subject: Have You Achieved Ios App Development Success Yet? [print this page] According to reports which cite the success of iPhone apps, it is reported that more than 60% of the app developers struggle to even break even. According to the marketing firm App Promo, 59 percent of iOS apps don't break even, and more than 80% cannot drive a business on the quality of their apps alone. Why is it so?
The primary problem here is: huge expectations. The Apple Store has hundreds of thousands of apps and the incredible variety is bewildering thus making difficult for small developers even to get noticed. If the app does not break into Top 100 or Top 200 lists of apps, it is difficult for them to get noticed. Users do not navigate through the entire list of apps just to find your app at the bottom of the heap.
The App Store though offers iOS developers with lots of opportunity and it depends on the developer to make the most of it.
Some developers even equate the success ratio to be 1:85 rather than 1:60. But Apple has tried to encourage all types of developers to try their hand in iOS development. At a rate of $99 per year a developer can access Apple's developer program and the tools can be downloaded for free. Also, one can receive tips to develop in the iOS environment. There is a huge group of developers though who underestimate the amount of time, effort, and money that can go in app development.
One of the problems with huge losses in app development can be attributed to consumer expectations. The App Store has exhorted consumers to pay 99 cents, and even $1.99 for most of the mobile apps. Whats more, many of the apps are free!
Paid apps which charge a dollar are still a high asking price for the general public. A couple bucks on iOS development is termed as 'premium' price. High prices are ridiculed by both users and journalists. That makes life difficult for mobile app development companies.
One of the other problems for a huge failure of some companies is because Apple has been stringent in its rules on the working of App Store. Discoverability of apps has been a real problem and companies have resorted to SEO techniques like overloading titles, descriptions, and the like to make it a win-win situation but to no avail.
According to several analysts, Apple would need some kind of demo for paid apps. They are of the opinion that if the app has credibility and utility, then the consumer would pay anything if convinced. Developers need to focus on delivering useful apps rather than churn out many in the hope that at least one will definitely succeed.
Developers fail to understand the need for early marketing and fueling of early app adoption which will definitely increase the chances of their app. There is no direct connection between the time and effort one puts in to develop an app and its success. The right apps at the right time in the market mean that success is guaranteed even though the concept is simple and the execution is easy to understand.
