I read lots of website content on the go from my iPod touch. I can browse to a blog website, but most blogs aren’t optimized for viewing on a small screen web browser. Instead the best way to browse and read blog content is by using an App built from the site’s RSS feed. The RSS feed is the stripped down version that is just the text, images, and other content inside each blog post or article. An RSS feed can also be generated from a Twitter account or YouTube Channel.
App Makr – That was EASY!
I just built an app in well under thirty minutes without having to do any programming or complex user interface design. AppMakr.com was kind enough to let me build a free app for EverydayEMSTips.com just to see how easy the process was. Honestly, the most difficult part for me was hemming and hawing about which icons to use for the three main parts of my app. There were a lot of choices and I could have even uploaded my own icons.
Building My App
AppMakr.com has created a set of easy to follow steps that walked me through the process. I went at my own pace and tried a bunch of different things as I went. After naming my app – EMS Tips – the first step was choosing artwork – the small icon – that appears on your iPod Touch or iPhone screen. I quickly uploaded the EverydayEMSTips.com logo.
Next I selected the RSS feeds I wanted to deliver content for the App. I chose three feeds. 1) the main RSS feed for Everyday EMS Tips, 2) the Twitter feed for @EverydayEMSTips and 3) the feed for the EverydayEMSTips.com YouTube Channel. For each feed I chose an icon from the extensive gallery of icons. When you add the RSS feed it immediately validates and App Makr begins building the app on the side of the screen. You can test the functionality of the app and drag and drop the feeds to move the order of the icons.
The next step is to customize the visual appearance of the app with a header image and color scheme. I kept this simple and stuck with a text header and made just a minor color modification.
AppMakr.com has the capability to monetize the app with advertising. I am not a member of the available ad networks and decided not to include any ads in the app. The app will also be available at no cost.
The final step is to publish your new App. I wrote a short description and added key words. After I submitted the app it will be evaluated for approval by the Apple App Store. I am told this process will take about two to four weeks (note I am writing this right after submitting my app on 4/8. By the time you are reading this hopefully the EMS Tips app will be approved).
Build your Own App – Discount Code
There is no charge to create an AppMakr.com account and begin building your own app. You can add artwork, customize the color scheme and select RSS feeds to test out the look and feel of an App for your content. AppMakr.com also gave me a special discount code for EverydayEMSTips.com readers. Use the code EMSTIPS at AppMakr.com before May 31 to receive a discount of 25% on the cost of building and submitting your App.
EverydayEMSTips.com Recommended
In less than an hour you can have your own App built and submitted to bring your blog, podcast, and video content to a mobile audience.
