How Millennial's Are Shaping the Mobile App Usage Today

By Peter Minkoff

The millennial population is a force to be reckoned with. It is making big waves in the digital world and its influence is constantly expanding. Namely, those born between 1980 and 1999 have grown up with the internet and remain passionate about its role in life.

What is more, the vast majority of them uses mobile phones, readily interacts with brands, and makes frequent online purchases. They feel like natives in the booming digital realm and want nothing short of a stellar experience. This has a profound effect on the burgeoning app market. 

It is all about the experience

Millennials are adept app users and see the mobile web as an inferior way to enjoy their time. They are also quite tech-savvy and possess a substantial buying power. Hence, they seek to meet practical goals like scoring discounts, mobile deals, or shopping while away from the computer. Apart from that, Millennials are also eager lifestyle consumers.

That is to say that their app behavior closely corresponds to their sense of identity and life choices in general. Simply put, they yearn to become part of something bigger, a story that resonates with them personally. This state of digital affairs gives preference to apps with an immersive, contextual, and interactive experience, as well as those that put the user in control.

We can see how different communities opt for apps that speak to their lived-in experiences of the world. For example, there is a wide range of Muslim apps for prayer times, religious scripts, restaurant recommendations, mosque maps, Quran lessons, etc. Contrary to that, trying to appeal to all population segments at once is not an overly viable strategy.

A blend of convenience and value

Developers who mean business have to look beyond face value as well. They are innovating in order to cater to their shifting preferences and profit on immense rates of tech adoption. After all, it all boils down to unique utility and value that app holds and its ability to stimulate the senses. Apps must blend relevance, intuitiveness, and prime quality.

Furthermore, it should be noted that millennials value convenience over price. They don’t mind spending money on apps and related purchases, especially if they have a chance to virtually interact with a product/service (via virtual and augmented reality, for example). That is why they represent a coveted target group for retailers and other businesses.

These brands invest substantial resources in conducting extensive market research (with the help of big data and predictive analytics). Past experiences and behavior are analyzed and based on these insights, they deploy customer segmentation and marketing strategies.

Key to success

Moving on, Millennials Embrace online payment and want fast and secure gateways to complete transactions.

They seem to adore solutions like mobile wallets, which feature a customized and social experience.  Interestingly enough, research has also revealed that utility apps such as Amazon and Gmail are used more than social and entertainment apps in the league of Facebook. FB Messenger, WhatsApp, YouTube, and Google Maps are also rank high.

Many other brands and businesses are developing their own native apps in an attempt to understand and capture millennial consumers. Those that succeed do so thanks to a smooth, personalized experience. Accomplished developers know how to eliminate points of friction alongside the consumer journey and trigger a fear of missing out (FOMO).

Their products dominate major app marketplaces of today.  

Conclusion

To Millennials, app usage is like second nature.  They are highly-attuned to the cyber world, hungry for experiences, are spoilt for choice. Add to that sheer numbers and buying power and what you have is a driving force behind the app market’s boom and revolution.

So, it does not come as a surprise that brands go to great lengths to deliver a superior quality service.  They must find a way to tailor products to specific wants and needs and infuse them with value and convenience. The success ultimately hinges on the ability to build meaningful connections and offer ever higher levels of personalization and immersion.