Do you know that since 2016, global mobile app downloads have increased by 77.32 billion by 2020? The pan demic influenced this. In the first quarter of 2020, over 31 billion new apps were downloaded from stores. All this indicates that having your own business application in current conditions is not just important but vital.
IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE POPULARITY OF APPLICATIONS
Restrictive measures related to the spread of coronavirus worldwide caused the massive transition of consumers to the online space. Forced to live in isolation at home and comply with distancing guidelines in public places, peopl e rely more and more on online technology for their daily needs: from grocery shopping to conferences.
Usage time for Android apps increased by 20%. And that's just for the first 3 months of 2020! On Google Play, consumers have downloaded 22.5 bi llion apps, showing a 5% increase in annual downloads. Although the number of downloads was 9 billion for iOS, the annual figure is impressive: it reaches 15%. It is also interesting that most downloads on both platforms came from n on-gaming applications, 55% of Google Play and 65% of iOS. During this period, Brazil and India were the leaders in Android downloads, and the United States and China became leaders in iOS.
Not all applications have become widespread in the current conditions. Some are still struggling to survive. What apps are at the TOP? Bugsnag analyzed data on the basis of its 750 projects and compared the user traffic before and during COVID-19 time. As a result of the study, interesting trends in the development of mobile applications were revealed. The projects wer e divided into 3 types according to the criteria of "survival": the use of the first increased significantly, the second showed moderate growth, the third stopped in development but will probably recover after the situation normaliz es.
APPLICATIONS AT THE PEAK OF POPULARITY
According to Bugsnag, the pandemic has caused the spread of video conferencing applications such as Zoom, Skype, GoToMeeting, and JoinMe, which is mainly associated with the transition of thousands of companies to home-office mod e. Zoom increased its global audience by 300% in a month and almost took the first position in the TOP of business apps for the iPhone. In the US, the fastest-growing categories are telemedicine, e-signature services, remote desktop, video platforms, webinars, and live chat.
Financial technologies also show results: mobile banking has grown by 35-85%. Amir Godrathy, director of market analysis at App Annie, reported that the trend is driven by market volatility and economic uncertainty. In the United States, Android app usage grew 55% in a short time: from December 2019 t o April 2020. According to the expert, similar indicators were observed around the world.
According to global data from Statista, in Q4 2020, the leader of the TOP categories on Google Play is games, followed by educational apps. In the App Store for March 2021, games are also winning, business apps are second, and educational apps are third. Bugsnag's analysis, which concerned the US mainly, identified the “winners” during the pandemic:
- Media and entertainment. Disney +, Netflix, YouTube. The second is the best streaming app.
- Social networks and communications. For information about the coronavirus: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Reddit. Also, Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest have strengthened themselves. Conferencing: Zoom, Google Hangouts Meet, and Microsoft Teams.
- Health and Fitness. Peloton, Aaptiv. For iOS: 30 Day F itness, Calorie Counter, Keep.
- Online orders and delivery. GrubHub, DoorDash, UberEats, Postmates, Instacart.
- Religion. Zoom and social media, Church Home, apps for studying Bible.
APPLICATIONS WITH "PROTECTION" FROM THE PANDEMIC IMPACT
This category includes, first of all, e-commerce applications. It is not surprising because many retail stores have been forced to suspend operations to avoid exposing shoppers to the risk of coronavirus infection. About 25% of US consumers admitted to experiencing discomfort when visiting shopping malls and supermarkets.
Very soon, US retailers saw rapid growth in online revenue. In April 2020, it reached 68%. P roducts from the following categories were actively ordered: office supplies, home and everyday life, cosmetics, equipment for sports, toys, or hobbies. They accounted for about 40% of the costs.
According to global forecasts by Statista, in 2021, the share of mobile online commerce in e-commerce will be almost 73%! Probably, it will be caused by the spread of mobile applications for contactless payments (Paypal, Apple Pay, Amazon Pay). In 20 25 they promise to grow by 27%.
Promising industries are SaaS and e-learning. SaaS share has started to grow with the move to remote study, especially regarding promotions and free versions of apps. According to Better Cloud, one of the main targets of introducing SaaS into business is increasing productivity and minimizing costs. In terms of education, this trend has affected the whole worl d: millions of schools in 186 countries have started using distant learning software, video communication programs, and e-learning applications due to the pandemic.
OUTSIDERS
Unfortunately, some apps have been affected by the pandemic. Based on an analysis of its customers, Bugsnag has compiled a list of categori es for applications that did not feel positive changes and, moreover, became less in demand. Here they are customer service, hospitality, transportation.
Unsurprisingly, consumer activity programs became outsiders. Traveling long distances, staying in hotels, visiting restaurants, cafes, and bars, trips to resorts, getting services in hairdressers and beauty salons... All this bec ame unavailable for a long time. However, these industries also promise to recover as soon as the situation returns to normal.
Based on numerous industry studies conducted before, during, and after the pandemic, it can be concluded that the most profitable for investment are mobile applications in the following areas: business (in particular, the fintech industry), education, entertainment, communications, e-commerce, delivery, and healthy lifestyle. Software for a subscription is also developing. However, it is worth thinking before developing a service for booking air tickets and hotels considering the impact of the pandemic on a local and global scale.
