Most in-demand digital services of the decade
On an average day, 4000 new mobile apps are published on AppStore and Google Play. At the same time, 80-90% of those apps fail to attract users and end up abandoned after the first launch.
Every day we go over dozens of ideas for new services. We have sieved through the development requests that we received in the current and previous year, and created a list of typical apps that are most sought after by our customers and also attract users’ interest. If you would like to know what they are, why users need them, and how to monetize them, then keep on reading.
Fitness apps
Why are they in demand?
The trend towards health and fitness has grown even stronger since the start of 2021. People all around the world want to stay fit and well and are looking for services that can help with that.
What do these services do?
An ideal fitness app helps to select exercise routines, teaches how to do them correctly, generates customized workouts, and tracks user progress.
How to monetize them?
Native ad integrations. Manufacturers of sports nutrition and equipment will most likely be interested in collaborating with fitness services, and ads for their products can be easily integrated into apps.
Subscription-based access to premium features. The premium version of the app can have more advanced analytics, personalization, and a custom workout builder.
Sharing services
Why are they in demand?
Consumer demands are growing faster than revenues. In this day and age, it often makes more sense to pay for temporary access to a product than to own it.
For example, in a metropolitan area it is sometimes cheaper to use a car sharing service than to own a vehicle: there are no maintenance and repair costs, no parking fees, and no time wasted in traffic. When you rent a car, you only pay for the time you need it.
Another popular trend of the sharing economy is buying second-hand goods. People exchange clothes, dress in thrift stores, and some people do not buy new things on principle, on the grounds of sustainability or environmental awareness.
What do these services do?
Well, there is no point in inventing another eBay. Users are more likely to be attracted by highly segmented services, like apps for buying and selling pre-owned baby items, book exchange apps, car sharing apps, or apps for renting photo and video equipment.
How to monetize them?
Commission. You can charge a commission on each in-app transaction as the payment for using the service.
Telehealth services
Why are they in demand?
The year 2020 has taught us the importance of at least two things: medical services and remote interactions. The ability to receive professional specialist services from the convenience of your own home appeals to both users and businesses.
What do these services do?
People need these apps to be able to remotely consult doctors, therapists, yoga instructors, or family counselors. A service of this type must provide a seamless remote interaction between medical professionals and their clients: users must be able to choose specialists, chat with them, and set up video sessions.
Besides healthcare aggregator apps, medical network apps with similar features also look quite interesting. The ability to provide convenient remote services to its patients will boost any clinic’s popularity and, potentially, its revenue.
How to monetize them?
Commission. You can monetize such a service by charging a percentage on all transactions completed in the app.
Placement fee. A fixed fee for displaying a specialist's profile to potential clients.
Ads. Specialists themselves can purchase ads from the service to secure a place at the top of search results in the app.
In the case of apps for medical facilities, the facility will make a profit from selling its services.
Segmented marketplaces
Why are they in demand?
Large online marketplaces are not sufficiently adapted to specific needs and behaviors of consumers in individual market segments.
What do these services do?
They offer a niche retail experience to a specific consumer group. For example, it can be an online marketplace for new parents, or an aggregator app offering pet products.
How to monetize them?
In the same way as in the previous case: ads and commissions.
To sum it up, the leading trends are segmentation of consumer needs, remote communication, reuse and repurposing, and direct interaction without the middleman.