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I fully agree with you! Your friend's app is another evidence that apps could be surprisingly effective if they bring value to their audience.

for your friend's success!

I agree with you that the market is saturated, but it full of useless apps, and this market will never be filled. It's like with websites, blogs, social networks: we will face new products again and again.

I think that rules have been changed, and modern app developers should solve problems of their clients by apps. Nowadays it's not a problem to find a company who make apps or websites, but sometimes it's difficult to find the right solution.

A lot of apps aren't good, but we can say the same about websites.
Custom business app developers work under NDA + full assignment (it's very popular in Ukraine). When they think about creating something for a showroom they make something simple like a timer, simple game or else etc. That's why stores are full of such useless apps (my suggestion ).
I don't use mobile versions of popular services, I prefer apps. I agree with your opinion on Google+ app. These guys haven't cared about UX+UI (comfort+visual appeal), until Android 4.4 Kit Kat, so I believe they will improve all their products soon. By the way, facebook has improved their app by changing its technology from html+javascript to native software development kit.


I understand your scepticism, and I know that a lot of business owners share that opinion. The reason why that happened is next: a lot of app developers just care about technical and visual parameters, but they don't work on key business problems of their customers.

Mobile app for small/mid business shouldn't be a standalone product. It should work with company's website, it should be useful for customers by bringing value to them. Small and mid-sized companies should concentrate on a certain problem, and apps could help to solve it.

I agree that high quality apps aren't cheap, but I would like to tell about collective business app development, which allows small companies to get expensive apps for low price:
It's like to gather in a community, discuss main problems of an industry, and invest some funds for problem solving.

For example, I decided to invent the solution for coffee shop owners. I described my solution in the article "Coffeepot: the 1st Effective Mobile App for Coffee Shops"

Such kind of solutions could be developed for lots of small and mid-sized companies.

What do you think about mobile apps? Is it another powerful marketing tool or not?

I think that cold calls don't work because people have Internet, but you can use phone research combined with email marketing, autoresponder messages and ppc campaigns. Email marketing is also effective, but it has become more targeted and value-oriented. You should bring a solution to a certain audience in your emails, help people.

I use phone research when I do user experience research and I need to hear opinion of real people, what do they really think about my app, project, what difficulties they have with it.

But cold calls are still alive in Ukraine and Russia, especially in B2B.

If your website is your main sales channel then you should adopt mobile asap. Another good thing to do is to analyze your website traffic and understand what browsers and platforms are used to reach your pages. For e.g., you can do it with Google Analytics or if you want more data then Crazy Egg or with the best one -ClickTale.

On the other hand, you can test if your customers want you to go mobile.
For e.g. You can set a button with "mobile version" title at the home page of your website, link that button to the notification message "Sorry for inconvenience, but our mobile website is under construction", and after measure how many people will click on it. After a month of such test drive, you will get the clearest idea whether you need a mobile website or not.


Unfortunately, I can't add the picture, because I'm not allowed to post any links yet, but I want to show you some infographic from my personal blog. It's about how people in USA use their smartphones and tablets in shopping activities. It's based on Nielsen's data.

You can google this image by name:

Mobile Apps for Business: About App Effectiveness and Marketing Triggers

Good expression! I think that it describes the whole entrepreneur spirit.

I like your office building it was nicely rebuild! It reminds me apartments in old industrial buildings which were completely redesigned. I love industrial high-tech design

About virtual office service:
"Any of those businesses are welcome to hire and use meeting rooms, board rooms etc, and the building has a fully manned reception, so anyone arriving for a meeting is none the wiser."

That is a great service, especially when you can invite your client to "your virtual office", especially until you rent a real one.

Got you!) Do people in UK believe companies with virtual offices or they prefer to work with those who have real one?. For e.g., in Ukraine, we have virtual office services, but it's pretty unpopular among business people, most of the scammers use it. Ukrainian virtual office service is very poor, and it just gives you nice address in a city center. No mail scanning service or something like that.

Thank you guys for help and great info!

I still have twisted feelings about virtual office. As I understand, people use it when they want to save money on real office, and when they want to have a cool address in London area (to show off), don't they?

From indizine's answer I got the idea how to choose the right service provider and that some of providers can read my mails without permit.

That's fine. Thanks for help, I'll learn this info. Does Virtual Office belong to My Local Forums?

Sounds pretty good! Maybe, you can suggest where to buy "virtual office" address and don't get in trouble? Thanks