Not that I am an expert by any means, but this post is really more about what I have learned in the little time that I have been developing for the iPhone iOS and through the submission process with Apple.
1. Functionality isn’t everything
What I mean by this is, the functionality of your application may not be enough to entice users. All users really have to go by when deciding whether or not to purchase or download your application is the description and 5 screenshots. You may have a really cool concept, but if the interface or look and feel of the app isn’t up to par with the functionality, you may lose potential users that would other wise be interested. There are a large percentage of users that will not even attempt to read the description of the application, they will go straight to the screenshots and make the decision based off of what they see. I, myself am guilty of this quite often. Therefore, if the look of the app as portrayed by the screenshots doesn’t capture their eye, they are likely to move on.
I have witnessed this largely from personal experience. I have made multiple game guide applications. These applications were not the only ones of their kind. For instance, I developed a game guide for Call of Duty: Black Ops. At the time of the release of the game, there were close to 30 Black Ops guide applications available in the store, yet mine took the #1 ranking. I believe this is a result of the time and care put into the interface.
2. Size Does Matter
Because of the 3G restrictions on application sizes that can be downloaded over the network, trying to keep your application under 20MB is a big deal. Certain practices can be used to help keep application size down, like using flattened JPG images rather than PNGs. For instance, I had a large PNG image that was 7.2MB in size. That same image as a JPG was only 388KB (thats 18x smaller). Avoiding embedded video is another easy way to save space but if you must include it, try compressing it into .m4v format.
The more you can do to keep your application under 20MB, the better odds your application has of being successful. However, this doesn’t mean that apps over 20MB are a lost cause. When my Call of Duty application went #1 (in reference) it was nearly 100MB. It really all depends on how much people want the information or the service that your app provides. In my case, this application was filled with useful information and video and people wanted access to that information. I don’t think that logic applies much to game dev though, because if I am bored and want to download a new game to play to pass the time, if I attempt to download an app that’s too large and I don’t have wifi access, I will most likely move onto the next one.
3. Be Aware of Copyrights
I have had a number of personal experiences with this issue. As a developer of game guides, the source of most of the material that I fill my app with is a result of material released by the company making the game. Certain companies, especially those that plan to release their own application do not look lightly on applications utilizing their material. In my case, my Call of Duty application went #1 and within 3 weeks and had received a cease and desist letter from Activision. The letter asked me to remove the application and gave my 5 days to comply.
It is important to be careful of what material you fill your applications with and if you are going to use media that isn’t your own, its important to understand legal contexts such as the “fair use policy” and how it can apply. Below is an excerpt from Wikipedia:
Fair use, a limitation and exception to the exclusive right granted by copyright law to the author of a creative work, is a doctrine in United States copyright law that allows limited use of copyrighted material without acquiring permission from the rights holders. Examples of fair use include commentary, criticism, news reporting, research, teaching, library archiving and scholarship.
4. Originality is the Spice of Life
This can’t be stated enough, original ideas are diamonds in the iPhone world. With so many applications out there, it is so difficult to come up with an idea that has not already been done. I try to think of new stuff all the time, go and search it and find that it already exists. If you can come up with something original and get it out there, chances are you will find some measure of success.
When thinking of a new idea, search key words that you might associate with your idea in the AppStore. See how many results you get back. These are your potential competition. If you want to make an app about ducks but search the word duck and there are 100+ results, it is going to be harder for your app to be discovered.
5. Choose Your Audience Wisely
This is also an important thing to consider when designing applications. When you are deciding what to build, keep in mind the audience that it appeals to. Don’t narrow the appeal down so much that it only applies to a very select group of people. That will result in minimal traffic. For instance, its only common sense that an application titled “Sports Guru” will attract more attention then one called “Cricket Guru” because the number of sports fans is much greater than the number of Cricket fans which are a subset of the sports fans.
