In June, I wrote an article, . Now that Apple’s AppStore is just shy of 10,000 applications, what are you doing to differentiate your application? Most app developers are doing nothing, waiting for Apple’s Push Notification Service.
While I am sure Apple’s service won’t disappoint, it’s does little for differentiating new applications. I’ve gone through several applications, that have tried using alert messages for launching new applications and they are more bothersome than effective.
With 10,000 applications in the Appstore, unless you’re in the top 25, it’s very difficult for new consumers to find your application. Developers need to be including a mobile opt-in on their website so consumers can sign up for text alerts. This way, an AppStore link can be delivered right to their iPhone when you’re ready to download. The massive turn-around will differentiate the app and—if your crowd is sizable—push you into the 25 most popular.
- Ainsworth
Last week, The Wall Street Journal ran an interesting article that covered some of the breaking news surrounding Apple’s AppStore and the 3G iPhone. Without a doubt, the initial statistics are impressive: $30 million in sales in the first month and 3 million 3G iPhones sold. I’ve used the AppStore several times, for both free and purchased applications (Tetris and Stagehand), and I am confident I’ll continue to purchase useful applications. I will admit, however, that I’ve cleared out several useless downloads (i.e. flashlight) from the first week with the phone. But amid the great news are several developers who are unhappy with Apple’s ability to remotely disable a program.
Thanks to the AppStore and iPhone OS X 2.0, the iPhone is the next frontier in software development. As I mentioned in my last Blackberry vs. iPhone articlethe system comparison has come down to an OS war. In his latest interview, Steve Job’s added, “Phone differentiation used to be about radios and antennas and things like that. We think, going forward, the phone of the future will be differentiated by software.” (Credit TUAW)
Knowing that the Apple’s iPhone strategy has created a gold mine for powerful mobile applications, why are developers so unhappy with the remote disable feature? It seems like more developers are jumping on the, “It’s a conspiracy!” wagon than the, “That’s smart OS development!” wagon. I was taken back by one blogger assuring this was Apple’s ability to disable all MS applications in one pull. Why would Apple do that?
Have AppStore developers forgotten one of the key reasons people are switching to Apple?! Apple integrates any and all necessary features to ensure the OS cannot be compromised or difficult to use. This is not Apple admitting they have a faulty screening process (we’ll give them a pass on the I Am Rich app); this is Apple protecting the OS that has created legitimate business opportunity for mobile developers (complete with Location Based Services).
This is not Apple’s desire to be able to shut down their competitor’s applications; they don’t need that. Apple is simply trying to avoid destroying the full-potential of mobile apps.
- Ainsworth
A new wave of the cell phone market has begun: the release of the iPhone SDK. While there has been a small market for mobile based applications, entirely new companies, some supported by KPCB’s $100 million iFund, will be spawned to produce iPhone supported applications. While the actual extent of this marketplace is still unclear, it still hits with the same sincerity that something is happening in the mobile world. I’d bet it’s unlike anything we’ve seen before.
Mobile marketing and mobile content distribution functions at a more powerful level than electronic newsletter subscriptions. Undoubtedly, electronic newsletter subscriptions are key to maintaining close access to former customers, current customers, and future customers. At the touch of a button, businesses can easily deliver news to the e-mail boxes of subscribers. Therefore, users are receiving their content when you need them to, and not when they stumble upon it, many weeks later - if ever.
The truth is, those were valuable, back when users were subscribed to a select few lists and were more open to mass e-mails. Now users are opting out of these newsletters or driving them to their junk box; this brings new value to the RSS feed, allowing users to have yet another method to cleanly manage information they wanted to read while sparing their inboxes. While, the RSS reader is still increasing in value, it does not hit the key point of business marketing: reliably pinging your audience at the crucial moment - the tipping point.
Don’t forget: the iPhone has SMS!
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