Competitor Analysis and Databases - Technovation Girls … · Competitor Analysis and Databases Unit 5. Agenda Check-in: Share your prototype and collect feedback Competitor analysis

Competitor Analysis and DatabasesUnit 5

Agenda

● Check-in: Share your prototype and collect feedback

● Competitor analysis● Data and databases● Transfer prototype to

App Inventor● Wrap up, share challenges

Check-in: paper prototype● Share out the paper

prototypes of your app idea

● Explain the key functionalities and features of the app

● Discuss why you chose to include or not to include certain features

Incorporating feedback: improving your app

● Potential customers can provide feedback on○ whether or not your solution

(your app) to a problem is accurate

○ improvements that can be made in the design of the app

○ other features to add (now or in the future)

* Remember to focus on the Minimum Viable Product -- read this cautionary tale about the company Evernote, and think about patterns in the customer feedback you've received and what your core features are/will be.

Collecting feedback Use this form to collect feedback and record changes you would like to make to your app

Task list● Collect feedback on

your app prototype

● Update your app design based on this feedback○ Consider dividing the

work by assigning each team member responsibility for specific prototype screens

Competitor AnalysisDo some competitor research. This will help you answer the question: What makes your app better? Look at other apps on the market and rank them on the following factors:● Branding/name recognition● Market share● Revenue● Growth rate● How advanced the technology is● Pricing scheme● Reputation for quality, customer

service, etc.Source:https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/competitive-analysis-primer-tech-startups-considering-robert-kuller

Find competitor data ●

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One example of how to use Google Trends to compare different topics -- here, "internet of things" vs. "mobile apps"

Competitor data resources● From the company

itself: Study the competitor’s website, social media, blogs, articles, sales material, white papers, advertising, etc. to get a full picture of their success and strategy

● Learn from analysts: Study data and trends from industry analysts such as the Gartner Group, Forrester and Mary Meeker’s internet trends

What is Data?

For data to be useful, it needs to be organized. Data is organized in databases through keys and values:● Key – label for what’s inside ● Value – data that’s insideWe use the Key to look up the Value in the databaseExample:

A contacts list, which is a database of contact information○ Key = name○ Value = phone number

Data is information in raw or unorganized form (such as alphabets, numbers, or symbols) that refer to, or represent, conditions, ideas, or objects. Read more: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/data.html#ixzz3xED1ZxrX

Databases: The magic behind your app!

● Databases organize the collection and retrieval of data

● They're intended to organize, store, and retrieve large amounts of data easily

Examples:○ iTunes is a database for all

your music○ Google has a database of

websites which is used for Google Search

○ Facebook is a database of people

Further reading on how you can use databases to improve your app

Databases in App Inventor

Remember the Colored Dots tutorial from last session that introduced databases?● If you want to save data after

the application is closed you must use a database

Two types of databases:● TinyDB stores data directly on

the phone and will only be used by that phone (hand-set)

● TinyWebDB stores data on a web database that can be shared among phones

Additional resources on working with databases

Data and usage for your App

Think of how you can use a database in your App.

● What information will your app collect?

● What data will your app provide?

● Will your app connect to other information sources (such as instagram?)

Task: Transfer paper prototype to App Inventor

Use your paper prototype to develop a skeleton of screens in App Inventor.

● Make and name a screen in App Inventor for each screen your app will have.

● "Screen1" must be your home screen.

● Add all the components that you will need for each screen first.

● Start on the blocks after the components have been added.

Wrap-Up & Share● Share photos on

Facebook and twitter

● Don’t forget to do the project planning and competitive analysis exercises in your workbook

● Post any questions or difficulties you may be encountering on the Technovation Facebook page, and we will help you!