Artificial intelligence and chatbots
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.
Voice control and natural language processing
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.
Mobile self-service apps
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.
IoT integration
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.
