Forem: Clearbridge Mobile

[Checklist] Don't Overlook These Critical Steps in Mobile App Development

Clearbridge Mobile — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 15:20:37 +0000

Whether you're researching mobile development companies for the first time or you're looking to develop the next version of your iOS and Android apps, you should prepare to answer key questions about app development to give you a better understanding of what’s involved.

This checklist includes questions for various stages of app development, including planning and business strategy, design and development, deployment and maintenance, and app marketing so you can start thinking about the logistics of your mobile project.

DOWNLOAD THE FULL CHECKLIST OF OVER 70 CONSIDERATIONS

1. Planning Your App & Business Strategy

What are your business objectives?
How will your brand be perceived as having an app? Does it make sense for your brand to have an app?
Have you defined your app in a discovery and definition session?
Have you created a product roadmap? What is the most crucial feature that you need? What are the must-have features? What are the nice-to-have features?
Have you identified and analyzed your competition?

2. Design & Development

Do you have any preliminary visual designs? Or are you starting from scratch?
What user usability testing have you done or have planned on doing?
Has any existing codebase been analyzed for security risks?
Has any existing codebase been analyzed for performance risks?
Do you have an API testing strategy and tools? You need to make sure all the cases are covered with an API testing tools. Some examples include Charles Proxy and Postman.
How data-driven do you want your app to be? How much data do you want to collect and how responsive do you want to be to that data?
If you are using an agile methodology, does your app development partner have experience with agile projects?

3. Deployment & Maintenance

Do you have a dedicated QA team that has experience testing mobile apps on a variety of different platforms? Do you need automated, manual testing or both?
Do you have defined tests to cover known edge cases for using the app?
Do you have a vendor that can facilitate detecting and report any app crashes that may occur?
Do you have a plan for releasing frequent updates to the App Store and Google Play?

4. Marketing Your App

Have you integrated analytics into your app? For example, are you tracking features that are frequently used and which screens your users are most engaged with? What are the most popular user actions? You should understand user engagement within your app.
Have you prepared a pre and post-launch plan?
Have you determined a marketing budget?

DOWNLOAD THE FULL CHECKLIST OF OVER 70 CONSIDERATIONS

How to Market Your App After You've Launched It

Clearbridge Mobile — Mon, 16 Apr 2018 19:15:02 +0000

The app ecosystem is continuously evolving and marketers need to stay on top of it. This mobile app post-launch checklist will increase your chances of long-term success in the app market.

Further engage with your social following

Continue to grow an audience by engaging with them to establish loyalty. Continue a two-way dialogue on your social channels.

Consider a burst campaign

“Burst campaign” is one of the most popular techniques used by mobile app marketers who want to climb the app store ranks. The idea of a burst campaign is to provide a “burst” of exposure for your app in which you aggressively purchase paid media exposure over a short period of time- usually 24 – 72 hours, depending on budget.

The goal is to get as many paid installs as possible, boosting your rank. All this with the hope of increasing the volume of quality organic installs – that should follow when the app is finally ranked high enough to be discovered.

Don’t stop paid advertising after the burst campaign ends. If your goal is to attain and maintain a high ranking in the app store, you need something to keep it going. While you should attract more organic downloads from a successful burst campaign, continued paid advertising. You need to keep the momentum going.

Pro Tip: The more downloads an app gets within a short period of time, the higher it will rank in the top charts. To use this to your advantage, you’ll want to make sure you pay for installs in bursts. You’ll get a much higher ROI out of your ad budget if you spend it within a 1-2 week period.

Consider Apple Search Ads

With Search Ads, you can promote your app right at the top of the App Store search.

Offer a referral bonus

Offering your users a bonus or benefit when they promote your app online is a sure way to get them to spread the word. With a staggering 3900% growth rate, Dropbox is an excellent example of how powerful referrals can be. The company had just 1,00,000 registered users in 2008, which climbed to a staggering 4,000,000 registered users within a mere 15 month period as a result of their referral program.

Build out your website

Your landing page shouldn’t be seen just as a promotional tool for the initial launch. Think of the long-term strategy and how SEO efforts including domain authority and ranking above your competition will benefit your brand in the long-run.

A professional, well-designed website will provide potential users with more information about your app and increase your legitimacy. If you decide to publish content to market your app, having a website is a must.

Pro Tip: Collect questions people repeatedly ask on forums and discussion boards, social platforms, etc. and create an FAQ page to your website.

Keep going with your SEO efforts

Building domain authority through continued backlinking and guest posting will ensure that your app remains visible online over a long period of time.

Website A/B testing

A/B test your website or landing page to optimize for conversions. Test buttons, images, and messaging.

Mobile app A/B testing

The benefits to running A/B tests on mobile apps is similar to A/B tests on the web. You can test difference experiences within your app and make changes based on actual data. A/B testing allows you to determine with statistical data what the impact of changes you make to your app will have, and measure exactly how much that impact will be. Optimizely is a great tool to use for the purpose of innovating since it allows you to experiment with design patterns and even algorithms.

Ask for reviews at the right time

If people are using your app constantly, they are probably enjoying it. Give them the opportunity to express their opinions with a popup invitation to leave a review, but remember that user experience should not be sacrificed by this tactic. Think about when and how you want to ask for a review and make sure it flows well with the user experience so it won’t frustrate users. The more strategically the popup is placed, the better the chances are for a positive review.

Ask for feedback

Whenever you prompt users to leave reviews and ratings, give them the option of connecting with you via email. You may learn about a bug in your app that you didn’t catch, or discover new features that people would like to use.

Prepare for continuous updates and maintenance

A stagnant app will be abandoned by users once they don’t see any added value. Keep your users interested and excited to use the app by planning ahead with feature updates.

Set Goals and Track Key Metrics

The overall goal of a user acquisition plan is to generate revenue. To understand if your efforts are working, you’ll need to set goals and track the increase in your app store ratings over a given period of time. There will also be numerous analytical elements that you’ll need to keep track of throughout the acquisition, engagement, conversion and retention stages of the user journey which is why measurement should be an ongoing process.

From these metrics, you need to determine what worked and what didn’t. Focus your efforts and resources on high-value tactics and you’ll be sure to see your app’s downloads skyrocket.

Don’t Over Promise

An important part of every marketing strategy is to not oversell. Word of mouth is by far the most effective strategy for marketing any mobile app. This means that you cannot falsely advertise or oversell your app. If you offer a “free ride with first use” then don’t follow up by giving your users $5 off. You need to make sure your messaging remains consistent or it will inevitably result in frustrated users and high uninstall rates.

When it comes to setting a broad app marketing strategy, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Diversify your marketing strategy. Some people will connect with video, others with images or text. Create diversified content and make sure app reviewers have easy access to it at all times. Remember that your strategy should be dynamic with iterations and continual optimization will be the key to finding the perfect balance of different approaches.

This Is What You Need To Do Before You Launch Your App

Clearbridge Mobile — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 18:44:08 +0000

Many companies will focus on developing a great app that functions properly and addresses a pain-point in the market, but will often leave marketing as an afterthought. If you want to market your mobile app successfully, you need to begin strategizing before development even begins.

With this checklist, you will be able to collect marketing assets, prepare a marketing plan, and execute your marketing strategy to maximize the potential of your app’s success in the competitive app market.

The pre-launch phase is arguably the most important step in the app marketing process. Typically, the first phases of your mobile app marketing strategy should focus on brand awareness and visibility. Here is a list of pre-launch marketing tactics to set yourself up for a successful mobile app launch.

Determine a release date

Apple has a strict review process that might delay the release, or you may encounter a setback that you didn’t anticipate. Planning far in advance will give you adequate time to prepare for the hard launch, allowing you to foresee any contingencies that may occur.

Pro Tip: When scheduling your launch date, pay attention events that are going on in your space that have the potential to overshadow your app.

Conduct market research to understand your customers

One of the most common pre-launch pitfalls is not doing market research properly. At the very beginning of the development phase, you should identify the key players in your specific app category. It doesn’t matter how thorough and effective your marketing efforts are – if your app doesn’t address a pain-point or addresses one that already exists in the market, then it will simply not succeed. App Annie provides tons of useful app market data.

Pro Tip: If you don’t know what the most influential blogs, groups, forums, or websites your target audience is visiting, or what influencers they follow, you will struggle to reach them.

Build out your user personas

Try to envision the ideal user- What characteristics and traits do they have in common? Once you’ve nailed down the demographic you’ll be targeting, you can adjust your marketing message much more easily. Ask yourself who your app is for and how your target audience could benefit from your features. What features are they currently missing in the apps they are using or have used in the past? What features do they like and dislike the most?

Pro Tip: An app aimed at the 30-50 year old demographic is going to need a much different approach than an app made for millennial. Be smart about using certain language, gifs, emojis, etc. and adjust your messaging appropriately.

Conduct a competitive analysis

The chances that your app has some existing competition in the app market are very high as there are millions of apps to choose from. Make a list of your top 5 competing apps, their current price, monetization model, ranking, pros and cons, notable reviews. You could even go as far as making a competitive matrix to determine how your app compares. Make sure your app doesn’t repeat any poorly made features or UX elements that users have negatively reviewed. Think about what could make your app stand out in contrast to your competitors. These are important considerations that should influence your entire app marketing approach.

Pro Tip: Research and test competing apps and improve on what they are offering.

Determine your Unique Value Proposition (UVP)

With the information gathered from the last point, you can determine what makes your app unique and capitalize on those elements throughout your messaging.

Define brand messaging and positioning

What’s the story behind the app? Bumble does this well as their value proposition and vision to empower women is evident throughout all of the company’s messaging. Once you have a story and messaging that resonates with users, and the app provides a great experience in achieving their goal, the positive reviews and ratings will roll in. Customers buy into the reason the brand was created, not just the features it provides.

Pro Tip: Establish a brand voice. Who is behind the app?

Create a branding style guide

The purpose of a style guide is to ensure similar design styles are used across all of your marketing channels. Having a document keep track of your color and font choices will be extremely useful especially if you have a larger team. This will ensure that your branding remains consistent.

Create a pitch deck

If you want to obtain funding for it from angel investors or venture capital firms you need to prepare an effective “pitch deck” that showcases your company, your app, and your management team for prospective investors. It’s a is a concise, easy-to-understand, and highly visual presentation of a business idea sent to investors prior to a face-to-face meeting.

Collect PR materials

Start collecting your pitch templates. When your app is launched you can send your pitches more quickly.

Create your press kit. Include high-res photos of the logo, icons, screenshots, videos, marketing images, etc. Also, include information about the features and functions as well as details about your team and the background story of your app.

Build a media list

One of the most overlooked aspects of marketing a new app is PR initiatives and reaching out to influencers, publications, tech bloggers, etc. to secure backlinks. Make a list of these contacts that might be interested in writing about your app. Connect with them and ask to mention your app when it is released. These contacts must be relevant to your space or they won’t bother replying. Also, try to work out a promotion strategy with them. You need backlinks for your website to gain any type of visibility on Google.

Pro Tip: Think about what your target audience reads, and what they listen to.

Begin PR outreach

It’s important to start your PR efforts pre-launch. Journalists and bloggers will appreciate the chance to look at your app before launching. You can ramp up your efforts after launch. Even if you don’t plan on doing pre-launch PR, building a list of sites to submit to will make promoting easier when launch time rolls around.

Pro Tip: Outreach to local press, publications, influencers such as bloggers, YouTubers, podcasters. etc. and ask them to review your app and send honest feedback. Share your thoughts on a good post they may have published and let them know why they may be interested in reviewing your app. Positive comments are always a good way to get a relationship going. Keep your pitch to journalists short and sweet with a link to your press kit or landing page. That way, if they’re interested in writing about your app, they’ll have all of the information they need.

Create a website, microsite, or landing page

Mobile websites are the number one source of app installs.

Creating a pre-launch landing page or at the very least a video trailer for your app has become a must-do. It’s never too early to start marketing your app.

Tip: Once you have a video made for your website, you can recycle it by putting it in the app stores, on social platforms like Youtube, or even use it in your Facebook Ads.

In addition to building a buzz around your app, having a pre-launch website is also a great way to get some early SEO by beginning to build your domain authority.

Start collecting emails

Email is not the most innovative tactic to drive mobile user acquisition, but it remains an essential part of a good marketing plan. When you set up your website, collect emails so you can keep your followers updated and let them know when it launches, when you have new updates and features, etc.

Capitalize on mobile visits to your website

Mobile searches now overtake desktop so it’s more important than ever to ensure that your website is optimized for mobile. You can also boost downloads by promoting visits to your website via mobile to download your app with a mobile smart app banner.

Define your monetization strategy

Defining your monetization strategy too late or squeezing in a functionality to help make the app profitable last minute will only create the opposite effect with a frustrating UX. Mobile app monetization is done in a variety of ways, from freemium based apps (in-app purchases) to ad-supported, and subscription-based.

Start App Store Optimization (ASO)

App Store Optimization involves optimizing your App Store page to rank higher in search results and convert at a higher rate.

Over 65% of apps are discovered from a search on the App Store directly

Once your app is ranked highly in search for a certain keyword, it will continue to rank for months after.

Hook users with the app name
A great title is your chance to hook users in and get them to click on your app to discover more. Include a keyword in the title for best results.

Keyword research is probably the most crucial part of ASO. The algorithm employed by the Apple App Store uses primarily keywords coming from the app title in order to rank apps for specific search queries. Other elements such as installs, conversion rates, reviews & ratings, etc are taken into account by the algorithm to make a proper ranking on apps targeting the same app store keywords.

Pro Tip: Conduct keyword research and create a set of long and short tail keywords.

Convey value in the app description

Features and benefits the user will get out of the app.

Add screenshots and video

iOS and Google Play both allow for a short video preview of your app. Use this to show off gameplay, demo functions, and convince users to try it out. Include 2-3 feature screenshots with short, and exciting language to capture users’ attention right away.

Select the right app category

Try choosing a less competitive category so your app can rank higher in. Keep in mind that you need to make sure the category is relevant to your app.

Pro Tip: Make sure you have all your logos, screenshots, and images ready in different sizes and required file formats for easy upload to the app store and use on different online channels. Also, make sure your first two screenshots are the most exciting.

A/B test app page

A/B testing your app page is one of the best ways to improve its conversion rate. Test your icon, screenshots, app video, and descriptions to boost conversions.

Localize your app

There are tons of people who would love to use your app but will never find it because it’s not in their language. Change this by localizing your app page.

Create a content marketing strategy

Build up a blog months in advance of launching. When it’s time to launch, you’ll already be an authority in your niche with followers. Start simple and write a launch post, boast about the app’s features, showcase screenshots, and videos, etc. Here are several benefits of content marketing for your app:

Drive traffic, conversions, and brand awareness with content. Create a brand around your app by being the expert in your niche.

Build trust with users through content

Blog content can be used for email marketing to re-engage contacts, for social media, and so on.

Creating quality blog content is a surefire way to get your app noticed on search engines.

Pro Tip: Once you have your content created, publish it on third-party sites like Medium, LinkedIn, and turn it into a slideshow and post it on SlideShare for some extra exposure. SlideShare can help you reach thousands of readers who may be interested in giving your app a try. From there, you can link directly to your website or landing page.

Set up social media pages and set goals for each platform

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and other social platforms let you expand your web presence and allow you to directly communicate with your target audience. If your app targets specific age groups, identify the social platforms that are most popular with people in this demographic and focus on them. Make sure you consider the following:

Is it clear that you have an app from the first glance of your social profile?
Is the purpose of the app obvious?
Is there a link to download it from?

Creating a page for your app on Facebook alone gives you a platform to share news, updates, and even how-tos or exclusive app tips. Reach out to friends and family to like and share your page, even if they aren’t part of your app’s target demographic, someone in their social network might be.

Pro Tip: Claim a username for your app on all platforms. You may end up using the platform down the road that you didn’t start off using. Consider all platforms, for example, Google+ as it can be a valuable place to find and share your content with others in your niche. Don’t underestimate the power of lesser-known platforms. StumbleUpon for example, allows users to search for and discover new content that is tailored to their interests.

Create social media content & creatives

Gathering social content and materials ahead of time will expedite the social posting process. Create a social posting calendar and schedule posts ahead of time. Get creative with your content and create a demo video, infographics, and capture interesting screenshots of key features.

Pro Tip: Not all content you promote needs to promote your product. Try producing interesting and engaging content that has the potential to go viral. There are many cases in which this has proven to be a huge success. Took a look at these 7 apps that are doing an amazing job with content marketing.

Plan your content distribution in advance. Planning any marketing initiative well in advance is a must, but content promotion is especially important. It will help you stay on track, remaining consistent with your digital presence. Promoting content around your app launch is just the beginning.

Start promoting on social

Post company updates, features, etc.- get followers excited about the launch. Create a hashtag and use it in posts when appropriate. Post and share not only promotional but entertaining and engaging content related to your app in order to build a community behind it.

Pro Tip: Consider social media marketing tools like Buffer to help you out.

Set up Google Alerts

Find where people are talking about the problem your app solves. You can also use them to track where people are talking about your app directly by setting up a branded keyword alert.

Plan for promotional offers

Such as coupons. Offer limited time promo codes for free downloads, in-app purchases, or points. This will encourage listeners or readers to download quickly so they don’t miss out, helping your app rise through the rankings.

Plan for contests and giveaways

Running a contest can get your app a lot of attention online.

Collect Reviews

Showcase 5-star reviews on the site, social, and everywhere else. Make sure reviews are authentic, or else your brand will seem in-genuine. Make sure they aren’t over the top and encourage honest, but positive ones. After two weeks is statistically the best time to ask for a review.

Pro Tip: Use testimonials not only on your website, but in ads, social posts, and on your app store page.

Track user acquisition

Use an attribution platform like AppsFlyer or Kochava to keep track of where your downloads are coming from.

Create a press kit page and post it on your website

Post your press kit on your web page by compressing everything into a .zip. Add the Press Kit link in the appropriate metadata field in iTunes Connect.

Write a press release

Your app launch won’t likely gain a lot of traction among journalists without a press release. Keep in mind that you need to have something newsworthy to say or else it won’t get picked up.

Here's How to Successfully Launch Your Mobile App [Checklist]

Clearbridge Mobile — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 17:50:25 +0000

These mobile app launch marketing tactics will help you maximize the potential of your app’s success in the competitive app market.

Ramp up your user acquisition efforts

With a user acquisition strategy, there is no one way. Making sure to try different things, get creative, and continually refine your user strategy is crucial. Aim to get as many downloads as possible in the first week after launch. The more rapidly your app gets downloads, the higher it will rank in the App Store results.

Encourage referrals from friends and family

Word of mouth is the single most effective user acquisition tactic.

Link to your app (everywhere)

In your email signature, social bios for the app, on your homepage, etc. You can even take this a step further and add a project to your LinkedIn Page.

Think about your paid strategy

After the app is launched, start rolling out advertising such as social Facebook ads, which are extremely effective for user acquisition. Depending on your target demographic, you should also consider other platforms like Instagram and Twitter, although the reach is not as large but still effective especially for millennials. Facebook’s ads platform is great at letting you target your desired audience by their interests, location, and much more. If you’re targeting your audience via social ads, you need to remember that people have shorter attention spans, so your ads should convey the purpose of the ad in a few seconds.

If you’re providing a solution that your users are searching for, Google Search ads may also be a good option.

Pro Tip: Facebook Ads can also let you retarget people who have downloaded your other apps or visited your website. Targeting is what makes Facebook Ads so powerful compared to other advertising platforms. For more information, Apptentive breaks it down in detail.

Engage with customers that have been acquired

Establish a two-way dialogue. Community building via social platforms is essential. Make sure you’re posting in groups, forums, and discussion boards. If your app solves a problem, look to answer questions about that problem on Quora.

Pro Tip: To get the most out of Quora, make sure that you’re providing value in everything you post. Tell a story or give an example along with your answer and people will be more likely read your full answer and check out your app.

Pitch more aggressively for interviews, videos, & podcasts

Aim for brand mentions to acquire backlinks. You want to continuously focus on SEO. Back-linking is the best way to get your app seen as it boosts visibility on search engines, and promotes brand awareness.

Offer exclusive interviews to journalists

Providing them with a unique interview will increase your chances of getting published.

Guest post on websites that have an established audiences

Write guest posts for other audiences that are targeting your personas. Guest blogging can help establish your authority in your area of expertise. If you choose wisely and target blogs with high readership, you’ll reach a brand new market which will convert into more downloads for your app.

Start reaching out to influencers to review your app

Start reaching out to influencers mentioned earlier- bloggers, podcasters, you tubers, newspapers, journalists, tech bloggers, etc. When pitching to bloggers and app reviewers, offer incentives and build a relationship with them.

Pro Tip: Reach out to influencers directly to negotiate cheaper rates and find better opportunities.

Reach out to Top Apps Lists

Make sure they have high authority and ask them to feature your app.

Pitch to Apple’s editorial team to get your app featured in the App Store
Every day, a free or paid app and game is reviewed by professional App Store curators. Apple receives thousands of pitches to feature mobile apps. This tactic can be useful if done persuasively. Craft a convincing pitch that outlines what your app does and how it’s unique. Here are 10 ways to get your app featured in the App Store.

Apply for mobile app awards

Entering your app for awards can boost visibility, reaching new networks of potential users. You’ll also increase your chances of securing a mention in high authority publications and media outlets.

Pro Tip: If your app has won any awards, make sure to show it off via your ads, social platforms, website, and pitch to journalists. Also, consider writing a blog about it and share on various platforms.

Comment on other blogs for community building

You can use tools such as BuzzSumo to identify key influencers.

Submit app to app review websites

A few choices are 148apps, App Store Apps, AppReviews, App Awards, and The Mobileys.

Contact editors of app review sites via Twitter, email, or contact form.

You can also boast about your app on product curation sites like Product Hunt which is a website that allows users to discover, share, and vote on new products. Submit your app to the site to reach a wider audience.

Ask users for feedback and start responding to reviews, comments, etc.
Regularly read over the app store reviews and ask loyal customers for positive ones. Also, pay attention to common complaints. Keep these communication channels open so you can continue revising and improving your app’s ratings so you can better serve your users.

Once you have feedback, think about engagement and retention strategies

Most people will put considerable thought into acquisition marketing, but once you’ve acquired users, however, the job has only begun. Your next move should be to develop a plan of action for retention marketing to secure your new customers for the long haul.

Push notifications have been shown to increase user retention, with statistics showing anywhere from a 56% to a 180% improvement . Users who have opted into receiving push notifications exhibit 88% higher app engagement than those who haven’t. The higher retention rate, the better the ranking in the app store. Leanplum is a great app marketing tool that helps boost mobile engagement.

Giving users incentive to use your app can also go a long way. Mobile-specific rewards, specialized content access, coupons, special promotions, and other offers will help drive conversions and encourage engagement.

Map the user journey to re-engage users

Identify inactive users before they give up on your app, and encourage them to become active again.

Focus on customer service

Responding to customer support emails and forums. Do a search to see where your app is mentioned. You can use a tool like BuzzSumo for this.

Make it easier for users to share your app

Understand how your users are sharing the app with their friends. And make it easy for them to do so.

Think about using print

Get traditional posters and business cards made and hand them out in areas where your target audience is. e.g College campuses, coffee shops, etc.

Pro Tip: Bring the business cards with you wherever you are and hand one out if you speak to someone about your app.

Use QR codes in your physical marketing

Make it easier for people to download your app from physical marketing materials such as flyers, posters, and business cards by using a QR code. Minimizing the amount of effort makes it more likely that people will give it a try.

Secure speaking engagements

Are you an expert on a particular topic? Pitch to event planners and try to secure a spot on a panel discussion.

These mobile app marketing hard launch tactics will increase the chances of your app succeeding in the market. However, there is no magic formula- what works for your brand may not work for others, which is why it's imperative to experiment with different strategies and focus your efforts on the ones that have the highest return.

Does Your E-Commerce Site Really Need a Mobile App?

Clearbridge Mobile — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 15:53:15 +0000

A great inventory, a user-friendly sales portal, a seamless checkout process – these are all things any e-commerce site needs.

But what about a mobile app?

Apps have taken the world by storm, and you may have noticed that most of the big-name e-commerce sites out there have them. But are they necessary? If your site is doing well and has a good design, is it really imperative that you enter the mobile market?

Online shopping and mobile apps are popular for the same reason – they both provide quickness and convenience for basic functions like buying what you need or sending a message to friends.

Does this mean the mobile app is unnecessary when it comes to e-commerce sites? Not exactly – though the lack of an app won’t kill your online shopping business, you may be missing out on a lot of potential customers if you don’t have a presence in the mobile market.

Why Have a Site and a Mobile App?

Most people have had the experience of trying to open a desktop site on their mobile device. Sometimes it works, but sometimes there can be problems.

A page may not display correctly in one view or another, leaving some of the information cut off and requiring the user to adjust the zoom to compensate. This, in turn, can lead to frozen phones and even accidental clicks that put the user someplace they don’t want to be.

The reason many websites have a mobile version is to avoid these problems. Mobile app development company specialists know that users will leave a website if they can’t access it comfortably on their device of choice. For the person with the e-commerce site, this can mean lost business.

A person may not be able to scroll through a list of products to find what they want, or they may have trouble moving through the checkout process to complete a transaction. Desktop sites don’t always translate well on mobile devices but having both a site and an app lets you reach customers on the device they prefer.

One of the main concerns e-commerce companies have about Android or iOS app development is how they can implement the buying and browsing processes into a mobile setting.

E-Commerce and Mobile Mesh Well

People like shopping online, and they like mobile phones – this means developers figured out quickly that they needed to combine these two technologies.

With over half of traffic coming from mobile devices, it is imperative e-commerce site owners learn how to translate their site to this platform as well. App developers have become highly skilled at helping all aspects of the e-commerce experience make their way to mobile devices.

Consider the category function of a shopping site. Being able to narrow down your search based on certain parameters like brand or price makes it much easier to find what you’re looking for – even if you aren’t sure about exactly what that is. Good mobile apps make it easy for users to browse on their device of choice, without presenting aspect problems or other common issues.

There’s also the checkout process, which is important for both transaction authenticity and the protection of a person’s private payment data. App developers can create secure setups that make it easy for a person to buy what they want and do it seamlessly and safely all the way through the transaction.

Businesses of All Sizes Can Benefit

When a company is involved with e-commerce, they may be local, regional, national, or even global in their scope.

No matter how large an organization is, they can still benefit from supplementing their e-commerce website with a mobile app. All the inventory and payment information can be displayed through the app, giving it the same level of functionality as the desktop site.

An enterprise app development company can help even the largest business excel in the mobile market, optimizing their apps for nearby locations and ensuring they offer the same level of convenience as the company’s desktop site.

Apps can also help smaller companies get the necessary reach to grow, while providing the stable e-commerce controls they need. Whether the app should accommodate multiple payment plans, offer discounted shipping for members, or tailor a person’s search to their previous preferences, app development professionals can make it happen.

Is Google Assistant Better Than Siri and Alexa?

Clearbridge Mobile — Mon, 05 Feb 2018 19:45:23 +0000

There was a time when choosing an assistant digitally meant sending a message to your favorite candidate for the job.

While technology hasn’t exactly automated human assistants out of the market, some great options of the virtual variety have developed in recent years. Choosing between the most intelligent applicant for the job of your assistant is a tough choice – now there’s some decision making involved in choosing the most (artificially) intelligent digital option as well.

Though new developments are being made in the industry of virtual assistants on a regular basis, there are currently three options that stand out above the rest. Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant. But while Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri are both well-known candidates for the best assistant out there, how does Google’s offering stack up?

Google Assistant is backed by the same resources that helped the technological juggernaut create tools for businesses, change online communication, and, of course, change search engines forever.

But does this mean Google Assistant is automatically better than Siri and Alexa? Or do they perform differently in different categories?

What Would a Mobile App Development Company Look For?

When considering virtual assistant apps and programs designed to function effectively as a digital person helping you with life’s many questions, it is important to know what to look for.

Android or iOS app development specialists know that virtual assistants must be able to address humans the way humans address each other. This means interpreting questions properly, knowing when to ask for additional clarification, and being able to make direct comparisons in a timely manner.

Both Siri and Alexa have displayed these characteristics, functioning as top choices among dedicated audiences of users. Those who prefer Apple and the seamlessness of the iOS interface are familiar with Siri, which has become a long-running feature in these products.

Likewise, Amazon’s dominance in e-commerce and home media devices and streaming has also given their name a lot of power. This was enough to make Alexa a hit, despite some initial skepticism about associated devices’ impact on privacy. Google has a similar name and a similar following – this, combined with the great design the company has become known for, have already helped Google Assistant gain popularity. Can everyone from the casual user to the top enterprise app development company in an industry use Google Assistant? Or is it superior for certain groups and certain types of users?

Where Google Assistant Has the Advantage

When compared to Siri and Alexa, Google Assistant has proven to have the advantage in one key area – and it’s the one you would expect.

When asked thousands of questions, Google Assistant got a higher answer percentage and a higher number of correct answers when compared to Siri and Alexa. Given that Google’s search engine gives them immense amounts of information about how people try to find out answers to their questions and solutions to their problems, they were able to make a very reliable tool.

In some situations, Siri and Alexa would still have their own advantages. In Alexa’s case, shopping would likely be quicker and more convenient due to the extensive e-commerce resources of Amazon. Likewise, Siri would be preferred among Apple users and may have an edge in communication simply for being almost predominantly mobile-based. This is when compared to Google Assistant or Alexa, which may often be asked from desktop PCs, laptops, or other devices as well.

Even competitors to Siri and Alexa such as Microsoft’s Cortana and Android’s Genie have shown promise. But Google Assistant can (with permission) access your search history and use this information to customize responses accordingly. While not the first virtual assistant to offer this feature, Google’s extensive search engine gives it a unique advantage.

How Might Virtual Assistants Change?

Having an assistant on your computer (or better yet, your mobile device) can make life easier whether you’re trying to plan a trip, get work done, or even locate a good restaurant for dinner. Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant all have their advantages, with each being proportional to the resources and digital infrastructure behind these companies.

In the future, virtual assistants may improve through as artificial intelligence becomes more refined and tech companies deliver an ever-more-personal experience to their users. The term “personal” is often associated with the term “assistant” for a reason, after all.

We'd like to hear from you! Do you think Google Assistant is a better option over other voice assistants like Siri and Alexa?