Peer-to-peer shopping apps: Which one will survive? (mobilecommercedaily.com)

Numerous mobile applications have emerged enabling users to buy and sell fashions, but not all are likely to survive. 

Until Instagram ultimately took center stage in the photo-editing category, numerous apps competed for consumer attention in app stores. A similar whittling down of offerings could be imminent in the “sell fashion” category, where there are currently more than 50 offerings, including Poshmark, Vinted, closetremix, Bib + Tuck and Threadflip.

“Good branding that will resonate with the target audience is very important,” said Danika Daly, CEO and president of Danika Daly Public Relations, New York. “If the app maintains a certain aesthetic, users will take nicer product photos to match up to the other photos on the app.

“If the design of the app isn’t the greatest, it will attract cruddy photos. When it comes to fashion and clothing, they should be highlighted in the best ways possible.

“Threadflip, Material Wrld and Bib + Tuck do a great job at maintaining good visuals, even by their users. Out of the clothing selling apps currently out there, Bib + Tuck has the staying power, because it has a nice interface, it’s user-friendly, the branding is impeccable, and you can also trade items with other users without cash.”

Features to adoptSocial has become a centerpiece in these apps, creating a friendly experience and being given the ability to discuss the product directly with interested shoppers, which can encourage a sale.

It is believed that a higher level of interaction will lead a user to more sales.

“Social is incredibly necessary when using clothing selling apps,” Ms. Daly said. “When I post items and have a low level of interaction, I don’t sell anything.

“However, when I like outfits, comment on other posts, re-share my item, and follow users, my closet experiences a selling spree. If someone inquires about an item in a seller’s closet, it’s very important to reply and give as much information as possible. This leads to more sales for the seller.”

While social is a key component to these apps, each is fairly similar to one another and mostly maintains the same types of features, such as the ability to favorite items, comment on product images and search certain brands.

Vinted allows its users to trade items with its swap feature. Users can list an item and make it available for selling and/or swapping.

A Vinted user inquiring about swapping

Marketing a productPerhaps a styling feature, which would allow for customer feedback and inquiries, could give these apps an extra push. This implementation would give the seller more of an opportunity to market the item by making suggestions on how to wear it.

“The ability to get feedback on clothing items while shopping on an app would be effective because one often thinks, ‘I love this, but how would I wear it?’ Ms. Daly said. “To be able to shop through an app and be styled by the app’s community would be the ultimate experience.

“How an item can fit into my closet is a determining factor on whether or not I make the purchase.”

Poshmark has developed learning tool PoshMatch to suggest items based on prior searches and click-throughs.

Poshmark

For example, if users click through Chanel handbags, the tool is used to point out closets that it thinks users will also like.

“We believe that the future of shopping will be built around social networks that foster relationships beyond buying and selling,” said Manish Chandra, founder and CEO of Poshmark, San Francisco. “Poshmark’s PoshMatch harnesses the power of the network’s social activity to bring offline discovery into the online shopping world.

“While other companies are trying to add shopping on top of their social platforms and vice versa, Poshmark has built a social commerce engine organically from the beginning.”

Poshmark claims that its average user is accessing the app seven to eight times per day and spending about 20 to 25 minutes in the app each day.

“Poshmark is definitely the leading contender with a growing user base and impressive inventory,” said Brittany Mills, director of digital marketing services at Mobiquity, New York. “I think the app that will stand the test of time is one that takes their usage guidelines and buyer protection promise seriously.

“The quickest turn-off for a shopper is to use an app and have one bad experience with a product or buyer or seller. It is the app’s responsibility to make sure the quality of the product is accurately represented and the users are there for the right reason.

“All apps have the same type of inventory, it is the experience that differentiates one from the other.”

Ultimately, ease of use ranks as a top necessary quality for any mobile app, including these social shopping apps. If an app is confusing or seems inaccessible to users, it is unlikely that they will stick around.

“An easy-to-use interface is also very important,” Ms. Daly said. “If a user has issues figuring out how to access their digital closet, how to sell and communicate, it can turn them away from using the app, and will lead them to post on another.

“Poshmark and Bib + Tuck are very easy to use.”

IoT startup IFTTT takes in $30M to get your apps talking to each other (venturebeat.com)

Andreesen Horowitz and Norwest Venture Partners just handed over $30 million to a new Internet of Things startup that wants to connect all your online social interactions.

IFTTT (If This Then That) has a new approach to connecting all of your devices and apps. Rather than allowing you to manage all your home stuff through one main app, like Wink, IFTTT wants to manage interactions between your social apps.

Through IFTTT, a single action, like a post on Instagram, can set off a corresponding action automatically. Connecting to all your many apps, IFTTT will let you create circumstances or “recipes” for automated interactions. Conditional statements make connections between actions and apps. For example, “if” I’m tagged in a photo on Facebook, “then” send me a text message. Or “if” I post a picture on Instagram, “then” send that photo to my Dropbox.

So far, the company has amassed 125 apps it works with, including Twitter, Craigslist, Reddit, and Square. Personal recipes search for new trigger data every 15 minutes, with some refreshing more often.

It’s easy to see how this platform could extend to the home goods arena, with recipes that let you lock your front door via text.

This new round of funding will help the company do some hiring in business development and the design department, according to the New York Times. 

Hungry for Digital Media? No Doubt You’re Dining on Mobile Apps (mobilemarketingwatch.com)

Digital media consumption now constitutes a genuine multi-course meal, not just a snack. That’s the takeaway from a newly released comScore study, which also shows that Facebook is getting its just desserts.

The comScore research shows that the majority of digital media consumption now takes place in mobile apps.

“That means mobile apps, including the number 1 most popular app Facebook, eat up more of our time than desktop usage or mobile web surfing, accounting for 52 percent of the time spent using digital media,” according to a story on the study posted at TechCrunch. “Combined with mobile web, mobile usage as a whole accounts for 60 percent of time spent, while desktop-based digital media consumption makes up the remaining 40 percent.”

Furthermore, apps currently drive the majority of media consumption activity, says the study. It now accounts for 7 out of every 8 minutes of media consumption on mobile devices. On smartphones, that app activity is even higher, at 88 percent usage versus 82 percent on tablets.

“But no matter how often consumers are actively downloading apps, they certainly are addicted to them,” notes TechCrunch. “More than half (57 percent) use apps every single day, while 26 percent of tablet owners do. And 79 percent of smartphone owners use apps nearly every day, saying they use them at least 26 days per month, versus 52 percent for tablet users.”

The top brands, which account for 9 out of the top 10 most used apps, include Facebook, Google, Apple, Yahoo, Amazon and eBay. Facebook is the most used app “in both audience size and share of time spent among each demographic segment.”

Fuel operator partners with PayPal for mobile payments (mobilepaymentstoday.com)

As a frequent-spend item, fuel represents an opportunity for consumers to become more comfortable with mobile payments. And if there is a reward for them to change their behavior and pay for gas with a smartphone, even better.

MAPCO Express, a convenience store chain and petroleum operator in the southwest portion of the U.S., today became the latest such retailer to introduce a mobile app to enable its customers to pay for gas.

PayPal is the exclusive payment option within the MY MAPCO app, which is free for iOS and Android mobile devices and can be used at 276 locations across Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.

MAPCO gives app users five cents back on every gallon, an incentive that could lead to a $100 savings over 12 months based on the current average $3.49-per-gallon nationwide price.

"That's an immense incentive in our minds that will help create awareness of the application," Howard Curtis, MAPCO's director of marketing and CRM, told Mobile Payments Today in an interview.

Curtis admits at this point customer awareness of the app is a challenge.

MAPCO released the app about three months ago and word spread through social media, thanks in large part to Millennials. Curtis hopes awareness will spread first through that particular demographic, and then amongst their friends and family and all the way to Baby Boomers.

"PayPal and MAPCO are very focused on getting the awareness out there and focused on convenience and what it means to people. In this case, it's time at the pump," Curtis said. 

MAPCO and other fuel operators who offer similar programs are attempting to change behavior instilled in consumers for 30 years: inserting a payment card into a fuel dispenser to pay for gas. This is not behavior fuel operators modify overnight. Rewards, however, can help.

"Is swiping a card broken? Not really," Chris Morse, head of merchant communications for PayPal, told Mobile Payments Today in an interview. "But you need to add value, and anywhere we can add value to merchants to help them sell more, helps us [spread mobile payments] at the end of the day. By adding any type of value, but also solving a problem for both the consumer and merchant, we're all in."

Morse added partnerships with petroleum operators is one area PayPal will explore deeper.

MAPCO started to think about mobile payments some 18 months ago when the company realized mobile engagement and payments were gaining steam with consumers, Curtis said.

"A that point, mobile payments was on the horizon but we knew it was coming and coming fast, especially after Starbucks led the way in the retail experience," he said.

MAPCO wanted to bring credibility to the product from the start and decided to make PayPal the exclusive payment method within the app.

"Really, there was no other consideration when it came with partnering with one of the best payment providers out there," Curtis said.

The company is not worried about alienating potential users with an exclusive PayPal option.

"When we say PayPal to a non-PayPal customer, we might get a shoulder shrug," Curtis said. "But by adding five cents to the deal, we're hoping that overcomes the veto affect."

Early results suggest the rewards work. Both companies could not share specifics about current consumer use, but Morse said the app's most loyal users are coming back again and again.

Back to School: A Case in Point for Niche Mobile App Marketing (appdevelopermagazine.com)

Have an astronomy app? That’s a great niche, and when a comet starts barreling towards earth, your sales will soar. Of course it will be hard to spend all of that money in the aftermath of the impact, but hey, life’s not perfect.

Seriously, an astronomy app really is a great niche. It uses the capacities of smart devices well (GPS, imaging), it has a global group of individuals (albeit small) that are interested in astronomy, and there are regular events (meteor showers, lunar eclipses, etc.) that can provide a boost in sales to potential users outside of the core astronomy enthusiasts.

But it is a very specific niche and most developers will never consider it. However there are much broader niches and/or event based opportunities (holidays, etc) for which any developer can create an app.

And with Kid’s apps you get to double dip – they are one of the largest niches out there and events like back to school provide a bump in potential downloads. To look deeper into this niche for iOS and Android, the marketing platform adjust has published a report related to "Back to School: Apps for Primary School Children and Younger."

The report features insights on apps for children and youth, sourced from adjust's apptrace database in August 2014. 

Here is a snapshot of statistics from the report:

- An estimated 367,968 Apple App Store apps and 318,674 Google Play apps are designed for children (education, games, entertainment, etc)

- The iOS 'Kids' category for children under the age of 12 has 80,203 total apps 

- Apple's App Store offers 2,067 apps to help children with their homework compared to Google Play’s 924 homework apps

- There are 16,855 math apps and 698 timetable apps in the Apple App Store

- Average price for paid apps in the App Store Kids category is $2.56 USD

One thing that jumps off the page for these stats is the number of kid related apps that are in both markets. Obviously this is a very competitive category. In fact, apps targeting kids represent almost 25% of Google Play and 30% of iOS according to these stats. 

However, there are some insights shown as the report digs deeper that indicate that there are still opportunities in this niche. For example, take iOS kids apps by country.

As the report shows, the number of apps in the iOS “Kids” category in all countries are very similar, because developers do not need to restrict an iOS app to a specific country. For example, the U.S. store has 79,205 Kids apps, the UK store has 78,896, and Australia has 78,848. The store with the lowest number of Kids apps is Ukraine with 77,286 apps.

But that’s not the whole story, as a look at apps by language paints another picture. The report examines Kid Store apps in a number of countries by English description and local language description to estimate the number of apps that can be accessed in the language of that country. 

For example, in Germany there are 12,733 apps that have an English and German language description. And there are only 1,590 German only subscriptions. For Russian language users there are 8,507 apps that have an English/Russian language description and only 775 in Russian only.

So digging deeper reveals that if you make available a Kids app in the Russian language, you are only competing with just over 9,000 other apps. Now those are much better odds

Cost of App Marketing Continues to Soar in July Indicating a Blockbuster Year for Mobile Advertising (marketwired.com)

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwired - Aug 27, 2014) - Despite month-to-month ebbs and flows, an analysis of mobile app marketing competition and costs from 2012-2014 by Fiksu, Inc.(www.fiksu.com) shows relentless increases. Instead of expected summer slowdowns, the Fiksu Cost Per Loyal User (CPLU) Index came in at $1.97 for July, its second-highest point in the four-year history of the Fiksu Indexes, representing an increase of 9 percent year-over-year.

Along with CPLU, the Cost Per Install (CPI) Indexes also rose, surging up 44 percent year-over-year on Android (although down 9 percent from June), and up 16 percent over 2013 and 24 percent from last month on iOS. At the same time, Fiksu's July App Store Competitive Index, which measures aggregate daily download volume among the top 200 ranked iOS apps, increased from June's 6.1M to 6.2M -- representing a 2 percent increase from June and 7 percent growth year-over-year.

The Cost Per Launch Index, which tracks the costs of driving engagement from mobile users, showed a 16 percent year-over-year increase on iOS and a 13 percent increase on Android. Increased app usage -- potentially from users with more time and inclination to engage with apps during vacations or other downtime -- may have helped keep those numbers from increasing even further.

Significantly, between 2012 and 2014, the Cost Per Loyal User Index has risen steadily, hitting an all-time high last month of $2.23, making June the most expensive month ever for loyal user acquisition with July following on its heels.

July also marked the first month of the full availability of Twitter's Mobile App Promotionproducts. While early results indicate Twitter is on the path to be a major player for app install ads, it's too early to conclusively report data. However, key metrics are in the same ballpark -- and in some cases better -- than Facebook mobile app ads.

"The July Fiksu Indexes reflected the typical slowdown of summer behavior but confirmed that underlying app marketing costs are still rising consistently year-over-year," said Micah Adler, CEO of Fiksu. "However, marketers need to be sharpening their strategies in readiness for the next few months. In addition to powerful new channels like Twitter, a new iPhone and iOS always shake up the app marketing landscape."

August and September Index data will likely deliver an influx of findings from new devices -- and app installs -- ripe for marketers to analyze and get an early start on test ad efforts, in advance of the holiday rush. In addition, major movement is likely in the iOS ecosystem with debuts of new iPhones and iOS 8 expected in the coming months, potentially similar to last year's iPhone 5/iOS 7 unveiling.

Can Uber extend its influence beyond transportation? (mobilemarketer.com)

Uber’s recent hiring of President Obama’s former election campaign manager suggests the company is in it for the long haul despite push back from local governments, while its launch into delivery services points to aspirations beyond transporting people. 

Uber and other mobile-enabled taxi-alternatives face growing challenges from local governments intent on enacting regulations that would hamper growth, something David Plouffe, who helped president Obama get elected in 2008, will tackle as the company’s new senior vice president of policy and strategy. The timing of his hire is significant, as Uber’s quick adoption by consumers potentially opens the door to translating the model for other services. 

“At it's core, what Uber has done and will continue to do is understand its customer's needs and find innovative and cost competitive ways to solve those needs,” said Ned Elton, managing partner at Rosetta, New York. “For now, the core need is automobile transportation, but they have already extended that to Helicopter rides and are exploring things like using Uber as a delivery service or to provide people with a personal Chef.

“Jeff Bezos named his business Amazon because his vision was always to be more than 'bookstore.com,’” he said. “Uber's is using technology to help supply meet demand – in a user friendly and reliable way.

“You have to believe that Uber has similar ambitions to bring technology to bear in order to create new business models that disrupt the status quo.”

Minimal restrictions

Brands have already recognized Uber’s influence with consumers, which is why companies such as United Airlines, TripAdvisor, OpenTable, Starbucks, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts and others adding the on-demand car service as a feature on their mobile apps. 

While brands are embracing Uber, local governments have not been as welcoming, posing a real threat to the company’s aspirations. This is why the company has hired Mr. Plouffe, who will start at the end of September. The hope is that he will be able to leverage his knowledge of politics to pave the way for Uber to enter other markets and operate in existing ones with minimal restrictions. 

“Uber is getting push back from most governmental agencies for a variety of valid reasons,” said Steve Brumer, partner at 151 Advisors, New York.

Per Mr. Brumer, Uber needs to convince local governments that it can generate tax revenue, work with the existing unions, ensure that all vehicles and drivers are covered fully with liability insurance and bonded, ensure all private vehicles are inspected and safe and financially back up its model.  

If Uber is able to adequately address these concerns, there is significant room for growth. 

“I’m not sure I am ready for government to just leave them alone until the above listed action items are addressed fully and the public is fully aware,” Mr. Brumer said.  

“The concept of Uber does have the potential to play a huge role in transportation,” he said. “Specifically, in my family’s case, if a cost-effective and safe option existed to transport my elderly mother to and from the doctor’s office, appointments and the grocery store and avoid the hassle and expensive modes of transportation available today - whether they are reimbursed by Medicare, insurance companies or the family - I would consider it!

 

“Outside of transportation, it does make sense considering how our society is progressing. However, it must be priced right, safe for all involved and prove that the service being provided is needed by the masses.”

The sharing economy

The rise of Uber points to how mobile is enabling growth in what is being called “the sharing economy.” By linking self-employed drivers to customers, Uber is more of a ride sharing service than a taxi company. 

Mobile devices open up opportunities for sharing because they provide access to systems that enable efficient sharing and payment mechanisms. As a result, just about anything can be shared, including homes, cars, food, media and more (see story). 

Mobile-enabled services have already disrupted a number of industries and there is potential for it to impact others as well. 

“We’re seeing a similar scenario in the telecom industry right now with OTTs like Skype, WhatsApp, etc. stealing market share away from traditional operators, and we saw this several years ago with the music industry being forced to partner with companies like Apple and Spotify,” said Tristan Barnum, chief marketing officer at Voxox, San Diego.

“The consumer expectation is very different now and brands seem to understand this,” she said. 

 

Consumer affinity

While Uber is facing challenges from local governments, it is clear that consumers have recognized and are embracing mobile for its capacity to provide access to what they want, when they want it. So, if Uber is unable to successfully address governmental concerns, then someone else likely is. 

“Uber's genius and leverage is the rapid acceptance and affinity they are building with consumers,” Rosetta’s Mr. Elton said. “Doing so puts the consumer, and voters, on Uber's side as they face barriers to change with local governments. 

“Over the course of just a few weeks, Uber has been adopted by partygoers in places like the Hamptons as the way to safely and convenient hop from hot spot to hot spot,” he said. “In many cases, those partygoers are well-connected and wealthy residents. 

“That groundswell of interest and adoption makes it harder for governments to keep Uber out on the basis of what seem like petty 'permitting' issues and archaic transportation regulations. Do you want to be the Mayor who tells his prominent constituents that they can't have a service they really want and like because they need to apply for a permit first?”

eBay considering PayPal spin-off – report (paymentscardsandmobile.com)

Online auction house eBay is considering selling its PayPal unit next year, according to media reports. Tech site ‘The Information’ stated that during interviews for the vacant position of president of PayPal, candidates were informed about the potential sell-off.

PayPal could be spun off by parent eBay

eBay has been coming under sustained pressure from investors and shareholders to sell PayPal, with notable investors like Carl Icahn claiming that eBay is standing in the way of PayPal’s growth.

Payment industry experts also claim that PayPal has reached the stage where it can be considered a viable competitor to the likes of the major payment networks like Visa and MasterCard. However, PayPal itself is keen to emphasise that it considers itself a partner to industry incumbents and not a competitor.

In responde to the media report, eBay released a statement saying: “The eBay Inc. board and management team remain focused on maximising shareholder value. The board will continue to assess all alternatives to create that long-term value and to enhance the growth and competitive positions of both eBay and PayPal. This position has not changed.”

Lots of jobs in the 'app economy' (whatech.com)

Australia's 'app economy' - the industry centred around the development of smartphone and tablet apps - is thriving, accounting for a greater percentage of IT jobs than its counterparts in either the US or the UK, says a new report from the Progressive Policy Institute.

In the report Jobs in the Australian App Economy PPI says: "We estimate that the Australian app economy employed roughly 140,000 workers as of June 2014. The top state was New South Wales, with 77,000 app economy jobs, but every state had some app economy employment. Moreover, we note that Australia stacks up well against the United States and the United Kingdom when it comes to app economy employment per capita."

It puts app economy jobs in Australia at 9.4 percent of total IT jobs, compared to 8.4 percent in the US and 7.6 percent in the UK. In Sydney and Melbourne app economy jobs accounted for 10.7 and 10.9 percent, respectively of all IT jobs. This was well behind Silicon Valley with 17.6 percent, but comparable to other leading centres: New York City at 10.5 percent, Chicago at 9.5 percent and London at 9.3 percent.

PPI says: "It’s astonishing how fast many companies have embraced the app economy, hiring the workers needed to develop mobile applications at a rapid rate. We are seeing the creation of new specialties and new ways to interact with customers and employees."

It points out that building a successful app is not a one-shot deal. "Think of an app like a car—once built, it still needs to be repaired (in the case of bugs or security risks), updated, and maintained."

PPI adds that, just as the automobile industry supports a large number of workers, from engineers to factory production workers to sales to service stations, so too does the app economy support a significant number of workers.

"An Australian company that does app development has to hire sales people, marketers, human resource specialists, accountants, and all the myriad of workers that inevitably make up the modern workforce. Finally, each app developer supports a certain number of local jobs."

The report provides a comprehensive definition of an app economy job as:

• An IT-related job that uses app economy skills—the ability to develop, maintain, or support mobile applications. It calls this a 'core' app economy job.
• A non-IT job (such as human resources, marketing, or management) that supports app developers in the same enterprise. It calls this an 'indirect' app economy job.
• A job in the local economy that is supported by app developers. It calls this a 'spillover' job.

To identify app economy jobs PPI compiled a list of key words and phrases that would generally be associated with app economy-related skills, including iOS, Blackberry API, Windows Phone and Android.

It says: "Based on this analysis, the Australian app economy turns out to be remarkably diverse. A surprisingly broad range of Australian enterprises are searching for workers who have the ability to develop, maintain, or support mobile applications."

Based on this analysis PPI says there are seven types of Australian enterprises that hire app economy workers:

• Large, medium, and small app developers who may be creating apps for themselves or for clients;
• Media and software companies that engage in app development for consumer use under their own name;
• Finance and retail companies that use apps to reach customers;
• Other small and large non-tech companies that are developing and using apps for internal and customer purposes;
• Nonprofits and government agencies, including the military, that hire app developers directly or indirectly;
• Large companies—including Apple, Google and Microsoft—that develop and maintain mobile app ecosystems/platforms;
• Accounting and IT consulting firms that provide app development as part of a larger suite of services.

Mobile push notifications: an effective but underused marketing channel (econsultancy.com)

New research from Econsultancy shows that a fifth (20%) of companies now use mobile push notifications.

The findings, which are included in the Cross-Channel Marketing Report 2014, struck me as quite surprising given that it has the potential to be a very effective marketing channel.

I’ve previously written of my love for push notifications as I think they’re a very effective way for brands to engage with consumers.

For example, if I get a message from my Rolling Stones app then I’ll almost definitely open it up and see what Mick wants to tell me.

Similarly if I get a notification that H&M has a sale on then I’ll probably see what’s up for grabs.

Data from Urban Airship shows that push messages increase both engagement and retention by as much as 40% and 116% respectively (though it’s worth noting that the company makes money by selling its mobile marketing services).

Similarly, data gathered by Localytics from 28,000 apps found that users who enable push notifications have a nearly 3x higher retention rate compared to those who disable them.

But as our research shows, relatively few brands are making use of the technology.

This may change with the emergence of iBeacons, which rely on the use of apps and push notifications, but at the moment it’s still an under-utilised technology.

With this in mind, here's a few examples of brands that are using push messages.

Brands using push notifications

ASOS

In an example lovingly pinched from Mobile Donky, ASOS sent this push notification to iPhone users to notify them of a 50% sale.

The copy certainly grabs your attention and it’s a compelling offer. I’d definitely click through to the app.

             

Debenhams

I’ve previously blogged about Debenhams’ clever use of push messages, which are timed to coincide with seasonal sales or events such as Valentine’s Day or payday. 

These messages were enough to make me click through to the Debenhams app, even though it’s not really the sort of retailer I tend to buy from.

                  

Walmart

I no longer have Walmart’s app, but when I did messages came in at the rate of about one a month.

They generally advertised seasonal sales, which is a useful and relevant way of engaging with app users.

                   

Ladbrokes

Another example taken from Mobile Donky. Betting apps stand to make a lot of money from push notifications, as gamblers probably don’t need a lot of persuading to make an impulsive bet.

It would be quite easy to tailor these messages based on the user’s preferences (i.e. their betting history).

                  

The Rolling Stones

I haven’t received a push message from the Stones in several months, and quite frankly I miss them.

The app would send me regular messages about tour updates, news, or just encouraging me to watch one of the band’s old YouTube videos.

For example, last year I received a message to tell me it was Keith Richards' birthday, while another one let me know that the app now contained a new video of the band performing ‘Miss You’.

                 

Things to avoid

The personal, direct nature of push notifications increases the likelihood that they will be misused.

By that I mean marketers need to resist the temptation to spam the hell out of everyone who has opted into push messages, as it will erode consumer trust and reduce the efficacy of the channel.

A recent survey of 1,000 consumers by the DMA found that while seven in 10 (69%) have enabled push notifications, 78% of those people said ‘they would immediately delete the app or disable the notification’ if they were unhappy with the push notifications they receive.

So what can brands do to avoid annoying their app users? Econsultancy editor-in-chief Graham Charlton has previously looked at this issue, but the basic advice is:

• Tailor the messages by asking for people’s preferences.
• Don’t spam everyone.
• Don’t send messages in the middle of the night.
• Use push notifications for something useful, rather than just adverts.

Does your business need a mobile app? (techradar.com)

Is another mobile app what we need?

Related stories

As mobile apps continue to consume more of mobile device use, many businesses are thinking carefully about their technology marketing strategies. Even small local businesses may find that frequent customers are interested in interacting with their locations through an app rather than a mobile website.

Thanks to do-it-yourself app development tools, small businesses can create an informational app that gives customers the information they need without costing a fortune. But does your small business need an app? Before you begin the process of strategizing and creating one, there are a few questions you should ask to determine whether it’s the right route to take.

Can you afford it?

DIY tools have made it easy to create a simple app, but this still will take time away from your busy schedule. Additionally, many of the free or inexpensive app tools will allow you only to build the most basic of apps. For more interactive functionality, you’ll likely need an app developer to work on it, which will entail an hourly fee to a developer.

For your money, an investment in a mobile website may be a better idea. Unless your site was designed in recent years, it may not be optimized for mobile, which means your customers are having difficulty navigating it on tablets and smartphones. If you set up your site using a template from a site like WordPress, there are now numerous responsive webpage themes that automatically adjust to fit a visitor’s screen size.

Will your customers download it?

One of the most compelling arguments against an app is that your customers won’t download it. Unlike a responsive website, which can be called up on the fly, an app requires your customers to locate it in the app store, download it, and open it on their devices every time they want to use it.

Will your customers go to all that trouble simply to have access to your menu or your latest sales? Probably not. However, a restaurant could entice frequent customers to use an app to place orders for delivery. Domino’s Pizza’s app is the perfect example of this, giving customers the opportunity to order pizzas with just a couple of screen taps, since payment and delivery preferences are saved. You can even set up the app to list a customer’s previous orders for easy reordering.

A retail location can use an app to sell products or send weekly ads to customers. Target also allows customers to pull up coupons that can be scanned directly from their smartphone screen. However, much of this functionality can also be employed through a mobile website, which means a business may be wasting its valuable time and resources developing an app that will never be used.

Is it useful?

If you’re going to create an app, you’d be more successful if you provide something that customers will find useful and brand it for marketing purposes. A beach destination could offer an app designed to help tourists better navigate the area. A clothing retailer could design a fun app that allows fashionistas to create looks that they can then purchase in the store. If a customer sees a use for the app that will extend beyond simply finding out your operating hours and weekly discounts, that customer will be much more likely to download it and use it regularly.

Thanks to mobile web design, businesses don’t have to create an app to connect with customers on smartphones and tablets. However, an app can be useful if it is something a customer will find useful to their own lives. If your business can build in a way for loyal customers to place orders, you may have a good reason to build an app. Before investing the time and money, though, consider whether the same task can be accomplished using a mobile-friendly website.

Location-Based Marketing Needs Smarter App Development (mediapost.com)

By 2016, 90% of smartphones will be enabled with GPS technology. As this paves the way for location-based services, it’s no wonder the total value of the global, real-time, mobile location-based advertising and marketing market is expected to reach $9 billion by 2017. Already, 76% of marketers are using real-time mobile marketing techniques.

But this should come as no surprise because of the success of location-specific advertisements. Marketers have found location ads to be more effective than other mobile targeting strategies, as they produce double the click-through rate. 

Even social media outlets recognized the possibilities with Facebook, offering geotargeting services since 2011 and Twitter following suit when it gave advertisers the ability to target by ZIP code.

To give a recent example, Microsoft deployed geotargeted ads in the Miami market to promote the opening of a new retail location. And, it worked! Microsoft saw an 89% incremental lift in in-store visits among consumers who saw the mobile ads.

But it would have been impossible for Microsoft to target these specific Miami-based consumers without sufficient back-end mobile technology and real-time data movement. After all, the advertisements would not have had much value if they were seen by out-of-market mobile users or if they were posted long after the store had opened.

The world of location-based data demands application performance and speed at scale, especially if such marketing initiatives want to ensure that the right data is delivered to the right place at the right time, even over unreliable network connections.

Right Place, Right Time

Whether you’re trying to deliver coupons, live pricing updates or flash sales, information that doesn’t reach users’ mobile devices in time often means missed opportunities to boost sales and revenue. The information received by consumers needs to be accurate and timely to be useful.

A mobile coupon, for instance, does customers no good if it arrives after they have already left the mall… by then, it’s likely to be too little, too late. You need to know, in real time, where customers and prospects are located for this kind of marketing push to be effective.

Performance at Scale

But just knowing where your target customer base is located isn’t enough… perhaps that mobile coupon still won’t make it through to potential buyers because of the sheer number of people you’re trying to reach.

For example, if a top, nationwide retail store wants to send out a coupon on Saturday afternoon to anyone who is near one of its 250 locations across the U.S., that’s likely to be millions of end users it’s trying to reach all at once! So without the ability to ensure the same high performance, whether you’re targeting 10 or 10,000 potential customers, any location-based marketing drive won’t hold up to customers’ expectations.

Relevant Updates

Another common issue for location-based marketing efforts involves unreliable network connectivity. Without good bandwidth, customers may not be getting your updates and you may not be getting an accurate snapshot of their location. For instance, if a connection is lost, when it reconnects, you don’t need to know a customer was at your store 20 minutes ago. You only need to know who is at the store right now.

Having this level of insight into only the most relevant updates not only ensures you have an accurate location-based snapshot, but also prevents you from annoying users outside that relevant location with irrelevant information.

How can marketers ensure these three crucial location-based service components are met? Is it possible to get real-time updates of only the most relevant data at scale, even over unreliable networks?

Short answer: yes!

By incorporating intelligent data distribution technology, location-based marketing apps can perform at scale, offering only relevant information to an end-user’s actual location. Consider how much better your app could perform if you didn’t send all the data out to your users, but only what has changed.  

This reduced data allows the app to handle sending and receiving information over whatever limited connectivity is available. This not only saves bandwidth but greatly improves app performance and allows real-time services to scale. All of this is paramount if location-based advertising and marketing services are going to satisfy users’ high-performance requirements and reach the billions predicted for market revenue!