KeyLimeTie Blog
Wednesday's much anticipated iPad tablet device appears to be, at first glance, a scaled-up version of the iPhone. By releasing the iPad, Apple is carving out a new category of device, and a new way people will interact with computers. Over the past ten years, there have been many unsuccessful attempts at building a widely-adopted tablet PC, so of course there is skepticism.
It would be easy to dismiss this device as nothing special, before considering how the App Store made the iPhone and the iPod Touch into the outstandingly popular devices they are today. At this point, we've just seen what Apple (and a select group from the developer community) have done with the iPad. The real applications are yet to come, thanks to the limitless creativity of the iPhone—and now iPad—developer community, including companies like KeyLimeTie.
Further, industry reporters like TechCrunch's MG Seigler explain why the iPad will succeed; its target audience is the 75 million iPhone and iPod Touch users. These people will know how to use the iPad right out of the gate.
Those people will also grow more and more accustomed to a web you can touch, with full web pages now practical on the iPad screen and people used to pinching and swiping their way around your site, making purchases, downloading documents, playing games, writing comments. The web as we know it will evolve, interaction design will shift, as the iPad and other tablets capture our share of screen time.
Many people will opt to leave the laptop at home and use the iPad for communications, eBook reading, entertainment, and even productivity when larger screens and computing power aren't required. But, imagine for a moment a restaurant menu displayed on an iPad, or iPads being used to process transactions in a retail store. That, of course, is just the start.
Here are some others' thoughts on the iPad's viability:
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This past weekend I attended a lunch presentation by Andrew Mason of Groupon, which he gave to participants in the Chicago Urban League's NextONE Program. I was invited by great friend John (JR) Dallas and welcomed by the Urban League staff.
Groupon, if you are not familiar, is widely regarded as Chicago's biggest tech success story of 2009. The web site allows people to buy one steeply discounted offer each day, provided enough other people also buy the offer so the retailer has a critical mass of new customers. They achieved profitability in the spring of 09 and closed on $25mm of funding late last year, when they admittedly didn't need the money. Now they're on target for $100mm in revenues in 2010.
It would be too easy to romanticize the above. Mason and team came up with an idea, coded it in a month, and it became a runaway success. But just looking at their history as Groupon would be denying some important lessons about innovation and persistence.
ThePoint.com: Groupon's predecessor.
Before Groupon was (and still is) a web site called The Point, which Mason started in 2006. The Point was built to allow people to achieve critical mass on a political or social issue before taking action, to ensure the action they take (a donation, a protest, a mass action, etc) had an impact. The site itself didn't take off to the founders' expectations because of a lack of focus; they were providing a platform for an undefined audience to take action on any potential issue.
The software and concept that powered The Point now powers Groupon. In late 2008, the team worked for a month to get the product off the ground, with very limited features and simple e-commerce capabilities, and the new, focused idea stuck.
Among many others, I was able to pull these lessons from Andrew's talk and knowing the Groupon story:
- They weren't afraid to act, try something different, and risk failure. Groupon was a 30-day diversion from working on The Point. If it failed, they wouldn't be out a lot of time, money, or emotional investment.
- They took an existing asset, the software engine powering The Point, and applied it in a different way. They learned that this new application had considerably more monetary value than the original.
- Mason and the team continually improve Groupon by creating a product they themselves want to use, and add features and improvements based upon problems they themselves have. Their philosophy, "If I have this problem, chances are someone else does, too."
Take a look inside your business as we take a look inside ours. Do you have the opportunity to "Pull a Groupon?" Perhaps you have software systems that are built for one purpose that you could refactor for a different one, or maybe you could deliver your services to a completely new audience. Chances are you are creating a product or service right now that could either make better use of by-products created or could be applied in a completely different way.
If this article strikes a chord with you, please let us know in the comments. If you see successes from "pulling a Groupon," please let us know (and Groupon too, I'm sure they'd appreciate it)! Finally, if there is an opportunity for KeyLimeTie to assist developing the software needed for you to accomplish your goals, please drop us a line.
In the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake last week, amidst the rescue effort headlines, is a robust discussion in the digital marketing industry around the power of text message campaigns to quickly mobilize people while creating an audience. At one week after the earthquake, the American Red Cross's text message (SMS) campaign alone has raised over $24 million dollars for the relief effort.
The simple campaign asks people to text the word "Haiti" to short code 90999. Once the user answers the confirmation message, a $10 charge is added to their mobile bill that month. After you confirm, you're again prompted; this time, asking if you would like to receive Red Cross alerts straight to your mobile phone.
That's right. The Red Cross raised $24 million dollars in one week from 2.4 million individual $10 donations by people with mobile phones. Why did it work? The message got out when the disaster was getting the most coverage and offered donors instant gratification in donating via an unprecedentedly simple method.
The campaign itself is viral because it's short, timely, memorable, and actionable. You can easily tell someone "Text "Haiti" to 90999 to donate $10 to the relief effort" in a text message, tweet, status update, a phone call, or an email. Using text and social networking technology, the message has potential to spread exponentially, and this one did. As a result, expect to see more charities and relief agencies using SMS for fundraisers when time is of the essence.
The larger lesson for businesses amidst the tragedy that prompted the campaign is great. Text messaging campaigns have taken the "impulse buy" and freed it from the four walls of a retail store. Now people can respond to an ad campaign, make a quick purchase, or make a quick donation right where they are, with the same convenience of chatting with a friend.
Further, you can build opt-in lists and notify people of promotions, sales, or send news alerts that will reach them instantly in the future. Many short code providers have CRM systems so you can manage customer relationships and even integrate their text profiles with their online profiles in your main e-commerce or CRM system.
While SMS short codes have been around for years, the tragedy in Haiti is being marked by the industry as an event that has now proven the critical mass--and the effectiveness--of SMS response campaigns. If you are curious about ways your business can utilize short codes and integrate them with the rest of your digital strategy, talk to KeyLimeTie. Or, if you'd like to read up on short codes, see this informative article on GigaOM.
Last week I found this decal on a store front while in San Francisco. After searching the web to learn about the program, I learned Google is focusing more and more on local business and location-based search as a new revenue stream, and improving how companies advertise their businesses.
Google launched a pilot program where they sent out 100,000 of these window decals to the most popular local businesses listed on their web site. The stickers contain a QR code (short for "Quick Response") so passersby can snap a quick photo of the code and visit the Google Local listing for that company. There they can find business information and aggregated reviews.
This helps people learn more about the businesses they walk by every day. They might find a copy shop or a café, and be able to see what others think about the place before they buy. Or, they could save information about a location for later, or share with a friend, by sharing the local search link that comes up in their phone's browser.
Google Local result for QR code.
What does this mean for small businesses? It means people will be looking up your company more and more on their phones. Here are two excellent ways to ensure they get the best information they can about you:
- Sign up for and update your Google Local Business Center listings to add custom information to your local search listings, including local coupons. Use this also to analyze who is searching for your business and where they are located, to aid in your marketing efforts.
- Make sure your web site is mobile-optimized. The best way to do this is to have your web development firm build a mobile stylesheet for your web site. With a mobile stylesheet, people visiting your site via their phone's browser will see all of the text and images optimized for the small browser. Mobile web sites are specifically designed to present relevant, location- and time-sensitive information to people seeking you via their phones.
If you would like KeyLimeTie to optimize your web presence for mobile, or if you have questions about Google's Local Business Center, give me a call or reach out to @KeyLimeTie on Twitter. We'll be happy to help.
We’re excited to play a part in Tech in the Middle’s upcoming Day of Mobile conference, to be held at IIT on Saturday, March 6th. The conference will feature 100 and 300 level talks running concurrently covering four development platforms; Android, iPhone, Windows Mobile, and Blackberry, along with hands-on workshops by subject matter experts.
KeyLimeTie CIO Peter Morano is coordinating Day of Mobile’s Hackathon contest, with over $3,500 in prizes that will be awarded to people who develop the best mobile apps leading up to the event. Presentations and judging will take place following the keynote speech in the afternoon.
Also, KeyLimeTie’s Chris Grove, CTO and senior mobile application developer, will give a talk entitled “Strategies for Developing Multi-Platform Apps.” He’ll explain how careful planning can overcome differences in frameworks, operating systems, and languages, while sharing proven strategies for cross-platform mobile development that will guide your design process and maximize your ROI.
If you’re looking to accelerate your mobile development knowledge, visit the Day of Mobile site and register for the conference. See you there!
Yesterday, Google boldly released the Google-branded NexusOne phone (manufactured by HTC), the closest device to date to compete with the iPhone in terms of features and flexibility. For those looking to enter the mobile application marketplace, this adds some serious momentum to Android OS's expansion into the smartphone market.
2010 will no doubt be a year of aggressive innovation as we start to see the power shift in the mobile market from the carriers like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile to carriers and manufacturers like Apple, Google, Motorola, and HTC.
While the iPhone paved the way for consumers choose a handset first before a carrier, AT&T's exclusivity in the US limited choice. The Motorola Droid created similar demand, and remains tethered to Verizon. Now, Google has taken the next step by making the NexusOne available either subsidized (with a 2-year T-Mobile contract) or unlocked for any network (with the expectation of adding other networks in the future).
What does this mean for companies and brands looking to get into the app market? Greater focus on Android and iPhone as the platforms of choice. The Android Market's 20,000 apps, along with the iPhone's 90,000+ apps far overshadow both BlackBerry's and Palm's 4,000 and 1,000 apps, respectively (source: BlackBerry App World and BillShrink). For companies and developers looking to build apps, focus on Android and iPhone.
AdMob, the mobile analytics firm acquired by Google last year for $750 million, today reported that ad requests from iPod Touch users were up 96% on December 26. This means that a lot of new people received iPod touches this year, increasing the potential user base for iPhone and iPod Touch applications by a significant amount.
At the same time, AdMob data indicates momentum is building around Android phones as they continue to penetrate the market. While the iPhone remains wildly more popular, growth has slowed in the US while Android trends upward.
If you’re looking to build an application that drives engagement and revenue, the iPhone and iPod Touch will continue to represent significant opportunities for a long time to come. However, keep an eye on Android as we are sure to see significant competition in 2010.
Interested in either iPhone or Android applications? Give us a call at KeyLimeTie to discuss your plans. 630.598.9000.
Last week, client Sloan Valve received press in CONTRACTORmag.com for the new Water Savings Calculator iPhone application (iTunes Link), developed by KeyLimeTie. The article discusses ways the manufacturer is allowing facilities managers, architects, engineers, plumbers, and others to immediately estimate water usage in a building and calculate potential savings they would incur by using Sloan products.
Sloan is using the app as a part of their continued effort to position the brand as a green manufacturer, concerned with ensuring customers and end users are making the most efficient use of water resources possible.
Read the CONTRACTORmag.com article here.
In support of their continued focus on green initiatives, Sloan Valve contracted KeyLimeTie to design and develop a Water Savings Calculator for the iPhone platform. We’re pleased to announce the app is now available through the iTunes App Store as the team at Sloan heads to Phoenix, AZ to exhibit at the GreenBuild Conference & Expo, where former Vice President Al Gore will be delivering the keynote address.
Sloan shared with us their desire to bring this unique utility app to the iPhone so that architects, engineers, and contractors who select plumbing fixtures will be informed of the water savings—both financial and volume—that Sloan products provide over industry benchmarks. KeyLimeTie used this information to develop a simple iPhone application that allows users to enter criteria about a building and its occupants, along with preferred Sloan fixtures. The app then generates statistical information regarding the amount of water and money that can be saved by utilizing the selected Sloan products.
This unique mobile application makes this information easily accessible in the field, and reinforces Sloan’s position as a leader in ecological building practices.
Sloan will be exhibiting the iPhone app this week at the GreenBuild Conference & Expo. Congratulations, Sloan, on the release. KeyLimeTie is honored to have been a part of this project.
Click here to download the free Water Savings Calculator on iTunes.
We’ve enjoyed watching the continued success of an iPhone app we built, "The Secret™ Daily Teachings," in the iTunes store. Yesterday the app was selected as "New and Noteworthy" and now appears on the App Store homepage in iTunes.
This builds upon last week's success; within 48 hours of the app's release, it rose to the #1 app within the Lifestyle section. Now a week after release, it still rests as the #2 app in the category.
Congratulations again to the team at The Secret and Prime Time Productions! We're honored to be a part of this project and looking forward to a continued partnership.