'Net Features : mobile app

Viralheat Users Get Fired Up for iPhone App Release

Allison Howen — Thu, 16 May 2013 09:04:00 GMT

The Viralheat platform has gone mobile.

The social media marketing suite provider just launched an iPhone app, which enables users to manage multiple Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts from their smartphones. The app can be leveraged to publish updates, as well as engage with audiences by commenting on posts, replying to updates and retweeting tweets. Plus, users have the ability to analyze follower data for their connected Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts.

“Viralheat already provides marketers with a unique, all-in-one platform for social media management,” said Vishal Sankhla, co-founder, Viralheat. “Our new iPhone app brings this simple, cost-effective platform, that includes social media management, engagement, publishing and analytics capabilities to the mobile world.”

The app also provides Viralheat users with on-the-go access to a variety of the platform’s most popular features and tools, including the Viralheat Stream, cross-channel publishing, analytics, the ability to create and save custom streams, schedule posts and engage with communities in real-time.

Optimize Native Apps With A/B Tests

Allison Howen — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 15:00:00 GMT

Most Web workers know the importance of testing usability features when building a website, however, this same strategy should also be implemented when building mobile applications.

Luckily, a new service from mobile experience management (MEM) provider Artisan enables users to do just that. Artisan Optimize, which is the first available product from Artisan and currently in public beta, enables clients to test and modify the user experience of native mobile apps with no coding knowledge required. In fact, the Artisan platform enables non-technical marketers, publishers and merchants to manage, understand and enhance apps without having to resubmit them to app stores.

“The Artisan platform for Mobile Experience Management has come a long way in a very short time,” said CEO Bob Moul. “Early beta testers have now reached full production and are regularly updating their native apps to refine and improve the user experience. This is something that’s never been done before. Retailers, marketers and publishers are gaining unprecedented access not only to audience response, but also to the process of updating mobile apps in a real-time environment. Organizations have an opportunity to unleash the full potential of the mobile app experience, learning which app designs are most effective, and how to improve app development for the strongest performance results.”

Not only does Artisan Optimize enable clients to build and distribute A/B tests to users within an app’s existing audience base, but the platform also collects valuable data from individual app users. It is also important to note that the platform features a “click to install” SDK, which means that it is simple to integrate into applications.

General availability of the platform is expected to be released in the first quarter of 2013, and the company notes that future products will add more capabilities in order to create an environment where mobile experiences can be managed without having to write code, recompile or resubmit applications to app stores. Learn more about Artisan’s services that are scheduled to launch in 2013 below:

Artisan Analyze – This platform will enable clients to understand and track every page view and app event.

Artisan Create – Clients can use this service to design and build the user interface of new native mobile apps.

Artisan Personalize – This solution will give clients the ability to segment and target audiences with personalized app experiences.

Artisan Performance Management – Clients will be able to use this platform to monitor performance and adapt app delivery for the best user experience.

FTC Offers Mobile Advertising and Privacy Guidance

Michael Garrity — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 18:45:00 GMT

Mobile ads are the next big thing for the advertising industry, so did you really think that the FTC wasn’t going to get involved sooner or later?

In early 2012, the group was looking into updating its online advertising guidelines to adapt them to new digital marketing avenues, particularly social and mobile, but that won’t be completed for a few more months. Right now, there are already tons of applications on mobile devices across the country, which prompted the Commission to released new guidelines for app developers known as “Marketing Your Mobile App: Getting It Right from the Start.”

The guide, which is intended for an audience that is largely unfamiliar with FTC compliance guidelines, primarily gives advice about “truthful advertising” and privacy issues.

For starters, it tells developers to make sure that their advertising tells “the truth about what” their app is able to do, whether it’s on a website, in an apps store or even within the application. It even offers up a handy rule of thumb, that if they don’t have “solid proof” to back up the objective claims of their app’s capabilities, they probably shouldn’t bother advertising them. It also advises them to disclose any key information “clearly and conspicuously,” meaning that it is big and clear enough that user’s can easily see it and understand what it is saying.

In terms of privacy, the FTC suggests that developers build in privacy considerations from the start of the project, which means limiting the information they collect, securely storing what they acquire and safely disposing of what they don’t need. Additionally, the organization insists that these developers are transparent with users about their data collection and sharing practices, and that they offer privacy choices (e.g. privacy settings, opt-outs or other ways that users can control their personal information) that are easy to find and use.

As with advertising content, the guidelines encourage developers to honor their privacy promises and keep user data secure. It says they should collect only the data they need, secure it by taking “reasonable precautions” against known security risks, limit its access to a “need-to-know basis” and safely dispose of what they do not need. Finally, it recommends that they only collect “sensitive information” (i.e. medical, financial, location, etc.) with user consent, and that they are especially careful when collecting data from children (under 13) and require parental consent when doing so.

If you’re interested in reading the full report, you can check out a PDF version by clicking here. And don’t forget to be on the lookout for the updated mobile advertising guidelines by the end of the year.