This post has been authored by Andrew Gazdecki, founder and CEO of Bizness Apps
Advances in technology have become so commonplace that consumers have become apathetic to its convenience. The simplicity that technology has invited into the lives of people is no longer something consumers rave about; it’s something they expect.
Twenty years ago, a business could ignore the usefulness of a website and rely on time-tested traditional things like radio spots and a nice ad in The Yellow Pages. Those days of ignoring new technology are long over. You customers expect you to provide them with a convenient as well as quality experience.
Here are some of the up and coming app trends that your customers will come to expect from your business in 2017.
Mobile Apps
A scary statistic for consumers who value the convenience of mobile is that 53%, don’t plan on getting or using a mobile app soon. Sadly, these businesses are not only missing out on a great way to simplify a customer experience, they are also overlooking a very affordable marketing solution. Apps are and will continue to be, the primary customer outreach and marketing tools for businesses.
Internet of Things
2017 stands to be the year for the Internet of Things (IoT). Now, it isn’t just smartphones. We have tablets and even more connected devices to work with. It’s called the Internet of Things (IoT), and it is shaping the future of small business. IoT is the way all the smart devices that are becoming so commonplace interact with the internet and the real world in a casual and seamless way.
Remember that anything can be a smart device these days. It’s your smartphone talking to your car, talking to your home, talking to your TV and appliances that take notice of what the businesses you pass by are doing. And it all centers on the mobile app.
Location Based Services
Right now, one of the biggest trends are location-based services (LBS). LBS uses geo data and a device’s GPS capability to relay information about businesses in the immediate area directly to the user/customer.
The good thing about mobile apps–especially those that use LBS features–is that they are future proof. Marketing trends will change, and there will indeed be fads that will be lucrative to follow. But, when a business has the tools to incorporate a user’s location into its marketing plan, it’s far more than a fad.
There will also be new advents in technology, both hardware and software. At the center of it though will be the app. Apps can be updated and modified to keep pace with new technology and emerging trends. Even when things advance far enough that your old app is obsolete, you can build a new one and have your customer base there and ready to upgrade.
Augmented Reality
Another 2017 trend that tops developers’ lists is augmented reality (AR). AR is the process of superimposing virtual images over a real-world background shown on a device’s display, has mostly been relegated to the realm of gaming, there are more and more commercial applications being developed every day.
Apps have grown beyond being the domain of mobile gaming and tools for giant corporations. Costs to make apps have gone down, and they are easier to make than ever. This has opened a fantastic opportunity for small businesses to reach customers; both new and old, in ways never thought possible.
Conclusion
The reason for those days being over is simple. Smart devices. Twenty or just ten years ago, people weren’t carrying around supercomputers (that is exactly what phones, tablets, and other smart devices are). People still relied on these old methods for getting information from businesses.
They would still check the phonebook, grab newspaper fliers, or pay attention to what they heard on the radio as well. If their friend had their computer on, they might look up something on it, but it wasn’t the be all end all. The smartphone, and later other devices, put the final nail in this coffin. Customers will use their mobile devices to find info. And forget the radio. They’re on Pandora or Spotify now – with those same devices.
Author Bio:
Andrew Gazdecki is the founder and CEO of Bizness Apps — one of the best app builders, making mobile apps affordable and simple for small businesses. We’re a do-it-yourself iPhone, iPad, Android & HTML5 app platform that allows any small business to simultaneously create, edit, and manage mobile apps without any programming knowledge needed.
