Bloapp: Create Your Own iPhone App (And Android) For Free

It’s important now today to have a mobile-ready WordPress blog in this day and age.  People are now spend more time surf the internet using their smart phones; either through normal web surfing or through mobile apps.

Personally, I prefer to read sites and blogs through mobile apps. They are more smart phone-friendly and most importantly user-friendly. Typing using iPhone’s keyboard can be frustrating for me and I’m sure of you too.

Am I right?

I’m sure we all would love to have our own mobile app for our WordPress bog. The problem is that it’s still too costly.

Well, for today post, I want to introduce you one tool that gives you the chance to have the experience of having your own mobile app which your blog readers can use to surf your WordPress and read the articles.

It’s called Bloapp.

Bloapp: What is it?

Bloapp (pronounced as “blope” as in “broke”) is a new and innovative platform for bloggers to create their own iPhone app in less than 5 minutes!

It supports self-hosted blogs, plus blogs that are hosted in these blogging platforms; Blogspot, Posterous, Tumblr, Weebly, Blogdrive and Tripod.And it’s absolutely FREE!

How it works?

Bloapp uses your blog’s RSS feed to retrieve the posts of your WordPress blog. It allows you to customize the look and feel of your app by uploading your own Logo and Background images, you can also choose the font style, font size and font colors of your blog posts.

This way, your new app will retain the same look and feel of your blog.

It also comes with QR code technology that Bloapp uses for adding blogs, makes your blog literally snap away from your readers.

Moreover, if you are currently generating revenue from your blog. You don’t have to worry, because Bloapp allows you to serve your own ads either via custom HTML code or through your blog’s feed, eg: Google AdSense for feeds.

How can you readers get your app?

Your blog readers must first install the Bloapp app which can be downloaded from the iTunes. They then scan your blog’s QR barcode (which is provided by Bloapp) or search your WordPress blog using the Bloapp app. This will add your blog to their list of blogs that they follow inside the Bloapp app.

My opinion?

Personally, I feel that Bloapp sends mixed signals to me as the Bloapp’s user. Instead of feeling having mobile app for my WordPress blog which is the idea that Bloapp is pushing forward, I feel that Bloapp is a mobile app that allows me as a blog reader to follow/subscribe other blogs in a simpler way.

I love Bloapp. But I feel that Bloapp market its product to the wrong group of people.

People behind Bloapp should market Bloapp to the blog readers as an alternative to the Google Reader or maybe the “Google Reader” for smartphones; not market it as a tool for bloggers to have their own mobile-apps. Bloapp should be the first app that people think off when people want to subscribe one particular website.

Bloapp should push WordPress bloggers and websites admins to join Bloapp with one main idea; to let people subscribe and follow their websites in much easier way than subscribing the RSS feed. Plus, with Bloapp, it gives more flexibility in relation web styling, promotion and income generation which simple RSS feed can’t offer.

If I have a choice between Google Reader app and Bloapp, I will definitely choose Bloapp but  if only there are more and more people using Bloapp. Without the volume, it is a failure to me.

As for now, I will stick with my normal RSS feed app and have to delete Bloapp app from my iPhone because it is not practical to have RSS fee app and Bloapp at the same time.

Your say?

Have you tried Bloapp? Do you find Bloapp as a platform that allows bloggers to have their own mobile app or a mobile app that make the process simpler for blog readers to follow and subscribe blogs?

I choose the latter. What about you?

p/s Would love to hear somebody from Bloapp to say something on their marketing idea.