Showing posts with label mobile website. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mobile website. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Monday, September 8, 2014
Adding Auto-Dial Links to Phone Numbers in Your Mobile App
As you've added custom information to your app - such as Accessibility, Parking or Contact information - you may have also included phone numbers that your patrons can call to get further assistance.
Using the instructions in the how-to video below, you can easily turn those phone numbers into links that can be tapped to automatically open the smartphone's call app and dial the number directly with just one tap.
Using the instructions in the how-to video below, you can easily turn those phone numbers into links that can be tapped to automatically open the smartphone's call app and dial the number directly with just one tap.
Friday, March 21, 2014
Google Analytics: Understanding Your Mobile Audience
You've set up your Google Analytics IDs and started collecting information, but what does it all mean? With all of the raw data that is collected, it can be easy to get overwhelmed. So, lets take a look at a few easy metrics you can view to get a sense of how your app users are interacting with your mobile apps and mobile website.
Page Depth (Mobile Web) and Screen Depth (Native Apps)
The Page/Screen Depth view is a useful tool to get a sense of how much users interact with your app. While Visit/Session Duration will give you a general idea of how long users were viewing your app, the time is a lower bound and not an exact measurement. It also does not show how much content they consumed during that time. The Page/Screen Depth measurement will show how far into the app users explored.
Mobile Web:
Native Apps:
Your content should be organized so that the majority of the visits are within the first 3-4 pages. Having some traffic at larger depth quantities is good - it means that people are exploring everything the app has to offer, but remember that mobile apps are as much about convenience (quickly see event information, check out a new video, etc) as being a prolonged immersive experience. If the majority of visits are occurring at large depth quantities, this could mean that the content your users want to see most is buried too deeply in the app, and it should be made more accessible for a better user experience.
Content Tracking
Now that you have a general idea of how people are interacting with the app, you can see specifically what content is most popular.
Mobile Web:
There are two types of entries you will see on this report. A webpage icon next to the path denotes a single page while a folder icon is for all of the pages further down that path. Click on one of the folder icon entries, find "Primary Dimension" and then click on "Page" to see the analytics for specific content in your app such as events, music, and video.
Native Apps:
Because of the differences in how native apps and mobile websites are constructed, the "Screens" report for your native apps is used to review the same information as "Content Drilldown" from the mobile website. You will notice that this view lacks the folder system from before, so in order to isolate a specific type of content, use the Search box on the left and enter in "/music/", "/video/", etc to see a narrowed down list of results.
Operating System
Another useful tool in understanding your audience is the ability to see what kind of device they are using to access your content. While this example will focus on the Operating System, you will see from the examples that other interesting information such as service provider, mobile browser, and much more can also be seen.
Mobile Web:
Native Apps:
In either case, selecting "Operating System" from the list of Primary Dimensions will display the traffic your apps receive from iOS and Android devices. Using the "Pie Chart" and "Bar Graph" views can help visualize this data instead of just looking at the raw values.
Push Notification Tracking
As you know, Push Notifications can be one of the most powerful tools in keeping your users engaged and up-to-date on events and new content in your App. By setting custom date ranges and changing the time scale of the general Audience Overview report, you can easily monitor the effectiveness of Push Notifications that have been sent. Since Push Notifications are specific to the native apps, we will only be looking at that set of Google Analytics data.
As you can see, there are noticeable reactions to two push notifications that have been sent out. Hovering your mouse over the chart will also reveal the number of visitors to the App on an hour by hour basis.
Keep track of your Push Notification reactions over time to see what kind of messaging techniques attract the greatest response. Google Analytics has an additional tool that can be useful for achieving a further granular view of how users react to Push Notifications.
By having the Real-Time Overview display active after a Push Notification is sent, you can monitor the response. If your message directed your users to view a specific piece of content or alerted them to changes in an upcoming event, you will not only be able to see incoming traffic, but if the specific Screens related to that content in the App have been visited recently.
Stay Tuned
A future update to the mobile apps will include the ability to track exit links via the Events report, giving you the ability to monitor when users have clicked ticket or donation links, visited sponsor sites, and much more.
Want to Learn More?
If you want to learn even more about Google Analytics, we highly recommend visiting Google's Training & Certification program to fully develop your analysis skills.
Page Depth (Mobile Web) and Screen Depth (Native Apps)
The Page/Screen Depth view is a useful tool to get a sense of how much users interact with your app. While Visit/Session Duration will give you a general idea of how long users were viewing your app, the time is a lower bound and not an exact measurement. It also does not show how much content they consumed during that time. The Page/Screen Depth measurement will show how far into the app users explored.
Mobile Web:
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| Audience > Behavior > Engagement > Page Depth |
Native Apps:
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| Behavior > Behavior > Session Duration > Screen Depth |
Your content should be organized so that the majority of the visits are within the first 3-4 pages. Having some traffic at larger depth quantities is good - it means that people are exploring everything the app has to offer, but remember that mobile apps are as much about convenience (quickly see event information, check out a new video, etc) as being a prolonged immersive experience. If the majority of visits are occurring at large depth quantities, this could mean that the content your users want to see most is buried too deeply in the app, and it should be made more accessible for a better user experience.
Content Tracking
Now that you have a general idea of how people are interacting with the app, you can see specifically what content is most popular.
Mobile Web:
 |
| Behavior > Site Content > Content Drilldown |
There are two types of entries you will see on this report. A webpage icon next to the path denotes a single page while a folder icon is for all of the pages further down that path. Click on one of the folder icon entries, find "Primary Dimension" and then click on "Page" to see the analytics for specific content in your app such as events, music, and video.
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| Primary Dimension > Page |
 |
| Behavior > Screens |
Because of the differences in how native apps and mobile websites are constructed, the "Screens" report for your native apps is used to review the same information as "Content Drilldown" from the mobile website. You will notice that this view lacks the folder system from before, so in order to isolate a specific type of content, use the Search box on the left and enter in "/music/", "/video/", etc to see a narrowed down list of results.
 |
| Search |
Operating System
Another useful tool in understanding your audience is the ability to see what kind of device they are using to access your content. While this example will focus on the Operating System, you will see from the examples that other interesting information such as service provider, mobile browser, and much more can also be seen.
Mobile Web:
 |
| Audience > Technology > Browser & OS > Operating System & Pie Chart |
 |
| Audience > Devices and Network > Devices > Operating System & Bar Graph |
In either case, selecting "Operating System" from the list of Primary Dimensions will display the traffic your apps receive from iOS and Android devices. Using the "Pie Chart" and "Bar Graph" views can help visualize this data instead of just looking at the raw values.
Push Notification Tracking
As you know, Push Notifications can be one of the most powerful tools in keeping your users engaged and up-to-date on events and new content in your App. By setting custom date ranges and changing the time scale of the general Audience Overview report, you can easily monitor the effectiveness of Push Notifications that have been sent. Since Push Notifications are specific to the native apps, we will only be looking at that set of Google Analytics data.
 |
| Audience > Overview > Set Date Range & Click 'Hourly' |
 |
| Comparing the Push Notification log to Google Analytics |
Keep track of your Push Notification reactions over time to see what kind of messaging techniques attract the greatest response. Google Analytics has an additional tool that can be useful for achieving a further granular view of how users react to Push Notifications.
 |
| Real-Time > Overview |
By having the Real-Time Overview display active after a Push Notification is sent, you can monitor the response. If your message directed your users to view a specific piece of content or alerted them to changes in an upcoming event, you will not only be able to see incoming traffic, but if the specific Screens related to that content in the App have been visited recently.
Stay Tuned
A future update to the mobile apps will include the ability to track exit links via the Events report, giving you the ability to monitor when users have clicked ticket or donation links, visited sponsor sites, and much more.
Want to Learn More?
If you want to learn even more about Google Analytics, we highly recommend visiting Google's Training & Certification program to fully develop your analysis skills.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
New Series of Tutorial Videos for Making the Most of Your Mobile App
With the release of version 2.0 of the InstantEncore mobile suite, we have created a series of short, tutorial videos to guide you through particular tasks and content areas in the control panel. You may view all of the videos as a YouTube playlist or individually, as follows:
The Basics
- Navigating Your Control Panel
- Adding Your Basic App Settings, App Icon and Loading Screen
- Setting Your Highlight Color and Background Image
Managing Events
Video Content
- Syncing Your App with Your YouTube Channel
- Adding Videos to Your App From YouTube or Vimeo
- Managing Your Videos
- Streaming Live Video Through Your App
Buzz Items
- Syncing Your App With Your Blog or Podcast
- Syncing Your Facebook and Social Media Posts With Your App
- Adding Individual Articles to Your Buzz Feed
- Activating the Web Crawler to Add Content to Your App
- Managing Your Mobile App's Buzz Items
Photos
Music Content
Organizing Your Content
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Rejuvenate Your App This Spring with Version 2.0
Spring is here! Throughout the winter, the InstantEncore team has been working intently on the next generation of our mobile suite. And now, we are excited to spring forward with Version 2.0!
Fresh, Consistent Look
Version 2.0 has a new look that appears uniformly across all three platforms: mobile website, Android app, and iOS app. No matter which mobile platform they are using, your app users will have a consistent aesthetic experience.
Here is a quick glimpse at some of the changes we've made:
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| Version 2.0 displays a uniform presentation across all platforms |
Version 2.0 has a new look that appears uniformly across all three platforms: mobile website, Android app, and iOS app. No matter which mobile platform they are using, your app users will have a consistent aesthetic experience.
New Home Screen Options
Version 2.0 has three options for your app's home screen: Icons, Slideshow, and What's New.
Can't choose? No problem. You can select one to be the home screen and use the others as the 2nd and 3rd tabs in your app. Use as many as you like in whatever order you prefer. It's all about what works best for you and your audience.
Productions Tab
In the previous version of the app, each individual event was displayed in chronological order on the Events tab. With version 2.0, you also have the option to use the Productions tab, which groups multi-day events together in the app's list of events. When a user taps on the production, they then have the ability to select a specific date for further information, links to online ticketing, etc. The Productions tab allows theatres, opera companies, presenters, and other performing arts organizations to display their seasons in a manner that is more easily scanned by their app users.
Tablet Version
Your mobile apps look better than ever on iPads and Android tablets. Version 2.0's apps scale to fit tablet screens while retaining crystal clear picture quality.
Facebook Integration
Version 2.0 makes it easy for your app users to share content from your app will their Facebook friends. With a tap of the finger, they can post events, videos, music, news items, and more directly to their Facebook profiles.
Support for Vimeo
That's right. With version 2.0, you can import videos into your app from Vimeo by using embed codes.
Expanded Support for Live Video Platforms
Version 2.0 has three options for your app's home screen: Icons, Slideshow, and What's New.
- The Icons screen displays a 3 x 3 grid of icons connecting to various tabs in the app, which provides clear and concise navigation for app users. If you have 10 or more tabs in your app, the last icon in the grid will be an ellipsis (...) with the word "More" underneath. The More icon leads to a list of the remaining tabs.
- The Slideshow screen displays a series of full-screen images with a title/description in the upper left corner and a call-to-action area in the bottom right. The user taps the call-to-action area to go to the content in the app and swipes horizontally to move from one slide to the next.
- The What's New screen is the same great home screen option from version 1.0 with a welcome message, featured event, and dynamic content stream drawn from the Music, Videos and Buzz areas of the control panel.
Can't choose? No problem. You can select one to be the home screen and use the others as the 2nd and 3rd tabs in your app. Use as many as you like in whatever order you prefer. It's all about what works best for you and your audience.
 |
| Productions Tab |
In the previous version of the app, each individual event was displayed in chronological order on the Events tab. With version 2.0, you also have the option to use the Productions tab, which groups multi-day events together in the app's list of events. When a user taps on the production, they then have the ability to select a specific date for further information, links to online ticketing, etc. The Productions tab allows theatres, opera companies, presenters, and other performing arts organizations to display their seasons in a manner that is more easily scanned by their app users.
Tablet Version
Your mobile apps look better than ever on iPads and Android tablets. Version 2.0's apps scale to fit tablet screens while retaining crystal clear picture quality.
 |
| App users can share your content on Facebook |
Version 2.0 makes it easy for your app users to share content from your app will their Facebook friends. With a tap of the finger, they can post events, videos, music, news items, and more directly to their Facebook profiles.
Support for Vimeo
That's right. With version 2.0, you can import videos into your app from Vimeo by using embed codes.
 |
| Live Video Tab |
We have expanded the Live Video feature to work with Ustream and YouTube Live accounts as well as Livestream.
New Live Video Tab
New Live Video Tab
Now, when you connect your mobile app with a live video broadcast, a special tab will be the first tab that users see while the event is airing. The tab contains your description of the live video event as well as a video icon, which takes the mobile user to the broadcast when tapped.
Upgraded Google Analytics
With version 2.0, you are able to track the usage traffic for your mobile website separately from your Apple and Android apps using Google Analytics. In doing so, you are able to determine which content areas have higher usage rates and if there is a difference between usage patterns for those who visit the mobile website versus those who download the app to their mobile devices.
Over the next few weeks, we will explore particular features in greater depth with an eye toward how to maximize them to provide your audience with the most engaging mobile experience.
If you can't wait and would like to learn more now, visit the Mobile Suite Tutorial playlist on YouTube for step-by-step instructions on how to work with these new features and more.
Upgraded Google Analytics
With version 2.0, you are able to track the usage traffic for your mobile website separately from your Apple and Android apps using Google Analytics. In doing so, you are able to determine which content areas have higher usage rates and if there is a difference between usage patterns for those who visit the mobile website versus those who download the app to their mobile devices.
Over the next few weeks, we will explore particular features in greater depth with an eye toward how to maximize them to provide your audience with the most engaging mobile experience.
If you can't wait and would like to learn more now, visit the Mobile Suite Tutorial playlist on YouTube for step-by-step instructions on how to work with these new features and more.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Connecting Your Mobile App with Google Analytics
An overwhelming number of artists and arts organizations use Google Analytics to track traffic coming to their websites. This free tool can also provide a lot of rich data for your InstantEncore mobile apps and website, including unique visitors, traffic data for individual areas of your app, exit rates, and much more. In turn, this data can be used to determine the effectiveness of your content and communications.
In the video below, we show you how easy it is to connect your Google Analytics account with your InstantEncore mobile suite.
In the video below, we show you how easy it is to connect your Google Analytics account with your InstantEncore mobile suite.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Social Media and Your Mobile App, Pt 1 - Feeding Content into Your Buzz
The Buzz area automatically brings your content into the mobile suite by synchronizing with your content's RSS and Atom feeds. The best way to automatically pull your social media and social networking content into your mobile app is to identify the RSS feed for your account and add it to the Buzz area.
Finding your content's RSS or Atom feed
- Blog or Podcast - Most blog and podcast platforms provide you with an RSS address so that your followers can subscribe to your content. If you are not sure what your feed address is for your blog or podcast, conduct a search within the platform's FAQs or in its forum area.
- Facebook - UPDATE: As of June 2015, Facebook no longer provides RSS or XML feeds for sharing content with web services. Click here for information on how to add Facebook content to your app.
- Twitter - UPDATE: As of June 2013, Twitter no longer provides RSS or XML feeds for sharing content with web services. Click here for information on how to add Twitter content to your app.
- MySpace - MySpace provides you with the ability to grab the RSS feed for your MySpace blog.
- On your profile page, click on "View All Blog Entries."
- In the top right-hand area of the next page, there are a few text links, one of them says "rss".
- Click on that link and the RSS feed address for your MySpace blog will appear in the web address bar.
- Google+ - Here is the workaround for Google+.
- Find your Google+ ID number by going to your Google+ profile page. The number is located in the URL address between 0/ and /posts. For example:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/117336246664676002690/posts - Copy your ID number
- Add it to the end of this sequence:
http://plu.sr/feed.php?plusr=YourGoogle+IDHere - Tumblr - Tumblr definitely has the easiest RSS feeds to find. Use http://YourTumblrBlog.tumblr.com/rss
- Flickr - This one is pretty easy, too.
- Go to your Flickr photostream page and scroll to the bottom.
- Where it says "Subscribe to YOUR photostream," click on the link next to it labeled "Latest"
- The RSS feed address for your photostream will appear in the web address bar.
- Pinterest - For Pinterest, the RSS feed will depend on whether you want the feed for your account or for a particular pinboard.
- The RSS feed for your account will be http://pinterest.com/YourScreenName/feed.rss
- The RSS feed for a particular pinboard will be http://pinterest.com/YourScreenName/YourBoardName.rss
Adding a feed to your Buzz
- Once you have located the feed for content, go the Buzz area of the control panel.
- Select Feeds in the submenu.
- Enter the RSS or Atom feed address in the empty text field.
- Select if the feed falls into the Blog, Podcast, or News category.
- Click on Add Feed.
- Once you have added your feed, be sure to click on Edit Image and upload a 75px X 75px graphic to associate with the feed. (We recommend PNG or GIF image files.) Whenever content from the feed appears in your Buzz tab or on your Home tab, this graphic will appear in the list as a visual indicator of the source.
Something to Consider
Take a moment to think about your social media behavior. If you frequently repost items from one social media source to another, then you may not want to add both feeds to your Buzz. This would create redundant content entries.
So, if you automatically pull your Twitter posts into your Facebook wall posts, then perhaps you just want to select one of those social media accounts to feed into the Buzz area.
In our next post, we will look at two other ways of bringing your social media content into your mobile app.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
CIM to Stream Van Cliburn Commencement Address via Mobile App
The musical program includes tribute performances by critically acclaimed pianist Sergei Babayan as well as pre-recorded work by his protégé – the 2011 International Tchaikovsky Competition Grand Prix Winner, pianist Daniil Trifonov.
"Our new ability to present CIM on a variety of internet platforms, including the web and mobile devices, offers exciting opportunities for us and for our audiences," said Conservatory Dean Adrian Daly. "I'm delighted that CIM will be streaming this year's Commencement, allowing us to share the celebration of our newest graduates and of Van Cliburn with a wider audience."
Sunday, April 22, 2012
5 Tips for Customizing Your Mobile App’s Background Image
It may seem trivial, but a customized background image can make
a world of difference for the mobile app experience. The background image within an app can enhance the visual palette, fortify your brand recognition, and provide graphical context for the mobile experience.
Your InstantEncore app defaults to a solid black wallpaper. While this is certainly not the most exciting choice, it is a useful default color due to its neutrality.
When customizing your own background image, remember that you want it to be interesting but not obtrusive. It should be a tasteful, thoughtful representation of you or your organization.
Here are five tips to help you create a great background image for your mobile app:
When customizing your own background image, remember that you want it to be interesting but not obtrusive. It should be a tasteful, thoughtful representation of you or your organization.
Here are five tips to help you create a great background image for your mobile app:
Tip #1 – Prepare and
upload an image according to the specified dimensions.
UPDATE: The recommended image size is 640px wide by 960px tall. Must be JPG or PNG format. Smaller images (e.g. 320 x 480) will load more quickly, but may not look as sharp on higher resolution devices. Larger images (e.g. 1240 x 1920) will look sharper on tablet devices, but will take longer to load initially.
It is usually best to avoid landscape-oriented photos, but
you can easily modify one to fit the proper background size. Try cropping the
image or adding onto it in creative ways. Sometimes it’s not the best choice to
merely crop a portion of your photo to 640x960, since the result could be a
larger distraction to the eye. When that is the case, you can try this suggestion:
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| A quick suggestion to turn your favorite landscape-oriented photo into a useable background image. Click here to enlarge the photo. |
Tip #2 – Subdue and
avoid bright hues.
The primary text throughout your app is white, so we recommend
keeping your background image dark – the darker the better. A light background
will cause your content to be washed out, and any abrupt textures will create too
much of a disturbance for the user.
 |
Avoid light backgrounds
and textures like this.
|
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If you really insist on
your background being a pile of sticks, because for some reason it’s the best
representation of you, add a black overlay and bring the opacity down to about
85% to lessen the attack - though using such a hectic image is still not advised.
|
Textures are usually great for a unique look, just remember
to keep it simple. Avoid sharp repeated patterns. At such a small screen-size,
an overly busy texture is very off-putting. If you like a particular image, but
you’re worried about how it will look behind the text in your app, you can add
a black (or other dark solid color) overlay with the transparency set anywhere
from 50%-90%, depending on just how busy or bright the image is you’re using.
Then simply preview, adjust as necessary, and use your best judgment.
The best digital wallpapers, small or large, are those that
are subtle enough to not take away from the foreground, yet maintain a fair amount of elegance.
Tip #3 – Avoid text.
Text will get in the way of the actual content in your app.
When positioned appropriately, a little subtle text or logo is manageable, but
too much text – no matter how faded it is – will be distracting.
Tip #4 – Match your
splash screen and remember your color scheme.
An easy and effective background idea could already be right in front of
you. Your splash screen image is already the right size, so why not apply it to
the rest of the pages in your app? You may have to adjust the intensity of the
colors, or remove (if not fade) any logos or images, but using elements from
your splash screen for the background is a great way to create a beautifully unified
look throughout your app. Choosing a complementary color scheme for your header
and accent features will give your app the sophistication your fans are looking
for.
Tip #5 – Preview your
app.
The background image appears on every page, including any
custom pages you create, so spend some time previewing your app to make sure the
pages are readable and looking the way you want. Remember, you can update your background
or change it out as much as you like, whenever you want to freshen up the
overall look of your app.
Here are some background examples
from various InstantEncore Partners to help inspire you.
To view the most detail, expand the slide deck to full screen.
Customizing a background image for your app is a small step in enhancing your mobile appearance, but it makes your content more approachable and contributes a unique visual environment. Users will undoubtedly notice and appreciate your attention to detail.
Customizing a background image for your app is a small step in enhancing your mobile appearance, but it makes your content more approachable and contributes a unique visual environment. Users will undoubtedly notice and appreciate your attention to detail.
Be creative, and have fun with your style! If you would like feedback or suggestions on your background image, send us an email. We're happy to help.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Promoting Your Mobile App Just Got Easier
Now when someone visits your standard website, it will not only detect if the visitor is coming from a mobile device, but it will also determine what type of mobile device the visitor is using.
- If the mobile visitor is using an Android or Apple device, they will be presented with a screen which gives them with two choices: (1) download the app, or (2) continue to the mobile website.
- If the mobile visitor is using any other type of mobile device, they will be taken directly to the mobile website.
The major implication for this update is that you no longer need to promote your mobile offerings with separate messaging. No need to direct mobile users to the Apple or Android app stores. Simply direct your audience to visit to your standard web address on their mobile device, and InstantEncore will handle the rest.
To ensure that your mobile package is integrated with your standard website in this manner, take a moment to complete these steps:
- Log into your InstantEncore account
- Select "Manage Mobile"
- Go to "Mobile Web Setup" in the menu on the left
- Copy the snippet of code provided in the area marked "Set up your website to recognize mobile devices"
- Paste this code into <head></head> area of your website's HTML code
(...or have your trusty website manager do it for you.)
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Making the Most of Your Mobile App's Welcome Message
To view the most detail, expand the slide deck to full screen.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
What Could Your Performing Arts Organization Do With a Mobile App?
Expand the video to full screen for optimal viewing.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
What's New in the InstantEncore Control Panel?
Over the weekend, you may have noticed that the InstantEncore Control Panel has a new look and layout. Here is a brief walkthrough of some of the changes as well as new elements that have been added.
Expand the slideshow to full screen for optimal viewing.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Engaging Mobile Audiences, Part II: Apps vs Websites
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| Palm Beach Opera engages mobile audiences with an iPhone app, an Android app, and a mobile website. |
From a technological standpoint, mobile websites may be accessed through the web browser on any mobile device. This means that your patrons can experience your content in an optimized format regardless of whether they use a Blackberry, an iPhone, an Android, or any other smartphone or tablet computer. So, question answered, right? Obviously, a mobile website is the best choice.
Not so fast. While a mobile website makes the most sense from an accessibility perspective, what about from a behavioral point-of-view? If you own a smartphone, consider your own usage. What do you use more frequently on your phone - apps or your internet browser? (If you do not own a smartphone, ask your friends about their usage.)
To be blunt, smartphone culture is app culture. As I mentioned in part I of this series, mobile research company Flurry Analytics released a report at the end of 2011 based on public data which found that Americans spend an average of 94 minutes per day using mobile apps vs. 72 minutes per day browsing the web - this includes mobile web browsing combined with desktop web browsing.
Smartphone owners use their mobile web browser to search for information, but they use mobile apps for ongoing interaction. This is what lies at the heart of deciding how you will deliver mobile content to your audience.
- Do you want audience members to find optimized content when they perform an internet search on their mobile devices? If so, then you need a mobile website.
- Do you want to provide mobile users with access to your content regardless of the type of device they use? If so, then you need a mobile website.
- Do you want mobile users to engage repeatedly with your content? If so, then you need to use mobile apps.
- Do you want mobile users to engage more deeply with your content than an information search? If so, then you need to use mobile apps.
If you want to achieve all of these things, then your mobile strategy must include a mobile website AND mobile apps.
As you may know, mobile apps are particular to the device. iPhone apps do not work on Android devices; Android apps do not work on Blackberry devices; etc. So, how do you decide which mobile apps to pursue?
According to the Nielsen Company's 2011 year-end report, over 46% of all smartphone users have Android devices and 30% of smartphone users have iOS (Apple) devices. And if the smartphone sales for the last three months of 2011 are indicative of the future, then Android and Apple will gain an even stronger hold on the smartphone market.
So the bottom line is this: a comprehensive mobile strategy should include a mobile website, an Android app, and an iPhone app. While the mobile website will provide universal access to your content for ALL smartphone users, the iPhone and Android apps will provide nearly 80% of smartphone users with mobile content in a format that they prefer to use.
At InstantEncore, we believe in providing performing artists and organizations with the tools that they need to implement a comprehensive mobile strategy without charging an exorbitant fee. To learn more about the pricing and features of our comprehensive 3-in-1 mobile solution, visit www.instantencore.com.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Engaging Mobile Audiences - Part I: Do You Have To?
You've got a website, and you're using social media to engage online audiences. Do you really have to engage audiences via mobile devices?
In 2009, researchers at Morgan Stanley released a report forecasting that by 2014 more people will be accessing web content via mobile devices than by laptop or desktop computers.
By the end of 2011, we can see the evidence of this prediction coming to fruition when we look at the average number of minutes per day Americans spend on internet browsing vs. using mobile apps.
So if we acknowledge that people are starting to use the mobile internet as much or more than desktop internet, then it only stands to reason that we need to think about the mobile internet user's experience.
When smartphone users go to standard websites, they have an experience that is not optimized for them. The standard website is reduced to fit on screen so that nearly any text on the site is illegible. The user has to pinch, expand, and slide the screen around in order to read the text and navigate to the content they seek. It makes for a frustrating experience.
Mobile websites and mobile apps isolate the content that is most likely to be of interest to mobile audiences and display it in a manner that is optimized for smaller, touch-based screens. If artists and arts organizations wish to remain relevant as mobile internet usage continues to grow, they must provide content to mobile audiences in a manner that is designed to provide them with an optimal experience.
In part II of this series on mobile audience engagement, we'll take a look at the differences between mobile websites and mobile apps.
In 2009, researchers at Morgan Stanley released a report forecasting that by 2014 more people will be accessing web content via mobile devices than by laptop or desktop computers.
By the end of 2011, we can see the evidence of this prediction coming to fruition when we look at the average number of minutes per day Americans spend on internet browsing vs. using mobile apps.
So if we acknowledge that people are starting to use the mobile internet as much or more than desktop internet, then it only stands to reason that we need to think about the mobile internet user's experience.
When smartphone users go to standard websites, they have an experience that is not optimized for them. The standard website is reduced to fit on screen so that nearly any text on the site is illegible. The user has to pinch, expand, and slide the screen around in order to read the text and navigate to the content they seek. It makes for a frustrating experience.
Mobile websites and mobile apps isolate the content that is most likely to be of interest to mobile audiences and display it in a manner that is optimized for smaller, touch-based screens. If artists and arts organizations wish to remain relevant as mobile internet usage continues to grow, they must provide content to mobile audiences in a manner that is designed to provide them with an optimal experience.
In part II of this series on mobile audience engagement, we'll take a look at the differences between mobile websites and mobile apps.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
February Webinar and Mobile Mentoring
This month, we're launching two new support services to help you have the utmost success with your mobile engagement strategy.
- Webinar - Making the Most of Your Mobile Apps
February 16, 2012 - 2:00pm-3:00pm EST - Artists & Ensembles register here
February 23, 2012 - 2:00pm-3:00pm EST - Arts Organizations register here
In this 60-minute webinar, we will guide you through the updated Control Panel, spotlight best practices from our partners, and announce new features to be added to our mobile service in March.
- Mobile Mentoring
Sign up for a 30-minute session with Partner Liaison Erick Rarick, who will work with you 1-on-1 to discuss your mobile strategy and identify areas of your apps that can help you meet your goals.
To schedule a session with Erick, go to www.tungle.me/instantencore and select one of the 30-minute sessions available throughout the month of February.
Each month, we'll offer mentoring sessions and new webinars focusing on particular areas of mobile engagement. If you have suggestions for topic areas, please email them to david@instantencore.com.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Announcing Two Streamlined Services for Engaging Web and Mobile Audiences
Artists know that their relationship with the audience is not limited to the performance on the stage. Today’s audiences want to learn more about the artists both before the performance and after the event.
Over the years, InstantEncore has developed a powerful system for artists and arts organizations to manage their online content and share it with their fans. From news and event listings to streaming music and video, thousands of artists and organizations have used our system to give their audiences fantastic content. Now, InstantEncore announces two streamlined services to help performing artists and organizations to connect and engage more fully with their fans.
To learn more about these services, take a tour of their powerful features, and view a showcase of our partners, visit www.instantencore.com.
In the upcoming weeks and months, we'll be sharing best practices for web and mobile strategy, spotlighting examples from the performing arts, as well as providing tips and suggestions keeping your audiences engaged. If you have particular areas you'd like us to explore, send us your questions.
Over the years, InstantEncore has developed a powerful system for artists and arts organizations to manage their online content and share it with their fans. From news and event listings to streaming music and video, thousands of artists and organizations have used our system to give their audiences fantastic content. Now, InstantEncore announces two streamlined services to help performing artists and organizations to connect and engage more fully with their fans.
- InstantEncore FREE - a fast, easy and affordable tool allowing performing artists and ensembles to build their own professional websites without hiring a webmaster or knowing how to code. With IE FREE, artists can also connect their content with their social media accounts.
- InstantEncore PRO - a multi-platform package allowing artists and arts organizations to engage mobile audiences with their own mobile website, iPhone app, AND Android app. Additionally, artists and organizations using IE PRO gain access to our API, which allows them to pull content directly into their external websites.
To learn more about these services, take a tour of their powerful features, and view a showcase of our partners, visit www.instantencore.com.
In the upcoming weeks and months, we'll be sharing best practices for web and mobile strategy, spotlighting examples from the performing arts, as well as providing tips and suggestions keeping your audiences engaged. If you have particular areas you'd like us to explore, send us your questions.
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