As discussed in previous assignments, the segment I have chosen to target are individuals 18-25 and more specifically college-aged students. For this assignment, I interviewed three new individuals who fall inside of the segment, two girls and a guy that are students here at UF that are 19-20 years old.
When it came to discussing alternatives to my app, I started by listing other applications that were similar to mine (Groupon, Yelp, Foursquare, etc.) and asking the interviewee’s how much they knew about each alternative and if they considered them to be comparable to my application. All three of them told me that they recognized the names of the applications but not all of them had used them before. The one they had all used was Groupon, which also was the one they deemed not an alternative. One of the girls mentioned that she uses Groupon a lot but does not see it as an alternative to my app because although it does offer deals, they center around group events that are aimed at entertainment and recreation mainly. When asked what sort of qualities they looked for in applications (price, usability, function, accessibility) they all agreed that they will use a free app over a paid one. The guy I interviewed elaborated by saying that he very rarely will pay for an application and will usually gravitate towards apps that have easy to use menus and controls. The consensus among the three was that free or freemium apps were the ones they chose the most and that when it comes to mobile applications being free to use is the most important part.
As my application is completely digital and free, the question of “how/where would they buy” was a bit of an easy one. They all said that they download apps from their phone’s app store and that they were more likely to download an app than go to a website. One of the girls mentioned that she prefers to have an app that she can quickly access than a website she has to remember and that doesn’t work great on mobile web browsers. So, for members of this segment, apps that offer services like mine are more likely to be used as digital applications that are downloaded from an app store than an online website.
Finally, when asked about any post-purchase thoughts all three of the interviewees told me that they did not think a lot after downloading an app. One of the girls explained that if she finds the app useful, she keeps it but if she doesn’t like it or doesn’t use it, she will delete it. Most applications have very short use times so downloading and deleting them is a very risk-free practice that does not garner much post-purchase thoughts or opinions. If it works and is useful, it was a good idea to download it. If it is confusing or not as useful as the user imagined, it is deleted.
In conclusion, I think the fact that my product/service is a software application provides me with a unique situation when it comes to the topics that I questioned the interviewees about. Things like “where to buy” and “post-purchase evaluations” are either completely non-existent or in a different context when compared to physical items or a service provided at a physical location. I think the tech-savviness of this particular segment lends itself to the fact that most consumers in this age range do not think about it too much when downloading an app they are interested in. They will look for the free, easy-to-use, and intuitive option when it comes to applications. As long as it is free and easy to use, that is what matters.
Sebastian, I think that you learned some very important information in your last interviews. From what you are describing, it does sound like there would be a significant difference between your app and Groupon or yelp. I also agree that I would prefer an app over a website. I don’t like navigating a website on my phone. I also agree that I will just delete an app if I don’t like it. I wouldn't think much of it.
ReplyDeleteI think it is a very important answer that you obtained. The fact that the people clearly told you a free app would be best shows you that it is the only way to get your service to grow. In order to really capitalize on your growth period, you need to make sure reach as many people as possible. The more downloads you obtain, the better it will be for your app. Once they have downloaded it, you can always put add ons which cost extra, but they must be hooked before hand.
ReplyDeleteI agree when it comes to using apps for finding things free and simplicity is the best route. Especially, when the fact of prices and customized filters come into play. The difference between people picking a similar app over another could be as complicated as the actual uses, to as simple as the fact of how fast the app goes. But a app that really should be considered and will always stay downloaded is app that use few data and is small in the amount of space.
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