Launching iPhone Apps

Because hodgsonConsulting doesn't keep me busy enough, I've recently started a new venture, HC-Enterprises, which focuses on software product development, rather than web design and custom application work. One of the "enterprises" we're having a lot of fun with right now is developing iPhone apps.

You have basically three options when building an iPhone app:

• Building an app that specifically promotes your service or product. See Major League Baseball's MBL.com At Bat as an example of a great extension of brand. While you could just look up scores through the web on your iPhone-this is faster and more fun.
• Build an app that replicates your service-eBay, Facebook, MySpace, etc., all do this.
• Build an independent app, one not currently tied to a product or service. HC-Enterprises Find Coffee being an excellent example of this-the app helps the caffeine-challenged among us find the quickest source of coffee.

The first option is one that has a lot of impact for expanding brand-you can create an iPhone app that works in sync with an existing marketing campaign and use it to drive additional business through your web site or just generate interest in an interactive way. The trick with the second option is creating an app that mimics your current service, but doesn't do such a great job that there's no longer any reason to use the original. The third option offers a low-cost way to test a potential startup idea. If the iPhone crowd loves it and there's a need on the web, your app may have a bigger market than you realize.

So, I'm having fun diving into iPhone apps. I'll keep you posted on lessons learned and marketing successes, and if you are interested in having us develop an iPhone app to enhance your marketing program, please talk to me - I've already learned a tremendous amount about this!

Use Local Search to Maximize Visibility

Consumer's shopping habits are always evolving, especially their online habits. Lately, I'm hearing more and more about "local search" as the next big thing for reaching buyers online. According to TMP Directional Marketing's second annual Local Search Usage Study, for the first time ever, search engines have replaced the yellow pages as consumers' primary stand alone source for local business information.

Yellow pages are still a factor, but online searches are increasing across the board and the future of mobile search is likely to escalate the trend. To make sure your business will appears on the local online search scene, take the following steps:

• Visit getlisted.org: This site allows you to quickly see (and alter if needed) your business listing on the four main local search sites: Google Maps, Yahoo! Local, Live Search Maps, and Best of the Web Local. GetListed.org even provides a one page "to do" list for creating a listing or editing one.
• Once your profile has been created, build credibility with endorsements and reviews and by adding your business listing to Internet yellow page directories and consumer review websites such as CitySearch.com, SuperPages.com, InsiderPages.com, Yelp.com, YellowPages.com, and BrownBook.com. Positive customer reviews are a key factor in ranking, so encourage happy customers to rank you on local search sites and directories.
• To further maximize your local listing success in the search engines, consider including the physical address and local phone number on every page of your website. Then give them extra prominence with a contact page. Include a link to Google Maps or Yahoo! Maps, as both include latitude and longitude of the location in the URL.

Like anything, reaching customers requires the right blend of marketing vehicles. It might not be time to give up your Yellow Pages listing just yet, but it is time to use every tool you can to increase your organization's visibility, especially in these economic times.

I just read an essay by McKinsey's worldwide managing director, Ian Davis, about the new world order we are entering. His article, designed as a conversation starter, had a few interesting points:

• This recession is fundamentally different from those of recent decades. What's in process is a fundamental restructuring of the economic order.
• In the future, business models that rely on high leverage will suffer reduced returns. Companies that boost returns to equity the old fashioned way-through real productivity gains-will be rewarded.
• The new normal will be marked by an expanded role for government. All signs point to a significant regulatory restructuring to come. Whether you welcome this on the grounds that modernization of the regulatory system is overdue, or view the changes as unwanted political interference, the reality is that around the world governments will be calling the shots in sectors that were once only lightly regulated.
• As the global economy cools, we risk of a new era of financial protectionism.
• US consumption will no longer be the engine for global growth. Companies seeking high rates of income and consumption growth will increasingly look to Asia.
• Technological innovation will continue as a growth area as investors shift attention from financial engineering to genetic engineering, software, and clean energy.

I'll be the first to admit I don't have a crystal ball about what this economy will bring. While business continues to be good, we're watching the numbers and keeping close to our clients, and making our best guesses on how to continue to thrive. Let me know what you think the future will bring, and if you've got any great strategies on surviving this current downturn.