With over 20 successful projects for major media organizations under our belt, we understand how a well-designed app can significantly increase readership or listenership.
In the last decade, smartphones have transformed from mere communication tools into powerful media consumption devices. Podcast apps, news apps, inbound links from social media platforms, video streaming, and on-demand services are now available at our fingertips. At Shortcut, we specialize in crafting these media apps.
Here are some of the main themes we have encountered in this field.
In recent years, audio has become increasingly central in the media landscape, reflecting a broader trend. Podcasts and read aloud articles, recognized as premium content, are not only preferred by users but also drive willingness to pay. This shift is supported by data showing a substantial rise in audio consumption, with users spending significantly more time engaged with media. Great podcast and audio streaming apps must combine a superb audio player experience with an intuitive UI that presents content and delivers inspiration. Users still - and more and more - want curated content, but they are not willing to compromise on the user friendliness and the advantaged features they are used to from leading industry standards apps like Spotify or Apple Podcast.
The reach of the audio features can be extended via Chromecast, CarPlay, AirPlay, Android Auto, Android Automotive - and reach an even wider audience. By catering for specific situations - driving to work, morning coffee, fitness - you can increase the download number and daily listerners significantly. At Shortcut we have designed and developed audio apps for multiple radio stations and audio providers like DR, Radio4 and Bonnier.
For most news apps, the best app architecture is typically a blend between native app features and web content. In general texts and articles are great as web content; audio and video deserves a native player. From a purely technical point of view this mix of web and native content is not necessarily the best solution, but it often is the optimal compromise between avoiding new editorial IT systems and processes, and delivering the best reader experience. We have developed 10+ of these wrapper apps, which led us to create a standard product, PocketPress, specifically for news apps. PocketPress integrates current web articles and content with native app features. The main benefits of PocketPress include:
• Better native navigation tailored for mobile reading experiences
• Enhanced reading experience with calm transitions and overlays
• Native sharing and ratings/review prompts
• Native audio playback, which continues even when the app is in the background
• Rich push notifications featuring images, custom sounds, and deep links
• News widgets
• And more
Push messages are probably the feature that, with the least amount of invested hours, have the potential to offer the greatest benefit. However, they are also the features that, if designed improperly or misused, are the easiest to compromise. Push messages can increase page views, downloads, or plays of each media item, and they can also enhance loyalty to the channel or brand. While push technology is technically straightforward, strategically, it can be tricky. Short-term incentives are not always aligned with long-term strategy. A typical example is for media outlets to too often send push messages to all users to increase the page views. But by not using more targeted segmentation ends up having more users to unsubscribe. In the design process, we focus on themes such as:
Essentials like quality-of-service, deep-linking, images in push messages, custom sounds, and tracking must be established to ensure effectiveness.
Since 2021, Apple has enforced their App Tracking Transparency (ATT) policy. Essentially, ATT means that if an app collects data about its users and shares this with other companies, the user must give their consent upfront. This has been a major challenge for media apps, as many news outlets rely heavily on revenue from ads provided by external ad providers. It is not uncommon for 75% of the users to choose the "Ask app not to track" option. At Shortcut, we can help by not only limiting this challenge through the addition of primers but also by clearly communicating the benefits of tracking, and we have extensive experience with Apple's approval process. We address this challenge by implementing educational primers that elucidate the benefits of data tracking, such as enhanced personalization and improved app performance. We clearly communicate these advantages to users, helping them understand how their experiences are enriched through their consent. By linking to the app’s Setting at the right time and other similar UX takes, we can limit the number of users who opt out. Moreover, our extensive experience with Apple’s approval process ensures that our clients’ apps meet all regulatory requirements while maximizing user engagement. By staying informed on privacy regulations and anticipating future changes, we prepare our clients for a landscape where user privacy and app functionality coexist harmoniously.
With PocketPress, we have worked hard to establish a great reading experience while still reusing web content. No one likes PDF-style news apps. First and foremost, a native navigation designed for mobile use dramatically improves the app compared to the website. Second, by avoiding the popping of HTML elements, the reading experience becomes calmer. Lastly, by removing noise from web navigation, the experience becomes much more focused and comfortable.
In an era where technology rapidly changes how we interact with media, Shortcut stands as your collaborative partner in navigating this dynamic terrain. By working together, we can overcome industry challenges and achieve remarkable results. Reach out to our team to start a conversation about how we can help you innovate and succeed in the digital media space.
Want to know more?
Let’s make magic happen and craft an app you’ll love.
Tell us about your project.
