Every day we see it: Try me!! Download my brand new, amazing travel app!! NOW!!!
But then we also have the dark side.
The recent reports of poor app store security, for example, or poorly designed apps such as Uber and misuse of application-based info has, arguably, started to give the mobile category a bad name.
Or at least, some pause for thought.
Ben Evans of Andressen Horowitz has a great presentation on the impact of mobile.
This is a great presentation, with some jaw-dropping statistics.
Travel seems (indeed, has to) to get the mobile business.
However, the actual core design of apps has a flaw – and its a pretty big one. Our ability to consume these apps has been far exceeded by the number and the complexity.
Thus we have the big problem: we can no longer consume the way that the vendors (those who create apps and mobile experiences) want us to.
While this can be said for all product categories, in travel it is harder to combat because our industry’s products are not consumed (used) on a regular basis.
For the vast majority of travellers, the process of searching and booking products is an occasional and not regular pastime.
Therefore we have to rethink our processes, go back to basics to let the consumer get access to the supply chain.
Behind the scenes, suppliers or travel sellers regularly complain to me that they don’t know why they wasted so much money on mobile and they rue the day that the tech group persuaded them to spend the money.
What are we going to see next?
I am going to make a stark prediction. Many new vendors will introduce disposable apps.
Think of the concept as SnapApps (aka Snapchat for apps). At the same time Apple and Google will introduce "self deleting" functions for devices applications.
This is just a short step from "self updating" apps, so why not?
So all you lovely people out there working and slaving on apps – with that killer one "just around the corner for next year" - take heart that it will have as much utility as a rock.
Unless of course you are developing the new SNAPSTER self-exploding app.
If so – please call me, just not on your mobile.
NB:Mobile apps image via Shutterstock.