GetApp, a browser-based marketplace for business software that serves up all sorts of useful information including product reviews, comparison tables, screenshots and pricing information, is launching a new section of its site today for mobile apps.
A growing number of professionals are turning to their smartphones and tablets to get work done, be it Mailbox for ploughing through their email inbox, Haiku Deck for making last-minute slideshow tweaks or SimpleNote for writing text-based documents.
Both the App Store for iOS and the Google Play store for Android have a dedicated ‘Business’ section, but all too often they show completely irrelevant or unrelated apps. A quick browse on the App Store, for instance, shows Photo Editor Free and Horse Racing Tips MP, both of which have been categorized incorrectly.
The team behind GetApp wasn’t impressed and have therefore created their own, curated marketplace aimed at businesses of all shapes and sizes. The home screen features two vertical lists showing the current trending apps for iOS and Android, as well as a larger carousel for new and notable additions. It’s all rather clean and functional, with average review scores, bright app icons and a symbol to denote which mobile operating system each app supports.
The 💜 of EU tech
The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!
The site also includes three drop-down menus at the top of the page to help businesses find apps for specific purposes, such as marketing, sales, finance and accounting, among others. The detail here is impressive and goes far beyond the basic filtering options found in Apple and Google’s respective offerings.
Of note is the option to show apps based not only on a specific mobile platform, but also the industry that the business operates in. Healthcare, construction, education and childcare, real estate and heaps of others are listed, providing a near-perfect bookmark for managers to return to.
The new mobile section on GetApp features over 1,200 business apps that have been manually reviewed and organized into the aforementioned categories. It’s often difficult for app developers to hit the top-ranking business charts in the App Store and Google Play store, because they’re catering to a specific vertical and have lost out to general productivity apps.
GetApp is therefore a more accurate and relevant marketplace, although it clearly has a much smaller number of users than the standard storefront on Android and iOS. Nevertheless, it’s an intriguing platform that should resonate with business users. A native app version of the marketplace is vital moving forward, but for now GetApp has an adequate solution.
Image Credit: Chris Hondros/Getty Images
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.