App rejected now the 3rd time - because...

[Thomas McGrath III]

I agree with Kee on this,

We are dealing with a human who may be having a bad day, or a good day ;-} and any helpful information for them to assess the app and its usage is going to help a long way. 

I have had only one rejection so far, it was originally accepted and then on a subsequent update it was then rejected. They stated it was because of it's name which had not changed in the update.  They did not want the word Pad to be used (not iPad but Pad). I choose to change the name instead of trying to fight them on that and was immediately accepted.

Now as far as Promotional Apps:
The problem with trying to get Promotional Apps approved has been around for a while now. The key is to make sure that the app appears to do something more than just promote the product/service/company. This is really quite easy. Location, Push, Camera, Email, SMS, Games, Lookups/scans, DataBase's etc. all work. I go further and describe the most useful aspects of the app and how it will help the company when a user is mobile and more importantly how being an App is so much more useful to them than just a web site.


Look at a company like "Grainger" and their new iPhone app: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/w.w.-grainger-inc./id526722540?mt=8
(I have no association with them)

The app is just their catalog in an app form factor and does not do anything more than their web site does. Worth repeating: It does not do anything more than what their web site does (even less actually). It allows you to login to your account, and then see your 'inbox', orders, lists,and find a branch near you as well as do what they call a "quick item entry" which then sends an order to the company. (you can't even pay in the app).

The reason I use them is because their website does everything their app does but they get approved anyway. I believe it is because they make it appear like the app is useful at the job site and is unique. But from their own site they even say they are the same thing:
--------------------------
Does Grainger have a mobile website in addition to the app?
Yes. To access the Grainger mobile website, you can visit Grainger.com from your smart phone's web browser. On the mobile site, you can search for products, sign in, see your account-specific pricing, place an order, find the nearest branch and even approve OMS orders.

What is the difference between an app and a mobile site?
The Grainger apps provide a personal experience for you and easy access to information on Grainger products. To access the Grainger app, simply download it to your iPhone or Android device.

In contrast, a mobile site is accessible from any smart phone—without a download. To get to the Grainger mobile site simply type Grainger.com into your web browser from any smartphone.

How do the mobile app and mobile site help me get my job done?
If you don't have easy access to a desktop computer to browse Grainger.com, you can use your smart phone to access the mobile site or app instead. You can search for products, place an order, find the nearest branch or even approve a pending OMS order—all with the mobile app.
------------------------------

On the iTunes store they state the following: All of which is available from their website (except the SIRI part) :

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When getting the job done is priority one, the Grainger app for iPhone can help. The app makes it easy to search for products, see account pricing, check product availability and quickly order products. Whether you’re at a job site, on a shop floor, in a maintenance garage or just don’t have access to a computer, now you can access Grainger.com when and where it works for you. 

Productivity is key with the new Grainger app. 
Hands full? Now you can simply speak your request to search for the product you need. 
Need to pick it up now? With Real-Time Product Availability, find out when products will arrive or which nearby branch has them in stock.
---------------

………………………….

Grainger has managed to bottle up their exact website into an app and yet do it in such a way that they appear to be very useful and unique and that their app has usefulness out in the field even though none of that is true. 

THE KEY IS TO APPEAR USEFUL.

Now, If I were to yell at the reviewers "Hey, You let Grainger do it!" or "Well you let other crap in like the FART apps" well, I think they would just ignore my comment and still reject my Promo App but when I find similar Apps that have been approved and that appear useful and compare my app to them in a positive light I get more traction and approved most of the time. The trick is to not be confrontational but rather to come up with a good argument that explains how my app is useful and unique and how it helps both the company and the customer in ways that a simple website can not.

(For my own business I only do Promo Apps and so far I have had all approved)

-- Tom McGrath III
http://lazyriver.on-rev.com
3mcgrath at comcast.net

On Dec 2, 2012, at 12:25 AM, kee nethery <kee at kagi.com> wrote:

> It is useful to provide the reviewers with everything they need to know about why the app exists, how users will use it, step by step walk throughs, etc. Don't make them try to read your mind, be explicit about what the app does and why it does what it does.
> 
> For example, if this is for a company that is going to have some kind of promotion using QR codes, be sure to mock up what the QR codes are going to be and have them display samples of what will get displayed and show how trying everything together into one app works well for that company customer base. Make it easy for the reviewers to experience the full experience. Even if you have to mock up the data.
> 
> Kee Nethery
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