Does your vendor have an app?

Let’s face it, the smart phone is the computer platform of the millennial … and more! It is hard to go to the mall, a concert, the beach, office, or even church and not find that the smart phone is a requirement for today’s mobile lifestyle.

It’s important that your technology vendor demonstrates an understanding of the customer and how they use mobile technology. This is a key to their being relevant to you.

A telling online study

That being said, I conducted a limited research project (My “60 Minute Statistical Sample”) of the major core technology vendors’ website. You will be amazed by what I found.

First, most major core application vendors have a mobile-optimized website that is relatively compatible with smart phones.

Second, most of them have event apps designed to be used at their user conferences. Of course, the event app is really brochure-ware that is designed to be as a cost-effective distribution channel.

Some of the core application vendors even have a mobile banking test app.  You can download and test these apps, but in the final analysis and in my opinion, they are not apps!

So, what’s a “real app”?

From our point of view, an app is an original solution, something that can deliver useful information that supports and extends the mobility-based lifestyle.

It is not a website crammed into a very small screen.

A properly design app is creative.

It meets a need.

It is fun to use.

It makes sense.

And above all, a good app must be designed from the users’ perspective, not the vendor’s perspective.

Don’t get me wrong. I would much rather have a user conference program on my smartphone as opposed to a multipage brochure. An electronic brochure for a vendor conference is convenient, but just because you can go to Google Play or the App store and download it does not make it a useful app.

So back to the question: Does your core application vendor have an app?

If not, then ask: Why are you still with that vendor?

Sound familiar?

—The Wombat!