Mobile App Maker Pro

Mobile Apps and More on the Web

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Extracurricular Participant Benefits

Last week I talked about the “why” behind the mobile app. I’d like to now talk about the benefits of the mobile app with the fall sports season starting to wind down and giving way to winter. 

The majority of the population is visual. Given that people are visual, ask yourself this question, what is more likely to stimulate: static imagery or video?

The creation of both is as “hard” as using a mobile device if you don’t have access to game film. If you don’t have access to it, you or someone within your sport’s organization can go ahead and create some highlights.

Kids can have all their information directly integrated into the mobile app. When you look at the EY Football app, you’ll see that as of right now the seniors have only their Hudl highlights integrated into the mobile app. It would not be difficult to get more information for the kids integrated into the mobile app. As we are looking at what’s available by kids today, many have their Twitter feeds. Some have Instagram information. It seems like if there’s a new app out there, the kids will be on in short order. The direct feeds that can be integrated is Twitter and YouTube for the social media aspect.

Looking at the direct message delivery, one of the “bigger” apps out there is the Remind App and for the chat room function “GroupMe.”

The Remind App is certainly replaceable with the text notification system within the mobile app. It is easy to send a player to a certain page within the app or a specific website as well.

The chat room function is useful for discussing any aspect about an upcoming athletic contest. To ensure this information is not seen by those within the public, I’d suggest integrating the “Padlock” feature into the mobile app so that one could ensure no game secrets are open for the public to see at all.

Last but not least, kids are competitive and want to see their team ahead of their competition. Much like a rivalry game, kids are always trying to prove that they have an edge. Given that mobile apps are pretty much everywhere but not really utilized at this level, the kids would have a “leg up” on the competition. The mobile app is one way to stay ahead of everyone else 🙂

I’m looking forward to helping you get started today.

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Current Extracurricular Participants

We live in an era where the millennial generation is moving into the workforce and we have “Generation Z” ranging as those being born now to those who are in high schools across the nation and world.  I’d like to look at this graphic and set the stage.  The focus is on “Most Used Devices” from Vision Critical:

 

Are Gen Z and millennials ignoring you?

 

For better or worse, kids (increasing numbers of adults as well) are attached to their devices and you can see within the graph, it is their preferred device.  Why may you ask?  Three steps for creativity: copy, transform, combine. 

Apps within the smartphone are nothing more than a combination of audio, visual, and internet access.

The most basic smartphones integrate the following existing technologies:

Telephones: Patented in 1876 by Alexander Graham Bell

Commercial internet access: 1992

Personal digital assistant: 1992

mp3 file patent filed in Germany: 1993

Camera (first picture): 1816

Computer software (an app is nothing more than this): 1970s although Ada Lovelace wrote the first algorithm in 1842

As you can see, just with what I listed, three things are from the 1990s, two hardware items are from the 1800s as well. 

The mobile app experience does the same thing but for software.  I can integrate (or you can build your app) the following for you:

  • Text
  • Images
  • Video

Why do so?  Scroll back up to the graph and you’ll see why.  Kids at this age are always on their smartphones. 

I’ll get to the why next time.  Until then, feel free to reach out to info@mobileappmakerpro.com so I can set up a time to talk with you.  

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Mobile Sport Program

I last talked relating to what happens behind the scenes to help support support a smooth running season regarding parental involvement. 

I talked briefly last time about creating an app for working things behind the scenes.  What I’d like to do now is look at a digitization of the sports program.  Here’s how things normally work with a sports program.  Buy it, look once or twice during the time of the event (possibly the day after) and then that’s it.  I used to coach and after a football game, I saw the janitorial staff getting a few that were left behind accidentally, on purpose, or those that fell under the bleachers accidentally. 

I’d like to talk a little bit directly to the EY Football app.  When you download it, from the app’s home screen, I’d like for you to navigate to the “Season Info” section. 

When you look at a sports program, it’s typically heavy on pictures of the various extracurricular participants from the football team to band members.  There’s ads included as well.  Lastly, there’s messages ranging from family members to school personnel.

Let’s talk very briefly to the roster information.  As I get closer to 40, I have noticed a change over the course of time, and that’s the involvement by kids stopping their involvement during the course of a season.  Kids are more likely today from my observations to stop their involvement.  Sometimes reasons are perceived to be legitimate, other times, they may not be so.  Regardless, the traditional program is set at the start of the season and then it’s not accurate.  Having the information contained within a mobile app is a way to ensure that the team’s roster information is always 100% accurate.

Looking at the businesses that advertise, they are most likely getting a write off.  Although they may be getting one, how much are they really benefitting from the advertisement space?  If the organization is not in the immediate area, it may take a number of times for that business to be seen three to seven times prior to a potential customer engages with them.  Having a presence within the app is a great way to add visibility.  Again, here’s where you can go to take a look and see everything that I’ve made mention of in the app EY Football.  When you do and are ready to take the next step, I’ll take the time and simply build the overall app, giving you the flexibility you need to focus in on serving your extra curricular organization.  Feel free to contact me via the app Mobile App Maker Pro or just drop a line to: info@mobileappmakerpro.com.

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Sports App

Given the time spent on restaurants and sports season at the scholastic level in full swing, I wanted to speak a little to creating an app for the prototypical sports team.  I’d like to set the stage with information that goes on in the offseason first.  One of the first questions is HOW does an organization typically communicate throughout the offseason?  I’ve worked with one and seen others.  The main way is to use Facebook.  It seems to be the simplest and most convenient way to communicate with large swaths of people.  However, one of the things that I’ve noticed is a person may scroll to a certain point on their timeline.  There could be important information just below the point where the person stopped scrolling.  The best way to not avoid is to simply look at the particular group but how often do you navigate out of the specific news feed? 

Aside from getting news from Facebook, there is the distinct possibility that a person will miss the information that is presented by various groups within their particular news feed.  This can lead to less than optimal conditions to reaching out to everyone.  Here’s some things that happen during the offseason where people should have an awareness so that they may communicate with their local community:

  • Calendar of upcoming events
  • Parent association meetings
  • Fundraising dates
  • Medical examinations
  • Social media to include Facebook and other platforms such as Twitter and Youtube
  • Sponsor submission information

That said, when communication does happen in the digital medium, it’s not unusual for something to be missed for the previously mentioned reasons. 

Once the season approaches, there’s a number of things that a parent association has occurring “behind the scenes” that ensure smooth operations for the sports team.  One thing that these organizations generally need is volunteers.  The volunteers may not be concerned with finding ways to continually contribute but can help out on a more limited basis. 

This is where the use of an app for a single sports team or an all encompassing one for an entire school’s sports program will help mitigate some of the difficulties listed above.  One way to get started is downloading the EY Football app that is already live for Apple and Google by clicking on the link below. 

When done, I’d love to help you get started with your app by building the “framework” or by having you log into the app building portion of the software.

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Personalized Restaurant App vs. Grubhub

I wanted to take a week and write about food delivery in today’s age.  Food delivery apps are a spin off in concept from what Uber was able to deliver.  The biggest benefit from the customer perspective is convenience.  People are using mobile devices for everything conceivable.  Food ordering is no different either.  The restaurant has a super convenient platform and on the surface has very little to do.  That’s where it ends and let’s dig into the “nuts and bolts” of what happens.  The graphic below from Modern Restaurant Management does a good job comparing things below. 

Info graphic from Modern Restaurant Management

 

 

 

Here’s some considerations when it comes to integrating these third party services. 

Restaurant costs:

Commission-There are varying rates for the commission depending on the platform that is utilized.  Don’t forget to add in an extra cost if you wish to be listed at the top listing within your area as well.

Time-When a third party delivery person is utilized, they have to have knowledge of food delivery to deliver the goods to the customer as hot or as cold as possible.  This is not a problem if you are using a regular person.  However, in today’s society where it’s easy to join a service as a “side gig” for extra income coupled with minimal company loyalty, it’s easy for drivers to quit and join a new delivery service and/or select  who they will deliver for.  If a restaurant owner or other personnel has to consistently explain things, it will be a much harder prospect to effectively utilizing time while in the shop. 

Customer cost-As you can see in the above mentioned graphic, there’s a number of options that the customer may have to absorb as well. 

One of the things I’ve noticed within my area is that the restaurants that tend to use these services belong to a chain.  These costs are more easily absorbed through the chain if they do not use an independent franchisee model. 

Mc Donald’s is one the fast food “king” and they have seen the benefit of developing their own food delivery service and that’s where I’ll go. 

The first thing being in an app with literally all the other restaurants is imagery.  You are under the “Grub Hub” or other food delivery app “umbrella” and there’s no specific branding on the devices’s home screen.  What really sets you apart when a user opens up the app aside from scrolling or sorting on a variety of different factors?  Your restaurant is obviously competing with others in your area.  What is being done to set yourself apart?  The loyalty by seeing the app logo and not your own can lead people away from your service and filter to another.  Give the people a reason to keep coming back.  One example is Google and all the services they offer.  They have email, videos (YouTube), news, along with many other services that make it hard for a person to consider moving away since everything is all “there” in one specific location. 

The next thing is the Grubhub type set up is good for two things-ordering and reading reviews.  What is being done to encourage people to come back?  As I’ve stated in the Parma Pizza app, that you can get via the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, you can integrate more than just ordering.  Reward frequent customers and integrate specials so people can view what they can get in short order.

These things are obviously a contrast to the services I offer at Mobile App Maker Pro.  you’ll get the following:

  • Low flat investment fee for a mobile app plus an add on of a website
  • No commissions-at all
  • Individualized mobile app using nothing but your branding
  • Your rewards system integrated
  • Your loyalty program integrated

With this and other things in mind, feel free to reach out to me at info@mobileappmakerpro.com and we’ll get a time set up to talk on the phone and upon your approval, I’ll get started with the mobile app for you.  Within a roughly 48 time period, I’ll deliver a working model for you. 


Looking forward to hearing from you today!

Head on over to this page and see what was done for one pizza shop-Parma Pizza & Grill Haines Road.