Dave Wooldridge

Exploring the Freemium Model with In-App Purchase

In-App Purchase was one of the more exciting and highly anticipated features introduced in iPhone SDK 3.0. The option to integrate e-commerce within both free and paid iOS apps opened up a new frontier for developers to create additional revenue opportunities beyond just traditional app sales. In-App Purchase enables you to sell subscriptions, services, virtual goods, and add-on content, such as premium features or additional game levels—all within your app.

Keys to the Kingdom: The App Store Submission Process

After months of extensive planning, development, and testing, you’re finally ready to submit your iOS application to the App Store! Congratulations on all your hard work! Your beta testers love your app, but will Apple’s app review team give it a thumbs-up?

The Business of iOS App Development

• Analyze your ideas and competition, and identify your audience to evaluate sales potential • Protect your business and intellectual property and avoid potential legal hassles • Transform your iOS app into a powerful marketing tool • Create a pre-release buzz online with Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and a dedicated website • Successfully navigate the App Store submission process • Execute a post-release marketing strategy with press releases, app reviews, promotional sales and giveaways

Increasing Awareness for Your iOS App

Your app has been approved and is available for sale in the App Store, so now what? First, I would like to congratulate you on this milestone achievement! If you’ve worked your way through the entire book and finally have an application listed in the App Store, that in itself is quite an accomplishment. Only fellow developers truly know how much hard work and dedication goes into launching a new software product. After months of meticulously planning and programming your app, you deserve to celebrate. Although you would probably love nothing more than to take a much needed vacation at this point, unfortunately, you can’t rest yet.

Money for Nothing: When It Pays to Be Free

Unlike the traditional desktop software world, the App Store currently does not allow time-limited or feature-crippled trial versions. To work around this restriction, many developers offer an In-App Purchase-supported “freemium” model or a free “lite” version of their apps, hoping users will buy in-app content or the separate paid edition to gain access to premium features. In this chapter, you’ll learn when and how to harness the power of free for effective results, plus how to tap into the additional revenue opportunities of affiliate programs.

Protecting Your Intellectual Property

This chapter was contributed by Michael Schneider, a technology transactions attorney and iPhone developer. As an attorney, Michael works with clients on intellectual property and technology-related contracts, helping them build, monetize, and protect their products. As an iPhone developer, Michael has published a number of successful apps, including TouchType, Private-I, and the Andrew Johnson series of self-help apps.

Your iOS App Is Your Most Powerful Marketing Tool

There are many factors that contribute to a successful launch and life of an app. Factors such as your app icon and screenshots are among the most important visual elements that users see in the App Store. Just like with any business, a bad first impression can cost you sales and invite negative reviews, so fine-tuning your app’s design is a critical component to success. In this chapter, I’ll go through the process of getting your app off the ground by prototyping. I’ll also go over creating a great user experience with an intuitive UI and eye-catching icons, as well as designing for multiple iOS devices. I’ll provide useful tips for all of these topics throughout the chapter.

Doing Your Homework: Analyzing iOS App Ideas and Performing Competitive Research

So, you think you have a good idea for an iPhone or iPad app? Make sure it’s a great idea. No amount of marketing will help sell a bad app. Sure, you may have excellent coding skills with the ability to produce a performance-optimized, high-quality application, but if it’s based on a poorly conceived concept, it won’t stand a chance in today’s crowded App Store.

Monetizing Free Apps with iAd and Other In-App Advertising Opportunities

Mobile advertising is widely perceived as the next great marketing frontier, with advertisers racing to target that growing audience. In this chapter, the world of in-app advertising is thoroughly examined, educating you on the mobile ad networks available for iOS apps and the value of tracking usage through in-app analytics. Alternative advertising models, such as sponsorships and product placement deals, are also explored.

Seeing the Big Picture in a Crowded App Store Marketplace

Living in Los Angeles, there’s no shortage of Hollywood cliches. There was a time when it seemed like everyone I met—no matter their profession—was working on a screenplay.