Development Options for Your iPad Presentations

When it comes to one-on-one detailing, the iPad has proven itself to be an amazing sales tool. Not only does the device itself have a slick viewing environment; it also offers your marketing team a range of flexible presentation options.

The Alcon OVD iPad site is a lite version of the regular website, designed specifically for video detailing in person.

Healthcare marketers are familiar with the rise and importance of available medical apps — official iTunes App Store releases — but there are other development options that might align better with your company’s needs. Here are six experiences for you to consider the next time someone in your company says “we need an app for that”:

Option 1: Lite Mobile Version of Your Site
Using the best assets and most popular functionality from your current site, build a smaller iPad‐friendly website with limited content. Turnaround is quick and the budgets are lower. A lite site is easy to deploy (no connection to third-party stores), though presenting will require internet access.

Option 2: Mobile Version of Full Website
Take your current website and recode it to load automatically on any smartphone or tablet, regardless of brand. The site borrows from existing user experience, requiring mostly development and slight design and content mods. Internet access is required, and larger site experiences can be harder to meld.

Option 3: Brand Suite App
If your company offers many devices or services, you might consider one app to be shared across brands. Sales staff could promote the full product line, not just individual ones. It requires slightly more planning and a larger budget, but a comprehensive app will mean fewer trips through medical legal review.

Option 4: Single Brand App
A one‐brand app customized to a product or service offers a shorter production timeline and allows for a more unique user experience based solely on one product. Detailing can be more focused on a single solution or a set of pain points for the healthcare professional. This option works great for medical device test-drive scenarios.

Option 5: PowerPoint
Ah, Powerpoint. It’s a crutch for many, but it could offer less work for your staff. Users load their PPT into a document‐viewing app, such as Documents to Go, then present via touchscreen. PPT does not require planning or development (and is not truly an interactive experience), but it is the most cost-effective option.

Option 6: Videos
Using the proprietary Apple YouTube app, your video channel is prepared and loaded for use. The only cost is video production. However, there is no brand “wrapper” around your video and no room for content. What’s more, the interactive experience is limited to the legacy app.

Additional Considerations for Apps:
If you choose to go the iPad app route, there are several ways to place it on company iPads. Like the development aspect, choosing a method of publishing will be most closely tied to app content and your sales staff needs.

iTunes Licensing
The most official method is to apply and get approvals through Apple’s iTunes store. Your app is then marketed through iTunes and anyone can download it. This method is perfect if your app includes a tool that healthcare marketers would use in their day-to-day work environment.

“Ad Hoc” Licensing
If you can limit your app recipient pool to 100 devices, you can take advantage of Apple’s “ad hoc” deployment method. The app would not be available in iTunes, so there is no approval process. What’s more, you can control “forced” updates of the app – ideal for our heavily regulated industry.

“Enterprise” Licensing
For companies with more than 100 iPads, a small fee is paid up front and files are loaded onto any iPads in the company. Again, the app would not be available in iTunes, and there would not be approval processes to navigate.

With 80% of all US physicians carrying a smartphone, it makes sense to appeal to them with technology that displays your company’s innovative nature. Your development choice will lead to a lasting impression, so make it count.

Do you have any iPad tips to share? If so, please comment below. A follow-up post regarding content considerations and user experiences is in the works, so you may want to add us to your RSS feed.