VT App? and tapatalk

[AshVillain]

Is there anything in the pipeline for this? I personally would pay a nominal amount for some sort of iOs app .....

Mods if there is a thread for this already please remove this, I couldn't find one ...

[blandy]

nominal eh?. Sounds lucrative
 
no offence, just jiving

[limpid]

What do you think an app would offer that the mobile skin doesn't?

 

I've looked into this and it will cost a fair amount of time and money to get something working. There hasn't been sufficient interest to make me think we could recoup the financial costs.

[Anthony]

iOS... Actually, no, I'm not going to bite.

[legov]

Don't need, don't want - mobile site works just fine

[AshVillain]

What do you think an app would offer that the mobile skin doesn't?

 

I've looked into this and it will cost a fair amount of time and money to get something working. There hasn't been sufficient interest to make me think we could recoup the financial costs.

I understand the decision made. I think that an app (iOS/Andriod whatthefeckever) would open up Villa Talk to a wider audience aswell as stopping me from having to open up a web browser to opine when on the move. While the mobile site does indeed work very well ... in my personal opinion given the choice I would buy an app rather than go onto my browser everytime I want to check the forum.

 

I admit the differences between the two would be nominal to begin with, however if you think outside the box there are many lucrative opportunities (games, advertisements, donations, sales of the app itself, merchandise etc etc). I admit I am not 'up to speed' on the costing to implement such an app but I do think it would be a step forward, certainly not a step backwards anyhow

[limpid]

I suspect you are in a small minority of people who'd be prepared to pay for the app, but let's see if anyone would.

 

What's the difference between tapping a VT bookmark icon and tapping on an app icon?

[AshVillain]

I suspect you are in a small minority of people who'd be prepared to pay for the app, but let's see if anyone would.

 

What's the difference between tapping a VT bookmark icon and tapping on an app icon?

Mobile data charges (for me anyway) are ridiculous. Of course any potential VT app would need the interwebs to work however it will certainly not use as much of my data allowance as a web browser.

 

There's also an extra tap included in the browser option. Disgraceful stuff

[limpid]

Doesn't iOS let you save a bookmark as an icon?

[AshVillain]

Doesn't iOS let you save a bookmark as an icon?

Yeah I have it added to my home page now (didn't know about that feature if I am being honest). Like I said before I understand the decision made regarding the cost/reward side of creating an app. I may also very well be in the small minority with regards to those willing to part with real life money for a VT app - I still would though!!

 

Also, the data allowance thing is more pertinent if you (like me) are using a tablet. Clearly doesn't matter too much if you are using a mobile phone that happens to have a browser.

[limpid]

If we keep talking like this it makes it more likely that others will see the thread and join in.

 

I don't understand about data allowance. Data is data, mobile or tablet makes no difference. If there isn't enough data in your current bundle, just get a bigger bundle

[AshVillain]

A tablet loads the full web page not the mobile site so there is a large difference in the amount of data downloaded when comparing the two. Yes, I could always pay an extra £15 a month and get a load more data and not have to worry so much about these things, however a one off £2.99 (for example) app and keeping my current data allowance the same makes much more economic sense to me.

 

I would love to hear what other people think about this, could just be me thinking this would be a good idea and no-one else is that fussed.

[darrenm]

I find Tapatalk to be better organised and much more responsive than the mobile skin on my phone browser (Chrome on Android 4.2.2 Galaxy Nexus).

 

Tapatalk allow you to build your own app for a one-off fee of $99, then $29 / month. http://www.tapatalk.com/build.php

 

You can then either ad-ify it or charge for it, or both. I'd personally be willing to pay up to £5 for it.

 

I'm fairly confident this forum software works great with Tapatalk as it's the same as Briskoda, and browsing that with Tapatalk is a great experience.

[Davkaus]

Don't most smartphones now have a screen sufficient to use the full mobile site?

 

I get very annoyed when I'm automatically forwarded to the mobile site which usually cuts out a lot of the functionality. I'd avoid an app for the same reason.

[limpid]

A tablet loads the full web page not the mobile site so there is a large difference in the amount of data downloaded when comparing the two. Yes, I could always pay an extra £15 a month and get a load more data and not have to worry so much about these things, however a one off £2.99 (for example) app and keeping my current data allowance the same makes much more economic sense to me.

 

I would love to hear what other people think about this, could just be me thinking this would be a good idea and no-one else is that fussed.

Go to the bottom left of a page and select "Change Theme" and select the mobile theme.. But it won't make much difference. Once the images etc are cached, your browser doesn't have to download them again.

 

I find Tapatalk to be better organised and much more responsive than the mobile skin on my phone browser (Chrome on Android 4.2.2 Galaxy Nexus).

 

Tapatalk allow you to build your own app for a one-off fee of $99, then $29 / month. http://www.tapatalk.com/build.php

 

You can then either ad-ify it or charge for it, or both. I'd personally be willing to pay up to £5 for it.

 

I'm fairly confident this forum software works great with Tapatalk as it's the same as Briskoda, and browsing that with Tapatalk is a great experience.

Tapatalk works well with the VT software and is what I would use if I decided to take this forward.  It would cost $99 up front and $29 per month, I also need to set up IOS and Android developer accounts. I need to make enough extra from ads on the app to cover the ongoing costs. That's on top of the revenue I need to generate to run the site. I can't see how the app would create more revenue than the mobile skin. If it was simply a one-off charge, I might go for it, but it's the monthly cost which is stopping me.

[AshVillain]

 

A tablet loads the full web page not the mobile site so there is a large difference in the amount of data downloaded when comparing the two. Yes, I could always pay an extra £15 a month and get a load more data and not have to worry so much about these things, however a one off £2.99 (for example) app and keeping my current data allowance the same makes much more economic sense to me.

 

I would love to hear what other people think about this, could just be me thinking this would be a good idea and no-one else is that fussed.

Go to the bottom left of a page and select "Change Theme" and select the mobile theme.. But it won't make much difference. Once the images etc are cached, your browser doesn't have to download them again.

 

I find Tapatalk to be better organised and much more responsive than the mobile skin on my phone browser (Chrome on Android 4.2.2 Galaxy Nexus).

 

Tapatalk allow you to build your own app for a one-off fee of $99, then $29 / month. http://www.tapatalk.com/build.php

 

You can then either ad-ify it or charge for it, or both. I'd personally be willing to pay up to £5 for it.

 

I'm fairly confident this forum software works great with Tapatalk as it's the same as Briskoda, and browsing that with Tapatalk is a great experience.

Tapatalk works well with the VT software and is what I would use if I decided to take this forward.  It would cost $99 up front and $29 per month, I also need to set up IOS and Android developer accounts. I need to make enough extra from ads on the app to cover the ongoing costs. That's on top of the revenue I need to generate to run the site. I can't see how the app would create more revenue than the mobile skin. If it was simply a one-off charge, I might go for it, but it's the monthly cost which is stopping me.

 

I still have to load quite a bit of data when going into a thread and Davakus is right the mobile version (obviously) doesn't have all the same functions as the full site.

 

I have to admit though, $29 a month, although small, is an indulgence.

 

 

 

 

UNLESS ..... you offered an ad filled free app ... and a premium app for £5 (or whatever) with no ads (as long as that doesn't mean 2 x $29 a month and 2 x $99 - I am sure there is some kind of in app purchase workaround if that's the case anyway).

 

The ad-filled version COULD cover the $29 a month and the premium one could cover the start up cost of $99 .....

 

Just a thought

 

 

 

EDIT Maybe add a tap game or two with ads squeezed in between levels or something ... I don't know.

 

Where there's a will there's a way

Edited June 26, 2013 by AshVillain

[limpid]

I don't think you have any idea how much it costs to run a large website. I already have to subsidise the site personally. Removing the ad revenue permanently for £5 simply isn't going to happen.the Ad revenue from an app needs to return what I'm getting now plus[/b} cover the $29 per month.

So far there are only two of you who have expressed an interest.

[legov]

 

What do you think an app would offer that the mobile skin doesn't?

 

I've looked into this and it will cost a fair amount of time and money to get something working. There hasn't been sufficient interest to make me think we could recoup the financial costs.

I understand the decision made. I think that an app would open up Villa Talk to a wider audience aswell as stopping me from having to open up a web browser to opine when on the move. While the mobile site does indeed work very well ... in my personal opinion given the choice I would buy an app rather than go onto my browser everytime I want to check the forum.

 

I admit the differences between the two would be nominal to begin with, however if you think outside the box there are many lucrative opportunities (games, advertisements, donations, sales of the app itself, merchandise etc etc). I admit I am not 'up to speed' on the costing to implement such an app but I do think it would be a step forward, certainly not a step backwards anyhow

 

 

The bolded bits. What would be the point of them all? This is a non-profit site run by everyday people out of the goodness of their hearts, not a business.

 

Frankly, I don't see a need for VT to proactively try to open itself up to a wider audience - having people join the site is good, of course, but it is a side-note and a mere bonus and I doubt (I dare not speak for the mods) member recruitment has ever been a big goal for the VT mods.

 

And lucrative opportunities? Games? Sales? Merchandise?

 

You're thinking like an entrepreneur, VT is non-profit.

[b23avfc]

If there was an App on the relevant stores then it would, I don't bother with the official AVFC app. But every now and then I browse to see what's on there for villa fans.

 

I'm interested in the data allowance thing, didn't reallly consider that. So on that note I'd be interested but the app would have to sell at the lower price for it to receive wider appeal and pay for itself, if that's possible. To be fair I already access it via a bookmark saved to my home screen, well.. in a folder on my home screen. That works pretty good for me, though I need to set it to save my password... apparently I haven't managed that yet... somehow

[AshVillain]

I feel it needs to be said that just because something is 'non-profit' means it needs to take a loss - it just means that any profit doesn't line someone's pocket and instead goes back into the service / product being provided.

 

In answer to your questions legov: More people = more opinions + more ad revenue = less outlay for the site owner/s. More money from other opportunities = less outlay for the site owners.

 

This would need to be addressed if an app were to be made (clearly), but going by this thread it seems unlikely, which is sad for me as it means I won't be able to check VT when I am out at all.

[limpid]

This would need to be addressed if an app were to be made (clearly), but going by this thread it seems unlikely, which is sad for me as it means I won't be able to check VT when I am out at all.

I don't understand, why not? About 30% of our traffic is mobile so others aren't having a problem. Do you mean you will choose not to?