AR is the Future of Apps

Posted by Tom Locke on September 1st, 2017 filed in Business, Education, General, Technology

According to the folks at Scully Labs, the demise of the app may be upon us. Based on recent research from Gartner, only 2% of the 2 million-plus application on the App Store break even. WIth the costs of design and development so high, this is causing increasing concern for companies looking to break into the app market. As a result, they are turning to new technologies, like augmented reality (AR), to separate themselves in a flooded market.

In a nutshell, AR is the integration of digital information with the user’s environment in real time. Unlike virtual  reality, which creates a totally artificial environment,  augmented reality  uses the existing environment and overlays new information on top of it.

With applications still around for now, AR represents the future of where they are going and perhaps the eventual move away from them.

Bring Customers Through the Funnel

Augmented reality can improve the experience of a customer’s journey. By improving the interactivity and engagement a user has with a product, a brand can lead them from their first touchpoint through the sale. At least that’s what L’Oreal is doing with their AR makeup application letting customers try and then buy right from the app.

Simplicity Improve User Experience

Every app developer strives for an intuitive user interface (UI) so that people can easily understand and use their application. AR apps make this even easier by integrating directly with the user’s real world. It’s as easy as looking through your smartphone and pressing or swiping on-screen to use most augmented reality applications.

Realism Heightens the Appeal

By displaying digital features directly on a real-world setting, augmented reality apps have the advantage of enhanced realism. For users, this translates to a more engaging and entertaining experience. With traditional app development, loading an app with images adds cost and slows loading time. AR technology removes these impediments and provides the user with an immersive, visual experience.

The appeal of AR technology for apps is undeniable. Compared to traditional applications, which are becoming a hackneyed and unappreciated part of a person’s everyday life, AR provides an exciting new option for re-engaging users. AR apps hit the mark of every appealing part of a mobile experience: simplicity, entertainment, and intuitive UI. For brands and customers alike, AR represents a promising future for apps, and then beyond.

 

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