Mobile applications today not only play an important role in influencing the buying decision of a Smartphone, but are also influencing how we interact daily with our mobile devices…and these trends are set to carry on. With the penetration of Smartphones worldwide there is no doubt that the demand for apps will persist. According to a new report from World Mobile Applications Market, the mobile application marketplace will reach $ 25 billion by 2015.
With the purchase of any Smartphone comes the world of mobile applications (apps). There is almost an app available for any type of virtual interaction you wish to make and developers just keep on developing. According to Nielsen (2011), the most popular categories are games, news, maps, social networking and music yet nonetheless the range and number of categories available to download just keeps on extending.
Why this boom? With your Smartphone you have internet 24/7 and with this comes constant accessibility. Due to this the use of applications shows no signs of slowing down. Secondly and most importantly applications allow for efficiency. It gives users direct access to the things they actually want. If, for example, a user wants to be kept updated on the latest financial news, they will download an app that does exactly that.
With more people converting to Smartphone, this in turn only fuels the demand for apps. Penetration within European markets still prolongs. In Spain and UK alone the Smartphone has over 50% penetration which demonstrates the sheer evolution of this market. Mobile phone tariffs are now more accessible than ever fuelling the penetration within the market. Samsung, Blackberry and Nokia Smartphone’s are the most popular manufacturers in Spain (IAB, 2012).
It should also be highlighted that Mobile apps not only influence mobile purchase decisions but they also shape the way users engage with their mobile. In Europe, 38.2% of the total mobile audience accessed mobile media via an application (ComScore, 2012).
Tablets have also grown in popularity since there launch in 2011, as they combine portability with a much more reader friendly screen size (compared to a Smartphone) whilst also offering powerful “computer” functionalities. This sharp up rise in tablets has also brought about another surge of applications.
In Germany, France, Italy, England and Spain, 8.3% of users with a mobile have also declared to owning a tablet. Spain, leads this group of countries with 10.3% (ComScore, 2012).
Applications are changing the way we live. It may sound dramatic but it’s altering how we use and engage with our mobile/ tablet device. Whether it’s just to kill time on the metro whilst commuting or whether it’s to aid you at work, applications have become part of our every day life.
In Spain, App downloads reached 1.000,000 a day. (The App Date, 2012)
With these statistics one would think that the market is already saturated with applications however if anything this market is still booming and it looks like the trend is set to continue. However launching a successful app is where the real difficulty lies. The marketing strategy behind it is crucial.
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