I'm delighted to introduce our alderleyedge.com app for iPhone (and iPod Touch). Our app will allow you to access to a whole range of content from alderleyedge.com whilst on the move, in a format specifically tailored for your iPhone.
So why have we chosen to launch an iPhone app? The answer is quite straightforward. Over the course of the last year we have seen a steady growth in the number of people using their mobile devices to visit alderleyedge.com.
Last month 11% of visits to alderleyedge.com were on mobile devices and the vast majority were Apple devices. Whilst Apple has done an admirable job in making the majority of the web accessible on their devices through Safari there really is no substitute for a native application specifically design for the screen size and touch interface.
So what can do you do with this app? You can browse and read the latest news and opinion, check the current weather conditions and forecast, browse all our event listings, access our local directory, and submit your news and photos straight from your phone.
Is the app free? For the foreseeable future the application is free to download and receive content updates. Whilst we remain committed to offering our content for free on the alderleyedge.com web site, our intention is that at some point in the future we will charge a nominal subscription fee for our mobile app's content.
To download simply search for "alderleyedge.com" in iTunes or on the app store. Alternatively visit the iTunes preview for our app, where you can view further screen shots, and click on View in iTunes.
We hope you enjoy using our new app and please feel free to contact us with your feedback, comments and suggestions.
Comments
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In January 11.1% of visits to alderleyedge.com were on mobile devices. If we break that 11.1% down into market share for each of the major mobile platforms we have iOS (Apple devices) with 85%, Android with 9% and Blackberry in third place with 5%. That leaves the remaining 1% shared between the likes of Windows Mobile and Symbian etc.
Ultimately we will base our decisions going forward on the numbers. As you can see from my earlier comment the decision to start with an iOS app was a decision that made itself. It is also clear from our current stats that it will be sometime before it makes sense commercially to commit to developing an Android app.
Where I would like us to be 6-12 months down the line is with a standards compliant web site optimised for mobile devices that provides a compelling user experience across all mobile platforms. And then have native applications available for both iOS and Android in order to provide the best experience possible for the majority of users.
If you have an iPhone (or Ipod Touch) and haven't yet checked out our app please do - it's free!
To download simply search for "alderleyedge.com" in iTunes or on the app store.