mobile application development Archives | waveSpawn Marketing

September 15, 2014

Is it time to upgrade to the iPhone 6?

Are you on the market for a new smartphone? Are you still using the iPhone 4c or 4s? If so, now may be the time to consider purchasing the newly released iPhone 6 (or 6 plus). These phones have a few key features which may be worth the upgrade.

From a visual perspective, do you have issues seeing smaller screens? Well the good news is the iPhone 6 plus has a massive 5.5 screen size. Dubbed as the phablet (phone-tablet combination), the iphone 6 plus you get more pixels per inch, better battery life (twice as long for music, 20-40% for video and web browsing) and an improved camera. Here’s a quick size comparison:

While the bigger screens on the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus might be the most notable change to Apple’s new gadgets, there are some other cool features these phones have that their predecessors don’t:

A8 chip with 64-bit architecture – uses two billion transistors and is 25% faster, 50% more efficient and 13% smaller than its A7 predecessor.
The M8 motion coprocessor is designed for fitness apps. It’s more than a step tracker, the new M8 can distinguish between sports such as cycling and running. It also can calculate distance and elevation using an onboard barometer to measure air pressure changes.
A new wide angle iSight lens, true tone flash, f/2.2 aperture, greater noise reduction and a 2 x faster autofocus provide even better images.
There’s also a new Apple-designed image signal processor built into the A8 chip to improve the way the iPhone 6 handles images.
The iPhone 6 (and 6 Plus) sports CAT 4 LTE, offering data speeds of up to 150Mbps and it supports LTE coverage for 20 bands, covering over 200 networks worldwide. The most bands covered by any iPhone.
Pay with your iPhone using Touch ID in stores and in apps

How do you know if you’re eligible to get an iPhone 6 for as little as $199 (with a new 2-year contract)? For a quick check from your current mobile provider, use the following numbers:

AT&T: *639# (call)
Sprint: 1311 (text “UPGRADE” to that number)
Verizon: #874 (call)

Feel free to add your comments regarding the iPhone 6 – especially once you have it in hand.

November 13, 2013

Christmas Mobile App Designed, Developed and Launched

waveSpawn recently collaborated with CINNA Apps LLC to develop and launch a Christmas mobile application called Santa Visits Our House. The project included the creation of custom 3D animation and mobile application design and development. A number of technologies were implemented to streamline the process. The app is available for installation on Android devices and Apple iOS (iPhone and iPad).

The Santa Visits Our House Movie Maker is a Christmas app that allows users to create their own personal Christmas video of Santa’s ride from the North Pole to their home! The application prompts users to take a photo of their house, Christmas tree and snack for Santa. Additionally, children’s names and postal code are entered to fully customize the experience. The app will then render a custom movie of Santa flying over the house, delivering presents under the tree, writing a custom letter, eating the snack and then flying away. It’s a magical way to capture Santa visiting your house and share the moment with children and grandchildren.

October 25, 2013

iPad applications developed for the Briscoe Western Art Museum

In preparation for the Grand Opening Celebration of the Briscoe Western Art Museum in San Antonio, TX, waveSpawn developed 11 iPad applications. The iPads will be positioned throughout the museum as kiosks for users to experience the wonderfully vibrant art and culture of the West!

The mobile applications enable visitors to experience a variety of videos, songs, poems, and images of the west with a historical perspective. Developed entirely on iOS, these custom mobile applications showcase the rich multimedia capabilities of the iPad. The intuitive tap and swipe navigation allows users of all ages to easily enjoy the content.

The opening festivities will take place on Saturday and Sunday, October 26-27, 2013, and is open for all to enjoy. Visit the three-story Museum and view objects such artwork, photography and sculptures by renowned Western artists; a stagecoach; chuck wagon; and walls of saddle and spurs among many other fascinating Western objects. Best of all admission to the public is FREE!

October 30, 2012

Mobile commerce and marketing to smartphones

Smartphone shopping app As the number of consumers using smartphones and tablets continue to rise, businesses are incorporating new marketing strategies to reach these potential customers. In fact, a growing number of people no longer use the traditional desktop computer or laptop outside of the workplace.

What does this mean for a small business?
This shift in mobile technology doesn’t mean that consumers are no longer buying online. Quite the contrary – online spending is expected to rise for the fourth straight holiday season. “Online shoppers in the United States will spend $54.47 billion this holiday season, up 16.8% from $46.63 billion last year”, according to a new projection from eMarketer.

This tells us that more and more people are shopping online using their smartphones and tablets. Here are some additional statistics regarding smartphones:

4 out of 5 consumers use smartphones to shop. (Source: comScore, 2012)
74% of U.S. consumers use location based services on their smartphone and 46% of mobile phone users use location based services. (Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project, 2012)
Mobile searches related to restaurants have a conversion rate of 90% with 64% converting within the hour. (Source: xAd and Telemetrics, 2012)
According to a recent Mobile Advertising Survey, 64% of survey respondents who have smartphones have made a mobile purchase after seeing a mobile ad.
3 in 5 Mobile Users Pay Attention to Mobile Ads While Visiting Social Media Sites (Source: Prosper Mobile Insights™, 2012)

Smartphone and tablet users are very active on the Web. This presents a powerful opportunity for businesses to engage with these mobile users through relevant and highly targeted advertisements. So just how are businesses marketing to mobile users? There are a number of tactics which can be customized and integrated into a business’ marketing strategy.

Mobile-friendly website – ensure your website is accessible through a mobile browser
Mobile advertising – include easy contact options in your mobile ads such as direct call buttons
Geo-marketing – reach a highly targeted mobile audience with a custom message
Social Media – integrate the appropriate balance of digital and social media: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, blogging, Google Local, foursquare, Yelp, Groupon, etc.
QR Codes – drive targeted traffic to unique web pages, specials, coupons, etc.
Mobile applications – create uniquely branded customer loyalty programs, payment facilities, notifications of appointments, services, directions, etc.
Mobile deals and coupons – if appropriate for your business, consider some of the deal sites which can generate a large amount of regional buzz and help your branding efforts.

These are just a handful of mobile marketing opportunities to consider. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. Each business will need to test and evaluate a number of these mobile initiatives to determine what works best for them. waveSpawn is always happy to discuss marketing strategies and help small businesses communicate better. Please contact us for more information.

August 10, 2011

Small businesses and social media

Marketing tools These days, small business owners have a lot of marketing options to consider. There are a number of traditional marketing platforms including newspaper ads, print ads, billboards, direct mail, and TV commercials. Then combine these with a slew of digital and social media marketing options such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, blogging, a custom mobile application development, Groupon, Places, foursquare, Yelp, PPC advertising, and mobile marketing to smart phones. Now you’ve got an extremely large pool of potential marketing combinations and strategies for small businesses to exploit.

The number of options and evolving technologies can be overwhelming for small businesses. Staying current with various platforms can be a challenge in itself. The amount of time required to simply manage and maintain a handful of online accounts can be daunting. In fact, a recent survey by Hiscox revealed that many small businesses were not using social media channels to promote their products and services. Only 12% of businesses considered social media promotion a necessity, 14% indicated they don’t know enough about it, and nearly 50% of respondents weren’t using social media at all.

Over 40% surveyed said that word-of-mouth was the main way they got business. This is an interesting statistic – as social media is essentially a word-of-mouth advertising vehicle. While offline forms of word-of-mouth remain critical for all brands, and certainly for small, local businesses, social media also plays a valuable role by giving customers a louder voice for their recommendations and helping to amplify that voice beyond their immediate circle of friends, family and colleagues.

So how can a small business focus on what they do best while at the same time take advantage of social media marketing? Easy – you don’t have to go it alone. There are marketing specialists to help sift through all of the social media options and develop a custom marketing strategy that fits your business model and budget. For the same reason you wouldn’t attempt to fill a cavity in your child’s tooth, there’s no need to take on tasks which exceed your limits.

Small businesses need to open their minds and be creative. Innovation is paving new opportunities for businesses to market themselves and secure customers. Integrated marketing campaigns can yield meaningful results. Whatever your objectives are, social media can be a powerful communication tool to help spread your message.

waveSpawn provides a full range of customized marketing solutions for small businesses. Please contact us to discuss your specific goals.

July 26, 2011

Planning for successful mobile application development

As an iPhone user, it’s exciting to be involved in the fastest growing market segment in the world – mobile application development. There are endless opportunities for companies to leverage the reach of smart phones and mobile applications. Custom mobile development can help creatively market your business and distinguish your products/services from competitors. As the number of smart phone users continues to rise, mobile apps can help you reach new audiences, encourage loyalty, and accelerate growth in an innovative format.

As companies assess mobile application development options, there are a few factors to keep in mind. The first step is to do adequate research and find a reputable design and development firm. It’s often convenient to work with a local vendor to be involved throughout the process and create a more efficient timeline. From concept collaboration through testing, you’ll typically find the communication and revision process much more streamlined. Additionally, establishing a trusted rapport will ensure future enhancements and releases can be completed as necessary.

Furthermore, is this really something you want to outsource overseas? I’ve personally heard of several bad experiences from failed attempts at outsourced mobile development. Examples include unstable apps, missed deadlines, wrong image resolutions and format, slow and broken communication channels, failure to deliver source code, as well as additional billing. In many cases, additional expenses combined with the cost of time and personnel involved can ultimately far outweigh a bargain price. If you’re looking for shortcuts or to save money – there may be other business areas to do so.

While today’s web development mantra is “release early, release often,” mobile application development is a bit different. Companies are realizing they can’t launch something quickly with the intention of fixing it later. It’s extremely important to thoroughly test and release new versions only after bugs and issues have been resolved. All app stores, including iTunes, feature user reviews. These reviews are powerful marketing tools and can directly influence the success of the app. An early release of a buggy app is very likely to receive negative reviews. This in turn, can impact the number of downloads and users.

Releasing your app isn’t the end of the process, it’s just a start. To maintain downloads and keep usage levels up, you need to update often, adding new functionality, UI tweaks or data. If you just let your app sit statically on iTunes or on users’ handsets, it will quickly get overtaken by the competition.

An app is a dynamic utility and should constantly develop and change based on user feedback and new developments in your marketplace. Apps can quickly be forgotten, so you need to make sure that you’re constantly giving your users a reason to revisit and re-use your service.

For example, if you’re releasing a shopping app, you need to make sure that you’re adding the latest functionality as soon as it’s available and stable. If all of your competitors enable bar-code or QR scanning, you’d do well to add this functionality or be left behind.

waveSpawn is proud to offer full mobile application development services throughout Western New York and the greater Washington DC area. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or would like to discuss ideas.

March 24, 2011

Creating customer loyalty and retention with mobile applications

Mobile application development Customer satisfaction and retention is the underlying goal of most businesses. A happy customer that buys repeatedly from you and perhaps even acts as a reference or ambassador on your behalf is invaluable. How do you effectively monitor or stimulate this behavior?

While there are a number of traditional methods to reward and retain customers, new technology is providing a number of innovative formats. Mobile applications and even web compliant websites can be a powerful way of monitoring and rewarding loyal customers. Imagine pushing highly targeted specials or promotions to regional customers based on their location or buying patterns? Companies right here in Buffalo are embracing new technology as effective branding and marketing tools.

This trend is influenced by the escalating statistics of smartphone users who are the target of mobile marketing. Digital advertising is projected to reach the $1.1 billion mark by the end of the year and over $2.5 billion by 2014. This is an opportunity for businesses to reach a much more diverse demographic audience and influence their purchasing decisions, all happening in real time.

According to Gartner, by the end of 2013, 12.5% of all ecommerce transactions will be undertaken from mobile devices and context-aware data based on location or personal user profiles will be used to validate 90% of them.

William Clark, a research vice president at the firm, said: “Enterprises that want to remain competitive in electronic commerce over the next five years should begin exploring context-aware applications by year-end 2011 for both fraud detection and later on for customer acquisition and retention activities afforded by personalized and customized marketing and advertising information.”

For both small and large businesses the challenge is implementing an effective strategy to compete in this mobile space. Since many small businesses rely on regional customers, GPS and other social networking tools are available to help identify and reach prospects. Voice of the customer (VOC) is a powerful vehicle to gain valuable feedback on your products and services which can directly lead to quality improvements and enhanced features. These types of customer satisfaction surveys and suggestion features can all be deployed through a custom mobile application. These are immediate ways to capture and analyze essential information. More importantly this data can be harnessed to better serve and reward customers.

According to the JiWire Mobile Audience Insight Report, location-based ads and marketing are soaring, and it’s also the key factor that’s compelling people to shop online with their mobile phones. This is why many large companies are jumping onboard to take advantage of the trend. Facebook, for example is a recent supporter of location-based mobile marketing. However, a recent Microsoft survey sees that a part of the location-based trend is an opening to several forms of private data exploitation such as identity theft.

Early adopters of mobile technology are seeing immediate results. Furthermore, they are providing convenient methods for customers and prospects to express themselves and stay connected. As companies discover innovative uses of mobile technology, they can help differentiate their services, reinforce corporate culture, and build long-term customer loyalty.