The Business of Android Apps Development: Making and Marketing Apps That Succeed

The Business of Android Apps Development: Making and Marketing Apps That Succeed

Released October 2011
Publisher(s): Apress
ISBN: 9781430239420

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Book description

The growing but still evolving success of the Android platform has ushered in a second mobile technology "gold rush" for apps developers, but with well over 100,000 apps and counting in the Google Android Market and now the Amazon Android Appstore, it has become increasingly difficult for new applications to stand out in the crowd. Achieving consumer awareness and sales longevity for your Android app requires a lot of organization and some strategic planning.

Written for today's Android apps developer or apps development shop, The Business of Android Apps Development shows how to incorporate marketing and business savvy into every aspect of the design and development process, giving your application the best possible chance of succeeding in the the various Android app stores and markets.

This book takes you step-by-step through cost-effective marketing, public relations and sales techniques that have proven successful for professional Android app creators and indie shops—perfect for independent developers on shoestring budgets. No prior business knowledge is required. This is the book you wish you had read before you launched your first app!

Table of contents

  1. Title
  2. Contents at a Glance
  3. Contents
  4. About the Author
  5. About the Technical Reviewer
  6. Acknowledgments
  7. Preface
  8. Chapter 1: The Android Application Business
    1. The State of the Android Market
    2. The Origins of Android
    3. Android vs. iOS
    4. Getting Started As an Android Developer
    5. How to Use Your Own Android Device As an Emulator on Eclipse
    6. Summary
  9. Chapter 2: Questions to Ask About Your Android Application
    1. How Android Gives Developers the Tools to Succeed
    2. Deciding What to Build
    3. Creating an Original Application
    4. Who Is Your Target Audience?
    5. What Category Will This Application Go Under?
    6. Has Someone Already Done This Before?
    7. What Are You Going to Call Your Application?
    8. Where Do You Want Your Application to Run
    9. What You Need to Do, Legally, As an Application Developer
    10. Summary
  10. Chapter 3: You’re Not Selling an Application, You’re Selling a Culture
    1. The Definition of Culture
    2. Defining Your Culture
    3. Creating a Style That Is Unique
    4. Your Application’s Web Site
    5. Summary
  11. Chapter 4: Marketing Your Android Application
    1. How Did You Hear About Your Android Applications?
    2. Word of Mouth: Your Best and Worst Marketing Strategy
    3. Creating a Marketing Plan for Your Android Application
    4. Who Are You Going to Tell About Your Android Application?
    5. Other Methods of Spreading the Word for Your Application
    6. Sales Goals
    7. Scheduling Your Launch
    8. Summary
  12. Chapter 5: How to Promote Android Applications Within Android Applications
    1. Setting Up Your Application for Reviews
    2. Timing Is Everything
    3. Sharing an Application on a Social Network
    4. Cross-Promotion: One Application Sells Another
    5. Social Gaming Platforms
    6. Summary
  13. Chapter 6: Marketing the Free Application
    1. Developing a Lite Version of Your Application
    2. Free For Now
    3. Advertising on Your Free Application
    4. Affiliate Programs
    5. Summary
  14. Chapter 7: In-App Billing: Putting a Store in Your Application
    1. When to Use In-App Billing
    2. Types of In-App Billing
    3. In-App Billing for Android
    4. Setting Up Your Application for In-App Billing
    5. Summary
  15. Chapter 8: The Prerelease Guide
    1. Getting the Word Out on the Release Date on Your Official Web Site
    2. Increasing Your Blogging About Your Application
    3. Spreading the Word Through Social Media
    4. Making a Video
    5. Writing a Press Release
    6. Employing Other Creative Marketing Strategies to Reach Your Audience
    7. Summary
  16. Chapter 9: Publishing to the Android Market
    1. Is This Your First Android Application?
    2. What to Do Before You Submit to the Android Market
    3. How to Obtain a Screenshot of Your Android Device
    4. How to Create a Distributable File
    5. Creating an APK File Using Eclipse
    6. Creating an Account on the Android Market
    7. Uploading Your Application
    8. The App Is Published, Now What?
    9. Summary
  17. Chapter 10: Best Launch Day Ever
    1. Deciding Whether to Have a Beta-Testing Phase
    2. You Have a Million Calls to Make
    3. Setting Up a Press Room on Your Web Site
    4. Get Your Paid Search On, If You Dare!
    5. Getting the Word Out on Your Social Networks
    6. The Season for Your Application
    7. Considering a Temporary Giveaway
    8. Getting Your Application a QR Code
    9. Breaking Out of the Box
    10. Summary
  18. Chapter 11: Keep the Application Fires Burning
    1. How Will You Change?
    2. How to Update Your Android Application
    3. Using Google Statistics
    4. Attending Conferences
    5. The Price
    6. Summary
  19. Chapter 12: Programming in Android with the Eclipse IDE
    1. Setting Up the Eclipse IDE to Work with the Android SDK
    2. Starting a New Android Project
    3. What You Will Notice About Your Android Project Structure
    4. Uploading the Icon and Background for Your Android Application
    5. Understanding Java SE
    6. Getting Your Program to Do What You Want
    7. Handling Errors in Eclipse
    8. Running Applications on Eclipse
    9. Example of an Android Application
    10. Summary
  20. Index

Product information

  • Title: The Business of Android Apps Development: Making and Marketing Apps That Succeed
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: October 2011
  • Publisher(s): Apress
  • ISBN: 9781430239420