It’s finally here: the new Apple tablet, or iPad. With its 9.7-inch display and multi-touch sensors, the 0.5 inch thin and 1.5 pound iPad is revolutionizing the way we think about handheld devices. The iPad not only has a compass, speaker, microphone, and 10-hour battery life, but also has even more apps than ever. But, how exactly is this relevant to you as a small business? With the increasing influx of information regarding future iPad apps, more specifically the iBook app, this technological innovation can be utilized to benefit the marketing of your business.
One app in particular that has created an enormous amount of buzz is the iBooks app. iBooks is like iTunes, but for books. With full color display, HD resolution, and changeable book fonts, Apple is transforming the way we ingest information. Apple has already created partnerships with major publishers so that the iBook app will have a wide array of content for its built in iBookstore and virtual bookshelf. According to PCMag these include: Penguin, Harper-Collins, Simon & Schuster, Macmilllan, and the Hachette Book Group. For small companies the task of finding their way onto the iBook app may seem daunting, however they may just have to go through these major companies to get the job done.
This morning, Apple also released a software development kit (SDK) for the iPad, which provides the tools and software necessary for a universal app creation for the iPhone, iPod touch, and now, the iPad. The enormous amount of interest in this software is overwhelming and not at all unexpected. According to a study conducted by Appcelerator, over 90 percent of developers have taken an interest in creating at least one Apple iPad application after its release. This development software is only available to those who have already purchased Apple's program for the iPhone, so for those of you who are currently enrolled, you're in luck. If you are one of the many who have not enrolled in this iPhone software, you will need to purchase the iPhone developer program for a fee of $99/year (for the standard program) or $299/year (for the enterprise program). After you have done so, you can then download the SDK software for the iPad and begin developing!
What does all this mean for a small/midsized business? Increased competition. So if you are considering creating an app for the iPad, act NOW. To understand this, just think about the 140,000 apps created for the iPhone already. If the same trend goes for iPad apps, the competition in this marketplace will reach new heights. For small business owners, this fact is even more omnipresent because you have to battle against the big guys, along with the already prevalent app world overall. According to the HuffingtonPost, Chad Evans from MLB.com has already displayed an app that streams live video content. It is vital that you have your app developed quickly and creatively. Do you want to get a late start and create an app for the iPad at the beginning of the game or would you rather wait?
With this new SDK software that translates the iPhone apps into iPad ones, the anticipated number of iPad apps is incredible. This calls for especially new and creative ideas for businesses interested in developing an iPad app because now you have all the iPhone apps, plus the new iPad apps with which to compete. The large screen of the iPad does however create opportunities for app development that differs from that of the iPhone. As a small to midsized business owner, use this to your advantage!
Once you have created an app for the iPad, you must advertise it. Do the same for the iPad app that you have done with your website, video content and blogs in terms of increasing your SEO results and traffic to your business. Simply advertise an app for your company through these communication media and you will increase the marketability of your business. Also, as a small business, you probably already have a specific target audience, so gear your app toward them both in price and content. It is not an easy task, but if start quickly you may see valuable results.
According to a survey conducted by vouchercodes, of the 3000 people asked, 54% said they would consider buying an Apple tablet. The main utilities of the device would include: web browsing, downloading books, watching movies and videos, and downloading music. So what does this mean for you as a small business owner? For starters, you can effectively market your business through video content on the Internet and have it show up on consumers’ Apple tablet! Since Apple has announced its negotiations with YouTube to create an app for the iPad, it is important that you try to increase your video-link content in SEO results so that it can show up on the YouTube app or relevant links. If you relate the previous blog “Promote your website for free,” no matter how small your business is, increasing video search results through these various websites could translate into viewings on the new Apple Tablet. Also remember: in your video, always make sure you link back to your main website, blog, and now your new iPad App in order to ensure maximum SEO results.
With all this new technology, the Apple iPad could serve to replace some use of at-home computers. As a small business, this means that you must adapt to the ever-changing times and realize that much of consumer media usage may in fact be on this 9.7-inch handheld device.