The Art of the App Store: The Business of Apple Development

4

Knowing Your Customer

WHAT'S IN THIS CHAPTER?

• Developing an understanding of the root of App Store metrics
• Learning how traditional gaming genres have changed because of development on i-devices
• Understanding the different meanings of casual gaming
• Understanding why consistency in visual style is the key to nailing your presentation
• Learning what your customers will find and expect within all App Store categories

Many useful App Store statistics were discussed in Chapter 3, but examining that data comprises only one piece of the puzzle (albeit a large one). The other factor to be considered is why those stats exist, or determining the root of the problem.

Why, for example, are roughly 40 percent of all apps free? Why does the category distribution show productivity apps being half as popular from a development standpoint as that of a utility app? A simple answer to these questions is that the market dictates it. Though mostly true, that answer doesn't provide much insight into how you might be able to leverage this information to better position your app.

The real insight comes when you know what types of customers purchase which types of apps, and what their expectations are in your particular niche. For example, iPad customers are generally looking for something different than iPhone customers, who in turn are different from iPod Touch customers. Much of the same functionality exists for each of these devices, but your app must be targeted to specific customer needs in order ...