Evolving with the App Store
Here, Randal Higgins, the founder of Touchmint (www.touchmint.com ), shares his story, highlighting, among many things, the importance of adaptability for an appreneur:
My path to developing started approximately a year after college. I graduated with degrees in computer information systems and computer network administration. During college I took a few programming classes, such as Java and Flash, but I was far from good at them. During school I always wanted to develop iPhone apps, but I did not have a Mac and could not justify the cost at the time. Not long after I graduated, I moved to Arizona, sold some electronics and online game items on Ebay and Craigslist, and, finally, bought a MacBook Pro.
Being a Windows person for most of my life, it was a little hard to figure out the file system and a few other things on the Mac operating system. I began learning Objective-C by reading Programming in Objective-C, by Stephen G. Kochan, through Safari Books Online. The book was a great starter, and the Safari Books membership is a must; the site has every programming book you can think of. After reading Programming in Objective-C, I started Head First iPhone and iPad Development. Head First is a great hands-on book. It made Xcode very easy to understand.
As I worked through the Head First book, I was thinking about an app I wanted to develop. I have always been a huge fan of playing sports, especially enjoying the statistics involved. I play quite a bit of softball and had been trying to keep my stats, but all the programs out there were lacking. I decided that my first app would be a baseball/softball stat-tracking app . Because I had already downloaded all the baseball stat apps in the App Store, I knew what worked and didn’t work. I analyzed user reviews and learned what others liked and didn’t like. I cannot stress enough how important it is to know your market and competition. Not everyone’s goal is to make money, but if you do plan on earning some cash, you had better know the market and your competition.
Nowadays, I see so many talented people pouring time into an app that is likely to fail because the app market is flooded with similar apps. Like I said, I am nowhere near to being a good programmer, but I would argue that it’s more important to know the market.
When I built my first app, Baseball Stats Tracker Touch, I created it as a framework for other apps. Although it took me approximately five to seven months to learn Xcode and to build that first app, it was worth the investment of time. I have built seven other apps on that framework in just four months. All but two have reached at least the top 200 in sports. Baseball Stats Tracker Touch reached number 10 overall in sports and grossed more than $6,000 in its first six months.
Approximately halfway through development, I found a site, iPhoneDevSDK (www.iphonedevsdk.com ), that really helped out a ton. To this day, my favorite online forum is its “Business and Marketing Forums.” The community is great, and if you want to learn the ins and outs of the App Store, that is the place to go.
Just because your app is released does not mean it is done. A web site is a must, something that I learned the hard way. I originally built my web site, Touchmint (www.touchmint.com ), on Google Sites, which was great because it is free, but my site lacked customization, causing me to look unprofessional. I recently moved to Namecheap, where I have a Wordpress theme; it is just as easy as Google but looks a lot better. Ongoing communication is another key to being successful. I make a habit of responding to questions and complaints within an hour, if possible. It blew my mind that users had never heard back from developers, and the users could not believe that I was writing to them, and so quickly. If you really want to keep good reviews, put a support button in your app so that people can get support right from it. I also like to give out promotions to my other available apps when someone takes the time to report a bug.
Updating and design are very important factors as well. When your app is targeted at kids, it had better look appealing, and the icon had better be cool. Updates are also great, not only for adding new features, but also for reminding your users that they own your app. When they are reminded, they will spread the word.
Overall, I don’t think there is a clearly defined path to success. Rather, success results from a combination of many factors. There is a reason why people who know Objective-C and Xcode inside and out have never had a successful app to date. To be successful in the App Store, you need to know a little of everything. Also important is the ability to adjust to App Store changes very fast. Apple will change its system, and it is your job as a developer to figure out how to adjust better than others do.
The App Store is evolving every day. It is your job as an appreneur to evolve with it, as Randal explains in his testimonial. Keeping up with the App Store’s changes will prepare you for navigating the app market and making informed appreneur decisions. I have found that the best way to keep updated is by having a good community. As an active member of the forums on iPhoneDevSDK (www.iphonedevsdk.com ), I connect with talented developers and appreneurs, including several of the people whose stories I share in this book. Appreneurs who are willing to learn are going to be much more successful than those who are inflexible. In this profession, I have found that if you ask for help, people will be happy to assist you. In particular, the iPhoneDevSDK forums have given me information on everything App Store–related. There are thousands of threads available that can answer any type of app-related question. My primary use for the forums is to gather other developers’ opinions about my ideas. If you are unsure as to why your app isn’t meeting your expectations, simply ask the community. They are fairly blunt, but criticism is what you may need to improve your app.
As you are nearing the conclusion of this book, you should now be equipped to successfully handle every aspect of creating and selling an app. Once you have mastered the tips and techniques I have provided, you will have no trouble adapting to the ever-changing App Store. Evolving with the App Store can be as simple as switching your keywords to optimize a new algorithm the App Store deploys (as with the drastic changes in 2012) or as complex as completely changing your application line to better suit new users. One year, photography apps may be hot, whereas the next year they may not be. You need to be able to transform products as new market trends emerge. Among the many lessons I have learned from the App Storeis not to bank on one app forever. If you examine closely how the top independent developers have made money, it becomes apparent that they have a wide array of apps, not just one. Going with one app is a gamble, a risky business move. If a competitor makes a better app than the one you have on offer, you are in a very bad position.
Technology is always changing, and you must constantly be thinking of new and innovative ways to incorporate these changes in your app. One story that represents innovation is that of MobGen’s Alert Tone Creator . MobGen expertly timed his super simple app, which came out with the release of iOS 5. This appreneur did his research and knew that Apple would be allowing custom text tones in iOS 5. Therefore, he integrated this new technology into an easy-to-use app, which became wildly popular. In another example, a few appreneurs made apps that optimized photos for Facebook’s timeline feature. Once again, these appreneurs knew of a new technology and were able to integrate it at the right time and achieve outstanding results.
Timing is everything when it comes to adding new technologies to apps. Generally, if you’re not one of the first to do it, then you will not make much money. I like to keep up with current events just for this reason. You don’t have to survey technology companies in order to invent new and innovative apps. If you know of something that is hot, or popular, make an app for it. Apple’s App Store slogan is “There’s an app for that.” My favorite part of being an appreneur is the personal and creative freedom I have. Not many jobs afford such freedom. As an appreneur, I am able to work doing what I want, when I want.
I am thankful every day I have the opportunity to be an appreneur. You will come to find out how truly awesome the job is. You are on the frontlines of the most cutting-edge technology our age has seen. Mobile software is not a fad; it is a new market. Since the invention of the smartphone and tablet, software has been moving from computers to mobile devices, a transition that will only continue through the years. Are you ready to seize the opportunity?