For the business owner that has not yet heard, instant apps are the latest feature that was created for Android. This new technology enables web content to be accessed directly from their browser without requiring installation of the full app. To get an idea of what this looks like, open Google Play on your phone and search for any store name. Look at the first app and you will see a blue banner on the top of the screen that says: “Instant”. This is an Instant App and it provides all of the functionality as the full version without any installation.
How Instant Apps Work
When a user goes to use an Instant App, they will click on the blue banner to access the experience. The website URL is then loaded into Android’s Custom Tabs and begins to function as if it were a standard native app. At this point, the user is only able to view the content of the website. If they want to use any extra features of that app or store then they will be prompted with a window that asks them to install the full app on their phone. Installing an Instant App is very fast and easy and does not require any special permissions like other apps do.
Ways Instant Apps Can Help A Business
Instant Apps are especially useful for mobile users who want to access web features but do not want to use up all of their phone’s storage by installing the full app. For this reason, instant apps are great for services like mobile banking, ticket sales, and messaging. They can be accessed directly on your Android phone instead of requiring installation from Google Play.
Instant apps help businesses by:
- Increasing the number of direct user interactions. They can be used to drive increased engagement and retention for a company’s website.
- Reduction in irrelevant searches. Since users are only browsing for information, there is a much lower chance that they will end up on websites that offer no value to them. As such, the probability of them clicking on paid ads goes up.
- Gain earned media. Google has stated that users who view Instant Apps show a higher degree of intent to explore the brand and its full suite of products or services. This is due to their ability to directly access these features from a website.
- Greater exposure across multiple platforms. Because Instant Apps are enabled for all Android devices and all browsers, the reach of your business is greatly increased.
- Fewer permissions. Since Instant Apps can access content from a website, they will not need any special permissions to function. This also means that your app does not require extra approval from Google before it is published like full apps do.
Popular Types Of Instant Apps That Drive Downloads
The most popular types of Instant Apps are those that help users accomplish a task or goal faster. This is why shopping apps and websites (ex: Amazon and eBay), ticketing services (ex: Eventbrite and Ticketmaster), and food ordering apps (ex: Seamless, Eat24) tend to be the most successful at gaining downloads from Instant Apps.
Here are the main categories of Instant Apps driving downloads:
1. Booking
Instant apps are popular for e-commerce sites that offer services like train tickets, hotel booking, and flight bookings. Instead of forcing users to go to their website on a computer, they can simply access the instant app directly on their phone. This enables visitors who are searching for information about your business or products to take action immediately instead of bookmarking your site or following up with you later via email.
2. Sharing
Instant apps are great tools for businesses that want their users to share content on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. By utilizing this technology, companies can make it easier than ever before for consumers to spread word-of-mouth marketing messages about their brand while driving more people to their website. For example, the “Share” Instant App by Ubisoft allows users to easily share gaming content from your site with their friends on Facebook and Google+.
3. Utility
Websites that offer services and utilities like video and music streaming, food delivery, and restaurant reservations can benefit greatly from an instant app. Many times, apps tend to lead users away from a company’s website after they install it because they lose interest in the product or service long-term. By giving users instant access to these features without having to install anything, you are solving this problem and opening up new opportunities for growth via increased web traffic and ad conversion rates.
An instant app is essentially a win-win solution for both your business and consumers. You can boost visitor engagement by giving people new access to your website features that they couldn’t previously find, and users can take advantage of these same features without having to go through the lengthy process of downloading an app.
We’ve mainly discussed Android Instant Apps because it is the largest mobile operating system in the world. That said, Google introduced a new version of this technology for iOS developers called App Indexing. Essentially, it works just like Instant Apps except that links to your website will appear directly on Siri and Google Now search results. By allowing users to take action immediately from these platforms, you are opening up a whole new realm of user engagement with your brand.
That said, this version of Instant apps for iOS is still in its early stages, and only devices with the most recent version of iOS are supported. App Indexing is not available for all iOS apps just yet either. It requires an update to your app so there isn’t any feature at the moment until devs update their apps.
With both Android Instant Apps and App Indexing catching on quickly, it’s time you seriously consider adding these features to your website if they aren’t already there!
Sunvera Software develops next-level software applications from start-to-finish. We are a premier software and mobile app development agency specializing in healthcare mobile app development, custom mobile app development, telehealth software, sales dashboards, custom mobile app development services, retail software development, supply-chain software, ecommerce, shopify, web design, iBeacon apps, security solutions and unified access software.
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Schedule a free 30-minute call with us to discuss your business, or you can give us a call at (949) 284-6300.
