For a mobile app to get to 10 million-plus user mark requires a multipronged approach. Not only is it necessary to deliver a great user experience, it means choosing the right partners and, well, putting in dozens of “engineering man-years” and turning foes into allies. Pamela Whitby hears how business travel app WorldMate is staying ahead of the pack after over a decade in the business.

You don’t have to be a newcomer to make waves in mobile. The WorldMate mobile travel app  – which recently won the EyeforTravel ‘Best Mobile Travel App’ award in San Francisco  - first saw daylight 13 years ago. But Ian Berman VP Business Development WorldMate points out that the considerations then are the same as they are now. However, as Generation Y starts to climb the corporate ladder, leapfrogging the PC to book their travel via mobile, it is now more important than ever that firms identify a problem that today’s traveller faces, build a real solution that effectively addresses that problem and then continue to focus on execution.  

EFT: On that note then, what are the most important things to consider when developing a business travel app?

IB: We realised that there is a high degree of stress and uncertainty when travelling because things change suddenly and this is difficult to cope with in an unfamiliar environment…especially when you don't have all the information to hand.  To solve the problem, we built email parsing and itinerary management so that we can get to know our travellers and what's happening in real-time around them.  Next, we immediately contact them if there's a problem— a delayed flight, a missing or overly expensive hotel stay and so on-- and then give them the power to overcome the issue. In essence we see ourselves as the traveller's guardian angel and have focused on that mission since 2000.

EFT: What challenges have faced along the way and how have you dealt with them?

IB: There are a wide range of challenges. First and foremost is attracting great people, retaining them and building a well-functioning team. That's true for any business though. The next challenge is specifying a valuable service.  Does it really satisfy a need, save time or money and so on?  Can you create long-term competitive advantage? In the world of apps, there are also technical challenges such as which devices to support. Another factor is overcoming issues such as expensive or poor connectivity, feature prioritisation and usability.

EFT: What are some of the common traps facing developers?

IB: One common one is to focus on the set of features without going deep into the user experience. We see many developers that opt for HTML-heavy apps because they are easier to build, but the trade off often leads to a decline in the user experience. There are no shortcuts. WorldMate Gold is a five-star app for iPhone because we've relentlessly pursued a native app experience and poured dozens of engineering man-years into making it great.

EFT: How important is it to partner with other industry players? How do you choose your partners?

IB: There are a few ways to become a success.  One is to build a buzzy startup with tens of millions of dollars in funding that can be used for customer acquisition. The path WorldMate chose was to work with both travel and industry partners to gain massive distribution. The key to amassing our 10 million-plus user base was distribution agreements with several smartphone makers (Nokia, BlackBerry, Motorola, etc) and large travel management companies (Carlson Wagonlit and American Express).  We chose partners based on their position within their respective industry and the commitment they have to ensure the partnership's success.  

EFT: Who do you compete with and how do you stay ahead of the competition?

IB: There are some mobile giants like Apple, Google, or Samsung that can have a profound impact on the world of travel apps.  As I mentioned earlier, in some cases we form distribution partnerships with them turning a potential foe into an ally. When that isn't possible, app makers can still achieve success by going deep into a focused set of services with broad appeal. Remember that even the giants don't have unlimited resources and that travel is only a small fraction of their overall energy.

EFT: How are you preparing for the future? What do you see as the top trends going forward?

IB: We are primarily focused on serving business travellers, and there are a few key trends that play a major factor in our long-term planning. First is the mass proliferation of smartphones and tablets in the workplace. In 2013, sales of mobile devices will surpass that of PC's for the first time. Only about 50% of business travel bookings are made on a PC today, and we think that many of the remaining 50% will skip the PC entirely and jump straight to smartphones and tablets to plan and book their trips. This is especially true as Generation Y begins its climb up the corporate ladder.  Another trend is the bifurcation of tablets and smartphones.  Grouping both types of devices as ‘mobile’ is a mistake because each type of device has very different usage patterns— particularly as it pertains to travel.  We think that app makers' smartphone apps and tablet apps will diverge greatly in terms of functionality and user interface, and so we are identifying what services are important for each type of device and building our roadmap accordingly.