There’s An App For That

Hamden Regional Chamber of Commerce promotes Hamden App

You have an app for everything else – then why not for where you spend most of your hometown? Hello Hamden is the latest example of a town moving into the virtual world, hoping to not just inform residents and visitors about goings-on, but to help promote local businesses at the same time.

A project of the Hamden Regional Chamber of Commerce, the app is a move to bring information to the people. While web browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Safari are still the dominant forms of accessing the internet, more and more people are turning to dedicated apps on their phones for information.

Think of Facebook and Twitter where people congregate and talk to each other, Instagram and Tik Tok which have turned into video streaming apps, Uber Eats and GrubHub where people see what restaurants are open.

According to Nancy Dudchik, President of the Chamber, quoted in a New Haven Register article, only Darien and Mystic have apps like Hamden. (Although, further research showed apps for other cities that might have gone live since this interview.)

Broken down into four categories, individuals can nav- igate between Eat, Shop, Play, or Live/Work/Stay tabs. The former breaks down food into different categories like style of dining (family-friendly or fine dining). Shop has resources for everything from antiques to farms. While the app is free for anyone to download, there are some costs associated for businesses that want to advertise or enhance their presence on the app.

Armstrong Software, the company that is credited with listing the app on the Apple store, has created apps for dozens of localities around the country – from RV Parks to Resorts to whole counties.

Under the banner of “App My Community,” the company “builds customized mobile apps dedicated to promoting the individual branding and amenities of any type of community.”

With more than a dozen customizable features, the company looks to make its app as intuitive and usable as possible no matter what the needs are of the town or city.

And in 2023, people might not be bringing up a website anymore – they might just be bringing up one of their many apps on their phone. With a different app for nearly everything you do, why not have an app for that?