Author: Erin Detavernier

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App Everywhere Awards Mobile Apps

jācapps Named a Top App Developer by Clutch

jācapps is excited to announce that we have been ranked by Clutch as one of the top app developers. We are also proud to say that we have been doing well in one of Clutch’s more competitive categories, their ranking of the best boutique app development companies.
We have over 1200 apps and 10 years in the industry, creating not just apps for mobile phones, but ones that go beyond common devices. While many developers focus on iOS and Android applications, we deliver your message through all of the most-used devices in the world. Our App Everywhere suite allows clients to utilize apps in unique ways, as mobile is put to work beyond the smartphone. In the Connected Car, Tablets, Smart Speakers, Smart TVs, Streaming Devices, Wearables, and whatever comes next. We also work to help companies use mobile outside of the consumer sphere, with business to business and internally-facing apps.
“Only the most versatile and knowledgeable developers can keep up with the abundance of new technologies created every year,” said Clutch Business Analyst Misty Lopez. “These developers stand out based on their ability to adapt to these new technologies and techniques and apply them to a variety of development projects for their clients. We are excited to feature them on our platform.”
Clutch is a B2B ratings and reviews firm that ranks businesses on a number of criteria, including carefully conducted interviews with past clients. This means that our success is largely a result of the kind words of our clients, who we would like to thank for taking the time to talk to Clutch about us.
Clutch also has two sister sites, Visual Objects, which showcases agencies that do outstanding creative or design work, such as web designers or mobile app developers, and The Manifest, which lets users view quick bios of B2B companies, ranked by service focus and location. We are listed on The Manifest as one of the leading mobile app developers in Detroit.
We are honored to receive this recognition. We are devoted to our clients, and we can’t wait to continue providing our clients with the highest quality service possible.

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App Everywhere Mobile Apps Push Notifications Radio

Mobile Apps Reach Everywhere

farmer using mobile checking report of agriculture in farm

The most difficult challenge for radio stations is to be able to reach their listeners’ whenever and wherever they are. It can be even more difficult when stations are in smaller communities where signals can be tricky. But, no need to worry, we have the solution that can help your radio station achieve its optimal coverage.
A mobile app is the ultimate tool to put your station in the palm of your listeners’ hands on their smartphone. Cell signals can reach where your broadcast doesn’t reach. Having a mobile app for your radio station will allow you to engage with your listeners wherever they are.
With the world becoming mobile obsessed, mobile apps allow you to connect with your community.
Here’s how:

  • Local news alerts
  • Local sport score alerts
  • Weather alerts
  • Contests
  • Program alerts
  • Coupons and discounts

Push notifications functionality to reach your audience directly anytime.
Our V4 and custom mobile app solutions will create the best possible solution for your radio station, no matter what your location is. From big city to country roads – we can create a successful mobile app that your listeners can tune in whenever and wherever they are!
Contact our Director of Business Development, Sari Zalesin to learn more about how to take your radio station mobile! sari@jacapps.com or 248-353-9030

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Awards

Congratulations Paul Jacobs, Rockwell Award

trophy over wooden table and dark background

We are so proud and excited to announce that our very own Paul Jacobs, President of jācapps, is being honored by Conclave the Rockwell Award at #CONCLAVE44!
So, what exactly is #CONCLAVE44?!
The Conclave is celebrating 44 years of educating radio professional this year! It’s designed to help broadcasters grow their careers and stations by providing access to high-level executives from companies across the radio industry in a relaxed and intimate environment. The whole #CONCAVE44’s agenda focuses on ratings-generating fundamentals and effective practices. Additionally, strategic ways to operate in the voice-first device, social media, and podcasting spaces.
The #CONCLAVE44 will host events that were in popular demand in previous years, which include; the signature keynote session “Ask Me ‘Almost’ Anything, and the fourth annual “Conclave Speed Mentoring Brunch”. But wait, there’s even more to see this year, #CONCLAVE44 will be a conversation among radio’s leaders on the industry’s future and how radio companies, stations and professionals can redefine competitive strategies for long-term health of their brands.
 
#CONCLAVE44 Rockwell Award and About Paul Jacobs
Join us on June 20th at the Delta Hotels Minneapolis Northeast where Paul will be accepting his Rockwell Award at #CONCLAVE44!
Paul began his broadcasting career in radio sales in DETROIT, at WNIC and WRIF. He then moved into station management in DALLAS at KZEW, and back in DETROIT at WDFX prior to joining his brothers Fred and Bill at Jacobs Media. CONCLAVE Board Chair Lori Lewis said, “THE ROCKWELL AWARD honors those who have made a lasting impact on our storied industry. Paul has, and continues, to do just that.” Paul said, “Receiving this award is truly rewarding and a high mark in my career in radio. I have been a big fan of the work the leaders of THE CONCLAVE had done for our industry for decades, and to be acknowledged by them is truly an honor.”
Our team is so very proud of Paul and we can’t wait to celebrate his achievements! Register here to join us at this year’s #CONCLAVE44!

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Push Notifications

Push Messaging: After you hit send

Once you have created the push messages and sent them out, it is important to remember that the process doesn’t stop there! There are some key elements you want to track to help you create more effective push notifications in the future.

Here are the key metrics to track:

 
Opt-ins
Watch for the changes in this number. If it goes down, that’s a warning sign. This means you are doing something wrong, which is probably a problem of frequency and relevance. Therefore, you will want to change up the times you send your notifications and create topics for people to opt-in to.
 
Delivery Rate
The sent and delivered totals should be close to equal. If not, this could be issues with the message length, link or image on the message.
 
Clicks
See how many people truly engaged with the message. This is the statistic that will matter the most to you when you are tracking these messages. This allows you to see if you got the right number of clicks to your push message to lead your mobile app to success.
 
By tracking all three of these key metrics it will show you what you need to improve to engage your audiences. By having strong calls to action, it will truly help all of these three metrics be on track. Messages that are purely information are fine, but it’s hard to tell if you message lands at all. Therefore, overtime you need to look for trends from message to message.
Here’s some questions to consider overtime:

  • Are your messages too long?
  • Are the messages opened at a certain time of the day?
  • Does a shorter message open more rather than a longer one?

These are the kinds of things you want to look at! The object is to continually improve your messages to improve your results! And remember it does take time to nail this down!
Check out our webinar on Push Messaging 101 and contact Sari Zalesin to learn more about our push messaging solution!

Categories
Push Notifications Radio

Event Announcement: Catholic Media Conference

We are excited to announce that we will be attending and presenting at the Catholic Media Conference in St. Petersburg, Florida June 18th – 21st. The Catholic Media Conference is one of the top religious radio conferences of the year… you won’t want to miss it!
This Catholic Media Conference offers: Networking with the leading Catholic media professionals, hear from national and international speakers, unite as one in faith, as well as a great tropical destination for you to have fun in the sun!
Along with our excitement of the attending the event, we are excited that our Director of Business Development, Sari Zalesin will be giving a presentation as well as providing breakfast to the attendees on Wednesday, June 18th from 8:00am – 9:30am! 
Here’s what you’ll learn:

  • Mobile apps in the religious radio industry
  • Revenue and underwriting opportunities
  • Push Notifications
  • Smart Speakers
  • Connected Car

This presentation will not only give you insight on how to reach and engage with your listeners on a daily basis, but Sari will also be providing you with details on what has worked in the past for religious radio stations and how they have success with their mobile app, push notifications and smart speakers.
Mobile is the #1 platform in the world and it’s the key element for you to take your listener engagement to the next level. We have limited spots for our presentation, please contact us today to reserve your spot!
If you are unable to make it to our presentation, we would like to schedule a FREE one-on-one meeting with you!
Contact us: erin@jacapps.com or 248-353-9030

Categories
App Everywhere

Web Apps vs. Native Apps: Advantages & Disadvantages

Happy mature business man sitting at cafeteria with laptop and smartphone. Businessman texting on smart phone while sitting in a pub restaurant. Portrait of senior formal man working and checking email on computer.

Many companies choose can offer both native apps and web apps to their customs, but how do you know what one to choose?

Native Apps: Pros & Cons

A native app is stored on the device itself, and while most people are more familiar with browsing and downloading native apps, with there being so many different versions out there the developer can’t guarantee that every user is using the same version of the app at all times.

Pros:
  • They open and perform faster than web apps
  • Since native apps work with the device’s built-in features – like the camera, microphone, location services, etc. they can offer richer functionality.
  • App stores and marketplaces give native apps full support. This allows users to easily find and download apps of their choice from these stores.
  • The user can be assured that the app is secure and fully compatible with their device, since the apps have to get approval from the app stores.
Cons:
  • The cost of app maintenance and app updating is higher for native apps, especially since there are two mobile platforms to support sometimes.
  • The approval process in the app stores for native apps can sometimes be challenging for the developer.
  • When users all use different versions of the app, makes it challenging for the developer to maintain updates and offer support.
Web Apps: Pros and Cons

Web apps are easier to access because anyone is able to access them online at any time, and they’re always up to date. However, web apps aren’t as easy to find because there isn’t a centralized store of web apps for all mobile devices.

Pros:
  • Web apps are easier to maintain because they use one code base across multiple mobile platforms.
  • Web apps can be made compatible with older mobile devices and more versions.
  • You do not have to submit your app for approval to the app stores. This is because Apple App Stores do not list web apps.
Cons:
  • Mobile web apps have only limited scope as far as accessing a device’s internal features.
  • Web apps can be expensive when they need to support multiple platforms
  • It is difficult for the developer to maintain and track the usage patterns and provide support for all the different platforms.
  • Web apps are hard to find because they are not listed in any app stores.
  • There is no quality control system for web apps, therefore users are not guaranteed safety and security of the app.

Overall, we can see that there are both positive and negative aspects to both native apps and web apps. One thing to always remember is that they world is becoming more mobile each and every day and having a mobile app will allow you to engage more with your audiences.

If you are interested in learning more about our mobile app solutions, contact our Director of Business Development, Sari Zalesin today!

Categories
App Everywhere

Web Apps vs. Native Apps: Advantages & Disadvantages

Happy mature business man sitting at cafeteria with laptop and smartphone. Businessman texting on smart phone while sitting in a pub restaurant. Portrait of senior formal man working and checking email on computer.

Many companies choose can offer both native apps and web apps to their customs, but how do you know what one to choose?

Native Apps: Pros & Cons

A native app is stored on the device itself, and while most people are more familiar with browsing and downloading native apps, with there being so many different versions out there the developer can’t guarantee that every user is using the same version of the app at all times.

Pros:
  • They open and perform faster than web apps
  • Since native apps work with the device’s built-in features – like the camera, microphone, location services, etc. they can offer richer functionality.
  • App stores and marketplaces give native apps full support. This allows users to easily find and download apps of their choice from these stores.
  • The user can be assured that the app is secure and fully compatible with their device, since the apps have to get approval from the app stores.
Cons:
  • The cost of app maintenance and app updating is higher for native apps, especially since there are two mobile platforms to support sometimes.
  • The approval process in the app stores for native apps can sometimes be challenging for the developer.
  • When users all use different versions of the app, makes it challenging for the developer to maintain updates and offer support.
Web Apps: Pros and Cons

Web apps are easier to access because anyone is able to access them online at any time, and they’re always up to date. However, web apps aren’t as easy to find because there isn’t a centralized store of web apps for all mobile devices.

Pros:
  • Web apps are easier to maintain because they use one code base across multiple mobile platforms.
  • Web apps can be made compatible with older mobile devices and more versions.
  • You do not have to submit your app for approval to the app stores. This is because Apple App Stores do not list web apps.
Cons:
  • Mobile web apps have only limited scope as far as accessing a device’s internal features.
  • Web apps can be expensive when they need to support multiple platforms
  • It is difficult for the developer to maintain and track the usage patterns and provide support for all the different platforms.
  • Web apps are hard to find because they are not listed in any app stores.
  • There is no quality control system for web apps, therefore users are not guaranteed safety and security of the app.

Overall, we can see that there are both positive and negative aspects to both native apps and web apps. One thing to always remember is that they world is becoming more mobile each and every day and having a mobile app will allow you to engage more with your audiences.
If you are interested in learning more about our mobile app solutions, contact our Director of Business Development, Sari Zalesin today!

Categories
App Everywhere B2B Apps Mobile Apps Push Notifications

Push Messaging: Before you hit send

Woman being unhappy. Resolute serious short-haired woman showing stopping gesture to laptop camera during online conversation

Push messages can be one of the most beneficial elements to your mobile app, but you need to make sure you are creating and checking them correctly! Remember, you are interrupting someone with your message, so you need to make sure that you aren’t making any mistakes.
Here are a few common mistakes we have found in push messages that you should double check and avoid.

Sending too many messages

The main thing to remember, don’t get carried away and start sending too many messages – you don’t want to spam your users, this will push them away.

Messages with typos

Remember to proof read your messages! Make sure it is correct, the details are accurate and there aren’t any typos. It won’t enhance your user’s feelings about the brand or the message.

Vague call to action

Make sure your call to action is clear and compelling. A vague call to action is not going to get the click that you are hoping for.

Message isn’t relevant to the people you are sending it to

Make sure your message is relevant to your audience, this is very important in order to get the successful click rate. One thing we offer is creation of topics. We can create topics that your users can decide what type of messages they would like to opt-in to, therefore, you will be able to reach the right people for the right reasons. This is an important technique because when people get messages that are not relevant to them, your push messages will not be successful.
It is important to keep all four of these mistakes in mind when you are creating your push messages, in order to have that successful click rate! Check out our Push Messaging 101 Webinar for more information and contact our Director of Business Development, Sari Zalesin to learn more about our push messaging solution!

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App Everywhere Apple CarPlay B2B Apps Connected Car Mobile Apps

Mobile App Development Process

Hands sketching of screens for mobile responsive website development with UI/UX. Developing wireframe sketch layout design mockup on smartphone screen.

Investing in a mobile app is a significant commitment and you want to be confident in the mobile app development company who develops your company’s app. Another concern for companies is not knowing how the complete mobile app development process really works.
Our team of developers, marketers, and strategists will guide your company through a four-step process that takes your project from conception to completion.

  1. Discover

This is where you’re apps take root. We draw inspiration from our conversations with you to brainstorm ideas and discuss the requirements needed to develop them. This part can be a lot of fun for companies – we get to sit down with you and truly craft what you want your app to do, look like, and how you want it to engage your audience. This discover point is where we like to emphasize that we truly create your company’s app different from any other app we’ve done.

  1. Design

Once a concept has been approved, we combine skills and strategy to make sure your apps look great and are easy to use. Our progress will be presented to you in the form of a specification document. This is where we get to sit down together again and make sure your app looks the way you pictured. Once this step is approved, we move into the actual development of the app.

  1. Develop

After you’ve green lighted our specification document, our in-house development gets to work. This phase culminates with rigorous QA testing.

  1. Deploy

We submit your apps to their respective stores and watch the numbers skyrocket! But we don’t stop there… we keep a look out for rate potential problems and help you navigate new devices and OS versions as they become available.
This simple four-step process keeps your app development process stress free and organized in order to create the best possible mobile solution for your company. If you are interested in our mobile app process, contact our Director of Business Development, Sari Zalesin to being your mobile app development process today!

Categories
App Everywhere B2B Apps Mobile Apps Push Notifications

Push Messaging: 4 Ingredients of a Good Push Message

As we have covered before, push messages are one of the key elements to your mobile app to engage your listeners and users. However, there’s a technique behind push messages that help you create the most successful messages to send your listeners and users.

Here are the 4 ingredients of a good push notification:
  1. Relevance

Make it meaningful and personal. Make sure the message is import to your audience and not just to you. The topic must be relevant, actionable and timely to your listeners. Sending a lot of messages will reduce the impact, so you really got to nail down what your listeners what to know.

  1. Brevity

You have a very small space and people have very small attention spans, so this point cannot be over emphasized. Push messages are really consumed at a glance. The user probably only has a few moments when looking at this message, so you need to be quick and get straight to the point. Just because you have a total of 140 characters, doesn’t mean you have to use them. We have seen more successful push notifications with characters between 20 and 90!
Think more like a tweet than a Facebook post!

  1. Timeliness

When you schedule your message, it really matters! There is actually an optimal time to send your messages. It will be different from brand to brand, and station to station but you can look at your statistics of your push messaging and see when you get the most responses. It is important to keep track of this and overtime you can fine tune your strategy to get the most engagement possible with your audience.
As what we found so far, the most engaging time tends to be around lunchtime, between 12pm – 2pm!

  1. Call to Action

This really has to be an important element of how you use your messages. The whole point of sending these messages is getting your audience to do something. So, make sure you are clear on what you want them to do and make it easy for them to do it. Once your user does click on your message make sure your link has a clear connection to the message. In other words, don’t make your users click around your app trying to figure out where they need to go for that specific notification. Your message should flow naturally and clearly! Push messages are a strategy to make your listeners life easier and more engaged, don’t make it difficult!
By using those 4 ingredients you will create successful push messages to engage your audience. Check out our Push Messaging 101 Webinar and contact our Director of Business Development, Sari Zalesin for more information regarding push messages! sari@jacapps.com or 248-353-9030