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Mobile marketing and Apps

I participated in a webinar arranged by PINK MOBILE and took some notes.

During the session. Its more a ”Note-to-self”, things, items to be have in mind, when starting apps to the mobile unit. I have included as many pictures as possible, but its taken in the sessions, so I had to quick on the mark.

Programlanguage:
iOS, Android and Windows Mobile.

Why mobile as a marketing channel?:
The mobile is constant on us, its the ”one-2-one” communication, the device is with us everywhere and anywhere, regardless if we are exposed to POS (point-of-sale) or ”hanging out with friends”. My personal opinion that it can also become an invasive element in the private sphere, but exactly where is the thin line between the the customer and private user, but thats another discussion..

QR – The survival of print?
I have followed many discussions online about the failed or less successful us of QR-codes, where the ads has been placed across some rails, or the QR has led people into a site which could have been a typed website adress instead of having used the ”we gotta have QR on it as well, thats what the rest of our competitors have”. The use QR is beneficial, when it connects the user with a special customised website/landing-page/micro site.

Send a SMS to and support…:
We all have seen this way of converting, when you would want to give your vote in ”American Idol”, support different non-profits organisations (donations), or participate in games/competitions.

Most increased use of mobile is in…?:
..NEWS!. Its media (news online) where people spend most time, it can reading the stock market, the ”petit news”, the headlines or articles, but it goes under the umbrella: Trusted Media.

Gamification?:
It was surprisingly NOT featured on the list, but since the prediction was made in 2010, the way of market all these in ”gamified”-way, was not foreseen. Personally I think, that gamification is a method, a strategy to involve the users, make them interact with the brand. A wonderful online and top-example is the Red Bull Campaign, which led people on scavenger hunt with riddles use of Facebook timeline.

Globally:

• Money transfer
  Its considered a growing and booming market, because transferring money by phones, is rapidly growing the african, south america and all rural areas)
• Location-based services: Foursquare, like ”check in this shop, and get a special offer”.
• Health: Novo Nordisk, a big danish company working with medicine, have made app for diabetes patients, which reminds the users about sugarlevels, sugar intake, medicine to taken and so forth. The global urbanisation which is taking place right now, is also a growing market for the use of these apps.

Interface/UX:
The site which is being shown on the mobile, should be uniquely made for the mobile (all device lingo, HTML5, anyone?) and PINK MOBILE showed the example of a Cocio (chocolate milk) App, where you could shake the bottle, unscrew the cap with your fingers, and when your moved the phone, like drinking of it, you heard likewise sounds. There are many others similar, but the part which is most interesting is the gamification part of it, that the app should involve the user by:

• touch
• move
• turn
• shake
• zoom
• drag
• twist

- the product, and of course having in mind the adjusted screen size and navigation.

Also finally 5 good advices, when you wants to build an app:

1) Read the documentation:
Especially Apple makes great efforts to safe-guarding the terms and regulations of apps in their app-store, when it comes to design and content. There are many good guidelines, which in the long run, will save your users frustrations and prevent that your app is being rejected before it goes on the market. You can start at developer.apple.com, choose iOs and read the paragraph about iOs Human Interface Guidelines.

2) Drop the web, use the phone!
Far to many apps are in reality mobile websites, but on smartphone is the ”touch”-technology to be used. You can zoom, change the pictures by dragging, and drag down to update the screen. Utilise this technology, so your user will have ”fun” experience.

3) Your app is unique, but your navigation should not be!
Remember the web guru Jakob Nielsen, who states that most of the users only sporadically uses your app (visit www.useit.com and look for Mobile UX guidelines). They will not appreciate your unique structure of menu or navigation, but instead expect that you follow the same rules and principles. The icon of ”home” is a house, next page is an arrow and the menu is in the bottom.

4) Nice pictures and clear icons makes your app easy to use.
A lot of apps have bad looking graphics and likewise pictures, but your app will nice pictures and top-notch graphics will stick out amongst the rest. You can subscribe fx to www.istockphoto.com, or use 25 USD that includes 400 icons a graphic bundle called Glyphish Pro 3. Theres also a lot freebies bundles, but use your discrimination and choose wisely.

5) Web-apps with HTML5 or responsive design?
Its not easy to make an app, because you have to go full circle around coding, design, promotion of your app and not least support. And should your app should be supported by Android and iOs, you would have to make two seperate apps! So maybe the answer could be that you built in HTML5, because its all-device lingo. Financial times, www.financialtimes.com did that, because they were the rules and applications of Apple. Or you could also consider doing a responsive webdesign, which also covers all devices. You can try to browse to the BostonGlobe at www.bostonglobe.com and see how the website functions on your desktop computer, smartphone, ipad, tablet etc.

Finally I have found a infographic which illustrates the trends and predictions of the mobile market:
You can find it at: www.alafritz.com.

Personally I am working on a few projects, or ideas which I will continue to work with, alongside part-taking in all webinars and seminars about this interesting topic.

If you have comments or ideas, please let me know.