Cheat Sheet: How to Build an App for Autonomous Cars

As a Tech Services provider, it’s quite literally our business to keep an eye out for upcoming trends and enterprise opportunities. Today’s topic is one we’ve mentioned here and there, but there is some big news coming out of this industry. From Google’s soon to be released Self-Driving Cars to Tesla’s road-ready semi autonomous cars, it is officially the age of SmartCars.

Let’s take a deeper dive into the recent news concerning self-driving cars and then wrap up with some suggestions on how to go about building your own app for this developing market.

10 Million Self-Driving Cars by 2020

According to a new report from seminal industry watchers Business Insider, there will be about 10 million cars with some level (at least one feature, as defined by BI) of Autonomous driving. This encompasses both the extant Semi-autonomous vehicles as seen with Tesla, as well as other high end luxury vehicles, and the fully autonomous cars. Fully autonomous cars are expected to be available to the general public by 2019.

This report is coupled with another report from the California DMV on the Self-driving cars Waymo. This report recorded that Waymo had a significant drop (from 2015) in the amount of times a human driver had to take over – called disengagement, in industry parlance. In 2015, Waymo (owned by Alphabet) had about .8 disengagements per 1,000 miles. In 2016, there were only .2 per 1,000

Furthermore, Waymo drove an additionally 210,000+ miles more than in 2015. While there are only 11 other companies that currently have one of these reports with the DMV, Waymo represents a significant step towards full autonomy.

The KPMG branch in the UK also just reported that they expect self-driving car technology to be of a priority most new car buyers by 2030. Additionally, they reported that many self-driving features (i.e. lane assist) are already major selling point for most consumers. Importantly, KPMG’s automotive head John Leech points out that the UK has possibly

“The best regulatory framework for testing autonomous vehicles.”

So to our UK readers, creating decent apps for the autonomous movement should be of paramount importance.

The last bit of information relevant to a business venture is the safety aspect. While there are still safety issues with the cars, they are rapidly decreasing (as the Waymo Report demonstrated). But more importantly, autonomous cars are expected to drastically reduce traffic incidents and possibly even traffic congestion. Referring again to the UK’s KPMG, they expect that 2,500 lives will be saved by 2030 thanks to autonomous self-driving features.

CARpe Diem

Hopefully readers will forgive the above pun, but this is one of those moments where entrepreneurs have a chance to get in on the ground floor. We aren’t talking about building a self-driving car; we’re talking about focusing on the Software infrastructure. From the software used by autonomous cars to the app wave sure to come with these new toys, the market is ripe for the picking.

And you don’t have to relegate yourself to self-driving car apps. Both Navdy and Hum are examples of new technology that can be integrated with old tech. But let’s take a look at some essential features and areas for advancement for car apps:

• A hands free feature is essential to any Car app. First of all, just because Waymo’s managed to dramatically reduce disengagements, doesn’t mean they’ve gone away. So there will always be a possibility that a driver may need to take over at a moment’s notice. Secondly, it’s illegal in many steps to use your phone while driving with a handsfree feature of some point

• Other opportunities for business advancements are apps that help drivers judge everything from fuel efficiency to overall engine health. As cars become smarter with more integration features, having an app that let’s people know exactly what’s going on with their vehicle will become a hot ticket item.

• As most people are still having to do some sort of hands-on driving, it’s not a good idea to switch between multiple apps. Therefore, apps that are a comprehensive system are the most valuable. This includes features and integrations like:

    ○ Maps or GPS;

    ○ Music or Audio;

    ○ Hands-free in-app phone capabilities (i.e. answer/ignore/end calls)

    ○ Safety first folks: any in-car app needs to be designed so that a user can safely operate it (beyond hands free options) at the speed limit (usually 65 mph in the US).

    ○ Voice-to-text for SMS messaging services; and

    ○ Some sort of integration with your car and the road, from the aforementioned fuel efficiencies to changes in speed limits or other useful road laws.

There are a couple of other notable things here. First, getting a car app to market poses some challenge and may require a partnership with car manufacturers or some sort of hardware partnership. Additionally, the market for apps specifically designed for in-car use is smaller than the overall app market and most car apps are likely to see a user cap of under 10 million people. When compared to the overall market of app consumers in the several billions, it seems like small potatoes.

But that being said, millions of users is still a huge success. Moreover, the competition for in-Car apps is significantly lower than the overall app market. The last benefit app builders should consider is that autonomous cars are becoming commonplace. This means that the amount of time in an app as well as the opportunities for engagement with Car apps will grow exponentially.

Do you want to get involved in this growing market of brave entrepreneurs and Startup Founders? Give us a call at 408.805.0495/408.621.8481 – or click to contact us!

As a Tech Services provider, it’s quite literally our business to keep an eye out for upcoming trends and enterprise opportunities. Today’s topic is one we’ve mentioned here and there, but there is some big news coming out of this industry. From Google’s soon to be released Self-Driving Cars to Tesla’s road-ready semi autonomous cars, it is officially the age of SmartCars. Let’s take a deeper dive into the recent news concerning self-driving cars and then wrap up with some suggestions on how to go about building your own app for this developing market. 10…

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A Brief Guide to a Successful Subscription Model for Tech SMBs

Most of our clients come to us because they want to make money. Sure, most of them are also excited about their new business, and many of them want to improve the lives of others as well as themselves. But, as is so often a tenant of tech enterprises, it’s hard to get to substantial revenue generation.

Many tech businesses, like apps, websites, and software don’t reach monetization like brick and mortar businesses. Think about it: SnapChat was just valued at somewhere between $20 and $25 billion. Its revenue, while substantial (about $100 million in 2015, and an expected revenue of $300 million) is hardly worth a 25 billion.

SnapChat is worth so much because of the number of daily active Users. The company is worth so much because it represents access to 140 million plus people. But having a massive userbase isn’t the only way to make money in this business – in fact it’s one of the hardest. While it’s doable, it requires constant vigilance and a wellmade, long term viral marketing plan.

There are some other common tricks to monetization as well:

♦ Ad Modules;

Ad modules, while legitimate ways of making money, can be annoying (especially if you don’t have a good design team) some users. Plus, it typically generates only a small amount of data. This is best used in conjunction with other methods, or with a very light hand.

♦ In-app purchases;

In-app purchases are an excellent way of making money. If you have an exceptionally engaging app (like a Game App), in-app purchases are one of the best ways to make money. However, it can be unreliable and is no way to ensure a consistent revenue,

♦ Selling Anonymized User Data;

This is another common way to make money in our world and can be an effective way to make some cash, especially when you find the right buyer. However, even the most secure systems make users nervous and can actually deter both other users.

But the big one, the unsung hero of the tech world is the Subscription model. Subscription models can, when done right, make website and app owners buckets of cash. There are several key benefits to a subscription model:

• Consistent, reliable, substantial revenues. Unlike in-app purchases, you’re guaranteed a certain level of monthly income. This is especially important to bootstrapped startups that need the revenue to keep going.

• Businesses that plan on offering a subscription-based model, need to offer a top notch service, or offer something that users can’t find elsewhere. Either way, Successful subscription based companies become something of a Gatekeeper within their own community. This helps not only build your brand (and attract more users through brand recognition) it can also help open the door to other future business opportunities.

• When people are willing to pay for a subscription, they talk about it to their friends. This is even more true in a world where most apps and websites are free (for at least the base level). Paying for an app/web service sticks out; so subscription models can generate a buzz, creating a constant referral system – for free;

Of course, the trick is to make a subscription model that will get people to actually to subscribe. So let’s take a look at some tricks on how to make money with a subscription model.

The Freemium Tier

For most Entrepreneurs and Business Owners, the idea that the majority of your customers will be using your service for free hurts. However, the unfortunate truth is that for most businesses, a freemium tier is a necessity. And moreover, most users will never progress beyond that phase. This isn’t a nail in the coffin though, because a percentage due convert, and that percentage is more than enough to make a substantial income.

The secret to the Freemium tier is to offer services that can’t be too generous, or too conservative. You have to reach that sweet spot, where people find your product useful enough to do some work, while being tantalized by even more advanced service. Plus, a good design can herd a user through the conversion process, making the process simple.

Trial Periods

Some services are highly valuable, especially those that are business-to-business. For those businesses, Trial Periods can be very effective. The trick is to not just offer a taste of your services, but to follow up with a rigorous (but not over-the-top) marketing campaign. You need to remind them of how effective your service was (via emails as well as through pop-up notifications) and how effective it can continue to be – if only they were to subscribe.

Higher Tiers Mean Higher Services

If a business wants to convert freemium or trial users into paying members, it needs to offer new or expanded features of greatly increased value. It has to make the need to sign up for a subscription more attractive than not signing up. Trial periods can help drive people to mid-level subscriptions, but in order to get top-tier subscribers, the service needs to be very valuable.

The best way to do this is to offer an expansion in Capacity and in Capability. Capacity could be anything from allowing more users to allowing more projects in the system (depends on the service offered). Capability means that the service offered has more features or better analytics, or really any new or improved feature that allows a user to do more with the offered service.

So want to start your own subscription-based website, SaaS, or app? Give us a call at 408.805.0495/408.621.8481 – or click to contact us!

Most of our clients come to us because they want to make money. Sure, most of them are also excited about their new business, and many of them want to improve the lives of others as well as themselves. But, as is so often a tenant of tech enterprises, it’s hard to get to substantial revenue generation. Many tech businesses, like apps, websites, and software don’t reach monetization like brick and mortar businesses. Think about it: SnapChat was just valued at somewhere between $20 and $25 billion. Its revenue, while substantial (about $100 million in…

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3 Tech Predictions For Enterprise in 2017

Tech and enterprise business have long gone hand-in-hand, with tech supporting and business driving tech innovation. And 2017 won’t be an exception to the rule; in fact, it appears that 2017 will be a big year for tech and business, with some notable changes. Some of these changes will be immediately beneficial (Mixed Reality is one example of this); others may appear to be problematic as they force businesses to innovate – or else.

So, as we do every year, we’re going to discuss our predictions for tech and business in 2017. But first a word on what we won’t be talking about in any depth today: VR/AR/MR or AI. Why? Because we’ve talked a lot about alternate realities already, and their potential impacts on business are already pretty well researched. If you would like to know more about Digital Realities or AI, please check out our blog.

Retailers, Go Mobile or Go bust

Adobe recently released its report on digital retail sales and patterns as of the Close of business, Black Friday. And the numbers (which, by the way, was based off a whopping 24.6 billion visits to shopping websites), if not surprising to those who watch the industry, were impressive, especially when compared to the numbers in the same period for brick-and-mortar stores.

First 91.7 billion dollars worth of online retail sales alone were made on Black Friday. That’s $115 million above what Adobe predicted AND an 11% increase from last year. Now let’s compare that to the numbers from Brick-and-Mortar stores: RetailNext reported that foot traffic at malls dropped nearly 13% as compared to last year. That’s pretty amazing, but not quite as amazing as the fact that sales also dropped nearly 10%.

But again, anyone paying attention to the trends in the last few years would not be overly surprised by this trend. We’ve been seeing the growth of online retail for a while now, and a significant decrease in brick-and-mortar sales is to be expected. The real news to come out of Adobe’s report was the success of Mobile (and of Amazon).

SmartPhones and Tablets accounted for half of all visits to retail websites, coupled with an almost 25% increase in revenue over last year (for a $28.23 billion dollars in total revenue). What’s more important, is that Amazon got 38% of all money spent between the beginning of November and the end of December. The next closest? Best Buy with 3.9%

What does this mean? Well, being Mobile First is clearly 100% necessary. But more than that, it seems that a sole online focus (like Amazon) is more beneficial than have a physical and online retail presence. So, want to build your own mobile-friendly eCommerce site, or an mCommerce app, contact Silicon Valley’s experts today.

Social Media as a Business Model will Grow

Social Media was really the big winner of 2016. Over the past year, App Analytics company Flurry has tracked numerous data metrics, including in-app time. What did they find? A 69% increase as compared to this time last year. This number (derived from a massive sample population of nearly 1 million apps, over 2 billion devices and more than 3 trillion sessions) was driven mostly by Social Media and messaging apps.

Plus, YouTube is introducing new ways for Content Creators to monetize their work; Facebook’s new role in News was widely discussed in this election cycle; and Twitter just partnered with PBS to Live Stream President-Elect Trumps inauguration on January 20th. But the network sites were outperformed by the Messaging Apps.

In fact, the time users spent in Messaging and Social Media app in 2016 increased almost 400% in the last year. This is easily the most staggering statistic we will write about today. Additionally, it is now confirmed that the top four Messaging apps (WhatsApp, FB Messenger, WeChat, and Viber) have damn near 3 billion Monthly Active Users (MAU) between them. This actually outnumbers the number of users on the four largest Social Media sites.

So what does this mean? Well, Messaging apps seem to be the default, go-to app for most of the world. Moreover, it indicates that services operating within a Messaging App ecosystem will grow in demand and popularity. This includes ChatBots, which allow retailers and other businesses to offer in-messaging app services. The most prominent example of this is Facebook’s Messenger, which offers a robust development kit to help retailers and business owners rapidly create a Bot for their organization – call us now to learn more (408.805.0495).

The Death of the Mobile App (or Not)

Another noteworthy result of the aforementioned Flurry report was that mobile apps weren’t doing as well in the last year. Though app usage grew by 11%, Flurry argues that the App Market may have just reached it’s peak. Part of the reason is that though usage grew by 11%, it grew by almost 60% last year.

But, like energy, the business of apps won’t die. It will change into something else. Most things do. First, apps are a broad term for pretty much any sort of human-program interface. In other words, Apps are a User’s door to the internet or web-based services; And yea there are a lot of apps and doors out there. But we still need both.

Plus, there’s a whole vast support network for apps, just like doors: APIs, Marketing, Data Analytics, ChatBots (especially with how well Messaging apps are doing), algorithms and more are all needed to make apps successful. Business Infrastructure is always an excellent enterprise venture, especially when you have access to a premiere app development company.

So, whether you want to start your own app empire, or build an app infrastructure company. SDI can help. Give us a call at 408.805.0495/408.621.8481 – or click to contact us!

Tech and enterprise business have long gone hand-in-hand, with tech supporting and business driving tech innovation. And 2017 won’t be an exception to the rule; in fact, it appears that 2017 will be a big year for tech and business, with some notable changes. Some of these changes will be immediately beneficial (Mixed Reality is one example of this); others may appear to be problematic as they force businesses to innovate – or else. So, as we do every year, we’re going to discuss our predictions for tech and business in 2017. But first a…

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How to Get Good App Reviews

So you’ve got your app all launched. You’ve poured blood, sweat, and tears (plus money and time) into creating what is a truly awesome app. But then it just languishes in an app store, not getting you the downloads you need. Despite all your work, it just sits there. So what went wrong and – more importantly – how do you fix it?

Like most of us, you probably turn to Google. Google will tell you that one of the key elements to a post-launch app marketing strategy is getting good App reviews. It’s how you get ranked in the app store; it’s how you get noticed by other app users, and it’s how you improve app downloads.

Now, not all app reviews are created equal. In fact, the last thing you want to do is hire a Content Farm. This is where hundreds of people crammed into an office writing favorable reviews, even though they’ve never even seen your app. Look, we understand: it’s the best way to get thousands of reviews. But it’s also one of the best ways to get your app taken down from both Google Play and the App Store.

Plus, Content Farms are based on quantity, not quality. Many of these businesses employ those with a poor grasp on grammar. On top of that, they get things wrong and are almost always clearly a fake review. While fake reviews may help for a month or two, It’s insulting to your users. More to the point it will come out and when it does it’s extremely harmful to your brand.

Fret not, however; there are plenty of ways to get good, real reviews. Keep in mind that a good review in this context is an honest one. Sure a 5 star review is great. But what’s better is a 4 star review with some suggestions on how to improve. Of course, a 5 star review with advice is also pretty sweet ;).

Another thing to remember is that getting honest reviews requires more time, but frequently less cash than hiring a content farm. To be clear, there are 100% legitimate companies that provide reviewing services. But, just like you should do before entering in any partnership, there are ways to vet a potential marketing partner.

1. Ask a potential partner how many reviews a month they can provide. If it’s something in the range of hundreds to thousands, be very leary. If it’s something like 5 – 10 that’s better. But what you really want is a partner who doesn’t offer X amount of reviews, but how to put you in front of real people who will review your app.

2. Ask how they plan to identify key influencers and early adopters. A good marketing strategy always involves identifying the big players in any market. Each gatekeeper (or key influencer, or early adopter – they’re all essentially the same) is worth much more than a standard user. These people use social media to influence other users – sometimes numbering in the thousands or more. In other words a good review from a key influencer can drive massive downloads. Also, it’s good to keep in mind that many marketing partners are also key influencers. SDI for example has been in the tech business for almost 20 years. When it comes to tech and Silicon Valley, we know who to talk to get the ball rolling.

3. If, during the course of your vetting process, a company offers to review your app without asking to see a build, hang up and call someone else. What you really want is a partner who wants to see not just a recent build, but the testing you’ve done. A good marketer wants to see this because it can help them identify key selling points from a user’s perspective. Additionally, modern consumers love a company that responds to their feedback by making changes. Of course, this is only a problem if you hired a different marketing team from your development team. Many of the best tech companies offer both services.

But hiring an app marketing company isn’t the only way to get decent reviews. This is the age of Social Media; we all have a profile on one site or another, with a huge network of contacts. This isn’t a call for blanket mass messaging all your contacts on Facebook (please don’t do that). What you need here is a tailored message. A good review request:

Is personalized to the message receiver. Like a Thank You card, it makes the message more real and will have a higher response rate;

Explain to them why your app can help them. Again, be personal.

Be specific, but brief. Don’t add a bunch of filler words, but clearly explain what your app is and what it does.

Include the necessary details and links for app sharing and app reviews (i.e. links to your store page). The easier it is to review and share, the more likely it will happen!

Don’t just send it over – make the ask. Let the recipient know you’re asking for their honest review.

Bad: Hello, i made an app please give me a review.

Meh: Hey Jon, i made an app and would love it if you could review it for me

Room For Improvement: Hey Jon, I just made an EdTech app, could you check it out for me?

Good: Hey Jon, I just made an EdTech app and i remember that you’re a teacher. My app is designed to help students learn without altering a teacher’s preferred pedagogy.

Better: Hey Jon, I just made an EdTech app and i remember that you’re a teacher. My app is designed to help students learn without altering a teacher’s preferred pedagogy. I would love some honest feedback and a review, especially from an insider like yourself.

Best: Hey Jon, I just made an EdTech app and i remember that you’re a teacher. My app is designed to help students learn without altering a teacher’s preferred pedagogy. I would love some honest feedback and a review, especially from an insider like yourself. Here are the links to review the Android or iOS app. If you would like to pass it on to some friends, we include easy Social Media share buttons.

There are two final steps to creating a good app review request:

1. Listen to your reviewers. This cannot be stressed enough. These are your end users so their opinions are incredibly important to making an improved product;

2. Send the reviewers a new build once you’ve included their feedback. It’s an excellent way to not only make users feel valued but to re-engage users. Plus it could result in follow reviews with improvements in ranking.

Overwhelmed? SDI is here to help you create the perfect marketing campaign, to getting good reviews from improving a social media presence. Give us a call at 408.805.0495/408.621.8481 – or click to contact us!

So you’ve got your app all launched. You’ve poured blood, sweat, and tears (plus money and time) into creating what is a truly awesome app. But then it just languishes in an app store, not getting you the downloads you need. Despite all your work, it just sits there. So what went wrong and – more importantly – how do you fix it? Like most of us, you probably turn to Google. Google will tell you that one of the key elements to a post-launch app marketing strategy is getting good App reviews. It’s how…

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Top 4 Most Awesome Tech from CES 2017

Consumer Electronic Show (CES) is one of the biggest trade convention in tech and CES 2017 was no different. Techies from around the world gathered in America’s Playground (aka Las Vegas), rubbing shoulders with some of the most well known names in tech. We were there too, checking out the newest in tech, and figuring out ways we can use all of this cool new stuff to help our clients.

2016 represented a year of monumental growth for the world of tech and 2017 looks to be even bigger. CES showed off some major new advances and capabilities and point the way to new enterprise ventures in a variety of new fields and sectors. So, let’s dive right in and start talking about the highlights of CES 2017.

1. Alexa

a. The biggest thing about CES 2017 wasn’t even debuted at CES. We’re talking about Amazon’s Alexa Voice Service (AVS) app that accompanies their Smart Speaker, Echo. With possibly over 1000 products at CES capable of supporting Alexa, it’s clear that Amazon is aiming much higher than the just the Smart Home market. They want to be the unifying center for the entire Internet of Things. What about the competition? Well, Microsoft’s Cortana seems to be focusing phones Computers, Apple, with Siri and Homekit simply don’t support the wide array of IoT devices that Alexa does, and Google Home was only just released. While Google (as always) will definitely give Amazon a run for its money, Alexa already has a significant head start.

2. Virtual and Augmented Reality

a. You can’t say you didn’t expect it; VR and AR were the hot ticket items of 2016. It when the internet wasn’t all twitterpated about the US Presidential Race, it was about Oculus, or Pokemon Go, or Gear VR. CES was no different:

i. The Vive VR Headset was debuted a year ago, but HTC upped their game this year with the TPCAST addon. The TPCAST allows Vive Users to go entirely wireless. At $220, it’s pricey, but worth it! HTC wowed our guys even more with small device (Tracker) that allows a user to track pretty much anything in VR. Combined with a massive launch of new VR services (games, movies, trips, everything) it’s clear that HTC is going full boar on the VR thing.

ii. Osterhout Design Group (ODG) just released their new AR/VR glasses, the R8. Unlike competitors (Oculus or Gear VR), R8 is a slim and sleek looking set of glasses, similar to Google Glass. The other good news? 720p vision in both eyes for under a grand.

iii. Want more than some eyewear? How about a full body motorcycle-type VR controller? The Hypersuit was debuted this year and offers a whole new (and totally awesome) way of interacting with a Virtual Reality. Users can experience what it’s like to fly like Superman, without ever leaving the ground.

3. Sony’s Bravia Flagship TV

a. New televisions are always the most anticipated toys of CES. This year, Sony decided to make us all scratch our heads in amazement over their Acoustic Surface technology. What is it? A screen that makes noise. Yup, the sound from a Bravia XBR-A1E is all produced from the screen (and backed by a truly huge subwoofer hidden from sight).

4. Drones

a. Drones were another big part of CES, a clear predictor that this tech is set to take off this year. Let’s take a look at some of our favorites:

i. Ever been out with your Drone and wanted to send it plunging nearly 100 feet underwater? Of course, the inferior technology of last year prevented you from such aquatic delights – thus PowerRay was built. This drone is waterproof, and uses sonar to help fisherman track fish. While currently aimed at recreational fishing, there are other obvious applications, including tracking schools of fish or other aquatic creatures for research purposes, and for military purposes, such as protecting a ship from divers or mines.

ii. Or, you could get a drone that spends most of it’s time looking like a Dinosaur egg. The PowerEgg is literally just that – a four and half pound off-white egg. When you need it to do something, it just pops out of the shell and does it’s drone thing, then goes on back to the shell. While it might be confused for an interesting home decor choice, it’s actually pretty cool. Both the PowerEgg and the PowerRay were built by PowerVision (i’m sensing a theme here).

iii. Strange egg drones and AquaDrones not your thing? How about a drone that looks identical to a bird? And no, it’s not for creeps, spying on people. The RoBird (from Clear Flight Solutions) is being used to help improve Aviation safety. It’s designed to resemble a predator bird, and lets out a truly horrifying noise that scares birds out of an Aviation area.

There were some other truly amazing things at CES – including an awesome new toy from Lego that helps kids to code and program robots (important in a world that needs “New Collar” jobs). But we must wrap up soon and we wanted to cover what all of this means for Tech Startups or entrepreneurs looking to start their own enterprise venture.

First, Virtual Personal Assistants that connect all of your Smart Devices will be a massive growth market in 2017 and beyond. In addition to Alexa, Baidu (Often called China’s Google) released its own AI-based Smart Home Speaker. Plus Google Home is just getting started. There’s still plenty of room for other players in this field. Don’t hesitate!

Next, Robits! In addition to aforementioned drones, there was also a robot to help with household chores. When combined with other advances in robotics of the past few years, it indicates that robots will soon be everywhere. And where there are robots, there need to be apps that help people interface with them!

Finally, Gaming will continue to be huge. With VR/AR popping up everywhere, there’s going to be a huge new market for reinvention of classic games, as well as the need for new ones. Plus, there were several other big Gaming devices at CES, including Razer’s Project Valerie (sweet gaming laptop) and Project Ariana (a Pseudo-VR Projector).

So got an idea? Well, SDI has the development tools you need! Give us a call at 408.805.0495/408.621.8481 – or click to contact us!

Consumer Electronic Show (CES) is one of the biggest trade convention in tech and CES 2017 was no different. Techies from around the world gathered in America’s Playground (aka Las Vegas), rubbing shoulders with some of the most well known names in tech. We were there too, checking out the newest in tech, and figuring out ways we can use all of this cool new stuff to help our clients. 2016 represented a year of monumental growth for the world of tech and 2017 looks to be even bigger. CES showed off some major new…

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New Collar Jobs and The Tech Economy

Ginni Rometty, the CEO of IBM recently attended a tech summit held by Donald Trump, alongside other Digital leaders. While what exactly occurred at that meeting is still in suspense, but we do know that the day before the meeting Ms. Rometty announced a new hiring spree for IBM. In fact, they are investing in 25,000 jobs in the Hi-Tech Sector, or the so-called New Collar jobs.

There are few companies who have been in the tech game for as long as IBM. While they don’t often make huge splashes like Google, Amazon, or Apple, they’re still one of the biggest players in the industry. From owning probably the most sophisticated Supercomputers in the world (Watson), to being one of the driving behind-the-scenes movers in Tech MFG, IBM is a company the rest of the Tech world watches very closely.

But not only is IBM investing in these New Collar jobs, they’re investing in crossover sectors, like HealthCare. Plus, IBM has also announced that they plan on investing over a billion bucks in the next few years in workforce training. But what does this mean for the Entrepreneur out there? It’s not going out and get a job at IBM.

To be a successful entrepreneur, you have to be able to ferret out opportunities in News like this. This single piece of news alone tells our market analysts three key chances: Tech Education, Workforce Training, and the intersection between Health and Technology.

Education and Technology

Edtech is a massive growth industry. While not necessarily representative of the entire industry, the number of Edtech projects SDI has been hired on has increased quite noticeably in the last year.

Edtech covers everything from Apps to help kids learn how to read, to software systems for colleges. But this section is more about how important EdTech is and will be in the field of training developers and designers of the future. Just like reading and mathematics, coding and programming should be taught as early as primary education.

More to the point, Rometty is paving the way for a new type of skilled worker: in her letter, she clearly stated that many of the positions opening up may not even require a college education. In fact, some estimates already state that nearly a third of IBM’s workforce does not have a college degree. Instead, IBM is focusing on Skill Mastery.

This is in keeping with a new emphasis in California’s k-12 public education system on teaching coding skills. Plus, there is a push in Community Colleges towards offering certifications in programming and software development. All of this means that the need for the teaching tools to help educate kids is growing. So why wait? Contact SDI to build your own EdTech app to teach future coders. The need is there, all that’s wanting are the right tools!

WorkForce Training

I’m going to go ahead and say it: HR Managers don’t get the respect they deserve (and no, I don’t have my Annual review tomorrow…). HRM is a many armed beast that rears its head in pretty much every aspect of any business. It’s a fact of life. But SDI is here to tell you that there is a better way: HRM Software.

For years, we’ve been helping our clients leverage software tools to better manage their employees. We have the tools to help with:

• Job Posting and Recruiting;

• Onboarding and Training;

• Conflict Resolution;

• Reviews;

• Scheduling (including Time Off and Vacation Time);

• Bonuses/Pay Raises;

• Employee Reporting.

With IBM investing so heavily in Workforce Training, the popularity of HRMS systems will grow – and grow quickly. So if you own your own SMB, you may want to consider heavily in pursuing your own HRMS system. Or, a clever entrepreneur could always create their own system, to sell as a subscription to businesses of all stripes!

Health and Technology

As mentioned above, IBM possesses what is arguably the most advanced computer system in the entire world. Watson’s closest competitor? Deep Blue, the computer that recently beat Chess Grand Champion Garry Kasparov. Oh, and IBM owns Deep Blue, too. So when IBM decides to invest in something, the rest of the tech world pays attention.

A significant chunk of those 25k New Collar jobs Ginni Rometty announced are going to be in the intersection between Healthcare and Tech. Not only that, but Watson has taken off it’s Chef hat, moving from the world of Cognitive Cooking and into the world of medicine. IBM just announced that “Dr.” Watson was used to create new development tools for healthcare.

These tools will will turn any Wearable Device into an extremely advanced medical sensor. This has big implications for healthcare – and for tech. The more advanced apps and software for healthcare become, the more these products will be sought after.

The good news is that SDI is once again standing by, ready to help! We have extensive experience in this exact sector, and your app will not be the first we’ve built for healthcare!

No matter what, it’s clear that advanced technology, including apps, software, and even website systems, are only going up and up. Why not get involved in a growth industry that’s already worth trillions of dollars every year. No matter what you want to build or develop, SDI is your tech partner. Give us a call at 408.805.0495/408.621.8481 – or click to contact us!

Ginni Rometty, the CEO of IBM recently attended a tech summit held by Donald Trump, alongside other Digital leaders. While what exactly occurred at that meeting is still in suspense, but we do know that the day before the meeting Ms. Rometty announced a new hiring spree for IBM. In fact, they are investing in 25,000 jobs in the Hi-Tech Sector, or the so-called New Collar jobs. There are few companies who have been in the tech game for as long as IBM. While they don’t often make huge splashes like Google, Amazon, or Apple,…

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Top App Trends of 2016 and What it Means for the Industry

By this point in time, most of us should know that Smartphones and Mobile Apps aren’t going anywhere. Smartphone users now account for 88% of all mobile phone users in the US, a 2% increase from this time last year (and yes, the most surprising part of that statistic is that there are still 12% of mobile users on flip phones).

Earlier this week, Nielsen, a premiere App Market Analyst company, released its year end report. This report covers the top apps of the year, as judged by average number of Unique Users. It’s one of the most highly anticipated reports by tech companies like SDI, because it tells us the status of our industry. Plus, it provides insight into the future of the industry, providing us with better tools to help our clients grow.

The list was dominated by major tech companies, but there were some clear winners, especially Facebook, with the main app AND Messenger (which had a huge growth from last year, almost 30%) taking up the number 1 and 2 spots. Plus Instagram at the number 8 spot – with a whopping 38% growth from last year.

But the point of this post isn’t to rehash the Nielsen Top 10 list (the full report can be read here). After all, you can read that anywhere. Instead, this post will cover what the overarching App trends of 2016, and what it means for App owners and Entrepreneurs. So without further ado, let’s talk about our first big trend: The growth of mCommerce apps like Amazon.

mCommerce Apps

Amazon has made a lot of noise this year, especially with its Home AI System Alexa. In fact, so much noise was made about Echo that the Amazon App kind of fell by the wayside. But there it is, taking up the number 10 spot on the Nielsen report. While it is the last app on the list (with about 81 million fewer users than Facebook!), there are a few things that made our experts perk up.

Firstly, it had the largest year over year growth, at 43% – more than three times Facebook’s growth. And 7% higher growth than current industry darling, Instagram! Of course, mCommerce is a younger market and Facebook is an established one, so a higher growth for amazon is to be expected.

But there are some other facts that we know about the future of online retail, including that the desktop is dead. This means that all of those eCommerce websites need to be more than responsive; they need to be “Mobile First.” In other words, it’s time to turn that website into an app.

Even as it evolves into something else, eCommerce accounted for more than $3.3 billion dollars this year – a growth of almost 22% growth. But, in keeping with our mobile first trend, $1.2 billion of that came from Mobile users (a 33% growth from 2015). Hell, Adobe announced that 56% of all retail website visits on Black Friday came from a mobile device.

In other words, it’s time to go mobile. Contact SDI to get started!

Social Media and Messenger Apps

As always, Social Media was a dominating force in the Digital world, though 2016 was an especially banner year for social networking sites. They took up 30% of the top 10 list (and all three owned by Facebook). Plus, SM sites obviously weave their way in and out of pretty much every other app in the world, what with social Sharing buttons and all.

What’s more is that while the year of year growth for the SM market didn’t match Amazon’s substantial numbers, it wasn’t a small percentage either. In fact Instagram was #2 in terms of growth – and just is still considered a premiere example of an excellent digital company. So, Social Media isn’t going anywhere – but what does that mean to the average SMB or entrepreneur?

Well, a few things:

• FB Messenger has almost 130 million users. When you consider Messenger’s key retail feature, Bots, this represents a massive potential user pool that Retailers can approach. Call SDI (408.621.8481/408.805.0495) to learn more about how Bots and AI can help drive growth for your retail business.

• SM Sites represent an opportunity to create a marketable tool for all sorts of industries. If you combine all 3 of Facebook’s apps on Nielsen’s list, you get a sum total over 350 million users in the US alone. Some overlap between the three is to be expected – so let’s go ahead and call it 200 million instead. That’s almost ? of the entire population of the States. Two thirds.

That means Business owners can use Facebook to market their product or service. To 200 million people. On basically 2 platforms. Social Media sites represent an unparalleled opportunity for marketing – especially when you factor in the data they collect!

Whether you want to build your own SM site, or you want to learn how to grow your business with Social Media, SDI can help!

So those are some of the fastest growing App trends in the US. Want to start your own app empire, or just want an app to help your SMB grow? Give SDI a call at 408.805.0495/408.621.8481 – or click to contact us!

By this point in time, most of us should know that Smartphones and Mobile Apps aren’t going anywhere. Smartphone users now account for 88% of all mobile phone users in the US, a 2% increase from this time last year (and yes, the most surprising part of that statistic is that there are still 12% of mobile users on flip phones). Earlier this week, Nielsen, a premiere App Market Analyst company, released its year end report. This report covers the top apps of the year, as judged by average number of Unique Users. It’s one…

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3 Common Mistakes Every Tech Startup Needs to Avoid


With nearly 20 years in the business, SDI has seen it all – which startups do it right and which don’t, which entrepreneurs have it in the bag, and which entrepreneurs missed their golden opportunity. This extensive experience gives an insight that only a select few development companies have.

In other words, we know how to run a successful startup, from app marketing to website development and even comprehensive custom software development. We know how the world of Tech operates – because we are an integral part of this world. From Silicon Valley, to London, to Melbourne, we’ve helped startups go from dreams to wildly successful realities.

However, we talk on this blog a lot about what entrepreneurs should be doing, so we thought we would change it up. Today we’re going to cover what are some common mistakes Startups make – and how we help our clients avoid them. So without further ado, here are the 3 most dangerous mistakes we see the most often.

But before we start, we should mention that Startups rarely ever fail because of the idea. Enterprise venture fail for a whole variety of reasons, but the idea is just the kernel, a seed that will sprout – as long as it gets the nourishment it needs. So if you have an idea, get in touch with our experts to learn how you can make it a smash success.

The Business Plan

There are several elements that necessarily go into a business plan:

1. The service or product you’re offering;

2. Your target market;

3. How to reach product/service launch;

4. How to scale;

5. And the most important step – how to monetize.

This all sounds pretty basic, but more startups trip up here than anywhere else. Let’s take this a point at a time. First, you may have a great product or service; it may solve a glaring problem; but that doesn’t mean it’s sustainable. In other words, your idea is a business. It’s just the start of one. A business means adding constant and current value, not a stagnant service. It your startup isn’t evolving, it’s dying.

Your Target Market is obviously vital to a successful business, so extensive research into this is absolutely necessary. Who is best served by your product? Who needs your product or service, but doesn’t know it? Many entrepreneurs just try to launch, assuming that the awesomeness of your app, website, or software will just naturally trickle down. It won’t.

Launching your product or service is obviously a critical step and preparing for it is about more than just being aware of your resources. At SDI, we have a whole checklist of prelaunch steps that have almost nothing to do with the actual coding or programming itself. Everything from using beta testing groups to intrigue key influencers to generating a social media buzz to get people excited about your startup

Scaling goes all the way back to our first point on adding constant value to your startup. We pretty much covered this, so we will only lightly touch on it. But basically it’s essential to know how you can improve and add value to your product or service from the get-go. So when you write your business plan, make your growth goals clear.

How you will reach Monetization is another thing that you need to know from the beginning. There are a variety of different options startups can use to reach monetization, often changing depending upon which platform your startup operates (app, website, custom software, or any combination of the three).

Common Mistake #2: Thinking You Know Best

Often the temptation many entrepreneurs and Startup founders face is to ignore data, or not realizing that their startup succeeds only when users start, well, using the product or service. Occasionally, we see clients who think that they know best; after all, look at what they’ve accomplished by following their own counsel, or by their own grit.

And that’s very true – a startup gets no where without a strong leader at the helm. But here’s a piece of advice for free: it’s not about you. I’m going to say that again, in a different font so you really get the point: it’s not about you. If you want a successful startup, you need to:

A. Think about the what the best value your startup provides to your end customer’s perspective. What is the best feature to the user, not to you. Sure your app has some of the best written code out there – but the average user couldn’t care less. Seriously. They care that it performs quickly flawlessly and it meets their needs.

B. Trust the data. Spend the money to have good data analytics (including Artificial Intelligence for Smart Business Management) that give you full control over your business – and then trust that data!!!

Common Mistake #3: Trying to do it all

This is heavily related to mistake #2 but delegating is a big, big problem. You need to learn to delegate. Startup Founders especially have a hard time with this one. Again, they’ve reached where they are in their lives because of their own skill and determination.

It’s that whole saying “if you want something done right, do it yourself.” But you don’t know everything in the world, and you simply can’t master every aspect of your business. Plus you hired your people, so trust yourself to have chosen wisely. Learn to delegate and to recognize when you’re out of your depth is key to succeeding in this world.

Delegating include knowing when to hire outside help for your development and Marketing needs. SDI is the team you want on your side, saving you money without requiring you to employ a full-time development team. Think about it: Development doesn’t have to be an ongoing expense. By hiring SDI, you get 200+ programmers with extensive coding experience and superior skills. By hiring SDI, you get experience when you need it, and burning through your budget with a full time staff that isn’t needed.

Give us a call at 408.805.0495/408.621.8481 – or click to contact us!

With nearly 20 years in the business, SDI has seen it all – which startups do it right and which don’t, which entrepreneurs have it in the bag, and which entrepreneurs missed their golden opportunity. This extensive experience gives an insight that only a select few development companies have. In other words, we know how to run a successful startup, from app marketing to website development and even comprehensive custom software development. We know how the world of Tech operates – because we are an integral part of this world. From Silicon Valley, to London,…

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Guide: How to Make Your App a Rousing Success

By the end of this year, Industry experts predict that global App Stores will be raking in about $52 billion about $10 billion more – or an increase of nearly 24%. What’s more is that by 2020, that number is expected to double. That’s over $100 billion in just app store sales. That doesn’t include specific app revenues.

But the news isn’t all good. Most SmartPhone users spend the vast majority of their time in 3-4 apps (about 90%, in fact). Right now, the biggest markets are Developed nations and those markets are intensively competitive, requiring unique marketing strategies. This doesn’t mean rule them out of course; it just points to the need for a lot of Disruptive, Innovative, and Creative thinking.

There are billions of existing AND potential App users out there – even more apps than there are people. Many of these apps are game changers, they’re apps that can revolutionize businesses and lives. They’re apps so beautifully designed and flawlessly coded that it’s enough to make a soul weep.

But they go unnoticed, languishing in the shadows. Why? Well, again, billions of apps. This biggest thing app owners let go by the wayside is marketing. Creating a marketing strategy is unique, but the end goal is simple enough: you want users.

Contrary to popular belief, there are plenty of ways for app monetization:

• In-App purchases are extremely popular right now. If you’re planning on running your app business long term and are a consumer facing app, this is a must;

• Subscription models are particularly profitable, especially if you provided a business-to-business service;

• The ol’ standby of selling anonymized user data to retailers and marketers is always a favorite;

• Ad modules, another favorite of app owners worldwide, can generate a moderate revenue;

• Last but not least is to build an app specifically designed to sell. App exit strategies are a viable approach and can make you buckets of money.

But none of these options will make you money without users (and user engagement!). And to get users, you need to make sure your app has visibility. Of course that’s the trick, right? How does one go about boosting the online presence of their brand and App? Well, you’ve come to the right place!

There is one thing that is essential to a successful marketing strategy. The message. It needs to be clear, concise, accurate, and punchy. That’s a lot – and you need to do it quickly. Lets take a look at some strategies, and why they’re useful.

The Components of a Clear Message

1. Perfect Your Elevator Speech

To any of us who went to school for marketing or business, this is a saying with which we are familiar. Figure the essence of your service, the perfect way to describe it in 30 to 60 seconds (i.e. the length of an elevator ride). Doing this forces you to figure out the best Unique Selling Points (USPs) of your business.

2. Determining USPs

Knowing the USPs of your service allows you to tailor your market approach and determine your ideal user. Obviously, gaming apps aren’t going to go after plumbers (with the obvious exception); if plumbers happen to enjoy gaming and are interested in getting your app that’s great – but you still want to focus on marketing to gamers not plumbers.

You also need to narrow this down. Going back to the elevator speech and limited time to make your point, you need to focus on your service’s biggest benefits. Don’t focus on what you think is the coolest about your service. Please, please, please pay attention here; this is the spot where people stumble the most. I’ve lost track of the amount of times I’ve offered this advice to a client and watched them agree wholeheartedly.

Then they promptly turn around and craft a marketing message about some nerdy technical aspect of their product. TALK TO NORMAL PEOPLE! Show them your app, ask them what they liked and what they didn’t. This will help you narrow down what message is the most effective. Remember, it’s not about you. If you want to make money, check your ego at the door and listen to your clients.

3. Test Your Message

Data analytics are the backbone of modern business. This is no less true in Marketing. You may think you have the perfect message crafted and the people who you talked to loved it. But it could still fall flat. Or maybe a different message might have a wider Appeal

To further complicate matters, the same message can have different impacts on different platforms; in other words, what works on Facebook may not work on Pinterest. This is why testing is so important. It’s an easy step to use analytics, so why not do it? Not to beat a dead horse, but again you have a very short time to make an impact. Creating a perfect message that catches the right attention is vital to success.

Crafting the perfect message is important, but it is by far from the only thing you need to a successful marketing campaign. It’s like laying down the foundation of a new house: no one’s going to claim the house is finished when the foundation is done, but we all know that the house can’t stand without it!

So if you want to become the owner of a Platinum, money making app, give SDI a call at 408.805.0495/408.621.8481 – or click to contact us! We will work with you to create the perfect message and a campaign to spread the good news. First hour of consultation is on us!

By the end of this year, Industry experts predict that global App Stores will be raking in about $52 billion about $10 billion more – or an increase of nearly 24%. What’s more is that by 2020, that number is expected to double. That’s over $100 billion in just app store sales. That doesn’t include specific app revenues. But the news isn’t all good. Most SmartPhone users spend the vast majority of their time in 3-4 apps (about 90%, in fact). Right now, the biggest markets are Developed nations and those markets are intensively competitive,…

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3 Ways SnapChat can Grow Your Business

SnapChat is the darling platform of young Millennials, especially the coveted 18-34 age range. From the perspective of a marketer or business owner, SnapChat, when used properly, can be one of the most useful items in your arsenal. I know what you’re thinking: Is SnapChat that thing teens use to send nude photos (aka sexts) that disappear?

Turns out that this is a bit of an undeserved reputation, as a recent study demonstrated that only 2% of surveyed users sexted. So why are people using SnapChat? The driving force behind its popularity seems to be that it is a new way for people to be creatively expressive, to show off their personality via a new Social Outlet.

But it’s also a way that the 18-34 age range finds new products, brands, and services. It’s the way that they consume, share or distribute media – and they do it at an incredible amount; by some accounts, there are more than 400 million Snaps every day from 100 million daily active users (DAU) globally. 60 million of those daily users are in Canada and the US alone.

A. Let’s take a lot at some numbers (mostly pulled from an industry research study by Sumpto, all US Based):

B. 71% of SnapChat users fall within the 18-34 Age Demographic;

C. 77% of college students use SnapChat

D. 45% of college students would open a Snap from an unrecognized brand – and an astounding 73% would open one from a brand they did know.

E. 67% of college student users PREFER to receive promotional (discounts, coupons, etc); and

A whopping 58% of the same group are more likely to buy a product if they receive a coupon via SnapChat as compared to any other medium!

So obviously, this all points to an exceptionally potent marketing tool. Points C through E are especially useful to business owners. So let’s talk about how the savvy entrepreneur can use these insights to grow their business.

How SnapChat Can Grow Your Brand and Drive Sales

It seems counterintuitive SnapChat is one of the best ways to grow your business. After all, the whole idea is that a Snap disappears. So how can it be something that builds a brand? The answer is that we live in a world where private, exclusive content is a rarity. If you share something on Twitter, it’s going to tear through Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram in no time at all.

SnapChat provides you with a way to provide exclusive content to only your SnapChat Followers. It creates an air of mystery or allure that consumers love – and it makes them feel special and valued.

‘Value’ is what we should really be focusing on here; as the above statistics demonstrate, much of the 18-34 target demographic actually like getting promotions on SnapChat. But if you are too promotional or too ‘all about your brand’ you will squander your advantage. Users want something out of the brand, some reason they should be paying attention to it.

While coupons or discounts are a great way to give back to your followers, it can also be something as simple as promoting content from other users. The popular food delivery app GrubHub is commonly cited here; their 2013 SnapChat campaign followed this mixed-tactic approach and saw a 20% increase in followers.

Additionally, people love feeling like they’re included. SnapChat users especially love behind the scenes snaps. Photos of your employees, the manufacturing process, events or company parties; all of it is a great way to get SnapChat Users talking about you, your brand, and what you offer.

Building a Buzz

Several big-name companies have found success in using SnapChat to preview new products to potential consumers. It goes back to that allure and mystery thing; it gives you a chance to let consumers know about your new product, without them becoming overwhelmed by a viral video that gets plastered all over the web.

But there’s a way to do this. You can’t just go in all willy-nilly throwing Snaps around like they’re so much nonsense. You need to tell a story, you need to keep fun, entertaining and engaging. For an example of how this was successfully done, look no further than Amazon’s Echo.

Amazon’s SnapChat campaign was a masterpiece. It managed to provide a quirky, wonderful, and lovely personality. The endearing Snaps released by Amazon not only made us fall in love with Echo, but they also explained a product with which many were struggling. This is one of our team’s favorite examples because it accomplished so much with so little.

To Sum Up

So to recap, SnapChat lets you grow your brand, attract young, passionate consumers, and lets you create a stir around your brand. I know – this seems like (and is) a lot to process. But don’t worry; that’s why SDI is here to help. We can help you create unique and effective marketing strategies for SnapChat that grow your business and make you money.

Want to know more about how to use SnapChat to grow your SMB? Give us a call at 408.805.0495/408.621.8481 – or click to contact us!

SnapChat is the darling platform of young Millennials, especially the coveted 18-34 age range. From the perspective of a marketer or business owner, SnapChat, when used properly, can be one of the most useful items in your arsenal. I know what you’re thinking: Is SnapChat that thing teens use to send nude photos (aka sexts) that disappear? Turns out that this is a bit of an undeserved reputation, as a recent study demonstrated that only 2% of surveyed users sexted. So why are people using SnapChat? The driving force behind its popularity seems to be…

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3 Ways to Grow Your SMB with Social Media

One of the best digital marketing tools available to any SMB is Social Media. Let’s face it, Social Media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have become a dominant feature of the lives of most U.S. Citizens (and much of the world in general).

These days, everyone and their brother seem to have a SM account of one kind or another. More importantly, the list of Social media sites doesn’t end at the big ones mentioned above. There are thousands of different sites built around social interactions of all sorts.

The point here is that for nearly every hobby, interest, job, or problem, there’s probably a SM website that focuses on it. This is why Social Media Marketing is an essential tool in the success of any enterprise, big or small. Because no matter what your business is, you can have a massive, targeted, and curated client base, ready to go.

While purchasing targeted client lists is an age-old tradition (there are even companies that specialize in doing just this), SM is generally free. You should consider hiring a Digital Marketing team, but identifying a few key Social Media sites is part of a the general services any good company offers.

But Social Media Marketing is an ongoing task, something you need to keep up with or you’re loose followers. Plus it’s hard to know which are tactics are effective and which are not. So, we thought we would discuss a few tricks or activities proven to be effective in creating a vibrant SM presence.

Choosing the Right Platforms

Twitter attracts Millennials and Startups. Instagram really targets Teens and College age people. Pinterest attracts designers, photographers and artistic people. Facebook is used by mostly everyone, but especially 30+ crowd.

These are not hard and fast rules (for instance, Visually oriented people also use Instagram at high rates) but it is important to be aware of what sites attract which people. This helps you know upon which platforms you should focus your attention. For instance, if your industry is one that is very visual, a tactical emphasis on Pinterest over Twitter would be advisable.

This should also be extended to choosing the right groups to join or people to follow. Identifying key influencers in your industry can lead to Improved access to your target market; Joining the groups most closely associated with your business introduces you to even more cultivated target groups.

Be Real, Be Social, and Be Relevant

Think about your own experiences on SM sites. What are the biggest turn offs? Most people find obnoxious, fake, and promotional content offputting. This means all that effort is not only wasted, but probably actively working against your own interests. Posting content on Social Media is an artform:

Be Real: You can’t lie but you shouldn’t be overly pushy. So be honest about your interest on any sites or groups you post, and make clear your biases. But feel free to talk about what you do, if it’s relevant to the conversation or general theme of the group.

Be Social: Don’t just post on your page, or introduce new posts. Comment on other conversations . This often turns into direct engagement with interested users (i.e. warm leads).

Be Relevant: Talk about what’s happening in your industry or in the world, or other big news that people are interested in.

Ideally, these three things work in tandem (which is why we put it all in one header ;)), because being real is a social thing that necessitates conversations on relevant topics. That being said, don’t be afraid to use tools like HootSuite to buffer posts.

You should still take 20 minutes a day to scope out and comment on trending topics, but if you only post from 11:30 to 11:50 everyday, many of your posts will get lost in the noise. Buffer tools help you post throughout the day without requiring you to manually do it yourself. Don’t be afraid to experiment with them.

Create and Curate

You should always repost interesting content. It not only is appreciated by the original poster (who often return the favor) but it let’s get an idea of your Business based off your feed or profile page. And if it can potentially introduce you to new customers or users.

That being said, you shouldn’t just become a reposter. You should be out there making new content, whether that’s showing off your designs on Pinterest, or writing industry relevant blogs, you should post it on your social media outlets. By creating things, you’re telling users that you’re an actual business, that you’re not a bot or some farm out in India. AND it tells people exactly what your business is about.

Don’t Go it Alone

Digital marketing is as complex as it is amorphous. There’s no reason you should have to go it on your lonesome Give us a call at 408.805.0495/408.621.8481 (or contact us online) to learn how SDI can use Social Media to grow your SMB.

One of the best digital marketing tools available to any SMB is Social Media. Let’s face it, Social Media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have become a dominant feature of the lives of most U.S. Citizens (and much of the world in general). These days, everyone and their brother seem to have a SM account of one kind or another. More importantly, the list of Social media sites doesn’t end at the big ones mentioned above. There are thousands of different sites built around social interactions of all sorts. The point here is that…

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How to Build an App for Your Beer Garden

The restaurant business is one of ups and downs, drops in business and bumps in stock prices – or vice versa. Running a Beer Garden is no different, especially those that offer a food menu as well as the beer menu. However, modern technologies offer new tools to help restaurants succeed, including mobile apps.

Today, we want to focus on the very specific intersection between App technology and Beer Gardens. Why? For a couple reasons:

1. Mobility is key in this new world (aka Mobile First). Already there are billions of SmartPhone users and as much of the developing world comes online, they are entirely bypassing stationary devices (i.e. laptops) in favor of Smartphones/Tablets. An app is the best way to reach the biggest consumer market. Plus app technology today is amazing and offers the Business Processes Management we want in addition to the consumer-facing interface.

2. Beer Gardens, like Mobile Apps, are a Growth Market; in 2000, Beer Gardens weren’t even on the radar of most US citizens. Today there are some 5,000+. Anyone who lives in Silicon Valley can relate to this. Additionally, Beer Gardens especially attract Millennials; and Millennials are quick to adopt new technologies.

So let’s talk about the common problems a burgeoning beer garden may face and how an app can help mitigate these problems, while solving even more problems. As a caveat, we will break this down into 2 main sections: Consumer-side and Business-side. However we recommend developing a single app, with at least 3 distinct interfaces (Consumer, Business, Admin). It save you money, time, and creates a more seamless system for your business.

Also, please keep in mind, this can all be extrapolated to almost any business or sector – contact us now to learn more.

Consumer-Facing

As anyone who has ever worked in a consumer facing business can tell you, customers are a fickle beast. Bar owners spend a lot of money trying to keep updated menus (beer and food), possibly even offering forms of entertainment, or Tap Takeovers (where a specific brewery takes over all or the majority of taps at a bar). And, unfortunately, this often goes wasted. Weekdays especially are hard on business, especially ones that focus on selling alcohol. In general, people are less likely to go out during the week.

Look, we’re techies, so let’s put our techie spin on this: essentially the problem is a lack of foot traffic, or as we refer to in the tech world, User Engagement. When we look at the problem like this, the value of a mobile app becomes clear; reminding users that you exist. The good news is that the nature of a beer garden plays well into user engagement.

Most Beer Gardens have to constantly rotate taps and since most of them support local breweries, there is always something new. An app can help drive traffic by informing customers who have your app when you have a new beer being tapped. This also works for food menu updates, tap takeovers, live entertainment, et cetera.

Further engagement methods could include offering discounts or promos, offering information on the world of beer, even driving in-app merch purchases. Plus, you can use it as an in-store payment portal. Customers can place their order with you and automatically pay through their phone. No more leaving cards behind for customers – and no open tabs at the end of the night for you.

Obviously, consumer facing apps can do a lot more than what we discussed above but, alas, we should move on to how an app can help grow your Beer Garden by improving business processes – and the power of AI.

Business Growth

Apps for business growth are quickly becoming an exceptionally powerful tool in the kits of entrepreneurs and CEOs everywhere. A Beer Garden is no different: restaurateurs need to manage their employees, inventory, utilities, and so on. An app for business can help with onboarding, scheduling, reservations, inventory management, and so on.

But let’s take this a step further: using Machine Learning and AI, Beer Gardens that serve food can revolutionize their process. One of the challenges of serving food is offering quality meals, with good ingredients. Also important is menu freshness. The target market for a Beer Garden is especially fond of menus that are changed pretty frequently.

One of the benefits of AI is it’s ability to pull and process information from thousands of data points. So imagine an app that tells it chef that one of the local farms is having a deal on brussel sprouts soon. Or that beef prices are about to drop – after all predictive analysis is one of the crucial benefits of AI.

This can help a Chef create hip and fresh ingredients without paying an arm and a leg. Chef Watson even demonstrates that AI is capable of suggesting unique Beer-Food pairings based off the beers you currently have on tap.

Hopefully we’ve successfully demonstrated some effective ways that an app can help grow what is already a growth enterprise. So if you own a Beer Garden, why not call us at 408.805.0495 or 408.621.8481 for a free consultation (or click to contact us). Don’t own a Beer Garden? There’s nothing to stop you from creating an app and selling it to restaurants. In fact, it is a superb way to make a lot of money!

The restaurant business is one of ups and downs, drops in business and bumps in stock prices – or vice versa. Running a Beer Garden is no different, especially those that offer a food menu as well as the beer menu. However, modern technologies offer new tools to help restaurants succeed, including mobile apps. Today, we want to focus on the very specific intersection between App technology and Beer Gardens. Why? For a couple reasons: 1. Mobility is key in this new world (aka Mobile First). Already there are billions of SmartPhone users and as…

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AI for Smarter Business Insights

There’s a lot of hubbub around Artificial Intelligence and the possible benefits it may (or may not) provide SMBs and Startups. To be clear, most of it is well deserved, but there is a lot of misinformation out there. For people who are Tech experts, identifying what is and what is not helpful can be difficult.

Fortunately for the curious Business owners out there, SDI is here with a brief guide on how you can use AI to get better, clearer insights into your SMB or Startup. Here’s the rundown on how AI can help your business make smarter decisions:

• Better risk management. A fully functional AI system learns from your business, delivering clearer, more accurate predictions of what obstacles (or opportunities) your SMB may soon face.

• Full Business Process Management. We covered this in more detail in our last blog post, so take a look at that if you would like to learn more about how AI can unlock the value of Big Data for your business.

• Added and/or improved value to your service or product. Again, true Artificial Intelligence (or at least we know it today) learns from its users, gradually becoming better at predicting their wants. Additionally, AI can use data to anticipate new market trends, putting your business ahead of the competition.

AI, when done correctly can accomplish all of this and more. But there are risks, especially to the non-tech savvy:

1. It can be expensive, especially if you lack a clear and focuses strategy.

The fix: Sit down with your development partner; discuss a clear strategy informed by your industry specific knowledge and the expertise of the developers. For the most part, we recommend putting one person in charge of this strategy. Create clear goals that are achievable, identify what constitutes the completion of said goals, and finally, figure out what metrics you need to study to track your progress. In general, the best person for this job is the business owner.

2. You can be collecting the wrong info, or not studying the right, industry-specific metrics.

In addition to identifying metrics to judge goal progression, you need to figure out what metrics are going to be the ones you should really watch. These metrics should be both general to data analytics, and more specific to your business Figure out if your developer has any experience in your industry, but also make sure you are putting in your opinion. Good developers listen because it helps us identify further possible metrics we can task your AI to study. However you should also keep in mind that good AI will most likely identify other pertinent metrics (again it grows with your business!).

3. Frankly, you could be getting ripped off by half-rate developers.

This is always a risk, but I can tell you that SDI is a globally recognized company with 15 years in business and over 10,000 clients. Honesty is our brand, and premium development is what we offer; that’s probably why 80% of our business is generated by returning customers. While any company can claim honesty here are a few further assurances:

i. Iron-clad NDA. We sign one of these puppies with each of our clients, guaranteeing the safety your proprietary information.

ii. An hour free consultation. Just give us a call (408.805.0495) to talk about your idea. We’ll offer some free helpful suggestions and ideas – whether or not you decided to hire us.

iii. A six month Guarantee. Any bugs, issues, or errors that arise within the first half year we’ll fix. On the house. That’s twice the industry average, by the way.

Smarter Insights

When done intelligently (no pun intended), AI can be the single greatest digital tool available to your business. It can give you clearer insights based on better information, reported on in real time. It can help you better navigate the unforeseen future. Finally, it can figure out what you should be studying, and what the future may hold for your SMB or Startup.

Want to get started? Give SDI a call at 408.805.0495/408.621.8481 – or click to contact us!

There’s a lot of hubbub around Artificial Intelligence and the possible benefits it may (or may not) provide SMBs and Startups. To be clear, most of it is well deserved, but there is a lot of misinformation out there. For people who are Tech experts, identifying what is and what is not helpful can be difficult. Fortunately for the curious Business owners out there, SDI is here with a brief guide on how you can use AI to get better, clearer insights into your SMB or Startup. Here’s the rundown on how AI can help…

Read More

How AI Can Unlock the Value of Data for Your Business

Artificial Intelligence has been making waves in the world of Consumer-oriented tech services (think Siri, Google Now, or Google’s new Messaging platform Allo), changing the way we think about our phones and Gadgets. But AI’s potential impact on internal business management has gone largely unnoticed.

AI and Cloud computing are providing SMBs with the tools to take on massive organizations; or as SalesForce’s Business Manager Sanj Bhayro puts it:

“All the innovation in the industry is coming from these small to medium sized businesses. They are disrupting the traditional market which is in turn forcing the traditional players to transform their own business models” – Sanj Bhayro

Bhayro goes on to point out how SMBs now have the capabilities and tools to grow well beyond what they could even 20 years ago. The two biggest reasons for this are the aforementioned Cloud Computing and AI for Big Data.

Prior to the cloud, custom software systems with complex algorithms for Data Analysis almost always required an in-house IT staff. At the very least, it meant a contract with an expensive Tech company capable of sending out people to your office. For most SMBs, the budget required for either option was prohibitive.

So for years, SMBs were stuck with off-the-shelf software – and software development companies were limited with what they could offer these enterprises. Because let’s be clear here: the cloud and AI offers a Software Development Companies like SDI and SalesForce huge opportunities as well.

The cloud means that complex Software programs don’t have to be tied down to a business’ location. SDI can host custom software programmers on our servers; for SMB owners, this means that if your software goes down, it can be easily rectified with a phone call. No need to have an IT department on hand, no need to have someone sent out to your office.

So, Business owners can have the same advantages custom software has provided large corporations for years, at a fraction of the cost. At the same time, the custom software provider can add value to their product and service, reaching a new, massive market in need. Oh – here’s a free piece of advice: your custom software system can make you money, not just save money.

SDI’s developers can provide you with the ability to create more unique user accounts – for you competitors. In other words, you can easily market your system to people in your industry. Talk about turning competition into your client base!

So the Cloud represents some unique opportunities for growth and even for revenue generation. But in all honesty, the cloud is small potatoes when compared to the advantages that AI/Machine Learning offers to SMBs.

Big Data and Artificial Intelligence

Big Data Analytics are the single greatest resource a Business owner can have. Hands down. “Wait but what about a cash flow, or even the basic product/service itself??” Nope. Here’s why: you may think your product is awesome, but the data generated from it will actually tell you whether or not you’re as great as you think you are.

When it comes to custom software, Big Data can provide us with tons of information for any change in the system, big or small. The biggest issue most have with analytics is that for most SMBs, the true potential of Big Data was out of their reach. As we discussed above, custom software systems are only now becoming affordable for smaller budgets.

But with the cloud, plus advances in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, improved data analytics are within the reach of any business budget. AI has revolutionized Business Process Management (BPM) with faster, real time data reporting and actionable customizable metrics. To really drive this point home, all you have to do is look at Industry legend Gartner’s study on just this topic:

A concession stand owner used an AI-enhanced BPM system at an event to monitor wait times at each stand, directing customers to stands where their wait would be minimal. BPM was even used to monitor what was selling and how often. This helped to prevent overstocking. Even better, AI is capable of making predictions based off the data it studies; in this case, it means that an AI BPM system would be capable of ordering supplies before you even knew you were about to be low. And, as this decision is based of a mountain of data, error rates in inventory decrease.

So, to conclude, Artificial Intelligence, when embedded into Custom Software provides business owners with predictive capabilities, improved/streamlined analytics, and the ability for massive (but intelligent) growth. And we didn’t even touch on how AI can help automate business processes; Just look at Tesla, who employs Robotic Experts to automate their entire manufacturing floor!

Your Tech Partner

Want to grow your business with improved data crunching and smarter business insights? SDI can help – and we have, for over 10,000 global clients. Give us a call at 408.805.0495 / 408.621.8481 – or click to contact us! Call now and get an hour of free consultation!

Artificial Intelligence has been making waves in the world of Consumer-oriented tech services (think Siri, Google Now, or Google’s new Messaging platform Allo), changing the way we think about our phones and Gadgets. But AI’s potential impact on internal business management has gone largely unnoticed. AI and Cloud computing are providing SMBs with the tools to take on massive organizations; or as SalesForce’s Business Manager Sanj Bhayro puts it: “All the innovation in the industry is coming from these small to medium sized businesses. They are disrupting the traditional market which is in turn forcing…

Read More

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