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Mobile Solutions: What would be useful to you?

Katie Van Buren >

July 10, 2014 22:34

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Hey ShootQ Community,

In the past there has been chatter on the forums about making ShootQ a mobile-optimized web application. We would like to bring this conversation back to life.  This has a variety of advantages for both us and you - mainly quick updates, a better user experience, and compatibility with mobile phones and tablets.

We recently updated the iPhone app, which of course is only good if you have an iPhone.  It's useful to our subscribers that have an iPhone, we know this doesn't include everyone. Yet iPhone users still want the app to do more, and Android users don't have one at all. So if you could have the perfect mobile solution, what would it include?

Realistically, ShootQ is a huge app and we can't cram it all into a mobile device (phone or tablet). So here's the question: if we create a mobile web app for your mobile device, what would you want to use it for? What do you wish you could do in ShootQ while on your phone or tablet? Sign contracts? Call customers? Send email templates?

Here's a hint: you can't answer "everything the web app does." 

If you have specific thoughts on what you would like to see on a phone vs a tablet let us know.  Phones and tablets serve different purposes, which won't be used in the same manner.  Don't give us features. Tell us what you're trying to do. What problems do you face when you're trying to run your business from your phone?

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30 comments

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  Kelly Harms > July 15, 2014 02:12

  I'm so glad to see this question because I find the mobile app to be pretty useless!  I'd like to be able to view my projects and send questionnaires at a minimum.  Big things like creating proposals is not really necessary from a phone, but the ability to pull up a client order on the go is definitely useful.

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  Jared Platt > July 16, 2014 21:29

  Mobile Site Needs to:

  1. Allow for access to all contacts

  2. Allow sending and receiving and booking all events.

  3. Allow sending of all form emails and replying to inquiries with access to the templates and the hot links to pricing pages.

  4. Allow adding notes and updating event information.

  5. Access all event information.

  6. Allow for in studio signing of contracts.

  7. Allow viewing and sharing of files uploaded to the event.

  8. Allow viewing of workflow progress on event.

   

  Those are some basics.  I think that if you think of it in this way, you will get it right.  People can use a computer to set up new templates and new packages and such, but they should be able to use their phone and their iPad to interact with all of the items they set up.  They should be able to run a completely automated (with some customization - i.e. add to an email, alter someone's package) workflow start to finish from their iPad.  If any touch points with the client have to be noted down and taken back to a computer to enter them in, you have made the mobile site wrong!

  Oh, and yes, the mobile site should be designed for both a phone and a tablet.  The phone still needs the functionality, because not everyone has both, the phone just needs a few more screes or scrolls to fit all the options.  But they both need to be fully functional sites for running through a job from receiving an inquiry to churning out a wedding or checking on the progress of your studio assistant's workflow.

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  Kulbir Brar > July 17, 2014 21:56

  Jared is so right,  Shoot q is really advance tool but it is missing modern GUI, today's interface. 

  Come over to the 23rd century guys , 

  I would love to see shoot q having P3 payment solution added to it without buying  the picture account

   

   

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  Severine Wider > July 18, 2014 00:05

  I agree with Jared list.  I have an android so no app at all yet and I run 50% of my business from my phone. I am even considering switching if the app is not coming soon. I would hate to do so but nowadays it's essential!

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  Jared Platt > July 18, 2014 00:20

  I think that we will find that everyone needs mobile functionality.  Even people who don't thin they need it, are suffering for lack of it.  Especially people who run their photography as a part time business.  We are photographers.  We shoot all over the place.  If we are making money, we are NOT at our computer.  If we are at our computer we are NOT making money!  Shooting = Money.  Meeting Clients and Networking = Money.  None of those things are on a computer.  Share this link with the entire ShootQ community and ask them to chime in and I think we will find that we need to be able to run our studios from mobile devices.  Set them up on a computer, but run them from Mobile.

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  Kevin Hackworth > July 18, 2014 03:06

  I would like to see the current iPhone App to actually work. When entering info in the leads section the keyboard covers half the screen and you can't even see the fields you need to fill in.

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  Christine Katina > July 18, 2014 12:31

  I would definitely like to book clients and send proposals on my phone.

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  Andrew Fedchenko > July 18, 2014 14:30

  As modern business owners, we need to have quick access to our workflow and important information on the go. Here is what we need in a mobile app: 1) all contacts (and the ability to call them using google voice or the native dialing app) 2) the ability to create new leads and to send them pertinent information, ie: pricing, invoices, contracts, questionnaires, etc. 3) the ability to book a client on the go, sending them all the necessary booking info 4) the ability to have a client sign a contract and make invoice payments right on a tablet 5) access to email templates and all client correspondences 6) the ability to alter information and dates of meetings and shoots 7) the ability to take notes on the go and have them tied directly to a shoot or lead (maybe even integrating with a company like Evernote) 8) the ability to show clients pricing right from a mobile device, or at Least being able to acces it easily so we can reference pricing quickly on the go 9) being able to access invoices and make payments or mark them as paid 10) the ability to have better account tracking and financials, ie: being able to since bank accounts and quickly add milage information to shootq (lor integrating with a company like GoDaddy Bookkeeping) I'm sure there is more but this is all I can think of for now.
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  Flavio Debarros > July 18, 2014 17:13

  I'd love to be able to confirm appointments via the web app. I am new to Shoot-Q and the app, so forgive if it's a capability and i'm not aware of it.

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  Miguel Soltren > July 18, 2014 17:25

  Whenever I get an inquiry from my Wedding Wire vendor account I receive a text instantly allowing me to be the first to contact them.  The problem is most of my leads from WW click to my site and inquire through my "contact us" page which directs them into ShootQ.  I either have to keep checking ShootQ for new leads or wait until they are forwarded to my email account to be notified.  It would be great if the ShootQ app could use the same technology that WW is using to alert me as soon as I get a new lead.  (It would also be nice if this option were only available to me and not my competing photographers :-)

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  Levi Walker > July 18, 2014 19:10

  I love the comments above - booking, altering, creating leads - it's all great.  what would be UHHHHmazing (for shootq in general) is to create some way to have a merchant solution/POS with a swiper.  I shoot high volume with a POS, I use BofA merchant services and use their app to swipe cards.  THEN i have to go into shootq and create the order and mark it as paid. How amazing would it be if we could build an order in a POS, which creates the order in shootq), then swipe and get payment and have it already marked as paid?  WOW! now THAT would be brilliant Mr. Shootq (whoever you are) :P

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  Kulbir Brar > July 18, 2014 19:52

  I was using the app on iPhone 5s , it is crashing , 

  DO you need a Good App developer , I know few guys 

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  Don Pope > July 21, 2014 01:56

  A mobile application should allow my photographers to black out certain dates so that I won't schedule work for them on those days.

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  Matt George > August 04, 2014 22:36

  I need to be able to see and respond to leads better on my iphone. It's functional right now, but could be better.

  Leads and responding to leads are critical to my photography business.

  I have leads that come through shootq from my website form. I only use my squarespace form because I can not edit my shootq contact form.

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  Bryan Winston > August 06, 2014 22:32

  In my opinion the app, in it's current installation, the app is mostly useless. I need to be able to change appointments, send proposals, create new leads and bill. These are the CORE requirements. I should be able to meet a customer on a show floor and cut a proposal for them during the conversation from the app. I should be able to complete tasks simply rather than create multiple screens. I need global search. For bonus points I should be able to load my contacts from ShootQ into regular contacts so if a customer calls caller I'd works. Also I should be able to make calendar appoints on my iPad calendar and have it show on ShootQ. Also a tablet app would help.
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  Dustin Brown > August 07, 2014 18:54

  I would really just like to see the embeddable contact form be mobile friendly.  Currently, when leads come to my website on their phone it is nearly impossible to fill in the form on an iPhone.   

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  N'neka Scruggs > August 29, 2014 16:23

  I think all client related info should be easily available in a mobile app. I personally don't need to manage my workflow away from a computer.  

  • View and send correspondence
  • View and create new contact info and leads
  • View and create new proposals, contracts, invoices, tasks
  • View and perform all functions available in Shoots
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  Shannon Patel > September 05, 2014 14:22

  I just started with ShootQ so I don't even know all the things it does yet but I am trying to learn fast.  I do a lot of business with my clients through texting and I would like to be able to copy and paste or send some of that directly to their shoot on ShootQ.  That way what we talk about doesn't get lost.

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  Anthony Caddigan > November 03, 2014 18:07

  Simply being able to access leads and send out pre-written emails from the app would be HUGE. Android user here.

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  Christine Katina > November 03, 2014 18:15

  I have the iphone app and it seems a bit buggy. Sometimes when I go to look up a shoot to see the details or what they owe me, everything is just blank.  Not helpful at all when I am trying to get info on the go. Also, I would love to be able to have a text option and not just an automatic phone call when I click on my clients phone #. 

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  Trent Bailey > January 21, 2015 22:06

  ability to send pre-written emails!!!

  sign contracts

  access questionnaires

  shot lists for mobile phones would be great so I could check off the shots i'm taking throughout the day as I take them (versus having to have a piece of paper or use another app for shotlists).

  contact access

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  Chad Jackson > April 01, 2016 13:39

  Syncing contacts would be incredibly helpful. 

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  N'neka Scruggs > April 01, 2016 14:17

  I wonder if anyone from ShootQ is monitoring this & considering these requests in their re-design.  

  • I'm an Android user so first and foremost, I'd like to have an app.
  • In addition to what was said above, I'd like the ability to add notifications for a specific task or lead. 
  • I'd like integration with text messages, including Google Voice, to be able to schedule or automatically send texts to clients.
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  Chad > April 01, 2016 16:21

  Hi N'neka,

  Yes, we monitor this thread. We're currently working on building a more mobile-responsive website and your feedback is much appreciated. Thanks!

  - Geoff

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  Permanently deleted user > April 05, 2016 15:08

  I agree with N'neka's second and third comments wholeheartedly! Is there any timeline on the web & app updates?

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  Chad > April 05, 2016 22:01

  Hi Kim,

  Our developers are working on the new version but we don't have an ETA on its release yet. We'll probably have a better idea in a few months.

  - Geoff

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  Jackie Lucas > June 12, 2016 18:25

  I have now set myself a reminder to come back once a month and poke at this thread for updates. This has become incredulous and embarrassing. I can no longer recommend ShootQ to friends because the second question we get is always some variation of "is there an app?" or "does it work on iPad/iPhone/etc.?" When the answer to question one is "sort of" and the answer to question two is, "nope, not at all," I begin to sincerely question why in the world we stick with ShootQ.

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  Permanently deleted user > June 13, 2016 15:20

  I agree that there should definitely be a functional app at this stage in the game. When I have to use it on my phone, as I did Friday after a sudden power outage at our studio, I have to access it through a shortcut I've placed on my phone's desktop and everything takes 10 times longer. 

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  Chad > June 13, 2016 23:17

  Hi Jackie,

  The current top priority of our development team is to create a more mobile-responsive website that functions across all platforms (desktop, tablet, phone). This includes not just re-designing the front end of the website but also the underlying back-end architecture. The new architecture will give us greater flexibility and ease at implementing further features and improvements. This is a big project and will take many months to complete. Once that is finished we will begin looking into upgrading the current iPhone app and developing one that functions on other platforms besides iOS. But as I said, the website itself and its responsiveness on mobile devices is the initial priority.

  - Geoff

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  Steven Maxey > August 10, 2016 19:27

  I'm sorry, but why CAN'T the answer be everything the web app does? If you remove the Flash content and replace it with generated HTML and some AJAX, and use responsive design rather than fixed-width design for the website, there is no good reason why a mobile app can't have access to everything. The only possible exception might be under the Settings menu. I've been giving ShootQ a fair run, but will probably leave for another app in the Fall, because I discovered this spring that I need something that will function on my iPad when I'm at events and there's not even an approximate date for that to happen. I can't go another event/booking season without it.