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It is incredible how mobile apps drive our life and make it even better with its digital evolutions. While we can spend a day without using mobile handset, the temptations of apps will always draw us close in to use them. After all, mobile apps make it faster and easier to get things done. But recently, mobile app development industry has experienced a ripple of new trend: Micro apps.
Unlike the normal-sized mobile apps, the micro version offer a unique way to engage the same amount of users while giving developers much boost in ease and speed of development. This approach is beneficial to individual users, enterprises as well as developers in so many ways. This blog explores more on micros apps and their importance in mobile app development.
What exactly is the idea of micro apps?
Micro apps represent the minimalist version of original full-sized apps that has potential to help and engage users with specific features. Micros apps do not conform to the widely practiced size of popular apps and focus on one or small number of features, benefiting both users and mobile app developers alike in the matters of:
Technically speaking, it is an HTML-built, custom-feature application that consists of limited functions and supports most essential aspect of the business.
Facebook Messenger is a good example of micro app in use that focuses just on the chat feature of its web version. Since it holds on to single functionality, it is easier for users to address their needs without feeling compelled to open and scour the entire heavy app just to chat.
Why are Micro apps gaining a lot of gravity these days?
Statista suggests that an average smart phone owner tends to spend nearly 2.8 hours a day interacting with their apps while 80% users explore maximum 3 apps daily. Despite this large audience, mobile app developers now find it difficult to capture long-term attention from prospect users.
One of the reasons behind decreased rate of consumers is increased number of features in any given app, which further makes the app bulkier than ever. Now that consumer behaviour is changing, it is not favourable for developers to keep creating bulky apps with loads of features.
Instead, simplicity is gaining a lot of traction. Focusing on one feature and making it stronger, quicker and fancier in a controlled environment is the main principle of micro apps.
1) Much compressed and highly customized
This is the era of compressed style where virtual world is going minimalist offering a lot of ease and flexibility on the go. Unlike mainstream giant apps, Micro apps enable users to keep the mini version of app with them and use it wherever they go to fulfil their specific needs.
With micro apps, users are guaranteed to enjoy that one feature they have always wanted exclusive and separated from the pool of other confusing features. It comes highly customized, compact and goal-oriented making for a perfect mobile companion for users.
2) No need to comply with app stores
Not only micros apps are impactful for developers, it appeals to almost every category of individuals ranging from customers to enterprises and start-ups and employees. Customers will not have to mind keywords and push more efforts to locate the micro app in App store.
Micro apps are built using HTML/HTML5 and developers can embed it in full featured web app or as communication tool within existing mobile app. Thus, they can avoid the struggle of app stores and load onto users’ device directly just like Facebook Messenger and Snapchat.
3) Micro apps are gentle to your pockets
Since micro app developers will not have to worry about integrating multiple features or optimizing the micro version for available app stores, they can save great amount of time and money even after development. Think about how much you may need to spend in case the app is big and bulky with array of glittering features.
4) Engaging user experience
As app stores are inundated with myriad of heavy apps, there is a big chance for apps to be rejected abandoned. There are many large apps that fail to offer good user experience or ease of navigation which inspires users to uninstall it immediately. If users are unable to feel engaged or satisfied with the app functions, they will sure quit it.
Micro apps are seamless and easy to use and quick to load. Users seek an app that does one job for them properly and swiftly, and micro apps are the best way for developers to make sure they deliver seamless and engaging user experience.
5) Micro apps address many technical issues
Massive apps built with radical mindset of including most elegant features in one app can disappoint users in many ways. Due to certain technical performance issues, traditional apps can’t do what micro apps can. Such issues may involve:
Micro apps seem to address these problems quite well, resulting in impressive user experience, lightning fast access, easy navigation and seamless performance.
As they contain limited functions, there is a great chance for developers to channel their energy in enhancing one feature at times.
6) No burden of making all-rounder apps
Due to much general emphasis on building heavy apps, businesses often lose attention of consumers. As they champion the idea of conformist mobile app development by making an all-rounder app, they fail to engage users and keep them stuck to their apps.
Also, these apps are just direct versions of their existing apps or websites, giving the same old user experience as delivered by their bulky counterparts. This could be an additional burden for mobile app developers, too.
By strategically building micro apps to drive a single functionality can bring more customers to the portal and boost brand interactions. Developers can feel more focused and creative while working on just one feature instead of the bunch of them.
7) Elimination of production issues in the development process
One of the dreadful factors that often cause start-up companies to withdraw from the development project is the hint of flexing their budget. Traditional apps with sundry features can put mass on your shoulders, making companies to rethink over their budget decisions. Due to jitters related to app development economy, such apps are more often withdrawn than sent to app store.
Micro apps make the scenario seem economical, controlled and much favourable to businesses that may otherwise pay high upwards. Since micro app architecture is simple, straightforward and fast to build, developers can create and deploy apps at greater pace and lesser cost. This eliminates the cost issues during production while also improving the final face of the product.
8) Unique micro-service approach for software developers
Micro apps follow unique micro-service architecture so that developers get involved in a unique process for each service and manage an independent database. This kind of approach allows micro app developers to adopt even more decentralized method of software development and manage each task carefully.
This way, each focus area is properly maintained and each service is managed and deployed with much efficiency and without any complications. This in turn helps businesses economize the entire development process to cut overall cost.
9) Micro apps are deployed across all devices
People are getting more dynamic and need more flexible and result-oriented solutions. Users want to engage with apps that support functioning across all devices in use. This is where micro apps emerge as saviour.
Developers can build apps that support all devices both mobile and desktop. Because they don’t have to build separate versions for each platform, developers can proliferate micro apps more rapidly than ever. Users can get these apps from their browser, or via push message or email.
Concluding note:
The role and importance of micro apps for businesses truly justifies the buzz wafting in the world of mobile app development. The condensed version of applications is a trend as interesting to mobile app developer as it is to enterprise companies. The amount of ease, simplicity, speed and affordable cost of micro apps development are convincing businesses to consider it seriously. For developers, it is easy and quick to build functionality-based apps that target specific goal. Micro apps definitely herald the future of mobile app development.
