Published on December 6th, 2018 | by Rooney Reeves

Avoiding Micro Apps? Think Again! You Might Be Making a Big Mistake

With the ever-growing emergence of mobile apps, anyone can have any idea for sale in the digital high street within days. Google Play Store and Apple app store seem to be flooded with tons and tons of best possible apps. From socializing to traveling, we all are dependent on the word “app” for everything; this is quite a significant leap.

It has been more than a decade we have shaken hands into the mobile technology, yes I am talking about the ancient version of Nokia handsets. All these years, technology has taken a giant leap forward gradually infiltrating untouched venues. In the present scenario, most of us have started relying on smartphones and tablets than ever before. This demands for more and more apps, the better ones I must say to deliver a better, faster, and smoother experience.

We are the victims of such mobile apps’ blunders, but no matter from which corner the issue sprouts up. Let us explore what they are

1. Loads of Functionality

In the fight to stay ahead from competitors, businesses even today continue to chase by adding more and more features and functionalities, irrespective of their relevance to their existing apps. This results in making them large in size, slow to load and difficult to use. So what happens is, the outcome is nothing more than a replica of the existing website.

2. Lack of an “In and Out” Experience

Why anyone would download a mobile app? Obviously, to save adequate time performing the same task from a website. We all are in a hurry and wish for the app to solve one specific issue in around no time. When a mobile app is loaded with unnecessary features, it becomes a major turn-off for the end users after just a couple day of usage.

3. High App Development Costs

Mobile app development is a costly venture. Unfortunately, companies are unable to stick to the budget due to excess features and functionalities. In fact, many of the apps get abandoned in the production phase due to the same reason. According to several reports, companies pay between $50, 000 and $100, 000 for a single project- Such a huge amount.

4. Fail to Run on All Devices

Users have become more versatile and diverse, all because of the highly flexible, dynamic and continuously on-the-go workforce. If you observe your day to day activities, you will see using a smartphone one minute and a laptop or tablet the very next. Dependency on these devices has become vital where users expect their respective apps to function appropriately on any device. Earlier mobile apps used to fail to run on all devices. And this was the point when micro apps came into existence.

We all know how the market seems to be competing with mobile applications, each striving for supremacy. Several SMEs are seen leveraging digital technology in one way or the other. The app ecosystem is widening at a fanatic pace. In fact, apps are no longer an extension or substitution of your website, nor shall they be. At present, people expect an app to deliver a singular, specific purpose and set of outcomes. This new wave towards simplicity has led to the development of micro-apps.

Micro apps

Micro applications are small with specific and limited goals, consumer-oriented and offering highly targeted functionality. These enable users to perform a couple of easy tasks on a quick basis. They are neither detailed nor exhaustive. When compared with the standard enterprise mobile apps, micro apps tend to provide a goal/consumer-focused experience and are way easy in terms of use.

Its core benefits include:

Compressed and highly customized- Being highly customized, compact and goal oriented, micro apps enable users to enjoy a specific bunch of features in comparison to ordinary apps. For instance, a typical banking app will comprise of features such as view current balance, get a mini statement, and transfer money whereas a micro-app will perform only one specific task, like getting the current balance or changing the ATM pin. Moreover, in micro apps, everything from images to markup is well-optimized for better and faster user experience.
Deliver best user experiences- Poor user experience is something that brands are rarely forgiven for, so it isn’t advisable to take the risk of falling off from the list of end users. Oftentimes a mobile app packed with various features fails to offer seamless and engaging user experience or ease of navigation. Micro apps are specifically tailored to allow users to do precisely what they need in a more efficient and meaningful manner.
Address many technical issues at a time- High load times, sluggish, annoying performances, heavy registration formalities, complex navigation are certain technical issues that cannot be addressed by normal mobile apps. Whereas a Micro App efficiently can address these technical issues quite well.
Can be deployed across all devices- One of the common benefits offered by micro apps is that they run seamlessly on all devices, irrespective of mobile or desktop. To get these apps, all you need to do is check out your browser, an email account, or a push message.
No Need to Comply with App Stores- Typically, Micro apps are built using HTML/HTML5, they tend to avoid app stores and load dynamically into existing communication tools. This ultimately saves developers a lot of time and efforts getting and promoting the Micro App on the app store.
The micro- approach is unique- Due to its unique microarchitecture, professionals can have a unique procedure 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. As a result, each focus area is properly maintained and managed. Also, this helps businesses economize the entire development process to cut overall cost.
No making all-rounder apps- With the emergence of micro apps, businesses are free from making all-rounder apps that failed to engage users and keep them stuck for a long time. In fact, these apps were just direct versions of their existing apps or websites, giving same old user experience with bulky counterparts.
If you build a micro app make sure it drives a single functionality. This won’t just bring more customers to the portal but also boost brand interactions. Plus, mobile app developers can feel more focused and creative while working on just one feature instead of the bunch of them.
Quite gentle to your pockets- Being a micro-app developer, you don’t require worrying about integrating multiple elements and optimizing the app for available stores. Besides, a considerable amount of time and money even after development.

What makes an ideal micro-app?

An ideal micro-app is one that provides niche solutions and saves an adequate amount of time and energy of the end user. However, there are certain criteria’s that must be adhered to while creating one.

Quick, easy access
Customized employee/user interface
Highly targeted functionality
On-the-go, omnichannel availability

Micro Apps are reshaping the Future of Mobile Applications

Overall, this concept, in particular, holds enormous significance to define future mobility strategies. It’s time for users as well as mobile app developers to make a shift. If you want to gain the spotlight and hold it, you need to leave your target audience awestruck. Only a well-designed micro app will do the trick.

Tags: micro app development, micro apps, smartphone apps

About the Author

Rooney Reeves is a content strategist and a technical blogger associated with the well known firm for eTatvaSoft - Web, e-Commerce & Mobile App Development Company in India. An old hand writer by day and an avid reader by night, she has a vast experience in writing about new products, software design, and test-driven methodology. Her write-ups mainly features anything and everything related to the web!