Before you become an app billionaire, consider this!

[Skys]

if theag is right about everybody doing e commerce and apps and I have understood the entry part in CENTS, we should move away from it.

 

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[Pat]

if theag is right about everybody doing e commerce and apps and I have understood the entry part in CENTS, we should move away from it.

I completely disagree.

CENTS has to be applied to your niche/product idea and not a whole technology. The opportunities are almost unlimited in the net. Almost anything you can think of can be created. There is always a way to do something better if you can't find something new.

The reason why I am so against phone apps is because most people think like this:

i want to create a phone app - come up with an idea - create the app

Instead you should find something people need/want. If it's a phone app, cool. If not, also cool. But too many try to hop onto the bandwagon instead.

 

[Rain]

Mike, while in general I agree with your thoughts on this subject, you have to remember where you're posting. The premise of this entire forum (and concept) is based on defying odds, lol.

But at the same time, no, I don't think anyone should drop everything they're doing to develop apps. If anything at all, it should be done as a side activity until profitable... if it ever reaches that point.

 

[theag]

if theag is right about everybody doing e commerce and apps and I have understood the entry part in CENTS, we should move away from it.

Pat summed this up pretty good, but I want to add something.

Apps or an e-commerce website is only the way of delivering your solution to a problem or the way of filling a need. If you find a need and the best way to fill it is a mobile app then do it. If the best way is an e-commerce store, then do the store.

What you shouldn't do is reading app empire or biophase's thread and think "I want to become rich doing mobile apps/ecommerce". Don't go from Platform to Idea to Product and leave the need out. Thats the wrong way to approach it.

First find a need, then figure out the best product to fill the need, then figure out the right platform to deliver the product.

 

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[Skys]

I agree. that's what I meant with seeing the internet as a market place. good to keep the goal in check: solving a problem instead of chasing money

 

[XavierYZ]

Mike, while in general I agree with your thoughts on this subject, you have to remember where you're posting. The premise of this entire forum (and concept) is based on defying odds, lol.

But at the same time, no, I don't think anyone should drop everything they're doing to develop apps. If anything at all, it should be done as a side activity until profitable... if it ever reaches that point.

This is what I plan on doing. Work on solving a problem or fill a need in the app space and have it developed. The entire app market seems like a industry worth learning about. I am not giving up my day job

 

[Mike39]

Mike, while in general I agree with your thoughts on this subject, you have to remember where you're posting. The premise of this entire forum (and concept) is based on defying odds, lol.

But at the same time, no, I don't think anyone should drop everything they're doing to develop apps. If anything at all, it should be done as a side activity until profitable... if it ever reaches that point.

Agreed 100%

 

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[oddball]

Pat summed this up pretty good, but I want to add something.

Apps or an e-commerce website is only the way of delivering your solution to a problem or the way of filling a need. If you find a need and the best way to fill it is a mobile app then do it. If the best way is an e-commerce store, then do the store.

What you shouldn't do is reading app empire or biophase's thread and think "I want to become rich doing mobile apps/ecommerce". Don't go from Platform to Idea to Product and leave the need out. Thats the wrong way to approach it.

First find a need, then figure out the best product to fill the need, then figure out the right platform to deliver the product.

I agree. I found chad's book from an article when I was researching apps, then I read it. Reading the book didn't make me want to do apps, I already was trying.

 

[JimSauce]

"In a gold rush, sell shovels"

 

[qewrtyass]

saying internet is saturated, is like saying universe is overpopulated.

 

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[Genium]

Here are my 2 cents..

Sure, any random person can get some money together and have an app made. Does that saturate the market? Sure.

But guess what?
Any random person can start selling products too and start saturating those markets as well.

How do you stand out? Get above the noise? Build a brand. There's no reason you can't build a brand in apps.

The games you release under the app company, should all have a common theme.

Here's what you guys left out in terms of valuing the competition, which consist of nerdy peeps with time, peeps with money, and peeps with knowledge in regards to business. The nerdy and/or rich peeps are usually hyper focused on building the game and don't think about anything else. They just make an app, and put it on the app store to "see what happens" and let it sit.

Take that same process and apply it to an ecommerce/physical product brand. Its ridiculous! How can you expect to be heard, to be known, for people to find what you're selling if you aren't doing anything??

Now I'll tell you what they aren't doing, and what you can do to better your chances in building a successful app. This is just my opinion. And granted, you still need to get lucky (be in the right place, or do/say something to the right people or at the right time) and that applies to all businesses in some form...

Here is a list which contains things you can do to promote your app, and I am not explaining how to do each task or the details here (maybe in the INSIDERS) Here's like 6 out of about 40 ideas:
- Have a popular YouTuber with a younger audience promote your game.
- Have a PR done.
- Know FB Advertising well? You have a good offer (FREE GAME), send them to a simple lander to download.
- Promote on Reddit, Digg, StumbleUpon.
- Pitch your game to tech writers.
- Build the game so that sharing is easy and people WANT to share it.

There are so many ways to promote an app, and so many plans of action in doing so. It's all about execution, and not having one thing work out for you could mean a "failed" app. But I believe one thing, and that is that most of the kiddies making apps just release it and don't do another thing. So in terms of competition and getting lucky, if you make shit happen think you have a better chance than the odds of a lottery.

I'm done. Surprise coming soon

 

[MattCour]

I launched my iOS games around a year ago. They were inexpensive and took a month to create. In my experience, apps are just like any other business, service or product.

If it adds value and people love it, you will succeed.

When I look at my iPad, the only things that stick around are apps I actually use. NFL Mobile,
RedBox,
HBO Go,
IMDB,
Netflix,
Skype,
FB,
YouTube.
All of these apps are valuable to me in some way. The only game I've kept for more than a month is Candy Crush. I'm a consumer, so what does that tell you?

 

[Jimi L]

That you forgot to install Twitter?:joyful:

Just kidding, no really what does it mean?

 

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[MattCour]

That you forgot to install Twitter?:joyful:

Just kidding, no really what does it mean?

I actually don't use Twitter at all right now. What I meant was the only things I keep are apps I find valuable. I'm certain my behavior as a consumer is not an anomaly. There's a reason Candy Crush is still at the top of the charts. Millions love playing it.

 

[Gale4rc]

Becoming an app hustler is the same as becoming a self publisher whos focus is to release a lot of content.

Both Fastlane

Nothing wrong with either of them.

 

[Mike39]

Holy thread bump...

 

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[100k]

I agree fully with you OP!

Unless you find something unique and new that fulfills a need - chances are you are not going to break even.

Any hoe.... I just had a sick idea for an app literally 2 min. after reading this thread.

How about a affirmation app.

Digg it, you install the app and 3-8 times a day it will send you positive affirmation through a sms like alert.... "Hey John, just wanted to tell you that You ROCK!" and it can switch so it looks like it comes from different people.

It will boost people's self image / self esteem.

I know someone of you are think... why - you know that its from a robot. It does not matter, for whatever reason affirmation can be programmed to work even if they are written by yourself or a fake robot/AI. The brain does not look at it as fake.


Charge people $1 a month. Get 1mil. downloads.

Ka-CHING!

Why am I sharing this, coz compared to my other idea(s) this one is horse crap. But if money and time was not a problem, I'd def. do this app too.

 

[healthstatus]

Without traffic, any app is a lottery ticket. With traffic, any tired old app that meets a need can generate x,000 a month for the owner without much trouble. The guys with 20-30 apps, can push to all their previous users a popup screen and say "Hey, we have a new app go get it".

So if you don't know how to market and drive traffic very cheaply, you have very little chance.

 

[Skys]

Weren't you busy with building an app, mike?

 

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[Blueskies4me]

Here is a list which contains things you can do to promote your app, and I am not explaining how to do each task or the details here (maybe in the INSIDERS) Here's like 6 out of about 40 ideas:
- Have a popular YouTuber with a younger audience promote your game.
- Have a PR done.
- Know FB Advertising well? You have a good offer (FREE GAME), send them to a simple lander to download.
- Promote on Reddit, Digg, StumbleUpon.
- Pitch your game to tech writers.
- Build the game so that sharing is easy and people WANT to share it.

...aaaannnnnd the rest of the 40? JK this is really really great helpful advice even for non app retailers and yes, I definitely agree that any well managed brand can launch you above the competition regardless of saturation. It's as much about push behind the product as it is the product.

 

[oddball]

I agree fully with you OP!

Unless you find something unique and new that fulfills a need - chances are you are not going to break even.

Any hoe.... I just had a sick idea for an app literally 2 min. after reading this thread.

How about a affirmation app.

Digg it, you install the app and 3-8 times a day it will send you positive affirmation through a sms like alert.... "Hey John, just wanted to tell you that You ROCK!" and it can switch so it looks like it comes from different people.

It will boost people's self image / self esteem.

I know someone of you are think... why - you know that its from a robot. It does not matter, for whatever reason affirmation can be programmed to work even if they are written by yourself or a fake robot/AI. The brain does not look at it as fake.


Charge people $1 a month. Get 1mil. downloads.

Ka-CHING!

Why am I sharing this, coz compared to my other idea(s) this one is horse crap. But if money and time was not a problem, I'd def. do this app too.

With apps, I have found its best to pump out cheap apps. Not crappy ones though, they still have to be good but you don't have to have some unique idea to make money.

Without traffic, any app is a lottery ticket. With traffic, any tired old app that meets a need can generate x,000 a month for the owner without much trouble. The guys with 20-30 apps, can push to all their previous users a popup screen and say "Hey, we have a new app go get it".

So if you don't know how to market and drive traffic very cheaply, you have very little chance.

I have not tried it but I've read it is not worth it to cross promote your own apps, just run ads for other peoples games and you'll make more money.

 

[Gale4rc]

You can say the same thing about starting a online business - It's very saturated and highly unlikely to succeed. I think you guys are just a bunch of app haters

and that 60% of apps dont even break number is actually lower then the amount of businesses that fail. Many on a much grander scale then an app too.

 

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[Blueskies4me]

You can say the same thing about starting a online business - It's very saturated and highly unlikely to succeed. I think you guys are just a bunch of app haters

I think that's what everyone (except the original poster) is trying to say, there will always be problems of saturation but that doesn't mean you can't be successful.

 

[Mike39]

I think that's what everyone (except the original poster) is trying to say, there will always be problems of saturation but that doesn't mean you can't be successful.

Everyone here does realize this thread is from 2 years ago, right?

And most if not all of you have misinterpreted my original post, I'm not saying never develop an app, I'm saying don't go pay someone a few grand to make a half-assed game and then expect the millions to start rolling in. Everyone seems to think I was saying don't build apps, that's not true.

And honestly, when I posted this article there were several new threads a week about someone who was going to develop the next big app; well 2 years later, I'm still not reading any app success stories from those members. I wasn't saying don't make apps, simply think about you decision before you get blinded by the potential for easy money and start down the app development/marketing road.

 

[oddball]

Everyone here does realize this thread is from 2 years ago, right?

And most if not all of you have misinterpreted my original post, I'm not saying never develop an app, I'm saying don't go pay someone a few grand to make a half-assed game and then expect the millions to start rolling in. Everyone seems to think I was saying don't build apps, that's not true.

And honestly, when I posted this article there were several new threads a week about someone who was going to develop the next big app; well 2 years later, I'm still not reading any app success stories from those members. I wasn't saying don't make apps, simply think about you decision before you get blinded by the potential for easy money and start down the app development/marketing road.

I remember this, you and I started apps around the same time. I am still doing them, I lost a lot of money on my "great idea" apps but now I have a system, I've learned a lot, and it is time to scale. I'm becoming more efficient, getting apps done for less, and found ways to squeeze more and more money out. No, I am not going to be buying a lambo any time soon but I should have a pretty decent income by the end of the year.

 

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[scatterbrain]

this thread perfectly describes my experience in app development.to get my teeth wet, i paid a new freelance web designer in our small town a few hundred and got what i paid for. it isn't anything special. i wanted to venture into B2C children's app as a niche. i figured it would be more profitable to parents and create some buzz. besides, fb and twitter, i sent out press releases to many local nationwide publications, but no response. I figured a niche that wouldn't need a lot to develop, as it wouldn't need extensive graphics and programming for kids . man i was wrong. i see some apps my daughter plays with are mind blowing, and look like they cost a fortune to make, but are free. i basically failed, but look at it as a learning experience. I have less than 1,000 downloads on Android and Google. I constantly market without a budget. I think b2b cloud based apps are the future. a good niche i see is doing educational and medical data recording software. know a couple of companies that are doing well with this.