Three steps to making your App work for you

In the first of a new series from experts in the field of digital marketing, Anthony Quigley of the Digital Marketing Institute explores the mushrooming field of app development - and how it can work for your business.

Are you feeling left out? Do you feel that the mobile revolution is passing you by? Is an injection of app-store-cool just what you need to fix your sluggish online presence?

Well think again before spending a cent on a mobile app.

Isn’t it funny how the internet changes everything in marketing but actually changes nothing? We still all chase after the latest bright and shiny thing in digital without any real thought or planning. We believe this new, shiny thing is going to change everything.

Here are three steps to creating the best mobile app for your business.

1. Do not simply replicate the content of your website

I've downloaded several apps by Irish companies over the past few weeks and what does the app do? Well, nothing actually! It just presents the text and photos from their website in an app. And they think that they are surfing the mobile wave.

I am afraid all they are achieving is annoying their customers. Why bother going to the trouble of having a truly wonderful website and then deliver the same content through a mobile device? Why not do something creative? For example, have a look at what Tripit do on their website versus the itinerary manager apps, available for iPhone, Android and BlackBerry.

2. Use the functionality of the smartphone

The best apps are the ones that leverage the existing functionality of the phone and end up creating a really useful or novel app to solve a real situation. Car rental companies are introducing apps allow you to report an accident. For example, Discovery Insure has launched an app that enables its policyholders to use their phones to lodge car accident claims (more info here).

If you're misfortunate enough to have a crash in the rental car you simply power up the app, it records your location using the in-built GPS functionality. It then gives you a series of steps to follow like positioning yourself around the crash to take photos using the phone's camera. It also asks you to take a movie of the area. It allows you to photograph the other person's insurance details, record a description of the accident by video or just sound using the camera and or microphone.

You can then store the info until you’re online again or submit immediately (assuming you have a signal). This type of functionality goes way beyond content and uses the strengths of the phone to power the app. (This type of approach will separate the fly-by-night app developers from the serious app folks!)

3. Get the user involved beyond "Likes"

Many apps are also integrating their content with social media Like and Tweet buttons. This is all well and good but how about building apps that allow your users to get involved in the service or product you provide? I walk on Bray seafront. I regularly see new graffiti adorning the bins and walls. Wouldn’t it be cool if the County Council developed an app to allow people like me to report graffiti or potholes with photo and location functionality of the phone? Surely this would create a more engaged citizen and a clearer list of priorities for the council.

Phones contain all of the functionality needed to get your business and your customers more involved. This includes phone, text, camera, sound recorder, compass, maps/location/GPS, accelerometer to detect movement, and much, much more.

What can you and your business do to help your customers get more involved and more engaged?

- Anthony Quigley

For more information on Digital Marketing Institute, check out the website for digital marketing courses.