Track that App! Native Event Tracking is a must.

If you’ve got an app in the App Store or with Google Play, you’re probably fixated with how your app is performing.

You probably get some sort of report, letting you know how many downloads or purchases of your respective app occurred over some pre-defined period.

And this report represents a measure of your apps success.

Right?

Wrong!

There are all kinds of tools out there that help you track the performance of your mobile app.

There are basic tools, which tell you how many times your app has been downloaded (which you can typically get from the respective app stores).

And others which tell you about conversions, time on app, entry and exit points.

But these tools offer only the most basic insight into the success (or lack thereof) of your app.

More sophisticated tools let you capture details about usage and engagement.

If you want to dig a little deeper beneath the surface, you can track native events – the specific taps, swipes and scrolls that define mobile application usage.

In my humble opinion, native event tracking is the sweet spot when it comes to apps.

What exactly users are doing with my app.

If your app is a basic wrapper app or a launcher, with a simple native entry point sitting atop a complete mobile web experience, then read no further.

This post isn’t for you.

But if you’ve got a truly native application, which takes full advantage of the device’s API, then you’re going to want to know much more than you’re getting from a download report.

If you’re really interested in understanding precisely what users are doing with your app, after they’ve downloaded and installed it – beyond open, close and time spent – then read on.

If you’ve spent the kind of time that I have with apps, app developers and clients, you know that metrics are supremely important.

No reputable company would launch a website without ensuring that their Google Analytics dashboard was popping (or some other form of online data tracking).

But what about your mobile apps?

Are you paying attention to the events taking place on the device itself, beyond the mobile web entry and endpoints that may be accessed by the app?

Apps provide a deeper level of engagement than a standard mobile website.

So being able to leverage the native features and functions of a mobile device, thereby driving deeper levels of engagement, means that you can capture vitally rich information from each and every user.

Tracking usage patterns of the mobile apps you develop can aid your brand determine where to add (or withdraw) development resources to maximize user engagement.

And that’s where native event tracking come in.

As the name explains, ‘native event tracking’ refers to the tracking (=recording, capture and storage) of the native (=occurring on the mobile device) events (=interactions with the app).

And while Google is the top of the food chain when it comes to online analytics, there are a couple of other players in the native event tracking space.

For example, there’s Flurry, which provides SDKs for mobile application developers interested in tracking usage patterns.

There’s AppClix from Mobile Visions, which has a comprehensive dashboard that integrates easily with other analytics providers, like Flurry, Pinch Media or Localytics.

Omniture by Adobe, which is perhaps one of the more recognizable names in the game, also offers mobile application developers with native tracking tools.

Their native SDKs allow you to measure applications across a host of mobile platforms, including iOS, Android, PhoneGap, Windows 8, Symbian and Blackberry.

And there’s also Tracker, whose API allows you to implement usage tracking and analytics in mobile applications.

There are a host more, of both the paid and open source variety, which can all adequately track mobile application usage to a greater or lesser degree.

But for me, one stands out above the rest.

And it’s (one again) Google.

Having recently worked on a project utilizing Google’s Analytics for Mobile Apps SDK, I can say that it’s the most robust and comprehensive native events tracking application I’ve worked with.

The great thing about it, is that it’s totally customizable.

Does your app allow users to swipe, pinch, tap, scroll, press, shake, toggle?

Then you can track it all with Google.

Using a very basic methodology: _trackEvent (category, action, opt_label, opt_value, opt_noninteraction) you’re able to generate supremely in-depth user engagement data from mobile applications.

The best thing about using Google’s event tracking protocols is that it’s FREE!

In addition, if you’re already using Google for your web analytics, the dashboard and reports are virtually the same.

Now, to each, his or her respective own.

Having worked with GA for a minute, it’s my SDK of choice.

But if you’re working with an app developer, one question to ask is how they intend (or what mechanism they intend to use) to track native events.

And if you’re developing apps on your own, do not neglect native event tracking.

There’s no better way to learn about (and leverage) your users’ behavior.

Class dismissed.

Now get out there and track those apps!

The difference between an app and a mobile site is…

The other day, I nearly smacked the sh*t out of my wife.

Or rather, I had the urge to smack the sh*t out of my wife.

Now, I’m not a violent person.

Nor do I support domestic violence of any kind.

But she asked me a question…

So vile…

So base….

That it took every sinew in my body to restrain myself.

What, pray tell, did she ask to create such an impassioned emotional response?

“What’s the difference (between an app and a mobile site)?”

Can you believe it?

The nerve of this heifer.

I’ve been married to this broad for almost 13 years.

I’ve been in the mobile app/technology space for over a decade.

Over this period, I regaled her with stories of my exploits in cyberspace.

I converted her from a cave dwelling savage to a member of civilized society.

Where once stood a technophobe, now exists a technophile.

I brought her from a clamshell to a smartphone.

Raised her from the ignorance of PCs to the enlightenment of Apple.

Brought her from the dark of online social isolation to the light of social media and networking.

But, I digress.

Why did I want to inflict bodily harm?

Well, she was “pinning” on her Droid II and remarked how fluid the Pinterest mobile website was.

I casually remarked that if the mobile site worked so well, that the app would probably work better.

Following my advice, she fumbled around trying to locate the link to the Google Play Store on her device before realizing that the app was already installed.

Apparently, months ago, when she became the Pinterest-junkie she is today, I had installed the app to feed her voracious pinning appetite.

She had been using the app for a hot minute, thinking she was on their mobile site.

It was then, that she uttered those three dreaded words: what’s the difference.

They cut me like a knife.

She was looking down at her phone and didn’t see the murderous rage in my eyes.

We were in a public place (Ruby Tuesday) with the kids, so I channeled my inner Shaolin monk to avoid lunging across the table and throttling her.

Could she really not know the difference?

Maybe all the times she feigned sleep as I recounted my days’ work, she was really dozing off and not paying attention.

I should have known, with all those Help Desk moments, assisting her to remotely recover a file she thought she had deleted or locate a download on her computer.

Perhaps she was…daft?

My rage was quickly replaced by pity for my poor ignorant spouse, who continually failed to avail herself of her husband’s brilliance.

And it dawned on me.

If my bottom bitch didn’t know the difference between an app and a mobile site, perhaps my thirteen readers didn’t either.

I must right this wrong.

First, let’s start with definitions.

An app is a software application that’s written in the language of the mobile platform upon which it operates.

A mobile site is a website that has been optimized for browsing on mobile devices.

Now lets look at the primary differences between them, in the areas of: access, connectivity, content and compatibility.

Access

Apps are usually accessed directly from the mobile device. Typically, there is an icon for the particular app you wish to utilize, which launches the app. Click it and you’re off!

Mobile sites, on the other hand are usually accessed from within the mobile web browser. In order to access a mobile site, you’ve got to open up your browser, plug in the URL and hit enter. On many smartphones, though, you can now create a shortcut, which allows you to save the location of the web page as an icon on your device, which then opens up like an app.

Connectivity

Apps are usually available whether you’re online or offline. While many apps require an Internet or wifi connection to update their content, most are built to be used regardless of whether a connection exists. Typically, if a user is offline they can continue to use their app, and it will update once they’re in range of a signal.

Mobile sites require a cellular or wifi connection to be used. If you’re not in range of a wifi signal or rocking a device with a robust 3G or 4G, then connecting to a mobile site will be slightly…problematic.

Content

When you’re on an app, the content in the app can be stored on the device, pulled from the web and downloaded to the device, or both. Most game apps usually have content stored on the device. They user isn’t required to be online in order to play. Many games in the Apple app store, however, are now adding Game Center capabilities, which allow you to play against other users remotely. Game center content requires an Internet or wifi connection.

If you’re on a mobile site, the content is only available online. If you can’t get online, you can’t get to the content of the mobile site you’re trying to reach. Period. If you’ve got cached web pages, they’ll appear when you open up your browser, but once you try to load/reload that page, you’re screwed.

Compatibility

Apps are designed specifically for the devices they operate upon. An iOS app will not work on an Android device. An Android app will not work on an IOS device. And nothing works on Blackberries. Compatibility is not really the forte of apps.

Mobile sites, on the other hand, are compatible across devices and browsers. With the exception of Flash (which still does not work on iOS devices) most features and functions on mobile sites work on virtually all mobile devices.

My sweet ignorant wife got the abridged version of this breakdown.

Hopefully it stuck.

In my pity, I no longer harbored the desire to smack the shit out of her.

While my pimp hand is strong, so is my compassion for the enfeebled.

Hopefully my explanation of the differences between apps and mobile sites are too.

Note to my wife: If you’re reading this blog, these are just jokes. I never want to smack the shit out of you…except when you’re talking to me while sports are on the tele…or when you prattle on endlessly about inane topics you know I could give a fuck about…or when you get on me for being on my phone. But aside from that, you know I loves you.

Mobile Engagement: SMS, Apps, Mobile Web, QR Codes, SnapTags

I’m sure you’ve heard the expression: “There’s more than one way to skin a cat.”

I’ve got a new (and far less catchy) one for ya: “There’s more than one way to engage your audience via mobile.”

I told you it was far less catchy.

But to my point, there are numerous ways for businesses and brands to create effective engagement using mobile.

These include SMS (short messaging system aka texting), mobile applications, mobile websites, QR codes and SnapTags.

There are definitely more than these five, but for the purposes of this exercise, we’re going to focus on these.

SMS

SMS isn't just for clamshells anymore!

What is SMS? If you’ve ever sent or received a text message to your mobile phone, you’ve used SMS. SMS stands for short messaging system, and it’s a protocol for communication between mobile devices or mobile devices and computers. The maximum length of an SMS or text message is 160 characters, hence, ‘short.’

How does texting work? Text messaging works by sending packets of data (information) over cellular networks. You send a message that is delivered to your wireless carrier’s message center. From there it’s processed through several switches until it’s received on the recipient’s device.

Along the way, it picks up and shares crucial information about the sender, the sender’s location, timestamp and other data, which can be utilized to track data sent over the network.

Pros

Targeted. The beauty of text messaging for brands, is that users opt-in, only when they actually want to receive messages, information and alerts. Thus, the mobile mailing lists your brand creates, consists of motivated users who have identified themselves as tuned-in members of your brand’s tribe.

Simple to Integrate. Adding a few lines of text, with a mobile call-to-action, to your current marketing tools is a simple way to expand the breadth and depth of your brand’s current marketing efforts.

Unobtrusive. If you’re like me, you look at your phone whenever it’s convenient. You don’t necessarily respond to every beep or buzz at the moment you’re notified. SMS allows you to collect messages, review and respond at your leisure.

Permission-based. Unlike email lists, which are freely shared, bought and sold, mobile is an extremely regulated industry. Mobile marketing companies can only send messages to users who have specifically opted-in to receive messages from the particular brand that acquired their number.

Cons

Frequency. Sometimes brands send out too many messages. At other times, too few. Without being able to ascertain the messaging appetite of a particular user, your message frequency may not match that of the intended recipient(s).

Delivery failure. No system is infallible. SMS is no different. Between users traveling in and out of locations with low/no signal strength, to mis-entered phone numbers, to users switching between providers (but maintaining the same number), there are any number of causes for failed delivery of messages.

Opt-in Requirements. Since you can’t communicate with your audience across their mobile devices unless they’ve opted in, getting users to opt in to your service in the first place can be challenging.

Mobile Apps

Apps, apps everywhere, and not a bite to eat!

What’s a mobile app? A mobile app is an internet application that runs on smartphones and other mobile devices. If you own an iPhone, Blackberry or Android, you’ve probably already used the App store, and have a few apps already on your device. Other device manufacturers, like Nokia, Samsung and Motorola, all have their own version of apps that run exclusively on their devices.

How do mobile apps work? Mobile applications work by connecting users to Internet services that are typically accessed from their desktop or notebook computers. Mobile applications also make it easier to use the Internet on user’s portable devices.

Pros

On-deck. Having an app directly on a phone’s dashboard or dock, is a convenient way for a user to access your brand. When an app is ‘on-deck,’ it provides both utility and convenience within a few clicks.

Targeted. An app is typically a scaled down version of a brand’s website, focused on the few interactions a brand is interested in driving through the use of mobile devices. Well-crafted apps provide baseline information and functionality, taking advantage of the native features and functions of the mobile device.

Cons

Too many apps. There are over 1 million apps in the iTunes App store. There are almost 400,000 Android apps. Making your brand stand out among all these apps can be daunting. Getting people to know that your brand has an app may also be challenging.

Spotty performance. Some apps work great. Others work well. Some work poorly, and a few make us want to throw our phones against the wall. Getting your app to perform right every time is also very difficult to accomplish.

Platform specific. If you’re thinking about a multi-platform app strategy, it’s going to cost you because the app you develop for one device, invariably will not work on another device. If you want to cover the widest range of devices, you’ve got to have a multi-platform approach.

Mobile Websites

What’s a mobile website? Simply put, a mobile website is a site capable of being accessed and rendered properly on a mobile device. As distinguished from a standard website, mobile sites are scaled or designed to take advantage of the features mobile devices and mobile browsers.

How do mobile websites work? Mobile websites work in much the same way as standard sites. Enter a URL into the mobile browser of your device, and you’re taken to the site you’ve requested. But rather than being presented with the typical layout you’d see on a standard web page, you’ll probably have a list of tabs, finger-sized buttons and navigation options formatted for your mobile phone.

Pros

Made for mobile. The beauty of mobile sites is the fact that they’ve been optimized for small screens, and enable users to access a wealth of content on-the-go.

User-interaction resembles an app. While there are architectural differences between mobile apps and mobile web applications, the user experiences on both interfaces are increasingly similar. Most apps utilize real-time web connectivity and mobile web apps provide offline modes which continue to be accessible in the absence of network connectivity.

Cons

Navigation. The mobile phone usually comes with a small screen and no mouse. This means that navigation on a mobile phone may get difficult for the user, even if it has a touchscreen.

Interoperability. Sometimes things just don’t work wel together. Interoperability issues stem from the multitude of competing mobile devices, mobile operating systems, and browsers, developed by the various handset manufacturers, chipset makers and software developers.

Usability. Usability relates to how easy it is to use a thing. Usability problems are presented by the small physical size of the mobile phone form factors (limits on display resolution and user input/operating).

QR Codes

This is an example of a branded QR code. Looks nice doesn't it?

What’s a QR Code? A QR Code is a two-dimensional barcode consisting of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. The information encoded can be made up of four standardized kinds (“modes”) of data (numeric, alphanumeric, byte/binary, Kanji), or by supported extensions virtually any kind of data.

How do QR Codes work? Users with a camera phone equipped with the correct reader application scan the image of the QR code to display text, contact information, connect to a wireless network, or open a web page in the telephone’s browser.

Pros

Use of QR codes expanding. Initially, the adoption of QR codes was slow, especially in the United States, where various standards exist. But the technology is gaining traction in the smartphone market, and many Android, Nokia, Blackberry handsets, have QR code readers pre-installed.

Multiple applications. QR codes are used in a wide range of applications, including commercial tracking, entertainment and transport ticketing, product/loyalty marketing and promotions.

Free to use. There are any number of free QR code generators, which will create a unique QR code for your brand, pointing to any destination or location you chose. You QR code can open a URL, play a video, send a user a text message or deliver content. All for free!

QR Code Error Correction. Through error correction, it is possible to create artistic QR codes that still scan correctly, but contain intentional alterations to make them more readable or attractive to the human eye, as well as to incorporate colors, logos and other features into the QR code block.

Cons

Requires a QR Code Reader. While many smartphone now have QR code readers installed, many older generation phones, and none of the iOS devices have a native reader application. This may impact adoption of this mobile engagement method.

They’re ugly. One of the main complaints that folks lodge against the use of QR codes is the fact that they’re unattractive. Highly stylized brands feel that the black and white block isn’t aesthetically appealing enough to be used with their brands.

SnapTags

This diagram lays out SnapTags quite succinctly. It came from their site, so it better!

What’s a SnapTag? SnapTags are rings, with visual information aligned in a pattern of bars and breaks, that impacts what content is accessed by a compatible reader app. They have been popularized by Spyderlynk, a mobile activation and marketing platform company.

How do SnapTags work? You can either scan a SnapTag with a SnapTag reader or simply take a picture of the snap tag, text the picture to a short code, and receive a code message in return.

Pros

No reader required. What makes SnapTags unique is the fact that each tag also has a unique short code, enabling people without smart phones to send and receive text messages which will connect them with the associated campaign.

Use your logo. SnapTags are appealing because they use the logo of the brand, which enables companies using SnapTags to take advantage of their pre-existing brand recognition, and not get lost in the shuffle of indistinguishable QR codes.

Cons

No widespread adoption. While SnapTags are the proverbial “princess” to the QR code “beast,” they have yet to gain any real traction in the marketplace. It’s difficult to project whether brands will adopt yet another mobile platform to engage audiences.

Too many steps. For users without smartphones, taking a picture, composing a text message, sending it and waiting for a response, may be too much work to interact with a brand. The rule of thumb with mobile is “less is more.” The fewer steps to connect with your brand, the more likely the user is to take those steps.

Ultimately, the appropriate mobile engagement tool is the one that fits your brand’s overall marketing strategy.

You may find that some campaigns warrant the use of a mobile marketing built around a text messaging strategy and print calls-to-action.

Others may fare the best with an iOS app leading the way.

But whatever tool you use, adding a mobile engagement strategy to your brand’s bag o’ tricks is a smart strategy.