Signature May/June 2015 - 28

But before you even reach out to
developers, do your homework. Check
their track records, and whether they're
keeping up with technologies and making
sure their solutions are at the front of
the market. Transitioning to a new
product or a new developer down the
road can be very difficult, ACT | The
App Association's Adams cautions.

42

%

CHOOSING A PLATFORM

28

MAY/JUNE 16

signature

Will you build a native app, a hybrid app,
or a web app? Good question, you say?
Simply put, a native app is built in the
language of the device, whereas a hybrid
app is built in HTML but wrapped in
native dressing. A web app runs
through your web browser, but
behaves like a resident app.
You'll need to educate yourself
and your team on the platform,
what you need to build it, and what
you need to submit to apps stores
for approval. Your choices will affect
workload and budget.
For example, if you make a custom
native app, you'll have to update code
whenever the platform is updated. With
hybrid apps, you sign up for a service and
use customized versions of templates,
which can save money - if it's the right
product for you. App-in-a-box products
such as ShoutEm and Mobile Roadie
are hybrids.
"Do your homework on the available
platforms and ask questions. Whether
you're working in-house or hiring an
outside agency to develop your app,
there's a lot of technical information that
you'll need to gather and understand to
get it done," says Matt Martz, project
manager, Bates Creative. "Be sure to have
a clear set of goals for your app before
you begin the process to ensure all parties
are on the same page from the onset."

The developer or agency you choose
should be able to provide a roadmap
of milestones for the process, he adds.
And that's another aspect to consider:
the scope of the app.
"Publication apps have been evolving
more and more into their own aggregates
of content over the past few years, and
that will continue to occur," Martz says.
"It's clear that digital flipbooks don't
bring in the engagement with users that's
needed for them to be successful."
Martz says his firm has seen a growth
in the number of association publications
that are leveraging their apps as offline
mini-websites to serve multiple areas
in an association. "This is a strategic
way of bringing various departments
together to not only fund the app but to
also keep the content fresh and engaging
for members," he points out.
NBAA, for example, put its publication at the center of its native app - a
starting point rather than a destination.
Members can access a library of magazine
issues and select resource content such as
advocacy publications, operational references, and news stories residing on the
NBAA website. Articles in the magazine
library contain interactive graphics, links
to NBAA member resources, photo galleries, and expanded sidebars.
"In looking at updating, we wanted
to move away from the digital replica to
something more optimized for mobile,"
says Stalzer. "Part of the appeal was to
offer an opportunity for users to access
more. The app is a content hub for your
association, another channel for you to use
in pushing content out to your members
- magazine content and potentially other
kinds. The app also offers the ability to
download entire magazine issues for offline
reading, which becomes important when
readers don't have access to Wi-Fi."



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Signature May/June 2015

No label
Signature May/June 2015 - No label
Signature May/June 2015 - Cover2
Signature May/June 2015 - 1
Signature May/June 2015 - 2
Signature May/June 2015 - 3
Signature May/June 2015 - 4
Signature May/June 2015 - 5
Signature May/June 2015 - 6
Signature May/June 2015 - 7
Signature May/June 2015 - 8
Signature May/June 2015 - 9
Signature May/June 2015 - 10
Signature May/June 2015 - 11
Signature May/June 2015 - 12
Signature May/June 2015 - 13
Signature May/June 2015 - 14
Signature May/June 2015 - 15
Signature May/June 2015 - 16
Signature May/June 2015 - 17
Signature May/June 2015 - 18
Signature May/June 2015 - 19
Signature May/June 2015 - 20
Signature May/June 2015 - 21
Signature May/June 2015 - 22
Signature May/June 2015 - 23
Signature May/June 2015 - 24
Signature May/June 2015 - 25
Signature May/June 2015 - 26
Signature May/June 2015 - 27
Signature May/June 2015 - 28
Signature May/June 2015 - 29
Signature May/June 2015 - 30
Signature May/June 2015 - 31
Signature May/June 2015 - 32
Signature May/June 2015 - 33
Signature May/June 2015 - 34
Signature May/June 2015 - 35
Signature May/June 2015 - 36
Signature May/June 2015 - 37
Signature May/June 2015 - 38
Signature May/June 2015 - 39
Signature May/June 2015 - 40
Signature May/June 2015 - 41
Signature May/June 2015 - 42
Signature May/June 2015 - 43
Signature May/June 2015 - 44
Signature May/June 2015 - 45
Signature May/June 2015 - 46
Signature May/June 2015 - 47
Signature May/June 2015 - 48
Signature May/June 2015 - Cover3
Signature May/June 2015 - Cover4
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/sign/2015-MayJune
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/sign/2015-MarApr
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/sign/2015-JanFeb
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/sign/22-7
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/sign/22-6
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/sign/22-5
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/sign/22-4
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/sign/22-3
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/sign/22-2
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/sign/20-2
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/sign/22-1
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/sign/21-6
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/sign/21-5
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/sign/21-4
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/sign/21-3
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/sign/21-2
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/sign/21-1
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/sign/20-6
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/sign/20-5
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/sign/20-4
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/sign/20-3
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com