Month: July 2017

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Amazon Echo Google Home Mobile UX Voice Commands

The Importance of UX Without the Screen

UX

In today’s world, brands must increase user engagement, among other priorities, to stay relevant and meet their goals. These goals can be met with a mobile app, but it goes beyond just having an app for your business.

A good User Experience (UX) can mean the difference between success and failure

Many times, when we think of UX we think of wireframes and pretty colors. We consider whether a button color change would increase the purchase rate. But UX isn’t always on a screen. UX goes beyond the screen with audio products.
Designing for the suite of voice apps (Alexa, Google Home, and the HomePod) moves us away from visual representations and takes us to one single sense – sound.
As with all applications, user testing is critical. There are a few common red flags that come up when testing audio. One must make sure the audio demands make sense to the user. They should feel spontaneous and free of fluff. You must consider all the different accents and how they may be mispronounced. There also needs to be solid evidence that people would use the skill.
Done well, the audio platform takes your company and your product, off the screen and into the home.
At jācapps, we understand the end user and how they use mobile in a variety of settings – at home, at work, in the car, etc. We can help you build a UX strategy that works both on the screen and off the screen to reach your audience and keep them engaged wherever they may be.
Reach out to us today by clicking here. You can also give us a call at 248-353-9030 or email sales@jacapps.com.

Categories
Connected Car Mobile Apps

The Car Continues to Evolve… Thanks to Mobile

mobile

The car and mobile technology have both come a long way. Over the years, technology like the radio, cassette player, CD player, and Bluetooth have all made their way into the car. Some have stayed, and some have been phased out. Over the past three years, tech giants Apple and Google have made their way into the car as well. Because of this, consumers are changing how they access their favorite music, personal playlists, and go-to podcasts when on the road.
It’s no secret why Apple and Google are trying to make a name for themselves in the car. Whether it’s the newest iPhone or the latest Samsung Galaxy, people consume media on their terms through the device of their choice. Per Techsurvey13, 64% of people can connect their mobile phone in the vehicle they drive or ride in most often. Apple and Google have capitalized on this by allowing drivers to seamlessly connect their mobile phones in the place where they spend hundreds of hours annually – their car.

Who can connect their mobile device in the car?

mobile
About 1 out of every 5 respondents to Techsurvey13 like the idea of autonomous cars. Soon the driver will have no need to keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road. Instead, their hands will likely be holding some sort of mobile device and their eyes will be glued to that. This opens the door for your brand to establish its place within the mobile ecosystem. One of the best ways to get your brand into the connected car is to enable your mobile app. That way, you are where your audience is.
Apple and Google getting involved is one indicator that drivers are more loyal to their OS/mobile device than they are to a car brand or radio station. No matter what kind of music your station plays, it won’t be able to compete with listeners’ preferences, subscriptions, and personal playlists. With our App Everywhere® initiative, we can help keep your brand connected within the connected car.
Let’s talk mobile! Click here to set up a conversation. You can also give us a call at 248-353-9030 or email sales@jacapps.com.

Categories
Android Auto App Everywhere Apple CarPlay Connected Car

Ford Talks Importance of the Connected Car

Inside Radio recently featured an interview with our friend, Scott Burnell from Ford, where he speaks about the importance of the Connected Car.  jācapps has been a preferred development partner of Ford for the past 5 years and was also one of the first app development companies to work with the Connected Car.  It’s exciting to see stations recognizing the opportunities this brings to radio and podcasters.
See full article here.

Categories
Connected Car Mobile Apps

The Connected Car Ecosystem is Here to Stay

connected car

The number of connected cars on the road is growing quickly and they are changing how people use technology while they drive. For this reason, auto companies and tech companies are jockeying for position within the connected car environment. In fact, Alpine has introduced the first in-dash wireless CarPlay receiver you can install yourself. Today, new car buyers seem more concerned with how they’ll be able to access their personal playlists from the dash than they are with the horsepower under the hood.
Silicon Valley has realized that people are more loyal to the OS on their mobile device than they are a car brand or radio station. Because of this, it has set out to disrupt the automotive industry. And so far, it’s doing a pretty good job. Vehicle manufacturers are rolling out new models with support for Apple’s CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto. This technology allows drivers to access certain apps, like maps, messaging, and media, directly from their smartphone. It also allows companies to collect behavioral data about their consumers.
Businesses can use this data to target drivers with location-based offers or alerts as they pass through specific geographical locations. This creates a more efficient and personalized targeted advertising system not only for the brand, but for the driver as well. Even further, offering drivers content which they can consume on demand is important. And what better way to do that than with a mobile app right on their dashboard screen?
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: The car is one of the biggest challenges out there for everyone from media companies to restaurants to retailers. But, it’s also one of the biggest opportunities to expand your brand as well as your reach. One thing is for sure: the connected car ecosystem is here to stay. And it’s only going to become more advanced as innovative technologies continue to emerge.

Watch the video below to get a better understanding of how we can help your brand stay connected.


To find out how we can help grow your business using connected car technology, contact us today. You can also call 248-353-9030 or email us at sales@jacapps.com.

Categories
Mobile Apps Radio

6 Common Mistakes Radio Stations Make with Mobile Apps

radio

The appeal of having a mobile app for your radio station is obvious. An app has the potential to increase the reach of your station and increase engagement with your listeners. It’s impossible to do everything right at first, but there are some common mistakes that you can avoid.

6 Common Mistakes Radio Stations Make with Mobile Apps

  1. Not aligning it with your strategy
    If your app isn’t aligned with your overall strategy (both programming and sales), you will almost certainly fail. What you’re doing on-air, on your website, and in your app, should all support your overall goal and strategy in the same way.
  2. Too much stuff
    Don’t overwhelm your audience with a too many features. This makes the user experience confusing, especially since they will only grasp about two or three features at a time. One of the things we recommend to clients with a lot of content is to put a few things on the app at a time. Then, in a few weeks, come back and add more. That way you have a refreshed reason to promote your app and a new reason for people to come back and check it out. People who started using one or two features as habit are now offered something new that hopefully they’ll make a habit as well.
  3. Not promoting the app
    Promote your mobile app. All the time. In lots of different ways. Through multiple channels. You should promote your app in a way that connects to users so that they’ll want to open it right at that moment for a specific reason.
  4. Poor or confusing branding.
    Make sure you get your branding right. Over the years, we’ve noticed that it’s very easy to let your app become generic or to update something on your website and forget to update it on the app. The goal is to keep your branding as synchronized as possible.
  5. Poor usability
    Test, test, test! Make sure your app’s functions are clear and easy to find because an app that’s tough to use almost always gets deleted. The items in your navigation should be in an order that makes sense to the user. Everything within your app should align with how you’re talking about it so that when people go to look for a certain item, they can easily find it.
  6. Not having the right support
    Making sure your app is supported is a must. Your app provider should be keeping it up-to-date with the latest OS versions and devices. As you track traffic patterns within your app, keep a close eye on what things are working and, more importantly, what things are not.

At jācapps, it’s all about the end user and that is why we work to understand your consumer. We specialize in helping radio stations find the mobile intersection of your brand and your consumer. Our apps are fully customizable and we always support what we sell.
Don’t make a mistake that you don’t have to. Click here to set up a conversation about your station’s mobile strategy. You can also give us a call at 248-353-9030 or shoot us an email.