Superapps: What They Unlock and Why They’re Unavoidable
Superapps are a streamlined version of what Garner describes as, “an application that provides end users (customers, partners or employees) with a set of core features plus access to independently created miniapps. The superapp is built as a platform to deliver a miniapps ecosystem that users can choose from to activate for consistent and personalized app experiences.”
These ecosystems can consolidate or replace entire applications or make it easy to toggle from task to task without leaving the superapps’ interface. For example, a user may be able to have payment information automatically shared from their digital wallet to their online shopping cart and ride-share driver while they simultaneously play music recommendations based on a photo they’re uploading to social media.
So what else can these multi-integrated service apps do and how are they helping forward-thinking businesses create unbeatable mobile-first experiences?
Why Superapps Are Super Important
Four billion in four years. That’s how many people may soon be using superapps according to Gartner predictions.
Their projections show that by 2027, more than half of our global population will use multiple superapps on a daily basis. They also believe that, “the superapp concept will expand to include enterprise, mobile and desktop experiences, such as workflow, collaboration and messaging platforms.”
Where They’re Showing the Most Potential
Aside from their obvious messaging and payment functions, superapps also have the ability to create highly personalized user experiences.
The platform can blend several frequently accessed apps and instantly engage them in an ad hoc, miniapp format to help complete tasks in the most efficient way possible.
In time, it’s expected that superapps will be associated with everything from artificial intelligence like chatbots to immersive and IoT technologies like the metaverse.
What’s Shaping the Superapp Landscape?
Before your company consolidates to a single access point, keep these WSJ-recommended considerations in mind:
- More rigorous data regulation is expected. With access to so much customer data, regulatory agencies are likely to limit how much information is collected and how it’s used, while ensuring it’s safely stored. Since superapps are able to share data among the miniapps in their ecosystem, these regulations have the potential to curb recommendations or erode the user experience, if not developed intentionally.
- B2B organizations may benefit the most. Less app competition could make the space more welcoming, while a preference for “hybrid desktop-mobile approach[es]” means platforms can be less robust due to the shared functionality between different devices.
- Seasoned tech companies will be best resourced to carry out their superapp strategies. Principles at Deloitte Consulting LLP share, “incumbent firms have the triple advantage of owning the tech resources to integrate super-apps, the funding to pursue any M&A needed, and the scale to nudge current users to new services.”
Whether improving the user experience or helping employees do their jobs more seamlessly, superapps hold a lot of promise. For any company looking to add this type of toolbox to their existing offerings, now is a good time to be proactive.
For everyone else, it’s a good time to get educated on the inevitability of what’s coming.
