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Does your Brand Need a Custom Stand-Alone App or A Group App?...
For immediate Release TORONTO - February , 2011
By the end of 2014, Gartner forecasts there will be over 185 billion applications downloaded since the launch of the first app store in July 2008.
Impressive numbers. But how are these apps being used? According to Analyst firm Localytics, one-time app usage was slowly on the rise throughout 2010.
Unlike installing traditional software on computers involving locating installation files, program installation and running, mobile apps are just downloaded and the device does the installation. This makes apps easy to try but also makes them just as easily forgotten. Our predictions?
The number of active users is more important than the number of downloads.
Ensure your app supports a strategy to drive continued usage. What will engage the customer and provide a unique set of values? Don't be one of the "used once and done" apps.
You'll be rewarded by listening to the Customer, not Marketing.
According to Stephanie Baghdassarian, a Gartner research director, "Applications will have to grow up and deliver a superior experience to the one that a web-based app will be able to deliver. Native apps will survive the web enhancements only when they will provide a more-personal and richer experience to the 'vanilla' experience that a Web-based app will deliver.
It makes sense. Users will adopt whatever is easier and more convenient for them on their mobile devices.
Avoid Application Saturation
The proliferation of apps will eventually lead to contraction. Consumers will tire of flicking from screen to screen and from app to app.
Unless your brand delivers true and unique value to the end user, don't spend your money developing a custom app for your business.
Custom app?
Need some other things to think about before you develop your own stand-alone app? Carriers encourage long contract cycles with consumers, resulting in many phones still running versions of the OS that are months (or more) out of date. App developers have to worry about ensuring compatibility and optimizing with each new upgrade. Adoption to each emerging technology takes time and financial resources. With consumers selecting which apps they want to download and actually use, your custom app needs to be engaging, entertaining and/or highly useful. And it can't be me-too.
Generic Group app?
If you are saying, "what me, involved with other brands in the same app?"
There are some advantages to having your business involved in a generic group app.
Cost and Time Effective
From a business perspective, it's significantly more cost effective to have someone else implement and maintain the app across all major device platforms. With new technologies being introduced, your original investment is protected and the worry is someone else's concern.
Consumers like the Concept
With the rise of social media and group buying, consumers are familiar with grouping brands together (think Groupon, LivingSocial, BuyWithMe). Or think of the time-honored concept of a mall intended to benefit shoppers with convenience and choice on a par with getting value for their hard-earned money.
Consumers have always valued the ability to shop for a variety of products under one roof and getting a heightened shopping experience.
More consistent workflow
The consumer doesn't want to have to learn the functionality, content and navigation for every new shopping app tool. They will increasingly insist on a more consistent functionality and workflow across apps. Consumer preference will migrate to one app serving a deeper purpose.
Single Password
For sensitive mobile content, consumers can access the secure data for multiple businesses with a single password.
So even if there is a good business case for developing your own custom app, there are strong arguments for being part of a generic group app at the same time.
A generic app allows brands to focus on what's really important - their mobile marketing strategies and content. A good generic app can deliver engagement, audience targeting, branding potential and overall reach.
Press Inquiries:
Jeff Ketner, Ketner Group PR & Marketing
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512.794.8876
About David Thomas:
As past CEO/Founder of Triversity Inc., David was responsible for successfully growing the company to be a leading global POS company with highly sophisticated, transaction-based, secure POS, loyalty and payment solutions up to its sale and integration with SAP in 2005.
David's latest venture is as founder and CEO of Omnego Inc (www.omnego.com) launched in 2010. Omnego Inc. has created the most comprehensive enterprise software platform for issuing digital cards, tickets, and coupons to a mobile app for an on-going engagement with consumers in the mobile channel. With offices in the U.S and Canada, the Omnego solution is patent-pending and offers an integrated mobile card solution that also delivers ads, messages, coupons, web access and QR code(2D) and Product code lookup(1D) scanning all from one mobile app.
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