Mobile is hot right now, and you might be tempted to jump into the ring. By all means go for it, but tread lightly because putting a meaningless app out there is a waste of time and money, not to mention that it’s bad for your brand. Keep in mind that people rely on mobile apps more and more for the simplest of reasons: they offer solutions to life’s everyday problems. Let’s take a quick look at the world of apps, including when, why and which apps are used. Then we’ll show you five revolutionary apps that made our list because they provide a mobile solution for those simple, everyday setbacks.
When and Why Do People Use Apps?
In recent research we have found what most of you smartphone users could probably tell us: if you have apps, you’re likely to use at least one of them on a daily basis. One piece of research found that a quarter of the people surveyed used their apps for more than 30 minutes a day. For most people, the majority of smartphone time happens in a waiting room or in bed in the morning. If you’re waiting, you’ll probably kill time with a gaming application. But don’t worry; it’s not all fun and games. Smart phone users also are fond of navigation-based and music apps.
How Can You Be Revolutionary on the Mobile Front?
Revolutionary apps are super problem solvers. Creating an app that people want is not about throwing together another boring slingshot-based game or pasting your brand name all over someone’s screen. Instead, brainstorm a plan for a revolutionary app using this process:
- Ask yourself, what’s an issue that makes life less fun?
- Solve that issue with app, thus making life more fun.
- People want your app!
5 Super Problem-Solver Apps
1. Number Guru
- Problem: This mystery number keeps calling me, but I don’t want to answer, just in case it’s that dreaded ex.
- Solution: Number Guru is a free app that allows users to reverse lookup numbers. The service covers all landlines and 50% of mobile numbers, but excludes Verizon numbers.
2. Adidas Mobile Tracker
- Problem: My girlfriend’s running the London Marathon but I don’t know how she’s doing.
- Solution: All marathon runners have a unique code that is connected to a radio-frequency identification chip in their shoe. Marathon spectators can enter this code into the Adidas Mobile Tracker app, allowing them to see their loved one’s progress.
3. Lynx Stream
- Problem: I think last night’s bar crawl was fun, but I don’t quite remember.
- Solution: This application allows you to record every mobile action – pictures, tweets, check-ins, videos and status updates – that you make on a night out. The app then aggregates these to put together a story that retells the night’s events. Unfortunately this app is for the UK only, but it’s still a pretty cool way to look back on those memorable nights that you can’t quite remember.
4. Glympse
- Problem: I can’t seem to arrive on time…for anything. Friends tell me things start an hour ahead of time now, just in case.
- Solution: Glympse allows you to send a “glypmse” from your smartphone to another phone or computer. The person you connect with can then see when you, the anticipated guest, will arrive and how you are getting there.
5. Free Conference Call
- Problem: I have an important conferenced call in 15 minutes but I’m not in the office.
- Solution: This application is free and allows you to manage conference calls from your iPhone while you’re on the go. You can have up to 1,000 callers on each conference call, reservations are 24/7, and record the call.
