We’ve been gathering the frequently asked questions about our iPad Brochure from well over a hundred visitors to our stand at World Travel Market 2011. Here’s some of them – if we haven’t answered yours then get in touch: david.sim@openbrolly.com or tweet: @openbrolly.
UPDATED: 11 Nov 2011 – 12pm
Is it just for iPad?
Is it an app?
Our website provides all the information needed and can be viewed on an iPad and iPhone so why would we want an iPad brochure?
Is it branded as OpenBrolly?
Can you put information from databases in a brochure?
How do we get information into the brochure?
Do you offer a standard app we put our information onto?
How is the brochure delivered?
What services do you offer?
Can you convert my PDF into a brochure?
How do people download / find the brochure?
Can we tell how many people downloaded / used the brochure?
Is it just for travel and tourism?
Can we have interactive maps / crosswords / other features?
Can we resell your services?
Can we sell advertising in our brochure?
How does the app get updated?
Can we do a “one-off” for a trade show?
Do you do the design? Can we design it ourselves?
Push Messaging Costs?
What is the relevance of the iPad to the marketplace?
We can deliver for the iPhone too. And Android. And we can put the content onto a web-based platform that most modern computers and devices can read.
Yes. On the iPad we create an app, listed in the Apple App Store, that has its own icon. The brochure can also be distributed as a “web app” which is accessible in most modern web browsers and on most modern mobile devices.
Our website provides all the information needed and can be viewed on an iPad and iPhone so why would we want an iPad brochure?
An iPad brochure is a different experience to a website. Websites are generally seen as something you get information from and get out of as quickly as possible. A brochure or magazine is something to take time to enjoy, with beautiful images and long-form articles. A brochure can reinforce a brand – for example a health spa could include articles on health and fitness as well as a focus on the business itself. An iPad brochure is also portable – read, watch and listen to rich content when on a plane, train or in a restaurant, away from a high-speed Internet connection. The iPad is deeply personal: the icon for your brochure on the iPad’s home screen is a reminder of the connection the reader has with you.
iPad brochures are better than printed brochures at supporting your website: the reader is only one tap away from your booking form or another call to action. We can work with you or your website developer to ensure that your website also works well on an iPad.
No. It’s your logo and app name.
How do we get the information onto the brochure?
We have a variety of routes for clients to get information onto the brochure. Sending us PDFs, word documents, images, videos, audio is fine. We can also provide a content management system to enable you to update content. We can also potentially link with your existing content production systems – such as your web content management system or publishing system.
Do you offer a standard app that we put our information into?
We offer a consultative approach, in that we work out what is best for you and your brochure readers in terms of presentation. We’re not just copying a PDF onto the iPad; we make your content look and feel natural and compelling.
In short, we work out what is best for you and build to suit. However, we do use an Open Source framework so your money goes into making the app brilliant, not licensing fees for software.
How is the brochure delivered?
For the iPad, iPhone and Android it’s delivered through the relevant app store. It can also be made available on the web.
I’d like an iPad brochure – what services do you offer?
- Brochure and Magazine Design
- Content Management Systems
- Integration with your Databases and Booking Systems
- Integration with Social Media
- Application Design and Build
- Search and Case Based Recommendation
Can you put information from databases in a brochure?
Yes – it’s one of our specialities! The brochure can be fed from database (or spreadsheet) information on an ongoing basis. The information can be presented in a variety of ways, including searches, lists, maps and graphs.
How do we let people download the brochure / how do people find it?
For iPad and iPhone the brochure is distributed through Apple’s App Store. For other devices this may be through an app store or directly on the web.
Each brochure has a web address – so you can email the link, put it on your website, on printed materials or you can use QR Codes.
(QR codes are like square barcodes that smartphones can scan).
Can we tell how many people downloaded / used the brochure?
Yes. On the app stores there are stats. We can also embed code into the brochure to tell when people have used it, so you can track not only the number of downloads but the number of times the brochure is used.
You can also track how people found out about the brochure – for example by tracking responses from an email distribution, from your website, from printed materials.
Is it just for travel and tourism?
No, although we have a lot of experience in travel. We also have experience in other sectors, including the film industry and in the public sector.
Can we have interactive maps / crosswords / other features?
Yes. Pretty much anything that could be on the iPad can be incorporated into a brochure.
We’re looking into the opportunities this provides and are very interested in talking!
Can we sell advertising in our brochure?
Yes – it’s your brochure. Revenue share is a possibility.
There’s two main methods. We can issue an update to the app through the app store, which is ideal for larger updates to the brochure.
In addition we can have “live” updates. For example, if your application incorporates “what’s on” information this can be updated every time the brochure is opened, making sure it’s right up to date.
We are also integrating Apple Newsstand; this is more relevant to regular magazines /periodicals than who have daily / weekly / monthly updates. Watch this space!
Can we do a “one-off” for a trade show?
Yes. This is a common use. It’s expensive to print a small run of brochures especially for a trade show. The iPad brochure can be created once then adapted for each trade show.
Do you do the design? Can we design it ourselves?
We can design the app, or we can provide a specification of design requirements to your own designer.
There may be charges for push messaging of up to $0.002 per message.
What is the relevance of the iPad to the marketplace?
- iPad – fastest ever consumer device to sell $1bn
- 94% of iPad Users are “affluent consumers” (Source: Yahoo)
- Travellers are switching to iPad rather than laptops and netbooks (Source: NPD)
- Sales conversion (2%) is 5 times higher on iPad than iPhone and Android (Source: Shopatron)
- Over 40 million units sold in under 18 months (Source: Apple Inc.)