Welcome to our App of the Week series where we highlight Smartphone and iPad applications for business.

Like many others across Canada, I grew up in a family where the fridge was covered in magnets.  There were probably 20 or 30 of them from all kinds of companies around the city and they valiantly held up shopping lists and pencil crayon art.  I don’t remember what most of the magnets said, but there is one that still stands out.  It was for a company that made exterior signs and the magnet simply said: “No sign is a sign of no business”.   It’s a simple, but strikingly relevant slogan.

While traditional signs are still important, websites have become the “virtual sign” where customers and prospects can learn and interact with a business 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  However, like an exterior sign, a website is only good when people look at it. Data such as hits, visitors, location, bounce rates and time on site all tell you if people are visiting your website, staying around to interact and coming back for more.  Google Analytics is one of the more popular tools for tracking and if you already have it setup on your website, you are going to love this week’s app.

Analytics for iPhone ($6.99 from the iTunes store) provides surprisingly comprehensive access to your website Google Analytics data while on the go.  $6.99 may seem high, but in return you receive access to 55 different reports, the ability to login to view multiple sites under your Google account and an app that is a pleasure to use.

The power to access analytics from a mobile device can be of strong value to business users.  Everyone is tight and on time and it’s not always top of mind to find out how your website is performing.  Now, you can pull out your iPhone and with a few touches view comprehensive reports.  It saves time, improves productivity and supports decisions with real data.

Using the App

After logging in to your Google account and selecting one of the domains you are monitoring, an easy to navigate main screen appears.  The first three items are logically presented and likely the pages most users will want to see first.  Dashboard presents a spectacular view of the past 30 days activity on the site (date ranges can be adjusted).  It includes a visit overview of all the key site performance metrics including hits, unique visitors, bounce rate and more.  It’s a nice bonus that whenever one of these top metrics is touched, a corresponding bar graph will be generated.

The Dashboard also includes data such as referral type, referral sources (telling you if those ads or LinkedIn posts have been effective), location data such as country and city of viewers and which of your pages is the most popular.  The ability to view a snapshot of this data through a mobile device is extremely valuable to prepare for meetings or support decisions wherever you are.

Moving away from the Dashboard and back to the main screen you will find two extremely valuable views – Today and Yesterday.  While providing similar information to the Dashboard, these views provide fast access to what is happening on your site right now.  This is especially useful if you are running promotions on your website or want to judge the success of an advertising campaign that is currently in motion.

(this website had a bad day!)

Going deeper in the app, there are literally dozens of data points that can be analyzed from basics such as location and browser type to more complex operations such as eCommerce reports and Ad campaign results.  Very easy to use

Conclusion

If you use Google Analytics for your business, Analytics for iPhone is the must have app to access data on the go.  The app very is easy to use; in fact it’s easier to use than a laptop to monitor day-to-day trending.

The real value of the app comes with use. You will find that since it’s so easy to check your traffic data, you will be more likely use the information to positively influence or support decisions around your business and website.

You don’t have your laptop, but you get an email on your iPhone or iPad saying that last quarter’s figures have come out. Thankfully, there is a data report reader that is as functional as it is chic. Roambi, short for Roaming Business Intelligence allows you to interpret, view, store and interact with data using a gorgeous touch interface, curing you of some analytical apathy.

The application is free to download from the iTunes Store and works on your iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. It’s free to set up a lite account for personal use, which makes it a great way to try Roambi and get comfortable using it. The other two account types, which harness the full power of Roambi, are aimed at the corporate crowd. The Pro account, designed for companies and work groups, will run $99USD a year, and ES3, designed for enterprises, is priced specifically based on your needs. For the full rundown on all three account types check out this comparison chart.

How it works

Roambi creates stunning outputs that are perfect for presentations. The application comes loaded with a set of sample data for you to play around with. Once you have created an account, upload data from your computer, from a variety of programs such as Excel or Numbers. When you are using the application, you can sync with the Roambi server to find any new data sets that have been uploaded. The enterprise level account also allows you to import and analyze more intense data outputs, such as SAP readouts, IBM Cognos, and Microsoft Reporting Services. All you have to do is log in to Roambi on an iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad and you literally have the data at your fingertips. For anyone who works with numbers, Roambi is a must try.

What it is

The most noticeable benefit of using Roambi is that it allows the user to interpret data any one of several ways. You can get a brief overview of the data (above left) or use PieView (above right), but it also allows you to select a data slice for more information. The “Cardex” allows you to flip through charts, just like a Rolodex, and the “SuperList” allows you to read your data in a spreadsheet. Arguably, the most powerful mode is “CataList” (below left) which is a great comparative tool. For example, the sample data set that comes with the application includes store location and type information. You can compare store categories against a number of different statistics, such as: sales, visitors and specific inventory over a given time period. Finally there is also a very in-depth trend analysis tool (below right).

What it is not

Despite its ability to display data, it’s not a data creation or collection tool, like Excel or Numbers. This can be frustrating if you want to edit on the fly.  Plus, because the application is so powerful and rich with features, some people might have a big learning curve. You will need to give yourself some time to test drive all of the features.

Is it worth it?

Given that the app is free, and you can try it out with a lite account, free of charge, it’ s definitely worth checking out. Upload your own dataset and run an analysis that is relevant to your business, rather than using the example numbers that are included. If you’re on the road often and your team analyzes data on a regular basis, then this application is worth piloting.

Conclusion

The Roambi application has the potential to be a business professional’s best friend. When important information is needed in a pinch, Roambi is there.
Have you had the opportunity to use this app? If so, post your thoughts below.