Is Your Iphone App Laying In The Dust?

If you are an iPhone/iPod Touch application developer, then there is always one thing on your mind – how  well is my app doing in the App Store? This post is all about how you can maximize your chances of ‘making it big’ in the App Store – most of it, you can do with very little money.

Advertise

There is no point in having an App, if nobody knows about it – Is there? So, you need to advertise on websites, but you need to be careful – there is no point in advertising on a site about Weight Loss, when your application is a Car Racing App. You have to think about a couple of questions, Who is your main audience? Is it aimed people who are losing weight, or is it aimed at people who are into Cars and Racing? You then have to think about another question, What websites would these people visit? Would they visit a Weight Loss website, a Formula 1 website or an Online Auction Site? Think about the most likely sites that they would go to, then start advertising on them! However, you will have to create the advert yourself, and you will have to agree on page impressions per month etc, with the owner of the site.

Make a Website

This will give people the opportunity to read a little more into the app and see what you, the developer, is planning for future updates. This website should also have a ‘Contact Me’ section, where people can give their ideas for updates, and where they can ask you questions. Yet again, this is advertising!

Be willing to lose money, to gain money

So, have you ever had an Application Reviewer email you? No? Well, maybe, you need to have a way to get in touch with you you first! When you have done this, people will be contacting you all of the time! This tip means that if an App Reviewer does come along, and they would like an Application Code so that they get the App for free (for reviewing purposes only!), don’t say ‘No, go and buy it yourself, if you want it that badly’. Say ‘Yeah, sure!’. This means that your app will have a whole post written about it, people will read it, and hopefully download the app! Yet more advertising for your application!

Make a Lite Version of your App

Most people don’t want to pay a lot of money for one app that could be rubbish! So, give them a ‘lite version‘ of your application, this means that they get to try one or two levels of your app, in a free download from the App Store. Many companies like ngmoco who made the successful application ‘Rolando‘, have made a lite version. Yeah, but I’m losing money here – I’ve slaved over two levels, but I’m giving them away for free, that’s not right, surely? OK, maybe you’re right, but, in the long term you will make money – especially if the two levels that you give away are very enjoyable!

Take time and care over descriptions of the Application

Imagine that your application is called ‘Car Racing’. In the description (especially on the App Store), don’t say ‘The name of the App says it all, you race cars.’. Say something like ‘This fun and immersing game lets you race around the suburbs of towns. You battle against your rival gangs, to see who is the ‘top dog”. See how much more interesting the app sounds? You’ve only added a couple of sentences to the description! If you can, include some quotes from reviewers (obviously, don’t pick bad quotes!). Basically, all you need to do is ‘big yourself up’, obviously, though, you have to tell the truth, and not exaggerate on things.

Excellent! A lot of people have downloaded my App, what do I do now?

Don’t update your app, for the sake of updating!

If you think that your application needs updating, then make the update worth downloading, however, if there is a critical bug in your application, then make an update especially for that bug, as this will make the users time using the application, far more enjoyable. Also, make the update descriptions in-depth, don’t just say ‘Bug Fix’, say something like ‘Critical Bug Fix: This bug would make the Application Freeze’ – people are interested in what the update does.

Continue to advertise!

You can never have enough app downloads!

So, what do you have to do, basically, to get more users? Advertise! This is the most important point of them all, if you don’t advertise, no-one will know about your application, therefore, no-one will download it.