What will apps look like in 2025? Some might argue it’s impossible to look that far ahead. –Maybe. But barring some bolt from the blue, two things are certain to dominate the next couple of years: augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). AR isn’t exactly a new technology, and there have been grumblings and questions asking why it hasn’t really taken off. Augmented reality, however, is doing splendidly as entertainment – if you haven’t yet played with Google’s 3D ‘AR Animals,’ give it a go… it’s rather fun having a Bengal tiger in your bedroom. Virtual reality – now a close to 20-year-old technology – is in a bit more of a pickle. VR needs to get costs down, providers need to synchronize platforms, and in general, there need to be more enticing reasons to put on that gear (which also needs to get more compact). The tech, however, will get better… fast. And along with new tech will come fresh app ideas that either improve upon what exists, or completely revolutionize the game. But no matter how awesome some new tech/idea combo is, properly marketing that app is still make-or-break.
Closer to a Science
It sounds like common sense but many forget that without great marketing, great ideas flounder. The main ways of assessing the progress of a mobile app (and all apps are mobile now) are known as “key performance indicators” or KPIs. Marketing isn’t an art. It’s much closer to a science. Companies or developers can’t afford to misread indicators or fail to hit performance goals, which is why you should seek out quality app marketing services. Anyone hoping to break into the bustling app market needs to understand KPI metrics and learn how to apply them to their business strategy, something a qualified team can help you do. Hitting your KPIs can directly lead to income – and it’s easy to understand why. The more people who are aware of your app, the more likely it is to generate revenue.
Attract Potential Investors
And KPIs aren’t only a way of increasing potential users’ awareness, they’re really the only way your app might catch the eyes of potential investors, shareholders, or partners. If you’ve got the statistics to back you up, you could choose to sell when an incredible offer arrives, or perhaps those KPI numbers will attract a nice, big, juicy investment that gives your business a healthy kickstart. A serious professional mobile app marketing company will, of course, first help you understand your user growth rate. Are you moving in a slow but clearly upward trajectory? Depending on the plan, that may be okay… or you might need to reassess things. There’s an erroneous idea floating around that the number of times an app is downloaded equals popularity. Naturally, you should care about how many people are downloading your app – it’s a foundational KPI.
But bear in mind that just because someone downloads an app, doesn’t mean they’ve actually installed it. You’d be surprised how many “ghost” apps are floating around on people’s phones, apps people “impulse downloaded” but then never got around to finishing the setup process. Tracking how many genuine installations are on various devices provides a much clearer judgment base. Getting professional marketing help can also help you understand why someone might choose to uninstall your app. Sometimes it’s unfathomable, but other times, an experienced marketing company can show you how uninstalls correlate with change. This could be a change in your advertising strategy, a change in who you’re targeting, or an update that isn’t working as well as hoped. Analyzing this sort of stuff isn’t something you can do ‘in-house.’ You need to call in the pros.
Betting on AR and VR apps remains a smart choice, but even great AR or VR apps need good marketing. There are still a number of people who say they “aren’t interested” in apps with the tech. Outside of one-offs such as Pepsi’s famous bus shelter ad campaign, filters for social media, games or Bengal tigers, it’s fair to say the overall marketing of AR is struggling. The same could be said for VR. A good app marketing company can address these issues for you, helping explain to potential users why they need your app. A few years is a very long time in tech. Current stragglers just need the right push. They’ll get on board the first time AR does something useful for them or VR proves more of a ‘wow’ than they thought. And gaming apps aren’t going anywhere. Maybe you’ll come up with the next Pokémon GO, a game that in the first half of 2021, generated revenue of over US$640 million! There are “next level” ideas out there that will truly change the world. Perhaps something that blends social media and gaming with AR and VR tech. But if no one hears about your app’s smashing success, does it really make a sound?
