Author: Vince Kattoula

Well, it’s 2017 and, to no one’s surprise, mobile apps are still kind of a big deal. However, per a new report from Flurry, overall app usage seems to be maturing. Sessions were up only 11% over last year; not much of an increase when compared to the 58% increase in the 2015 annual report. What this means is that it’s even harder to shift users’ attention from the apps they are already using to your brand’s app. But while the days of heady growth are coming to an end, the primacy of apps doesn’t show any sign of abating.

 
What continues to increase substantially is the time people spend within mobile apps. Overall, this increased by 69% year-over-year, with Messaging and Social apps seeing a whopping 394% increase. The reason behind such a large upsurge can be attributed to the growing number of “consumers using their social and messaging apps as their voice and video calling utilities.” What these voice and video communication apps indicate is that users are interested in connecting to each other on the go. If you take this behavior into consideration, you can begin to think of the kinds of features your consumer wants from you. If you’re a media company, you probably want to enable your app so the user can interact with your personalities – it’s a two-way world. If you’re in another industry, anything you can do to give your user the opportunity to interact with you directly and in a timely manner is probably going to drive more engagement.

 
As the mobile app ecosystem matures, using mobile to engage consumers with your brand will help drive your business in a myriad of ways. Talk to us about how we can help you understand what will work. To learn more, give us a call at 248-353-9030 or email sales@jacapps.com.

Well, it’s 2017 and, to no one’s surprise, mobile apps are still kind of a big deal. However, per a new report from Flurry, overall app usage seems to be maturing. Sessions were up only 11% over last year; not much of an increase when compared to the 58% increase in the 2015 annual report. What this means is that it’s even harder to shift users’ attention from the apps they are already using to your brand’s app. But while the days of heady growth are coming to an end, the primacy of apps doesn’t show any sign of abating.

What continues to increase substantially is the time people spend within mobile apps. Overall, this increased by 69% year-over-year, with Messaging and Social apps seeing a whopping 394% increase. The reason behind such a large upsurge can be attributed to the growing number of “consumers using their social and messaging apps as their voice and video calling utilities.” What these voice and video communication apps indicate is that users are interested in connecting to each other on the go. If you take this behavior into consideration, you can begin to think of the kinds of features your consumer wants from you. If you’re a media company, you probably want to enable your app so the user can interact with your personalities – it’s a two-way world. If you’re in another industry, anything you can do to give your user the opportunity to interact with you directly and in a timely manner is probably going to drive more engagement.

As the mobile app ecosystem matures, using mobile to engage consumers with your brand will help drive your business in a myriad of ways. Talk to us about how we can help you understand what will work. To learn more, give us a call at 248-353-9030 or email sales@jacapps.com.

As we advance through the holiday season and toward the new year, we can’t help but think about all we are grateful for and look forward to what 2017 has in store for us.

Thank you to our clients for giving us the opportunity to work with you this year, it means a lot. Business associates like you make our jobs enjoyable and keep our business successful. It’s been a pleasure helping you reach your goals, and we look forward to contributing to your success in the coming year and hope our business relationship continues for many years to come.

We’d also like to thank our awesome staff for everything they do. It has been an honor and we consider it a valuable experience. Compassionate and hardworking employees are hard to come by these days, so we’re lucky to have an office full of them. Our business would not be possible without your support. We hope you and your families have a lovely holiday season filled with joy and meaning.

We wish you all a very APPY holiday season.

Sincerely,

All of us at jācapps

By: Vince Kattoula

A few years ago, building a mobile app was a challenge for most small businesses. The high costs involved and commitment of a mobile development team deterred many small businesses from creating an app for their brand. But with new technologies, and the massive popularity of mobile apps, creating an app is now easier and more convenient than ever before.
Small businesses should take advantage of this lucrative space. Here are some reasons why:

1. Apps help increase sales
   Loyalty programs can be used to reward frequent shoppers, or help turn a seldom shopper into a frequent shopper. Doing this through an app eliminates the need to print out loyalty cards or worry about tracking transactions; everything is done conveniently through the user’s mobile device, saving your business time, effort, and money. Furthermore, if you know what products your customers enjoy, push notifications can help you increase revenue too. Sending them offers about products they’re interested in during off-peak hours will help your business add to its bottom line.
2. Apps can help improve customer experience
   Through apps, you can offer consumers coupons and send announcements directly to their smartphone (or any other mobile device) which creates a more convenient way for them to browse, compare, and order your products/services. It can also provide post-sales support and information. Data that can be collected using apps provides insights into how customers interact with your brand. Small businesses can use this information to their advantage and personalize a great in-app experience tailored for each individual customer.
3. Apps can help maintain a competitive advantage
   People prefer apps over mobile websites. In fact, 87% of all time spent on mobile devices is spent using apps. Even further, comScore reports that among the top 1,000 apps and mobile websites, apps have an audience that’s 2.5 times as big and growing twice as fast*. If you can effectively, and consistently, promote your business’s app and remain one of the 27 apps that smartphone owners use per month, it won’t be hard to maintain a competitive advantage within your industry.

To learn more about how mobile apps can help your small business grow, reach out to us at 248-353-9030 or sales@jacapps.com.
 
*comScore 2015 U.S. Mobile App Report

By: Vince Kattoula

It’s a been quite the year for mobile apps. Even though they made their mark on other devices throughout 2015, I feel like this is the year when they really proved their worth in places other than our phones – like our homes and our cars. Of all the apps that I have downloaded on my iPhone, there’s really only a few that I’d truly have a hard time parting with. Perhaps it’s the way these apps keep me engaged, or maybe it’s the way they allow me to connect with friends and family.

Either way, these are three of my favorite mobile apps of 2016:

Slack

Slack is awesome. I constantly use it in and out of work to share funny memes, GIFs, videos, and other posts with my friends and co-workers. But, it’s much more than that. It’s a place where we get work done, too. We use Slack to share important files and brainstorm ideas with one another. Many important announcements are made through Slack – like when there’s chocolate in the kitchen (thanks Ben). Slack is definitely my favorite mobile app of 2016.

Slack is available for free on iOS and Android.

Vivid Seats

I couldn’t tell you how much Vivid Seats has saved me on sporting events this year. From Tigers to Red Wings games and Lions to Pistons games, Vivid Seats seems to always offer tickets for some of the lowest prices available. And it’s more than just sports. Tickets for concerts, plays, comedy shows, and many other theater events can be purchased at low-end prices. Vivid Seats successfully hits on three key features – it’s easy to use, it’s customizable and interactive, and (best of all) it’s FREE 

Vivid Seats is available on iOS and Android.

Snapchat

Snapchat is one of those apps that gets better every time I use it. Constant updates to the numerous filters and geo-tags keep the app fun and engaging for all types of audiences. What I enjoy most about it is getting an “behind-the-scenes” look into the lives of my favorite athletes and celebrities. It’s also a place to access the latest news and content from brands like BuzzFeed, Comedy Central, CNN, ESPN, Food Network, and Mashable (just to name a few).

Snapchat is available for free on iOS and Android.

By: Vince Kattoula

People like their phones. This is no secret. The next time you’re at a restaurant, library, café, etc. take a look around and I bet you’ll see multiple people looking at their phones – even if they’re with others. So much so, that adults now spend about a third of their day using mobile devices. And 90% of time spent on mobile devices is spent in… *wait for it* …APPS. Because of this, marketers should definitely take advantage for a few key reasons.
Apps allow for business on-the-go. Mobile apps allow us to interact with businesses regardless of our location. Want to order a pizza? Just pull out your smartphone to access any one of the many dedicated pizza apps out there, such as Domino’s or Hungry Howie’s. You can do this while hanging out at a friend’s house (or your own), during your lunchbreak at work, while studying on campus, etc. What this means for businesses is having an app for your brand increases the likelihood that consumers will interact with you.
Apps help boost engagement. We’ve mentioned before that mobile can help connect your message to your local audience. Using beacon technology, apps have the ability to offer specific advantages to users depending on their location. For example, a retailer can install these beacons so that their specific location can be identified to a mobile device. Once an app recognizes that consumers are in this certain location, coupons or other reminders can be delivered right to their smartphones. This makes it easier, and more convenient, for consumers to interact with the company, and will likely increase the business’ reach and engagement.
Apps help increase repeat visits. Since companies are able to send alerts and notifications directly to consumers’ smartphones, it’s not hard to understand why the possibility of repeat visits increases. Apps are simple and convenient, and the benefits they provide to businesses and consumers are virtually endless. So, we have one question for you: Does your business have an app?
To find out more about increasing your mobile app’s potential, give us a call at 248-353-9030 or email us at sales@jacapps.com.

By: Vince Kattoula

Apple proves once again that it’s all about the end user. According to their website, since September 7 the company has been “removing apps that no longer function as intended, don’t follow current review guidelines, or are outdated.” The reason: to improve the customer experience. So, as we advance through the month of October and inch closer to Halloween, we have one question for you:

Is Your App a Zombie?

We’ve seen apps that fall short of customers’ expectations. Many of these apps have not been supported with compatibility updates for a long time, leaving behind a less-than-desirable user experience, especially as new technology surrounding mobile continues to emerge. Our Monthly Maintenance Plan (MMP) is the solution to this problem. Your brand shouldn’t have to worry every time there’s an update to iOS or Android. The MMP is an effective way for us to keep your app updated so that you can continue to provide your audience with great content and avoid any interruptions.

In order to remain in the App Store and attract new users, Apple has stressed that it is crucial for publishers to update their apps. There is a silver lining, however: the company is giving zombie publishers 30 days (after receiving notice) to release an updated version of their app before completely removing it from the store. That’s more than enough time to reach out to us before it’s too late. And if you’re updating your app, there’s no better time to consider your brand’s mobile strategy… And we can help!

So, if you've been waiting to upgrade your app, there's never been a better time to do it. Give us a call at 248-353-9030 or email us at sales@jacapps.com for a free consultation.