The Business of iPhone App Development: Making and Marketing Apps that Succeed

The Business of iPhone App Development: Making and Marketing Apps that Succeed

Released March 2010
Publisher(s): Apress
ISBN: 9781430227335

Read it now on the O’Reilly learning platform with a 10-day free trial.

O’Reilly members get unlimited access to books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.

Start your free trial

Book description

This book will show you how to incorporate marketing and business savvy into every aspect of the iPhone app design and development process.

Table of contents

  1. Copyright
  2. Foreword
  3. About the Authors
  4. About the Technical Reviewer
  5. Acknowledgments
  6. 1. Seeing the Big Picture in a Crowded App Store Marketplace
    1. 1.1. Why a Business Book for iPhone Developers?
      1. 1.1.1. Tackling the New World of Mobile Marketing
      2. 1.1.2. Rest Easy—This Is Not Your Typical Business Book
    2. 1.2. Planning Your Own Success Story
    3. 1.3. How to Use This Book
      1. 1.3.1.
        1. 1.3.1.1. Chapter 2—Doing Your Homework: Analyzing iPhone App Ideas and Performing Competitive Research
        2. 1.3.1.2. Chapter 3—Protecting Your Intellectual Property
        3. 1.3.1.3. Chapter 4—Your iPhone App Is Your Most Powerful Marketing Tool
        4. 1.3.1.4. Chapter 5—Money for Nothing: When It Pays to Be Free
        5. 1.3.1.5. Chapter 6—Exploring New Business Models with In-App Purchase and Affiliate Programs
        6. 1.3.1.6. Chapter 7—Testing and Usability: Putting Your Best Foot Forward
        7. 1.3.1.7. Chapter 8—Get the Party Started! Creating Prerelease Buzz
        8. 1.3.1.8. Chapter 9—Keys to the Kingdom: The App Store Submission Process
        9. 1.3.1.9. Chapter 10—Increasing Awareness for Your iPhone App
    4. 1.4. Getting Started with Your First iPhone App
    5. 1.5. Already in the App Store? It's Never Too Late to Boost Sales
    6. 1.6. Developing iPhone Apps for Clients
    7. 1.7. Ready to Dive In?
  7. 2. Doing Your Homework: Analyzing iPhone App Ideas and Performing Competitive Research
    1. 2.1. Fulfilling a Need
      1. 2.1.1. Discovering Untapped Markets
      2. 2.1.2. Enhancing the Mobile Experience
      3. 2.1.3. Competing with Similar Apps
    2. 2.2. When to Avoid Over-Saturated Categories
    3. 2.3. Assessing the Competition
      1. 2.3.1. Alternative App Directories for Competitive Research
      2. 2.3.2. Analyzing App Ranking Statistics
        1. 2.3.2.1. Mobclix
        2. 2.3.2.2. MajicRank
        3. 2.3.2.3. APPlyzer
        4. 2.3.2.4. App Store Metrics by 148Apps.biz
        5. 2.3.2.5. Top App Charts
        6. 2.3.2.6. Yappler's App Store Stats
        7. 2.3.2.7. Other Resources for App Ranking Statistics
    4. 2.4. Finding Inspiration in Your Competitors' Customer Reviews
      1. 2.4.1. Learning from the Mistakes of Others
      2. 2.4.2. Going Beyond the App Store's Customer Reviews
      3. 2.4.3. Taking Your Competition for a Test-Drive
    5. 2.5. Defining Your Differentiator
    6. 2.6. What's in an App Name?
    7. 2.7. Registering Web Site Domain Names
    8. 2.8. Building a Unique Identity for Your iPhone App
    9. 2.9. Making Progress
  8. 3. Protecting Your Intellectual Property
    1. 3.1. What Is Intellectual Property?
    2. 3.2. Determining Your Intellectual Property Strategy
      1. 3.2.1. iPhone Apps Are Different
      2. 3.2.2. Developing an iPhone Specific Game Plan
      3. 3.2.3. Copyrighting Your App
        1. 3.2.3.1. How to Obtain a Copyright
        2. 3.2.3.2. Limitations of Copyright Protection
      4. 3.2.4. Filing Trademarks for App Icons and Logos
        1. 3.2.4.1. How to Get a Trademark
        2. 3.2.4.2. Picking a Protectable Trademark
      5. 3.2.5. Trade Secrets
        1. 3.2.5.1. How Do You Establish a Trade Secret?
        2. 3.2.5.2. Nondisclosure Agreements
        3. 3.2.5.3. Limitations of Trade Secret Protection
      6. 3.2.6. Patents
        1. 3.2.6.1. Is Your Invention Patentable?
        2. 3.2.6.2. Avoiding the On Sale Bar
        3. 3.2.6.3. How to File a Patent
        4. 3.2.6.4. Filing a Provisional Patent Application Yourself
    3. 3.3. Addressing Intellectual Property in Contractor and Employee Agreements
      1. 3.3.1. Hiring Contractors
      2. 3.3.2. Hiring Employees
    4. 3.4. Inbound Licensing of Third-Party Intellectual Property
      1. 3.4.1. Document Your Inbound Licenses
      2. 3.4.2. Know What You Are Getting
      3. 3.4.3. Avoid Viral Licenses
      4. 3.4.4. Don't Use Apple's Trademarks
    5. 3.5. Creating a Custom End User License Agreement
      1. 3.5.1. The Purpose of a EULA
        1. 3.5.1.1. Warranty Disclaimers
        2. 3.5.1.2. Limitations of Liability
      2. 3.5.2. Apple's Default EULA?
        1. 3.5.2.1. Apple's End User License Agreement
        2. 3.5.2.2. Reasons to Use Your Own Agreement
    6. 3.6. How and When to Pursue Legal Action
      1. 3.6.1. First Steps Toward Dispute Resolution
      2. 3.6.2. Prelitigation
      3. 3.6.3. Litigation
    7. 3.7. Summary
  9. 4. Your iPhone App Is Your Most Powerful Marketing Tool
    1. 4.1. Getting Your Foot in the Door: First Impressions Are Everything
    2. 4.2. Playing by the Rules in Apple's Sandbox
      1. 4.2.1.
        1. 4.2.1.1. Apple's iPhone Human Interface Guidelines
        2. 4.2.1.2. Application Submission Feedback
    3. 4.3. Creating an Effective App Icon and Logo
      1. 4.3.1. Designing a Custom App Icon
      2. 4.3.2. Don't Forget About a Logo
      3. 4.3.3. Maintaining a Consistent Brand Identity
    4. 4.4. Interface Design: Think Like a User, Not a Developer
      1. 4.4.1. The Immense Value of Prototyping
        1. 4.4.1.1. Drawing Your Ideas on Paper
        2. 4.4.1.2. Beautiful Mock-ups in Illustrator and Photoshop
        3. 4.4.1.3. Other Software Tools for Designing Mock-Ups
        4. 4.4.1.4. Paper Prototyping
        5. 4.4.1.5. Moving to Interface Builder
      2. 4.4.2. Pushing the Envelope with a Custom Interface
      3. 4.4.3. The Comfortable Familiarity of UIKit
        1. 4.4.3.1. Icons and Images Within Your App
        2. 4.4.3.2. Toolbar Colors
        3. 4.4.3.3. Background Colors and Images
        4. 4.4.3.4. Toolbar Button Icons
      4. 4.4.4. Designing for Accessibility
        1. 4.4.4.1. Vischeck
        2. 4.4.4.2. Sim Daltonism for Mac OS X
    5. 4.5. Tips for the Artistically Challenged
      1. 4.5.1.
        1. 4.5.1.1. Graphics and Icons
        2. 4.5.1.2. Fonts
        3. 4.5.1.3. Audio and Music
        4. 4.5.1.4. Professional Design Services
    6. 4.6. How You Like Me Now? Encouraging User Reviews Within Your App
    7. 4.7. Check Out This Cool App! Tell a Friend with In-App Email and Social Networking
      1. 4.7.1.
        1. 4.7.1.1. In-App Email
        2. 4.7.1.2. Twitter and Facebook Connect
    8. 4.8. Earning Your Stripes
  10. 5. Money for Nothing: When It Pays to Be Free
    1. 5.1. The Benefits of Free to Promote Paid Versions
      1. 5.1.1. Choosing a Path: Lite Version vs. In-App Purchase
      2. 5.1.2. Playing It Safe: Lite Version Restrictions
        1. 5.1.2.1. Lite Version Must Be a Fully Functional App
        2. 5.1.2.2. Lite Version Cannot Contain Crippled Features
        3. 5.1.2.3. Lite Version Cannot Remind User to Buy Paid Version
        4. 5.1.2.4. Lite Version Cannot Time Out or Disable Features
        5. 5.1.2.5. Lite Version Cannot Be Referenced As a Demo
      3. 5.1.3. Can a Free Lite Version Really Boost Paid App Sales?
      4. 5.1.4. They Won't Buy the Cow If the Milk Is Free
      5. 5.1.5. Perfecting Your In-App Sales Pitch
      6. 5.1.6. Bulletproofing Your Lite Version
      7. 5.1.7. Migrating Data from the Lite Version to the Paid Version
        1. 5.1.7.1. Syncing with the "Cloud"
        2. 5.1.7.2. Transferring Data via URL
    2. 5.2. Securing Market Share: Give It Away Now, Up-Sell Later
    3. 5.3. Monetizing Free with In-App Advertising
      1. 5.3.1. Taking a Hard Look at the Numbers
      2. 5.3.2. When to Use In-App Advertising
      3. 5.3.3. Which Ad Network Is Right for You?
        1. 5.3.3.1. AdMob
        2. 5.3.3.2. AdWhirl
        3. 5.3.3.3. Google AdSense for Mobile Applications
        4. 5.3.3.4. Greystripe
        5. 5.3.3.5. Medialets
        6. 5.3.3.6. Mobclix Mobile Ad Exchange
        7. 5.3.3.7. Quattro Wireless
        8. 5.3.3.8. Tapjoy
        9. 5.3.3.9. iVdopia
        10. 5.3.3.10. VideoEgg
      4. 5.3.4. Building a Business with Ad-Supported iPhone Apps
    4. 5.4. Strength in Numbers: Building Synergy with In-App Cross-Promotion
      1. 5.4.1. Setting Up Shop
      2. 5.4.2. United We Prosper
      3. 5.4.3. Rolling Your Own Solution
    5. 5.5. Enthusiasm Is Contagious: Get Your Users Talking with Third-Party Social Platforms
    6. 5.6. Shifting Gears
  11. 6. Exploring New Business Models with In-App Purchase and Affiliate Programs
    1. 6.1. Loyalty Pays: Existing Users Make the Best Customers
      1. 6.1.1. Supporting the Long Tail: Monetizing Continued Development
      2. 6.1.2. The Challenge of Changing User Perception
    2. 6.2. When and How to Use In-App Purchase
      1. 6.2.1. The Power of Simplicity
      2. 6.2.2. Presentation Is the Key to Success
      3. 6.2.3. Finding the Sweet Spot
    3. 6.3. Configuring In-App Purchase in iTunes Connect
      1. 6.3.1. Setting Up an In-App Purchase Test User Account
      2. 6.3.2. Creating In-App Purchase Items
        1. 6.3.2.1. Reference Name
        2. 6.3.2.2. Product ID
        3. 6.3.2.3. Type
        4. 6.3.2.4. Price Tier
        5. 6.3.2.5. Cleared for Sale
        6. 6.3.2.6. Language
        7. 6.3.2.7. Screenshot
      3. 6.3.3. Managing Your In-App Purchase Items
    4. 6.4. Preparing Your Test Device
    5. 6.5. Tapping into the Store Kit Framework
      1. 6.5.1. Setting Up the Basics
      2. 6.5.2. Step 1: Does the Consumer Allow In-App Purchase?
      3. 6.5.3. Step 2: Fetch Available In-App Purchase Items
      4. 6.5.4. Step 3: Requesting a Purchase
      5. 6.5.5. Step 4: Receiving Payment Status
      6. 6.5.6. Step 5: Providing Access to the Purchased Content
      7. 6.5.7. Restoring Paid Content
    6. 6.6. Delivering and Managing In-App Purchases
      1. 6.6.1. Unlocking Built-in Content
      2. 6.6.2. Downloading Content from Your Server
      3. 6.6.3. Finding Help in the Cloud
    7. 6.7. Mining Additional Revenue with Affiliate Programs
    8. 6.8. Digging for Gold
  12. 7. Testing and Usability: Putting Your Best Foot Forward
    1. 7.1. Preventing the Majority of One-Star Reviews
      1. 7.1.1. Avoiding Common Pitfalls
      2. 7.1.2. Soliciting Direct Feedback
    2. 7.2. Preventing User Frustration with In-App Help
      1. 7.2.1. Planting Knowledge Seeds with On-Screen Tips
      2. 7.2.2. Instructional Videos: The Double-Edged Sword
      3. 7.2.3. Show, Don't Tell, with Integrated Demos
      4. 7.2.4. In-App Web Help: A Little HTML Goes a Long Way
    3. 7.3. Provisioning: Setting Up a Development Device
      1. 7.3.1. Step 1: Establishing Your Test Device in Xcode Organizer
      2. 7.3.2. Step 2: Verify That Apple's WWDR Certificate Is Installed
      3. 7.3.3. Step 3: Launch the Online Development Provisioning Assistant
      4. 7.3.4. Step 4: Request a Development Certificate
      5. 7.3.5. Step 5: Generate and Install Your Provisioning Profile
      6. 7.3.6. Step 6: Download and Install Your Development Certificate
      7. 7.3.7. Step 7: Run Your Xcode Project on Your Test Device
      8. 7.3.8. The Limitations of Wildcard App IDs
      9. 7.3.9. Managing Multiple Provisioning Profiles
    4. 7.4. Beta Testing: Navigating the Complexities of Ad Hoc Distribution
      1. 7.4.1. Step 1: Acquire the Device IDs of Your Beta Testers
      2. 7.4.2. Step 2: Request a Distribution Certificate
      3. 7.4.3. Step 3: Install and Backup Your Distribution Certificate
      4. 7.4.4. Step 4: Generate and Install an Ad Hoc Distribution Provisioning Profile
      5. 7.4.5. Step 5: Configure Your App for Ad Hoc Distribution
      6. 7.4.6. Step 6: Create the Entitlements File
      7. 7.4.7. Step 7: Compile Your iPhone App
      8. 7.4.8. Step 8: Distribute Your App to the Beta Testers
    5. 7.5. Knowledge Is Power: Tracking App Usage Through Analytics
      1. 7.5.1. Answers from the Source
      2. 7.5.2. Evaluating the Players
    6. 7.6. Sitting Pretty
  13. 8. Get the Party Started! Creating a Prerelease Buzz
    1. 8.1. The Final Countdown: Preparing for Lift-Off
      1. 8.1.1. Marketing Requires an Audience, So Invest the Time to Find Yours
      2. 8.1.2. Crafting Your Elevator Pitch
      3. 8.1.3. Additional Prerelease Marketing Materials
        1. 8.1.3.1. Company Logo (High-Resolution)
        2. 8.1.3.2. App Icon and Logo (High-Resolution)
        3. 8.1.3.3. Screenshots
        4. 8.1.3.4. Optional Video Trailer
        5. 8.1.3.5. Dedicated Web Presence
    2. 8.2. Your iPhone App Deserves a Well-Designed Web Site
      1. 8.2.1. Establishing a Web Site Infrastructure
        1. 8.2.1.1. Format Wars: Blogs vs. Custom Sites
        2. 8.2.1.2. Domain Name Benefits
        3. 8.2.1.3. SEO Tactics
          1. 8.2.1.3.1. <title> Tag
          2. 8.2.1.3.2. description and keywords <meta> Tags
          3. 8.2.1.3.3. Keyword-Rich Text
          4. 8.2.1.3.4. Keyword-Friendly URLs
          5. 8.2.1.3.5. Maintaining Valid Links
          6. 8.2.1.3.6. XML Sitemap
        4. 8.2.1.4. Tracking Web Site Traffic
      2. 8.2.2. Anatomy of an iPhone App Web Site
        1. 8.2.2.1. App Brand Identity
        2. 8.2.2.2. The Quick Pitch: What Is It and Why Should I Care?
        3. 8.2.2.3. App Store Identity Badge
        4. 8.2.2.4. Buy Button
        5. 8.2.2.5. Pricing
        6. 8.2.2.6. Screenshots and Video
        7. 8.2.2.7. Additional Details
        8. 8.2.2.8. Social Media
        9. 8.2.2.9. Your Blog, RSS Feed, and Email Mailing List
        10. 8.2.2.10. Customer Support and Contact Information
        11. 8.2.2.11. Company Identity
        12. 8.2.2.12. Cross-Promote Your Other Products
        13. 8.2.2.13. Downloadable Extras
      3. 8.2.3. Before Selling, Start Collecting
    3. 8.3. Why Site Compatibility with Mobile Safari Is So Important
      1. 8.3.1. "I'm Ready for My Close-up, Mr. Viewport"
      2. 8.3.2. Using Browser Detection to Deliver Targeted Content
        1. 8.3.2.1. JavaScript
        2. 8.3.2.2. PHP
      3. 8.3.3. Dynamically Replacing Flash with iPhone-Compatible Content
        1. 8.3.3.1. JavaScript
        2. 8.3.3.2. PHP
      4. 8.3.4. Home Screen Bookmarking Made Beautiful
    4. 8.4. Let's Make Some Noise: The Power of Blogs, Twitter, and Social Networks
      1. 8.4.1. Blogging
        1. 8.4.1.1. Syndicating Your Blog Content
        2. 8.4.1.2. Inviting Comments
        3. 8.4.1.3. Host Your Own Blog or Use a Third-Party Blog Service?
      2. 8.4.2. Twitter
        1. 8.4.2.1. Gaining Followers
        2. 8.4.2.2. Customizing Your Profile
        3. 8.4.2.3. Keywords and Hash Tags
        4. 8.4.2.4. Retweet Appeal
        5. 8.4.2.5. Twitter Lists
        6. 8.4.2.6. Managing the Pipeline
      3. 8.4.3. Facebook
        1. 8.4.3.1. Creating a Facebook Page
        2. 8.4.3.2. Connecting with Fans
        3. 8.4.3.3. Import Blog, Output Twitter
      4. 8.4.4. Other Social Networks and Bookmarking Sites
      5. 8.4.5. Commenting on Forums, Groups, and Blogs
    5. 8.5. But Not Too Much Noise: Maintaining a Professional Reputation
    6. 8.6. Everyone Loves a Winner: Collecting Prerelease Press and Testimonials
      1. 8.6.1.
        1. 8.6.1.1. Preparing a Hit List
        2. 8.6.1.2. Establishing Relationships
        3. 8.6.1.3. Offering Exclusives and Advance Ad Hoc Builds to Secure Coverage
    7. 8.7. Passing the Baton
  14. 9. Keys to the Kingdom: The App Store Submission Process
    1. 9.1. The Politics of Pricing
      1. 9.1.1. Analyzing Similar Apps
      2. 9.1.2. Room to Maneuver
      3. 9.1.3. Sustaining a Long-Term Business
      4. 9.1.4. Perceived Value and Consumer Resistance
    2. 9.2. Improving App Discovery: The Art of Keywords and Names
      1. 9.2.1. Assigning Keywords
      2. 9.2.2. The Name Game
    3. 9.3. Perfecting the Sales Pitch of Your App Description
      1. 9.3.1. What Is It?
      2. 9.3.2. Awards and Testimonials
      3. 9.3.3. Features and Benefits
    4. 9.4. A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words: The Importance of Screenshots
      1. 9.4.1. Choosing the Primary Screenshot
      2. 9.4.2. When a Screenshot Is More Than a Screenshot
    5. 9.5. Preparing Your Application Binary for the App Store
      1. 9.5.1. Step 1: Verify Your Distribution Certificate Is Still Installed
      2. 9.5.2. Step 2: Generate and Install an App Store Distribution Provisioning Profile
      3. 9.5.3. Step 3: Configure Your Xcode Project for App Store Distribution
      4. 9.5.4. Step 4: Compile Your iPhone Application
    6. 9.6. Are We There Yet? Submitting Your App in iTunes Connect
      1. 9.6.1. Ensure Your Contracts and Payment Settings Have Been Processed by Apple
      2. 9.6.2. Step 1: Add a New Application in iTunes Connect
      3. 9.6.3. Step 2: Submit Your App's Metadata
        1. 9.6.3.1. Application Name
        2. 9.6.3.2. Application Description
        3. 9.6.3.3. Device Requirements
        4. 9.6.3.4. Category
        5. 9.6.3.5. Copyright
        6. 9.6.3.6. Version Number
        7. 9.6.3.7. SKU Number
        8. 9.6.3.8. Keywords
        9. 9.6.3.9. Application URL, Support URL, and Support Email Address
        10. 9.6.3.10. Demo Account
        11. 9.6.3.11. End User License Agreement
      4. 9.6.4. Step 3: Assign a Rating to Your App
      5. 9.6.5. Step 4: Upload Your App Binary, Large Icon, and Screenshots
      6. 9.6.6. Step 5: Set the Availability Date and Price
      7. 9.6.7. Step 6: Supporting Multiple Languages
      8. 9.6.8. Step 7: Confirm and Submit Your App for Review
      9. 9.6.9. Submitting App Updates
      10. 9.6.10. Managing Your Own Expectations
    7. 9.7. Try, Try Again: Dealing with App Store Rejections
    8. 9.8. Approved! Making It to the Promised Land
      1. 9.8.1. Analyzing Your App Store Sales Statistics
        1. 9.8.1.1. AppFigures
        2. 9.8.1.2. AppSales Mobile
        3. 9.8.1.3. AppStore Clerk
        4. 9.8.1.4. AppStore Sales
        5. 9.8.1.5. AppViz
        6. 9.8.1.6. Heartbeat
        7. 9.8.1.7. My App Sales
        8. 9.8.1.8. TapMini from TapMetrics
        9. 9.8.1.9. Other Resources for App Store Statistics
    9. 9.9. Rev Your Engines
  15. 10. Increasing Awareness for Your iPhone App
    1. 10.1. Dedicating As Much Effort to Marketing Your App As You Put into Developing It
    2. 10.2. The Art of Crafting Effective Press Releases
      1. 10.2.1. The Essential Ingredients of a Press Release
      2. 10.2.2. The Virtual 24/7 Press Room
      3. 10.2.3. Who to Notify and How?
    3. 10.3. Issuing Promo Codes: Soliciting App Reviews on Influential Blogs and Review Sites
      1. 10.3.1. Providing Review Materials
      2. 10.3.2. Obtaining Promo Codes
      3. 10.3.3. Publicity Requires Planning and Patience
    4. 10.4. Using Promotions and Giveaways to Improve App Discovery
    5. 10.5. Timing a Good Sale to Rejuvenate App Downloads
    6. 10.6. Contemplating Sponsorships and Product Placement Deals
    7. 10.7. Connecting with Customers: Delivering App Updates and Quality Support
    8. 10.8. Additional Tips for Sustaining Momentum in the App Store
      1. 10.8.1. Banking on the Prestige of Awards and Endorsements
      2. 10.8.2. Share Your Knowledge
      3. 10.8.3. Participating in Interviews and Podcasts
      4. 10.8.4. Can Advertising Sell Apps?
    9. 10.9. Looking Toward the Horizon

Product information

  • Title: The Business of iPhone App Development: Making and Marketing Apps that Succeed
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: March 2010
  • Publisher(s): Apress
  • ISBN: 9781430227335