Will Super Apps Be The Future Of Mobile Apps?

Throughout the years, there has been a massive increase in the use of mobile applications. Everything from money transferring, online shopping, and flight bookings, to hotel reservations and official applications, has an app. Back in 2009, Apple even came up with the phrase ‘there’s an app for that to show the huge reliability of mobile applications and their impact on human lives. However, recently, there has been a shift from single-purpose apps to multipurpose applications, aka Super apps, to fulfill this demand increase. In today’s blog, let us learn about super apps and how big a change they will make in the future.

What Are Super Apps?

Super app is a term introduced by Mike Lazaridis, the founder of Blackberry. He envisioned it to be the future of mobile applications and the ultimate solution for its rising demand. A super app is an all-in-one solution to applications. It is an umbrella app that offers all the services a user may need from a single integrated platform. This allows users to access all the services they need without downloading multiple applications.

Like marketplace apps, a super app involves a collection of services offered in-house or by third parties, all integrated into the ecosystem. It uses massive amounts of data to engage with users and provide various experiences and services. It has everything from social networking, banking, shopping, booking, etc. 

Although the concept of super apps is still new to the West, it is highly popular and in demand in the Chinese mobile app development industry. With its increasing popularity and acceptance, it is sure to spread its wings to other parts of the world.

How Does An App Become A Super App?

An app is a platform mainly focusing on providing a single service to its users. It is determined to grow and expand within that service. Furthermore, it integrates financial services like online payments to make its services more convenient for its users. 

These applications can partner with third-party providers to expand their offerings and services; aka become a super app. They can also leverage the collective customer loyalty and data to acquire more users and expand furthermore.

Significant Benefits Of Super Apps Over Single Apps

Now that you know what a super app is and how a single app can turn into a super app, here are a few significant benefits of super apps over normal, single-purpose apps.

• Reduced risk

Because super apps have a wider targeted audience that covers various regions, there is less risk associated with product launches.

• Low cost for integrated apps

Since super apps have space for integrations and adhere to a platform-based approach of scaling, the ‘mini apps’ that make up the super app do not require a large budget for development, thus saving cost and time.

• The simpler onboarding process for users

Supers apps automatically sync all data from users’ all-encompassing social and financial profiles. This enables a simpler and faster onboarding process and reduces KYC costs.

• Increased revenue growth

Since super apps have a wide range of functionalities, it attracts more users, directly influencing the company’s income.

• Better customer engagement

Super apps combine multiple features allowing users to leverage a single platform to perform all their tasks without downloading multiple apps. This increases customer engagement and loyalty.

• Reduced re-acquisition costs

Super apps can reduce re-acquisition costs by retaining users from other platforms.

• Increased investments

Since super apps attract more users, it further increases the potential for significant funding and investments.

Key Features That Make An App A Super App

Since you are well aware of its advantages, let us look at some key criteria that make an app a super app.

• Inclusiveness

For modern super apps, it is essential to make the services and offerings accessible to everyone. It must provide equal opportunities to all and, therefore, must be easily perceivable, understandable, navigable, and interactable for all social groups. The inclusivity feature of super apps makes it usable for people with disabilities and makes the company or brand more empathetic.

• Data privacy

Open apps like super apps provide access to a large amount of customer data and assets, which is a dream for hackers. Therefore, it is essential to ensure proper security measures against fraud and threats while maintaining a smooth and seamless customer experience. One of how companies can increase security is through the integration of strong authentication measures into the app. Tools like digital identity verification, voice and facial recognition, fingerprint readers, etc., can be used to do the same.

• Social Responsibility

Due to how much of an impact mobile applications make on human lives, social responsibility has become an important part of businesses. The growing number of users have led society to understand that mobile app development companies can greatly influence the lives and attitude of people. Therefore, taking measures that contribute to society’s betterment and influencing people’s attitude towards global issues is a significant feature of powerful apps like super apps.

Comparing Super Apps Vs. Multiple Apps

A super app is a tool that provides multiple services and offerings under a single interface through seamless integrations. It does not depend on third parties but integrates with them to provide better services. 

Benefits

• Super apps reach a larger audience and have diverse revenue streams
• It uses user-oriented design for convenience and consolidation
• A super app has strong security and resources protection
• It has higher growth, customer retention rate, and income
• It encourages customers to connect innovatively
• Super apps have closed data ecosystems that increase the customer lifetime value

A multi-app, on the other hand, uses a collection of apps that focuses on specific features. It is an approach where a company sells multiple apps under a single brand name to engage better and understand its customers. Some of the top multi-apps include Facebook, Youtube, and Google.

Benefits

• A super app allows enhanced brand personality and performance monitoring
• It protects the main brand
• It allows more focused demographic advertising and sales
• Super apps allow multiple apps to share their functionalities
• It enables advanced data and analytics technology development 

Major Challenges In Developing Super Apps

Although super apps provide a lot of convenience for users, their development is quite challenging. Below listed are two of the most important challenges-

• Security

Since it provides a wide range of services, it involves accumulating massive amounts of user information into a single database, leading to security concerns. Because the app requires sensitive data like transaction histories, contacts, payment details, etc., maintaining security is one of its biggest challenges.

• Development 

The second biggest challenge would be developing the app itself. One must remember that a super app consists of all the functionalities a user may require. Therefore developing all of them requires detailed planning and execution. Furthermore, it is a complex application that looks out for its users by providing the required data. It provides various functions at once, and developing them requires a highly intelligent AI to handle the backend and track various other user activities.

Cost Of Developing A Super App

The cost of creating a super app depends on many factors. Similar to how a movie is created, a super app can be developed with minimum cost and features or go all the way aboard by utilizing advanced technologies and functionalities. 

However, you must invest considerable time, effort, and money to build an app that can generate greater revenue or effectively streamline your operations. And these apps could cost you anywhere from thousands to millions of dollars, depending on your app structure, functionalities, and services.

How Does Super Apps Help Your Business?

Super apps are one-stop solutions for companies that want to expand and grow their businesses. It allows them to achieve scalability and growth targets much more quickly without taking high risks. Here are a few ways in which super apps help businesses.

• Drives growth

For companies with long-term growth strategies, super apps are the best solution, as most super apps begin with a single app and grow further by adding more services and offerings. Also, super apps have immense growth potential since you can add more services and features.

• Better customer engagement

In addition to customer support functions, business owners can also reach their audience and understand them better through built-in social and instant messaging features provided by super apps. This allows them to monitor feedback and increase communication with their users, thus, significantly growing the breadth of customer-owner interactions.

• Increased customer base

Super apps help businesses to reach a wider customer base through cross-promotion and increased traffic. Therefore, it is a valuable tool for businesses to promote and grow their business by reaching out to larger groups of potential customers.

Is Super Apps Secure?

Super apps deal with a lot of financial information and customer data and, therefore, require comprehensive app protection to build trust and customer engagement. One of how we can increase security is by providing layers of app hardening. We can also provide a consistent and continuous threat monitoring and security testing feature throughout its lifecycle. Companies can also integrate strong authentication systems for users like voice recognition, face recognition, fingerprint scanning, etc., increasing security and reliability.

Reasons For Growing Success Of Super Apps

Although super apps are not yet in demand in European countries, it has gained high popularity in the Asian culture. So what can be the reason behind this successful growth? Let us find out.

• Mobile Experience

China is one of the first countries to introduce super apps and is known for having a mobile-first population. This situation may have arisen due to the shutdown of the Google search engine in 2010, which led the nation to have nearly no previous desktop experience. Additionally, the Asian smartphone market is much cheaper and wider than anywhere worldwide. Also, since mobile apps face limited storage issues that prevent users from downloading multiple apps, it is safe to say that all of these reasons may have impacted the high growth in demand for super apps.

• Homogeneous Markets

Asian countries have a lot in common in terms of culture and, therefore, can relate to each other in many ways. This impacts the homogeneity of markets and allows businesses to operate and provide uniform services in several countries. This same impact may have caused the spread of demand for services offered by super apps, contributing to its popularity.

• Unbanked Population

Statistics state that most of the Southeast Asian population is unbanked. They mainly have online transactions, which could have impacted the success of super apps since they provide seamless online payment options and convenience.

• Government Support

The Chinese government is highly interested in finding ways to connect digitally with its citizens. Since super apps also focus on connecting a massive customer base, the concept gained strong support from the government. This, no double, has impacted the tremendous growth of super apps in China.

Top Super Apps In 2022

Now that you have a detailed picture of super apps, their benefits, impact, and possibilities, let us look at some of the popular super apps available.

1. Paytm

Paytm is a fintech brand expanding its capabilities by exploring new opportunities through integration with various businesses. It currently offers services like payments, shopping, online booking, etc. By providing multiple services, Paytm has been able to stay ahead of its competitors and get on top of the market quickly.

2.Gojek

Gojek is Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing brand that provides an on-demand ecosystem. Users can access it to get local deliveries, food ordering, taxi-sharing, commuting, etc. Gojek started as a bike ride service app and has become a one-stop destination for many on-demand services.

3. My Jio

Jio is a telecom company in India that has now grown to provide more than 100 services through a single mobile application. It permits customers to order food, book tickets, conduct online payments, etc., with the help of in-app payment services.

4. Alipay

Alipay is a Chinese mobile and payment platform of Alibaba Group. It is a super app that allows its users to access several digital payments and financial solutions. It follows a mobile wallet-based payment method that lets users store their debit and credit card details to make easy and quick payments.

5. Careem

Careem is a super app that operates in over 13 countries in the Middle East and North Africa. It provides various services like transportation, food, shopping, delivery, payments, etc.

6.WeChat

WeChat is a Chinese super app that delivers multipurpose services like social media, instant messaging, online payments, etc. It is the most popular super app available, with over 1 billion monthly active users. 

7. Tata Nue

Tata Nue is a super app developed by Tata Digital, the youngest of the Tata Group. It is a great app that integrates multiple brands into a single powerful application. Tata Nue provides a collection of financial services like UPI payments, bill payments, online shopping, and more to enable users to purchase products easily across various categories.

8. Grab

Grab is a Southasian technology company based in Indonesia and Singapore. It started as a taxi booking app and has now extended its services to digital payments, online shopping, packaging, and food delivery.

Are Super Apps The Future?

Technology is advancing each day, and the world is becoming more digitized. The latest innovations have caused the digital world to gain more importance, which has only led to an increase in mobile users. Furthermore, people are looking for ways to make their life simpler and more convenient, and the mobile app development industry has contributed much to fulfilling this demand. Since super apps allow users to access all the services they may require to quickly and easily perform their routine tasks; the concept is well accepted and popularized. 

In addition to all of the above, the impact of 5G on mobile app development can greatly influence the growth and popularity of super apps. Since the introduction of 5G will result in faster network speeds, the opportunities, and potential for the growth of super apps will only rise. This allows us to safely conclude that super apps are, in fact, the future. They are greatly in demand and are likely to grow more.