Why Super Apps Are the Super Disruptors in User Experience
When smartphones were first introduced, most mobile apps were designed to provide a single primary feature, such as a game, social networking, or video streaming. App stores have continued to buzz, with app developers releasing new apps every week that compete for users’ attention both in the store and once installed on the phone.
Between 2010 and 2019, 25% of downloaded apps were accessed only once after downloading. Every year, the app retention rate decreases because many users have developed app fatigue – they already have all of the necessary apps for their needs. Any new app that is downloaded consumes valuable screen real estate and storage and impacts the phone’s performance. As a result, app developers compete fiercely to get their apps seen, downloaded, and used frequently.
What exactly is a super app?
Super apps are a novel solution for overcoming app fatigue introduced by organizations.
A super app is a one-stop shop for everything that allows the user to do multiple tasks at once; it assists the user in avoiding phone memory and storage issues. It also means fewer smartphone upgrades. A smartphone upgrade should be a choice based on features rather than a necessity to address issues such as insufficient storage space or degraded performance due to excessive memory usage.
In China and other Southeast Asian countries, a new phenomenon emerged. A popular chat app or payment app offers its users additional services such as e-commerce, food delivery, insurance, e-tickets, etc. WeChat and Alipay have had the most success, followed by Grab, Gojek, and Zalo. Paytm, JioMart, and TataNeu have all capitalized on this trend in India.
The Indian government was an early adopter of the concept and successfully launched UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance). It provides a centralized platform for citizens to access e-Government services from central to local government. Another upcoming super app will offer a one-stop shop for all vehicle ownership and driving license-related services, eliminating the need for citizens to visit multiple websites from different states and union territories.
Making a business case
A market with several users who have not used a specific digital feature provides businesses with an opportunity to acquire new customers during the first transaction and increase customer retention for future needs.
The following advantages of super apps can serve as the foundation of a compelling business case:
- The addition of new functions will increase customer retention.
- The customer does not have to enter information on multiple apps to access various services, which improves the customer experience.
- Data security: App permissions do not need to be managed separately by the customer for each service.
- Customer acquisition costs will be reduced because the need to market multiple apps will be eliminated.
Important technical considerations
There are numerous technological solution options to consider when implementing super apps. The suitability of options must be weighed against the following parameters to make an informed decision:
|
Parameter |
Description |
|
App size |
Not to be very large |
|
Development workflow |
CI/CD across development teams using different technologies |
|
Design |
Uniformity in design and branding |
|
Session management |
Session and journey information exchange between core app and microapps |
|
Switching services on/off |
Ability to instantly enable or disable with no impact |
|
Single sign-on |
No multiple logins |
|
Journey analytics |
Collection of journey analytics data |
|
Native features |
Incorporating native features offered by mobile OS |
Finally, the cost and timeline for implementing selected options will be critical deciding factors.
Options for technology
WebView/Progressive Web Apps (PWA)
Each function is provided by a website that can be accessed via the app or a browser. The website could be a Progressive Web App (PWA), which allows UI elements and UI logic to be stored on the device and rendered using a borderless browser.
Deep linking between multiple apps
Separate apps are being developed and will be accessed through the main app.
A Single app
The single app is regularly updated and developed as new functions are added.
SDK for a proprietary super app (Software Development Kit)
Super app SDK allows app development teams to use predefined API, frontend features, and data structures to create modules seamlessly integrated via configuration.
Summary
Smartphones become sluggish due to the plethora of apps installed, each of which serves a single purpose. Mobile manufacturers respond with new designs such as split screen options, more memory, and more storage, which all add to the cost.
