To App or Not to App
Lately we’ve been hit up by potential clients who want to have a “cool app.” Awesome. Right?
Not necessarily. I can understand why a company would want to have a “cool app.” It makes you feel au currant, up with what’s going on. But getting there is not as simple as saying, “Hey, let’s get ourselves a cool app!” We would recommend starting with, “Hey, here’s an interesting need or problem our client/customer has, can we solve it with a cool app?” There’s a world of difference between these two approaches.
Consider this: in thinking about this blog entry, I counted up the apps on my iPhone. I have 88. I use about a dozen* with any regularity and use another 16 irregularly**. And maybe another 10 once in a blue moon. So, I use less than half of my apps. But, I would venture to guess that most of the apps on my phone qualify as “cool apps” to somebody. Most of them just don’t solve a problem for me. A company with an unused “cool app” has nothing. A company that is solving a problem or meeting a need for their customer with a “cool app,” has a new way to communicate, a relevant tool, and a means of engagement.
Start with problem. Maybe the app is a solution. Then again, maybe it isn’t.
For the curious:
* Facebook, Foursquare, Hipstamatic, Camera, Voice Memos, Clock, iDeposit (Oakworth Capital Bank), Flixster, Remind Me, Keeper, I Heart Radio, Tapers Row,
** Flashlight, Shazam, Nike+, IMDb, Yelp, Waze, Free WiFi, Starbucks, Compass, Amazon, City Guide, Guitar Toolkit, Pano, Lo-Mob, Localmind, Cardstarm Barcodes
