Phase 2 would like to wish you App-y Holidays with a special video series from our staff wearing their ugly Christmas sweaters and sharing their favorite apps. As you know, Phase 2 develops mobile apps and one way of thanking you for a great year is by hosting a contest and giveaway. Winners will get a “full frontal nerdity” T-shirt and one lucky winner will get an iPod Touch 4.

Rules:

To enter, like our Facebook page and comment on our wall about your favorite app. For an extra entry, tweet a link to our video, http://bit.ly/vFe3sr, and be sure and mention @p2interactive with the hash tag #p2apps so we can count your entry.Please enter no more than once a day on Twitter, spammers will be disqualified. Must be an active account. Winner selected at random from all entries on Dec. 21st.

How did retailers fare?

• eBay Mobile announced that shoppers in the U.S. purchased nearly two and a half times as many items via eBay Mobile this Black Friday when compared to 2010
• PayPal Mobile announced a six-fold (516%) increase in global mobile payment volume compared to 2010
• GSI Commerce announced a three-fold (254%) increase in U.S. mobile sales this Black Friday compared to 2010

“Shoppers are increasingly choosing the convenience of mobile to find the best deals from wherever they are while avoiding big crowds and long lines,” says Steve Yankovich, vice president, Mobile, for eBay Inc. “The ability to simply pick up your phone or tablet and purchase what you want, when you want it, has become an attractive alternative to shoppers in record numbers this holiday season.”

According John Squire, Chief Strategy Officer “This year marked Thanksgiving’s emergence as the first big spending day of the 2011 holiday season with a record number of consumers shifting their focus from turkey to tablets and the search for the best deals. This momentum continued into Black Friday where the big winners were those retailers that delivered a smarter commerce experience with compelling, relevant deals that people could easily access from their channel of choice.”

The convenience and power of smartphone’s is having a huge impact on retail shopping. Shoppers are researching product reviews and comparing prices in-store. Consumers are using mobile apps to locate local deals. Smartphone’s  empower people to buy online even when they aren’t in front of a desktop. At Phase 2 we advice all businesses to have a mobile strategy for 2012.

The shopping frenzy continued into Cyber Monday, the day retailers tout better deals on their online stores, and some extended the sales for “Cyber Deals All Week,” meaning keeping a tablet or smartphone handy was the best way to ensure you get what you want before retailers ran out of stock.

What about you? Did you find the deals you were hoping for this season? Or are you counting on Santa to bring it in his magic sleigh?

1. eBay

The eBay for iPhone app allows you to tap into the world’s largest marketplace anywhere you are. You can compare prices in the retail store against eBay prices using the handy barcode scanner.

Ref – http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ebay/id282614216?mt=8

2. Google Shopper

With Google Shopper, you can get product pricing, availability and reviews for products by scanning barcodes and cover art, or by voice and text search.

Ref – https://market.android.com/details?id=com.google.android.apps.shopper&hl=en

3. shopkick

Get free stuff while you shop. Shopkick gives you rewards (a.k.a. “kicks”) just for walking into stores. Yes, collect kicks simply for walking in at Target, Best Buy, Old Navy, Macy’s, Crate & Barrel, Toys “R” Us, American Eagle, Sports Authority and many more.

Ref – http://itunes.apple.com/app/id383298204?mt=8

4. Shopper

Shopper saves you time and effort on everyday shopping, automatically matching your shopping lists to savings offers, and lets you share your lists, recipes, tips and savings with friends and family.

Ref – http://itunes.apple.com/app/shopper-grocery-shopping-lists/id284776127?mt=8

5. Amazon Mobile

The Amazon Mobile App allows iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch users to quickly search, shop, compare prices, read reviews, and make purchases on Amazon using a simple, yet elegant, interface. To make on-the-go shopping and price comparison even easier, the Amazon Mobile App includes helpful shopping features that allow users to scan a barcode, snap a photo, or type a search to quickly compare prices and check availability.

Ref – http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=297606951&mt=8

6. Groupon

Groupon features 50%-90% off deals on the best stuff to do, eat, see and buy in your location. Customers are using Groupon in ever increasing numbers to get the best deals.

Ref – http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/groupon/id352683833?mt=8

7. Save Benjis

This app allows you to compare prices, check reviews and get the best deals for your money.

Ref – http://itunes.apple.com/app/save-benjis/id284424264?mt=8

8. RedLaser Barcode & QR Scanner

This is a popular barcode-scanning and comparison shopping iPhone app. It has been downloaded more than 5 million times, clearly showing its popularity and value.

Ref – https://market.android.com/details?id=com.ebay.redlaser&hl=en

Happy Holidays

Let’s take a look at six unique examples of how businesses leveraged their mobile channels, providing great value to the end user and revenue to the company.

1. Unisys USDA Loan Eligibility Checker App

The Unisys USDA Loan Eligibility Checker provides you with a quick and easy-to-use interface for determining whether a location or address might be eligible for a USDA Rural Development home loan program. This app is a perfect fit for realtors looking to maximize their client’s house buying potential, or an ambitious home buyer looking to increase their financing options.

Ref – http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/unisys-usda-loan-eligibility/id457951534?mt=8

2. Kashoo Accounting App

Kashoo Accounting is a FREE full-featured accounting app for iPad® designed for small businesses and freelancers. Way easier to use than traditional accounting software and way more fun! Kashoo lets you quickly and painlessly take care of managing your finances so you can focus on running your business.

Ref - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kashoo-accounting/id442878143?mt=8

https://www.kashoo.com/ipad-accounting-app/

3. Rondo App

Working out your wall or ceiling design has never been easier. The Rondo App does all the work for you – for FREE! The Rondo App is a practical tool available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in any location. Clients can now design their own wall or ceiling system without having to do self-perform complication calculations or refer to technical literature.

Ref – http://www.infolink.com.au/c/Rondo/Rondo-launches-app-to-help-customers-design-Rondo-wall-and-ceilings-systems-n910996

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/rondo/id472104053?mt=8

4. TravelMapper Mobile App

TravelMapper is the ideal app for travel enthusiasts who want to keep a record of where they have been and where they want to go. Now a new mobile application makes it possible for frequent travelers to track their global expeditions on their iPhone or iPad and share a snapshot of their travel map with other travel enthusiasts.

Ref – http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/10/prweb8890871.htm

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/travel-mapper/id469424719?mt=8

5. Jet Aviation FBO App

Jet Aviation’s Mobile App delivers easy access to our FBO locations and services in the palm of your hand. The FBO app provides a faster and richer customer experience by facilitating aircraft handling procedures and making local information readily available from anywhere, at anytime.

Ref – http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/10445365/jet-aviation-introduces-mobile-application-for-fbo-pre-arrival-form

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/jet-aviation-fbo/id465632031?mt=8

6. Inspect2GO MIMO App

Inspect2GO MIMO is a Move-In, Move-Out checklist designed for professional rental property inspection. Inspect property, rate condition, record notes, take pictures and email inspection results.

Ref - http://itunes.apple.com/br/app/inspect2go-mimo/id462766313?mt=8

1. NCGA(National Corn Growers Association)

The NCGA mobile website provides a quick, simple way for corn growers to stay abreast on the issues that impact their industry. Take a look at there mobile website to get an idea.

Ref – http://www.cattlenetwork.com/cattle-news/NCGA-mobile-website-launches–129667328.html?ref=328

2. Georgia Tourism

Want to explore Georgia? You can now plan your trip using the new Georgia Tourism mobile site. The site is interactive and provides real-time trip planning information. The Georgia Tourism mobile site assists travelers in finding destinations, places to stay, events, special offers, local services, maps and navigation tools from their mobile device.

Ref - http://www.cbsatlanta.com/story/15558572/states-official-tourism-website-goes-mobile

3. Sanibel & Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce

This mobile site makes it easy for the thousands of visitors who arrive on the island and want speedy access on where to eat, stay and go. Visitors can find out about hotels, restaurants, stores and activities on the islands during their stay.

Ref – http://sanibel-captiva-islander.com/page/content.detail/id/517854/Sanibel—Captiva-Chamber-of-Commerce-creates-mobile-site.html?nav=5047

4. National Bank Direct Brokerage

National Bank Direct Brokerage mobile trading website enables users to quickly and securely access their brokerage accounts from a smartphone.

The mobile trading site allows National Bank Direct Brokerage clients to carry out trades, obtain details on their accounts and assets, modify orders that haven’t been executed or only partially executed, and obtain detailed market information, including stock quotes.

Ref - http://www.marketwatch.com/story/national-bank-direct-brokerage-launches-its-mobile-trading-site-2011-09-30-1030340

A mobile website can be a great first step in your mobile journey. Next step? Mobile apps. At Phase 2, it’s our passion to help our clients with smart mobile strategy and mobile web development.