Y, and Z. The first question I ask is how did you define this scope? More than likely it is just a list of what they think they should do. I challenge clients to go out in the field and talk to the end user. Figure out what is working, and what needs to be improved.
One of my clients is a leading luxury apparel and accessories company that has an iPad app for store associates to personalize the shopping experience for their customers. The app had been created before the company really understood what the customers and associates wanted or needed. So they had my team go out in the stores and observe. We took the observations along with other data points and displayed it in a heat map to visually show to the executive team. It was easy for us all to look at that and make decisions based on the data on what we should focus on over the next few iterations.
Never underestimate the power of having qualitative data to support the quantitative. If feature X is the most popular and desired, no one is going to argue to spend time on feature Y if it has no interest. As we started work, we did pilots frequently and went back in the stores to gather even more feedback. I think everyone would agree that what we built was not what anyone had in mind at the beginning, but in the end, we satisfied the needs of our users which was our initial goal.

Conclusion

In summary, subscription models can be lucrative, and customers seem to be flocking towards them. Whether you adopt a subscription model or not, it should all come down to your customers wants and needs. You can argue access over ownership and all the other themes behind the subscription economy, but in the end, the companies that win are obsessed with satisfying their customers.

Sources:

Stone, B. (2013). The everything store: Jeff Bezos and the age of Amazon. New York, N.Y.: Little Brown.
Tuzo, T., & Weisert, G (2018) Subscribed: Why the Subscription Model Will Be Your Company’s Future – and What to Do About It New York, N.Y.: Penguin