Before the advent of mobile apps, we used to carry a ‘to do’ list or a page scribbled with all the home errands that needed to be taken care of. Our weekends used to be (and still are, to a lot extent) occupied with running household chores, getting some sort of repair work done, or procuring things.
The emergence of smartphones and mobile apps has changed the way how we manage everything. Smartphone’s and mobile apps have opened up an ocean of opportunities for both consumers and businesses. These tools have had a profound impact in the development of new businesses and have created thousands of jobs. Thus, empowering producers, consumers and individuals at large.
Today, mobile apps help us to save a lot of time (if used productively) by helping us accomplish tasks like grocery shopping, home services and repairs, ordering food, shopping and many more, without getting out of our homes. With millions of applications available on the app stores and thousands of time saving and productivity apps, there are many ways one can manage and toggle between his/her day-to-day activities.
It is like carrying your world with you in your pocket. From buying groceries to bank deposits or bill payments, sending gifts, buying accessories, gadgets, booking cabs or home services; anything you name. You can do it all with a little help from these apps. Mobile apps have enabled us to move a step ahead from web searching engines. They have become an integral part of smartphones in today’s date. Yes, sometimes they may be addictive – not in a harmful, but in a helpful way!
One wonders, what are these little icons that sort our lives all the time. Well, apps are little self-contained programs, they are used to enhance existing functionality, hopefully in a simple, more user-friendly way. Take one of today’s modern smartphones. They all come with powerful web browsers, which means, you can do almost everything in a phone browser that you do on a desktop computer.
It is not just the most frequented web portals that have developed an app, but several new startups have based their business modules on developing an app. One out of every three individuals carrying a smartphone uses at least 4-8 apps a day. Apps are no longer a fancy thing now that people used to download for fun on their smartphones. They are actually making a huge difference in our lives that is something we need to pay attention to.
Apps has simplified our lives in many ways. They reduce human effort in doing things many folds and are convenient search engines. Apps help us locate, relocate, buy, sell, express and impress… Today, apps are also striking an emotional chord with its users, e.g. they remind us things we find hard to remember and silly enough to write.
Lately, a new breed of mobile apps called on-demand hyper local apps is grabbing everyone’s attention. These hyper local apps allow users to solve impulsive household related problems such as plumbing, carpentry, cleaning, pest control, to home appliance repair and more, with just a few swipes and taps on their smartphone and get services right at their home. Once you book a case through an app, they connect you with the best-rated and trustworthy service professionals in your locality. The advantage of using apps providing human resource is that they are already screened by professionals – for their skills, work-experience and behavioural and attitudinal measures.
With a lot of the mundane, yet important services been made easily available by apps, this technology is surely the modern man’s ally – one who is busy, indulgent and just a little tech savvy. Though the quick technological advancements have made everything passé, apps shall surely walk a longer mile with new generations to come. Apps for various uses and genres are hotting up in India. As Internet connectivity and smartphone users continue to expand in India, mobile apps usage will continue to rise and establish their presence across tier I, tier II cities as well.
