FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR SYSTEM,
OUR APP & MOBILE WEBSITE, AND BONUS SMS SYSTEM
THE BASICS
01. WHAT IS THE "SHOWFONE MOBILE ADVERTISING SERVICE"?
Our Mobile Advertising Service" is a cutting-edge, cloud-based app-creation service that enables your business to own, manage, and distribute your own web-based iPhone App and Mobile-enabled Website which are primarily designed to inform and engage your customers - wherever they are - at home, at work, or on-the-go.
02. WHAT IS AN IPHONE APP?
Have you ever seen the TV commercial that says... "There's an App for that!"? The word APP refers to specialty or business applications that are available to iPhone users, Smartphones, and other handheld mobile devices such as the iPod-Touch. In our case, we offer a multi-page, full-featured App structured primarily for use as a marketing tool.
03. HOW DO PEOPLE WHO DO NOT HAVE iPHONES GET TO SEE MY APP?
The app that we provide you is viewable as an App on iPhone and iPod-Touch. Users of ALL other Smartphones will be able to view your app, using their phone's browser, as a Mobile Website - which will contain the same pages and offer the same features.
04. APPS COST UPWARDS OF $10,000. HOW CAN YOU CHARGE SO MUCH LESS?
Demand for apps are so high, their base prices are usually in the thousands-of-dollars. However, because our service uses Web-based resources and the growing Mobile 2.0 technology, we are able to offer practical yet powerful business apps for much less. It will be more practical for you to use our service than to job this out or hire your own programmers. With our service, you can get started in minutes, not weeks or months. or we build for you.
05. WHAT IS THE SINGLE BIGGEST ADVANTAGE OF HAVING MY OWN APP?
There are several advantages, but the single most important one is "PERSISTENT PRESENCE".
With your own app / mobile website, your app's icon (which can be your business logo) resides on home screens of your customers' phones. You can say that, in a polite and productive way, you are "constantly in their face". They are always reminded of you and your information is consistently and instantly available to them - anywhere, anytime - 24/7. No other advertising tool can offer the same ability to inform and engage customers. That is the power of having your own app. Consumers download the app for free.
06. HOW OFTEN CAN I CHANGE THE CONTENTS OF MY APP?
Anytime you want, as often as you want. In fact, your app has a page called the "Alert Page" which is practically the first page of your app. This is where you post any updates, special messages, new promotional offers, etc. We even encourage you to post a new alert everyday, so you can engage customers to make it a habit to open your app and check your alerts on a regular basis. (If your users are based in the United States, they can also subscribe to receive your alert messages via SMS text message.)
07. CAN I USE MY OWN CUSTOM IMAGES IN MY APP?
Absolutely, yes you may. For additional information about the specific pages that make up your app and mobile website, please refer to the PAGE CHART which defines the purpose, features, and functionalities of each individual page, as well as the specifications of images that go with each page.
08. HOW DO PEOPLE WHO DO NOT HAVE iPHONES GET TO SEE MY APP?
The system that we provide you is viewable as an App on iPhone and iPod-Touch. Users of ALL other Smartphones will be able to view your app, using their phone's browser, as a Mobile Website - which will contain the same pages and offer the same features. In addition to that, a version of your app is also available on our regular website, viewable from desktops, laptops, netbooks, and tablet computers - giving you multi-device delivery of your marketing messages.
APP & MOBILE WEBSITE
01. WHAT IS AN "APP TITLE"?
The title of your app (also known as App Title) appears in two places: (1) Your App Title appears at the bottom of your icon when it is saved on the home screen of the phone. (2) Your App Title appears on the topmost portion of all the pages in your entire app.
02. CAN I CHANGE MY "APP TITLE" ANY TIME I WANT?
Yes, however, changing your App Title may cause major conflict and confusion among your app users. When you change your App Title, all users who have previously saved your icon on their home screen will continue to have the "old" title displayed with their icon. Changing your App Title may result in inconsistencies that may put your app in an unfavorable light. Be mindful of this should the need arise.
03. WHAT IS AN "APP LOCATOR"?
The App Locator is the URL which people go to on their phone in order to view your Mobile Website. For iPhone and iPod-Touch users, this is where users go to get your app and save your icon on their phone's home screen.
04. DO PEOPLE HAVE TO REMEMBER MY "APP LOCATOR" TO VIEW MY APP?
No. Your App Locator is only necessary ONE TIME, up until the time the mobile user has saved your app's icon on their phone. Once they have your icon on the phone's home screen, they just have to click your icon to access your app. They no longer have to use your App Locator.
05. CAN I CUSTOMIZE MY "APP LOCATOR" ANY TIME I WANT?
Yes, you may. The "Permanent" URL of your App Locator is one that is generated by our app engine. Hence, it looks complicated and it uses our domain name. You can assign your own "Custom" App Locator URL and have it point (redirect) to the Permanent App Locator that we provide you. People who want to access your app for the first time can simply go to (use) the Custom URL you assigned.
06. HOW CAN I CUSTOMIZE MY "APP LOCATOR"?
Go to your Advertiser Back Office. From the Main Menu, click on "Edit Account Information" on the left side of the menu page. Go to the field labeled "Custom App Locator" and enter the Custom URL you want to use. Save your changes. IMPORTANT: Make sure you redirect your "Custom App Locator" and have it point to the "Permanent App Locator URL" where your app and mobile website are permanently hosted.
07. HOW DO I CAPTURE INFORMATION ABOUT USERS OF MY APP?
Your app and mobile website has a built-in Registration Form that users are encourage to complete. The form captures the name, phone number, and email address of the user. All data captured through this form is available to you through your Advertiser Back Office.
08. HOW DO MY OTHER APP PAGES WORK?
To answer your questions about specific pages that make up your app / mobile website, please refer to the PAGE CHART which defines the purpose, features, and functionalities of each individual page.
SMS SYSTEM
01. WHERE AND HOW DO I SELECT MY SMS KEYWORD?
You can choose your keyword from your back office. Once your account is activated, you can login to your back office and use the SMS Keyword Search Form to check on the availability of the keyword that you want to use. Once you've selected a keyword that is available for use, you can simply save the keyword and the system will automatically assign that keyword to you.
02. HOW MANY KEYWORDS DO I GET WITH MY ACCOUNT?
One. Each App & Mobile Website account can have only one keyword assigned to it.
03. IS MY "SMS KEYWORD" THE SAME AS MY "APP TITLE"?
No, not necessarily. You can choose a different SMS Keyword from your App Title. However, in most cases, especially when you're using your brand or business name as your App Title, it definitely helps if you use the same word for your SMS keyword. Plus, chances are if your name is unique enough, it will be available as a keyword. (Your App Title can have up to 40 characters and spaces. Your SMS keyword can have a maximum of 15 characters with NO spaces.)
04. CAN I CHANGE MY KEYWORD ANY TIME I WANT?
No, you may not. To avoid message distribution conflicts, we are not able to change your keyword once they are assigned to you. Keep in mind that your keyword must be unique to you. No other client of ours can use the same keyword once it has been exclusively assigned to you.
05. HOW DO I SEND AN SMS MESSAGE?
From your back office main menu, select "Send A text Broadcast". Simply type the message you wish to send. Your message is automatically cued for delivery to all your SMS subscribers.
06. HOW LONG CAN MY MESSAGE BE?
Your message can have a maximum of 135 characters and spaces.
07. WHEN I UPDATE MY OTHER APP PAGES, WILL MY SYSTEM SEND AN SMS TEXT MESSAGE?
No. In order to send an SMS text message you must specifically "Send A Text Broadcast" using our Messaging Interface. Your message is immediately scheduled for transmission and is sent to supporting mobile carriers for broadcast to all your subscribers.
08. CAN I JUST USE MY SMS SYSTEM FOR MY MARKETING WITHOUT HAVING TO USE MY APP?
You can, but that's a big waste. Keep in mind that changes you make in the message of your app's Alert Page is the very same message that our system sends to SMS subscribers. Plus, if you want them to receive an image (like a coupon or a photo of a product), you can have them link back to your App or Mobile Website. Considering that more and more people use apps and are now browsing the Mobile Web, it will be a lost opportunity for you not to use your Web App and Mobile Website when they are the most highly-desired customer engagement tools in the market today.
09. CAN I JUST USE MY APP & MOBILE WEBSITE AND NOT USE MY SMS?
Yes, you may, particularly if your customers are based outside the United States. Our SMS system works only within the U.S., although your Web App & Mobile Website is accessible globally to users with iPhones, Android, and other Smartphones that have access to the Internet.
01. WHAT IS THE "SHOWFONE MOBILE ADVERTISING SERVICE"?
Our Mobile Advertising Service" is a cutting-edge, cloud-based app-creation service that enables your business to own, manage, and distribute your own web-based iPhone App and Mobile-enabled Website which are primarily designed to inform and engage your customers - wherever they are - at home, at work, or on-the-go.
02. WHAT IS AN IPHONE APP?
Have you ever seen the TV commercial that says... "There's an App for that!"? The word APP refers to specialty or business applications that are available to iPhone users, Smartphones, and other handheld mobile devices such as the iPod-Touch. In our case, we offer a multi-page, full-featured App structured primarily for use as a marketing tool.
03. HOW DO PEOPLE WHO DO NOT HAVE iPHONES GET TO SEE MY APP?
The app that we provide you is viewable as an App on iPhone and iPod-Touch. Users of ALL other Smartphones will be able to view your app, using their phone's browser, as a Mobile Website - which will contain the same pages and offer the same features.
04. APPS COST UPWARDS OF $10,000. HOW CAN YOU CHARGE SO MUCH LESS?
Demand for apps are so high, their base prices are usually in the thousands-of-dollars. However, because our service uses Web-based resources and the growing Mobile 2.0 technology, we are able to offer practical yet powerful business apps for much less. It will be more practical for you to use our service than to job this out or hire your own programmers. With our service, you can get started in minutes, not weeks or months. or we build for you.
05. WHAT IS THE SINGLE BIGGEST ADVANTAGE OF HAVING MY OWN APP?
There are several advantages, but the single most important one is "PERSISTENT PRESENCE".
With your own app / mobile website, your app's icon (which can be your business logo) resides on home screens of your customers' phones. You can say that, in a polite and productive way, you are "constantly in their face". They are always reminded of you and your information is consistently and instantly available to them - anywhere, anytime - 24/7. No other advertising tool can offer the same ability to inform and engage customers. That is the power of having your own app. Consumers download the app for free.
06. HOW OFTEN CAN I CHANGE THE CONTENTS OF MY APP?
Anytime you want, as often as you want. In fact, your app has a page called the "Alert Page" which is practically the first page of your app. This is where you post any updates, special messages, new promotional offers, etc. We even encourage you to post a new alert everyday, so you can engage customers to make it a habit to open your app and check your alerts on a regular basis. (If your users are based in the United States, they can also subscribe to receive your alert messages via SMS text message.)
07. CAN I USE MY OWN CUSTOM IMAGES IN MY APP?
Absolutely, yes you may. For additional information about the specific pages that make up your app and mobile website, please refer to the PAGE CHART which defines the purpose, features, and functionalities of each individual page, as well as the specifications of images that go with each page.
08. HOW DO PEOPLE WHO DO NOT HAVE iPHONES GET TO SEE MY APP?
The system that we provide you is viewable as an App on iPhone and iPod-Touch. Users of ALL other Smartphones will be able to view your app, using their phone's browser, as a Mobile Website - which will contain the same pages and offer the same features. In addition to that, a version of your app is also available on our regular website, viewable from desktops, laptops, netbooks, and tablet computers - giving you multi-device delivery of your marketing messages.
APP & MOBILE WEBSITE
01. WHAT IS AN "APP TITLE"?
The title of your app (also known as App Title) appears in two places: (1) Your App Title appears at the bottom of your icon when it is saved on the home screen of the phone. (2) Your App Title appears on the topmost portion of all the pages in your entire app.
02. CAN I CHANGE MY "APP TITLE" ANY TIME I WANT?
Yes, however, changing your App Title may cause major conflict and confusion among your app users. When you change your App Title, all users who have previously saved your icon on their home screen will continue to have the "old" title displayed with their icon. Changing your App Title may result in inconsistencies that may put your app in an unfavorable light. Be mindful of this should the need arise.
03. WHAT IS AN "APP LOCATOR"?
The App Locator is the URL which people go to on their phone in order to view your Mobile Website. For iPhone and iPod-Touch users, this is where users go to get your app and save your icon on their phone's home screen.
04. DO PEOPLE HAVE TO REMEMBER MY "APP LOCATOR" TO VIEW MY APP?
No. Your App Locator is only necessary ONE TIME, up until the time the mobile user has saved your app's icon on their phone. Once they have your icon on the phone's home screen, they just have to click your icon to access your app. They no longer have to use your App Locator.
05. CAN I CUSTOMIZE MY "APP LOCATOR" ANY TIME I WANT?
Yes, you may. The "Permanent" URL of your App Locator is one that is generated by our app engine. Hence, it looks complicated and it uses our domain name. You can assign your own "Custom" App Locator URL and have it point (redirect) to the Permanent App Locator that we provide you. People who want to access your app for the first time can simply go to (use) the Custom URL you assigned.
06. HOW CAN I CUSTOMIZE MY "APP LOCATOR"?
Go to your Advertiser Back Office. From the Main Menu, click on "Edit Account Information" on the left side of the menu page. Go to the field labeled "Custom App Locator" and enter the Custom URL you want to use. Save your changes. IMPORTANT: Make sure you redirect your "Custom App Locator" and have it point to the "Permanent App Locator URL" where your app and mobile website are permanently hosted.
07. HOW DO I CAPTURE INFORMATION ABOUT USERS OF MY APP?
Your app and mobile website has a built-in Registration Form that users are encourage to complete. The form captures the name, phone number, and email address of the user. All data captured through this form is available to you through your Advertiser Back Office.
08. HOW DO MY OTHER APP PAGES WORK?
To answer your questions about specific pages that make up your app / mobile website, please refer to the PAGE CHART which defines the purpose, features, and functionalities of each individual page.
SMS SYSTEM
01. WHERE AND HOW DO I SELECT MY SMS KEYWORD?
You can choose your keyword from your back office. Once your account is activated, you can login to your back office and use the SMS Keyword Search Form to check on the availability of the keyword that you want to use. Once you've selected a keyword that is available for use, you can simply save the keyword and the system will automatically assign that keyword to you.
02. HOW MANY KEYWORDS DO I GET WITH MY ACCOUNT?
One. Each App & Mobile Website account can have only one keyword assigned to it.
03. IS MY "SMS KEYWORD" THE SAME AS MY "APP TITLE"?
No, not necessarily. You can choose a different SMS Keyword from your App Title. However, in most cases, especially when you're using your brand or business name as your App Title, it definitely helps if you use the same word for your SMS keyword. Plus, chances are if your name is unique enough, it will be available as a keyword. (Your App Title can have up to 40 characters and spaces. Your SMS keyword can have a maximum of 15 characters with NO spaces.)
04. CAN I CHANGE MY KEYWORD ANY TIME I WANT?
No, you may not. To avoid message distribution conflicts, we are not able to change your keyword once they are assigned to you. Keep in mind that your keyword must be unique to you. No other client of ours can use the same keyword once it has been exclusively assigned to you.
05. HOW DO I SEND AN SMS MESSAGE?
From your back office main menu, select "Send A text Broadcast". Simply type the message you wish to send. Your message is automatically cued for delivery to all your SMS subscribers.
06. HOW LONG CAN MY MESSAGE BE?
Your message can have a maximum of 135 characters and spaces.
07. WHEN I UPDATE MY OTHER APP PAGES, WILL MY SYSTEM SEND AN SMS TEXT MESSAGE?
No. In order to send an SMS text message you must specifically "Send A Text Broadcast" using our Messaging Interface. Your message is immediately scheduled for transmission and is sent to supporting mobile carriers for broadcast to all your subscribers.
08. CAN I JUST USE MY SMS SYSTEM FOR MY MARKETING WITHOUT HAVING TO USE MY APP?
You can, but that's a big waste. Keep in mind that changes you make in the message of your app's Alert Page is the very same message that our system sends to SMS subscribers. Plus, if you want them to receive an image (like a coupon or a photo of a product), you can have them link back to your App or Mobile Website. Considering that more and more people use apps and are now browsing the Mobile Web, it will be a lost opportunity for you not to use your Web App and Mobile Website when they are the most highly-desired customer engagement tools in the market today.
09. CAN I JUST USE MY APP & MOBILE WEBSITE AND NOT USE MY SMS?
Yes, you may, particularly if your customers are based outside the United States. Our SMS system works only within the U.S., although your Web App & Mobile Website is accessible globally to users with iPhones, Android, and other Smartphones that have access to the Internet.