Lessons learned3yearsappstore

Lessons Learned from 3 Years on the App Store

Mohammad Azam

Wednesday, November 20, 13

Mohammad Azam


Mohammad Azam

• Manager Consultant at Sogeti


Mohammad Azam


• Founder of HighOnCoding


Mohammad Azam



• Creator of AzamSharp YouTube Channel (over 5500 subscribers)


Mohammad Azam



• Creator of AzamSharp YouTube Channel (over 5500 subscribers)

• Microsoft MVP (2007 - 2011)


Apps


ABC POP


Mathemachicken


Math Speeder


Kinder Pop


My Chandas


Vegetable Tree

Featured on App Store 2013


Daily5

Featured on App Store 2013


Agenda

Why iOS?

Investment

Idea

DesignImplementation

Tools/FrameworksTesting

Marketing

Customer Service iOS 7

updatesLegal


Why iOS?


Why iOS?

• iOS apps make more money as compared to any other platform


Why iOS?


• Users upgrade to new platform almost instantly (iOS 7 already have > 80% adoption rate)


Why iOS?



• Mac (Once you go Mac you don’t go back)


Why iOS?



• Mac (Once you go Mac you don’t go back)

• It’s a lot of FUN!


Investment


Investment


Investment


Investment


Investment

$1200 - $2000


Investment

$1200 - $2000$99 per year Apple Developer Program Membership


Idea


Idea

• Get Inspired Don’t Cheat


Idea


• Follow your passion


Idea



• Don’t suffer from ABD (Already Been Done) syndrome


Idea




• Use your memories/culture to your advantage (Mathemachicken was inspired from my visit to a poultry farm)


Idea




• Use your memories/culture to your advantage (Mathemachicken was inspired from my visit to a poultry farm)

• Make an app about a subject you want to learn


Tools and Frameworks

Xcode

Objective-C

Xamarin

Ruby Motion

C#

HTML5

Appcode



Xcode

Objective-C

XamarinC#

HTML5

Appcode



Xcode

Objective-C

C#

HTML5

Appcode



Xcode

Objective-C

HTML5

Appcode



Xcode

Objective-C

Appcode



Xcode

Objective-C


Design


Design

• Design represents how the app feels


Design


• Paper and pencil


Design



• Design time > development time


Design




• Less features is better than more features!


Design




• Less features is better than more features!

Think about how the user will interact with the application!

Design of a cycling app is different than a financial app!


Implementation


Implementation

• Set a goal


Implementation

• Set a goal

• Don’t take shortcuts!


Implementation

• Set a goal


• Don’t reinvent the wheel!


Implementation

• Set a goal



• Ask for help when needed!


Implementation

• Set a goal



• Ask for help when needed!

• Backup your code!


Goal


Goal

• Achieving smaller goals will give you confidence to move forward


Goal


• Give yourself a deadline!


Goal



• Remove all distractions


Goal



• Remove all distractions

• Sacrifice Breaking Bad!


Shortcuts


Shortcuts

• Shortcuts will later bite you in the a$$


Shortcuts


• Don’t write crappy code!


Shortcuts


• Don’t write crappy code!

ABC POP iPhone game quickly became hard to maintain because of ugly code!


Reinventing Wheel


Reinventing Wheel

• Before creating a custom control check out CocoaControls


Reinventing Wheel

• Before creating a custom control check out CocoaControls

• Before manually managing dependencies check out Cocoapods


Ask for help


Ask for help

• Accept that you don’t know everything


Ask for help

• Accept that you don’t know everything

• Use StackOverFlow to ask your questions


Backup your code


Backup your code

• 3, 2, 1 (3 copies of the item, 2 on a different medium, 1 offsite)


Icon


Icon

Icon is a pathway to your app, keep it clean and beautiful!


Icons


Icons

If I have a budget of $200 for the app I will spend all on the app icon!


Icons

If I have a budget of $200 for the app I will spend all on the app icon!

and I did!


Icons by Developer


Icons by Designer


Price


Price

• The narrower the audience, the higher the price


Price


• Ads degrade the app!


Price



• Real money is in In-App purchase. And even more money is in consumable In-App purchase (Candy Crush uses the consumable model and

generates 530K ... a day)


Price



• Real money is in In-App purchase. And even more money is in consumable In-App purchase (Candy Crush uses the consumable model and

generates 530K ... a day)

Build the pricing model around the app not the other way!


Bird Watching Apps


Games


Vegetable Tree


Vegetable Tree• Initial Price: $1.99



• Price changed: $2.99






















Find the high end of your app price! You already know the bottom end!


Marketing


Marketing• Pre-release



• Promo codes



• Promo codes

• Ad space



• Promo codes

• Ad space

• Blogging



• Promo codes

• Ad space

• Blogging

• Social Media



• Promo codes

• Ad space

• Blogging

• Social Media

• Set a release date for your app!



• Promo codes

• Ad space

• Blogging

• Social Media

• Set a release date for your app!

• Getting featured by Apple


Pre-release


Pre-release

• Create a teaser trailer (Checkmark app, Perfect Weather)


Pre-release


• Write about the design and development process


Pre-release



• Create a website for your app


Pre-release



• Create a website for your app

• Create high quality screenshots (placeit.breezi.com)


Promo codes


Promo codes

• You get 100 promo codes per version of the app


Promo codes


• You cannot review the app when using the promo code


Promo codes



• Distribute to reviewers, bloggers etc


Promo codes



• Distribute to reviewers, bloggers etc

• Giveaway promo codes on Twitter or Facebook as a prize


Ad Space


Blogging


Blogging• Blog about the process of your app development



• Write about how you found a solution to a complicated problem



• Write about how you found a solution to a complicated problem

A developer made $6000+ in sales by blogging about his experience of how standup desk has changed his life. He sold thousands of his fitness apps!


Social Media


Social Media

• Follow tags related to your app on Twitter and Facebook


Social Media


• Communicate with the leaders and tell them about your app


Social Media


• Communicate with the leaders and tell them about your app

• Take part in discussion boards related to your app


Release Date


Release Date

• Never release your app automatically!


Release Date


• Release date generates excitement


Release Date


• Release date generates excitement

• Custom release date will help you plan your marketing strategies


Getting Featured by Apple


Getting Featured by AppleCreate a great app!



Create an app that features Apple’s new API




Newsstand




NewsstandGame Center





AirDrop





Blue ToothAirDrop





Blue Tooth

iOS 7

AirDrop


Duke Nukem


Duke Nukem


Duke NukemDuke Nukem 3D was released in 1996



Duke Nukem Forever was released




15 years later




15 years later

Make sure you are not creating Duke Nukem forever!


Updates


Updates• Updates are important



• App that do not update, do not exist




• Create an update schedule









Updates gives your app free marketing opportunity!


Vegetable Tree


Vegetable Tree


Vegetable Tree


Legal


Legal

• Form an LLC


Legal

• Form an LLC

• Pay for the assets (images, sounds, artwork)


Legal

• Form an LLC


Protect your ass


Legal

• Form an LLC


Protect your assets!


Testing


Testing

• Test your app!


Testing

• Test your app!

• TEST IT ON THE DEVICE, TEST IT ON THE DEVICE, TEST IT ON THE DEVICE, TEST IT ON THE DEVICE


Testing

• Test your app!


• Form a team of beta testers


Testing

• Test your app!


• Form a team of beta testers

• Use TestFlight to distribute your builds


Customer Service


Customer Service


Customer Service


Customer Service


Customer Service


Customer Service


Customer Service


Customer Service


Customer Service


Customer Service

• Treat your customers with respect


Customer Service


• Customer service can increase your app ranking


Customer Service


• Customer service can increase your app ranking

Almost all the 5 star reviews of Vegetable Tree app are because of excellent customer service



iOS has the same look and feel since its release


iOS has the same look and feel since its release

Until Now!Wednesday, November 20, 13


iOS 7Wednesday, November 20, 13

Chaos in the App Store



• All the apps with heavy textures will look obsolete!




• Opportunity to penetrate into your desired market




• Opportunity to penetrate into your desired market

Since, the release of the iOS SDK this is the best opportunity for any developer to seize the moment!


Apple Weather App


Reminders App


Apple App Store App


Apple Calendar App


Vegetable Tree


Resources


Resources

• AzamSharp YouTube Channel (www.youtube.com/azamsharp)


Resources


• iOS Programming by Big Nerd Ranch (Book)


Resources


• iOS Programming by Big Nerd Ranch (Book)

• http://www.raywenderlich.com/


http://www.raywenderlich.com/

http://www.raywenderlich.com/

Contact


Contact• [email protected]



• @azamsharp



• @azamsharp

• www.azamsharp.com


http://www.azamsharp.com



• @azamsharp


• www.highoncoding.com




http://www.highoncoding.com



• @azamsharp


• www.highoncoding.com







http://www.youtube.com/azamsharp

http://www.youtube.com/azamsharp

Thank you!See you in the app store!


Date post:	27-Jan-2015
Category:	Technology
Upload:	mohammad-azam
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Lessons learned3yearsappstore

Technology