In this blog post, we’ll take a close look at the latest trends and developments in self-service apps. From AI-driven chatbots to voice-activated interfaces and IoT integration, we’ll explore the exciting world of self-service apps and find out how they help businesses increase efficiency and deliver a premium experience to their customers.
Welcome to the era of self-service apps, where the power is in the hands of users and the customer experience takes on a whole new dimension. According to Zendesk’s latest CX Trends 2023 report, times have changed: 69 percent of shoppers today want to solve as many problems as possible themselves. And this is where self-service apps come in. They offer users the freedom to handle their own concerns and tasks on their own, without having to rely on the help of customer support staff. Companies have realised that these apps not only increase efficiency but also provide a seamless and user-friendly experience for their customers.
But that’s not all. With continued technological advances and the growing adoption of self-service apps, we are only at the beginning of an exciting evolution. Today’s customers value quick answers and their time. According to Forrester, 73 per cent of customers consider time to be the most important aspect of good online service. Self-service apps offer just that: instant answers and respect for users’ time. They open up a world of new possibilities and fundamentally change the way we interact with businesses and services. Thanks to their diversity of functions and services, self-service apps are increasingly adapting to the individual needs and preferences of users. The ongoing evolution of these apps enables companies to offer a tailored experience to their customers and pave the way for personalised self-service.
An emerging trend is emerging in the self-service app space: the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and chatbots. According to a report by Zendesk, 26 per cent of companies surveyed currently offer AI and chatbot-driven self-service, while another 25 per cent plan to introduce this feature in the near future. This trend enables apps to use AI algorithms to provide intelligent and personalised solutions. At the same time, chatbots provide a natural interaction with users by answering frequently asked questions, handling queries and solving problems. The combination of artificial intelligence and chatbots opens up completely new possibilities for self-service apps and is shaping the future of this field. Companies are increasingly recognising the potential of these technologies to provide an efficient and user-friendly self-service experience for their customers.
Another significant trend in self-service apps is the integration of voice control and Natural Language Processing (NLP) to enable a conversational experience. According to Statista, by 2024 the number of voice assistants used worldwide is expected to rise to as many as 8.4 billion, as people sometimes use more than one. It is therefore not surprising that voice control is also a significant trend in self-service apps, which is becoming increasingly important given the proliferation of voice assistants such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri. The ability to handle requests and tasks through simple voice commands without having to manually operate the app offers users an extremely user-friendly and intuitive experience. The integration of speech recognition and voice processing in self-service apps allows users to communicate their requests in a natural way and achieve quick results. This technology opens up new possibilities for voice-based interactions and empowers users to handle their requests conveniently and effortlessly. Voice control can especially benefit people who have visual or motor impairments, as they can easily operate the app through voice commands. The integration of voice control in terms of conversational experience in self-service apps significantly improves the customer experience and contributes to increased efficiency and user satisfaction.
Check out our checklist to find out whether your company is ready for self-service. We say yes!
With the increasing penetration of smartphones and tablets, users expect to be able to take care of their tasks and concerns on the go via mobile apps. According to Statista, total mobile internet usage in Germany increased from 54 percent to 84 percent between 2015 and 2022. This illustrates that mobile internet access is now part of everyday life. Mobile self-service apps offer an optimised user experience for mobile devices and allow users to access important functions and information from anywhere and at any time. Flexibility, convenience, quick response time, personalisation options and competitive advantage are just some of the reasons why self-service apps need to be mobile to meet users' expectations and needs. The development of mobile self-service apps is an important trend that further enhances the customer experience.
An emerging trend is the integration of self-service apps with the Internet of Things (IoT). By linking self-service apps with IoT devices, advanced functionality and automation can be created. For example, self-service apps can be connected with smart home devices to enable the control of household appliances or the monitoring of energy consumption. Overall, the integration of IoT into self-service apps is an important trend that has the potential to transform the customer experience and create new business opportunities. By connecting apps with IoT devices, improved user experiences, automation, data collection and analysis, and enhanced functionality can be realised. Companies that recognise and leverage this trend can gain a competitive advantage and take their service offerings to a new level.
User experience (UX) plays a central role in self-service apps, ensuring that users complete their tasks efficiently and have a smooth experience. A user-friendly interface, intuitive user guidance, navigation and clear instructions are crucial to ensure a positive UX. A well-designed UX with intuitive user guidance is a key success factor for self-service apps, as it helps ensure that users enjoy using the app, efficiently achieve their goals and retain them in the long term. By focusing on the needs and expectations of users and continuously working to improve the UX, companies can gain an important competitive advantage and realise the full potential of their self-service apps.
With these trends, developments and aspects, the field of self-service apps offers an exciting and promising future. Companies can reap the benefits of these apps by increasing efficiency, improving customer satisfaction and providing innovative solutions for their customers. By keeping an eye on current trends and developments and using the right technologies and frameworks, companies can make their self-service apps successful and create optimal user experiences.
Overall, self-service apps are an exciting and dynamic area that is constantly breaking new ground to improve the customer experience and increase business efficiency. They are more than just a technological achievement - they connect businesses to customers and provide a platform for frictionless and personalised interaction. In the future, the use of self-service apps will continue to grow and fundamentally change the way we use products and services. It is exciting to see how this area is evolving and how we can benefit from it. By meeting the needs and preferences of users and developing innovative solutions, we can shape a customer-centric future and fully exploit the potential of self-service apps.
