We are delighted to announce that two of our built Apps (in conjunction with Digital Reach Group / AdForce) have been nominated finalists for the Digital Media Awards.

Get Gutsy – Best Mobile Website


Irish Life – Best App for Business/Brand
& Best in Financial Services

What’s more amazing is we have to remember Apple only develop one phone on comparison to the many makes and models of other manufactures.

The numbers alone don’t tell the entire story, as we know Nokia has been steadily losing market share in the past couple years, and even with Nokia adopting the Windows platform the Finnish giant’s boss Jorma Ollila still recently warned that Nokia’s progress will be slow throughout 2012, therefore, Nokia might not sit in the front seat next year.

By far the biggest gainer is Apple, which doubled its market share year-over-year thanks to great iPhone 4S sales.

Overall, the phone market has grown 11.1% in 2011, says IDC, down from 18.7% year-over-year growth experienced in 2010. But there’s more good news for Apple, which only produces smartphones: IDC expects “continued double-digit growth” on the smartphone front.

Well It’s about catching the imagination and engaging your clients through their mobile devices and using tools like QR-Codes, SMS, Location Based Marketing, Apps and Mobile Websites to do this.

Mobile Searches have grown by 400% in the past year, by 2013 more people will use mobiles than PC’s to get online, 95% of mobile users have searched for local information and a staggering 71% have visited/searched a mobile site after seeing an advert, call-to-action or QR-Code! we could go on we know how much you like stats

Browsing a website on your PC or Mac, desktop or laptop from your home or office is a much different experience than browsing from a mobile device. Being mobile allows the user to access information on the fly . . . on the bus, train, walking, driving (but only when parked of course), sitting on the sofa, climbing a mountain (yes it has been done), or even sitting on the loo (don’t smirk apparently 39% of you do that).

So someone in your marketing department (no-offence) says “We have to do a QR-Code campaign” and “lets put those cute little barcodes on all our marketing material”

Great idea – but it is at this point so many people get it wrong . . .

What happens when the user scans the QR-Code and finds their way to your website and it is not mobile friendly? well let me tell you:

Firstly, it takes time to load, it is hard to read, your finger cant touch the buttons and sometimes your content can’t even be displayed on the small screen! Your customer then says “this site is not mobile” and leaves and perhaps does not come back!

Mobile campaigns can be hugely successful . . . they can be fun, thought provoking, data capturing or just informative. But remember if you are going to ask someone to search for your site, scan a code or link from a SMS – make it worth the time and effort and be sure your content is mobile ready.

]]> 0 http://www.kco.ie/blog/2012/new-kco-support-desk/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/kcowebdesign/~3/40B1YCD8z4E/ http://www.kco.ie/blog/2012/gomo-by-google/#comments Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:43:38 +0000 Francis Murray http://www.kco.ie/?p=1621 Great ‘Go Mobile’ campaign by Google called GoMo

When it comes to boosting their fitness, health and well-being, an increasing number of us are going mobile. Here are our pick of the 10 mobile downloads that can give your lifestyle some app appeal.

1. MyFitnessPal Calorie Counter (Free)

No matter how strict you are in terms of dieting, your good work can be quickly undone by scoffing sneaky snacks. But whether you crave something salty, sweet, crunchy or cheesy, the Calorie Counter will warn you just how many calories you’ll be adding. With over one million foods in its database it has been lauded as the best mobile calorie counter.

2. Aviva Health Mate (Free)
This nifty app may not be able to count every breath to take but it will log every step you make by turning your iPhone into a pedometer. Health Mate is preloaded with lots of popular walking and running routes throughout Ireland.

3. Unislim (Free) As developed by KCO
We should all eat to live and not live to eat, but sometimes that can be easier said than done. The Unislim app helps control your urges with its ‘Shape Up’ section that provides a daily menu for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack. A cool addition is its Before & After photo booth to show others your dieting success.

4. Nike Training Club (Free)
Designed specifically for women who want to work out, Nike’s Training Club transforms your phone into a pocket-sized personal trainer.

It not only tailors workouts to meet your needs and teaches you how to do the exercises, but also gives point-based incentives.

5. Pill Tracker (Free)

From vitamins to cold remedies and contraceptives, pill popping can become a complicated affair. But Pill Tracker can help make sure you don’t mess up by making sure you take your medications, pills or vitamins on time, every time.

6. Fertility Friend (Free)
For those who need to put a little more effort into planning their pregnancy, Fertility Friend has become the app of choice. It will tell you your most fertile days all highlighted on its colour-coded calendar.

7. Contraction Master (€1.59)
Playing the waiting game at the end of a pregnancy can be a stressful time. However, to help get you to the hospital on time and help avoid any false alarms this app times your contractions at the touch of a button allowing you to share your contraction information with your doctor.

8. Blood Pressure Expert Lite (Free)
With over 40pc of adults suffering from high blood pressure, the Blood Pressure Experts is designed to help sufferers manage their illness.

Shockingly, it is estimated if people better managed their high blood pressure five thousand strokes could be avoided every year in Ireland.

9. Cry Translator (€3.99)
Is your baby hungry, sleepy, annoyed or just plain bored? Unfortunately, the wailing of most babies gets lost in translation.

Not only does this app diagnose your baby’s cry, but recommends helpful solutions.

10. WebMD (Free)
Arguably one of the most comprehensive health applications, WebMD offers a wealth of medical information.

While it is not meant as a substitute to going to your GP, its Symptom Checker can give you a quick diagnosis while on the move.

Here are 4 Top Tips to get your project kick-started and help a development company like KCO cost and time-line the build of you great idea:

1. Define you idea
Write down the goal and aim of your App for example:
- What do you want it to do?
- How do YOU see it working?
- How will it be useful to the person who downloads it?

2. Research
Has your idea been done before (a lot of the time you will find it has! that does not mean you should still not consider yours – we just need to make yours better). Search the App Store and Android Market with key words and terms that relate to your own idea.

If your idea has been done before – which versions did you like or not like? and why?

3. Price
Are you going to charge for your App? remember to price it honestly – what would you pay for it? what are your competitors charging?

We would all love to be the person who comes up with the next Angry Birds and retire to the mediterranean – but in reality not all Apps become big money spinners… so approach the task with the aim of ‘building an amazing app’ that could become then next big thing and not with euro or dollar signs in mind.

3. Platform
Which platform or operating system do you want to make the App available on (Apple iOS, Android, Windows, Blackberry or all of them?). Currently Apple iOS and Android are the market leaders and should certainly be considered – but we can help advise you of the best approach and options available.

It would seem People spent the best part of Christmas Day turning on their shiny new smartphones and downloading apps from the App Store and Android Market Place, Flurry found consumers shattered records for both providers this year.

The public downloaded 242 million apps on Christmas day alone this year (that is an increase of 125% on the previous year). This caps off a strong year for both iOS and Android as both are expected to exceed 10-billion downloads each for 2011.

Flurry doesn’t break down Android downloads vs. Apple iOS. “Frankly, they’re neck and neck,” says Peter Farago, Vice President of marketing.

Flurry Analytics also tracked app downloads during the course of Christmas Day and found a steady increase between 9am and 11am –  it then  stayed at that level until about midnight.

As for myself – I downloaded Jamie Oliver’s Christmas with Bells on app to ensure I did not burn the turkey!

Think iPad’s are just for fun? Then think again!

As we all know iPad’s are popular for reading books, watching videos and playing games like Angry Birds, but they’re also gaining huge traction in the enterprise and in B2B sector – hospitals, engineer firms, manufacturers and a construction companies are realising the opportunities these devices offers.