Don’t Overlook Desktop and Browser App Marketing
The media buzz is focusing on mobile app marketing, but marketers would be greatly amiss if they overlook marketing with desktop apps and browser apps.
The Internet already reaches 74% of the US population or 227.7 million people. At this point, estimated reach for smartphones is 17% of the US population or 40 million people. Desktop and browser apps already have mainstream adoption as a way for consumers to engage directly with brands.
The power of mobile and desktop application marketing. Forbes.com Killer Apps: Best Branded Mobile Applications lists the best branded mobile apps. Number 1 is Pizza Hut launched in July, 2009 with over 1 million downloads, reporting sales of over $1 million. (Other branded apps in the list include: Charmin Sit or Squat (find bathroom facilities), DirecTV Program Info (set your DVR recordings), Purina Petcentric (need-to-know pet places), and US Open (news and up dates)). Many of these are “location apps” but consider all the Pizza Hut devotees working on their desktops at lunch or dinner with a desktop app reminding them that their Pizza Hut favorites are only a click away. As with Papa John’s MyPapa Widget, the desktop becomes a reminder.
The power of desktop application marketing. Last.fm states that “our desktop strategy was key to our crazy growth.” Last.fm’s success was due to their ability to combine the ideal feedback loop for crowd-sourced music recommendations—the fuel coming from the desktop. Picaboo, a stunning photo book creator, has also put excitement back into the desktop.
The power of browser application marketing. Yapta’s browser app allows you to select flights to track from airline websites. Through their system, Yapta has conducted approximately 500 million airfare price checks, revealing that seat prices on 45% of flights will drop before the cabin door closes. Approximately 15% of these flights are eligible for a refund or credit, net of airline re-booking fees. Since May 2007, Yapta has identified over $250 million in savings for its members, an average of $334 per traveler each year.
Whether your engagement tactic is desktop, browser, or mobile application marketing, make sure to provide users with quality content and your marketing dollars will be well spent. W3i provides performance-based distribution for consumer applications—now averaging 9.6 million apps distributed each month.
Has consumer application marketing worked for your company? Share your story as a comment.
Deborah Manthei, Director of Marketing Communications, W3i, evangelizing the use of consumer application marketing to engage brands’ essential users.
Find Out More on How W3i Can Grow Your Consumer App Business
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