LBMAO Case Study
About the LBMAO
The Lumber and Building Materials Association of Ontario, Inc., is a non-profit association comprised of Ontario retailers of lumber, building materials and hardware as well as suppliers who are manufacturers, distributors, buying groups, wholesalers or service firms selling products or providing services to the retail lumber, building materials and hardware trade.
When Apps Canada met with LBMAO to understand their needs and challenges, it became apparent that an app in this case could be a digital version of their printed directory. Not only did this answer the initial questions that were asked, but added a level of interactivity and useability that had not previously even been on the wish-list.
LBMAO had a directory of listings and advertisements that they printed and mailed to their membership and distributors. Apps Canada, a 100% Canadian company, was the perfect fit to spearhead the creation of their mobile app.
“Apps Canada recognized the unique challenges with the amount of data that we provide in our annual Directory to our members. They were able to use their existing platform as a base and customized an App that meets and exceeds the expectations of our members. The Apps Canada team were a pleasure to work with, responsive and accommodating to our requirements. ”
Using our framework and user-friendly platform, the association now has a stand-alone custom branded mobile app without the lengthy or costly challenges of developing an app from scratch. The digital directory keeps content fresh and updated throughout the year.
How a Mobile App led the Digital Transformation
| Old Way - Print | New Way - Digital | |
| For Members/ Suppliers | Carry printed directory, easily misplaced | Directory always available on phone |
| Information is out of date as soon as it is printed - Mark up hard copy with updates | Constantly updated, with search capability easily finding key words and products. | |
| Look up a phone number or email and manually transcribe | Instant one-touch call or email | |
| Look up address, find it on map | One-touch ‘Find’ any listing, or view all on map, tap to see listing | |
| Make call-list of contacts | Easily save any listings using ‘Bookmark’ - update list any time | |
| For Staff | Annual updates | Update app instantly, any time |
| Sell ads and confirm before final printing | Can add or update advertisements instantly | |
| Additional pages have additional costs | Rich, deep content can be added to easily. App costs less than producing, printing (120 page) and mailing a hard copy directory | |
| Advertising is static | Digital media aligns with advertisers’ strategies | |
| Review layout, typos, content updates before final printing | Make edits as needed and customize content throughout the year |
Apps Canada answered LBMAO’s questions
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The LBMAO printed a 200-page directory each year listing suppliers, advertisers, member retailers and information about the association. This directory was distributed by mail to retailers to source products from member suppliers, and suppliers to find their customers.
• The app is distributed digitally and updated instantly. App supports extensive content, so listings can be robust, customized, searchable and updated any time, using images, links and direct call/ email buttons.
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Advertisements in the printed directory helped to cover the cost of printing and distribution of the directory. Advertisers needed to have their sizing, images and content confirmed in time for the print deadline, and additional ad space required additional pages to be printed.
• Advertisements in the app are dynamic, with links directly to the online content that advertisers want to show. The number is only limited by the esthetic preferences, and content can be changed as frequently as desired. Formatting is flexible and many options exist for varieties of monetization.
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The printed directory had a section for listings by town, and a duplicate section for listings by name, and a third section for listings by product. It was familiar, and people were comfortable navigating through the book.
• App listings are categorized and searchable by region, town, category and can be displayed with the mapping tool on a user’s phone, allowing them to get specific directions from where they are currently
• The bookmark feature allows users to create their personalized list of vendors or suppliers that they work with most, or want to contact next
• Push notifications allow the association to send a non-invasive message to all app users, or to users within a specific region
• Customizable buttons, listings, images and content so the association can adjust messages based on the time of year (eg. membership renewal or AGM time)
