september2021 - 18

APPS WE LOVE
By Gail Perry, CPA, Editor-in-Chief
coffee. Starbucks has raised the bar on the
personalized buying experience app. Ordering
in advance and having your beverage waiting
for you when you arrive at the store location of
your choice is just the beginning. Starbucks uses
your shopping experiences to create customized
suggestions and discounts designed to keep you
satisfied and coming back for more.
* SMART NEWS. With so much news available
online, a news aggregator app is a must have for
those who want to keep on top of what's happening
in the country, the world, your community.
Smart News allows you to customize the app
to provide the types of stories you like to read,
from the sources you like to use. It also provides
an option for text alerts about stories in which
you have shown interest previously. The app
includes options for local news from thousands
of U.S. cities.
THE MAJORITY OF apps are not personalized - you use the app as
is, and if it doesn't do exactly what you want, you go out into the
app universe and try to find something that is a better fit. But some
apps are more flexible and they allow you to create your own unique
experience. Then it becomes your app, and you're more likely to keep
the app long-term, add your own information, and refer to it often.
Herewith is a collection of apps you can personalize - you're no doubt
familiar with many of these and using some yourself.
* SPOTIFY. The music app allows you to hear
the music and podcasts that appeal to you, create
playlists, share with others, and even create shared
playlists. Spotify will also select options for you
based on the listening choices you've made and can
even adjust those selections to match the music
you listen to at different times of day.
* MINT.COM. Switching gears to personal
finance, the finance apps, including Mint.com
and others (Personal Capital, YNAB, and so on)
allow you to view a personal financial statement,
including up-to-the minute balances in all of
the accounts you choose to share. In addition,
you can see your actual spending habits, and
set and monitor budget limits for yourself. Mint.
com provides you with your TransUnion credit
score along with information on how to improve
your score.
* NETFLIX. My Netflix screen is not anything
like your Netflix screen. I see programs that
I have started and are in progress, and I get
recommendations for items to watch based on
my own viewing habits. Your Netflix homepage
is also personalized for other members of your
family who have access to the account based on
their viewing and selection habits. Even the images
you see have been chosen based on the types
of images you respond to in the recommended
videos, so and your spouse might get the same
recommendation but you might see a different
image recommending that video.
* STARBUCKS. It's not just all about the great
18 SEPTEMBER 2021 ■ www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com
* GOOGLE SEARCH. You might not think
something as ubiquitous as Google's search
would actually be a customized service, but think
about it - when you search, Google takes into
consideration the previous items for which you
have searched as well as your geographic location
to provide you with customized answers. If you
run a search for something that is available in
multiple locations, Google Search will find the
locations near you. If you repeat key words from
previous searches, Google Search will provide you
with a list of those searches.
This is just a small sampling. If you are thinking
of creating an app of your own, or looking for
a personalized experience, here are some tips
to consider:
* There should be a method for collecting data
from users.
* The app should be able to save usage history and
learn from that history.
* The design of the app should be comfortable,
easy-to-understand - user-friendly.
* The app should provide different experiences for
different users based on information collected
and the user experiences.
* The app should be regularly updated based on
available information.
* The user should be aware of what information
is being collected and how that information will
be used to improve the user experience, and the
user should be able to enhance the experience by
adding additional information. ■
http://www.MINT.COM http://www.Mint.com http://www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com
september2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of september2021
