People are drowning in mobile applications. It seems like there is an app for any purpose. Some of them let users manage their social activities while others are the best bet for listening favorite music or planning a vacation.
The latest reports by Statista reveal more than 2.8 million applications available for Android users. On the other hand, we have App Store featuring about 2.3 million applications, which makes it the second largest mobile marketplace across the globe.
Before we get into micro mobile app development here are some other interesting stats, which prove that people are depended on applications:
- users spend approximately 3 hours a day interacting with their smartphone apps;
- 80% of all users have at least 3 different applications on their devices;
- most of those apps are social networks and messengers.
A growing competition resulted in the inability of developers to stand out with their new products and grab the attention of target audience. Applications are becoming bulkier due to a growing number of features. They grow in size and become less attractive for users seeking for simplicity.
Development teams have learned one golden rule: the easier the better. It is better to build an app that will let users handle only one thing, but handle it effectively and quickly. This is the core approach in a micro application definition. Let’s have a closer look at a new growing trend in a mobile industry.
What Is a Micro App?
What is the definition of a micro-app and how does it work? How does it differ from traditional mobile applications? What are the main benefits for developers and users? Building micro apps means developing fancier products that appear to be a separate feature of a bigger project. If we turn to technical specifications, a micro app is usually an HTML-based custom product that is created as a support a specific bunch of features or functions.
In other words, once you decide to create micro mobile apps, you build an application that will perform a single function within a bigger app. Here is an example: we all know Facebook Messenger. It was designed as a chat app for a global social network. It features only one function, which is to let users solve their problems within a larger and more complex product. The main benefits come with micro apps for enterprise mobile platforms.
They provide various mobility strategies for business making it more flexible. When it comes to businesses and enterprises, the idea to develop micro mobile app is actually the idea of creating a stand-alone application that is based on a specific function to handle specific tasks depending on a micro app architecture. You now have at least basic understating of the term. Let’s see how developers can benefit from a new trend and why it is beneficiary for them to build micro applications.
Do We Really Need Micro Apps?
As the number of applications keeps growing, the quantity hardly comes along with quality. Users are very disappointed with new products for several reasons. For developers, it means a great opportunity to come up with something less bulky and complex and bring the attention of target audience back. Why are users disappointed with modem apps? The reasons typically include:
- Applications are unable to deliver proper user’ experience. As rule, many apps are rejected due to inability to deliver a decent level of user experience. Every time a person struggles to perform basic functions using an app, he or she will delete it immediately. Some other problems include long load times or difficult access features. The result is always the same. Micro apps always come with a better user experience letting people easily access necessary contact or perform desired action effortlessly.
- Soaring development costs. You will hardly find a company that is able to stick to the budget when it comes to the development process. Most of them usually exceed available funds due to additional features, bug fixing and other stages of the development course. At the same time, a few applications actually get to the app store. It results in thousands of dollars wasted. More than 50% of companies pay from $50, 000 to $100, 000 for a single project. On the other hand, we have micro apps that are less complex and easier to develop. Companies can reduce the costs or at least stick to the budget they plan.
- Traditional apps are unable to run on all devices. Modern users become more versatile and diverse. A person may use his or her smartphone and in one minute start using a laptop or tablet. Users expect the app to work decently on any device. Unfortunately, most products fail to switch between devices. Micro app development results in tools that run equally great on any device. Moreover, they can be transferred through the browser or by means of a valid email account. It means a better and more efficient access to information from any type of device.
Considering the above-mentioned, it becomes clear that traditional approach to building apps is about to die off. Micro applications are not just a new trend, they appear to be a good substitution of current products in all spheres and industries. Applications for enterprises are the first to be substituted in the nearest future. And here is why.
Why Micro Apps Are Better Than Mobile Apps
You may ask: “what can a micro app do that a typical app cannot?”. Most users have probably used micro applications even if they did not know about that. Imagine your PCs desktop. You have certainly used such tools as calculator, calendar or note alert. Those are actually some small parts of a huge operating system letting you easily handle some local tasks. The same thing goes with micro apps.
They are designed to spar a higher adoption rate because users appreciate them more if compared with traditional applications. They are less complicated and more pleasant to interact with. Once again we have come up with a golden rule for all modern developers: the simpler the better. This is why they are so popular among the enterprises. On the one hand, they are easy and less pricey to build. On the other hand, they come with some extra abilities to:
- boost productivity and staff engagement – all operations are linked to one-clock actions making it easy for employees to handle or add new tasks;
- drive personalized experience – employees are assigned only tasks that are relevant to them in particular;
- make faster and more effective decisions – micro apps deliver up-to-date proactive information directly to responsible employees.
How Do Companies Use Micro Apps?
Enterprises can benefit from endless methods to use micro applications at the workplace. Here is some major advice on how companies can:
- consolidate the final decision from several systems;
- integrate systems like Jira to create reports once a ticket is closed;
- deliver personalized information and updates directly to a responsible employee;
- track the tasks and update the information including dates, overdue, project management, etc.
These are only a few reasons why enterprises leave normal apps in favor of micro applications. They have proved to be better when it comes to streamlining the process.
Who Can Create Micro Apps?
Professional development teams will soon not be able to keep up with the growth of demand for enterprise apps. On the other hand, we are witnessing the rise of micro applications that use simple drag-and-drop functions, simple builders and other tools that require less technical skills and are less time-consuming.
Building such products is a less challenging task. For this reason, the process can be fulfilled not only by professional developers but also by employees themselves. However, there are still some features that call for expertise and professionalism. They include:
- pre-built connectors that will link a new app with already existing systems;
- create micro app templates for most used platforms and systems for easy interaction and fast integration;
- develop visual tools to identify particular workflows;
- create intuitive app interface;
- deliver app support and maintenance;
- ensure proper running in various types of devices.
A few experts will be able to keep up with a growing demand in the IT field. In spite of low code development, micro apps still require attention and experience during the development process. This is where our team of experts may come in handy. We always follow the latest trends and keep up with the rise of micro apps. Contact us if you need a simple but efficient solution to your enterprise assignments.