Over-apping

This has been bugging me for a while, but I wasn't sure until today whether it was me: There are too many mobile apps.

I don't mean in raw numbers, cause those are great. And I'm not complaining about pointless apps, and games or gimmicks no one uses after the first day. I mean by choice between a mobile (or mobile-compliant) site and an app, there are too damned many apps. And, again percentage wise, way too damned many iPhone apps.

We've discussed this in some detail, and while I cannot seem to find a place to link to it, we've said it a lot in presentations and training we offer. There are a series of choices when going mobile, and a key one is whether you can live with a website or have to live with an app. Neither is inherently better than the other, and your choice (even if it's "both") will always have a downside.

Today, within the last hour in fact, I saw a TV ad for a new iPhone app from Nationwide Insurance.

It's not a general insurance company app (unlike the USAA mobile site Barbara brings up a lot) but seems to be entirely focused on post-accident activities. (I don't have their insurance, so cannot be sure, but Googling presents only this app). So... who will download this? This strikes me as the perfect thing to make mobile, but also the perfect thing to make a mobile website. Why?

• Everyone has a car, not just iPhone users.
• Everyone has accidents, not just iPhone users.
• No one plans accidents, so why would they download this, even for free?
• If you have the presence of mind to remember the app you downloaded three years ago, you have the presence of mind to go web browsing instead.
• If you look at the helpful info on the insurance card, it could tell you to go to a website. Even if it told you to go download an app, the extra step at accident time adds a lot of friction.

Now, this doesn't mean a one-size fits all solution. A Barbara has dicussed here and elsewhere, you can offer multiple variations of that website. Hell, like I said above you can offer both an app and a site. But don't fall into any one trap to keep up with the Joneses, or because your new toy is really cool, so damn everyone else's.

In this case, it might well need a multi-faceted approach. Me? I'd be likely to add an option to the IVR when you call them that says we can let you do this through your phone, just press 7 and we'll send an SMS to the current number. Push message, click and launch a site without typing. Or, if you insist, install an app (unless you are on Verizon, et. al.). Sure, sure. Websites can't take photos generally, but I am sure if that's needed we can find a way for MMS to work.

Any way, think about your customers, or hire someone else to take a good, long, scientific and fact-based look at your customers, and decide on the right solution for them.

Maybe iPhone users have more accidents, since they’re always fiddling with them :-).

I’d like everyone to note that I avoided saying this myself :)

I have absconded with the office iTouch, so once I get it set up (it’s got other data on it, etc.) then /maybe/ I’ll become a total convert and change my mind.