Apps for brands: 10 habits for success

Think huge. Render small.

Apps for media brands

•  What are the habits that lead to success? –  How to execute a successful strategy

•  Do I need to build an App? –  App Development vs HTML 5

Mobile IQ qualifications? •  Delivering mobile web

solutions for over five years •  From The Guardian to

Playboy •  Developed apps for

•  iOS •  Android •  Blackberry

•  100’s of millions of PI’s per year

•  3+ million app users

#1 – Proceed with caution

Users take no prisoners – negative voices always more vocal A “2 star” rating is bad for brand – just ‘being’ in the store is not good enough

#2 – Avoid bumps with a clear objective

Prepare a business plan – or at least an elevator pitch Do your homework – what are other competitive apps doing?

#3 – Select the right platform

Remember your target market – they may have a device preference Launching cross-platform is tough – get the order right

#3 – Select the right platform

#4 – Make sure it’s sustainable

Getting v1 live is one thing – keeping it running is another Supporting and maintaining apps takes time and money – factor this in

#5 – Avert a design disaster

Tread carefully with in-house design – unless you have experience Think different – remember to design appropriately for brand and device

#6 – It’s not just about the development

Don’t get caught thinking it’s all about development – it’s only 25% You need other 25% splits – for analysis, design and deployment too

#7 – Beware of pot-holes

Test, test, test – different connectivity scenarios Fragmentation – versions and device specific OS builds

#8 – Get a launch plan

We all hate gantt charts – but there are benefits to planning You can build anticipation via other mediums – pre-launch momo

#9 – Rinse and repeat

Leverage the app store eco-system – do what you can to get noticed Try every angle – keywords, search, ratings, promotion, partnership, releases

#10 – Analyze your audience

Analytics are key – for improvements for the next release Feedback is actually helpful – respond to users’ needs to bump up ratings

#10 – Analyze your audience

…but it can be worth it!

•  “Delivered 4x ROI on investment”

•  “Built larger user database than all other channels combined”

•  “Exceeded our expectations”

Case study: BBC News App

Case study: BBC News App

•  BBC iOS app (iPhone & iPad) –  Over 2 million downloads –  44% of users use the app every

day –  70% of users use the app every 3

days –  #1 free app in the UK App Store –  #1 news app in 16 countries, top

10 in 62

BIG THINKING FOR THE SMALL SCREEN

Mobile IQ