SMB mobile app builder App Express launched yesterday at SXSW. Together with AppStack and ShoutEm, App Express offers a simple way for SMBs to create mobile apps for themselves. Traffic was surprisingly brisk at the booth in the SXSW exhibit hall.
In addition to the self-service/DIY strategy, App Express is seeking to work with third party sales channels as a white label platform. It currently has a reseller relationship with User Friendly Media (YP), which is also one of the investors.
The way that App Express seeks to differentiate from others is with a long list of features and capabilities that make it more of a loyalty, scheduling and billing tool than a pure marketing tool. Here’s the official feature list:
- Appointment scheduling – display availability and schedule appointments
- Payments – invoice and receive payments on the go
- Messaging – connect with customers in real time
- Sharing – share app with friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter. Engage users to “follow” your business on twitter and “like” your business on Facebook
- Deals – engage customers with loyalty and couponing system
- Information – provide essential contact information and menu of services
- One-page, mobile-optimized website – the most important “on-the-go” contact information to promote app discovery by directing the user to download the app
It’s available for iOS and Android. Payments are enabled through PayPal integration.
The array of capabilities here is impressive. As I said, it’s really a CRM tool although it does have new customer acquisition aspects.
One could critique it as follows: 1) there are arguably too many features and 2) SMBs need mobile-optimized sites more than they need mobile apps, which they have to get customers to download. There is an automatic, one-page mobile-optimized HTML site created simultaneously. However it doesn’t have all the app’s bells and whistles.
For service businesses with regular or recurring appointments, App Express could be extremely valuable as a loyalty and retention tool. It can also be used to stimulate demand (e.g., deals/promotions).
March 14th, 2012 at 2:30 am
I think App Express and the like are cool tools, but I totally agree re: SMB Analysis Paralysis.
And, I agree even more regarding Mobile sites. AppStack seems a lot more viable an option for most SMBs than a self-provisioned SMB App.
In New Orleans, one of our local friends, http://kodeless.com/ has a self-provisioned mobile site-maker. It’s a fun story actually. They were looking for a way to preview their app maker and needed an HTML rendering.
Voila, mobile site-maker.
That said, I think these things work best in a service-provisioned, self-managed context where someone who knows what their doing builds the initial site.
March 14th, 2012 at 9:38 am
Apps for SMB’s? Seriously, this sounds like technology looking for a solution to solve, rather than technology responding to true customer demand.
SMB’s have a hard enough time grasping the need to be on the internet, let alone owning and maintaining their own mobile app.
The sales guys are going to have a rough time trying to get this to the masses.
March 14th, 2012 at 9:45 am
Actually Randy Parker of Constant Contact just made a really good point in an article on the BIA Kelsey blog … what are SMB’s going to think when they only get 35 installs of their app?
March 14th, 2012 at 11:37 am
The app vs. mobile web problem is going to be particularly acute for SMBs. And apps for the most part are going to be a vanity play. However the way that App Express might work well is for, say, Salons.
Once I’m convinced to download the app — I agree this is a big challenge — I can use it to schedule my appt and pay potentially through this app. A really clever and creative babysitter or even a therapist could similarly use it.
However the SMB will have to have a kind of vision and then persuade the customer to download the app.
March 15th, 2012 at 8:35 am
There’s a lot of hoops to jump through there.
Alternatively the salon or babysitter could give you their business card or fridge magnet and ask you to call whenever you need to book them. Sometimes simplicity is best.
The thing that concerns me about these things is when was the last time that these app developers booked a babysitter or hired a gardener. Sometimes you need to live in the world of your customers before you can actually understand them.
April 2nd, 2012 at 5:59 am
Thanks for the great resource. We’ve been looking for a way to build mobile apps. This is not something we knew how to do. This is very helpful for us to give to our programmers and get the job done.Thanks!!
February 28th, 2013 at 4:59 pm
[...] Mobile App Builder and SMB Commerce Tool App Express … http://www.screenwerk.com/SMB mobile app builder App Express launched yesterday at SXSW. Together with AppStack and ShoutEm, App Express offers a simple way for SMBs to create mobile apps for themselves. Traffic was surprisingly brisk at the … [...]
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