Few things have had quite so profound an effect on the way we work, play, and live as companies that have been successful in leveraging a mobile strategy. Another year is passing and in hindsight, it has been an exciting year. We have seen a few different trends pointing towards an Internet that is more dynamic, much more mobile, and way more multi-channel than what we have seen thus far.
As things go in mobile, “you ain’t seen nothing yet” and the past year showed that businesses are finding new, interesting ways to utilize a mobile strategy and gain incremental value for themselves. Whether a business is leveraging a mobile strategy and solution as an internal tool to reduce costs or as a product of sorts to boost revenue, we are now in a day and age where mobile has become the norm.
Take a Step Back
To dial the calendar back a few pages, in April Google waged “Mobile-egeddon Day,” releasing a change to its search algorithm and stating that websites should be mobile friendly, recognizing a major trend in mobile internet usage with it measuring in at about 30% of all internet activity. Most marketers were and are well aware of M Day so if that is just old news to those of you that may be reading this, check out some of the following stats as brain food:
- 1,525% boost in mobile data usage between 2010 and 2015 (according to Mediative)
- 87% of the Earth’s population use mobile devices
- Consumers spend 85% of time on smartphones in mobile apps (TechCrunch)
- Over 2 billion mobile users will engage in a mobile transaction by 2017 (Juniper Research)
- There are 224 million active app users in the United States… per month.
- 73% of mobile searches trigger follow-up actions according to SearchEngineLand
In terms of retail, 9 out of 10 shoppers use smartphones and other mobile devices while physically in brick and mortar store locations. I found myself at a store yesterday to transact in some holiday shopping and actually found myself as a party to the majority side of this statistic, making a mobile purchase while also browsing around for a gift. The motivation, at first, was on the spot product research and ultimately I found a deal I couldn’t refuse on a product that was not offered in the store. The retailer in question here had very clearly implemented
On personal use, smartwatches have hit the market pretty heavily and with mixed business use they are incredibly helpful in view of business travel, task management, and real-time news, social, and messaging updates. I love using mine for travel updates and tracking physical activity in particular. On the flip side of this same equation, GPS and tracking technology are helping businesses offer consumers with targeted, specific types of content and connectivity for monetization and engagement purposes. With 2016 we approach opportunities that may include better integration between apps, devices, and the Internet of Things and with that we can expect to see new, perhaps disruptive ways of utilizing mobile solutions to create value.
Some things to look forward to:
Big Data as Big News
In 2014 global mobile data traffic grew by nearly 70% and as noted above, a boost in data usage of 1,525% over 5 years screams opportunity. With this surge in activity and the resulting analytics opportunities that come from it, businesses are now privy to actionable information that may be hugely decisive and game changing in how value is created for both the host and user. In this perspective, I’m talking about an ability to collect and digest valuable data that decision makers may utilize for make or break decisions.
Integration Between Mobile & Other Platforms
There are a multitude of companies that can build you an app… However, there are not many that are able to truly understand how business needs may or may not be addressed by mobile technology. This reality becomes especially harsh once an investment in an app is made, only to find that the end result does not adequately serve the end user or achieve the desired business impact. As businesses “get smart” and better connected, 2016 will show successful mobile solutions that first embark with a “Business First” approach that defines how the solution will impact the business needs it intends to address. In other words, for apps to be used and worth the investment, the meaning of “value” should be defined and measurable before any development team begins to show you how agile they can be.
Apps Less About Features, More Integrated With Your Everything
This year we learned that app retention is getting better with users now opening and using apps 80% of the time. For apps that fall in that 20% range, they were likely developed without a strong mobile strategy and may get a download once or thrice but their users will tend to open it once and then never again… User adoption is huge and one thing the team at 7T has done is work to understand what the end users’ needs are and how best to cater to them. In doing so, a mobile strategy and the resulting solution is able to provide the value that is being sought after. #value
Steps Forward
Developing a business mobile strategy and starting an app development project can seem like a daunting task. However, the team at 7T has extensive knowledge and experience to smoothly guide you through the process. We’re pleased to help our clients find considerable value from technology.
Based in Dallas, 7T maintains regional offices located in Chicago and Houston. For more information on how to future-proof your mobile strategy, contact 7T today
