BASIC DECISIONS REGARDING YOUR APPLICATION
Assuming you will be finding a programmer to write the code needed for your actual application, your job is determining what you want the application to do, how the user will interact with it and what benefit it will bring to your business. In developing the idea for your application consider some of the following options:
Social Networking Devices
Depending upon the type of business you’re in, a device designed to allow others to keep in touch could be great. Do your customers have a need to talk to each other because they’re likely in similar industries? Can they share product information and user tips? Think Twitter on a smaller scale, and targeted to only to a specific group of people.
Mobile Gaming
You’d be amazed at the audience you can gain through mobile phone games. Mobile games aren’t just for kids – you’d be amazed at the number of business users playing games on their mobile devices while waiting at the airport. Consider creating a game that is compatible with your overall business. For example, if you sell tennis equipment, create a tennis game or an application that measures the accuracy and speed of your serve. Users will come to your site to play the game, but they may leave with a virtual shopping cart full of products.
Galleries
A web favorite of ours is LOL. This site hosts galleries of pictures including one of dogs, one of cats and even one of celebrities. You can download pictures that you like, along with funny captions. Or, you can create your own captions for the pictures. You can view the pictures online from your desktop or your mobile phone and you can download the pictures for storage in your own gallery or as wallpaper. This site is free to users and supported by advertisers. However, wouldn’t it be great to host something similar on a business website? A gallery of pet pictures would be great on a veterinarian’s website. Or, how about a cute baby picture gallery on a baby clothing boutique’s website? Visitors to your site could even upload their own pictures to add to the gallery.
Tools
We mentioned a mortgage calculator earlier in an earlier chapter, but such tools bear mentioning again. Useful tools that relate to your business are a great way to get users to your site through an application. How about a materials calculator for a company that sells lumber? Or, a food and beverage calculator for party planning on a catering website?
Tools are a particularly effective method of advertising, simply because they are useful. In today’s world, it is more difficult than ever to get a buyer’s attention. We’re basically blind to billboards and deaf to television and radio ads because we’ve heard and seen too much of them. Even the original web ads, those huge banners, have become a thing of the past because users hate them. But, subtle advertising as part of a useful tool or tip is a successful method of gaining a buyer’s attention, and is likely to be even more effective over the next several years.
“Do it yourself” applications are also great ways to improve business. Many photo shops, for example, will allow you to create your own cards, calendars and keepsakes right on their site. You simply upload the pictures you want to use, choose a template and order and pay online. The items can then be shipped directly to you.
Be Creative
As you can see, the possibilities for creating your own applications as advertising devices for mobile users are nearly endless. Spend some time reviewing the suggestions here as well as searching online for more ideas.
Once you have a list of possible applications in mind, you can sit down with a programmer to determine the costs, timeframe and materials required to get the job done. Applications are short term investments that can bring in new and repeat business over a long period of time.