CREATE AND SELL MOBILE APPS

Transcription

1 INCOME BOOST BLUEPRINT CREATE AND SELL MOBILE APPS The phone app industry is expected to reach $77 billion by 2017 from 268 billion downloads. You don t need a very big piece of that pie in order to boost your income significantly! You might have considered creating your own phone app, but decided that you lacked the necessary programing experience. If so, there s good news: Some of the programming languages are very easy to learn. There are platforms that will permit you to create your own phone app without programming at all. If the idea of performing a task once and then selling your work potentially millions of times appeals to you, creating and selling phone apps might be an ideal opportunity for you. This guide will show you the crucial steps involved in creating and selling your own mobile apps. Let s get started! 1

2 CHOOSE A DEVICE PLATFORM Are you going to make an app for the iphone or for Android devices? It s an important decision, as the programming languages are different. Consider these differences: iphone and ipad apps are likely to result in more income. Apple has done a great job of creating an active marketplace for app developers. The average app will earn the creator $4,000. An Android-based app will likely sell 50% more, but the revenue earned per sale is significantly smaller. You can expect to earn roughly $1,125 for an Android app. There are apps for Windows-based phones, but the market is presently too small to be worth your time. Keep your eyes open, though. Of course, this assumes your app is average. You could earn less or much more! 2

3 DECIDE ON THE TYPE OF APP Take the time to look at the various app marketplaces. You ll undoubtedly be amazed by the variety available. Take note of which apps are the most popular. Limit yourself to these two broad categories: 1. Apps that entertain. These include the various games and other non-productive apps that people use to take a break from reality. Do you have an idea that others would find entertaining? Consider the gaming apps you already own. Are there any that you could improve upon? Many apps are almost enjoyable, but there s something missing. Can you add that missing ingredient? 2. Apps that solve a problem. You could create an app that keeps track of a household budget or finds the cheapest skim milk in town. 3

4 Brainstorm for ideas. Again, are there any apps that you could improve upon? Do you have an idea for something that s never been done? Keep in mind that many of the most popular apps have been quite simple. Your app doesn t have to be sophisticated to be successful. At one time, pet rocks and smiley face t-shirts were all the rage. Avoid believing that humans have evolved dramatically in the last 40 years. You can create a simple app that will boost your income. CREATE THE APP As stated earlier, Android and Apple have their own app programming languages. There s no reason to believe that you can t learn to program quickly. Fortunately, there are options available, even if you d rather not take the programming plunge. There are 3 general ways to create a mobile application: 1. Apple recently released a language named Swift. Swift is extremely easy to learn for beginners. A quick search will reveal countless free resources that will have you programming in no time. 4

5 2. The corresponding programming language for Android is Corona. While the official language of Android apps is Java, Corona provides a much easier experience for new programmers. The language was developed specifically for building apps. There are also numerous free resources to get you up and running with Corona. Also, be sure to investigate the Android Studio at developer.andoid.com. 3. Skip learning a programming language. Several appbuilding platforms don t require any programming at all! Here are few of the more popular options: Zoho Creator. You can create up to three apps free. If you can click and drag, you can build an app. Zengine. This platform specializes in database management apps for businesses. If you re creative, you could use this platform to your benefit. Appery. This platform also utilizes click and drag elements. There is a free option available. 5

6 Good Barber. Despite the unusual name, Good Barber is a very popular app builder. The minimum plan is $16/ month. This is just a small sampling. There are many more! When was the last time you learned something new? Maybe you re a programming wizard and you just don t know it! Whether you want to learn how to write code or not, you can create an app. SELLING AND MARKETING YOUR APP Where you choose to sell your app will depend on whether you chose to create an Apple or Android app. If you created an Apple-based app, you ll need to sell it on the Apple store. If you haven t already, create an Apple Developer account at Follow the instructions for uploading your app. An Android app can be sold at develop/index.html. 6

7 Both accounts also provide a lot of information on app development. There are also several other locations online that sell and even market mobile apps. Do a quick search and spend some time researching the options. If you d like to try your hand at marketing your app, there are many options: 1. Create a website dedicated to your app. Explain to the world all the great things your app can do. Be sure to create a link so your customers can buy it. 2. Use social media to share news about your product. Put all those social media accounts to good use. Tweet, post, and announce to your hearts content. 3. Make a YouTube video. Videos continue to become more and more popular. Many potential customers would rather watch a video than read text. 4. Contact app review sites. There are literally thousands. Contact several and pitch your app to them. 7

8 5. Offer a promotional price. Consider pricing your app at a low price, or even free, for a limited time. Once you have your app completed, it s time to sell it. There are only a couple of primary platforms to sell your app, but there are many ways to market it yourself. Many app developers claim that the marketing is the most important part. CONCLUSION Creating and selling a mobile app is well within your capabilities. Come up with a great idea and bring that idea to life. There are so many tools available, it s not necessary to be a trained programmer. Many of the most successful apps have been very simple, but clever. Boost your income by taking advantage of the constantly expanding app market. 8