The world of mobile marketing is an ever-changing beast; you need to be ahead of the curve in order to win in this sector. Redbox Mobile plc. is an award winning App Store Optimisation and Paid Search agency. We have come up with a list of our top 5 predictions that will shape app marketing strategies for agencies and brands over the next year. Read on if you'd like to hear about our predictions…
1. Instant apps will open up a new channel for app discovery
As you may know, Google began rolling out Instant Apps last year. Instant Apps allow users to ‘try out’ apps without actually downloading them onto their device. They can be accessed through clicking on a link in a search engine, on social media or within an instant message. The idea is that they will reduce barrier to entry, as users won’t need to worry about using up space on their device. We anticipate Apple will follow suit and offer Instant Apps to IOS customers this year. This is likely to spur on the already buoyant app development industry, so having an app that stands out from the rest has never been more important.
2. Internet of Things
The world we live in is becoming more and more connected, with smart homes, smart health, wearable tech and more. We are addicted to having ultimate control over our lives at the tap of a finger. For example, the ability to instantly find out how many steps we’ve walked today, to turn our heating up via an app before we get home from work or to record our favourite show remotely because we’re going to arrive back late. There are even apps to order a repeat prescription of the medication you are running out of!
Technology is making our modern lives more and more streamlined. Apple watch apps are already booming and will continue to grow, and with the increasing popularity of voice activated digital assistants like Amazon Echo, Apple HomePod or Google Alexa, the face of search is changing. Consumers no longer have to physically go into the app store and search for the latest app, they can ask their device to download it for them. For that reason, compliance with ASO and paid search best practices are more important than ever, as is keeping abreast with the latest algorithm changes. UX is still really important, but it is becoming more a more likely that you will be vying for a machine’s attention, rather than a human's.
3. Location based services to go mainstream
Location-based services already made headlines in 2017 and their functionality is only set to grow in 2018. We predict the next big breakthrough to be real-time, location-based offers and advertisements. Companies will be able to suggest you shop from a retail store that you’re standing right in front of in real time.
We know that local search heavily impacts how major search engines like Google rank the websites in their index. Mobile device usage continues to grow and traditional desktop usage is declining. The mobile browser is effectively dead, with 90% of time on a mobile device spent in apps. As the number of apps in the app store continues to grow, local references will begin to be used as ranking factors in the app store. We already see this within Search ads, and are able to target our ads to specific cities, e.g. Manchester in the UK app store.
Of course, privacy remains a big concern, especially with upcoming changes to European data protection regulations later this year. When developing location-based apps and services, the consumer must always have a choice on whether or not they reveal their location based on the service they subscribe to.
4. M-Commerce is growing, putting pressure on cyber security to keep up the pace
Digital commerce is no longer restricted to just computers or smartphones. In-app payments across devices continue to grow, with payments from ‘other mobile devices’ expected to increase $1.75 billion this year. Consumers expect frictionless checkout experiences combined with the same level of security across all devices. With the number of cyber attacks and data breaches on the rise last year, mobile security will be a key theme for 2018. We expect to see tighter regulations around app security, which will impact app development trends.
(Image source: crysberry.com)
Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin are other factors to be thrown into the mobile commerce mix. They have received an increased amount of media attention and as such, mass market interest in these currencies is starting to grow. The appeal of cryptocurrencies lies in increased security they offer, fast secure global transactions and lower transaction fees, when compared to all existing currencies. These benefits could be particularly useful to app owners who have a global user base.
5. In App UX becomes more sophisticated… but data is still king
With the release of the iPhone X and Samsung Galaxy S8, frameless design has become a huge trend. In 2018 we will continue to see an increase in full screen app designs and consumers will become accustomed to more sophisticated mobile experiences which, will continue to drive competition in app development and design.
Of course having a beautifully designed app will increase your likelihood of getting downloads, but as an app marketing agency, Redbox Mobile is particularly interested in a user’s behaviour and engagement in app. This can be viewed though implementation of an SDK. The data your SDK provides enables us to optimise your campaign so that we are targeting your most valuable users. For Search Ads, we have a machine-learning platform known as ‘Blackbox’, which automates the running of Apple Search Ads campaigns, making 500,000 optimisations a day. Blackbox optimises towards conversions and ensures your search ads campaigns run really efficiently.
We hope you enjoyed reading our top 5 Mobile Marketing predictions for the year ahead. To get in touch with a member of the Redbox Mobile team about your app marketing strategy, email admin@redboxplatform.com.