1.Mobile is a marketing medium, that’s it. It’s a priority because it gets results, which you need to measure – does it generate leads, get more listings, branding, improve custom service?
2.Your app will brand you like nothing else around at the moment – more than QR codes or SMS databases; an app says much more about you, and permanently connects you (like nothing else can) to your clients
3. Smartphones and tablets are fundamentally different devices, you can’t design for all 3 screens. Layout is different. Engagement is much more on phone or tablet (maybe because users are lazing on a couch, not hunched up over their work computer)
4. Don’t jump into implementation, define what you want out of it, define your strategy, determine the sucess metrics, THEN implement.
5. Developing the app – lay out screen shots with your app designer and users and think through how navigation work. Flui is a good online service for this.
6. Push notifications can send information to users – are an excellent tool
7. Test, test and test again. Get as many as possible involved in the testing before it goes anywhere near the App stores
8. Think user experience (“UX”). Only.
9. You have to promote your app. The App Store won’t do it for you. Have a dedicated web page on your site, get influencers to use it and rate it.
10. Review the experience, and test your outcomes against your goals for the app.
Welcome to the brave new world of app development.
