The mobile app analytics company Flurry recently gave a presentation at MobileBeat 2013, and one message was clear: mobile app growth isn’t slowing down one bit.
Flurry has recorded roughly 1.3 trillion in-app events, worldwide, over approximately 300,000 apps, published by 100,000 developers, across a billion devices. These include actions taken inside apps that serve functions such as retail, logistics, travel, social networking, gaming, music, and more.
In short, people are playing, getting things done, and performing almost every type of activity they can through apps on their smartphones, and they’re doing it all in record-breaking numbers month after month.
Some of you are even reading this article on a smartphone right now!
(And when you’re done, you might even type in a comment, or share the post via a social media button. Only the very coolest readers will do this, of course. We understand that not every reader can be that cool).
Who is using apps?
Apps are not limited to just techies. Through mobile apps, publishers reach people of all ages, although usage profile and device preference can differ. As mobile devices become fully saturated throughout the population, more and more apps will be created to serve the interests and needs of each of these user populations. In Flurry’s words, “Moms are gamers, too.”
When do they tend to use them most?
Usage is heavy throughout the day, peaking at night between 8:00 and 10:00 p.m. As many late-night app addicts can attest, however, usage never drops to zero, not even in the dead of night. Usage activity is not heavily patterned, either. Users might launch any type of app at any time of day. In fact, people tend to check in on each kind throughout the day, taking little gaming and social media breaks where they can.
Where is the growth coming from?
Activities are having a profound impact on a variety of industries, and are leading to “[T]remendous disruption,” according to Flurry. Growth is huge in high-population countries like China and India. But despite the amazing amount of total users, the percentage of the population using mobile devices is still comparatively low. This means that, even though mobile apps have grown by leaps and bounds, the capacity to continue growing is still extraordinary.
Who are the biggest winners?
The developers of the most popular apps are cleaning up, as one might expect. But there’s an often-overlooked segment that is also finding great ways to benefit from the popularity of apps: small businesses. For them, publication of a mobile app is a high-growth strategy that can serve a number of objectives, from increasing revenue, to raising customer satisfaction, to improving internal operations. Those who explore it can enjoy an extraordinarily cost effective boost to their business.