App Explosion
Tobias Dengel
A Juniper Research report out this week projects the number of app downloads is expected to rise from ~2.5 billion in 2009 to more than 25 billion in 2015. A ten-fold increase in 5 years. And these projections don’t include “web apps” which are accessed from browsers. We project that usage of web apps will significantly outstrip native apps by this time. The mobile decade is upon us.
To app or not to app
Tobias Dengel
Check out our take on the future of native apps vs. web apps at BIA/Kelsey’s site. It’s all about timing.
Mellow Mushroom’s Mobile Optimized Site
Michael Prichard
As a company we are extremely interested in mobile optimization. In fact, we are working on technology that will help companies go mobile with their sites and, as inspiration and research, we have been looking at current sites that have already taken the plunge. That said, I ran across a mobile site that I think is actually very good. Mellow Mushroom (http://www.MellowMushroom.com) has created a mobile version that presents users with what they really need when are accessing it from a mobile device.
Locations, Menu and About.
Simple, to the point, and just what I want when I am on the go. What I also love about this site is that it follows their branding perfectly and, it is obvious, they understand that mobile usage is much different than PC usage. Why do I need all the extra marketing fluff that I get on their regular website? I just don’t.
The lesson here is to think about your mobile users and what is important to them. Deliver only what they need through your mobile optimized website. For a restaurant it is location, a number to call and the menu. For FedEx it may be tracking your order and quick access to customer service phone numbers. Nonetheless, what’s important is to understand that your customer has limited time and they need to get to the information that matters – fast. If you distract them with useless buttons and pages you will lose them even faster.
* What I don’t like about Mellow Mushrom’s mobile site:
“Home” button is on the top-right. Not really the most intuitive place for that…especially on an iPhone. But, if that is my only complaint, who cares!
**BTW, Mellow Mushroom rocks; great pizza.
WNRN iPhone App 2.0 Launches
Tobias Dengel
We launched the new WNRN iPhone app today. We think the app looks as good as any in the mobile radio and music space. Users can listen to the station anywhere in the world, see the track that’s playing and continue to listen in the background. Download it from the iTunes app store here. See the press release about the mobile app launch here. Thoughts and comments are welcome.
Luxury Goes Mobile
Tobias Dengel
The Luxury Interactive 2010 conference is going on in New York yesterday and today. The tidal wave of mobile smartphone growth is pushing this industry, just like every other, to begin thinking seriously about what mobile means to them.
The number of smartphones will exceed desktops/laptops by 2013. Mobile usage will soon follow. That means that over time, mobile spending on mobile-optimized sites, apps and marketing should equal what companies spend on their traditional website and online marketing. For most companies, we are a very long way from that. Anytime there is such a divergence in usage vs. marketing spend, huge opportunities open up for the early-adopting companies.
It hearkens back to the early days of online search from 1998 t0 2002. For the first few years, the companies embracing search were able to market their products and services incredibly efficiently vs. other channels. Over time, the market has become optimized, and bids in general are in line with the value created.
The same opportunity exists in mobile today — and likely will for the next few years.
Why mobile web optimization matters.
Michael Prichard
Simply put, mobile web access will surpass fixed internet in the next three years. Both of these forecasts are from Gartner and Morgan Stanley, respectively. With demonstrable ROI’s being published such as Buy.com’s revamped mobile website success; revamped mobile site generates 9 times more traffic – the need to mobile optimize your site cannot be ignored.
Mobile web optimization matters because that is where your customers are going to access you from – some now and most in the very near future.
iPhone Growth Still Explosive
Tobias Dengel
Computerworld reported today that the iPhone user base may grow to 100 million by end of 2011, according to Katy Huberty at Morgan Stanley. What’s even more amazing is her projection that over half the current base will upgrade to iPhone 4 devices by the end of this year, based on the announcement that Apple sold 600,000 of the devices in the first 24 hours. These numbers would triple Apple’s current installed base. Apple currently has a 28% US Smartphone market share.
All this means that Apple will continue to be the lead innovator for Smartphones — and the above numbers don’t reflect the significantly larger interactive usage by iPhone owners. Any mobile strategy, we believe, must continue to have iPhone-related products as a critical component, if not the centerpiece.
Tiffany gets mobile
Tobias Dengel
Tiffany released its new app today, and it is great. The Ring Sizer feature is fun, useful and cool — everything an app should be and all too often forgotten. The whole app keeps the classic Tiffany look-and-feel, quite an achievement with only the iPhone screen as a canvas.
Here’s the official release: press.tiffany.com/News/NewsItem.aspx?ID=93
Here’s Mobile Marketer’s take: www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/news/content/6548.html
Any retailer who has a broad product/feature set should take a hard look at this app. It assists consumers in doing real research to help them make better buying decisions while they are on the road, or even in a retail location. Also see similar purchasing and buying tools launched by Crutchfield Electronics.
BIA/Kelsey app is hot.
Michael Prichard
The BIA/Kelsey app is in the Business category “What’s Hot” section of the Apple Store. It is currently at #111 in the ranking. Let’s see if we can get it up the ranking — please download!!
BIA/Kelsey App Released
Michael Prichard
WillowTree has been working with BIA/Kelsey to design and develop their entry into the mobile space. We created a RSS Reader for them as a first release and are working on an update to be made available on Android and Blackberry. We will also be adding push notifications so users will know that RSS updates have made. Figure we can use Urban Airship to help with that!
Nonetheless, please read the press release here:
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