RSS feeds and Email Lists are great, but there's no greater way to stay in your customers' minds than getting a piece of the ultimate computer real estate: the desktop. I've got 7 options to help get you started:
1. Adobe AIR
AIR has quickly become the desktop distribution method of choice for thousands of Web Developers. AIR allows you to turn HTML / Javascript files or Flash into robust desktop applications that run on multiple operating systems.
You obviously need to know HTML / Javascript or Flash, but if you're in that arena already the leap to AIR is simple. Additionally, AIR provides some extensions to Javascript that you will need to leverage to gain access to Operating System services (storage, etc) that are inaccessible from a normal web page.
2. Google Chrome Application Shortcuts
With the launch of Google Chrome, Google have introduced a great feature to allow users to save websites as Desktop applications, that run in a "Chromeless" (no pun intended) version of the browser.
Unfortunately, there's no way to provide this as a download for the user, however in exactly the same way some sites instruct users to configure RSS feeds, I'd recommend using this short action box somewhere on your site (feel free to copy and adapt).
Using Chrome? Get TheGoodNamesWereGone.com on your Desktop!
Never miss out on TGNWG again! Follow these simple steps to get a desktop icon for TGNWG:
- Click the Page icon on the right of the address bar
- Select Create Application Shortcuts
- Choose from the shortcut options provided
- Click OK and you're done
Lastly, you can add special
tags to your HTML pages to control the title, description, url and shortcut icon used to create your icon.
3. Fluid
For folks on Apple Mac, the excellent Fluid app takes care of all the work to turn website into desktop app:
4. Toolbar Studio
For just short of $1000 (seriously), you can purchase Toolbar Studio, which gives you "Toolbars for Dummies" software to create toolbars without touching a line of code for both IE and Firefox, with tons of features. That seems waaay expensive to me (hell, I'd develop you a toolbar for half that!) Your better option is ....
5. Google Toolbar
Alongside Chrome's Application Shortcuts, Google provide an API to add custom buttons to the Google Toolbar, for anyone using it. Whilst this isn't on the desktop, it's arguably even better - right in front of your user's face whatever site they're currently on.
They're very easy to setup, just follow the instructions on Google's Toolbar API site to create a simple XML file and host it on your website.
You can see this in action by adding my Google Toolbar button, which carries this site's RSS feed. Install TGNWG Google Toolbar button. You can see how I've implemented this by downloading the Toolbar XML
You can easily create functions such as custom searches of your site, or a link to your RSS feed. There's even an option to submit the button to the Google Directory (and who doesn't want a link from Google :-)
6. Yahoo Widgets
Yahoo offers users a "Widget" engine that provide a pre-configured runtime environment on a user's machine in which their retrospective Widget technologies can run. Yahoo Widgets are entirely Javascript based, though their downside is the requirement to do a lot of User Interface leg work to get them up and running. Additionally, you're competing for space alongside other widgets the user has installed. However, Yahoo provide a decent directory of developer Widgets you can submit your entry to.
7. iPhone
OK, it's not technically a desktop, but with a skyrocketing userbase, reliable user experience and (currently) limited competition, building an iPhone version of your site is not impossible.
- Apple iPhone Web Applications Development Center
You'll need to register (at the time of writing, it's free though) to access this, once you're logged in head for theWeb Development Guidelines, which list all the tips and tricks for formatting HTML for the iPhone, including the iPhone home screen icon format.
Wrapping up, there are no doubt plenty of other options, but it's important to remember they're just a means to an end. Just having these options won't necessarily get you new visitors, and they won't keep desktop icons or apps if they don't lead to something valuable. My criteria for picking one would definately come down to (a) Time to implement and (b) Opportunities for "free" distribution - in which case, the Google Toolbar is a no brainer.
Stay Tuned
Subscribe to the RSS feed, and watch out for future articles on how to get massive distribution for your desktop application!
What are your experiences with Desktop applications? Have you had success with other Distribution formats or one of the ones mentioned above? Share your experiences in the comments below: