Developer Workshop: Viigo Q+A with CEO Mark Ruddock

FierceDeveloper editor Jason Ankeny spoke with Ruddock about Viigo's growing popularity among smartphone users, the impact of BlackBerry App World and the critical importance of the mobile user experience.

Mark Ruddock on developing for smartphones: There's something very special happening in the mobile ecosystem-we're seeing the rise of enhanced devices capable of delivering a truly always-on connection. Forecasts say there will be as many as a billion new smartphone users in the next few years, and that migration will be driven by people who've historically used their phones to talk-they're evolving from looking at these devices as a verbal tool to the notion that it is an information appliance. What will attract people is therefore less what used to differentiate phones and more about what's sitting on the screen-specifically, the overall user experience and the richness of the applications and services.

When we look at this opportunity, we're excited. But building mobile applications is significantly more difficult than building applications for the wired web. Much of that has to do with the form factor--these devices are less powerful than PCs from almost any perspective. It's tricky to input information, so you want to reduce number of keystrokes. Plus there are still connectivity challenges, like latency, availability, bandwidth speeds and so forth.

On the origins of the Viigo app: There are polar opposites on devices--you've got the browser on one hand, and applications on the other. The browser is still a tricky place to deliver rich, interactive experiences, but downloading all the different applications a user might want can clog up the device. The idea behind Viigo is to create an application using open, industry-standard protocols to mobilize content, and combining the openness of the browser with the user experience of an application.

Viigo is a personal information concierge. You tell it the things in life that you care about, whether it's news sources, blogs, weather, your favorite sports teams or your stock portfolio. Viigo goes out and brings all of it to you, and keeps itself up-to-date in your pocket. People often tell us that once Viigo is installed, it becomes the most highly used application on their device after email.

There's something compelling about getting information very quickly. BlackBerry users tend to be information junkies. I think it has to do with the immediacy of the BlackBerry environment--when an email hits your server, it also hits your BlackBerry instantly. The demographic has a personal dependency on information. We give you the same immediacy across a broader variety of content. That connects really well with the core demographic.

On BlackBerry App World: In the world prior to app stores, it was hard to get visibility with end users from an application vendor perspective. People didn't go searching for applications, so you had to go to market in all kinds of interesting ways. When BlackBerry App World launched, it exceeded all of our expectations--our run rate was so high that in a matter of days, we broke our best-ever month record. And it has not let up.

[BlackBerry App World] is an important tool for application developers to gain visibility into the user community. It represents a turning point for the RIM developer ecosystem--giving developers an opportunity to reach customers this way is very important, because it will cause a lot of developers to look very seriously at the BlackBerry platform.

On app store user reviews: The quality of an application and the degree to which people like it, celebrate it and promote it is very important, but it's by no means the only thing. People will make their own decisions about what applications they care for and what they don't, but if you're on the fence about an application, chances are you will download it.

Reviews are a double-edged sword--there are so many network variables in play that not everyone will have a positive experience. The minute we see something negative about the Viigo application and read about a negative user experience, we try to rectify that situation. That's very important in turning around people who've had poor experiences, and we've even managed to turn some of them into our biggest champions. We respond to negative feedback at all levels of the company--on Twitter, even I engage with users, as does our CTO and VP of engineering. [Twitter] is a very interesting model of engagement that companies must have now--BlackBerry App World has generated a large amount of interest in our company and our application, but there is a strong viral component as well.

Advice for aspiring mobile developers: You need to start everything with the user--ask yourself the question of what the user will find really useful or fun, and what you have to do to optimize that experience. Ultimately, that's who you're selling to. You need to build something that someone really, really wants. In addition, you need to understand the platform carefully. It's impossible for a startup to try to be all things to all platforms--that's a very difficult and expensive task.

A year ago, you had to think carefully about go-to-market models. The app stores are changing that--they're giving people the opportunity to play on a level playing field. But that does not obviate your responsibility for building consumer buzz and getting good reviews--you have to build in reasons for people to download you. If people love the application, they'll want to tell their friends.

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