Recently I had a rather animated discussion with another designer about the pros and cons of web based mobile apps as opposed to native apps.  Both have their good points and both have things that work against them.  I think it’s a matter of perception from the EU’s point of view.

My opinion has been that you needed both a mobile website and an app.  While I was seeing things from this perspective I was not very familiar with web based apps.  I’d heard of them but hadn’t done any research to see how they could be or were being used.  The last few months have been very enlightening.  It’s amazing how information is suddenly right there in front of you when you know what you’re looking for.  Well, long story, short version: I gained an understanding of mobile web apps and began to appreciate how they could make my life less stressful.  I design apps as marketing tools for businesses.  The App Store doesn’t like marketing apps and they don’t want anything that has marketing in the title or is from a marketing company. Since the App Store isn’t a search engine and the search engines don’t crawl the apps, just how important is it to have an app in the App Store. Yeah, I know, prestige and exclusivity. Apple is currently paying for that with a sudden drop in figures.  My priority is getting that app on my customer’s iPhone or iPad, in addition to the Android devices.

Let me put it this way, if a web based mobile app can function and look the same as a native app on a touch enabled device, I’m willing to give it consideration. and a test run.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with mobile web apps, they’re mobile websites that can be bookmarked (like websites) on Android phones with the site icon being saved to your home screen; much like the icon for a native app, and used in the same manner to pull up the app.  iPhone users can touch the icon and save it to their home screen to be used as an app icon.  The requirement of being online before you can use the mobile web app is the biggest difference between the two types of app.  It’s definitely worth thinking about.

Compare native apps, mobile websites and mobile web apps.

April 26, 2013

Introducing the ‘More’ Tab

Posted by :admin On : April 15, 2013
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Category: About, Community, Custom Mobile App, Education, Marketing, Personal Marketing, Portfolio

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Other than the Contact feature, the ‘More‘ tab on your custom mobile app, in my opinion, is the second most important tab in your app.  Why?  Simple.  It’s the menu tab for the rest of your app.  It’s the fastest way to find out what’s in the app, everything will be listed there.  Some app builders prefer to have you scrolling, for days, trying to find a feature in a long line of icons that can run up and down the side of the home screen or across the top or bottom.  I think it’s more convenient to use the ‘More’ tab.  Using the tab doesn’t mean tab icon orientation is locked into one position.  It just means you don’t have to scroll as much, but the choice is yours!

An Introduction to Tabs (features on your mobile app)

Posted by :admin On : April 15, 2013
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Category: About, Community, Custom Mobile App, Mobile marketing, Personal Marketing

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I’ve been talking alot about apps, but it’s pretty abstract until you can see what I’m talking about.  Let’s start with an intro to tabs. These are the features on your custom mobile application. The video below is brief, but it’ll get you started.

Why You need a Mobile Website

Posted by :admin On : April 4, 2013
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Category: Community, Custom Mobile App, Digital marketing, Education, Marketing, Mobile marketing, Personal Marketing, Social Media Marketing

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I’m sure you’ve heard it from both sides.  Those who say the mobile website isn’t necessary, passe even.  And those who think it’s better to have the mobile website than having a custom mobile app.  Me?  I think it’s a good idea to have both.  That’s why I design and sell both.

Today’s culture is all about mobility.  Only about 35% of the U.S. population doesn’t have a mobile phone.  That man or woman you saw standing on the corner with a sign that read “will work for food” . . .  catch them a little later in the week, or later at night, and you’ll see them on a cell phone!  May not be a Smartphone, but hey’re mobile, that’s my point!  I said all that to say that if you’re a professional, making your living from sales, or a SMB owner, YOU NEED TO BE MOBILE!  Every marketer in the world has been saying for the past five years, at least.  Let’s see, 5 years would take us back to 2008: Q2 2008 was the second consecutive quarter in which the average number of text messages sent was significantly higher than the average number of phone calls placed.  Change was in the air!  (stats according to Nielsen Mobile, a service of The Nielsen Company)

I’d like to share some interesting stats with you (courtesy of grabstats.com).

  1. Mobile now accounts for 10% of internet usage worldwide (this has more than doubled over last 18months) (The Next Web),

  2. 7.96% of all web traffic in the U.S. is mobile traffic. That number skyrockets to 14.85% in Africa, and 17.84% in Asia — up 192.5% since 2010,

  3. There was 103% growth in website traffic from smartphones from 2011-2012, 

  4. iPhone had a 3% market share in Q3 2008, behind the Motorola RAZR V3 series which still had a 5% share of recently acquired devices,

  5. 4.8 billion people now own mobile phones. Just 4.2 billion own a toothbrush. (Mindjumpers)

M’PRESS’D Mktg. has a New Logo

Posted by :admin On : March 30, 2013
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Category: Community, Education, Marketing, Personal Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Uncategorized

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appiconBranding is very important in marketing: doesn’t matter if you’re established or just getting started. Your brand is you and should represent what you believe in.  It’s a great idea to have attention grabbing graphics, but it’s an even better idea when those graphics have some meaning behind them.

M’PRESS’D Marketing LLC has a new logo: one that I’m happy with, and that can stand alone.  By stand alone, I mean it doesn’t necessarily need to be contained within a square or circle that gives it definite parameters.

Our logo is a brightly glowing, light bulb, the light bulb of innovation.  The bulb is on top of three circles, that get progressively larger or smaller, depending on your point of view, and blend together at the top of the n-s radius.

The three circles represent our core beliefs at M’PRESS’D.  I believe that integrity is necessary in all  dealings with the public, customer or not.  We are a service oriented business and endeavor to make certain that value is added to everything we do.  The brightly glowing light bulb of innovation means that we can be your light at the end of the tunnel or we can be that bright beacon on the mountain top.  We all have mountains that we have to climb. ;-)  Call us, we’re here for you!  855. 510. 5558

Happy Easter!

Posted by :admin On : March 30, 2013
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Category: Blog, Community, Personal Marketing, Social Media Marketing

easterTo all my Family, Friends, Subscribers and Casual Readers:

Wishing You all a Very Happy Easter!

I saw this image and thought it was absolutely the perfect background for scripture from Revelation 1.

The image was created by Steven Callahan, PhD.  It was created using paper textures and shipped as a demo image with 3DPaint   Dr. Callahan worked as a software engineer on 3D design software, and is currently a project lead in the Software Development Center at the University of Utah.

 

Registration for Third Drawing is Open!

Posted by :admin On : March 28, 2013
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Category: Community, Cross-Channel Marketing, Custom Mobile App, Digital marketing, Marketing, Mobile commerce, Mobile marketing, Personal Marketing

iphone-w_messgRegistration for third drawing for the MUBC2.0 Custom Mobile Package Sweepstakes is open.  There will be two prizes awarded in April as the prize from the last drawing was forfeited.   For the next few months, April through July, our marketing efforts will be directed towards the Hospitality Industry.   If you, or anyone you know, are a professional in the Hospitality Industry and thinking about getting a custom mobile app for your place of business or to promote the services you offer, now is a good time.  Enter the Sweepstakes via our business page on facebook.  The process is simple.  ’Like’  M’PRESS’D Marketing LLC and register to Win!

The last post has the schedule we plan to follow for the rest of the year.  We’ll be concentrating on various industries to perfect the ‘personal’ marketing tool for use in each particular industry. Register Now!  You could be the one to win an opportunity to have the perfect ‘personal’ marketing tool for your industry!

There are some who are still asking, “Why do I need a custom mobile app?”.  Let’s start with the most obvious answer. Branding. You do want your brand to be recognized, right? Especially if we’re talking about personal branding.  This is a good way to accomplish that.

Education.  Do you spend a good deal of time talking to people, explaining benefits or advantages of using your products and/ or services, of course you do! Sometimes it seems like the message just isn’t getting through. This is another spot where your customized, ‘personal’ marketing tool, My Ultimate Business Card2.0, is very useful. The information is right there, ready to be read and re-read, again and again. If that isn’t enough, it’ll lead them to your website!  MUBC2.0 is the first business card that actually works for you!

Sales.  MUBC2.0 is your 24/7/365 sales person.  Always on-call and ready to perform as needed!. When your prospect is finally ready to buy, at 3:00 AM, MUBC2.0  is ready to handle that too!

These are just three of the top ten reasons for having your own custom mobile app.

MUBC2.0 Sweepstakes Schedule for 2013

Posted by :admin On : March 21, 2013
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Category: Community, Cross-Channel Marketing, Custom Mobile App, Digital marketing, Marketing, Mobile commerce, Mobile marketing, Personal Marketing, Social Media Marketing

Feeling Good

Sweepstakes Suspended until August, 2013!  

MUBC2.05 will be easier on the pocket with more ‘user friendly’ add-ons!

Below is the schedule of Drawing dates and Industries for the balance of 2013.

Month

Industry

Verticals & Professions

April 17

Hospitality

 Hotels, Resorts & Spas, Restaurants, Bars, Nite Clubs, etc.

May

 

 Hotels, Resorts & Spas, Restaurants, Bars, Nite Clubs, etc.

June

 Hotels, Resorts & Spas, Restaurants, Bars, Nite Clubs, etc.

July

 Hotels, Resorts & Spas, Restaurants, Bars, Nite Clubs, etc.

August

 Arts Art Galleries, Antique Dealers/Shops, Visual Artists, Museums, Apparel Designers, etc.

September

   Art Galleries, Antique Dealers/Shops, Visual Artists, Museums, Apparel Designers, etc.

October

   Art Galleries, Antique Dealers/Shops, Visual Artists, Museums, Apparel Designers, etc.

November

 Art Galleries, Antique Dealers/Shops, Visual Artists, Museums, Apparel Designers, etc.

December

 Entertainment Theatres, Performance Centers, Dinner Theatres, Musicians, Bands, Performing Artists, etc

Congratulations Richard!!

Posted by :admin On : March 14, 2013
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Category: Community, Custom Mobile App, Marketing

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Things have been moving right along!

In my last post Rich hadn’t responded yet.  Well, he did get in touch with me and initial paperwork is completed, so we have our second Winner! Congratulations Rich, looking forward to working with you on your new My Ultimate Business Card2.0  You’re an Industry Professional so your app might be a bit different than an app for a small business.  We’ll have to wait and see what you want to do.

template-masterlayoutJW Maintenance is ready to start putting their app to work.  I received this beautiful letter from Angela this morning, and I have to share it.  Letters like this make my mission all the more rewarding.

I hope to have my app uploaded by tomorrow. It seems to be taking forever.

Get it on Google Play

Time for 2nd Drawing

Posted by :admin On : March 14, 2013
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Category: About, Community, Marketing, Personal Marketing

Second drawing was held earlier this evening!  Our Winner, who has yet to respond is Rich W.  Will post later to confirm that he is indeed the winner or if another name has to be picked.  I think we mentioned that the app for JW Maintenance is available on Google Play.  Good functionality as well as good looking!

I think I should stress something here that you may not have paid any attention to earlier, or even thought about.  If you are a new business, or have been in business for several years, but do not have an online presence, you should seriously consider doing something to correct that situation.   Even if you own a laundromat, still consider having some type of presence online.  Maybe you don’t need a five page website,  there are sites that specialize in listing local businesses, i.e. MerchantCircle.com and City Search.  OK, the laundromat may have been a stretch, but you get the idea!

Besides doing local directory sites, remember the social networking sites.  Everyone wants to share their latest discovery with you.  My suggestion is to start with the name brands and let the people in your network guide you.  Some of the suggestions will be good, some not so good.  But you’ll have the advantage of being referred by someone who’s already there and is building their network. Do you know anything about or trust the opinion of this person? If you’re a professional or a business owner, don’t overlook Linkedin.This has to be the best networking site for business. You can grow a good sized network without it taking too long or being too difficult.

Whichever site you’re on, you’ll want to find groups that are made up of people in your industry or are dealing with matters that you’re interested in.  That way it’ll be much easier for you to participate. and get involved.

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