MicroApps may readily connote diminutiveness, but the rising trend in businesses using them speaks volumes about the large role that they are able to play in streamlining various business processes from a single app. In fact, they are actually named as such because they fulfill a very specific, targeted function. It is basically an app that doesn’t have the large scope that most app with a general purpose (like most traditional enterprise applications) have, and they are usually developed with an equally targeted audience.
The Benefits of MicroApps
From its characteristics alone, there are advantages of microapps that are readily discernible. For one, they do not take long to develop and are not at the least bit costly to produce. It’s for this reason why app developers who have limited resources opt to rely on microapps instead. This, in turn, could be contributing to the microapp trend that appears to be emerging in app development as a whole.
Also, since most microapps are HTML-based, it’s easier to access and work on them. Developers are also able to load them dynamically, and are easy to deploy as well without having to go through the conventional app stores (most integrate an ad hoc install capability, after all). Lastly, microapps also make it possible for enterprises to promptly test apps, and know how their users respond to them. They give enterprises a good overview and a wealth of information with regards to what kinds of features should be incorporated in them.
For users, microapps certainly help them perform a task excellently. Indeed, the quality of the result is almost always guaranteed, considering the app’s focus on fulfilling it (may it be to remind them of their activities for the day, to update them on the latest weather forecast, or to ease up the way they chat with their friends or colleagues, to name a few examples). Compared to an app that tries to do numerous functions at once but almost always ends up falling short, it’s no wonder that there are an increasing number of users who patronize microapps.
Capitalizing on MicroApps and the Acknowledging the Challenges Involved
To begin with, they should certainly pinpoint the exact problem of the users that they wish to target. Since microapps offer highly dedicated remedies, it could prove to be futile if you offer an alleged solution that only ends up falling short, or worse, not even do any good at all. This is why one apparent challenge that developers of microapps face is, first and foremost, app longevity. Would you be able to create an app with highly targeted AND indispensable functionalities? With the limited storage space found in most mobile devices, this could prove to be a very difficult hurdle, indeed.
One strategy that you can try, though, is to offer users some very specific feature or function, which is not already found in your other platforms (whether it’s an app for desktop or a website). This would only serve to make your microapp more valuable and something that is worth using on a long term basis.