Recently I was combing the ASAE listservs looking for lessons that associations have learned in their mobile implementations and here are a few quick thoughts that some shared:
AISC- Conference mobile app
- Don't rush the development process...we started too late and didn't have time to adequately test the [mobile] app
- Make sure you can make changes on the fly...its inevitable that some of the info will be incorrect if you run alot of sessions or things change while onsite
- Make sure you understand the features that your users want, we added some features that members didn't want even though we thought they would, and ended up wasting alot of money
- Know the facilities network capability--connectivity can be an issue at alot of exhibit halls, and if your mobile website or app needs to access the Internet, make sure you know that ahead of time
LMA- decision to use mobile app or mobile web
- "First - to use an app you have to find it and download to your mobile devise, and then it's there residing on your phone until you delete it. If there are changes made to the app it has to be updated.
- Second - to find an app you have to know what you are looking for - if you search the app store for LITIGATOR you most likely won't find law firms, you'll find news outlets that provides information about litigation. What's worse if you search LAWYER you'll find more apps on lawyer jokes and publications like The American Lawyer - the app store does not have the search capabilities yet to identify all the nuances that Google or other web based search engines does. You literally have to search "LAW FIRM" find the largest listing of law firms that have apps thought the app store.
- Third - once you download the app it is on your phone and once you've gone through the site why keep it? You may want to download some contacts - but you can do that though v-cards on a web site, including mobile friendly web sites. I don't know about you but I don't want a lot of law firm apps taking up space on my smart phone and that's what it does - use up my space that I could be using for some other tool that is more practical and helpful.
Finally - we are still much more likely and have become accustomed to do a web search for a legal issue or lawyer as opposed to looking for an app to find an answer to our legal questions. A law firm that has the capabilities, that has a Google ad word campaign or that has use SEO to have their site "optimized" is more likely to be found on the web as opposed to the app store - and if that site is user friendly for smart phones, the end user experience is going to be much more pleasant than a site that does not have a mobi (or mobile friendly web site) some firms are doing both - to cover all the bases. But I think in the long run, apps are more of a conversation piece - but smart for recruiting young people because of the "cool, with it" factor."
ASSH- mobile strategy
"A decision strategy for mobile is not just to make a mobile app or mobile website or both. It's about more than anyone set of features (e.g., mobile SN, mobile app for journal, mobile app for annual meeting, etc.) It is about developing an orientation that plans for the evolution of your content being available to and on mobile devices.
If you get caught up in all the what if's (e.g., do you want to have a Symbian app), then you'll miss the bigger picture of designing future content to be easily ported to mobile environments. The iPad and Honeycomb Android tablets handle regular websites just fine. Of course you need a mobile website, AND iOS and Android have the lion's share of the market and Android continues to gain market share.
We have made a decision to develop apps for the iOS and Android because that will capture about 80% of our smartphone constituents. For the rest, we'll have a mobile website.
Having said all that, I go back to the necessity of getting data on what your constituents use and how they use it and then develop a strategy to meet the evolving mobile needs of your members and constituents. What tactics to employ and what budgets you'll need will make more sense if you have a solid strategy than if you're just doing something because everyone else is."