#SocialC20 Live: Is There an App for That? Should There Be? Jeffrey Smith, SMULE

According to Jeffrey Smith of Sonic Mule, building apps is the modern goldrush, but smartphone software is no fad. Smule has been making waves with a variety of music-based apps, and this presentation focused on the evolution from software as service to the web to mobile.

Says Smith, "Mobile may only be a temporary word, because there's a good chance that soon we'll always be connected."

So, should there be an app for what you do?
Can you provide something unique? Make your app an experience. An app is more than a facebook page or a webpage on a mobile phone.

Can there be a gaming element to your app? Can you use movement? Current mobile devices have more in common with a Nintendo PSP then a first generation mobile phone. Make use of the technological tools within mobile phones such as accelerometers and multi-touch screens.

Learn from your users: continue to develop based on feedback from what your current users are doing, how they come in to contact with your service, and how they interact with it. The biggest driver of app use is word of mouth.

Is your app providing a service? The future of mobile will be providing on-demand services or content. Make this your goal and you will engage your users.