Vodio lets you discover and enjoy the best videos, based on what’s being shared around you as well as your personal preferences and interests.

For the sake of full disclosure, Vodio is an AppsMarketing.mobi client.

I sat down with Jonathan Messika, CEO and Co-Founder at Vodio to find out a little more about the process of developing an app, its marketing aspects, and what it really takes to build a sustainable business in the mobile app industry today.

Hey Jonathan, thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions for our readers.

Can you please tell me about your professional background?

My professional background consists of various positions within internet consumer products industry.

My last position prior to founding Vodio Labs was with the new Corporate Business Development Team at IncrediMail Ltd. (now known as Perion), a Nasdaq company developing downloadable products for users. My job consisted of finding interesting companies and products that may fit the company’s product strategy and vision.

In the 2 years prior to that, I was part of the Product Management Team and managed two of IncrediMail’s main products; HiYo and PhotoJoy. I also held the VP Products position at Trivya Ltd. for a couple of years and was the Product Manager of Nextplay Ltd., both start-up companies.

What made you decide to get into the mobile app industry?

Spending many years in this industry I see the mobile industry as the spearhead of new internet products and applications. Mobile is where innovation is happening right now and that is where I thought I ought to be.

How did the idea of Vodio come to be?

I spent hours and hours with Uri, one of my two co-founders (Uri Twig & Ishay Weinstock) talking about developing a service related to Video. We were both frustrated with the video discovery issue and thought we really need to come up with a good solution for it.

Actually, the first tool we developed was a browser add-on that enabled users to collect videos from the web, similar to what Pinterest does today. From there it rolled into the idea of Vodio which is basically serving users, at all times, with the most updated and interesting videos in any given category, in an easy, simple and beautiful way.

What do you look for in the apps you choose to use?

Most of all, great user experience and real value. I need the app to solve a problem I may have or improve the use of something I am doing today with a different tool.

What’s been your biggest learning curve through the development process?

How to run a company of my own. There are so many different aspects I have only witnessed from the side but never had the chance to do for my own company.I find this to both very challenging and rewarding.

Let’s talk marketing – How soon in the process did you starting thinking about the marketing aspect of the app?

To be honest, we had marketing in the back of our mind from day 1. The reason we developed Vodio for the iPad to begin with, was among other things the ability to stand-out from the start in a relatively small marketing budget which looking back seems to be pretty much true.

Having said that, we know marketing is an everlasting effort and we have much work to do on that side of things going forward.

What’s the biggest tip you would give upcoming app developers?

Judge everything you do within the app in the eyes of your users and try to keep it stupid simple.

(Side note – Track everything you do, period. The Vodio Labs team analysis every aspect of user interactions within the app.)

In your opinion, what needs to be improved today, specifically in the mobile app industry?

I think one of the main things we the app industry today is missing, is great monetization engines for apps that are not games.

It seems there is a lot to do in that area and much to be explored. I am confident that many interesting solutions will be introduced with months and years to come. We should not forget that the industry itself is really young and in a way it is equivalent to where the web was circa 2000.

What’s next for Vodio? Go on, spill the beans!

So, as every start-up company we have a feature backlog that can fill in a full year’s schedule. However, each and every feature we will release in the upcoming versions were hand-picked and essentially are supposed to offer the user an even greater user experience, more tools to manage the video content and of course, more great content.
Having said that we are also open to implement other features, we did not originally plan if we see a strong demand among our users.

Anything else you would like to share?

We really would like to set a standard towards how video content should be consumed in our time and hope our users will prove us right Keep your fantastic feedback coming on our Facebook page or over on Twitter!

It seems that lately tech brands can’t make a move without being sued for a variety of reasons that range from strange to the down-write dumb. Truth be told, with so much money at stake, is it any wonder that tech brands have spent more of their time and money, defending themselves from patent-trolls?

Here’s what’s happening behind the scenes right now, in the world of tech.

China Sues Apple

The success of Apple’s iPad is unquestionable; however despite its huge success Apple is facing legal challenges over the trademark name in China.

A suit against Apple, specifically over the iPad trademark term, has been instituted by Hong Kong based Proview International Holdings. The company registered the iPad trademark in Taiwan back in 2000, about 10 years prior to the iPad’s launch.  In 2006, Apple purchased the trademark from a Taiwan based subsidiary of Proview, but the company isn’t buying it and are claiming that in the purchase, Apple only obtained the right to use the trademark in Taiwan, and the Chinese trademark was never part of the deal.

Wondering what a Chinese Proview iPad looks like?

Source: wsj.com

According to Dow Jones,

“If we are not compensated properly, then Apple doesn’t use the iPad trademark in mainland China,” said Mr. Yang, who is also the main shareholder of Proview International Holdings Ltd., a Hong Kong-listed company that has been suspended from trading.

Mr. Yang also said that authorities in more than 30 Chinese cities have taken action in connection with the dispute. While Apple’s tablet remains widely available in China, both at the company’s official stores and through other retail outlets, government officials have removed the product from some retail stores around the country.

Let’s move on, shall we?

Apple Sues Samsung (and Motorola)

Apple has become notorious for filing patent based law suits, most of which have been smartphone related. In Apple’s defense, the U.S. patent system is just as absurd and vague as Apple’s app developer guidelines.

Apple’s latest swing at Samsung is due to the Galaxy Nexus, in which Apple is asking for “preliminary injunction” to block Samsung from selling the phone.

Source: Theultralinx.com

The main issue’s Apple’s fuming about are:

• “slide-to-unlock”
•  Searching multiple sources of information at once
• Detecting phone numbers in emails so you can simply tap the number to call anyone.
•  Spell-check that suggests alternatives when you misspell something.  (Really Apple? I’m pretty sure that one’s been around for a while.)

And to top off our festival of tech wackiness, I saved the best for last.

Google Sues… Google?

I swear, you can’t make this stuff up – It seems that the legal team that represents a few of Google’s patents, Pepper Hamilton LLP, was also representing a patent licensing business that is responsible for suing the Google Android partners in January. Not the right guys to have on your team, but hey, who am I to know?

Pepper Hamilton is responsible for at least 50 patents in Google’s portfolio; 12 of them are specifically for Android smartphones. With so many patent lawsuits flying around, some overlapping is bound to happen.  But if Google can’t trust themselves with their own information, how can we trust them with ours?

To wrap things up, (because this is just bonkers) here’s an idea, I think I’ll go patent the use of fingers to type out letters on a keyboard. No one’s on to that idea yet.

To celebrate the big 25 billionth download, Apple will be giving away a $10,000 US App Store Gift Card. That’s enough to buy all the tunes and apps you can dream of. Just to be fair, they’ve also opened up the contest to folks who wish to participate, without the need to download an app.

For those who remember back not too long ago, Apple held a very similar contest around their 10 billionth download. Think you possess the lucky trigger finger that will sign off Apple’s 25 billion download clock? Keep your eye on the countdown clock to see when the time will be exactly right. The only question is, what app will receive the crazy exposure that comes with such an important milestone?

Let’s discuss a few examples of these devices.

 1) An Electrocardiogram for the iPhone or iPad: the iPhoneECG

This design, from Alivecor and Oregon Scientific, features a snap-on case for your iPhone that has two electrodes embedded in it. Press your tricked-out iPhone against your chest to capture data on your heart rate immediately. Although it’s not as accurate as a clinical electrocardiogram for many reasons, it’s still useful for people wishing to access data about their heart rates or for caregivers looking to have a quick diagnostic tool handy. Plus, we anticipate that the technology for devices such as this one will improve rapidly, so if you’re not yet satisfied with how it seems to run, just wait five minutes.

 2) A Pulse Oximeter for the iPhone: the ECEM Pulse Oximeter

Those from the health field are familiar with the pulse oximeters most patients have clipped to a finger. The clip beams light through the patient’s tissue and can measure the light received to tell what percentage of oxygen is saturated in the blood. Now, the pulse oximeter is poised to break free from the walls of hospitals and be put in the hands of the people… Those who might want to monitor the oxygenation of their bloodstream that can fluctuate as a result of heart of lung problems such as emphysema.

Another use of this peripheral? In the developing world, where it can be used to monitor blood oxygen levels of patients under anesthesia and reduce higher death rates during anesthesia in the developing world.

3) An Ultrasound for the iPhone (soon?): the MobiUS SP1 Ultrasound Imaging Device

This device is seriously cool. Its price is extremely reasonable compared to the cost of a regular standalone ultrasound imaging device. It can capture images you can email immediately from the device. We predict it’ll be particularly useful for rural doctors and home care givers. The MobiUS isn’t available *yet* for the iPad or iPhone because it plugs in via a USB port. If the new iPad will have a USB port and we can’t imagine MobiUS not trying to expand into being able to run on iOS devices.

This guest post was written by Katie Matlack, Medical Market Analyst at Software Advice. Learn more about Software Advice.

What the heck did you think I was referring to?

Mobile devices are changing the way we communicate and share experiences, but as you’ll find out in this post, they’re also changing the way we live. In some parts of the world, mobile phones are creating new income opportunities, enhancing daily life and even improving education.

According to recent study by MasterCard Canada’s MasterIndex of Women and Technology, nearly half of Canadian women (46%) say they couldn’t last a week without their cell phones, digital cameras, MP3 players and smart phones. A deeper view of the research shows that an average of 49% of women are using their mobile devices for communication purposes while 34% are using them to surf the web.

Source: glamour.com

Empowering Women

Today, over 70% of global cell phone subscribers live in developing parts of the world. In Kenya for example, mobile phones are helping women do much more than communicate and socialize. They’re helping to manage supplies for their business, find new customers, and in some cases, maintain simple day to day efficiency using the phone’s basic functions such as it’s calculator and calendar.

A different study conducted in India found that low-income women benefited by using their phones to find helpful information that would otherwise be difficult to access, such as the details of reduced fee programs for sending their children to school.

Mobile App Use Men vs. Women

To further understand female vs. male mobile use cases, Nielsen released interesting data about the differences in mobile app use between both sexes, specifically on the Android platform. Unsurprisingly, the top 20 apps, including the streaming music service Pandora and two versions of Angry Birds showed very similar usage by both men and women. However, there were notable differences in active reach when it comes to social apps.

Facebook’s mobile app saw an active reach of 81 percent for women compared to 69 percent for male Android users. Twitter also had slightly higher active reach among women 16.5% than men 13.4%. However Google’s new social, Google+, had the most significant gap, with more than twice the active reach among men (15.8%) than women (7.2%).

These finding are in line with reports that state, females spend more time than males on social networks. They’re more active, share more pictures, and they buy more online goods than men.

Side tip – If you’re doing any mobile marketing what so ever, this gives you a good idea as to who you should be targeting.

The app with the highest active reach overall is the Android Marketplace itself.

In Conclusion

Ladies, you already made an impact in social media engagement through 2011, and from the looks of things the mobile scene in 2012 is yours for the taking. Slow down and give us fellas a chance to catch up will ya?!

Truth be told, there has never been a more more relevant and useful medium for female professionals, entrepreneurs and mothers. Guys take note, or get left behind!

Enjoyed this post? You might like:  Moms and Mobile Apps: A Force To Be Reckoned With.

We receive a lot of questions and comments via our contact form and one of the most frequently asked is, “We have an app up on the app store but it isn’t generating any money, can you help?”  First of all, developing an iPhone app is usually the easy part, but if you want to successfully make money from your apps, you’ll have to start thinking beyond the hard sales, ads, and in some cases even beyond the all too common in-app purchases.

To best understand why your app may not be driving the sales you had hoped for, here are a few use cases and opportunities you might be missing. If you’re app doesn’t hit one of these sweet spots exceptionally well, you may have to rethink your app altogether.

Deliver Value

Does your app help its users get through every day life a little bit easier, help then save money, introduce them to relevant real world products, or the nearest retailer while on the go? Geo location based apps are now starting to find their business model. For example, MyTown allows users to buy and own their favorite locations and charge virtual rent when others check-in. Another location based monetization model is offering users group buying options for relevant products.

Deliver Entertainment

Long term usage and engagement are essential elements towards converting your app into dollars. A quick look at the top grossing entertainment apps on the app store via Appannie shows that Freemium based apps and, in-app purchase options are the name of the game. The biggest mistake developers make here is not offering multiple in-app options. You don’t go to the movie theater and only have one movie to choose from, do you? Why restrict your user’s purchase options?

Deliver  Real World Goods

In many cases, your mobile app may be an extension of a physical business. In which case, one of the services you need to be looking at is Zooz, a payment checkout platform that enables you to start monetizing your application and accepting payments. This payment solution requires adding a few lines of code and minimal development time, but provides everything that’s necessary for app developers to start accepting in-app payments from their end users.

source: TechCrunch

Deliver Knowledge

There’s no denying it, apps have evolved into legitimate learning tools for adults and children alike. The secret to monetizing educational apps is understanding user behavior. Far too many educational apps set the learning curve too high for most end users to immerse themselves into. Gradually leading users through a learning process takes time, but it also presents a strong an opportunity to offer  additional information packs as they progress through various stages of the learning process.

Deliver a Quick Gimmick

We all know by now that the app store isn’t suffering from a lack of silly, one-trick apps such as flashlights, lock screens, soundboards and thousands of other quick gags. What’s more intriguing is that many of these apps are hitting top rankings and maintaining their position. In most cases, the developers of these apps have spent significant funds in buying their way up the charts in order to monetize via a mix of ads, upgrades and cross promotional offers.

Ditch it and move on

Going back to what I mentioned earlier, failing to deliver an app that truly connects with your users on a deep level in any of the examples mentioned above means you’re going to have a very difficult time converting it into dollars. That being said, there’s hope for your app yet. One of the best solutions for an app that’s received a significant user base is leveraging it to drive exposure for future apps. In other words, use it as a cross promotion tool for anything you publish later on the app store via push notifications.

Turning it back over to you - What methods have you found to be most effective in converting your apps, beyond the traditional ads and in-app purchases? Share your story below or reach out to us over on Twitter and let us know!

Nintendo’s recently released figures show that the company lost nearly a $1 Billon in the last six months alone, making this the lowest ever sales numbers for the Wii console and disappointing 3DS handheld sales in the last 3 decades.

To date Nintendo has sold roughly 15 million units of the dual-screen 3D portable console, 4.7 million of which in Japan alone. The Wii, which has sold over 94 million units to date, has had its expected annual sales revised down, from 12 million to 10 million.

You would expect that Nintendo, being at the bleeding edge of technology and having its pulse on all things gaming would realize what’s going on here? Where they like it or not, gaming is going mobile. The truth is Nintendo president, Satoru Iwata, has made it crystal clear that they will never develop games for third-party platforms, including iOS and Android. Right, because who needs a slice of that estimated 4 Billion dollar pie anyway right?

In all fairness, Nintendo understands that if they ever decide to move into the mobile realm, it will face serious hurdles. For example: Software sales would be high, but releasing titles via both Nintendo and Apple would directly impact sales of Nintendo’s hardware. Nintendo President Satoru Iwata just told Japanese news site Nikkei, regarding making games for iOS devices.

“This is absolutely not under consideration. If we did this, Nintendo would cease to be Nintendo. Having a hardware development team in-house is a major strength. It’s the duty of management to make use of those strengths.”

At the end of the day, I’m rooting for Nintendo to really step up its game as I wouldn’t want to see them give up entirely on hardware, unless it’s another crappy power glove. But I would like to see them make a ballsy move like Capcom did with Capcom arcade and Sega’s fantastic Sonic the Hedgehog.

One needs to simply look at titles such as Paper Monsters to understand that iOS titles can deliver the same game play depth, controls and replay-able factors we’ve become accustomed to on the leading gaming platforms.

Bottom line, my thought is this; Mr. Iwata, act fast and port the leading Nintendo titles over to iOS or face the harsh realities of change head on. As the wise Toad once said, the princess is in another castle.

iPhone Projector

Watching movies on a big screen straight from my iPhone has always been a dream of mine. The Brookstone Pocket Projector for iPhone could be the answer I’ve been looking for. The device is a micro projector that simply requires you to slide your iPhone into and run whatever media you choose through it. The Brookstone Pocket Projector runs at a resolution of 640*360 (which is a little low for big screen fun) and will display an image of up to 50 inches. Focus adjustment lets you control image clarity while the integrated 0.5W speaker delivers the audio.

iPhone-Powered Rocket Launcher

In totally ridiculous gadget, I present to you The iLaunch Thunder, which as the name says lets you shoot out 4 rockets at your innocent victims. The iLaunch Thunder has a 270-degree horizontal rotation, and vertical flexibility of more than 40 degrees. Couple the device’s directional skills with the launcher’s 25-foot (7.6-meter) shooting distance, and you can cover close to 1,400 square feet (130 square meters) of space with the toy.

Source: gizmag.com

Positioning your  missiles is controlled within the iLaunch Controller app on your iDevice. The iW500 sells for about $59.95, making it a fun and affordable option for those wanting something iGeeky.

The iW500 Wall-Climbing Car

Flying drones are so 2011. Wall climbing vehicles is where it’s at. Besides being controlled straight from your iPhone, the iW500 RC car also distinguishes itself in its ability to climb straight up walls, spidey style. The company producing this toy says the iW500 uses “the opposite principle of the hovercratft and creates a sealed vacuum between itself and the wall or ceiling.” That sounds like some pretty cool right? Has to make you wonder why automobile manufacturers aren’t doing this kind of stuff Maybe then the automotive industry would be in better shape.

The Soundbar for Android

The Philips  CSS5123 is a sleek looking slim speaker that’s the perfect width to sit under a flat panel HDTV. The soundbar uses Android programming to connect wirelessly with devices such as an Android tablet or phone, and even a PC running Windows or iOS operating systems. Here’s how it works; Android streaming is possible for any DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance)-enabled device with the Philips app SimplyShare and Wi-Fi functionality.

SimplyShare is an Android app provided by Philips to connect Philips devices to the home network or other devices and share content. Each compatible device, such as the soundbar, comes with an activation code that unlocks the device for connectivity. In this case SimplyShare installed on an Android tablet or PC will uses the unlock code to connect with the soundbar and stream content to the TV. Easy and straightforward, just the way I like it.

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Source: fashionablymarketing.me

To put it in context, the mobile marketing industry will see 37% growth by 2016. An estimated 44 Billion apps are expected to be downloaded and the mobile coupon industry alone will be worth $46 Billion by the same year.

This major ramp up in mobile app development and usage is creating opportunities for entrepreneurs unlike any other over the last decade. From beta testing to app development and user engagement, there’s literally a niche to be filled through every step of the mobile app customer’s journey.

Here’s a look at our top 12 go-to services from various stages of a mobile app’s lifecycle. If you’re thinking about your big break in the mobile industry, try to think of where your service can fit in and truly be a game changer.

Beta Testing

uTest:  In a nutshell, uTest delivers  a community of more than 45,000 professional testers from 180 countries and helps companies like Google, Microsoft and Intuit extensively test software applications in real-world conditions. In other words, uTest provides live testing for mobile apps and software through a series of crowd-sourced tests, including functional, security, localization and usability testing.

PerfectoMobile: The service lets you test your app remotely using a selection of real mobile devices. PerfectoMobile‘s MobileCloud enables developers and testers, located anywhere in the world, to access a comprehensive range of the latest mobile handsets and tablets via the web. Users can develop, test, deploy and monitor their mobile applications and services without having to physically obtain the handsets

TestFlight: The use of TestFligh to beta test your app is almost a must. Here’s how it works; After registering yourself as a team leader and registering your devices for testing, you set up a network of beta testers by sending invites or by advertising a link to you application opened for testing. It’s a fairly straightforward process that eliminates the need to send an .ipa file with the provisioning profile.

Distribution

Ask many app developers and the vast majority will tell you that the development aspect is actually the easy part of the process. I’ve previously shared a few strategies on how to avoid the “what now” moment once your app goes live. Here are services that will help propel your app towards end user’s devices.

BuzzDoes: Launched at Apps World London, BuzzDoes is a reward based viral distribution service that encourages app users to recommend and share the apps they’re using. Integrating the BuzzDoes SDK into your app enhances it with social and viral aspects.

NextPeer: This service makes your game better by making it really social. Using Nextpeer, players can instantly start playing with friends, invite others to the game and enjoy a whole new multiplayer experience. There is no cost to integrate the Nextpeer SDK into a game, but Nextpeer does participate in revenue-sharing with developers who monetize via virtual currency.

AppStores.com:  Dubbed as “Adsense for apps” the recently launched AppStores.com brings relevant downloads to mobile apps through their network of app sites, galleries, and network of mobile publishers. AppsStores.com have partnered with mobile website publishers ranging in all types of different content, to run HTML5 optimized app ad units. These ad units allow users to see what your app is going to look like before they ever get to the app store or marketplace.

Notable Mentions: Social “scoreboards”- OpenFeint , Scoreloop , GameCenter and W3i (AppsMarketing Partner)

Monetization

Although the mobile industry is consistently seeing impressive growth, mobile developers are still divided on how best to monetize mobile apps. Freemium games are still leading all app revenue models, now accounting for more than 65% of app revenue. Below are alternative methods of monetizing your apps.

Startapp: StartApp tackles the critical challenge of monetization on the Android platform. Here’s how it works. Android users download StartApp-monetized applications to their phone, which is bundled with a search icon and bookmark link. Once the app is on the user’s device, developers have two monetization options: either up-front pay-per-downloads or ongoing revenue sharing from the new search option.

Mobclix: Mobclix is a real-time bidding mobile ad exchange that connects the best apps with the best ads. The Mobclix ad exchange provides complete transparency and visibility for developers to maximize revenues and advertisers to increase performance.

AdWhirl: The AdWhirl SDK provides a framework that allows developers to display banner ads from different ad networks in their iOS and Android applications. You simply tell AdWhirl what ad networks you want to use and the percentage of requests to allocate to each network, and AdWhirl handles the ad requests.

Notable Mentions: Smaato, MoPub, Inneractive, AdWhirl, Matomy Mobile , and TargetedMobi (AppsMarketing Partner)

Engagement and Analytics

Good apps require even better analytics. Measuring app engagement can be accomplished in a variety of ways: by the number of minutes per session, how often users update their app, actions within the app, and how many times an app has been referred to a friend. Here are the services you should be using to find out what’s happening under the hood.

Appoxee: Appoxee allows app developers maintain a constant communication channel with their users, which in turn substantially increases the lifetime value of an application and allows the developers to maximize the revenue potential of their users. We’ve also shared an in-depth post about Appoxee detailing how to create post app download engagement.

AppFiguers: AppFiguers s a reporting platform for mobile app developers that brings together all of your app store sales data, worldwide reviews, and hourly rank updates into one intuitive and informative reporting solution.

Localytics:  Boston-based Localytics offers one of the most powerful mobile app analytics platforms, which gives publishers of smartphone and tablet apps the tools needed to build more successful and profitable apps. Among the many features are screen flows, funnel analysis, cross-app conversions and customer retention analysis. All of these features are available to Localytics Premium and Enterprise subscribers.

Phew…Time to turn it back over to you - I admit, that’s probably enough tools and resources to make your head spin. The one thing I should stress is that there just isn’t a “one size fits all” model when it comes to the mobile app life-cycle. As the ways of the web have taught us, you will have to go through a series of trials and errors to see what works best. We’re here to help make sense of it all. Have you used the services mentioned above? Share your experiences with our readers. We’d love to hear about it. You can also reach out to us via Twitter @Apps_Mktg and on the AppsMarketing Facebook page.

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