Contrary to popular belief, or at least a few marketing campaigns, the arrival of Apple’s iPhone has not triggered a new age of unprecedented peace. Its fluid, graceful, free-flowing integration of voice, data, music, and cutting-edge applications have yet to fill anyone’s need for world domination — but it just might be able to fill in some holes (yeah, that’s what she said) in your company’s bottom line.

It’s not just the fact that there are more than 50 million iPhones in use, or that they’re largely in the hands of the people making the big buying decisions — you know, the C-Level execs. What I’m really excited about is that it’s become easier than ever to design websites and apps for the digital equivalent of a Swiss army knife. I’ll just say it: the time is right to start integrating iPhone tools into your online marketing strategy. Nuff said.

Don’t jump head first without knowing what you’re doing though; the technology is relatively new still and can become a sinkhole for your money, so be sure to start off on the right foot.

 

To get off on that right foot, here are a few tips to help you create and integrate an iPhone strategy:

Make your website iPhone-friendly

This is a simple step, but one that lots of marketers miss. A talented designer or developer can help you ensure that your site loads correctly on mobile devices, or help you develop a mirror page that does. You might be surprised at how many people come to your site while they’re out of the office, or would if they could.

Develop killer apps

The big mistake most companies make in developing iPhone apps is the same one they make in most online marketing efforts: thinking that doing something is the same as doing something good. It’s all in the execution, baby. If your app is going to have any impact in the marketplace, it has to be incredibly useful or innovative — the kind of thing that your customers and prospects will say “how the heck did I ever live without this?!?”

Take a look through the top-selling apps to see what I mean. You’ll see right away that what people download — free or paid — are apps that are fun, engaging, or generally useful in some way. They want to know whether their flight is on time or how they can better stay on top of social networking sites. What they don’t need is another piece of software that doesn’t do what it promised. There are a ton of apps available right now. You want to stand out? It needs to do something different or better than the competition.

Give the app away for free? Are you nuts?!?

Along with the growth of iPhones and apps, we’ve read lots of stories about companies and developers that have hit the lottery, virtually speaking, by making a small fortune off of new applications. Yeah, while there certainly have been cases of low-cost overnight best-sellers, the reality is that most apps just don’t earn much money for their owners…at least in terms of direct sales.

Most businesses have done really well by turning prospective customers into real customers, or average customers into awesome customers. We all know that marketing is very much a “top of mind” game — the more (and more quickly) people think of you, the more likely they are to keep buying from you in the future. What better way to hook buyers than by creating an app they just can’t live without?

You’re better off developing a killer app and giving it away for free (and possibly having it spread in a viral way amongst your customers and prospects) than you are relying on sales of it to boost your bottom line. Not only will your chances of reaching people be better, but you’ll probably find a much greater value per customer in the process.

Integrate — Just do it

Hopefully, you’re beginning to understand why iPhone applications can be such a profitable part of your online business strategy. Remember, though, that they are still only one piece of the puzzle and that all the pieces have to fit together to form a pretty picture. To get the most out of your investment, you’ll want to be sure that your iPhone site and apps connect seamlessly to your blog, social networking pages, and other branding pieces. Make it easy for visitors to reach you through as many outlets as possible.

iPhones represent a whole new set of opportunities for businesses that are ready to take the platform head on. Follow these tips to integrate them into your strategy and your company might just find a new way to reach movers and shakers on the go.