If you're going to take the time and money to develop an app, you may as well make informed decisions to allow it the best chance to succeed. This section examines how to find key metrics that are available both in the App Store and via online resources, and then collecting and interpreting the data.
Although the statistics quoted earlier in this chapter provide a good overview, they are not anywhere close to being all-inclusive. Some meanings can be derived, however. So, before you get started with your research, here is a bit of analysis for the statistics presented earlier, as well as general things you can learn from them. Take these as rough guidelines, and feel free to be the exception to any of them:
Obviously, don't let that stop you if you have a great game idea, because the potential is always there for the next “Angry Birds.”
Later in this chapter in the section, “Analyzing Successful Apps,” you'll discover how to go about searching the App Store. Information about keywords and your notes on feature lists of other successful apps will help you to gauge whether there's an opening.
It's likely you already feel you know whether an opening exists. After all, you are interested in developing one of your ideas. However, don't make the mistake of assuming there's a hole in the market when there may not be. You'll want to use both Google (or insert your favorite search engine) and the iTunes App Store for this research.
So, how do you draw the conclusion that there is indeed room for your idea? Here is a list of some considerations:
Whatever your answers to these questions, the one thing you'll want to concentrate on is flawlessly executing your core features, so that even if some of the presentation is lacking, the functionality more than makes up for it.
If you don't yet have a niche picked out, don't worry. You'll discover some pointers for how to find one next.
Let's say that you just want to get in on the iPhone App Store action and don't yet have a niche, or you've already begun one app and are ready to start your second. How do you go about finding a new niche?
Innovation generally begins with finding a need that's not being met, for whatever reason. When you use a lot of software, you'll inevitably come across those apps that seem to do the job you want, but are lacking in one or more key areas.
Therefore, finding a need usually comes about either naturally (by being suddenly inspired with an idea and wondering if it's been done), or by normal use of everyday products (and starting to develop an entrepreneur's analytical eye by asking, “Hey, wouldn't it be better if…” types of questions).
A need can also be proactively searched out. In fact, that's exactly what the Google Keyword Tool is all about (https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal). Taking a lesson from search engine optimization (SEO) research, finding a new niche can be as simple as discovering an unfulfilled sector — in this case, keywords about a certain product that don't have a lot of competition, but bring about a lot of searches. Then, should you be driven to, you are ready to capitalize on that need.
So, for apps, you can go about finding a need via several approaches, including the following:
You can wrap up your search by answering these questions:
Once you have a planned niche, you're ready to start analyzing the competition. This step is crucial, and can not only save a lot of money and time, but make you money. Here is a rough list of benefits:
As you're putting together features for your app, begin early by building up mockups of its interface flow. You could use flowchart software such as Microsoft Visio, or online collaboration flowcharting such as that offered by Creately (www.Creately.com). This will allow you to make early tweaks when you start to narrow down your features.
Paper prototyping is dirt cheap as well, and a bit more visual. Glue, scissors, maybe some tape, and markers are all you need. Just remember not to be too attached (no pun intended) to your early mockups, and allow them to change and iterate with your research findings.
Aside from doing interface mockups, you might want to have an artist start to do some creative style mockups as well.
For “Archetype,” the developers hadn't yet settled on a style for the weapons or character design (which were crucial to the overall atmosphere), and so the concept artist began almost before anyone else. The “story” and the art concept had a sort of symbiotic relationship.
As you learned in Chapter 2, it costs quite a bit to develop an app properly, depending on scope. Make use of all the cheap tricks early, which include the following:
There are some factors to be aware of as you're exploring and expanding features while researching the App Store. Let's take a look at some important ones.
When looking at the competition, you'll start to get an expert overview of your selected niche(s). During this time, try to do a little predicting about what type of outlook and opportunity is possible within your niche. Compare this with the budget you have in mind to determine just how much risk might be involved.
With more features comes more complexity, both with programming costs and with the possible cost of functionality, usability, as well as challenges with streamlining the interface. So, unless there's a definitive opportunity, be careful about adding too many features.
Just as in web marketing with SEO keyword research, in the App Store, you'll find niches with relatively little competition, and others that are already somewhat saturated. Before even starting to look at the competition, learning to spot over-saturated niches will be a huge benefit to help you reassess whether your ideas have legs.
For example, are you entering a niche that includes a few bigger-budget apps with similar features and noticeable polish that you might have trouble competing with? If so, you might carefully consider your approach. In general, researching niche opportunity is the key before even researching the competition.
Sometimes it's difficult to look your million-dollar idea in the eye and be objective about it. Though it might hurt your ego a bit, ask others. Pitch it to friends and family to see what they say. The results could be surprising, and help shape how you proceed.
Scrutinize your earning potential as if you were an investor. Ask questions such as the following:
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