Mobile applications are no longer a luxury that only some companies can afford to have. They have become a fundamentally important element in this new market development. Such is the impact of mobile development that we now have countless courses, certifications, and entire careers focused on it, not to mention the cascade of jobs that come along.

Some numbers are even hard to believe. By 2019, there will be approximately 2.66 billion smartphone users worldwide, roughly 1 out of 3 people. That is absolutely impressive; cellphones have stopped being just a means to communicate bilaterally with other people, they are now our gateways to global information. Mobile apps, games, gadgets, multimedia content, social media, live news feed, you name it. We want it all, and we want it on-the-go.

This behavioural change is driving everybody in the market to quickly adapt to our needs and demands. No matter which division of the market you function in, your products and/or services absolutely must be available to your customers not only locally, or by the Internet, but most importantly, on mobile devices.

The Reality of the Mobile Surge

Ready for some more jaw-dropping stats? By 2017, the number of downloaded apps will have reached 268 billion and will have generated over $77 billion in revenues. Between 2011 and 2016 the mobile advertising revenue is expected to grow by a stunning 400%. And with the rise of Near Field Communication or NFC, by 2015, 1 out of 3 consumers brands will offer integrated payment methods in their mobile apps, they will work as some kind of electronic wallet.

Thinking about becoming a mobile developer yourself? Definitely not a bad idea, by 2014, mobile app developers were earning an average of between $100K – $144K annually in the United States and this average is only expected to keep on growing.

Now, while the gap between smartphone vendors is relatively small – a slight lead by Samsung over Apple at 21.4% and 18.7% respectively – there is one absolute leader when talking about OS. Android boasts an astonishing 82.8% market share over the rest of its competitors; both stats as reported by the last quarter of 2015.

Why Should my Company Go Mobile?

When talking about the exact reasons why your company should go mobile, there are some minor considerations to take. If your company is aiming to offer this mobile app as some type of product, then, of course, you should charge for it. Maybe even offer a free demo app, with limited features.

If, however, you’re a company which offers its customers some kind of service, then most definitely your mobile app must come free of charge to all of them. Its quality and special features are going to be huge factors when your clients have to choose whether or not to continue using your services.

This is extremely important because they make that choice almost every day, as they are bombarded with several other offers from your competitors. In this way, a great mobile app will contribute to creating a feeling of uniqueness, so your customers won’t have the need to replace you.

Who Can Benefit from this Mobile Revolution?

The truth is, everyone. And as stated above, especially companies which offer some kind of service to their customers, and finance companies are a great case study. Banks, brokers, and online trading platforms are all investing in mobile development quite heavily.

Companies like UK based CMC Markets are presenting their investors state-of-the-art mobile apps for both Android and iOS, where they can seamlessly integrate and analyze all of the relevant market information to help them make smart and factual-based trading decisions.

This is remarkable because it gives all investors a secure and intelligent platform to perform trading operations without necessarily having to be in front of a computer, and with a market as volatile as the one we’re living in right now, it could potentially translate into huge profits, all on-the-go.

By Taylor Wilman