iPhone app HootSuite designed for professionals, but lacks standard features

If you’re a business tweeter, you’re likely already using HootSuite, the popular Web-based Twitter interface that bills itself as “the professional Twitter client.” Now, HootSuite has entered the iPhone app realm with its recently released iPhone app HootSuite ($1.99) for iPhone and iPod Touch.

The HootSuite iPhone app integrates two of the best features of its Web predecessor: The ability to schedule tweets (select a future date and time) and stats, which include click counts, geographic information and referring Web sites. To access stats, you will have to sign up for a HootSuite account (and use ow.ly link shortening), but there is painless registration in-app.

If you do already use HootSuite, the app will sync with your existing columns. I love that you can swipe between your timeline, mentions and direct message columns. The iPhone app also accommodates groups and lists.

This version of HootSuite is missing some standbys of the Web version, such as Facebook, Ping.fm and LinkedIn integration, and there’s no ability to manage your followers—something you may want to do while on the go.

HootSuite is visually appealing and has great potential to change the way professionals manage Twitter on iPhone and iPod Touch. However, the iPhone app is missing some key features (landscape typing, email integration, no way to change default behaviors, to name a few) that are standard among most other Twitter clients.

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