By Peter Hanschke
We’re finally getting close to the end. I must say that although it has been fun, I’m looking forward to the end. Maybe because I’m thrilled to have an app in the store; or maybe because the long nights and weekends are getting to me; or maybe both. Not sure why, but I’ll be glad when it’s over. My last post talked about the importance of marketing your app and not relying on the app store to get the word out. Today we’ll talk about taking your app on the road and engaging others for the first time with your app …all in the name of testing it.
Whether you are developing for iOS (as I am), Android, windows8, or BlackBerry, there are a number of variants that you need to test. On the iOS platform you have iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and various generations of each device and the OS. At the outset you have to select which combination of devices and operating systems you want your app to run on; this defines the device section of your test plan. For my app, I narrowed the field down to iPhone and iPod Touch (fourth and fifth generations), running OS 6.x. With Apple cranking out new devices and new operating systems frequently AND (by witnessing lineups at Apple stores on launch days) users upgrading to have the latest, I figured that my narrow field is a significant enough market for me to tackle. Android, on the other hand, is different. Many versions of Android are still in play today, which makes the testing a more difficult and longer process.
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By Megan Totka
You may or may not have heard this recently, but SEO seems to have introduced a new sibling into the online marketing family. ASO (or App Store Optimization) is the online marketing of mobile apps through items like their descriptions, keywords and titles. Because apps are marketed somewhat similarly, but not the same way as traditional web content, the industry has dubbed this area of optimization accordingly by giving it the name ASO, and thus identifying the “store” as the means through which one attempts to market their app successfully.
Instead of optimizing content for a search engine, like with traditional SEO, ASO requires one to optimize apps specifically for app stores. The two most popular app stores currently on the market are iOS (Apple’s mobile operating system) and Google Play.
The proliferation and use of mobile devices is ever-increasing in today’s world, and accompanying that mobility is the demand for mobile web access, as well as access to mobile apps. The goal for marketing your business should be to reach your customers where ever they are, and that will likely mean going mobile.
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By Jay Innes
Marketing and communications pros – hell, even PR folks and business developers – can force a smile after reading a study examining Canada’s productivity and following that with a scan of a Branham report on the Canadian ICT industry.
Deloitte Canada recently released The Future of Productivity: A Wake Up Call for Canadian Companies, assessing the worrisome trend that sees startups flourish and then flounder because growth and productivity aren’t sustained. The slowdown and full-blown failure of many startups is, the report states, a partial result of business leaders “not investing in the activities required to sustain growth.” The authors advise firms to increase their focus on gathering competitive intelligence as part of an effort to avoid slipping behind their peers.
“Canada’s entrepreneurs may have mastered the art of creating fast-growing businesses with great potential, but they fall short when it comes to sustaining them,” states the Deloitte study.
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By Hailley Griffis
Last month’s content lineup featured great posts that shattered common myths about listening to feedback from investors, the future of the tech-world for entrepreneurs and how far a little cleverness can take you in your marketing strategy. We also looked at the International Startup Festival being held in Montreal this month for the third year in a row and the astounding importance that neurons play in our day-to-day lives.
In case you missed any of it, here is a handy recap of our posts, as ranked by the enthusiasm of our readers:
June 18 : The art of ignoring feedback, by Anil Dilawri
June 04: Where do the next opportunities lie for savvy tech entrepreneurs?, by Denzil Doyle
June 26: International Startup Festival hits Montreal for third edition, by Francis Moran
June 17: A little cleverness goes a long, long way, by Leo Valiquette
June 19: You are what you think, by Bob Bailly
June 12: Why my pony tail ain’t my brand, by Francis Moran
June 06: House renos and the art of customer service, by Francis Moran
June 05: Your local newspaper may be your hardest to crack, and least relevant, media outlet, by Leo Valiquette
June 24: Why confidentiality, by David French
June 27: Running faster is not the solution to Canada’s productivity challenge, by Denzil Doyle
June 10: 4 reasons why you need a mobile website, by Debra Kaye
June 11: With clients, you must sometimes be cruel to be kind, by Leo Valiquette
June 20: Are developers responsible for how their products are used?, by Francis Moran
June 25: Summer is no time to slack off, by Leo Valiquette
June 13: Customer surveys are great. Unless you ask the wrong questions, by Francis Moran
Image: June 2013 Calendar Printable
By Hailley Griffis
As per our usual Friday schedule, we have rounded up some of the best articles we’ve come across in the past week to share with our readers. Front and centre this time around are Startup Professionals, Financial Post and the Huffington Post.
Many entrepreneurs over-think or under-think issues
Martin Zwilling, CEO and founder of Startup Professionals, Inc. assesses the overload of information that today’s entrepreneurs are swimming in, causing them to either over-think or under-think very crucial issues. He bases his points on Daniel Patrick Forrester ‘s book and offers key areas for reflective thinking.
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By Peter Hanschke 
