Tap Tapas on the cover of Maine Biz

When we were interviewed for our cover story in Maine Biz we were asked to put together some tips for those interested in an iPhone app for their own company.

• Consider a free app. Some of the most successful apps are free for users and, rather than generating revenue directly, become an incentive to use your existing services. A great example of this is the ZipCar app, which allows customers to find and reserve nearby cars and even honk the horn to find the car and unlock the doors. These types of apps are far more than just brand exposure — they’re transformative for the company’s services and often can become the primary method by which customers interact with their services.

• Extend, rather than mirror, existing services. iPhone apps that do so garner greater usage and advocacy from your existing customer base and in turn are more apt to promote referrals, media attention and higher visibility in the App Store. Consider the features unique to the device that are unavailable to a website or other methods of interacting with customers. Along with always being on hand, iPhones have always-on Internet access, a camera, a microphone, GPS (or cell tower triangulation) and motion sensors. Taking advantage of even one of these features can provide a far richer and more useful experience for customers than a website.

• Think beyond the customer. iPhone apps can also serve as tools for your own business, staff and vendors. Enterprise apps can be distributed outside of the iTunes App Store and be tailored to streamline your workflow or enable mobile interaction that previously would have required a full laptop and Internet access.

Check out the rest of the article at mainebiz.biz