New apps are coming out everyday, some are good, some are great, while others are somewhat revolutionary. In the forum space, there are two main competitors: Tapatalk and Forumrunner. Today these apps just gained a new competitor, a new app known as Topify.
Many in the industry have heard of Topify before, especially if they've been using Twitter. Topify is no longer associated with Twitter and is now marketing in the forum space. This app is available for free download on both iOS and Android platforms.
The app was created in HTML5, yet it looks and feels like a Native app. I bet it wasn't an easy task. CEO Raymond Lyle of Topify, considers the following as the best compliment he can get from developers: "I thought it was Native, how did you get a HTML5 app to do that?"
As I interviewed Raymond Lyle, one of the first things I had to find out was the vision he and his team have for the company and the application. He replied with the following:
"The ultimate vision for Topify is to create a Topic based discovery and display engine. Topify will progress into an interface that not only lends itself to a better user experience than the desktop platforms; but opens itself to a whole new user base by making the Topic based content easily discover-able and visually pleasing. In short, I don't ever want to have a user feeling that they need to put down their phone and go jump on their laptop. Facebook has been able to accomplish this through many years and iterations. The success is in the fact that their Mobile application is preferred to the desktop."
Now I'd like to explore the functionality of this app and encourage you to begin using it. Test it out and see if it doesn't change the way you interact with forums.
Here are 7 things that, not only make this app functional, but also powerful in the hands of a mobile user.
- You will be able to discover thousands of forums by searching by both category and keywords
- You will be able to communicate with other forum users through the threaded private messaging system
- Modify photos within the app due to the built in Aviary support
- View images directly within posts, including animated GIFs
- Slide-out navigation allows you to switch between forums with ease
- BBCode integration
- Ability to participate in, and view polls
If that wasn't awesome enough, look what benefits there are for a forum owner:
- No cost to integrate Topify into your forum
- Broaden your reach by including your forum in our directory
- Simple plugin installation process that auto updates
- Upload your own personalized cover photo to customize the look of your forum
- Monetize and earn revenue from your page views
- Provides users with a native, mobile interface far superior to the browser-based experience
Conclusion
For those who have used Tapatalk and Forumrunner, I'd love to hear what your thoughts are about Topify. Will you use it?