Before we know it, iOS 7 will be here. We know that Apple is development/testing of iOS7 because developers have reported showing it in their logs. With Apple closely tightlipped about it, I thought I’d put together my iOS7 wish list:

• QR Codes built into the camera app. Why not? It would make it easier for everyone to scan QR codes.
• Air Drop Support. I’d love to use my iPhone as a flashdrive to courier files back and forth.
• Easy to close apps. Most people don’t even know how to close apps. There needs to be another way to close apps. Maybe a way to close them all at one time.
• Instagram integration. Have the accounts built in like Facebook and Twitter. Add Instagram to the new sharing feature that’s built into iOS6.
• iBook rentals. Easy enough.
• Siri reading your emails. When you’re in the car, it would be great if Siri could just read your emails to you.
• Unlock Siri for developers. Yes please!
• Multi-user Facetime. I have family scattered throughout the world. Having 4 people on the same Facetime would be awesome.
• Faster way to organize icons. When you have to move 20 icons around, it gets laborious.
• Send your friends your exact location through SMS & maps. If I’m in the map app, I’d love to easily tap on a button and send my exact location to someone else so they can view it on their map.

We spend a lot of time working with mobile websites, mobile apps, responsive design and other ways to get businesses seen on mobile devices. But mobile marketing continues to evolve. Great opportunities lie in understanding current mobile trends and thinking about how to beat your competitors to the punch.

So if you’re contemplating how to go big with mobile this year, here are some trends and ideas worth adding to the mix.

eReaders

A recent Pew Research Center study shows that 33% of people now own some kind of ereader or tablet device. 31% of public libraries are now offering ebooks. Just goes to show the shifting sands of media consumption. How might your business get in front of the ereader crowd? Perhaps your restaurant offers a cookbook, or your consulting firm offers a book on current industry trends. Maybe it’s as simple as considering the nook or Kindle Fire as potential devices accessing your website. Either way it pays to understand how many people are using these devices, and how they’re using them to engage with your company — and your competitors.

Mobile Advertising

There are many ways to get an ad in front of a mobile audience, from Google AdWords, to advertising in iOS apps through iAds, to “native advertising” methods like viral apps and mobile sites designed to entertain the consumer while also educating them on your company. Each has different advantages and different costs, but all offer an opportunity to get in front of your target audience.

Second Screen

More than 80% of smartphone users use their phones while watching TV.  Many of these are using social media to talk about what they’re viewing on TV. This helps explain the increase use of Twitter hashtags around television shows (often watermarked in the corner of the screen as you watch.) Mobile will more and more interact with other media — TV, movies, radio and more. How can your mobile approach dovetail with other media? For many companies, it’s worth some thought.

Of course, these are only a few of the ways that mobile technology is changing our lives. As mobile evolves, new trends and opportunities will arise. Want to beat your competitors to the mobile marketplace? Contact us to talk about how to get started.

Know you need to embrace mobile but not sure where to start? A newly released study of the Interbrand’s top 50 retail brands of 2012 shows that 82% of these retailers have a mobile-optimized site, 72% have an app, and 66% have both.

The first takeaway of the study is how much mobile has become a critical part of an online marketing strategy. But a subtle second takeaway is this — some retailers chose a mobile site, some chose an app, other chose both… How do you choose what works for your business?

Why a Mobile Site?

A mobile optimized site has the advantage of being cross-platform. While an app is built for iPhones, or iPad, or Android, and require multiple versions to reach all potential customers, a mobile site is automatically recognized by your smartphone or tablet regardless of platform. This means one development process and you’re done.

Why an App?

The advantage of a mobile app is the ability to deliver a completely unique, more robust experience on mobile. If what you want is a website that mobile users can navigate, a mobile site can do the trick. But an app allows a whole new creative approach — use of audio and video, new ways of navigating through swipe motions and advanced interactions, access to native phone functionality like the camera or geolocation, and more.

Why Both?

So each has it’s advantages. How do you choose? Or should you?

The right choice for your business depends on the goals you have for your website. A retailer, for instance, may want to start with a mobile friendly website that allows mobile users to place orders easily. Or, they may want to create an app that allows someone to shop in a virtual dressing room, dragging outfits from the store onto a photo of themselves or mixing and matching accessories.

These two approaches have different benefits and may appeal to different customers. For ideas on how your business can leverage mobile, contact us today.

As 2012 comes to a close, it’s time to start looking at what’s coming in 2013. In technology, it can feel like part science, part fortune telling as the speed at which tech moves can turn the industry on its ear overnight. Still, now’s the time to decide what 2013 looks like for your business. So what are the mobile trends that every business should know about?

Mobile Device Market Heats Up

The trend: Smartphones will continue to grow in popularity, and as tablets get more capable and more immersive, they’ll start eating into laptop market share.

The game plan: Not only do you have to have a mobile website and/or mobile app, but you need to start thinking more broadly about mobile experience. What is it that a smartphone user wants from your website? What about a tablet user? Are you offering the experience that they’re looking for? Be sure you understand what your customers see when they visit your site from their favorite mobile device, and whether or not it meets their expectations.

Mobile App Downloads Explode

The trend:  Even as mobile websites get more sophisticated and responsive, mobile apps still provide the best experience for users. And smartphone users are looking for these great experiences. Technology research group Gartner estimated that mobile app downloads from app stores will exceed 70 billion annually by 2014.

The game plan: Consider how your mobile strategy can tap into the huge demands for apps and related content. Is there an app that you can create that can help customers, support sales staff, or even entertain people — while building name recognition? Every download of your custom app earns attention from potential customers.

The Cloud Takes Center Stage

The trend: As more people begin using tablets and smartphones, cloud storage and cloud-based services will become more and more important to allow users to access their information anywhere. More users will begin using services that sync across devices, like Dropbox or Kindle’s Whispersync, so that they have access to unlimited data and information that they can capture, store, upload and edit files from their computer, phone, or tablet, with any changes automatically pushed to their other devices. This seamless experience will be the rule, not the exception.

The game plan: New mobile apps and websites should be built to integrate with existing online services. Mobile apps should replicate not only the functionality, but speed and experience of a browser, all with a mobile user in mind. Sync capabilities and online storage are paramount. Technology continues to move forward, and with it, your customer’s expectations. What consumers want today is more robust than what they wanted yesterday, and the bar will continue to be raised. Wondering what’s next for your business? Contact us.

This year, mobile commerce in the U.S. is expected to top $10 billion. With the opportunity for mobile sales growing exponentially, retailers and marketers are always looking for new ways to use technology to connect with the consumer.

One of the newest efforts to use mobile in a new way is Zeebox, a social app that allows users to share what they’re watching on TV, interact on social media around their favorite shows, and now click to purchase items related to their favorite shows. A single click in Zeebox’s iOS or Android mobile app will bring users to a webstore where they can shop for items inspired by the show they’re watching.

Zeebox isn’t the first effort at connecting people’s everyday lives with mobile commerce. QR codes have been one of the more notable efforts at getting people to engage with mobile content in new ways. And as mobile usage continues to increase, more companies will be looking for ways to get people to stop and engage via their phones and mobile devices.

So where are the opportunities for your business and mobile? Here are three places to look for mobile marketing opportunities.

Online Marketing

Gone is the time where it was enough to have a website. Your customers are just as likely to view your website from a tiny mobile screen as from a 17” laptop screen, so your website has to adapt. A mobile web site ensures that not only is your website easy to navigate on mobile devices, it also helps you showcase the things that your mobile customers are most likely to be looking for, like hours, directions, and online ordering.

Offline Marketing

Another prime place to look to find opportunities for mobile marketing is in your existing marketing efforts. Have a brochure? What information might be better communicated with an interactive app or via video? Got a billboard? Consider offering a coupon that users can access by texting you.

Social Engagement

Got a product or service that people rave about? Mobile offers a great platform for engaging with your customers. Like Zeebox which is based on people talking about TV on social media, you can develop your own way to harness social engagement. Create a place to talk about your industry, get the latest information on your products, or create your own virtual store with a mobile flair — like a virtual dressing room that helps customers put together outfits, or a virtual walking tour of your store or offices.

There are hundreds of ways to connect with mobile users around your brand. To explore your options, contact us today.

For years people have been speculating about a mini iPad. Now it’s finally here.

Apple products invoke a lot of emotions in people.  It’s amazing.  People line up outside in the cold to purchase them the minute they come out.  People come to America, buy as many as they can and head back to their native country where they can sell them at a premium before the products are released in that area.  Some critics laugh and mock.  I even heard one critic say, “I was expecting more.  The iPad mini is just a smaller iPad!”  Pause… OK, now think about what you just said.  Apple products certainly are carried along by feelings as well as functionality.

Starting at $329, it’s not an impulse buy – but it’s getting closer.  The base price of the gen 3 iPad is $499, so it’s a much easier entry point to the realm of tablets for a lot of people.  The trouble is, this is competition for the Kindle Fire HD which starts at $199 (or is this just intended to stomp down Microsoft’s big Windows 8 tablet entry?).  Still, at $329, I think a lot of kids will have one under the Christmas tree this year.

Everything about this device (with one major exception) feels great.  It weight less than half of the gen 3 iPad.  It easily fits into one hand – and feels just as good if not better than the Kindle.  The aspect ratio of the device is similar and the aspect ratio of the screen is exactly the same as the full sized iPads so all your apps should work without a problem.

It’s only 7.87 by 5.3 inches compared to the 9.5 by 7.31 inches on the iPad 2 or gen 3.  It’s thin.  Super thin.

This device is a great device for browsing the web, reading a book, using Facetime with a friend.  Playing games and even reading, you’ll have an OK experience.   Why just OK?  The lack of a retina display.

Not having a retina display is the only thing about the device I don’t like. The screen is a giant step backwards compared to the gen 3 iPad. The screen inherently looks slightly better than the iPad2 due to the smaller screen size, but since I’m used to the retina display of my gen 3 iPad and my iPhone 5. Text and graphics look fuzzy after spending all those hours on my gen 3 iPad.

I’m sure I’ll come to love the Lightning connector.  The only issue I have with it now is that I only have 2 cables – one for home and one for the office, while I have dozens of old school cables scattered all over the place so I always have one within arm’s reach.

All in all, it’s a good entry point to tablet products for people.  Entry point, or gateway drug…  I can see a lot of people using the iPad mini upgrading shortly afterwards to a gen 4 iPad.

One last thing… This device should be great for watching movies and TV, I’ll think I’ll have to further my testing by re-watching Doctor Who series 7.  I’ll be back in a few hours.  

While the standard iPad series has been hugely popular with over 100 million sold in the last two and a half years, its price point (currently starting at $499) has opened the door for competitors like the Kindle Fire ($159) and Google’s Nexus 7 ($249) to capture market share.

This could be the biggest impetus for yesterday’s announcement of the new iPad Mini. The Mini, which will start at $329 when it becomes available for pre-sale tomorrow, has a thin line to walk, capturing the major features that have made the iPad popular, without creating something that is so close that the standard iPad is no longer attractive.

Apple’s attempt to differentiate the two comes in a few key areas:

• Size. The Mini’s screen stands 7.9 inches high in comparison to iPad’s 9.5 inches. This is of course the most obvious difference with the new Mini. The scaled-down Mini also weighs less than half of a standard iPad.
• Display. Mini’s screen is a slight improvement over iPad 2, with a slight increase in pixels per inch (ppi). What still makes iPad a standout though is the Retina display, which is not available on the Mini. Retina packs in four times as many pixels for high res display.
• Processor. Again, the upgrade to the A6X chip that marked the most recent iPad is skipped in the Mini. This means that the iPad will remain both more visually stunning and significantly faster than the Mini.

From there, much between the Mini, including FaceTime HD, WiFi and cellular support, Lightning connector, Siri and more will be the same as the latest iPad model. For a full comparison, visit Apple’s site here.

So Which Should You Buy?

If you’re wondering whether the new iPad Mini is a worthwhile buy, the verdict may be out until after release. Still, if you’re looking to use an iDevice for business, here are some things to keep in mind:

• Mini will likely deliver solid performance for general everyday use. Need to check your email on the go? Want to store photos, ebooks, music and more? Mini’s got what you need.
• If you want to use your iPad as a sales tool, as through a custom iPad app, the Retina display on the iPad is the clear winner in customer experience. The larger screen is better for readability and the crisp display is great for showing off products or your portfolio.

The iPad Mini marks an interesting shift for Apple towards more competitively priced devices. If you’ve been considering a tablet, the Mini’s lower price may be just what you needed to take the leap.

When most businesses think “mobile,” they think marketing. Mobile websites, mobile apps and mobile advertising are getting more and more popular with businesses of all sizes. But once you have a mobile marketing plan in place, what’s next?

Businesses now are using mobile technology to help their teams be more efficient and effective. With mobile getting smaller, more powerful and more affordable, technology can revolutionize the way business operates. Here are three ways that mobile technology can equip your team for success.

1. Build a Custom Mobile Sales Tool

Gone are the days of stacks of print brochures that are outdated before they’re in the customers’ hands. Mobile technology allows you to create comprehensive, immersive experiences for your customers. A custom mobile app can include written specs and marketing materials, video testimonials and demonstrations, and more. Your sales team can have anything they need to close a sale at their fingertips, from marketing materials to price lists, interactive proposal tools and even the ability to accept payment. Need to change a price list? Have a new product? An update to the app can deploy the new information to all of your sales reps, wherever they may be.

2. Create a Mobile Training Program

If your workforce isn’t the desk-and-computer crowd, your training program may be based on print manuals and personal guidance from more experienced staffers. What if pieces of that training could be put in new employees’ hands on a tablet? Enhance your training programs with audio, video and testing modules. Training one employee at a time becomes much more practical when it requires less management time. And easy access to the training materials allows for on-the-spot skill training and review.

3. Open Your Doors to Customer Service on Mobile

Another great way to use mobile is to support existing customers. Customers are used to being able to log in to check on billing and payments, so that’s a great place to start with mobile functionality. Add to that a help desk, discussion forum, live chat with a representative, and other customer-friendly features and you have the opportunity to build stronger relationships with your customers by being where they are. You can even make a mobile app be an enhancement to your service offering. Offer webinars for your clients? Make the slides available in a client-only mobile app. In fact, a mobile app is a great way to offer work product, support documents, scheduling features, contact methods and more.

Mobile is becoming a much bigger part of day-to-day life, and your business can only benefit from understanding all that mobile technology has to offer. Want to talk options? We’ve got ideas. Contact us today.

If the words “holiday shopping” mean more to you than wrapping presents for friends and family, you might be part one of the millions of retail or e-commerce businesses that count on holiday revenues to make their year. As we cross into 4th quarter, it’s time to look at your marketing plan to determine what tweaks, adjustments and enhancements make sense to capture every last bit of holiday profit available.

Mobile marketing is more important during the holiday season than at any other time. With most consumers predicting that they’ll spend more this year than last on holiday gifts, retailers have an opportunity to capture more of the market through technology.

It’s not too late to welcome mobile shoppers online. Here are three ways to make sure your business is ready when tech-savvy customers come looking for you.

1. Tune up your web site for mobile

If you plan on opening early on Black Friday or extending your customer service hours to meet customer demand, you’ll want to be sure shoppers know that, no matter where they’re looking. If your web site isn’t yet mobile ready, that customer who left the big box store disappointed may not know that you’re ready to welcome them just down the street. Make sure that your web site can be easily viewed on iPad and Android tablets, and on smaller screens like smartphones and iPod Touch. Otherwise, a good portion of your potential customers may not be able to find your phone number, address and hours of operation, and may go shopping at your competitor.

2. Get listed locally

Once you have your mobile site, you’ll want to be sure that people in your area know where you are and how to find you. Ensure your business is listed in Google Places and Bing Local, for instance. These, along with local review sites like Yelp, can help make sure that when local shoppers are searching for businesses like yours, that you’re easily found.

3. Consider mobile advertising

Mobile advertising is a fast-moving landscape with new platforms and offerings all the time to get in front of mobile users. But some of the classic online ad tactics are still very effective with a little mobile refresh. For instance, Google AdWords, the granddaddy of online ads, allows you to create and target ads specifically for mobile users. You can create ads specifically for tablets, or specifically for phones, and add extensions like click-to-call which allows a mobile phone user to simply press a button to call your location. You can also restrict when you run the ads to your business hours, for instance, as well as point ads to mobile-specific content like a mobile app.

There are lots of ways to connect with the mobile consumer, and many that are easy to get started before the holiday season. Wondering where to start? Contact us today.

Yesterday’s Apple event featured the release announcement for the new iPhone 5, with over 200 new features. Apple fans can pre-order the new phones starting Sept. 14, and the phone will become officially available on Sept. 21. What awaits you with the new iPhone 5? Let’s look at some of the key new features:

Increased Screen Size

The iPhone 5 is thinner and lighter than previous iPhone models, but what may be most noticeable to users is the device’s new 4-inch Retina display. While the width of the new iPhone 5 is the same as the iPhone 4s, the screen is taller, allowing an extra row of app icons on the home screen, which will mean less swiping to find applications. The larger screen size also means easier web browsing and more opportunities for apps to expand their content as well, as with the native Calendar app that will now allow a full 5-day view.

Faster Processor

The new A6 processor was designed with iPhone 5’s new features in mind. Apple reports the A6 is capable of “up to twice the CPU and graphics performance,” with better battery life to boot. Users will likely enjoy faster load times for their favorite apps and content.

Ultrafast Wireless Support

The iPhone 5 also supports ultrafast wireless platforms like LTE and DC-HSDPA — the sort of technology often referred to as “4G.” Depending on the wireless carrier and local network coverage, this could dramatically improve download and media streaming performance.

New Lightning Power Connector

The Apple power connector that many enthusiasts have known and loved is out with the new iPhone 5, replaced with a new connector dubbed “Lightning.” Apple touts the increased durability and the fact that the connector is reversible, avoiding flipping the connector around to connect it the “right way.” This may mean that iPhone 5 is not quite compatible with certain accessories that use the traditional 30-pin connector (iPhone docks, speakers, etc.). Luckily, Apple will offer an adaptor ($30) to help you through the transition.

Sound Improvements

iPhone 5 comes with fully redesigned EarPods (available for purchase now for existing Apple products). Apple designed the new EarPods based on digital scans of over 300 individuals’ ears and have revamped the design to maximize airflow, improving both comfort and sound performance.

Panoramic Photos

The new panoramic photo capability on the iPhone 5 is an interesting addition. The iSight camera functionality present in the iPhone 4s is enhanced with the inner gyroscope and enhanced processor speed to allow you to take sweeping panoramic shots of up to 240 degrees. For a sample, check out this test photo posted by ABC News.

So What Does the New iPhone 5 Mean for Apps?

While it’s hard to know exactly how an app will look on an iPhone 5 until the phone is released, there are a few things that we know already. The increased screen size means that many apps will run “letterboxed” until they are updated. So, if your business already has an iPhone app, it will continue to work as it does now for iPhone 5 users. However, for new apps or when updating an app in the future, some consideration should be made for taking advantage of everything iPhone 5 has to offer.

Have an iPhone app that needs an update? Are you considering launching an iPhone app and want to know how best to make that happen? Get in touch with us!