5 key lessons to consider:
1. Think how it will be used
Ideally, talk with some people who will be using the app – your sales staff and end customers alike – to see what works for them. You may love animated graphs and pages that build slowly and beautifully, but many users will find such features distracting. If you carry on regardless, your reps and customers may end up skipping over some of the most important content.
2. Think exponentially
When rolling out iPad content across several brands, countries and languages planning is vital. The smallest of changes late in the project becomes time-consuming and expensive to apply across all versions. Careful planning means you spend less time on revisions and more time on making your app exceptional.
3. Think about training
Although iPads are remarkably usable ‘out of the box’, it is essential that your sales force is trained to use them effectively. A poorly executed iPad detail will leave a customer feeling confused and annoyed.
4. Think about capturing data
The only way you’ll know your iPad project is a success, is by tracking it. All interactions can be monitored so you can learn which of your messages carry most meaning and impact. Link what you are measuring directly back to your project’s SMART objectives and you will clearly know just how effective your solution has been.
5. Think beyond PowerPoint slides
It is easy to default to replicate PowerPoint slides in an iPad app. It’s what you’re familiar with and such slides have often already been approved. But slides on an iPad are not much better than slides on a laptop. Instead, use the tablet’s unique features to make a detail interactive, memorable and measurable.
