Yelp, a popular mobile app that utilizes geolocation to optimize local entertainment searches, ratings and reviews, allows users to narrow their search for a very specific goal. Search engines, on the other hand, pride themselves on producing the largest number of relevant search results in the shortest amount of time.  Furthermore, Google doesn’t always direct you to one place to find all the information you need. Many times my web searches require reading several different sources from the search results – which arguably leads to a more effective search experience – but is not as easy to perform on a mobile device.

During their earnings call last week, Yelp stated: “We do derive a lot of traffic from search engines, particularly Google. We’ve said in the past it’s about 50 percent. We continue to see really nice growth there, on the web site, both including direct traffic, people typing in the URL, and navigational traffic …. Then of course on mobile, that represents a very new distribution channel for us, and one where we have a much more intimate relationship with consumer because they’ve chosen to download the app. They’re much more engaged, we’re now a button on their screen. That actually disintermediates search. We like that trend.”

What this means is that when it comes to specific searches, such as choosing a restaurant, smartphone users are less likely to open their mobile web browser and Google a restaurant. Yelp and other mobile apps circumvent search engines by engaging in more intimate, streamlined relationship with their end-users.

Despite Google’s royal status in the loyalties, minds, and browsers of Internet users, the endless variety of mobile applications virtually obsoletes the need for Google on a mobile phone. Download the WebMD app, and you have no further need to Google that weird boil on your neck. Got the Maps app on your iPhone? Well, what’s the point of Googling directions?

Granted, it’s clear that Google search isn’t going anywhere soon, and there are many mobile apps out there that don’t bring any real value to the table. Just because you are developing a travel search app, doesn’t mean that Bing Travel is going under. The real lesson here is that thoughtful, user-experience rich mobile apps can change consumer behavior.  And, as the Business Insider so eloquently said, “as users move more and more toward smartphones, they’re more likely to use those apps instead of searching for the company on Google.”

Although Google faces constant criticism about Android OS fragmentation, they throw mobile developers a bone by publishing their device and OS distribution data on a bi-monthly basis. While it can still be difficult to predict the fluctuation of the different platforms, the trends depicted by these graphs are very useful when determining which Android OS platforms our team should be developing for.

Apple is quite the opposite. The smartphone giant does a fantastic job of rolling out iOS updates to users in a streamlined fashion, basically stiff-arming everyone via iTunes update reminders and catchy marketing campaigns. The ease of transition is largely due to the small number of device versions (three iPhones, two iPads) and the consistency between service providers. Though fragmentation is virtually a non-issue for Apple, the company is not as transparent about their device and iOS distribution data as Android is. In fact, they do not release any of said information, leaving many eager developers, analysts and bloggers to speculate about iOS usage statistics.

However, I was able to uncover two sources with very compelling data regarding Apple’s secret stats. The first of these is a blog written by App Developer David Smith, developer of several wildly successful apps. Perhaps his best known app, Audiobooks, earns around 100,000 downloads a week from the free and paid version combined. Though 100,000 users is just a fraction of the 15 million + iPhone users (that doesn’t even include iPad and iPod Touch) Smith’s data from Audiobooks still provides a solid representation of iOS usage trends.

Figure 1: Percentage of Audiobooks users with iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch devices on a given iOS version.

Figure 1 shows that in just over a month, 82% of Audiobooks users had already upgraded to some version of iOS 5. Smith then segments the data from Figure 1 by device, showing that iPad users have been slightly quicker to upgrade to iOS 5 than iPhone and iPod Touch users.

Figure 2: Audiobooks iOS version distribution by Apple device.

A second blog with a wealth of information regarding iOS and Android OS distribution and trends is PXLDOT, by 21 year old Chris Sauve, a graphic design, finance, and technology enthusiast. Chris compiled 50 different data points from a variety of developers to create the following graphs, assembling the data into major iOS releases to create trend lines.

Figure 3: iOS version trends (trend line R-squared values between 0.8-0.97)

Figure 3: iOS version trends (trend line R-squared values between 0.8-0.97)

Both David Smith and Chris Sauve’s data communicate one important theme that you might’ve known already: when Apple releases a new iOS version, developers better jump on board quickly.

It is amazing to compare these figures with similar Android OS trend graphs. The elegant correlation that can be seen in Figure 3 is nowhere to be found in the Android graphs, which look like a bunch of frenzied squiggles on a page. The real question is, with more than 100 devices and a wide array of service providers, is it possible for Android OS lifecycles to ever trend as smoothly and predictably as iOS?

This blog has already covered many topics about designing mobile apps, but we’d like to give a quick “App Marketing 101” on things we would recommend. This is a very quick overview, so if you have questions or comments, please feel free to leave them in the comments section below or contact us.

App Marketing 101

First, understand your market. Around 70% of app purchases are found through one of two ways: social recommendations (friends and family) or through search. Build your marketing strategy around both ideas.

Image via The Nielsen Company

How do you make your app “findable?”

Both Android™ and iTunes™ give you some room to designate keywords, titles and descriptions. Use them wisely to distinguish your app and set it within its niche. For example, if you have a Casino Game, NeedlePoint App, or Airport Guide, use keywords that people will use if they were looking for your app.

Also, consider what people see when they find your app. Consider what is “above the fold,” what images people see, what you say in your description, and on Android you should also use a demo video.

What does “above the fold mean?” When a user first opens the app page, the description may be concatenated so that only the first little bit shows. This is “above the fold.” This is especially true on iTunes, and Android. However if viewing the app store on an iPhone™, the descriptions are usually already expanded, so consider what people see before scrolling down.

With Android, only 240 characters (six lines with 40 characters each) in the description are “above the fold.” Apple® has a bit more with 3 lines of 180 characters each. Make these appealing so people want to learn more.

Also, consider other optimizations for your store page. How do you do that? Put in bullet points or check marks (as appropriate), not just blocks of text. Create “enhanced” screen shot images rather than just putting in plain screen shots. For example:  Enhanced vs. Plain. Which looks more engaging?

Most users never read the entire description, so make sure you have engaging images that describe the app and its benefits. Think of them more as billboards than as screenshots. Android also allows for videos to be embedded on the page, which gives you an additional tool for appealing to users. The video should be high quality and about 1:00 to 1:30 in length and be more of a teaser than a full product explanation.

As an additional channel, consider posting on 3^rd party stores such as Amazon’s App Store, or other stores specific to Android or jail broken iPhone apps.

Also, check out our previous blog on SEO Strategies for App Store Visibility.

How do you set up for social?

This is something that should be considered during the design phase as well as during the marketing phase. In short, make it easy to share the app on Facebook or elsewhere. Don’t go overboard or get spammy with your sharing, but some ideas might be:

• Posting to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. from the app
• Liking the app on Facebook from within the app
• Sharing content from the app on Facebook (images, pictures, creations, etc.)

Obviously Facebook is the most popular, but consider other social networks as appropriate, especially if operating a global app or appealing to specific demographics.

Outside the app, make a social profile for your app on whatever social networks you are targeting, and start building a profile page and network for your app. Make it easy for people to “like” your app and follow you on the networks. The benefit to this is that all the people within their networks will see the “like” or “follow” which acts as a social endorsement of your product and helps build interest over time.

Check out our last blog on Using Social Media for App Marketing.

Building a Strategy

One of the most popular strategies involves building a very strong first-week and first-month launch. The goal is to hit a top 100 spot in the “New and Notable” section for all apps, or for the “New and Notable” section and the top 10 for your category. The benefit is that this makes it more visible to people just browsing for apps, rather than making people search for it.

Ranking in the app store is a factor of ratings, total downloads, retention, and downloads over time. Your best shot is to hit the “New and Noteworthy” section, until your app has enough downloads to make it into more competitive top categories.

Building a good first week launch involves making sure everyone you know is ready to download the app once it comes out. This is why it is helpful to be active in online communities or on social networks prior to launch, since you can tell more people. Also worth noting is that if your first app does not do very well, you can still use it to build your community and then have a stronger base when you launch your second, third or subsequent apps.

Also start contacting app reviewers to offer a first look. If you are launching on Android, you can easily offer previews before the app even launches. (Apple is also possible but a bit tricky.) If you have video, images and descriptions, this will be easier. Also, consider pricing very low ($.99 or $.49) for the first few weeks.

We recommend assembling a media kit a few weeks prior to launch. This should consist of a press release, different length descriptions (50 word, 100 word and 500-or-less word descriptions). It should also have images, a generic pitch letter, links, promo codes (iPhone only), video, and whatever else you have or need. Putting it all together makes it pretty easy as you start doing your marketing, and may come in handy later on down the road as well.

In this case the press release serves two purposes – online visibility (makes it easy to find when people search for it in Google, Bing, etc.), and pitching to reviewers and more traditional news people in whatever niche you are targeting. If you are promoting a gaming app, most media will ignore you, but you may find great success if you are targeting other relevant niches.

Measuring Success!

Make sure you can track the success of your app. Do you know what is working and what isn’t? What are people saying about it? How is it doing compared to the competition? What else can you do or say to make it sell better?

We also recommend using various analytics packages, like Flurry Analytics, to measure how people use your app. This shows things like number of uses, retention, length of use and lots of other information that can help determine how your app is performing with users.

Also, make sure you have a clear monetization strategy in place before you launch (or before you even start planning an app). If you do not know how this app will make money or improve your business, then it most likely will not make money or improve your business. For advice on monetizing apps, feel free to contact our business development team.

A Note about Advertising as an App Promotion Strategy

We do not usually recommend advertising for promoting apps. There are some ad-trading networks that you might try but with traditional ads you will spend much more than you ever get. Not to say ads are bad, but with the price of PPC/PPM ads, and the terrible click through rate for mobile ads (the percentage of people who click an ad that eventually buy the product), you will spend $3 – $4 for every $1 you make, even assuming a phenomenal (i.e. unrealistic) click-through-rate.

However, if you are willing to invest a few hundred / thousand during the first week just to increase downloads and try for a top 10 listing in New and Notable, you can consider it a marketing investment, but if you are not setup to take advantage of that and make it last, then it is not usually money that will be well spent.

Get Help

Although it is certainly possible to market an app yourself, there are plenty of benefits to using an experienced app marketing company to help. At Amadeus Consulting we work hard to provide a complete solution to businesses and entrepreneurs that approach us for help building their apps. By integrating marketing experts from the beginning, we can help you design, build and launch an app that has the highest possible chance for success.

For more information on the services we provide, contact us or check out our website at http://www.AmadeusConsulting.com

The result is that not only does Google link articles you write on different sites to a single author, but it also provides author information in the search results, including a picture of the author. It is highly likely that authorship will become an increasingly important signal for determining rank, and helping Google sort through spam.

More importantly, having a profile picture next to a search result is likely to significantly improve the click through rate on that result, even if it ranks lower down. It also helps you retain the full value of an article even if it gets scraped or reposted elsewhere.

Provided below is a short tutorial on how to claim authorship. There are two methods and we suggest doing both. The first simply lets Google know that you are an author on a website. The second connects every article you write to you.

Example

In the tutorial below, we will be registering the author Todd McMurtrey for the domain AmadeusConsulting.com and the blog at Blog.AmadeusConsulting.com. You can also follow Google’s Authorship instructions here.

Method 1 Sign up for Google Authorship

In this method, we will register Todd McMurtrey as a confirmed author on the AmadeusConsulting.com domain.

• This requires a Google+ account that uses the same name as your byline name (if you use a pen name, for example, make sure you have a Google+ account that matches). If you need to sign up for Google Plus, go here.
• Sign up for Authorship on https://plus.google.com/authorship by submitting an email from the same domain as your content. This lets Google know that you are authorized to produce content on that domain.

• Confirm the signup by following the link provided in the email confirmation.
• If you do not want your email address shown on your profile, you can change the visibility of the link. The default is “Your Circles” but you can make this more public or private.  http://plus.google.com/me/about/edit/wo.
• If doing only this method, make sure that all content clearly identifies the author, such as the byline “By Todd McMurtrey.”

Method 2 (Part A) Link to your Google+ Profile

This will link the author Todd McMurtrey to the subdomain Blog.AmadeusConsulting.com and to all content that he produces on that domain.

• Edit your contribution information on your Google+ profile. This is similar to the Authorship that we did above, but now you need to add the blog or subdomain.
  1. Go to http://plus.google.com/me/about/edit/co (you will need to login to Google+ if you are not already logged in)
  2. Scroll down and edit the Contributor To section.  (If not selected, click the globe next to the Contributor To tag)
  3. Click the Add a Custom Link button
  4. Add a Label and the URL (example: http://blog.amadeusconsulting.com). Choose a label that is descriptive.

• Add a Label and the URL (example: http://blog.amadeusconsulting.com). Choose a label that is descriptive.
• If you do not want the link on your profile, you can change it so that it is private or “Your Circles” only.
• While logged into Google+, copy your Google+ URL and save it for Part B. It should look something like https://plus.google.com/105093575864576360374, or https://plus.google.com/u/0/105093575864576360374. Either format is fine.

Method 2 (Part B) Link to your Google+ Profile (Webmaster / Blogmaster)

This example shows one method for linking content to an author in WordPress using Author Bios. Depending on your website and setup, these steps may be different, but you should have the rel=author tag in the html on each page.

• In the website or Blog, create an author bio for the author, if one does not already exist.
• Insert the following code into their author bio:
  1. <a href=”[profile_url]?rel=author”>[Author_Name]</a>
  2. It should look something like:

<a  href=”https://plus.google.com/105093575864576360374?rel=author”>Todd McMurtrey</a>

Or in the profile, it will look something like:

<a href=”https://plus.google.com/105093575864576360374?rel=author”>Todd McMurtrey</a> is a Digital Marketing Analyst at Amadeus Consulting …

• Test the page using the Google Rich Snippets Testing Tool to see what information Google is able to extract from your page. This should work instantly and let you know if everything was done correctly, but it may take 1 -3 weeks before your profile starts appearing in search results.

Bing’s algorithm is also a quite a bit simpler and more transparent than Google’s algorithm. This means that it is easier to understand what will help you optimize your site for Bing, and what things hurt your ranking.

Listed below are different items that impact Bing rankings.

Basics

Similar to working in Google, there are a few elements that are indicative of a good website and that every webmaster should do:

• Register at Bing Webmaster Tools, and add a sitemap
• Limit H1 Tags to one per page. More will not hurt you necessarily, but will dilute the value. Sometimes Bing will use the H1 tag in the SERP description
• Do not exceed 200 characters in your Header Tags
• Make sure your robots.txt file isn’t blocking bots or creating other issues
• Title, keyword and Meta tags should be unique to each page, but these do not have a large impact on the ranking. Meta tags may be used as the SERP description
• Use title tags on all your links

Flash Doesn’t Matter (as Much)

Bing handles flash-based websites much better than Google. Even though Flash-based websites are much less common, if you are working with a Flash-heavy site you can optimize for Bing much easier than you can for Google.

Bing isn’t perfect though when it comes to understanding Flash and Silverlight sites, so these are still best to avoid on major landing pages, or you can construct some workarounds that may be somewhat more effective.

Backlinks

Bing handles backlinks differently than Google. Specifically, Bing gives much more importance to the number of backlinks rather than the quality. This means if you have hundreds of PR1 and PR2 (low page rank) links then you will rank over sites that only have a few high page rank links.

Bing also gives priority to top level domains (TLDs) and gives more priority to TLDs than the page rank of those domains (Google is opposite and gives more value to page rank than top level domains). Bing specifically recommends links from .gov, .edu and .ac.uk domains.

Bing also prefers links that come from within the body of the content and not just a list of links within a page.

Anchor Text

Google has recently started de-emphasizing anchor text however this is still a significant factor within the Bing algorithm. This, along with HTML titles for links, can be extremely helpful for building ranks, especially if the title and anchor text are related. Bing gives this example:

If the title is “Best Ceiling Fans,”  then the following anchor text keywords will work synergistically with the title: ceiling fans best, best fans, best ceiling fans and ceiling fans. The title and anchor text do not have to match, but they should be related for best effect.

Even though it is hard to control the anchor text (and especially the title text) on links placed on an external site, it is important that you manage this within your own site and blogs. This will not make much of an impact for ranking on Google, but it will not hurt you either.

Domains

Bing and Google both still give preference to keyword rich domains. Google has tried, unsuccessfully, to move away from this, but Bing still gives keyword domains high priority. Also, Bing gives strong preference to older domains.

Social

Microsoft is one of the major initial investors in Facebook. As such it has remained on friendly terms with the company and is allowed to index public content. It has also worked with other social networks such as LinkedIn and Twitter to make those sites more publicly searchable.

The benefit to you is that your social activity on Facebook, Twitter and elsewhere is likely to be displayed in the search results more prominently than it would be on Google.

Content

Bing favors larger sites and longer content, and gives higher placement to anything that is over 300 words. However content should still be focused on a specific topic and use relevant keywords (1% – 2% keyword density). Bing also really likes to see phrases that match exactly what people type when searching.

Duplicate and redundant content is often removed from the index and removed from the search engine results page (SERP), so be mindful of how you distribute and share content on the web. As with Google, Bing also likes fresh, new content, so update often.

Even with longer content, Bing still likes pages to be “light” and use little memory. For example, they recommend that a page with no images should be less than 150kb.

SEO Thoughts on Ranking for Bing

Ranking for Bing is really not too much different than ranking for Google, and most of the same principles apply: Create good content. Build Links. Rank Well.

However Bing does have a few nuances that can make it easier to rank quickly (such as link title text) and overall there is much less competitive SEO on Bing so rankings are much easier to obtain.

Please feel free to contact our business development team for help and insight on marketing your website on Bing, Google or anywhere else. Or leave a comment below!

The User Interface (UI) is what the user will see, and the controls are the different buttons, menus, and tabs that allow the user to manipulate the app. These controls combine the “look and feel” of your app with the function and the features of the app and are often overlooked during early phases of app development.

When talking about these elements, it is often easiest to divide it into two categories: Native and Custom.

What is Native?

An example of Native UI Elements for the iPhone™ and iPad™.

Native controls use only the standard UI elements and controls that are common across the entire platform. These can be slightly modified to change colors, but otherwise are fairly set in their design.

Native elements can also be customized to a basic degree, which is called Advanced Native Controls.

The benefit to using native features is that it uses standard controls and items that are familiar to users. This approach is also usually quicker and more cost effective than custom options.

The downside is that it looks and feels just like most other apps, and may not provide the features you need. Also, even if an app uses only standard elements, the user experience and UI needs to be carefully designed to appeal to the user.

A mix of custom and standard graphic elements and UI controls for an iPhone app.

What is Custom?

Any graphic, artwork, icon, or UI element that is not native must be custom created.

This gives much more creative control over the look and feel of your application and allows you to create a unique experience that is tailored for your target audience. It is important to note that apps can use a mix of native and custom elements.

Amadeus Consulting’s team of talented Creative Designers and User Experience Experts can work with you to create a uniquely excellent application. Throughout the design process, we are happy to incorporate existing artistic elements and branding guidelines in into your app, or we can help create a new experience from scratch.

Since standard elements vary depending on the platform, custom design may also be necessary in order to create a consistent experience for your app if it will be released on multiple platforms.

Examples

Apps can have a mix of custom and native features, and even native features can be somewhat customized to fit the needs of specific apps. The following examples from Amadeus Consulting clients show native, advanced and custom versions of the most common elements in an app. Example elements are outlined in red.

Lists

Lists allow users to select from a series of different options. Selecting an item from the list will perform a certain action, such as going to a different screen with more information about the selected item.

Navigation Bar and Tab Bar

The Navigation Bar is present at the top of most apps that allow users to navigate through the app or perform simple actions. The Tab Bar rests at the bottom of the app and helps navigate through the app.

Sliders

Sliders help adjust settings based on a sliding scale. These are often used for adjusting volume, brightness or other selections that only need a comparative setting.

Additional Information

Apps can have a mix of custom and standard features. By carefully and thoughtfully planning the app’s design, you can create a unique and powerful user experience without creating every control from scratch.

• Advanced Native – Native controls can be modified in many different ways to give you a unique look and feel without needing to build fully custom controls. The examples above only show a few possibilities.
• Budget – Custom controls cost more, but provide additional functionality that may be necessary for your app. Consider which features require custom controls and which could be achieved through native or advanced controls.
• Custom Art, Images and Graphics – In addition to custom controls, most apps will require custom artwork and design. All apps are developed in conjunction with experienced mobile UI designers and all app designs will require at least a minimum amount of creative work.
• Logo and Branding – If a logo and branding guidelines already exist, they can be implemented into the creative design fairly easily, and may influence the design of some controls
• Application Icon – By making the app icon a mini version of the logo, it can reduce the cost of designing a unique icon.

Please visit our website for more information on developing a smartphone application for your business.

Last August, Techcrunch revealed that Apple had included language requiring the deprecation of Unique Device Identifiers (UDIDs) in the documentation for a beta version of iOS that blogger Erick Schonfeld was given access to. Though iOS 5 has been out for several months, Apple has just started rejecting app submission to the app store that include access device UDID’s.

A UDID is an alphanumeric number that is unique to every iOS device; any Apple user can find theirs by connecting their device with iTunes and looking under the Summary tab. In effect, the UDID is just a serial number, so it shouldn’t be a huge deal, right? Not exactly. UDID numbers are effectively ‘super cookies’, only with these cookies, you can’t delete them. App developers utilize this number and send them to various databases without your knowledge, allowing them to record information about what apps you download, how much time you spend on them, and how in depth you use the apps. UDID’s are supposed to be anonymous, but some app developers can link them to your personal information including social media profiles and GPS locations.

Naturally, this new rule is a major let down for many app developers and advertisers. A study by international smartphone ad server, MoPub, reported that app developers will see a 25 percent lower price per impression for their in-app advertisements once the UDIDs are deprecated. Not only will developers have to stop accessing UDID numbers, but they must also delete any archived UDID information collected in their databases.

While this is a step in the right direction for mobile privacy, it won’t completely solve the issue of apps collecting and distributing user information. Apple will accept apps that have created their own unique device identifiers to keep track of users going forward, but the California mobile privacy agreement will require that users are notified of exactly what information is being collected about them and where it is being distributed. Unfortunately, nobody really reads privacy agreements. I have probably had to reaccept the iTunes User Terms and Agreement upwards of 20 times and I haven’t read a single sentence of it! And I know this isn’t just me; even after all the hoopla surrounding Google’s new simplified privacy policy, only 1 in 10 people actually read the policy before it went into effect.

In addition to these changes, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the White House have both entered the mobile privacy debate, touching on issues including mobile apps for children and mobile payments issues. The release of the White House whitepaper is a good indication that mobile privacy issues will most likely make it into a federal bill very soon.

And what you can do about it.

As one of the top mobile app development companies, we get a lot of inquiries from a lot of different people and companies. It is always interesting to hear the different ideas and plans (don’t worry, we keep your ideas protected), but one of the most common questions is “how much does app development cost?”

The answer is: it depends.

Imagine if you were buying a car, and asked the question “how much does a car cost?” A car’s cost depends on the model, the features, the miles, and a lot of different elements. If you don’t mind manual locks and windows, you can save some money. If you want the leather seats, GPS, and a nice stereo system, you might pay a bit extra. The starting range that we give our customers is anywhere from $10k for basic applications to $50k for large-scale enterprise mobile apps or apps that rely on connectivity with databases or other business systems.

What You Need to Know to Reduce Costs

Since every app is a bit different, it is hard to say what exactly is an optional feature and which features are standard. However there are plenty of elements and features that can increase the cost of the app.

This includes:

• Custom Controls versus Standard Controls

Both Apple® and Android™ have a standard set of controls that are used on most apps. These include controls like “pinch-to-zoom”, and standard scrolling for pages. However if any of these controls need to be customized then it will add to the cost of the app. Also, limiting the number of controls used on the app can help reduce the cost.

• Custom UI versus Standard UI

Most apps have a mix of custom and standard UI elements. This includes the standard buttons, menus, and the “look and feel” that is provided by Apple and Android. These can all be easily customized to change the color, but otherwise customizing the UI or adding additional UI elements takes additional development time and can increase costs.

• Feature Bloat

When designing an app it is tempting to start adding additional features and capabilities, until it does much more than originally intended or required. In almost every case, we recommend the motto of “start simple, stay simple.” Apps do not have to be complex to be successful. That is not to say it can’t have lots of features, but make sure it does exactly what it needs to without doing much more. Look at the most successful apps for examples. They are all focused on one thing and don’t need a lot of features.

• Planning for the Future

Every app should plan for multiple development cycles. The first is to just create the app and release it on the market. The second is to update the app according to user feedback, and subsequent updates can tweak features or address bugs.

By planning for multi-cycle development, you can save money by releasing a simple (focused) app first and then getting user feedback before investing more money in additional features or elements. Also, by planning multiple releases with your developers, the app can be designed to make it easier to update which may save you more money in the long run if you end up releasing multiple updates.

• Testing

There is no such thing as perfect code. It is not a matter of creating code that is “correct,” but the problem happens when you put it into a device that interprets it. For example, on Android there are over 100 devices, and about 11 versions of the operating system. Even if you test for every device and every operating system, things could still break when combined with other apps, or whenever the operating system is updated.

In short, you cannot conduct cost effective testing for every conceivable problem with every conceivable permutation or device, operating system and program. So don’t waste money trying. Instead, focus on the most likely scenarios and the most vital paths (such as ensuring that in-app purchasing works), and then define a process for addressing additional problems when and if they arise.

Your Role

As you discuss your project with your mobile app developer, be open and honest with your expectations and your budget. Define long-term plans and work with your developer to define areas where additional initial investments will save you more money in the long term, as well as investments that can be deferred until a later time.

Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help or advice. We work with companies of all sizes but have the reputation for giving the same love and attention to every project regardless of budget, and we will always be happy to work with you to create a project plan that fits your goals.

One of the biggest obstacles for Android mobile app development is device and Operating System (OS) fragmentation. Unlike Apple’s three available iPhones (3GS, 4 and 4S), there are more than 100 Android devices on the market, all markedly different in specifications. Even more confusing is that each wireless provider carries a different line of these devices and updates the OS’ they support on a different schedule.

Android and Apple have very different approaches to OS releases and updates. Apple generally sticks to one new iOS version every year or so, often coinciding with the launch of a new iPhone or iPad. After the new iOS is released, any old iPhones that do not support it are obsoleted (such was the fate of the iPhone 3) and Apple highly recommends that all other phones be updated immediately.  Every time iPhone users plug in their device to sync with iTunes, they are greeted with a pop-up message prompting them to update to the new iOS. This makes iPhone app development more straightforward when making decisions about which iOS to support during development.

Android OS versions, on the other hand, are a real clustercuss. There are currently eleven different available OS versions, all cleverly named for alphabetical sweet treats. The latest OS, Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0), was released in October of 2011, but only accounts for 2.9% of all Android devices, and Jelly Bean (5.0) is already rumored to release in the fall of 2012. Due to the vast variety of devices from different manufacturers and carriers, OS updates rollouts are much messier than Apple’s. While Google is much more transparent about upcoming OS releases than Apple is, it is still difficult to predict when the majority will shift towards a different version, and perhaps even more difficult to judge which version it will be.

Figure 1: According to data from the Android Developer website, Android OS 2.3.3 (Gingerbread) is still operating on 63.2% of Android devices despite the release of 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and the upcoming release of Jelly Bean.

Figure 1: According to data from the Android Developer website, Android OS 2.3.3 (Gingerbread) is still operating on 63.2% of Android devices despite the release of 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and the upcoming release of Jelly Bean.

Another development consideration is device screen sizes. Apple iPhone’s all currently have the same screen areas but different resolutions. In contrast, Android devices have varying screen sizes and densities, requiring extra development time to support multiple screen configurations.

Figure 2: Distribution of screen sizes/densities of Android devices as shown by the Android Developer website

Figure 2: Distribution of screen sizes/densities of Android devices as shown by the Android Developer website

Despite the inconveniences associated with Android fragmentation, comScore.com recently reported that Google now owns 50.1 percent of the US device Market, putting Apple in second place at 30.2 percent.  In a press release regarding a recent ABI mobile study, an ABI associate explained this statistic: “Being a free platform has expanded the Android device install base, which in turn has driven growth in the number of third party multi-platform and mobile operator app stores. These conditions alone explain why Android is the new leader in the mobile application market.”

Though less Americans currently own iPhones, the ones who do are downloading more apps than Android owners. The same ABI report confirmed that Apple is beating Android 2-to-1 in app downloads per user, which they attribute to “Apple’s superior monetization policies attract[ing] good developers within its ranks, thus creating a better catalog of apps and customer experience.” Furthermore, Apple’s App Store creates a much better user experience, leveraging more streamlined navigation, easier discovery, and ease of updates to gain user loyalty.

The summary of the considerations I have listed thus far doesn’t provide the clear winner that you were probably looking for. Android OS’ and device distributions are harder to account for, but Google is much more transparent about release dates than Apple. Android owns a larger US market share, but Apple users are buying more apps. Is a free platform more attractive then superior monetization policies?

If you are still undecided at this point, the answer might lie in the specific demographic you are targeting with your app. Towards the end of 2011, the Huffington Post released an infographic comparing Android users to Apple users. The distribution of these core demographics and personality traits are highly coveted, but they can be hard to definitively create an accurate picture of all smartphone users. However this information is certainly interesting. When making decisions about mobile app development, data regarding gender, income, interests and technology can be exceedingly useful. For example: Android users are 57 percent more likely to prefer a simple, full-featured device, while Apple users are 122% more likely to prefer a sleek phone that does just a few things. The same tendency would likely apply to a mobile app: is yours pretty and streamlined, or basic in design yet feature-rich?

Figure 3: Huffington Post infographic

The mobile app developers at Amadeus Consulting are experts on both Android and Apple development, and can help you decide which platform is best for your app. For more information, visit us at www.amadeusconsulting.com.

Research the market and your competitors

If you don’t already know who your app will be directly competing with, figure it out. How do they position themselves in the market? What features do the top sellers share? Read reviews from both customers and mobile app review sites; this information will help you understand the positive features of your competitor apps, but more importantly, it will help you identify the voids. Look at voids as opportunities to better position your product to fulfill the needs and wants of consumers. Also, check out the specific audiences your competition is targeting. What app features or messaging are working to hit home with these consumers?

Pimp your ASO (App Store Optimization)

ASO is just Search Engine Optimization for the mobile realm. You guessed it: that means more research! Spend some time identifying hot keywords within your category that will boost your app’s organic rankings and strategically sprinkle them in the app title and throughout the store description and metadata. Just like you would on a website, clearly and concisely outline features and include strong calls to action. High quality images and screen shots of the app are also a must – don’t forget to tag these with keywords too!

MobileDevHQ’s App Store Optimization tool is a user-friendly way to track frequently searched queries on the app store and to optimize an app’s ASO strategy based on competitive data. It also allows direct comparison of your app’s progress versus competitor’s in an informative, streamlined dashboard.

MobileDev HQ App Store Optimization Dashboard

Spread the word

Based on your above research, write and distribute a press release that announces the launch of your app in the most engaging and unique way possible. Chances are, writing that “some company you’ve probably never heard of is launching another mobile game that you might not care about” is not going to create any awareness or inspire the blogosphere to burst with excitement. Showcase the value your app provides along with a couple of its awesome differentiating features, and do it with those keywords you now know and love! Get the most mileage out press releases by carefully choosing distribution channels that reach your target audience instead of submitting it to any random newswire.

Get social

Nowadays social media marketing is an essential part of any successful campaign, especially for mobile apps. Before you get up and running with Facebook, Twitter and the like, it’s important to have a destination to drive traffic to so that you can track it. If your company doesn’t have a website or can’t promote the app on your existing website, creating a microsite for the app is an inexpensive and effective alternative. Stuff your social presence and website with compelling content and rich media (such as graphics, videos or animations) to engage visitors and increase sharing.

The iGuardianTeen app microsite includes links to social media, app screen shots, the press release and videos.

Burst to boost

The best way to boost your app to the top of its category, or to app store categories such as New and Noteworthy or What’s Hot, is to achieve the most downloads in the shortest possible time period. This kind of download ‘burst’ tells the app store ranking algorithm that your app is popular and worth a higher rank. The best opportunity for a download burst is the first couple days after launch (especially if it’s a weekend), so generating hype leading up to the launch date is imperative.

For more information about mobile app marketing and promotion, visit www.amadeusconsulting.com.