June 27, 2012 at 15:45Application Development Phases
I and a couple of my friends recently decided to start developing iOS applications on their own. Well, it’s clear that right away they started to “cone up”, but when I accidentally stumbled upon a series of articles, I realized that I would have found them earlier, perhaps many questions in our work would not have arisen.
So I decided to share the translation of the first article of four (I did the translation myself, I did not attach it tightly to the text, a link to the source at the end of the article).
Before you start implementing your idea, you should ask yourself five questions:
1. Who will use your application?
2. What are your competitors?
3. Why is your application unique?
4. When will you release it?
5. How will people interact with your application?
We consider each question separately.
It’s obvious that not all iOS platform users will be interested in your application. People over 50 are unlikely to download games, they are more likely to be interested in exchange rates, calculators, guides, etc. Also, the audience targeted by marketing does not always coincide with the end users of the application (for example, children simply do not have the opportunity to buy applications).
When you decide on a potential audience of consumers, you need to talk with representatives of this audience. Ask them what they like and what they don’t like in similar applications, and also they could advise something to improve in your idea. As a platform for communication with the target audience, forums on topics can act. All of the above is extremely important, because you can spend a lot of time developing any things that are completely useless to the end user. You can even take photos of your audience and hang them on a wall near your computer so you don’t forget about end users.
Since the audience of the AppStore is large, there is a high probability that the idea of developing a new application will not be unique. But don’t worry, competition and struggle are a good sign talking about a healthy market.
Before you begin development, you need to do some research. In the AppStore, using keywords related to your idea, try to find the following information:
• Are there many applications similar to your idea?
• Which of them have the highest rating?
• Does your idea have anything special compared to other applications?
• Will my application be good enough to compete with the rest?
• What size applications like yours?
• What categories are applications like yours?
• What is the AppSore page for these applications?
• What screenshots are used on these pages?
• etc.
It is precisely these things that we pay attention to when we want to buy an application.
If you are trying to continue Angry Birds, and only one thing will be different from previous versions - instead of birds and pigs, you decided to use cats and mice, you should think about introducing new unique features into the game. Because there are a lot of similar applications, unless you bring something new, special to your application (distinguishing among other analogues) - it is unlikely that the application will be popular.
Pay attention to the reviews and user reviews about the analogues of your applications, try to evaluate these analogues yourself. (Do not pay attention to unconstructive criticism). Pay special attention to applications with a rating of 4-4.5.
Pay attention to the size of your application, because it determines the ability to download the application from the cellular network.
Choose the right category for the application, because it helps users quickly find the application they need.
Pay special attention to the application icon, it is precisely the potential user who will take it first of all.
You will immediately answer this question if you figured out the previous one. REMEMBER - this question is not about quantity, but about quality! The application should have a chip honed so much that users should recommend the application to their friends. What is your app feature?
When you decide what you want to do, you need to determine the time frame. The more you develop the application, the more you invest in it and the more risks you are exposed to. On average, it is estimated that application development should take 2-3 months. If you need more time for development, you can release it with the minimum necessary set of functions, and other features can be included in application updates.
Remember - the application should be SIMPLY SIMPLE, the application is good when it is WELL IMPLEMENTING ONLY ONE THING.
You can add new features to the application based on user feedbacks, this will help keep the demand for your application at a high level.
Do not set impossible tasks for yourself (such as writing Infinity Blade alone).
Remember - maybe you will encounter a lot of resistance, as you approach the implementation of the last 10% of the application (they say that the last 10% of the implementation takes 90% of the time), FIGHT!
After all the work done, you need to develop the most convenient interface for the application. For successful work in this direction, it is necessary to consider options for outline user interface. And remember the success of the application depends on its convenience for the user. The application should be simple and beautiful.
In the process of developing the application, you can do some things that can increase the success of your application:
1. Forming rumors about the application
2. Creating a teaser trailer
3. Writing a preview
4. Integrating Analytics APIs
5. Integrating Push Notifications and News Feed
6. Adding “Popular” features
And now, in order about each:
Often, developers have a question - When to start marketing.
Here is what the statistics are responding to:
There are some advantages to starting marketing work, closer to the end of application development:
• Perhaps you will have a good effect as from a new application - you’ll get to the crest of the wave
• You will have something to show than at the initial stages (after all, the project almost ready)
• It’s easier to finish development first, and then start marketing, rather than do everything at the same time and be torn between different directions.
• You are absolutely sure that you will complete the project.
There are advantages for those developers who start marketing from the very beginning:
• You begin to interact with the target audience very early, which in turn can help you hone the idea of your project
• You can from the very beginning contribute to the formation of rumors about your application
• By the time you exit, people will already know about your application, which makes it more desired for download
• You can pre-assemble a group of potential beta testers of the application
The choice of approach to marketing is determined separately for each application.
To attract a potential audience to your project, you can use the following services:
• Start a blog and upload to it information and content related to the application being developed
• Visit and write in forums where you can advertise your application
• Twitter, Facebook, Vkontakte
• YouTube
• If users follow you and advertise you, give them something in return
Here's what statistics say about using teasers:
A teaser creates intrigue and dramatically increases interest in your application.
Preview, allows you to draw the attention of potential buyers to you and your application.
This will help you track the popularity of your application, allow you to analyze its sales and the possibilities for improving them.
This simple implementation thing will help to `` open the door '' to each of the users of your application.
Here's what statistics tells us about developers using these features:
Such as:
• Beta testing
• Game Center
• Excellent UI
• Ball of user achievements
• Support for feedbacks
• Multiplayer
• etc.
Link to the source:
www.raywenderlich.com/11359/how-to-market-and-promote-your-games-and-apps-part-1
So I decided to share the translation of the first article of four (I did the translation myself, I did not attach it tightly to the text, a link to the source at the end of the article).
Application pre-development phase
Before you start implementing your idea, you should ask yourself five questions:
1. Who will use your application?
2. What are your competitors?
3. Why is your application unique?
4. When will you release it?
5. How will people interact with your application?
We consider each question separately.
1) Who will use your application?
It’s obvious that not all iOS platform users will be interested in your application. People over 50 are unlikely to download games, they are more likely to be interested in exchange rates, calculators, guides, etc. Also, the audience targeted by marketing does not always coincide with the end users of the application (for example, children simply do not have the opportunity to buy applications).
When you decide on a potential audience of consumers, you need to talk with representatives of this audience. Ask them what they like and what they don’t like in similar applications, and also they could advise something to improve in your idea. As a platform for communication with the target audience, forums on topics can act. All of the above is extremely important, because you can spend a lot of time developing any things that are completely useless to the end user. You can even take photos of your audience and hang them on a wall near your computer so you don’t forget about end users.
2) What are your competitors?
Since the audience of the AppStore is large, there is a high probability that the idea of developing a new application will not be unique. But don’t worry, competition and struggle are a good sign talking about a healthy market.
Before you begin development, you need to do some research. In the AppStore, using keywords related to your idea, try to find the following information:
• Are there many applications similar to your idea?
• Which of them have the highest rating?
• Does your idea have anything special compared to other applications?
• Will my application be good enough to compete with the rest?
• What size applications like yours?
• What categories are applications like yours?
• What is the AppSore page for these applications?
• What screenshots are used on these pages?
• etc.
It is precisely these things that we pay attention to when we want to buy an application.
If you are trying to continue Angry Birds, and only one thing will be different from previous versions - instead of birds and pigs, you decided to use cats and mice, you should think about introducing new unique features into the game. Because there are a lot of similar applications, unless you bring something new, special to your application (distinguishing among other analogues) - it is unlikely that the application will be popular.
Pay attention to the reviews and user reviews about the analogues of your applications, try to evaluate these analogues yourself. (Do not pay attention to unconstructive criticism). Pay special attention to applications with a rating of 4-4.5.
Pay attention to the size of your application, because it determines the ability to download the application from the cellular network.
Choose the right category for the application, because it helps users quickly find the application they need.
Pay special attention to the application icon, it is precisely the potential user who will take it first of all.
3) Why is your application unique?
You will immediately answer this question if you figured out the previous one. REMEMBER - this question is not about quantity, but about quality! The application should have a chip honed so much that users should recommend the application to their friends. What is your app feature?
4) When will you release it?
When you decide what you want to do, you need to determine the time frame. The more you develop the application, the more you invest in it and the more risks you are exposed to. On average, it is estimated that application development should take 2-3 months. If you need more time for development, you can release it with the minimum necessary set of functions, and other features can be included in application updates.
Remember - the application should be SIMPLY SIMPLE, the application is good when it is WELL IMPLEMENTING ONLY ONE THING.
You can add new features to the application based on user feedbacks, this will help keep the demand for your application at a high level.
Do not set impossible tasks for yourself (such as writing Infinity Blade alone).
Remember - maybe you will encounter a lot of resistance, as you approach the implementation of the last 10% of the application (they say that the last 10% of the implementation takes 90% of the time), FIGHT!
5) How will people interact with your application?
After all the work done, you need to develop the most convenient interface for the application. For successful work in this direction, it is necessary to consider options for outline user interface. And remember the success of the application depends on its convenience for the user. The application should be simple and beautiful.
Development phase
In the process of developing the application, you can do some things that can increase the success of your application:
1. Forming rumors about the application
2. Creating a teaser trailer
3. Writing a preview
4. Integrating Analytics APIs
5. Integrating Push Notifications and News Feed
6. Adding “Popular” features
And now, in order about each:
1) Formation of rumors about the application
Often, developers have a question - When to start marketing.
Here is what the statistics are responding to:
There are some advantages to starting marketing work, closer to the end of application development:
• Perhaps you will have a good effect as from a new application - you’ll get to the crest of the wave
• You will have something to show than at the initial stages (after all, the project almost ready)
• It’s easier to finish development first, and then start marketing, rather than do everything at the same time and be torn between different directions.
• You are absolutely sure that you will complete the project.
There are advantages for those developers who start marketing from the very beginning:
• You begin to interact with the target audience very early, which in turn can help you hone the idea of your project
• You can from the very beginning contribute to the formation of rumors about your application
• By the time you exit, people will already know about your application, which makes it more desired for download
• You can pre-assemble a group of potential beta testers of the application
The choice of approach to marketing is determined separately for each application.
To attract a potential audience to your project, you can use the following services:
• Start a blog and upload to it information and content related to the application being developed
• Visit and write in forums where you can advertise your application
• Twitter, Facebook, Vkontakte
• YouTube
• If users follow you and advertise you, give them something in return
2) Creating a teaser trailer
Here's what statistics say about using teasers:
A teaser creates intrigue and dramatically increases interest in your application.
3) Writing a preview
Preview, allows you to draw the attention of potential buyers to you and your application.
4) Integrate Analytics APIs
This will help you track the popularity of your application, allow you to analyze its sales and the possibilities for improving them.
5) Integrate Push Notifications and News Feed
This simple implementation thing will help to `` open the door '' to each of the users of your application.
Here's what statistics tells us about developers using these features:
6) Adding “popular” features
Such as:
• Beta testing
• Game Center
• Excellent UI
• Ball of user achievements
• Support for feedbacks
• Multiplayer
• etc.
Link to the source:
www.raywenderlich.com/11359/how-to-market-and-promote-your-games-and-apps-part-1