Apps are a big business and everyone’s cashing in on them – so maybe that’s why they might be having trouble coming up with unique names, or their marketing department isn’t quite putting in the research to make sure there isn’t another application with a similar name.

So let me break it down for you.

Snapp App

First, there’s Snapp App, an applications company that’s created a “Tipping Tips” app that lets globetrotters know exactly how much to tip. So, sure, you won’t come across as rude or uncultured, but it doesn’t do anything to help you with business. Let’s move on.

Snapp! (iPhone)

Then there’s iPhone’s Snapp! – the app that revolutionizes the way you meet people. Say goodbye to archaic business cards that are bulky to carry around and a waste of space as they pile up…and say hello to the ability to socially connect with all the people you meet in less than 10 seconds.

You get all their data, social connections, an associated photo if you want, an accompanying note if needed…and they get an email with all your data and an impressively short business brochure.

What I love about Snapp! is that all this is done instantly, including the tiresome email that we all dutifully send out (ideally) within days of meeting a contact. Easily, this has shaved a good day to two days work off my time when I go to a networking event. Normally I’d have to lug cards around, including my own. Then I’d have to remember each person and squeeze in time over the next week remembering who they were, what the conversation was, what their business was about, and then send them a tiresome email about how much I loved meeting them. At least with an email already sent to them (or received from them) you can skip rehashing introductions and get to business.

SnapApp

And then finally there’s SnapApp, a marketing platform designed to help businesses get and engage customers. What sets them apart is that they provide you with the tools to easily create customized apps for your business. You don’t need a pricey graphic designer or IT guy.

The purpose of DIY app technology is to derive maximum benefits from brand promotion, information dissemination, education, brand affinity, marketing conversations, social sharing (including designing and managing viral campaigns), lead capturing and building site traffic.

Anyone starting out and needing just basic app creating capabilities for quizzes, polls and surveys will just need the $49/month package. The real meat and potatoes of the app world starts at the $249/month price point. Here you’d get lead generation, mobile optimization, Facebook Likes, sweepstakes apps, social sharing and lead data export.

SnappApp is ideally suited for businesses focusing on brand engagement and visibility, marketing agencies, publishers and marketers. Brand-centric businesses can create campaigns from start to finish with a heavy emphasis on user engagement through data-capturing polls/surveys and Facebook/Twitter interaction, as well as brand education.

Some business owners will shy away from the idea of polls and surveys. For those executives, I encourage them to not think of these valuable data tools from the perspective of our own experiences with outdated graphic-less polls but to keep new 2.0 designs in mind. You can start by checking out some inspirational app samples.