Future-Proof Your Product with a Connected App
You have a successful product, a loyal customer base, and solid sales figures. Yet, your position may be more vulnerable than you realize. While you maintain the status quo, your competitors are making their products connected by integrating them with an app. They’re gathering valuable data, strengthening customer relationships, and unlocking new revenue streams.
The result? They’ll attract your customers—not today or tomorrow, but within a few years. A product without connected functionality is increasingly perceived as outdated and limited. The question is not if you should connect your product to an app, but when you’ll start. And more importantly: how long can you afford to wait?
Why Connected Apps Are the Future
It’s a trend you may not yet fully notice, but it’s accelerating rapidly: more and more products are paired with connected apps, often via the internet or Bluetooth. These apps are everywhere—from your coffee machine to your thermostat, from your car to your doorbell. Today, the world has roughly 16 billion connected devices, a number expected to double by 2030—that’s less than six years away!
This shift isn’t coincidental. Users now expect products that can be controlled, monitored, and personalized remotely. Connected products offer greater control, convenience, and insights. Companies that fail to deliver this functionality risk pricing themselves out of the market.
The Cost of Standing Still
For many organizations, connecting their product to an app isn’t even on the radar. But failing to act is a missed opportunity, as the list of benefits continues to grow:
Valuable Data and Insights
Without a connected app, you’re blind to how customers use your product. You don’t know which features are popular, how often the product is used, or what pain points customers face. Meanwhile, your competitors gather this data to make targeted improvements, proactively plan maintenance, and develop new features based on real user insights. While they innovate, you’re left guessing.
Stronger Customer Relationships
After the initial sale, your product disappears into a black hole. You have no way of knowing if the customer is satisfied, if the product is being used correctly, or when it needs replacement.
Take a smartwatch as an example. The sale at Coolblue represents only a fraction of the four-year relationship that follows. Without connected functionality, you’re missing out on 90% of the customer journey.
A connected app keeps the relationship alive. You can remind customers about maintenance, alert them to potential issues, and inform them about new features. It also provides an easy way to get support—no more lengthy phone calls, just instant help via the app. This builds a lasting relationship rather than a one-time transaction.
New Revenue Streams
By not connecting your product to an app, you’re leaving money on the table. Competitors discover that customers are willing to pay for premium features, personalized services, or predictive maintenance. They might even launch a subscription model, where customers pay for usage instead of ownership.
While you’re stuck with traditional one-time sales, they’re creating lucrative new income streams.
Efficiency Gains
Connected products don’t just make life easier for your customers—they streamline your own operations as well.
Take Mr. Fill’s trash bins, for example. They’re equipped with sensors that signal when they need to be emptied, reducing collection costs by 75%, minimizing unnecessary trips, and cutting CO2 emissions. Or consider a machine that notifies you when it requires maintenance, allowing technicians to work more efficiently.
These operational improvements are possible for almost any product—but only if you take the leap to connected functionality.
Getting Started
The good news is, you don’t have to go all-in immediately. By starting small and strategically, you can minimize risks and adjust as needed.
Start with an MVP
Begin with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that focuses on one core functionality, such as:
Remote monitoring of your product
Receiving status updates and alerts
Collecting basic usage statistics
Providing a simple control function
The key here is simplicity. Once the foundation is established, you can add more features over time.
Validate Your Idea in Advance
Before you dive into development, ensure you’ve done your homework:
Survey your target audience to identify which connected features they value most.
Research which technology best suits your product.
Create a prototype or clickable design to gather feedback.
Test your concept with a small group of users.
Choose the Right Partners
You’ll need two types of partners:
A hardware partner to manage the technical components (sensors, chips, connectivity).
A software partner to develop the app and optimize the user experience.
Look for partners who are not just technically skilled but also aligned with your product vision and strategy.
The Time to Start Is Now
A connected app is no longer a luxury—it’s essential to staying relevant. Technology is becoming increasingly accessible, and user expectations are rising. Chances are, your competitors are already taking their first steps.
Start small, but start now. Focus on a single feature that delivers real value to your users. Test, learn, and build from there. One thing is certain: the future is connected. And companies that fail to embrace this trend will inevitably pay the price later.