Creating microapps as lead magnets

Benefit from the engineering as marketing channel without blocking your own developer resources.

Engineering-as-Marketing is one of the traction channels from the book Traction: A Startup Guide to Getting Customers.

It's defined as:

using engineering time to create useful tools like calculators, widgets, and educational microsites to get your company in front of potential customers. These tools then generate leads and expand your customer base.

Justin Mares - Traction book

With Engineering-as-Marketing, you provide small but useful tools for your customers. They should be related to your main product or audience. Moreover, they need to deliver real value standalone. You're building trust here.

  • Your customers should gain a quick win by using your app
  • Simplicity is vital - easy to use, easy to get the quick win
  • Make it specific. One task only, avoid the complex
  • Add one Call To Action (CTA) to get the user one step further in your marketing channel like on your email list

The only downside of this marketing channel is that most companies do not have the developer resources for building these. They either don't have developers, or it is too expensive to reallocate some of them from your main product to your marketing.

This is where I step in.

I'll build your marketing tool at a fixed price without blocking your precious developer resources.

Get Started

Portfolio

Click on any image to visit the site or store page.

Online Breathing Timer

Visually stimulating breathing exercises to calm down.
screenshot of the online breathing timer

Breathing is more than just life. Breathing helps to calm down, dealing with anxiety, fear, and more. The app brings the exercises where office-workers need them; at their workplace.

Progressive Web App and mobile-first design.

It was released end of July 2020 and attracted more than 2000 users in the first weeks. Also, already reaching page 1 on search engines for certain keywords.

Soft-CTA at the bottom to funnel users into the product world of the client.

PromoTab

Check on which Gmail tab your newsletter will appear
screenshot of the promotab tool - check on which gmail tab your newsletter appears

Delivery of a newsletter is essential. If your emails appear in the SPAM folder or on Promotion, Update, and alike, your readers will not see and read them. Your open rates and engagement will drop.

PromoTab is a simple online checker tool and shows you on which Gmail tab your email appears on. It uses a real Gmail account for detection.

Wheel Of Life Assessment Tool

A minimalistic online tool for the wheel of life assessment
wheel of life assessment welcome page wheel of life result page

The Wheel of Life is an excellent tool to help you explore where you are in your life right now. The tool guides you through the assessment in a visually pleasing way and displays a visual overview of one's life. The single CTA is on the result page to opt-in to receive follow-up questions and additional info to make the best out of it.

Inner Peace Extension

Chrome and Firefox extension for taking a short break
screenshot of the store entry of the inner peace browser extension

The app helps users taking a short break with serene music, beautiful landscapes, and inspiring quotes while remaining at their desks. Coming back re-energized.

Soft-CTA at the bottom to funnel users into the product world of the client.

Online Meditation Timer

A minimalist timer app as a Progressive Web App and mobile-first.
screenshot of the online meditation timer

The app covers the most used times for meditation session. Comes with 2 visual modi.

  1. Analog with time elapsed in a circle.
  2. Pure digital presentation of the remaining time.

Soft-CTA at the bottom to funnel users into the product world of the client.

Motivate - Reach Your Goal Chrome Extension

Chrome extension for staying on track and reaching your goals
screenshot of the store entry of the motivate chrome extension

A Chrome extension that helps users to get shit done. It shows their current task in the browser window. The place many office workers spend their day. They can't miss it.

Additionally, it warns users that they have something else to accomplish instead of surfing social media sites.

Soft-CTA in the settings. It leads the user to goal setting tips and further down a funnel.

ZENmix Lite - Ambient Sounds Mobile Apps

screenshot of the ios store front of zenmix lite

A mobile app for iOS and Android. Features 6 sounds of an ambient sound generator application. The main app is primarily online but also has a paid version on mobile.

The Lite version promotes the mobile and online versions of the main application.

FeedLetter.co

Minimalist feedback system for newsletters
screenshot of feedletter.co - a simple feedback system for newsletters

Born out of a need for better readers' feedback for my newsletters. It removes friction and makes it simple for readers to voice their opinion about a particular email.

It uses a 2-step process with minimal user interaction as possible. Giving real value to newsletter creators to improve their newsletters.

FeedLetter is blurring the line between micro apps for marketing and a standalone micro-apps. It started as an in-house tool, turned into a lead gen tool, and now slowly moves into a standalone service.

What Customers Say

There was no obstacle of hesitation that prevented me from buying the service. I saw first hand a project Jens built that I wanted to also own, so I had requested if he could help me with that.

As a result I found exactly the features that were discussed in the initial invoice and discussion.

I really like that Jens was so autonomous and made the whole process smooth. He made me feel I’d get what I need done when he said he would get it done. And he did!

Three other things I loved are the dynamic tech stack, great price, and the quicker than agreed on delivery time.

I’d strongly recommend Jens’s service. He gets the job done, he delivers on time, and the price is great!

I just want to add that I’m looking on extending my project and the first thought I had was to go to Jens and see if he’s interested in implementing it.

Yaro Bagriy - Founder of Indie Stack & Newsletter Crew

Don't know if I hesitated before working with Jens. I probably would prefer more communication but I know you like to keep things short and sweet.

Jens's service felt very German, quick and efficient with not a lot of fluff :) I like that Jens is very attentive and fixed most issues the very next day.

He is reliable and great at sticking to a schedule and delivering. By hiring an outside developer for a specific project, it can be delivered faster because it was Jens sole focus.

I completely recommend working with Jens. He is a talented developer that can filter a conversation into a full product spec and can deliver successfully.

Also, I find the flat per-project pricing with unlimited updates unusual but interesting!

Taylor McKnight - Founder of Emamo

Get Started

Ready for creating your app? Got any quetions? Fill out the contact form and I'll get back to you in the next 24h. Or DM me on Twitter at Jens Boje aka codeboje