I find myself enthusiastically endorsing smart phone and tablet apps all the time. When I find a new app, I enjoy evaluating its design, function, revenue model or purpose. I am surprised when an app that I believed was great is forgotten and never used. I started thinking of the top apps I used this last year to determine what is the key to longevity. Here are the five of my most used apps in 2012, let's see if there is any pattern:

1. Pages - I purchased this app for $9.99 from iTunes and it was worth every penny. I use this like I use Microsoft Word – and to think of the cost difference. Pages provides me all the features of a word processing program on my iPad. I write daily and Pages allows me to create documents with a long list of fonts available, use and create styles, and export in a variety of ways on the go. One limitation of using an iPad is the lack of a tab function. I use my wireless keyboard with Pages and it recognizes the tab key as well as other keyboard shortcuts I frequently use. My daughter, who often edits my entries pointed out the only limitation we have found, when a page has been edited using tools in Word the comments/edits will not appear if the edited document is next opened in Pages. This is an intuitive interface and does everything else I expect it to do, so much so that I find myself just taking it for granted.

2. iThoughtsHD - This app is an application I also downloaded from iTunes. Its purpose is to build mind maps, which I use to organize my thoughts, plan a project or brainstorm. I have used several free, online solutions and none of them has been as easy to use as iThoughtsHD, and best yet, I don't need to be online to use it. One of my favorite features is the fact that the app will display using an overhead projector from my iPad. For anyone who has tried to show apps using a projector you probably have been disappointed. I use this app weekly, I find it is fast way to add a thought or idea directly where I am going to use it, thereby eliminating the need to enter a reminder in my calendar. For example, I have built a mind map for my 2013 marketing plan, I thought of an idea for blogs while watching TV; I turned on the iPad, opened iThoughtsHD, typed in the idea in the blog section and continued watching TV minutes later. I learned how to use this app in a meeting as a group of us were brainstorming.  Needless to say, it is intuitive to use. I can output the map in any format you can imagine. There is nothing I can think of to make this app serve my needs better.

3. Pandora - Pandora is used to play music, you select a group/performer you like and it creates a "radio station" by choosing music that is similar in some way. I have download other popular apps that have the same basic function, but beyond a basic trial have never converted. I have my stations built in Pandora and use it daily as background music as I work. I think this is a case where I am happy and am not motivated to change. There may be better players out there, but I don't find myself wanting additional features. I just want music to be able to listen to music with just two clicks - open the app and select my station.

4. Experience Westlake - Full disclosure, I have developed this app and am actively working with the businesses to enhance it, but I am a user too. This app is a directory of business in Westlake and offers special deals from select business. I don't live in Westlake, Ohio, but I do go there often. And even after 24 years of driving the city, I still debate if businesses are on Detroit Road or Center Ridge (two primary east/west bound streets) and if the business is closer to Clague or Columbia (primary north/south bound streets). The Experience Westlake app uses Google maps to locate a business location with just one touch, there is no need to type in an address. I also use the app to help me determine lunch locations if I am in the area, get special deals on food and manicures, and call my dentist. This is a simple-to-use app that does one thing very well, no thinking involved. It was also a great tool for my family who stayed in Westlake hotels when they came into town for my daughter's wedding.

5. Epicurious - It is hard to determine what my last choice is going to be, I use several social and game apps all the time but I think I would really miss the functions of this recipe app. It is a real time saver. I have always counted on my monthly food magazines for new recipes, but with Epicurious I have access to many recipe resources, ratings and reviews, the ability to save my favorites, share with friends and create shopping lists. The only thing that would make this better is if it added all the nutritional and caloric information into MyNetDairy app to help me with losing a couple pounds after the holidays.

The common theme I see in this list is easy to use tools that make my everyday activities easier or faster. Yes, for the most part these are popular apps and their popularity makes sense because they fill a need, intuitively. This should be a goal of all apps. To often the question “Why will this app provide ongoing value?”, is not focused on when developing a strategy. If that question is answered the next step is to clearly define what the app will and will not do. Keep focused; too many features can be just as detrimental as not filling a void. Great apps are one of the main reason mobile platforms are growing astronomical rates, the saturation of apps is making the success rates slim. Spend the time up front to find your niche, get a professional design and plan a focused marketing campaign highlighting the need your app fills. Tell the world how their life will be better if they use your app and make it so.

Posted by: Barb Cagley
Photo courtsey of Flicker: toolstop

Do you know the feeling when you’re at a conference and you are stuffing your brain with new and inspiring ideas, stuffing your body with too much food and perhaps drink and stuffing your bag with bling and business cards. You then you get back to the office the next morning and are ready to change your world, but you are bombarded with the same issues, meetings and projects that were there when you left. That’s how I felt a couple weeks ago. However, I am determined not to let all the ideas become notes that I never look at again. I am going to start by sharing information that seems to be a common mistake for marketers.

A couple weeks ago I attended the M3 conference in Columbus Ohio. The conference focus was the making and marketing of mobile applications. This is an event that attracts mobile designers, coders and marketers and supports an environment where these very insular professionals create a common language to pioneer the new platform of mobile - together. Exploring the future of mobile is exciting; yet, my client’s current challenges don't include how to build a strategic approach in the building of an augmented reality mobile campaign. Today, my clients are facing questions such as, ‘what is a responsive website’, ‘how do I determine what desktop website content and design is appropriate for a mobile device’ and ‘what are the behaviors of a mobile visitor to our website?’ Building a website that can be viewed on a mobile device is just a first step; to build a responsive mobile website you need to focus on the environment, functions and demands of the mobile user. Here are a few ways to consider the demands of a mobile consumer when designing a responsive website.

First let me explain how a website that is built using a responsive design differs from a 'standard' website. Just as it sounds, the design interface responds to the device the website is viewed on. For example, the same website will present the same content differently on the desktop than on a smartphone. The smartphone version may drop the graphics, and the horizontal top navigation would instead be drop down view. The design would adjust to fill the screen of different size tablets automatically detecting the device display. There are templates available for the user interface providing easy yet limiting need for graphic design. The mobile view is sometimes called a web app, however this differs from a 'true' app because it can only be viewed using the internet and a web browser, such as Safari.

When planning a responsive website's content, the approach does not differ dramatically from planning a non-responsive site. Determining the audience, goal, objectives and content is a good start but they is something more to be considered. Make sure the planning considers that the content will be viewed on the desktop and on smart devices. For example, include activated phone numbers and addresses on the home page. Mobile users spend, on average, two minutes on a website and a common reason to visit the site is to find a phone number or directions to your location. Navigation should be carefully planned; when a responsive website is viewed on a smartphone the web pages will stack elements creating a deep, but narrow page. The navigation will become a drop down list of all links and the view is similar to an outline style indenting secondary and tertiary pages. Limiting the navigation and levels of navigation will ease the user experience of a mobile viewer. Many mobile users will be using their phone's connection 3G or 4G, which is slower than WIFI, so be considerate of their download time keeping images pertinent and page length reasonable. 

Do you know the expression "take a walk in my shoes"? You just can’t know my pain until you walk in my shoes. Typically a website goal is to relieve a pain or fill a void for the intended audience. With non-responsive websites, it was pretty easy to create the environment a user would experience to test the site – the user is sitting in front of a desktop or laptop. Mobile users have a much more expansive environment, for example the user may be walking in a store, sitting on a bus, cooking in the kitchen, reading in bed or at work.  To be truly responsive, you will need to walk in their shoes to test the responsive site. To do that, test on a variety size of tablets and mobile phones, and then go on location. Make the message that is your priority, ‘call to action’, is easy to find and respond to in two minutes or less. Defining audience focus is harder than ever because it is broader than ever.  Consider your audience very carefully. Many researchers believe by 2015 mobile devices will be the first screens for all web usage. Now is the time to start switching your thought process; when designing a good responsive website remember it needs to serve people on the go and the desktop viewers.

POSTED BY: Barb Cagley

*Illustration: http://responsivedesign.ca/blog/responsive-web-design-what-is-it-and-why-shou...

This report had a lot of interesting facts about the value of email marketing and how email campaigns still work, but my mind got stuck on why don't marketers think about mobile first? In a recent American Marketing Association meeting I attended in Cleveland the speaker asked how many people had smartphones; all but one answered yes. Marketers are using mobile in their personal life, but there is still a failure to integrating the fastest growing technology into their marketing programs. Marketers are not prioritizing mobile platforms to their determent. Over 90 million Americans view email on mobile devices, (from ComScore January, 2012) and the numbers are going up daily. The mobile platform provides marketers a unique opportunity to deliver their email messages on the most personal platform we’ve every had access to.

When contemplating why 78% of email is sent without considering mobile platforms I started conjecturing and came up with the following list:

• lack of understanding of what it takes to optimize,

• no pressure to change in a job that has ever increasing responsibilities, or

• nobody thought about it. 

Even if you aren’t a stats person, it is hard to argue against study-after-study that show that the mobile market is growing. More people are buying smartphones and more time is being spent using the device. One reason is the ability to constantly stay connected to friends, entertainment and news events. What other communication platform is in your pocket or purse most their waking hours? This is a platform that can access most any kind of information a person may want in seconds from anywhere. Now is a great time to jump ahead of your competitors and provide that information in a mobile-optimized format - the majority of your competition is not paying attention to mobile. Integrating mobile as part of a marketing campaign is essential if you want to connect with people where they are. Here are just a snapshot of stats that are out there: http://masstransmit.com/broadcast_blog/22-amazing-mobile-email-marketing-stat...

• 82% of smartphone users check and send email with their device. 
Source: Google (April, 2011)

• 90 million Americans access email through a mobile device, with 64% doing so on a near-daily basis.
Source: ComScore (January, 2012)

• 27% of all emails are opened on a mobile device. 20.6% from smartphones, 6.8% from tablets.  This is up from 13.4% in Q4 2010.

• Over 95% of emails are only opened on one device. Very few users open emails on mobile first and save for desktop later.
Source: Knotice Mobile Email Opens Report (April, 2012)

• 90% of smartphone owners access the same email account on mobile and desktop.
Source: Exact Target 2011 Channel Preference Survey

• 70% of consumers delete emails immediately that don’t render well on a mobile device.
Source: BlueHornet “Consumer Views of Email Marketing” 

• Some 16% of US smartphone owners say they have complete at least one purchase as a direct result of a marketing message they received on their smartphone.
Source: ExactTarget “Mobile Dependence” 

Perhaps this failure to optimize email is a basic lack of understanding of how it can be done. When creating the email check the following to ensure optimization for mobile:

1. Reduce the length of the text and increase the size.

2. Confine the width.

3. Call to actions should be limited and touch-friendly.

4. When linking to landing pages or website make sure they are also optimized for mobile.

At one time there were only three basic platforms that were considered for marketing; television, radio and print. The Internet has been incorporated into the mix for the past 15+ years. Now the mobile platform needs to be in the forefront of these mediums. I believe, because the devices are so personal and omnipresent in their owners lives, it will be the most important platform in our future. After all we spend more time with our phones than we do our families - now that is personal.

Created by: www.OnlineBachelorDegreePrograms.com

Fun or frustrating, I have always reflected on my experiences and asked myself what I have learned. This has been an exceptional week of education that I want to share - no prerequisites required.

1. When developing hybrid apps (applications that have some of their programming on the mobile device and some Internet based code) for iOS (Apple devices) to be sold at the iTunes store make sure you are using a few iPhone or iPad device functions to create a rich experience. We developed four, similar apps for Android and iOS. The iOS version that we wanted to sell at iTunes was rejected, even after appealing to the Apple Resolution Center. We were told that we were not using enough device functions. We were using GEO mapping, Search and Calling. When asking how many device functions required for selling at iTunes Apple's response was (I am paraphrasing) - approval requirements to sell apps at iTunes is dynamic; what was approved yesterday may not be approved tomorrow...
2. Whenever possible, distribute Blackberry apps through Blackberry App World to ensure all models are able to download the app. We are distributing a Blackberry app via the client's website, and some users are downloading without any problems while others can’t download the app. We are currently investigating if there is a pattern in which device models are having problems. If you have any ideas why this is happening, please share. In the meanwhile, we have started the process to become a RIM (the corporation that manufactures the Blackberry) vendor. We started the process a week ago by submitting the clients Articles of Incorporation and have not heard anything yet.
3. When developing for a private audience who may not typically use apps, provide a FAQ sheet that can be updated daily as new questions are asked. Apps can be intimidating to people that don’t use them often.
4. Adding video is an easy way to enhance an app, offering valuable content with minimal programming cost. Of course, there is a cost to producing the video. But with the boom in video popularity, there are plenty of professionals that offer reasonable rates for online and mobile video production.
5. Google Analytics is now available in beta for mobile apps providing reporting for both iOS and Android. It will work with both high-end and basic mobile phones providing the following information:

• The number of installations devices and networks used to access app
• The geographic location and languages spoken by visitors in-app
• Purchase totals customized tracking of special content, like video the number of screens seen per visit
• The order in which visitors move through these screens

Bonus Discovery - if your MacBook touch pad stops working check out the battery; make sure it has not warped.

Posted by: Barb Cagley

Photo courtesy of: Project Management Student

Web developers get calls every week from potential clients (if they are lucky), and the conversation starts with "we need a website." For web developers an inquiry for the pricing of a website is pretty easy to respond to because the purpose for websites is generally informative or transactional.  After an hour interview, creating a quote is pretty formulaic. It is not the same case when developing a mobile app. If the mobile solution determined is a native mobile app (apps built specifically for an iPhone OS, Android, Windows, etc...) the development is not formulaic and needs careful attention at the beginning phase of the project. A good app's goal should focus on performing a single task. Generally the development will require custom software, which means there is a need for following all the processes of software development. Another special consideration for apps is determining the platform or technology that best suits the apps functions. A simple, task oriented, application for mobile devices is more complex than a multi-featured website because of this, up front attention and planning is more important than ever.

Pricing a mobile app is more complex than pricing a website therefore the upfront work of defining and determining goals should be carefully considered. Imagine there are two roads both leading to the same destination, you are driving a car and time is precious, do you want to drive the interstate with smooth concrete or back roads that are unpaved and wandering? The smooth, fast and direct approach for mobile is the key to a great mobile app. The medium does not tolerate a complicated experience and there is a principal in software - the easier the software is to use the harder it is to build. The best apps perform a specific function that provides convenience, perform tasks, delivers information or entertains. Determining the purpose is the most important step in the process. It drives cost, function and platform. Until goals and general functions are carefully determined there are typically too many scenarios to create a bid with an hour interview.

Why are apps more complicated to build than a website? There are various reasons that are good topics for future entries, but ultimately it is because they are custom software. The common jargon is mobile apps, the word "app" is an abbreviation for software application. Understanding the process and challenges of building software requires a different mind set compared to using exiting software (such as WordPress) to build a website. The awareness that custom software needs to be developed will help set realistic expectations in the amount of involvement required, pricing, time frames and functions.

The process starts with setting goals, determining the audience and a concept. The steps to build a software application include; determining the functions, writing a user experience description with storyboards, writing test cases, measuring the time and skills needed to qualify the cost, building a wireframe, designing the user interface (UI) testing usability, building a prototype, building the real thing, testing, fixing, testing and finally, delivery. This is a lot of work and time. Going backwards is not easy, so developing a clearly defined concept and getting approval from all stakeholders upfront is important.

Determining the functions of an app is the key to deciding if an app should be a native or web app. Native apps are software applications built for a mobile platform, there are great opportunities to use the functions built into the devices. When building for the mobile web browsers, web apps, developers are limited to only the functions of what a Internet browser can do. Native mobile apps can take advantage of the mobile devices ability to take photos, post notifications, touch activation...and even make phone calls

The current demand for mobile apps is a new challenge for marketing professionals charged with developing a mobile solution. With the understanding that mobile is a different platform than the web they can start the process of the upfront work. Once the goal has been determined, the concept is flushed out, the best platform - web app or native app - has been decided the phone call can be made, "We want a price to build an app".

Post by: Barb Cagley

Photo courtesy of Nnooo.

The Platform Advantage

Every time a person uses their smartphone or tablet there is potential for a direct connection with your end consumer. A consumer can act almost instantaneously, enabling an organization to increase customer loyalty, build brand awareness, increase sales, improve lead generation and obtain customer feedback. For example, using push notification, where users are automatically updated with new information, companies can provide instant updates offering helpful tools and connecting your customer to your brand every time the tools are used. Plus, the convenience of instantaneously connecting to your store or brand will improve the customer experience. These advantages over traditional marketing vehicles are the result of the mobile difference.

The Mobile Difference

Mobile is a new platform with two factors that differentiate it from other marketing channels.

These factors are:
1. Ubiquitous mobile consumption, and
2. Native hardware capabilities.

One of the greatest differences of mobile marketing is the very ubiquity of access. People consume information in their car, walking outdoors, in their office, sitting in front of the television, laying in bed, etc. The ability for marketers to reach their customers during such targeted moments in their lives, and quickly, is a tremendous advantage. The advantage of companies to provide employees continuous access to timely data is also a tremendous boost to any sales team. Built into smart devises are touch control, mapping/geo locating, watching and recording video, taking photos, connecting to the Internet, pushing notifications, SMS and making phone calls. These features can be optimized to do almost anything you can imagine and are traveling in the pocket of your customer when not in their hand. Couple this with people’s enthusiasm for participating and a whole new opportunity for direct communication and customer service, and your opportunities seem endless.

The mobile platform provides the best of other communication platforms including; television, radio, newspaper, publications and desktop computers combined into small devices that delivers content quickly, anytime…anywhere.

Small Business Mobile MarketingThe Cleveland American Advertising Federation and COSE joined forces to host a seminar for small business. The days sessions were focused on marketing for small business. Mobile App Roadmap presented mobile marketing basics for small business. This presentation is helpful for anyone who would like an overview on mobile options for business.

Mobile “apps,” or applications, are the hottest thing now driving the technology industry. Mobile platforms are revolutionizing how people connect, and their cool factor is undeniable. But for most companies, the point really isn’t about being cool. It’s about making money by following the eyeballs. After all, a recent report by the influential Boston Consulting Group says that smart phones and tablet devices will account for four of every five broadband connections by 2016.

Are companies in Northeast Ohio taking advantage of these new platforms? Does the region have the resources to be part of the new App Economy? Innovation requires a critical mass of forward-thinking individuals. And we do have some promising success stories from which to learn and build.

The Cleveland Film Festival smartly leveraged an app to keep record-breaking crowds up to date on ticket availability and shifting screening schedules in the recently concluded 36^th annual festival, and University Circle recently released a new app that showcases its many attractions. Progressive Insurance and Sherwin Williams have also built a couple of interesting mobile applications.

Still, for the most part, app development is being outsourced elsewhere because of a lack of programming expertise in this area. Local communication agencies are at the beginning stages of building mobile website applications but very few have a strong portfolio of native apps - applications built specifically for the iPhone, Android or other smart phones. The programming for specific devices requires new knowledge and those individuals are in high demand across the country.

Mobile applications that leverage smart phones and tablet computers can extend the reach and open new markets for businesses across Northeast Ohio. But it won’t come without focusing resources and attention. It will take plenty of training, re-focusing of careers and educating businesses about the new platforms they will need to become part of this vibrant new growing sector of the economy.

The pioneering venture capitalist David Morgenthaler has noted that this region mostly missed out on the biggest economic driver of the second half of the 20^th century—the semiconductor revolution—and thus missed most of the economic ripple effects that later accompanied that technology-enabling platform. My fervent hope is that we don’t make the same mistake with the App Economy’s coming boom.