Nicole's MCDM Blog

Course Wrap-Up

nicolemaroutsos — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 00:00:40 +0000

Looking back over the past quarter, it’s amazing to think of all that I have learned in the world of mobile applications. Before this course, I knew that mobile apps were an important and quickly rising part of digital media marketing…but that was about it. I feel that this class has given me a thorough understanding of the process of creating a successful application – from coming up with a unique idea to successfully marketing the application in the app store. While I thought the lectures and readings were extremely informative, my favorite part of the course was the guest speakers. It was great to learn about the process of creating an app from various people who have done so with various levels of success. I particularly enjoyed hearing about Brad Ellis from RogueSheep discuss his Postage application. I never thought about the process it took to have an app approved by the iPhone app store, creating an application in several languages and dealing with copycats. I also loved hearing from Jim Bricker from OrderPizza, who taught us some solid tactics in creating a buzz in the app store.

Another aspect of the course that I thought was extremely beneficial was the many assignments we were given where we were to compare different apps in the same genre. It helped us gain insight as to what were features that increased usability and kept users coming back rather than download the app only to let it sit on the phone unused. When we were creating our own applications, examining competing apps was a crucial step as we could look at existing applications, read their reviews and see what usability challenges the users found. With that information, we could shape our application to avoid the pitfalls of earlier apps.

Overall, I found this class to be an excellent course and I hope that it is offered again in the future so more MCDM students can gain insight into mobile applications as a marketing tool.

Extra Credit Reading Reflection

nicolemaroutsos — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 18:34:42 +0000

This week’s reading answered some questions I’ve been thinking about for a long time regarding the app search feature in the iPhone application store. I’ve always wondered how app developers optimize their app in search and what contributes to a higher ranking. I became especially curious about this when we were fleshing out our ideas for our applications in class. I had come up with a robust Seattle traffic application and did a simple search for “traffic” to see what competitors were out there. While I found several traffic-related applications, I didn’t see any that offered the features I was proposing. That is why I was especially surprised when Corey showed us the “Seattle Freeways” application that was essentially exactly what I had been working on. How had I not found that in the dozens of apps that I scrolled through?! While it’s a fantastic app that offers features any Seattle driver would love and use regularly, its keywords and title were not created in a way that would optimize its presence in searches. While it makes sense that the iPhone app store does not display chosen keywords in order to avoid developers from copying their competition’s words, I would love to be able to take a look at the keywords of Seattle Freeways and other apps to really get a sense of what words have contributed or taken away from the success of these apps. I also thought Wooldridge had great advice regarding the naming of apps and how to create simple names with descriptive caption in order to include extra keywords.

I also thought the pricing section was interesting, but I still have some questions. Wooldridge wrote about how some developers will temporarily reduce the price of an existing application in order to popularize it once again. While this makes sense, I am curious to know how that would be known. For example, when I am searching for new apps, I typically just go to the “Top 25” section and download the apps that sound the most interesting. I don’t, however, check on old apps to see if the price has been reduced or even remember what apps cost that I haven’t yet downloaded. I suppose the developer could send out press releases to tech blogs, but is a small price reduction for an iPhone app big enough news that any blog would bother writing about it? I am curious to know how this information spreads and how effective this technique really is in selling more applications.

Reading Reflection

nicolemaroutsos — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 05:20:17 +0000

While I found Chapter 8 of The Business of iPhone App Development fun to read, I also found it a little over the top. I understand that, like any product, it’s important to market your iPhone app well in order to gain an audience and for that audience to continue to grow. However, as far as I can recall, I have never seen any app advertised to the degree that Wooldrige recommends. In fact, other than iPhone commercials, I don’t recall any app advertisement, ever. Well, that’s not entirely true – I do see applications that supplement already well-known companies advertised on company websites, such as the Kindle app on Amazon.com. However, I’ve never seen a stand-alone app written about or talked about in any kind of traditional media or even non-tech-related blog. I’m also not sure that I agree that every app needs a web presence. Most apps on my phone either serve a function that I need in a mobile form or are a way to pass the time. One app that I use the most is “Words with Friends,” which is basically a version of Scrabble for the iPhone. Even though I use it several times everyday, I have no use for WwF website, or any other related content. I open the app, make my moves and then close it again. While I certainly agree that most users who pay for applications want to know their app was worth the money they spent, in most cases that money is only one or two dollars. They want an application that delivers what it says it will and work flawlessly – but I don’t think they require an entire website dedicated to it and its functions. I think the resources of any developer are better used constantly improving the application versus creating a presence for the application outside of the smart phone world.

Road Report

nicolemaroutsos — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 14:44:48 +0000

The only thing predictable about the traffic in Seattle is that you’ll likely run into at some point during any drive. Whether travelling on freeways, major highways or less travelled roads, it’s impossible to predict what kind of traffic you’ll encounter, where it will be and what kind of delay lays ahead. Traffic delays can occur without much notice and, although news channels often report on traffic during commute times, there is traffic in Seattle around the clock. If one is hitting the road from a location where there is no access to a television or a computer, that leaves few resources for them to learn of the current traffic conditions. To ease the frustration of Seattle-area drivers, a more robust traffic-oriented mobile application is needed.

RATIONALE: Seattle, unfortunately, is a car-heavy city. While alternate modes of transportation are constantly improving, cars are still the transportation of choice. Commuting between suburbs could involve several hours and several bus changes. For time and convenience, people hop in their personal vehicles – however, given the traffic, that too could take hours. Seattleites need a traffic resource that they can take with them and access whether at home or already out and about. While traffic applications do already exist in the iPhone app store, none of them have all of the features that the Road Report has. The Road Report can keep people out of traffic, stress-free and on time.

AUDIENCE: As previously mentioned, Seattle is a city where the most common mode of transportation is the private vehicle. Therefore, the audience for this application is anyone who is of legal age to drive a car. Road Report can appeal to the majority of iPhone users and, not only will users be compelled to buy the app, but they will also be compelled to use it on a regular basis as traffic is so unreliable in the city and surrounding areas.

APPLICATION FEATURES: Much like Google Maps, Road Report will have a map view where it is possible to see the level of congestion on the major highways and freeways. However, whereas Google Maps only shows traffic in vague terms, Road Report would actually offer estimated travel times based on current traffic flow. A user would type in their starting point and destination address and the application would generate several different routes with the estimated length of time it would take to get from Point A to Point B.

Road Report would also list general traffic times, much like the electronic signs above the freeway during commute times. For example, on the customizable homepage, one could see what the general travel time is between their most often travelled starting point/destination. The sign might say “Seattle to Bellevue – estimated 25 minutes.” This would give users who are pondering whether to hit the road or put off a trip the chance to make a quick decision at a glance.

Road Report would also offer alternate routes for those who may only know one route to a particular destination. This gives it’s users a chance to get off the freeway if its stop-and-go and take the back roads, whether or not they are familiar with them.

COMPETING APPLI CATIONS: One competing application is Traffic by CLO Software that sells for $1.99 on the iPhone app store. Although the name is not creative, it is simple and very clear about what the topic of the app is. While the application is very thorough in the details of what caused each traffic slowdown, it focuses too much on why there is traffic vs. what that means in terms of delays. For example, click on a pinpoint on the map that indicates a traffic problem, and the app will convey to you whether the slow-down was due to road construction, an injury accident or a medical emergency. While there is no harm in knowing these details, they seem to be irrelevant – commuters merely want to know what this means to them and their traffic times.

Reading Reflection: Copyright and iPhone Apps

nicolemaroutsos — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 06:28:52 +0000

I was particularly interested in the section of our textbook that went over copyright and trademark laws as they apply to iPhone applicatons. In our required Digital Media Law class last quarter, we went over copyright and trademark law as well. I recognized the importance of this type of law when working in the field of digital media and realized how little I knew about it while in that class. While the class gave me a solid understanding of how and when creative works are protected by copyright, we focused more on artistic creations such as music, photographs, art pieces and literary works. Our reading intrigued me because it showed that an iPhone application is a great example of a creation that is a mix between creative and “uncreative” works, which are not covered by copyright. According to the reading, facts, ideas, systems or methods are not protected. This means that the physical appearance of an app may be protected, but the concept of the application is not. This is clearly reflected in the iPhone app store, where it’s common to find several applications that serve the same function. It is also relevant to our class project, as many of our ideas for new iPhone app share some functions with existing iPhone apps, yet build on those concepts. It would be interesting to see how many, if any, lawsuits have been filed involving smart phone applications. As such a small percentage of developers make a significant amount of money off of these applications, it’s likely not worth a company to sue another over copyright infringement as there usually isn’t a lot of profit made.

Expanding on App Ideas

nicolemaroutsos — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 06:46:53 +0000

Traffic Application

Audience: The audience for a more sophisticated traffic application would be anyone with a car. Whether commuting to or from work, driving to an appointment or just meeting a friend, everyone wants to be on time and this traffic would make it easier to gauge traffic and make it happen.

Purpose: The purpose of the application would be to give the user an idea of traffic on freeways and major highways at any given time.

Features: One feature of this application would be approximate drive times between various suburbs and towns as seen on electronic highway signs. There would also be maps with symbols indicating level of traffic flow at any particular time. In addition, the user would put in their start and end location and the app would estimate the amount of time the commute would take with the current traffic conditions. Lastly, the app would also suggest alternative routes with less congestion.

Competing Apps: CLO Software’s “Traffic” and “Traffic View 2010.”

Carpool Finder

Audience: Anyone looking to make a positive impact on the environment by carpooling to and from work.

Purpose: To connect commuters with others who travel similar routes in order to create carpools.

Features: Users map their routes using GPS and the application connects users with others by comparing routes. The app would provide a messaging system that would get users in touch with each other based on suggestions from the application. The application would also offer environmental tips that are relevant to transportation.

Competing Apps: Carticipate by Carticipate, Inc

Volunteer Match

Audience: People looking for local volunteer opportunities and non-profit organizations looking for help.

Purpose: The purpose of this application is to connect volunteers with volunteer opportunities. If non-profit organization has an upcoming event for which they need help, they can post the opportunity to the application’s calendar with contact information for potential volunteers searching the app.

Features: The application would feature a calendar that would organize volunteer opportunities by date. There would also be the feature of searching opportunities by type of non-profit, length of commitment and location within a particular city.

Competing Apps: iLocate Volunteer Organizations, Catalista: Volunteer Locally!

3 Good Mobile Applications…and 3 Bad Mobile Applications

nicolemaroutsos — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 07:11:10 +0000

3 Great Music Apps for the iPhone

Pandora

Pandora’s application for the iPhone is consistently in the Top 25 Free list and it’s easy to see why. This app is one of the best examples of a website successfully recreating their site in a mobile application. The Pandora user simply logs into their account and is easily able to access all of the radio stations that were previously created online. It is also easy to create new channels and continue to shape your stations by giving each song thumbs up or down. The Pandora application has excellent usability and is extremely self-explanatory.

Shazam

Shazam offers a service that has never been offered before. The application is able analyze music that is playing and then provide the user with relevant information such as song title, artist, artist biography and song lyrics. Since I downloaded the application, I’ve used it almost daily. Whether shopping at the mall or listening to the radio, I often come across music that I like and am curious to know the artist and title so I can buy it later. Shazam makes it easy.

Justin Bieber Channel

No, I’m not a Justin Bieber fan. Okay, I kind of like his latest song. It doesn’t matter – the Justin Bieber Channel application for the iPhone is a great example of an app that provides relevant information to its users and entices users to continue to access it. Bieber has a huge, active fan base that is attracted not only to his music, but to his persona as well. This application does an exceptional job of making the fan feel connected to the artist by displaying Bieber’s latest tweets, posting his newest music videos, posting photos and providing the latest news. It also allows for push notifications so fans know when new information is available. The app developers found an artist with an active fan base and created an excellent resource that provides them with the information they desire.

3 Bad Music Apps for the iPhone

iLike

The iLike music application is the perfect example of an app that you download, use once…and then never open again. While the iLike website acts as a network to connect music lovers and allow them to share and download songs, the mobile app is a game that measures the user’s musical knowledge. Although it’s entertaining, the questions quickly start repeating and there is little incentive to continue to play. Rather than complimenting the features of the iLike website, the developers created a music-related app that was otherwise unrelated.

Top R&B Ringtones

This app seems as though it was created with the goal of being downloaded versus being used or well-liked. It is misleading and, by the looks of the related reviews, that has not been lost on users. There are dozens of popular R&B songs listed by artist and title, however when one actually downloads the song it is quickly apparent that it is not the original recorded. Despite the fact that the original artists are listed, the songs are all recorded by unknown singers. There are also issues in downloading the music that many users have faced.

Rhapsody

In my opinion, the Rhapsody app is considered bad because it doesn’t act as a marketing tool to draw users to the service. Instead, it’s simply an accompaniment to the website. While the app is free to download, you cannot use the application unless you are already a paying customer on the website. Therefore, the app won’t help the user base of Rhapsody grow.

Reading Reflection: Week #3

nicolemaroutsos — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 15:37:30 +0000

I love it when I’m reading something that makes me recognize my habits as a consumer – when an article or book brings to my attention the way I think as a user but have never realized. I really enjoyed reading the assigned excerpts from “Tapworthy: Designing Great iPhone Apps” because it did just that. It pointed out that the designer must think about what an app can do for a mobile phone user and create the application with that in mind if they want to find success. The author, Josh Clark, points out that smartphone users seek apps that uniquely solves a problem for them and that “features, content and gee-whiz animations may be crucial building blocks for your app, but they’re not the reason to use your app.” When first reading this, I mentally disagreed. I have dozens of applications on my iPhone that don’t solve my problems – unless you see the need to look at pictures of baby animals as a problem. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized he’s right. The applications that don’t solve my problems or assist me in day-to-day tasks are the ones that sit on my phone unused. Sure, I CAN look at baby animals whenever I want to – but when was the last time I actually did? The developers created an application that was appealing enough to download onto my phone, but not to actively use. Which brings me to one of the questions I had in week one when identifying my class goals: what makes an application successful? Many apps are stand-alones – once the smartphone user downloads the app and pays the dollar or two, the goal of the application developer has been met, right? Or do they measure success by how often the application is opened? Are advertising rates based on the number of downloads an app has or how many times users actually access the app? For larger brands such as news organizations or different social media platforms, their application can help spread the reach of their brand, solving the issue of needing to be near a computer to use the company’s services. Their goals are clearer, but for the independent mobile app, what does success mean? “Tapworthy: Designing Great iPhone Apps” helped me realize what it takes to create an app that users need and enjoy, but I’m interested in learning at what point a developer sees their creation as successful.

3 Online Resources for Mobile Devices and Applications

nicolemaroutsos — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 00:03:49 +0000

http://mobileopportunity.blogspot.com/

Mobile Opportunity is a blog authored by Michael Mace, a principal at Rubicon Consulting. This blog takes an in-depth look into the market of mobile devices as well as smartphone and web applications. As a strategy/marketing consultant, Mace reflects on the world of mobile phones and has keen insight into how businesses can use mobile devices as an opportunity to further their brand.

http://www.theiphoneappblog.com/

The iPhone App Blog takes a different direction than Mobile Opportunity. While Mobile Opportunity looks at the mobile app market as a whole and explores how the industry can affect other businesses, the iPhone App Blog is simply a look into the best and worst iPhone applications, offering reviews and highlighting apps worthy of a little attention. Those in the business of mobile devices and applications may prefer Mobile Opportunity, however people who simply use and love smartphones might find the iPhone App Blog to be a more relevant online resource.

http://www.mobilecrunch.com/

This is a great site for up to date news on various mobile devices. With easy-to-read writing and relevant stories, this website is a great source of information for those who want to be aware of the latest in smartphones.

What I Hope to Walk Away With…

nicolemaroutsos — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 07:42:04 +0000

Ever since I first bought my iPhone two years ago, I’ve been a mobile app addict. I’m always searching for the newest and most entertaining applications for my phone. I have found that some of these applications have succeeded in making me more committed to particular websites or brands, while others have sat on my phone unused for months. This shows that mobile applications can be powerful marketing tools if they are created well. In this class I hope to learn what features of a mobile app draw smart phone users to not only download them, but keep these users coming back. I would love to examine different case studies and learn about companies who saw significant growth based on their mobile applications as well as other companies whose attempt at marketing with a mobile application was a failure. In addition to what makes an application successful, I would also like to walk away knowing what compels a smart phone user to download one particular application over another as there are many applications that offer almost identical features. I think mobile applications are exciting and relevant to our studies in the MCDM program and I’m looking forward to what lies ahead in this course.