The Flying Jalapeño Lives

As an iPhone developer, you need quick access to many tools.  Your iPhone is your “Swiss Army Knife”, providing the information you need, when you need it. The home screen holds your most useful and frequently used apps.

What tools are most important to you?

Here is a quick looksy at my home screen:

In the Dock: Nothing special here, I have alternated Remember the Milk and Things Touch down here. I am currently deciding on my task management workflow, and will probably move the iPod back out when I make a decision. In the mean time, iPod has made a comeback. I find myself listening to many, many podcasts

Top Row: I like having my camera and photos handy. I use maps about every 5 minutes and weather almost daily (I like AccuWeather the best).

2nd Row: My internet row. These are the things I am using the most online. I think Google is a little better in the app that in Safari, but it’s debatable.

3rd Row: Gettin’ social. This is how I stay connected. I still use Twitterriffic (free) for my main Twitter app, but I am looking at going for Tweetie (I’m loving the desktop version) and Birdhouse when I get a little more active. Since I started blogging, I constantly use the WordPress app. The Facebook app has made me ever so slightly more active in Facebook land.

Bottom Row: On this row I track my vital stats, Analytics App (Google Analytics) , Mint for my money, and App Sales for more money. Last is Notes, which I use a lot. This may change when I get my task management in order.

So, what are you packing?

Data from several sources has shown that just being in the top 100, and to a greater extent, the top 50 accelerates app sales. The list is a self supporting mechanism, rewarding those that make it.

So, how can you make it in?

That’s not exactly an easy question, nor are all cases the same. I swear I’m not trying to get out of the answer! What I can do is go over some data and see if it can give you and me any advantages.

I have been tracking the sales of Compounds comparative to it’s ranking within the Productivity category. Additionally, I have also been probing other categories to give me some insight into how our app sales measure up.

My first discovery was that the gaming and entertainment are by far the best selling categories. This isn’t exactly news, but it is relevant to figuring out how well you app must perform within it’s category to reach the top 100.

Here is Compounds’ ranking changed with sales:

Compounds achieved it’s highest ranking on Sunday, Apr 19, when it reached the number 3 spot in Productivity. Unfortunately, this was NOT enough to make it in to the Top 100. It was close: the number 1 and 2 app in productivity are both in the Top 100. Even more, the previous number 3 app, was briefly in the Top 100.

For perspective: In the Entertainment category, the 11th ranked app can be found within the Top 100. An even crazier comparison is with the Games category.  The 63rd ranked game is just barely in the Top 100.

All these facts confirm what we already know, games and entertainment apps sell, a lot. If you release a productivity app, you are not going for the gold rush, you are going for a steady yet consistent climb. At least that’s what you should be thinking.

Productivity is a long term investment, with long term users. Some top selling entertainment apps won’t produce any revenue next month, but many productivity apps will still be chugging along. Each strategy has it’s merits and pitfalls. You must to decide what your goals are.

Now, back to the top 100, what can you do to make it in?

Here are some ideas that have I’ve read, came up with, heard, or just dreamed. Take what you will.

1. Get noticed! Pick something and have an interesting take. Sure it may have been done before, but you can explore a different metaphor. Stand out.
2. Get noticed, by Apple! Ahh, the easiest way. Well, not really. But if you follow my previous advice, you’ll have a fighting chance.
3. Get noticed, again! Your icon is your face on the App Store and you need to give it the same treatment as your code. I recommend getting it designed. If you can’t, go to iStock Photo and learn some photoshop.
4. Frequent updates. Get your releases out often to drive some sales. You’ll get a brief moment on the front of your app’s category page. Additionally, (more importantly) it looks good to potential customers to see frequent updates.
5. Demos. Give them to any website or person that will have them. You need to do a lot of leg work, maybe more than you did to write your app.
6. Review sites. Try and hit the big boys, but even a little buzz will land you some traffic.
7. Get a real website. You need to pimp your app elsewhere, not just on the App Store.  To a customer: A solid website = A solid app.
8. Do some research. Know the other apps you with who you will compete. How many reviews do they have? What’s there ranking? It may not e worth it ot enter the space without a great idea. You’ll need to look at data and make an informed guess.

You might not make it to the Top 100 with these strategies, but you don’t need to. Many apps make a respectable, stable income without ever sniffing the top 100.  If you a apply the concepts above, you can’t go wrong. You will have a rock solid app with more of a marketing strategy than 80% of the apps available.