There is no doubt that Web 2.0 is cool. It works and it gets the job done for everyone that knows a little bit about the online world. But perhaps what isn’t highlighted enough is just what a robust springboard this virtual world really is. What does that mean? Think of the Web as the human genome. Depending on who interacts with it, the features and characteristics of the developers with the cool ideas and the relevant technical expertise can add on molecules and bonds, allowing the user to have a very rich experience.
Marketing doesn’t have to be ‘in-your-face’ all the time. Have you considered how a software or web developer actually markets their brand or name? By creating products that people want to use to make their lives more comfortable, companies able to not just create the right product, but trigger the right demand. How many times have you used an application and thought to yourself, “hmmm… how did I survive before this came into my life?!” That’s the demand trigger. And we have a lot of young companies who do simply this: target and identify how specific applications can be developed so the Web becomes a more intrinsic part of you.
Salsoft is just one such company we came across. Amongst other apps, Salsoft has a service known as Facebookster through which they stake a claim to their niche? Developing applications for Facebook which enable you to have a more enriched Facebook experience. Salman Ghaznavi, the President of Salsoft took some time out of the virtual world, to speak to us about some of the opportunities, scope and risks involved in running the business they way do.
Their work at Facebookster.com speaks for itself and it is really the best example of the company’s own viral marketing. Their work might be diverse within the niche itself however their motto is simple: they are the ultimate insiders of social media application development. If you want to read how Application development for social networks can be integrated into your marketing plan, read on!
ence to our client. Hence remuneration depends on the scope of the project and how our client wishes to work with us.
What’s the response been like to some of your apps? Could you name the apps and discuss the number of installations?
The response has been fabulous! We had an exhilarating experience as we increased in strength. We have opened offices in the US and in other cities of Pakistan. We have appointed representative in far corners of the world and plan to open offices in other markets soon.
We do consistently well and continue to strive for stronger footing in the market. There is a long list of successful applications that we have developed. Some of these include;
—    BlockStar (Tetris Game)- this gets more than 250,000     users each month,
—    Snapdollars- more than 3000 users,
—    MightofMany- more than 45,000 users.

These are dozens more successful applications but NDAs disable us from mentioning them.
What are some trends in apps development for social networking sites? What kind of people have which kinds of apps created?
Every application is unique, just like every song is different from the other, but you have to keep a few things in mind during the development process. It is these considerations that will make the difference between the success or failure of the application. Ensure the app is user friendly, social and viral and has an organic connection to Facebook’s intrinsic environment. We design applications as per clients needs and use your vast experience to polish their ideas to deliver a satisfactory consumer experience. Every application is different and is developed accordingly.
The application you develop, at the end of the day, can only be as robust or dynamic as the environment it is in. Is Facebook’s fabric really that flexible and powerful?
Of course it is. If it wasn’t, it would not survive and thrive among hundreds of social networks. Facebook only recently overtook its longtime rival MySpace in membership and affinity. Facebook is unique and perhaps the new platform to do everything you want to do online.
A common problem (which you seem to have also address in this blog entry: http://facebookster.com/blog/2008/08/20/good-bad-news-about-facebook-applications/) is that there is so much going on with every user, a cool application will be installed but seldom used. How would you ensure that the users actually USE the developed application on a regular basis?
Once again, applications are like songs – you have your favorites but you always like new ones. We keep a record of our application users. Every time the users use the application, it is monitored at our end and we keep a track of the number of users using our applications on a daily basis. For this we use Google Analytics -the best in class. We can build viral hooks, news feeds and user other tools to keep the interest alive.
Would you recommend a company advertise their product or service through a custom-made app instead of placing an ad on Facebook?
We are in the brave new world of 21st century communication. Just like the last century, new media vehicles are forming whereas old ways to reach consumers and old media is being pushed aside. Consumers are spending stupendous amount of quality time on interactive social media. My question is, can a manufacturer or a service provider ignore such a growing tide like social media, at its peril.  Applications are the new message carrier in line with other content and information that is being brought to consumers. They offer tremendous opportunities to brands to promote in an interactive and entertaining fashion. If you place a simple banner ad people would just have a look at it but if you develop an application, things would go a few steps further.
The engaged users will develop a longer lasting impression on the mind about your brand. Friend recommendations and shared usage is an inbuilt feature in the social media. Making use of this powerful endorsement is what applications are all about. Applications bring your brand closer to your customers where they get to have a better know how of your products. These apps leave a stronger impact on your consumer. A simple ad won’t do much for you where as a quality application can do wonders.
Depending on how you responded to the previous question, what advice would you give to a consumer-
oriented company to make the most out of their presence on a social networking website?
I think for both a consumer oriented company or a business oriented enterprise, targeting the social networks on the internet is very important. After all, even businesses are run by people, and we prefer to be in touch with others via social networks, because of the ease of use, availability and immediate response rate. Business enterprises should first test these apps and target these networks to generate awareness and increase brand affinity.  We make this approach to social networks, professional and interesting. I would strongly recommend consumer-oriented companies to promote themselves and their products on social networks by building memorable applications just like interesting ads. This is the way forward and this is the best strategy to communicate in the 21st century.
Considering Google is considered to be the largest apps-sharing platform, why do you think Orkut didn’t take off as successfully as Facebook did? In your opinion, did they launch too quickly? How did Facebook manage to maintain the traction?
Google is definitely the largest apps-sharing platform but that doesn’t make Orkut a success. It is important for a social networking site to be easy to use and secure among other attributes. Facebook was the first platform to open doors for application development. It continues to lead rather than follow. Google is, unfortunately, a follower in this arena, similar to its mobile platform where it is also far behind Apple’s iPhone platform.
Whereas Facebook is flexible, strong, innovative and has a richer heritage with thousands of developers trained on it, the other social networking platforms leave much to be desired. I won’t comment on the failure of Orkut, except for the obvious fact that they lack in some areas which is why they didn’t spread like Facebook did. Facebook manages to maintain the traction because it has diversity, it has uniqueness and it is a strong network.
In the development of Apps for any Open platform, isn’t there always a security risk? You guys claim to know the fabric of Facebook inside out. Isn’t that opening Facebook to an otherwise unnecessary risk?
Security risks are always a matter of concern to us. Most of the social networks have established certain barriers and limitations to reduce the risks. At our end, we make sure that there are no security hazards that are left unattended. We try to maintain secure servers and minimize the security risks. Do remember that Facebook constantly monitors our applications and bans any developer who does not meet the standards.
As an apps developer, how do you create your value and market repute? Just like with most other download sites, we don’t install stuff from unrecognized names. How difficult is it to establish yourself as an Apps developer?
It is easier said than done. It really is a tough job to maintain the standard and constantly improve them. To us, our reputation is supreme. We are only as good as our last job, and we are aware of that fact. In our case, my team works tirelessly to improve our apps. We are constantly rechecking and evaluating our work.
Being one of the biggest in the arena generates a lot of pressure to produce world class applications. It has taken us a long time to set up internal quality checks and adhere to best practices. When we promise our clients to provide them with the best, we mean it, and then we deliver. Word of mouth is our only way to advertise. Establishing ourselves as world leader in social media applications was very difficult because we had to make sure that our clients are satisfied and that we could deliver the premium quality. We are a well known and trusted name in the social media application circles, so our clients know us and their trust and recommendations helps us bring more customers.
We are constantly trying to reach out to the local talent. We welcome thought leaders and innovators of tomorrow. I want to challenge the status quo. If you think you have the ideas, and the skills to succeed, come join the party. We want to be the best in class for application development, so if you have it, Salsoft is the best place to innovate and thrive. Give us a shout.
What is the process for people to contact you? Do they give you an idea and you match an app? How much creative license can you exert?
Mainly people come to us through word of mouth or our website, but other than that we do participate in industrial and trade forums and interact with buyers like other companies. I know it is a conundrum but we don’t have time to advertise and promote ourselves. Thankfully more clients find us through our large client base and recommendations. Clients do give us their ideas and our consultants and developers polish them. We give them suggestions on how to execute their vision into reality. It is a fascinating and fun process. We project the user requirements through our innovative and diversified development process with creative ideas to produce outstanding applications.•
For more details about the company or Salman, please visit facebookster.com

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