Apps Under Threat From Chatbots
It’s only a couple of years since some excitable journalists began suggesting apps might eventually replace websites. Now, the mainstream media is beginning to run stories about chatbots being potential app-killers. And although bots are clearly growing in popularity worldwide, are these rumors as baseless as the predicted demise of web pages?
Chatbots are growing in popularity because they offer a more personal experience than a webpage or app. While the latter provide a similar service to every user, bots feel much more custom made. Few consumers or web developers would regard Siri or Cortana as a generic product. These increasingly lifelike machine learning algorithms represent an evolutionary advance on apps, which are clearly computer programs – right down to their 1990s-style loading screens and homepage navigation instructions.
App Starvation – supply is outstripping demand
App consumption is undoubtedly plateauing. Reports suggest two thirds of mobile device users don’t download a single app from one month to the next, and 80% of consumer time is spent using just three apps. The Google Play store lists almost three million apps, yet a typical mobile device contains an average of 33 programs. Supply is outstripping demand, leading some web developers and analysts to question whether apps are still worth creating.
The reasons for the app market’s maturity are varied. Flagship services like Instagram and WhatsApp absorb a disproportionate amount of consumer time, while most apps have proprietary UIs that take time to learn. Modern attention spans have dwindled so much that waiting for an app to load can be frustrating, with intrusive advertising another reason almost half of downloaded apps are deleted after a single use. The permissions required by many modern apps also seem increasingly invasive, as we learn to value our privacy more.
Chatbot Uprising
By contrast, chatbots offer instant responses. They chime with the modern vogue for real-time one-to-one messaging, rather than blanket announcements. Conversational UIs have a human touch that’s easily lost in a generic app, and AI has come on in leaps and bounds over the last twenty years. It’s easy to scoff at early bots like the 1990s Office paperclip, yet the cloud-based algorithmic power behind today’s machine learning is a marvel of efficiency compared to the 34MB of device storage space required by Twitter’s latest app.
From a web developer’s perspective, chatbots offer several advantages. One bot usually works on every mobile platform, and there’s no lengthy wait for approval before being listed in the depths of an app store directory. Quicker deployment means more immediate engagement, and thus a faster ROI. The rise of bot stores reflects demand for new bots on social platforms, with Facebook and Kik leading the way. A variety of useful web developer tools have been unveiled to streamline development and launch, such as Api.ai and Chatfuel.
So are chatbots set for market dominance?
Almost certainly for communication and customer service applications, but conversational UIs are inherently limited in their scope. Apps will remain crucial for complex functions like gaming and finance, where reciting 2FA credentials is clearly inadvisable. Apps will remain visually-driven and immersive, where bots are effectively voice-controlled electronic assistants. Both platforms will play to the strengths of mobile devices, complementing each other without rendering either one redundant. In that respect, history is repeating itself from those app-or-website debates of a few years ago…