Instant Apps - The Future of Android App Development

Trust is the foundation of long-term relationships. So is the case with mobile apps. And the greatest challenge remains the same - trust is earned over time, by providing value and delivering on promises. In the case of apps, however, users don't give the required time for trust to be earned. The smallest glitches in performance or the slightest gaps in user experience can result in the app being uninstalled.

As many as 57% of global mobile users abandoned apps in less than a month after downloading them, reveal figures published by Statista for 2017. The scenario becomes harsher with time, as the figures show that 71% of users abandoned apps within three months of downloading. 
 
Although these figures seem discouraging, users actually love mobile apps and are spending an increasing amount of time using them. An average US adult almost 2.5 hours per day using mobile apps in 2017, says a report by eMarketer. However, with millions of app options available, users have become much more discerning and demanding. They have low patience for apps that don’t perform as expected, resulting in a staggering app churn rate. 
 
This emphasizes the need for Android app developers to focus on creating value for the user and offering awesome user experience. Having said that, it’s not always easy to identify the reason(s) for app abandonment. So, what can be done to increase user retention? 

The answer is twofold:
(1) Ensure a bug-free user experience, focusing on value creation, and 
(2) Test a lite version of the app by using Instant Apps.
 
Ensuring a Good User Experience 
Android app developers can ensure a smoother, bug-free user experience by creating the mobility solution using a MADP (Mobile Application Development Platform). This platform offers deep libraries of pre-configured business modules, pre-built technology components and a design studio with hundreds of options, which can be used to create the app by a simple drag and drop approach. This relieves the Android application development company from focusing on writing thousands of lines of code and, instead focusing on ideas to create more value for users and providing the fabulous user experience.
 
The modules included in the MADP already implement industry best practices. Moreover, they are thoroughly tested, so Android app developers can rest assured that these are completely bug-free. This also saves time that would have been spent on testing and bug fixing.
 
By using a MADP, an app can be created 10 times faster than by taking the traditional route of writing code from scratch. Since the app is ready in 6-8 weeks and it can incorporate the latest technological advancements in smart devices like facial recognition.

Test a Lite Version with Android Instant Apps
To enable Android app developers to offer a lite version of their app, Google introduced an innovative technology at its annual developer conference held in 2016 - Android Instant Apps. This came as an attempt to bridge the gap between the mobile web world and the native Android application development space.
 
Instant Apps has been introduced to the Google Play Store, providing Android app developers with the opportunity to test their core solution and gaining user trust. Instead of a bulk download of the native app, the user is provided with a lite version, reducing the efforts of users and Android app developers. When a user searches for an app on Google Play Store, instead of the single option of download, a new option has been included - 'Try it now'. This feature allows the user to test the application before deciding to download it.
 
When the 'Try it now' option is selected, the control is transferred to a web link that opens the Instant App version of the native app. The application contains only a trial of the core functionality which helps the user get a feel of the solution. With Instant Apps, Android App developers can now gain access to user reviews based on the performance of the demo or lite application and can make improvements to the app’s performance and utility according to the reviews.