Jetsetter Mobile App: Effective App Promotion & Conversions

Jetsetter is known for great design (see here). Here is a good example of good design and effective mobile promotion. I have written before that promoting mobile applications via the web is challenging: for instance, conversions are weak due to web to download and data is limited (device, OS, etc). SMS and email are powerful ways to promote applications because they are consumed directly on the device. Good examples by: Sparrow, Redbox, Groupon and Gilt.

Here is another good example by Jetsetter (whose parent is Gilt). Login and you get the following promotion: - awesome slogan: "travel made, travel sized" - good looking promotion - big action item of downloading the app via SMS (enter your cell number)

Much cleaner for users and more powerful for the brand.

Sparrow, Mobile: In the River Promotion

I frequently write about two ongoing themes: 1. the importance of "in the river marketing" (reaching targeted users at relevant points in the product / experience) 2. the difficult of driving mobile downloads from web, advertisement, other devices, etc

Here is a good example from Sparrow. They want to promote their popular Mac mail application to iPhone users. Within the initial product walk-through (now very popular within applications), Sparrow highlights their Mac app (Got a Mac?) and, to drive conversions, offers to send a download link. That's simple but effective (it's actionable), intelligent (captures some data / funnel measuring) and relevant (iPhone users are more likely to be Mac users than Android users).

Of course - if Sparrow were promoting their mobile product, SMS is more effective than mail. Groupon and Redbox do great work here.

Sparrow Mail + Facebook Connect

I love these two screenshots from Sparrow's new iPhone app because they confirm a few threads that I routinely discuss / think about. The screenshots appear after app download and after your mail account is connected - you are prompted of course to connect the mail account with Facebook ("mail is much nicer with your friends' profile pictures!"): 1. First and foremost, Facebook should be considered an identity platform as much as it is a considered a social network. I firmly believe this.

2. Outsource to Facebook (and other major platforms) in areas where they do things better (ie identity, sharing) or where you gain advantage elsewhere (ie Facebook Connect + mail account = superior data / future functionalities).

3. Mail still needs to be rethought and Sparrow gives it an interesting twist.

4. Facebook should play a bigger role in email 2.0.