Today, I spent the morning reading about cool stuff. Tech stuff. So-cool-it’s-now-on-my-Facebook-wall stuff. Cool new apps, scripts, devices, etc. Partly to be sure I don’t get left in the technological boondocks from the speed of it all, but also to get inspired and find new ideas to use that technology to reach my not-so-tech-savvy goals.

On this occasion, I spent some time reading about iPhone apps. Why? Because on Friday I tried to watch Utah State dismantle BYU in football but kept getting distracted by the dozens of glowing iPhone screens all around me. The iPhone is big. Especially with college kids.

The moment of funny coincidence that lead to this post was when I checked out Snowbird’s picture of the day this morning (hoping to see the new snow they got last night). The photo was taken from an iPhone…using the Snowbird iPhone app .

I knew that ski resort apps existed, but only on a broader scale. For instance, an app called Ski Lodge give you a ridiculous amount of info for an equally ridiculous amount of ski resorts. Not to mention a beautiful design, simple layout, and a features list that demands a “wow”.

THE ARGUMENT FOR SKI RESORT IPHONE APPS

The question is, I suppose, do ski resorts need their own iPhone apps? With apps like Ski Lodge out there, what’s the point? I’m not sure, there are many compelling reasons on both sides:

Details
As great as Ski Lodge is, when you have your own app, you can supply as many details as you want about on-mountain conditions and embed videos, pictures, etc.

Interaction
The fact that a user can take a picture with their phone and submit it to Snowbird illustrates what an app could do. Allowing user generated content to be submitted via the app adds a whole new dimension of social media not to mention social proof.

Cost
I used to think apps cost a lot to get built, and maybe they do. But for a simple app the cost can be as little as a few hundred dollars with services like AppMakr, SwebApps, and MyAppBuilder.

Automation
By linking the app to current feeds, images, etc. there could be little or no maintenance required. Instead, the app could act as a secordary, streamlined website disquised as a app that gives the users a new way to consume your site’s content.

Promotion
The next time you borrow your co-worker’s iPhone, check out how many apps they have downloaded. Typically, the number is high. Most of which are found from just browsing the store. When you have an app, it’s a simple way for your name and logo to show up for folks all over the world.

So what are the cons? Likely just the opposites of what I mentioned. If it’s not automated, it means extra time and labor to keep it up to date. If you want a lot of fancy features, the cost could be much bigger than you ever imagine, and the more details you have the more time you have to spend each year making sure they are up-to-date.

Does anyone know of other resorts that have iPhone apps?

Update: Looks like Beech Mtn (see comments) and Mt Rose both have successfully created and launched iPhone apps of their own.

About Gregg & SlopeFillers
I've had more first-time visitors lately, so adding a quick "about" section. I started SlopeFillers in 2010 with the simple goal of sharing great resort marketing strategies. Today I run marketing for resort ecommerce and CRM provider Inntopia, my home mountain is the lovely Nordic Valley, and my favorite marketing campaign remains the Ski Utah TV show that sold me on skiing as a kid in the 90s.