Application software better known as applications or simply just apps, are made to satisfy the specific needs of their users. That is the definition but let’s not to be too prescribed and instead have a look at the reality – applications are experiencing a huge international boom which is growing not only with social media but also mobile devices. When I was living in the Netherlands – a very pro-active country when it comes to new technologies and new media in particular – I got used to being surrounded by apps of all kinds. Wherever I was and whatever I did I somehow ran into apps. To my surprise, this didn’t really change when I moved back to my homeland. Apps are everywhere – grocery stores have apps for online orders, my gym has an app to make reservation for group lessons, my favorite taxi company started using app instead of call centre, even one of the stiffest company ever – DPP, provider of Prague public transport – has an app! But don’t get me wrong, I’m more than happy to see that Czechs are (finally) keeping up with global trends.
Actually, realizing how many apps are available on Czech market, sadly reminded me of the situation with social media, particularly Facebook a couple of years ago. When it came out, it was new, fresh, dynamic, fun… and then all of the sudden everybody had to be there, even companies with characters that do not fit with the feel of this networking site. With apps it’s kind of the same. I don’t want to specifically point out somebody but in this app madness there are way too many apps which cannot possible reach their users. Exactly as with Facebook, where nothing is worse than an empty page with no audience, nothing is worse than app with no users.
Apps – how to actually use them?
With apps it’s similar you must be pragmatic. In the current app jungle you can find an application for practically anything. However many of them don’t work properly, many of them are useless and quite a few of the good ones might not work on your device (Blackberry incapacity to run Instagram strongly influenced my decision to switch to Apple) but there are still some great ones left to choose from. For business purposes it really depends on the sector and industry you are operating in (as I mentioned previously) but for purely private use your possibilities are limitless. Also be prepared as apps rapidly (!!!) increase functionality of your smart phone. Thanks to apps, I can easily and quickly (!) check transport connections, check my bank balance, translate any word to 25 world languages, check the forecast for any location in the world, keep track of my half-marathon practice and much more (including social media but that’s obvious). Beside these ‘practical’ apps, there are quite few hilarious ones. I personally love Hater (hater-app.com). Developers of this app responded to the ongoing and unheeded requests that Facebook should create a ‘don’t like’ button and came with app via which people can share things that frustrate from. Trust me, once you share something irritating and you see the similar (and often worse) frustrations of others, you feel much better ;-)
Actually, realizing how many apps are available on Czech market, sadly reminded me of the situation with social media, particularly Facebook a couple of years ago. When it came out, it was new, fresh, dynamic, fun… and then all of the sudden everybody had to be there, even companies with characters that do not fit with the feel of this networking site. With apps it’s kind of the same. I don’t want to specifically point out somebody but in this app madness there are way too many apps which cannot possible reach their users. Exactly as with Facebook, where nothing is worse than an empty page with no audience, nothing is worse than app with no users.
Social Media fever
This doesn’t count just for apps, as social media also booms, we in CZ are just discovering Twitter and are more active with sites such as LinkedIn, Pinterest and Instagram, with more to come – Stumble Upon, Spotify, Tumblr, Flickr etc. And what are you going to do – Create profile at all of them, which is going to be left empty, as you cannot possibly have enough time to update them all? Or instead, hire social media person who is going to keep up with all of these sites? I would rather recommend, critical selection. Check what each site is about – who is using it? What kind of content is being shared there? Then decide whether this corresponds with your business. If so, start using the site. If not, don’t be afraid to dismiss these sites. If it isn’t the right fit for you, then you would probably get very few fans/followers and as I said above, nothing is worse than an abandoned site.
Apps – how to actually use them?
With apps it’s similar you must be pragmatic. In the current app jungle you can find an application for practically anything. However many of them don’t work properly, many of them are useless and quite a few of the good ones might not work on your device (Blackberry incapacity to run Instagram strongly influenced my decision to switch to Apple) but there are still some great ones left to choose from. For business purposes it really depends on the sector and industry you are operating in (as I mentioned previously) but for purely private use your possibilities are limitless. Also be prepared as apps rapidly (!!!) increase functionality of your smart phone. Thanks to apps, I can easily and quickly (!) check transport connections, check my bank balance, translate any word to 25 world languages, check the forecast for any location in the world, keep track of my half-marathon practice and much more (including social media but that’s obvious). Beside these ‘practical’ apps, there are quite few hilarious ones. I personally love Hater (hater-app.com). Developers of this app responded to the ongoing and unheeded requests that Facebook should create a ‘don’t like’ button and came with app via which people can share things that frustrate from. Trust me, once you share something irritating and you see the similar (and often worse) frustrations of others, you feel much better ;-)
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