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Android Auto Apple CarPlay Connected Car Mobile Apps Radio

Hey Siri, Open My Favorite Radio Station App!

Having been in the mobile app business for more than a dozen years, we’ve learned it’s not a static space.  Every 6-12 months, Apple or Android will have a new OS that will change or upend something or introduce a new feature that everyone wants – immediately.

Our job is to make sure our products are always in tune with what our clients – and their users – want.  This can often be tricky, but fortunately, our partnership with Jacobs Media and the consumer research they continually conduct provides us with insight into what consumers are ready for and what we can confidently recommend to our clients.

This is why jācapps was the first mobile app developer to install Apple CarPlay and Android Auto into our apps, and is why we are pleased to announce our latest update – voice activation for our mobile apps.  You’ll never have to touch your screen again to launch your favorite radio station.

Voice activation is something Jacobs Media has been tracking for a while, and they’ve seen increases in “talking” to cars, to TV remotes, to Alexa and Google Home, and yes, to their smartphones.  Consumers have become comfortable with the process, and in 2020, more than half (54%) are “talking” to their smartphones.  So, it was time to introduce this feature as part of our new V5 release.

The average consumer has 32 apps on their home screen, so this innovation enables users to access their favorite radio station quickly with no screen swiping required. 

We invited a few clients, including Lisa Waters, Digital Media Director of Local Media San Diego to participate in our beta testing for V5, and voice activation was a hit, as she remarked, “I love … the inclusion of Voice Activation! I asked Siri to “PLAY BIG FM” when I was driving the other day, and it opened the app and started playing the stream through my car speakers flawlessly! It’s one of those features that you don’t know you need until you have it.”

Is voice activation a game-changer for our apps?  By itself, not really.  But mobile is a dynamic space, and consumers expect apps that occupy prime space on their smartphone screen to deliver a ton of utility and be as user-friendly as possible.  This is part of our ongoing effort to ensure our clients treat their listeners to a great experience.

Categories
Android Auto App Everywhere Apple CarPlay B2B Apps Mobile Apps

Are Apples Best Days Behind Them?

A question that keeps coming up… Are Apple’s best days behind them? The answer is “No, Apple’s best days are far from over!” Apple’s smartphone market share is increase!
According to eMarketer, iPhone’s market share in the US continues to grow, despite the challenges they have in oversea markets. Today there are 105.2 million people around the US that use Apple for smartphones or around 45.2% share of the country’s smartphone market. However, the growth doesn’t stop there, Apple’s market share will grow 0.1% each year through 2021.
“The variety of iPhones available at different price points has contributed to its continued success in the US,” said eMarketer forecasting director Shelleen Shum. “The Apple ecosystem along with the brand’s reputation for creativity and privacy, is still remarkably effective in maintaining user loyalty and attracting new users>” In fact, privacy was the hot topic a their recent press event.
Although Android will continue to take over the US smartphone market and growing 3/3% to 124.4 million people, Apple will still increase smartphone market share!
Additionally, the major players that carry the less-expensive smartphones overseas, will not have an immediate threat in the US because of the lack of availability from the local carriers. Overall, total smartphone usage will grow a huge 3.05 this year in the US market, reaching 232.8 million people! Smartphone usage will surpass 705 of the US population.
We offer both Apple and Android mobile app platforms and would love to talk to you about your mobile strategy!
Contact our Director of Business Development, Sari Zalesin sari@jacapps.com or 248-353-9030

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Android Auto App Everywhere Apple CarPlay Connected Car Mobile Web Push Notifications

How Apps Can Boost Auto Dealer Revenue

Buying a vehicle is a high-risk investment that used to include a large amount of on-foot research, visiting dealerships, consulting with sales reps even before the difficult and complex  purchase experience. But what if all the necessary information needed to purchase a car was in one spot … right in your hand? 74% of American adults own a smartphone so the best way to improve the auto dealer experience is through mobile apps.
 
APP USERS SPEND MORE
A study by DME Automotive showed that vehicle buyers who use a branded app were 73% more likely to buy from the dealership. But it doesn’t stop there … even after making a purchase, research shows that 25% more service appointments were booked compared to shoppers without an app. We can also see that these app users are spending more money than non-app users when purchasing a vehicle — 7% more according to a study commissioned by cars.com
 
EMPOWER MOBILE USER CUSTOMERS WITH KNOWLEDGE
Did you know that, auto buyers who use mobile are 72% more likely to repeat visits to the dealership?  Customers use apps to seek out competitive inventory, pricing, dealer information and payment options.
Mobile apps have changed the way dealerships are exceeding the expectations of car buyers who do online research before coming into the dealerships. But, according to a study by Google and Ipsos, 90% of smartphone users are not absolutely certain of which specific brand they want to buy when they begin looking for information online.
Although, the basic principles of buying/selling a car have not changed, mobile users have access to learn more about inventory, prices, reviews, etc. before going into the dealerships. This can help save customers time and money by being more prepared a knowledgeable when it comes to purchasing a car.
 
IMPROVING SALES THROUGH FOLLOW-UPS
Following up with your customers after the day of the sale is just as important as the actual sale. Mobile apps allow you to keep your customers engaged at every stage of the purchase process.
Doing follow-up during the decision-making process can improve the chances that the customer will return to the dealership. And follow-ups after the sale have been proven to increase customer loyalty and can increase referrals.
 
BOOST REVENUE THROUGH SERVICING
The service department generates the dealership’s highest profit margins. Dealership-branded mobile apps allow dealerships to bring customers back again and again. Also, customers who use the dealership mobile apps are 25% more likely to make service appointments over customers who do not download the dealer’s app.
According to study results for DMEautomotive, car owners are spending more money on servicing their vehicles than ever before. Dealers without an app are missing out on a huge opportunity to generate more revenue through the service department.
Here are some examples of what dealer-branded apps can enable customers to:

  • View service hours
  • Book service appointments in minutes
  • Pay repair orders
  • Consult with dealer staff on services through chat functionality
  • Save phone call, text, and email history
  • Update service profiles with every visit.

 
Overall, mobile offers your dealership a chance to engage with your customers and turn them into brand loyalists who will always refer your business to others. If you are interested in us, the apps we’ve built, or a product of your own, contact us at sales@jacapps.com or (248) 353-9030

Categories
Android Auto App Everywhere Apple CarPlay B2B Apps Mobile Apps Mobile UX Mobile Web Podcasting Push Notifications Radio Wearables

How Radio Stations Are Killing It with Engagement

Customer engagement is one of the most important indicators when evaluating the success of a mobile app.
So, what exactly are radio stations doing today who are already killing it with user engagement?! KSGN 89.7 Family Friendly Radio, Go Media Radio, and The House FM use some unique features that are taking engagement to another level. Here are some of the ways these radio stations are both keeping and gaining users: 
 

Live Streaming

This one’s obvious, but SO powerful. Live streaming allows listeners to listen to their favorite radio stations whenever and wherever they are! Listeners love the portability of mobile apps.
 

Event Calendars

Calendars that list local events and festivals are a huge hit for station listeners. It encourages involvement in your app and allows listeners to access both local events and important tune in dates for artist interviews, live podcasts, and more!
 

Contests

Having a place on your app that involves contests also drives consumer engagement!  This allows customers to become better aware of different contests, and it provides a direct link to your station’s website for instructions to enter the contest or when to listen to the radio for certain winning opportunities!
Radio Apps

Latest News

Being on the go and staying up to date on the latest news can be challenging for a lot of listeners. They may want to know the latest local news, or news about album releases, celebrity updates, upcoming concerts, etc. Your app can allow your users to access information whenever and wherever they are!
 

On Demand Content (podcasts)

Most podcast listening is done on users’ mobile devices. So be sure that your on-demand content is there, so listeners can hear the morning show they missed, or better yet, original content created by your station staff.
 

Open Mic

Your relationship with your listeners doesn’t have to be a one-way street. Using this feature, they can easily send audio, video and photos back to you. Take requests through your app, or better manage listener call-ins. For the user it’s just a couple of easy taps. For you, it’s a way to bring your listeners into your programming.
 

Push Notifications

Having push notifications prohibits your users from missing out on the biggest announcements. These push notifications remind your users about upcoming events, podcasts, music releases, or contests, without even opening the app.

All of these features allow radio stations to rock engagement strategies. These features allow users to have the opportunity to do more than just listen to music. It allows them to be a part of the radio station. Encouraging your users to be me more involved than just listening to music will drive your app usage through the roof!
jācapps custom apps can support these efforts and much more. If you are interested in exploring a mobile strategy to support your business, contact us at sales@jacapps.com or 248-353-9030.

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Android Auto App Everywhere Apple CarPlay B2B Apps Connected Car Mobile Apps Mobile Web Radio Smart Home Smart TVs

Mobile Developer Aims for Growth As It Serves New Industries

Recently, Bob Kernen and Paul Jacobs spoke with Crain’s Detroit Business about investments, growth, and the mobile revolution. In great summary, we are ready to hit some goals this year! Being in the emerging mobile application sector, we topped $1 million revenue in 2017, and we expect that to double this year!!
Alright, so let’s check out what we shared with Crain’s, and how we plan to reach these goals!
We are a software company founded by former WRIF 101.1 FM Program Director Fred Jacob. He is helping companies create efficiencies through mobile applications. Jacobs started the tech firm out of a storage close in his Jacobs Media Strategies offices in Bingham Farms months after Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple Inc. launched its App Store in 2008.
We started out with four employees building apps for radio clients including WRIF, WDET 101.9 FM, Michigan Radio and WMGC 105.1 FM to stream radio content to listeners.
“Smartphones have been the transformative device of our lifetime. It creates an unbelievable way to connect businesses to their customers, such as through push notifications,” COO Bob Kernen said. “The average person has about 30 apps on their phone. Once a company can get an app on a customer’s phone, it can become the best marketing tool for them.”

Realizing that other businesses and organizations could benefit from the mobile industry that has now reached nearly every corner of society, we began diversifying our client base in 2013.
Our company picked up a private investor in 2016 to help grow its staff to nine and moved into a new headquarters across the street from the old Jacobs Media at 30300 Telegraph Road, Bingham Farms. jācapps has a six-year lease with Bloomfield Hills-based JFK Investments Co. LLC.
Our workforce grew to 22 in 2017, warranting a $70,000 investment to tear down a wall and nearly double the space to 7,500 square feet this past March.
“We saw the opportunity to become a full-fledged mobile software provider,” Paul Jacobs, Fred’s brother, said. Paul, who also worked for WRIF as a salesman, is now president of the software company. “We broadened out our skill set and found growth in construction, health care, wellness and other businesses that realized that they needed a mobile strategy.”


Since then our company has taken on clients in Partha Nandi, M.D., of the medical TV show “Ask Dr. Nandi,” and Ireland-based building material supplier CRH plc, including two of its subsidiaries in Canton Township-based Cadillac Asphalt LLC and Monroe-based Stoneco of Michigan. Cadillac Asphalt has contracts to rebuild some of the crumbling roads in metro Detroit, including the 696 freeway.
“In the case of Stoneco and Cadillac, what’s important is communication to their customers and employees” for process efficiency, Paul Jacobs said. “Our clients at Stoneco told us if we can get the message out to contractors, they could come pick up more loads and that makes all the world to their business. These are tools that are all about creating efficiencies for the people on the move.”
Because software is constantly changing, Jacobs said the firm is continually investing to keep up with the times as operating systems are constantly changing and new technologies emerge. One of those investments include building an analytics department to allow customers to better utilize their apps.
We are also working with Dearborn-based Ford Motor Co. to build programs for mobility and focusing on other products including smart TVs and smart watches, Jacobs said.
Last year, we saw 30 percent growth, topping $1 million in revenue, Jacobs said. He expects to double revenue this year as the company capitalizes on investments made over the past two years.
Lastly, we would love to thank Crain’s Detroit Business for the support! Click here to read more about how we plan to double our growth this year!
If you are interest in us, the apps we’ve built, or a product of your own, contact us at sales@jacapps.com or (248) 353-9030

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
Android Auto Apple CarPlay Connected Car Mobile Apps

CarPlay and Android Auto Have Taken over the Car

By: Bob Kernen

In case you missed our announcement earlier this summer, jacapps is now offering our apps with integration into Apple’s CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto. As a company that lives down the hall from the connected car leaders at Jacobs Media, this has been a great tech adventure for us. Now that our first app, for WMMR – Philadelphia, is out in the connected car wild, I took the opportunity to go out and use these two systems in a variety of cars to really experience this new technology.
If you don’t know much about these systems are let me take a moment to explain. Connected cars on the market today have an 8-inch screen that is the car’s “control panel.” Each manufacturer has developed their own software system and user interface for these, and their quality and usability varies wildly. Because of the lack of standardization, both Apple and Google created their own software “layer” that allows the car’s native system to be overridden by an extension of your smartphone’s operating system. Apple’s is known as CarPlay and is rolling out in over 30 different manufacturers. Google’s is Android Auto and is rolling out in more than 50 brands.
If your car’s in-dash system supports one or both of these, you can bring your phone into the car and “connect,” accessing certain functions of your phone on the car’s touchscreen. Once connected you can make calls, access text messages and audio content – including our radio station apps. It’s a terrific concept: your phone truly “synced” to your car.
I tried out the two systems in over a half-dozen cars. Doing this was a little tricky since while most manufacturers have begun rolling out CarPlay and Android Auto support, it isn’t in every model, and even then not in every trim line. Typically, you have to have the top-end in-car navigation and entertainment system to get CarPlay or Android Auto.
When I did find the right model with these systems, I have to admit, it’s a real game changer – for both good and not-so-good. By bringing your phone directly to the car they succeed in making your car an extension of your iPhone or Android. The media, messaging, and mapping choices (the three M’s) in your phone are there in your car too. The connection is smooth and easy – practically seamless. The downside is that interacting with other features of your car, like the temperature control, and the radio can get a little more complicated.
But, if you’re someone who drives different cars from time to time, having the same in-dash experience no matter which vehicle you’re driving is fantastic. It’s easy to imagine how great this will be when most rental cars have CarPlay or Android Auto. No matter what car you drive, just hop in, connect, and you’re good to go.
As the smartphone becomes the essential Swiss Army Knife of modern life it’s inevitable that we will want other technology systems in our life to integrate easily and intuitively with our phone (the label “phone” seems woefully insufficient). So the car is here now, and reports from both Apple and Google indicate that your house is next as both companies are busy creating operating systems for that environment.
If you want to discuss how this mobile revolution is affecting, and will affect, your business now and in the future, give us a call at 248-353-9030, or email us at sales@jacapps.com.

Categories
Android Auto Apple CarPlay Connected Car Mobile Apps

Connected Car: CarPlay & Android Auto… & INRIX?

The average American spends roughly 38,000 hours of their life driving.  So it’s no wonder that automakers are investing heavily in “connected cars.”  Initially, the focus was on manufacturer developed technology like Sync, UConnect, Cue and MyLink.  But then the big boys of tech crashed the party, and since then much of the hype around the connected car has revolved around Apple’s CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto, which allow drivers to extend apps from their smartphones to their vehicle’s infotainment system.  Apple and Google dominate the smartphone industry, and, drivers are used to using Bluetooth to connect smartphones to cars.  So the giants’ plans to enter the automotive industry was a no-brainer. But now, INRIX is here to say not so fast.

INRIX has been a leader of worldwide dynamic connected car services for over a decade now.  Bryan Mistele, president and CEO of INRIX says “Today, over half of the connected vehicles in the world use INRIX services.”  Their industry leadership is again on display, this time through the acquisition of OpenCar, which is a U.S. automotive software and services provider.  What stands out about this acquisition is that the OpenCar framework does not limit automaker-specific customization which allows for app deployment across different makes and models while still allowing each automaker to create a unique customer experience.

With all these connected car technology options it is hard to know where things will end up.  What this really means is that radio has to keep its eye on yet another platform, which can be frustrating.  At jacapps, we can help you sort out the “connected car” so your station is easy to find where it matters most – with the end user in the place where they spend those thousands of hours.  Our apps are fully customizable and we will always support what we sell.

To read more click here.

To learn more about how to stay connected contact us at 248-353-9030 or email sales@jacapps.com.

Categories
Android Auto Apple CarPlay Connected Car Mobile Apps

Connected Car: CarPlay & Android Auto… & INRIX?

The average American spends roughly 38,000 hours of their life driving.  So it’s no wonder that automakers are investing heavily in “connected cars.”  Initially, the focus was on manufacturer developed technology like Sync, UConnect, Cue and MyLink.  But then the big boys of tech crashed the party, and since then much of the hype around the connected car has revolved around Apple’s CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto, which allow drivers to extend apps from their smartphones to their vehicle’s infotainment system.  Apple and Google dominate the smartphone industry, and, drivers are used to using Bluetooth to connect smartphones to cars.  So the giants’ plans to enter the automotive industry was a no-brainer. But now, INRIX is here to say not so fast.

INRIX has been a leader of worldwide dynamic connected car services for over a decade now.  Bryan Mistele, president and CEO of INRIX says “Today, over half of the connected vehicles in the world use INRIX services.”  Their industry leadership is again on display, this time through the acquisition of OpenCar, which is a U.S. automotive software and services provider.  What stands out about this acquisition is that the OpenCar framework does not limit automaker-specific customization which allows for app deployment across different makes and models while still allowing each automaker to create a unique customer experience.

With all these connected car technology options it is hard to know where things will end up.  What this really means is that radio has to keep its eye on yet another platform, which can be frustrating.  At jacapps, we can help you sort out the “connected car” so your station is easy to find where it matters most – with the end user in the place where they spend those thousands of hours.  Our apps are fully customizable and we will always support what we sell.

To read more click here.

To learn more about how to stay connected contact us at 248-353-9030 or email sales@jacapps.com.