The Future of Apps in an IoT World

Mobile apps have evolved enormously since Apple first introduced the iOS App Store in 2008. While most apps initially tried to create a web-like experience in widget form, many companies today are developing dynamic and feature-rich applications uniquely tailored for a mobile audience.

That isn't the end of the story, however.

With more devices increasingly connecting to the internet, mobile apps are set to take another leap forward. The Internet of Things (IoT) is bringing with it new information from connected sensors, new experiences customized to a more connected environment, and new devices, including wearables, that will expand the variety of displays consumers use to view and interact with apps. The result is that companies which use apps to engage with consumer audiences have a lot more material to work with … if they can overcome the current challenges of mobile app management.

In order to take advantage of the next iteration of mobile apps, retailers need the foundation of a mobile experience management (MEM) platform. A MEM platform allows app publishers to collect and analyze demographic and behavioral data more effectively and also act on that data to personalize the app experience in a number of different ways. While MEM solutions vary, the ideal platform combines detailed and customizable analytics with real-time publishing capabilities, options for audience segmentation, and sophisticated marketing automation features.

Historically it's been difficult to manage and update apps effectively, but with a MEM platform, marketers gain powerful new control over the mobile app channel. As the IoT trend advances, MEM software will enable brands to leverage new information, design new types of experiences, and craft apps for a wider array of devices from smart watches to connected eyewear and more.

Taking Advantage of New IoT Data
From a marketing perspective, location information is one of the most important things a mobile device can provide. However, that data is only valuable if it's presented in a useful way. For example, new internet-connected sensors, including Apple's iBeacon, make location data actionable by tying a user's physical presence to the virtual world in real time. iBeacons also offer hints about how users behave in the offline world, providing a more holistic view of consumers beyond the virtual domain.

For example, one leading retailer has installed iBeacons to prompt shoppers while they're in-store to rediscover digital coupons they may have saved and forgotten. The fact that consumers are reminded of these discount opportunities while they're in-store makes that information useful in a way it wouldn't be if the alert happened at a different time. When users act on these alerts, the retailer can also collect that data to form a more complete picture of in-store shopping behavior.

This implementation of iBeacons is fairly basic today, but the company says it would like to combine sensor data in the future with individualized information on past purchasing behavior. Using a MEM platform, it could match up data from location sensors with app usage analytics to deliver even more personalized content — e.g., in-store discounts and carefully timed push notifications with product recommendations based on a user's buying habits.

Building New IoT Experiences
Beyond generating new data, the IoT is creating the opportunity for new types of experiences. Connected warehouses, for example, are revolutionizing inventory management, while connected appliances like the Nest thermostat are making smart homes possible. These experiences are spawning new managed services, which in turn are leading to new apps developed around a whole ecosystem of devices.

Apps like those being deployed for smart home services require significant personalization (e.g., the need to be tailored to individual devices) and the ability to cycle through rapid updates as new features and devices are added. Both personalization capabilities and support for rapid iteration are built into the framework of a MEM platform.

Take the new smart home services being rolled out by cable and telecom companies. All of the big brands, from Comcast and Time Warner Cable to Verizon and AT&T, have introduced home security and automation packages. These services allow subscribers to customize their own setups with devices like IP cameras, motion detectors and connected thermostats. Using a MEM platform, providers could easily alert customers to newly available devices and also dynamically test different app layouts to support evolving smart home system configurations.

The mobile app user interface (UI) in particular is critical to the success of a smart home service. If the UI isn't intuitive and capable of being adapted to an individual's specific needs, then the app — and the service — won't get used. Service providers need a MEM platform to optimize new smart home service apps for high performance.

Designing for New IoT Devices
Creating a mobile app design strategy has never been simple, but a flood of new connected devices will make it even harder in the future. Given the growing number of screen sizes and device types coming to market, it will become far more difficult for companies to develop apps that perform well on a high percentage of products. Smartphones already sell with screen sizes that range anywhere from four-and-a-half inches to six inches, while tablets start around seven inches and scale up from there. Then there are the new types of devices that support apps. These include everything from smart TVs to the emerging category of smart watches.

As marketers look to make the most of multiple app platforms, they need to be able to tailor the app experience effectively for different products. An app on an iPad shouldn't look the same as an app on the new Apple Watch, which not only has a smaller screen size, but also an entirely different consumer purpose.

A MEM platform is essential for managing the app user experience across multiple devices. Marketers should use a MEM platform to test and optimize UI elements on different screens, deliver push messages that are appropriate to the device a consumer is using, and dynamically update content based on user activity and preferences.

The reality is that even small changes — e.g., the position of a call-to-action button — can make a big difference in app performance.

It's an IoT World
Mobile apps have hit a tipping point. Companies used to be able to develop an app and then update the code and resubmit a new version to the app store every few months. Now, apps have to be more dynamic in order to engage consumers, and that requires a MEM platform.

With the arrival of the IoT, creating an effective strategy for managing the mobile app user experience only becomes more important. A MEM platform gives marketers a complete tool set to manage data collection and analysis, real-time content updates, and app personalization. In an IoT world, only companies with a strong MEM solution will be able to reach consumers through the app channel at the right time, in the right place, and in the right way.

Bob Moul is the CEO of Artisan Mobile, a platform for mobile marketing automation, personalization, A/B testing and analytics.