How Your Business Can Take Advantage of Apple Watch

With the Apple Watch release still a few weeks out we are seeing the first iPhone application updates coming out that already include support for Apple Watch.

You may have asked yourself if your business can take advantage of Apple’s new device and if you should call an iPhone application developer to build a mobile application that allows you to utilize the Apple Watch.

The first thing you need to understand is that Apple Watch applications are companions to iPhone applications, perhaps they are best thought of as extensions of iPhone apps.

A key area of opportunity with the Apple Watch is with notifications.  Smart watches in general will enable users to interact without the need to pull out their smart phone, unlock it and then open the app. With the Apple Watch, there will be no need to take your iPhone out of your pocket as you will be able to read emails or tweets right from your wrist. This makes the Apple Watch the perfect place to create an effective notifications strategy.

Strategy is the key word here as brands that are successful will surely have one. You will not want to simply recreate your current notification strategy if you have one for your brand’s iPhone and Android applications. Consider how your customers will use the Apple Watch differently from how they use your iPhone application and consider how your user base is engaging with your current push notifications while developing your strategy.

With the smart watches you want to make sure notifications are relevant and add value. Breaking news items are a great example of relevant notifications that add value. Another might be a notification that a customer’s order has shipped.

A unique features of the Apple Watch is its Taptic Engine that creates haptic feedback. Which is basically a fancy way of saying the Apple Watch will tap you on the wrist when you receive an alert or notification. Due to the personal nature of this device, it is key that your messages truly matter.

Finally, due to the small size of the screen, it is crucial that you create succinct experiences that guide users. The limited space and newness of the device puts a premium on user experience.