Getting #Social with Your Apps

There is no avoiding the buzz and excitement of social networking these days.  Everything you see or do is somehow correlated to Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, etc. The list can go on and on, and it will continue to grow because our generation has become so dependent on social networking. These are some of the most recognizable and prolific apps standing alone, so why not use them to your advantage? No matter what type of app you are developing, integrating social networks is essential. With the technology and knowledge that is out there it is actually very easy to hedge your app against the market.

               

On almost all apps that we develop we use Share Kit for sharing capabilities. Share Kit is an open source software that allows you to integrate full sharing capabilities by adding just 3 lines of code. Some of the supported services include:

• Delicious
• Email
• Facebook
• Google Reader
• Instapaper
• Pinboard
• Read It Later
• Tumblr
• Twitter

Although Share Kit is strictly for iOS there are tons of other sources out there, including Socialize, which we are currently using to share on Android devices. Socialize supports both iOS and Android platforms, so if you want a more consistent look and feel then it may be a good idea to go that route. 

With Facebook’s recent billion dollar purchase of Instagram, and what people are expecting as the largest IPO ever by an internet-based company set for May 18^th, there is certainly no doubt that these companies are going to be around for a while. People are constantly updating their statuses, checking to see what is trending, and battling to get that Mayor’s badge. If you know that people love these apps then use that knowledge to your advantage and allow sharing through your app! Besides the fact that the code is already written, it is FREE too! If somehow down the line you see that it does not fit your needs then simply take it out. At least you will be able to sleep at night knowing you didn’t waste any time or money developing it.

3 Guidelines for Supporting Your Mobile App

If you are not familiar with the process of managing a mobile application, I wish I could tell you that it’s as easy as writing the code, submitting it to the marketplace, and then collecting $0.99 checks for the rest of your life, but it’s not. The truth is, supporting your app after it has hit the public is probably the most crucial step of all. By following these three guidelines, you will increase your chances greatly of managing an efficient and profitable mobile application.

TEST, TEST, TEST

Although this first one is something that you are going to do before the app is on the market, it is essential that you continue to test thoroughly when the app is live and more importantly when applying updates to the app. One of the Golden Rules that everyone must be aware of: If you fixed something, you may have broken something else unknowingly. Thorough testing is essential because it doesn’t matter if a user liked your app when it came out, if an updated version is released and it is buggy, the user will scrap it.

INCORPORATE FEEDBACK

The next guideline is to allow users to submit feedback about the app. This is separate from feedback that you might be getting from the app store. This is a feature that is a part of the app and is used so that the users can make suggestions, critique the app, and often times complain about what features the app doesn’t have. Think of this feature as an ongoing, free of charge focus group. Nobody knows more about what the people want than THE PEOPLE THEMSELVES. And everyone knows, you have to give the people what they want.

GET PERSONAL

A great way to get your users to keep using the app is to build a relationship with them. If someone submits feedback to you, respond to them with an answer so they know their opinion matters. Something as simple as a quick “Thank you for your feedback” could go a long way. Remember, you have no control over the reviews that are submitted to the app stores, so getting on the good side of the user can have an enormous impact for the longevity and success of the app.

By following these guidelines you should be on the right track to successfully support and maintain a mobile application. Remember, these are just some tips that have personally been useful for me. Every app is unique in its own way so use that as an advantage and a differentiator. 

Mobile Device Testing Showdown: Device Anywhere vs Perfecto Mobile

THE PREVIEW

For those of you that are unfamiliar with these programs, they are designed to give someone access to a wide variety of mobile devices (click here and here to visit their web pages). You pick one out and then the device is displayed on your computer and is completely functional. It allows you to test hundreds of different devices by the click of your mouse. After having some experience with both of these programs I was able to come up with a recommendation on which to choose if you ever had to decide between the two. They both are great programs and will get the job done, but there are some differences that could be beneficial depending on your goals.

ACCESSIBILITY

I think the most important factor when dealing with these programs is accessibility. If you are testing a wide variety of devices then put one on the board for Device Anywhere. They have a larger selection of devices AND , in most cases, there is more than one of each device available.

TIME & MONEY

Anybody that wants to save some money raise your hand. Ok, now put it down before you make a fool of yourself. If you reserve a device for say 3 hours in Device Anywhere and then you realize you didn’t need that much time you can release the device and you only get charged for the time you used. In Perfecto Mobile, they charge you for all 3 hours so you have to be much more aware of how you spend your minutes on it. For those of you keeping track that’s 2-0 Device Anywhere.

QUALITY

The image quality on Device Anywhere is also much better than Perfecto Mobile. Some of the devices on Perfecto Mobile have to be manually adjusted by brightness to see the screen clearly and sometimes it doesn’t matter how much you adjust it, it just isn’t clear. That has never been an issue with Device Anywhere. The picture has always been great. This is getting ugly. (3-0)

EFFICIENCY

The one advantage that Perfecto Mobile has over Device Anywhere is that it is more efficient when testing BlackBerry’s ( yes, some people do still use them for some reason).  I still have nightmares testing those devices, but, Perfecto Mobile made it a lot easier on my life. Perfecto has a click and drag feature that makes it much easier to navigate the mouse on the BlackBerry screen. In Device Anywhere it is difficult to navigate using only arrow buttons to click on. If your project is long term, Perfecto could save you time if you are testing several BlackBerry’s. FINALLY chalk one up for Perfecto Mobile. (3-1)

THE OUTCOME

Although the scoreboard might not show it, both of these programs are very similar and they will both give you the tools you need to be successful. Similar enough that it might be best just going the cheaper route. That would require some research of your own though because I am not the one paying the bills here, I’m just a regular Joe (for the time being). I would like to point out that my boss proclaimed me the “bleeding edge” on this particular topic though. I guess I can chalk one up on the board for myself.