How to Create a Viral App like Uber, Angry Birds and AirBnb
In the internet age where there seems to be an application for absolutely everything, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for app developers to find their niche in such a saturated marketplace.
Not to mention the issue of pleasing app consumers, who are choosy both about the financial investment associated with downloading a paid app and the precious storage space it will take up on their mobile device.
So, why do viral applications like the internet sensation, Angry Birds fare so well? This seemingly random games app has even found fame beyond the physical application, showing how mobile apps —when proved popular — can become a global sensation.
The characters of this popular game have been used to create even more avenues for profit as the subjects of merchandise, a spin-off TV show and an animated movie. The Angry Birds enterprise, however, had a simple goal: to entertain users. Other applications with much more complex aims — such as assisting in business activities, providing transport facilities or displaying accommodation — require more commitment from users, than sitting around and killing green pigs by catapulting birds.
In this blog post, we look at the success of such apps like AirBnb and Uber to discover why these apps — along with simply addictive games like Angry Birds — have become a staple of modern society and have beat countless other competitors.
But First, Let’s Look at What Makes an App Useless
There are plenty of mobile apps on the market that have proved to be downright useless: those that clearly provide no value to users and flunk on review listings or — in the worst case scenario — get banned.
The I Am Rich application is a good example of this. It didn’t gain the all-important impressive customer review ranking, but it did manage to score the top spot on Ampercent’s 25 Most Useless Apps Ever Made list. Targeted towards wealthy consumers, the I Am Rich app had a staggering price point of $999.99 that eight people bought into before the application got swiftly banned from both the Apple and Android app stores.
It turns out that despite the high financial investment that customers were asked to pay to access the application, it failed to provide much value in return. In fact, the only thing that I Am Rich gave to its subscribers was a twelve-word affirmation message:
“I am rich, I deserve it, I am good, healthy and successful.”
Not exactly groundbreaking or what you’d expect to receive for just short of $1,000.
So, what can we learn from useless apps? Essentially, an application’s function must match the expected value that the consumer holds before they commit to download or purchase.
As a consumer, if I spend the time to select your app, use my precious data — which is arguably the modern world’s most valuable resource — to download it and give up storage space to house it, the content of the application better be worth it.
Besides, if the application’s download comes with a price tag, it has to be exceptional as all three of our viral case study apps are free to download — at the very least, they only cost the user some of their battery life.
Why Paid Apps Are a Barrier
When you release an app, the key is to get as many users testing the waters as possible.
In these first few months, you should be grateful for any helpful feedback about user experience, functionality and design that you can fix in your next update.
To get the required amount of traffic, creating a paid app is unlikely to work.
Why? Well, when you start getting into paid territory, the consumer has a lot to lose. You’re asking them to risk not only their time, data and storage space but also part with their money and while data might have leapt to the top of the table as the most modern valuable resource, the value of money is an age-old concept that everyone inherently understands.
For this reason, it’s best to avoid creating a paid application.
If you want your application to go viral — that is having the mass market utilise your app for profit — you need to link your app’s revenue stream less directly than adding a price tag onto download.
Link to a Subscription Service
The first of two alternative avenues you can go down is to link your app to a subscription service. Perhaps the most popular example of this is the music streaming service, Spotify.
Downloading this app is free, but accessing some of the priority features like unlimited streaming, avoiding advertisements and selecting your own playlists is part of a wider subscription service.
The only annoyance for users is the frequent adverts and pop-ups tempting them to upgrade to the paid version. But, irking as this may be, it works — 75 million paid subscribers use Spotify.
On the other hand, your application can be free to download but solely exist as a bonus for those who have already opted into a paid plan. This works for customers who are in a rolling contract, like businesses that pay for a phone answering service.
In this case, having an application isn’t the main aim of your game, but it does allow you to offer benefits that put you ahead of the competition. In a call handling scenario, an application might boast useful features like voicemail transcription and call scheduling.
The same goes for 02 customers. The 02 Priority app isn’t a revenue source for the network provider, but this bonus gives the company leverage in its industry and builds brand affinity.
Create a Commission-Based System
If you don’t want to scare your customers into a long-term commitment, you can make it easier for them by creating a commission-based system. Popular examples of this can be found in Uber and AirBnb.
A commission system indicates that more than one party will benefit from a sale.
A great example of this is how when an apartment is booked on AirBnb both the application and the homeowner get a cut of the deal. The same goes for Uber — despite its workers’ rights scandal — as both the driver and Uber benefit from the rider’s fee.
Why Commission Works
Commission works because:
- Commission cuts out the hard work for the app owner — you don’t have to own, lease or manage any properties to offer over a million rentals on your application. The scope of your business stretches when you’re open to the idea of sharing a slice of your pie.
- Commission benefits more than one party — you don’t take 100% share of the profit and your service is known for giving benefits to the local community. When Uber’s self-employment scheme is viewed in a positive light, it’s valued as a flexible work arrangement for many citizens across the globe.
The consumer also notices these benefits for the app owner and their commissioners. For example, AirBnb is favoured over leading hotel chains because of its uniqueness and affordability pertaining to its commission-based setup.
The free market system that Uber and AirBnb provide means that the same service provided by a global chain is made cheaper because regular citizens are selling to other regular citizens. In the case of AirBnb, it also offers a novelty factor where eccentric interiors, individual locations and exclusive service is available. Where would you rather stay: in a commercialized Hilton hotel complete with scripted service or an authentic old town property given to you by a gracious host?
What’s Trending and Who’s Using
Making your application pose no financial obligation to gain traffic is the first step. Making the user want to willingly part with their money when using your app is the second. But before all of this, you need to figure out what’s trending and who will be using your service to know if your development dream is even feasible.
In short, creating an application is as much about sleek user experience, futuristic graphics and cool branding as it is about jumping on the back of a trend and marketing your service to the right people.
Consider Your Audience
If what you’ve produced is impressive but holds no relevance to your audience, it’s useless.
Like any business, when you’re developing an app, make sure that you have a clear demographic in mind.
What do we mean by this? Don’t try to create an application for an elderly audience — like a medication reminder — with a super complicated setup. For these less savvy app users, the user experience should be basic.
There’s no need for the over the top graphics and distracting pop-ups that you might find on the latest release of a game like Angry Birds. In this scenario, it doesn’t matter if your application is free or not — if it’s hard to use and not in keeping with your target audience’s lifestyle, it will be deleted.
On the other hand, if you’re tackling a younger target market, this audience expects to find a few more features to keep them busy as they’ve become more advanced at using apps. If this is the case, you might have to go above and beyond to be able to compete with other similar applications.
If your application is not up to speed for common mobile users, they might decide to switch to a paid version rather than deal with the basics of a free application.
How Did Uber Cater to Their Millennial Audience?
Let’s take a look at one of our case study apps in more detail. Uber has done a great job of monopolizing their target audience.
The taxi app surfaced at a key time where society was experiencing a cultural shift towards more flexible living and frequent travel, especially among a millennial audience. This audience craved key features that Uber provided, making their app useful for this growing audience.
These emerging needs were:
- Security and trackable journeys — Millennials are getting married less and staying single, leading them to enjoy their life as a solo traveler with the added need for security.
- Social value — The ability to rate drivers and be rated on a star system and share your journey via text message, feeds into millennial’s addiction to social media and their love of user-generated content. Uber can even feed the egotistical millennial who is obsessed with status and will only choose to ride in the most premium vehicles by opting for Uber Black.
- Universal usage — Uber works almost anywhere that it isn’t banned and functions the same in London as it does in Paris. This saves time and effort for millennials who are travelling more than any other age group.
- Electronic spending — While riding in an Uber, you can choose various ways to pay for your trip including digital spending which is championed by millennials. This is not only a time-saver but also adds to their security-conscious mindset as they don’t have to reveal their debit card, flash their cash or even open up their wallet to pay up.
Had Uber been developed in another time frame, it may not have worked. Our less travel-crazed, technologically undeveloped ancestors may have found the application useless with remarks such as “what’s wrong with walking?” or “there’s a taxi rank just down the road.”
So, consider what’s trending and who will be receptive to a given trend to determine whether your app is a good idea for right now.
What to Remember about Viral Apps
These are a few takeaways to keep in mind when thinking about your app’s development.
- Your application should always be connected to something bigger. Whether that’s a paid subscription where your app is a bonus feature or whether — like in the case of Angry Birds — your application becomes a catalyst for a licensing franchise. Don’t let this overwhelm you though. Instead, see your application as an opportunity to deliver extra value to your customer.
- Focus on removing the customer’s obligation. Apps that go viral give customers the most value without asking for much in return. When playing Angry Birds, you get hours of fun for nothing more than your battery life. When browsing AirBnb, you get to book a unique experience for a modest price tag.
- Find the right time and the right people. Your goal is to be ahead of the mark — what doesn’t exist now that will help people tomorrow? When you have a clear idea of a trend and the group of people it will help, you can begin to build a valuable app that will impress users and not alienate them.
Rory Whelan
Latest posts by Rory Whelan (see all)
- How to Create a Viral App like Uber, Angry Birds and AirBnb - March 15, 2019
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