Article

The Latest Trends and Innovations in Enterprise Apps

Whether it’s to keep up with the competition, enhance a digital transformation, or simply meet customers where they are, enterprises have been working hard to design new, cutting-edge apps.

But with one tech eruption after the next, it can be hard to keep up with the latest and greatest. To save you some time, we’ve put together a list of the latest trends and innovations in enterprise app design and user experience. 

Let’s dive in.

Enterprise app design is all about streamlining the purchasing process, creating efficiencies, and satisfying the needs of the modern user. How are some enterprises pushing the envelope in this space? The three main trends are:  

  • Customer-obsessed app design 
  • Mobile-first apps  
  • Machine learning and artificial intelligence for data analysis  
  • Logging in without passwords 
  • Augmented reality

Customer-Obsessed App Design 

A customer-obsessed approach to app design involves making the customer’s preferences and buying habits the foundation of your application design. 

For example, many customers want to be able to reach out to a real human the moment they hit a snag or have a question. So many enterprises have been incorporating live chat features in their apps. If a business customer, for instance, has a question about the specs of a machine, they don’t have to download and scroll through a PDF.  

Instead, they hit the chat icon within a web app and get their question answered in a matter of moments. 

Similarly, instead of using their product pages to showcase their hottest new products, businesses have been opting to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to predict what customers want.  

The AI system collects data from customer buying and browsing behavior and then populates their screen with what it thinks they want. While this could take the spotlight off their newest offering, it can also boost sales. 

Mobile-First Apps 

Given the rise of mobile device use, many businesses have been prioritizing user experiences by creating apps that look great and operate smoothly on smaller devices.  

By focusing on mobile app development, you also make it easier to reach those who don’t spend much time on laptops and desktops throughout the day. 

Some winning mobile-first design concepts include: 

  • Putting products customers may want to purchase above the first fold on a mobile phone 
  • Having “Buy Now” buttons always on a mobile device screen, no matter which page the customer is on 
  • Cutting back on the sizes of images and videos so pages can load faster on mobile devices 
  • Enabling some of an app’s core features to work without internet connectivity, which helps when users travel out of a service area 

Using ML and AI for More Effective Data Analysis 

Businesses continue to mine data gold daily, and recently, more companies have been using machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) in their apps to get insights from their data. 

For example, some companies use ML and AI in their app development to predict customer behavior and automatically generate reports visualizing that behavior.

Suppose you’re trying to figure out which prospects are most likely to use your company for five years or more. Instead of combing through a customer relationship management (CRM) system looking for trends, you can have an app that automatically analyzes the traits and buying behaviors of customers who keep coming back, year after year. 

A machine learning algorithm can also tell you what to do to keep customers coming back. For instance, suppose the ML analyzes your data and sees that customers who get at least two promotional emails a month stay with your company 35% longer than those who don’t. 

You can then use that data to build out a targeted email marketing campaign focused on customer retention. 

Logging in Without Passwords 

The username and password combination has become a pain point for many business app users, so some businesses have used new authentication technology to bypass it altogether. 

For example, companies have been using biometrics instead to make logging in faster, easier, and more secure. A user simply puts their finger on a scanner to start using an app or log in to an area with sensitive data. 

Companies have also been developing facial recognition-enabled apps that allow users access once they recognize their unique facial scan. 

Augmented Reality 

Augmented reality involves superimposing digital images over the user’s real physical environment.  

Business app developers have honed in on this tech to create more immersive experiences for customers. Here are some ways how: 

  • Training Programs: Some companies are experimenting with the use of AR to improve employee training. New hires can use AR headsets to visualize complex systems and learn new skills in real-time, blending digital information with their physical surroundings. 
  • Virtual Try-Ons: Shoppers can try on digital versions of clothing, eyeglasses, jewelry, and makeup to see how items will look before making a purchase. 
  • Furniture Placement: Retailers like IKEA offer AR tools that let customers visualize how furniture will look in their homes and help them make more confident buying decisions. 

Build Great Apps with Evergreen 

As technology advances, enterprise apps must evolve to meet new demands and create meaningful user experiences. Embracing all the latest app trends—like customer-centric design, mobile optimization, data-driven insights, secure logins, augmented reality, and more—can help your business get ahead of the competition and stay there.

Ready to develop your next application? Connect with Evergreen today to see how our expertise can bring your ideas to life.