These App Designers Have Carved Out Niches in Areas Like the Pet and Investment Industries It's a cluttered app market out there, but these four companies have found a way to stand out.
By Pratik Dholakiya Edited by Dan Bova
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Visit an app marketplace and search for parenting or management apps, you will find hundreds of clone apps reiterating the same benefits and features. The point is, why make same types of apps when there are so many niche gaps to fill. In this article, we have summed up four niche apps that cater to very specific but real needs of users. Take a cue from these apps, and find ideas for your own niche apps.
Related: Want to Defeat Stress, Anxiety and Worry? Exercise, Say 'Thank You' a Lot and Use The Calm App.
1. pCloud
In the wake of the recent Apple-FBI battle, one message was loud and clear -- if you want to keep your data secure, use the most sophisticated data storage services. This is where pCloud differs from other cloud storage players like Dropbox and Box. Whether you want to keep your data safe from prying employees or from, erm, government officials, you can use the Crypto Folder in pCloud that is encrypted locally on your device.
pCloud uses 256-bit AES encryption for files and folders while the encryption key uses 4096-bit RSA, which means only people who have the key can access your files or folders. Dropbox offers 256-bit AES but not the 4096-bit RSA, which means encryption happens from Dropbox's side rather than yours, so your data is at risk.
What's more, pCloud offers flexible encryption solutions, so you can keep both encrypted as well as non-encrypted files on pCloud depending on the level of security needed. This way, you won't have to go through the trouble of creating password keys for all your files and folders. pCloud is a perfect example that even if the existing market is cluttered, there might be a gap you can fill with your niche solution.
2. CCO Companion
CCO Companion is a compliance repository cum regulatory app that is geared towards investment advisers. It is designed to meet 15 most-common investment compliance challenges. It helps investment companies by providing information and resources to stay up-to-date with all their compliance obligations. Even though there are many compliance apps in the market, this app caters to the specific niche of investment regulatory compliance.
It combines a number of things including a reference library which gathers all the compliance-related information curated by experts. This information can be searched by topic, type and Advisers Act rule to make information easily accessible.
It also alerts you about laws and news from the Securities and Exchange Commission and other regulatory authorities, so you don't miss out on any important information. It comes with a number of professional compliance tools such as monthly compliance training material, compliance checklists, risk assessment and compliance testing templates and model documents. You can also import and organize your own compliance documents.
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3. PensterDocs
PensterDocs is a document management app for pets -- or you can call it a pet-information repository. It allows you to keep all the important information about your pet including vaccinations, vet appointments and papers neatly organized and accessible. You can set reminders for everything from vaccination appointments to small tasks like taking your dog for a walk.
We have tons of document management apps, but this one breaks through the clutter by bringing forth a well-designed and well-rounded pet document and task management app. You can store all your pet documents and show them at pet salons, boarding facilities, etc. without carrying them everywhere.
If you have more than one pet (because you just can't have one), you can store multiple profiles and access all the information including allergies, vet information, shot verifications, check-up summaries, etc. just by clicking on the profile. You can easily share these profiles with people in your family, caretakers, dog-walkers and boarders to ensure no one misses out on any important information.
You can even keep special notes and phone numbers, so you can call your veterinarian, find nearby animal rescue centers and kennels in a jiffy. The best part is their community is thriving, and you can find a wealth of knowledge, stories and funny anecdotes from other people using this app.
4. Voico
Voico is a free communication app with many features such as audio calling, group chatting and image sharing. If you are living outside the U.S., Canada and Mexico, you can create a virtual local number and connect with people in these countries without paying the exorbitant long-distance call rates.
Again, we have many voice messaging apps that offer these feature,s but Voico cuts through the noise with its unique translation feature. You can choose from over 100 languages to type and translate. For instance, if you want to connect with a seller from China or France, but you don't know Mandarin or French, Voico app comes to your rescue. It allows you to send text in English and automatically converts it to Mandarin, Chinese or any other language you want.
And guess what -- the translator is absolutely free. Whether you are looking to connect with your friends and family overseas or collaborate with your team members spread across the world, Voico provides a great communication and collaboration platform.
Related: 3 Mobile Apps for Converting Voice to Text
Niche apps cater to the pain-points of users and hence have more viability and success rate than other me-too apps. If your app looks too much like a clone, try to find the grievances addressed against the existing apps, address those issues in your app, and you will have a successful app. With the app marketplace getting more crowded by the day -- this might be the best decision ever.
