In a short period of time, the word ‘app’ has entered the general lexicon and we often hear the phrase “there’s an app for that” because generally there is. The major growth in the use of phone applications has been in the last half decade as more and more people acquire smartphones and tablets. We have seen a growth in college and university courses that teach how to build apps and a huge surge in companies offering app development as a service.
People’s movement to this type of technology also represents a massive opportunity for marketers. A lot of apps allow in-app advertising and an app in itself is a way to promote a brand. It is vital therefore that marketers have a good understanding of app technology in order to take advantage of this new channel of visibility. Marketers need to understand the complexities of a good quality app and not just create a company app to represent their brand for the sake of it. The app should have a purpose and be well designed and supported.
The world of apps has been the basis for some of the biggest merger and acquisition stories over the last half decade. Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook’s acquisition of the mobile messaging app WhatsApp is probably one of the best known of these in recent years. Zuckerberg and Facebook paid $19 billion in a cash and stock combined deal.
This info-graphic created by ERS Solutions examines the proliferation of the mobile app industry. It looks at the demographics of mobile app usage versus the web, the analytics of time spent on apps and also at possible app growth markets.
via SocialMediaWeek
