Mobile apps, wherever you may be, have their uses. From productivity to entertainment, you are bound to have a few installed.
The app development industry is one of the fastest developing industries. Through surveys, Statista noted mobile app revenues in 2018 to be at $365 billion. Mobile app revenue forecasts reach $808.7 billion in 2022 in that same study.
Because it’s such a profitable business, many developers have jumped on the bandwagon. Statista also notes that as of 2018, there were 4.1 billion apps on both Google Play and the App Store.
App Development in the coming years has revolved around emerging technologies. “Wearable” devices demanded their own focus. The Internet of Things is a concept that involves the inter connectivity of your devices. This also called for attention from developers.
With the Covid-19 crisis, the perspective has changed. Earlier this year the rising number of cases demanded our attention. Some of those who were paying attention were app developers.
Ways App Development Has Changed During Covid-19
The shift in perspective was a necessity with the pandemic. Quarantines and lockdowns have affected many during this crisis. App developers have had to adjust. This is to accommodate the changing tides as well to support the users.
The adjustments were pretty quick in coming. Websites and app developers had taken note and adapted to the situation.
Google, for one, has added a bunch of features to their apps. These features allow users to keep up to date on news about Covid-19. You can get more information about these features on Joy of Android.
This is only one example of how we have adapted to the situation. The crisis has indeed had a large impact on our lives.
The rise of cases continues in many countries. With this, app developers will continue to show their support.
Below are a few ways app development has changed.
1. Larger Emphasis On E-Commerce
With the crisis, App developers have an opening; Investing in E-Commerce development. Why? Because businesses still need to sell goods. Additionally, people still need to buy those goods.
As early as April of this year, Forbes reported an increase in e-commerce sales. In the U.S. and Canada, year-over-year growth amounted to 129%.
This could hardly be surprising in our situation. The crisis remains a threat. People are relying on online shopping to ensure safety while fulfilling needs.
2. The Boom in Contact Tracing Apps
As mentioned, Google has released app features focused on the pandemic. One of these features focuses on case monitoring and tracking.
Google is not alone in this attempt. In fact, Google and Apple have joint efforts in developing Covid-19 focused apps.
Other app developers like ArcTouch have joined in. They have also offered to develop contact tracing apps to support users.
In essence, contact tracing apps fulfill the role of human factors. That is, the app allows users to trace possible contact points. These points could be between positive cases and healthy individuals.
With this, they hope to:
1.) Lessen the chances of healthy individuals getting infected, and;
2.) Trace the possible points of exposure once someone tests positive.
3. Education Apps and Their Role
Staying indoors has been the call of the medical community. Because of this, some schools have chosen to close their doors. This is due to the amount of socializing involved inside campus.
Fortunately for the students, education-centered apps have been around for a while. Apps like Edmodo and Google Classroom have been serving the education sector for a while now.
That’s not to say that they don’t need the competition. Despite their use, these apps do not apply to everybody.
The diversity of learning modes and styles allows for more innovation. Students have differing learning styles.
That means that there always will be an opening for a new approach to app development for education.
4. Food and Beverage, a Continuing Need
With people staying indoors establishments have had to adjust. Some establishments depended on foot traffic. Now, they have to develop online services that cater to their customers.
As such, stores now have increased priority with their online presence. Food delivery demands have allowed some of the more fortunate establishments to survive. Some of those establishments have even grown during the crisis.
The innovations here don’t have to be earth-shaking. Things like contactless delivery can allow establishments to stay afloat during the crisis.
5. The Necessity of the Delivery and Logistics Industry
The obvious need for these services has allowed the industry to survive. With social distancing rules implemented, the necessity of delivery services is obvious.
Utilizing delivery apps allows establishments with shorter hours to stay active for longer. This means that they can maintain a higher rate of sales as compared to relying on the usual foot traffic.
Peer-to-peer delivery also allows those small online businesses to survive. These are the businesses that depend on online traffic to make sales.
With this, businesses could maintain their regular sales. That is, the number of sales they would have had before the pandemic.
Conclusion
With the crisis in mind, mobile apps development continues. The pandemic has had a huge impact on many industries. For a while, businesses were even put on hold.
App development is one of the lucky few. One of the few industries that could flourish during the pandemic.
App developers essentially develop tools. Due to the crisis, people are more dependent on these tools. Be it for their everyday needs or the future of their children .Now would be a great time to step your game up.
Many other industries will depend on online schemes to stabilize their business. Alternatively, these apps could even improve their business.
The long-term effects of these apps mean that their utility does not end with the pandemic.
App developers also have to think more about education. This responsibility comes at a time when access to schools is limited for many.
To fill that role, app developers will have to consider the needs of both students and teachers.
What Comes Next?
With the continued development of apps, the industry should remain healthy. It is the crisis itself that seems very unsure. App developers will have to keep on top of the wave to ensure their relevance during these times.
Staying in touch with the news will help those involved in app development. News revolving around the crisis will carry information about people’s needs. With those needs, app developers can find some space to fill.
Some app developers have even chosen to work with their governments. This allowed them to work with medical professionals to develop relevant apps.
At the end of the day, it is dependent on the developers themselves. The process of developing apps has stayed the same. What has changed are the needs of the users involved.