Apps have become an integral part of our everyday lives. They serve important purposes for many of us, helping us to get in touch with people from all around the world, making us more productive, passing time and so much more. But with the market being so saturated and apps being churned out on such a regular basis, it can be difficult to make an app that will last long enough to become relevant. There is a lot that goes into the success of an app, so let’s take a look at the latest list of some of the most downloaded apps and what it is that makes them so popular.
Last month, Statista released their statistics for the top ten most popular Android apps of November 2017. As it states, in the month of November alone there were over 300 million downloads of their top ten apps, with apps such as Whatsapp and Messenger reaching download numbers of 60-74 million each. As the data shows, it is the messaging and social media apps that are reaching the highest numbers of downloads and are clearly the most popular of all.
However, other apps that don’t fall into these categories are falling behind in download numbers. It’s not that the apps themselves aren’t good; their entertainment quality is still high, so why aren’t they seeing similar levels of success?
Firstly, it is important to recognise why messaging and social media apps are the most popular. Obviously, they serve a specific purpose: to connect with people. However, one of the reasons that apps such as social media are so popular is because they offer their users a unique, fun and interactive experience when posting or engaging with online content: Instagram allows you to connect with photographs, Facebook allows you to connect with friends and family, Snapchat gives users an instant video or photo update etc. Each of them offers something unique to their user base.
When it comes to other genres of mobile apps, it is clear that there is a big divide in their download numbers compared to social apps. So, in order for apps outside of this genre to succeed, they must offer their users something unique. There needs to be more of a draw in order to get new customers, as well as appeal to their existing ones. There are games that are seeing more success from doing this, with apps in the iGaming sector offering special bonuses for people who use their apps. For example, Freespinfever is an online gaming site that reviews casinos with the highest numbers of free spins to players who use their mobile site and mobile app, which encourages more people to download their application. There are other examples too, such as Sims Freeplay, a life simulation game which offers users game bonuses for completing weekly tasks, including new clothing and hairstyles for Sims or extra money and Life Points for their town. Recent statistics show that the game still remains very popular, despite the fact that it was released back in 2011.
There are a lot of increasingly popular mobile apps which are constantly appearing on the market. Some see a huge wave of popularity when they first arrive, such as Pokemon Go, however as time goes on and users aren’t offered anything fresh or enticing, the numbers drop off. The key to making a successful app is by keeping it exciting, always appealing to your customer base, and ensuring that there are always new offers and features to keep people coming back.
Photograph by ParampreetChanana