Like any global health crisis in history, COVID-19 wounded the economy badly. Industries halted their operations on the early onsets of the pandemic. Their biggest challenge was to seek alternative ways to resume their business without compromising employee safety.
Naturally, online platforms became the number one avenue today. As brick-and-mortar industries are barely standing up from economic decline, another side of the coin is thriving. Companies that develop applications and software are rising in popularity as services shift to a more online-centric approach.
App Users Surge: A Statistics Check
According to an analysis, the average weekly time spent using Android apps and games increased by 20% in the first quarter of 2020. Google Play and iOS App Store experienced an outpour of downloads by 5% and 15%, respectively.
Moreover, it was highlighted that the United States, China, Japan, and South Korea were the largest contributors to these downloads and consumption. Among app categories, games and entertainment, photo and video, and professional productivity applications were downloaded and used the most.
Although these applications serve a specific purpose, people are utilizing them differently. While some individuals use social media to connect with their long-distance friends, some entrepreneurs are taking social media advantage to step up their business game. These circumstances may lead you to ask, “How are app development companies satisfying the people’s varying needs?”.
In this article, you can read about several perspectives on how app development companies are doing nowadays, particularly when most individuals stay on their devices and work online.
Building Small Businesses
The pandemic left many individuals with no stable source of income. To thrive in their daily life, many are coming up with their own plans, such as establishing a self-owned business. Since their venture has just begun, the best place to promote and encourage customers is through online app platforms.
Here’s a rundown of a couple apps and platforms helping self-owned businesses in these troubling times:
- Facebook adds another selling platform called Shops, aside from Marketplace. This feature allows small to large businesses to feature their products and create a digital storefront.
- Instagram releases stickers in the form of coupon codes, gift cards, and fundraiser stickers, supporting small businesses that people can share through their Stories.
- Individuals with bigger business ideas and budgets can design their own applications with the help of app developers, which you can find here.
Staying Connected Through Social Media Apps
Communication is essential during this pressing time, impacting both small- and large-scale sectors. Effective communication enables the government to resolve the current health issue. On a smaller scale, communication helps individuals to keep in touch with their loved ones.
Because of these needs, social media is experiencing a surge during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, 25,000 consumers increased in social media usage by 61% compared to their normal consumption rates. Moreover, messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook escalated 50%, and Twitter had 23% more users.
Along with this popularity, app developers are continuously challenging themselves to improve their app service. Since more users are surfing the web at their homes, particularly using online voice and video calling in social media, app developers must ensure that they’re running their apps smoothly.
Maintaining Corporate Connection
While many workers were unemployed because of the health crisis, numerous companies transferred to digital operations. The new business setting during and after the pandemic would involve exploring online spaces. Online meeting applications and software are essential for their operations.
For instance, the video conferencing app Zoom has expanded tremendously since COVID-19 affected various countries. Comparing their daily meeting participants, there were only 10 million in December 2019 and boosted into more than 300 million in April 2020.
Not all video conferencing apps can succeed as Zoom did, and this is due to its advanced features created by its developers. Some of its most unique features that business individuals keep coming back to are:
- Recording and transcripts
- Flexible scalability settings
- HD audio and video quality
- Notetaking
- Touch Up My Appearance and virtual backgrounds
- Virtual hand-raising
Besides Zoom, companies can explore other webinar tools for hosting online meetings, which are perfect for different purposes— business, education, and online events.
Emergence Of Healthcare Apps
As establishments halted to give way to the healthcare industry, other healthcare services were disrupted. Health professionals focused on COVID-19 control and prevention, giving less importance to services involving dental health, mental health, physical therapy, nutritional support, and many more. With creativity and necessity, online health management platforms emerged.
These are some advantages of shifting to health management apps online:
- Minimizing the spread of infection inside healthcare facilities
- Hospitals and clinics can save in operational costs
- Patients can access their medical reports and status with a click
- Patients can receive prescriptions online
Telehealth is transforming the health industry in revolutionary ways. Hospitals and health establishments can develop their platform by collaborating with app developers. They can choose between these types of telemedicine:
- Interactive telemedicine
- IoT-based telemedicine
- Store-and-forward telemedicine
- Telemedicine in mobile apps
Explosion Of Online Shopping And Delivery Apps
E-commerce has always existed, but the pandemic significantly highlighted its importance. Because of preventative measures such as implementing lockdowns and physical distancing, people acquire their goods and products through online shopping and delivery services.
One compelling study revealed that 55% of online buyers have purchased more orders online due to coronavirus. The research also illustrated that the top COVID-19 purchases are critical needs and replenishment products, including food, drugs, and health and beauty, and disease prevention products.
To accommodate these needs, third-party food and grocery applications emerged. These applications have pick-up and delivery options that provide convenience for customers. As shoppers continue to increase, the developers of these apps should ensure that they exchange up-to-date shopper and seller information to avoid late deliveries.
Takeaways
Amidst the grave effects of COVID-19, technology is saving humankind from completely halting their usual, daily routines. Software and applications prove that people can stay connected and maintain productivity in different perspectives emphasized in this article. Without the help of app development companies, people won’t accomplish their tasks smoothly despite the existence of these applications.