How to ensure that the brand’s iPhone app isn’t deleted
July 2, 2009
Maya Mikhailov
Building an iPhone application may be considered relatively easy when compared to the effort in acquiring and retaining the attention of the iPhone user.
As the iPhone App Store grows -- 50,000 apps and counting -- iPhone users have become increasingly discerning. Larger brands may leverage consumer familiarity for initial downloads, but now all brands are finding that consumers are as fleeting as they were eager to download the app to begin with.
No doubt industry insiders are familiar with the Pinch Media report showing a steep drop in user app engagement after only 10 days.
So what is a brand marketer to do? They must decide if they are building a one-off application or if they wish to establish a true brand presence.
The former is fine for some brands, but consumers demand more of others. This is doubly true for retailers looking to establish a lasting dialogue with their shoppers, which will ultimately lead to increased loyalty and in-store conversion.
The guidelines below are aimed at brands that wish to remain on a consumer's iPhone longer than a carton of milk remains drinkable in the fridge.
If your app does not work, it's deleted
This begs the question, "Why would Apple pass an application that doesn't work?" Well, it did not.
Apple approved an application that worked in a predictable and normal way for a couple of testers. But real users come in volumes. And they are not always using your application in a predictable way. That means test, test, test. And not just on emulators but on actual devices -- iPhones and iPod touch.
Don't assume it works on all versions of the operating system. Also, if there are promotions being organized around the app, be prepared for traffic in waves, rather than a steady growth curve.
Without depth, there is only "Delete"
Nothing gets old faster than a one-trick application.
Unless the point of your application is one time use, such as a limited viral campaign, without depth of content a user heads straight for the delete button.
Last fall several major retailers launched Gift Finder applications in time for the holiday season. Although the idea was certainly an inspired one, those applications lacked depth. Many contained a couple dozen gifts grouped in very pre-defined categories. After a couple of shakes the consumers moved on.
Simple features such as "Product Search" or "Store Finder" would have increased the usefulness and shelf-life of these applications.
Stale content is tossed
The Gift Finder applications were not updated to reflect post-holiday promotions or changes in merchandise.
So what then happens to the hundreds of thousands users who bothered to download those apps? They were left with the equivalent of a Christmas tree in February.
If a brand has decided to commit the time and resources to iPhone application development, planning content and app maintenance is vital. What would happen if a brand never updated its Web site? It would lose favor with their consumers.
The same rule applies on the iPhone. Sections such as: "Events" (from in-store to sporting event sponsorships), "Weekly Offers" or "What's New" will offer consumers a reason to keep accessing your app and keeping your brand on their iPhone.
Consumers are mobile, your brand cannot be static
IPhone users are not sitting at a PC accessing a Web site. They are out-and-about. So, when deciding what functionality to include in your iPhone application, keep in mind what features are important when a consumer is moving or away from their home or office.
Examples of that include a store or product locator feature which uses the iPhone's GPS system. Or tie into users' Twitter account to let users share their interactions with your brand on the fly.
Features such as the built-in camera and accelerometer can also be leveraged by brands to create compelling and lasting experiences.
As the iPhone celebrates its second anniversary, users are demanding better applications for their device.
As a brand marketer, making a lasting impression on this group is no longer as simple as just being present in the App Store at the right time, but must take into account some basic strategies.
Looking at the iPhone with considered planning will be the litmus test between brands and their apps that have a lasting presence and those that are thrown away.
Maya Mikhailov is vice president of Slifter, a mobile marketing firm in New York. Reach her at .