Are You Ready for Android?
Here at Content Science, we're helping clients create effective content, design, and UX strategies for iPhone and Android applications. One common thread we’re seeing is that companies are taking a second look at Android after a long period of waiting to see how the open source OS would capture the market. Whether they’re refreshing existing content or expanding onto the platform for the first time, the consensus is that Android is worth the investment.
Android is clearly a dominant force in mobile. By Q3 2011 it had captured 43% of the U.S. market according to Nielsen. This parity with Apple’s iOS, which is currently the most popular OS in the States according to multiple accounts, means it’s time to stop watching and start planning.
There is much to consider when deciding to add an Android app into your list of touchpoints. Here, we start you off on the right foot with three major points to consider.
Major Point #1: CONSIDER New Cultural + Behavioral Data
Just as Apple was the “answer” to Windows, Android is the open source alternative for Apple’s closed source iOS. This open source nature is a key to understanding the difference between Android and iPhone users, especially those consumers who spend time researching both operating systems before purchasing.
Android’s open source OS gives users the opportunity to deeply customize the look of their phones. From animated wallpapers to application launch widgets, Android users like the flexibility to change their screens to match their personality and information needs.
One resource with both entertainment value and kernels of truth comes from an unlikely source. Hunch.com is a personalization engine that helps you share and discover recommendations about all sorts of topics. In a recent survey of 80 million aggregated and anonymous responses, Hunch.com revealed cultural and behavioral differences between iPhone and Android users that some will find useful and others downright offensive.
Hunch.com’s data on mobile device differences drew both ire and praise. Check out their lively discussion in the comments area below their blog post.
Among its users, Hunch.com reports
- 80% of Android users are more likely to have only a high school degree.
- 60% of iPhone users are more likely to be American Express cardholders.
- Android users eat corn pops for breakfast while iPhone users eat rice crispies.
- Android users are slightly more likely to briefly listen to telemarketers.
- iPhone users 38% more likely to own an email domain.
Even Hunch understands these correlations do not imply causation, yet they shine a light on Android users. Hunch.com is not alone. Just this week, Mashable reported on a survey by 11mark that reveals Android users are most likely to use phones while in the bathroom.
As new data plops (sorry) into our laps, we're advising clients to incorporate the most relevant data into their existing personas and start building profiles using this early cultural and behavioral data. For example, Android’s affinity with the open source crowd is a key characteristic for personas that value freedom and personal differentiation.
Major Point #2: Do The Homework
Whether the Android Market is crowded with your competitors or none at all, a detailed competitive analysis is essential.
Being the first to develop an Android app in your space is a rare thing now that apps in the Android Market exceed half a billion. A clean slate offers the chance to own the space and define it. On the flip side, a crowded space offers the opportunity to learn from those who have already navigated the waters and identify differentiation points.
Within Android Market I look at:
- Number of installs
- Cost of the app
- Size of the app
- Tone of user reviews
Outside of Android market, I find Internet user reviews (blogs, tweets…etc.) helpful in collecting sentiments.
Major Point #3: Maintain Some Consistency Across Devices
Data from point #1 illustrates a strong affinity among users for one operating system over another, so it’s easy to think content should be drastically different for each audience. This can lead to fragmented content that is hard to track, hard to write, and even harder to correct once down that road. Stay true to your brand or your product and what users need to accomplish. You’ll find it’s wise to be consistent than to customize every inch of your content.
Showing preferential treatment is another potential pitfall. For example, if you enable account access on iPhone, then the same access should be afforded to Android users. If not, you’ll most likely hear about how your brand is anti this or anti that. Instead, use the inherent functionality of the device as a differentiator because that’s what users bought into when they purchased the device—the experience.
There is so much more to know about Android other than the major points listed above. And, we’ll learn more as new research comes in. We find that staying on top of the research and thoughtfully applying the insights to our clients’ initiatives, along with testing, to be a steady balance to this ever-changing universe of mobile applications.
1 comment:
Yes i agree these are the points that why people do prefer android than any others.
netduino
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