gotanappidea

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The Startup Therapy Couch: Reason 6 of 7 your startup is failing – “Too much money too soon”

https://youtu.be/M9bX0WV4t3k

Reason #6: You raised too much money too soon Wait, too MUCH money? Is that really a thing?

YES, it is possible to raise too much capital too soon in your startup journey. If you don't have focus, don't understand your problem or your target users well, or don't have a clear plan for how you're using the money and how that money is going to gain you new customers or revenue or both, then it's TOO SOON for you to raise it.

Investors want to see a return on their money in a reasonable amount of time, usually 3-5 years. So if you've been "thinking about" your idea for 3 months and someone hands you a cool half-mil to go make it happen, you probably have not done the work you need to to know what to do with that money that will generate the return your investor is looking for... Think of it like giving a toddler a $500k college fund and expecting them to get value from it within 5 years. Ridiculous right? Well, money into your startup too early can have the same effect!

We've seen companies raise money too soon, waste all of it trying to get their feet under them, and then have a much more difficult time getting additional capital when they actually have a viable business model. Also - if you're raising too soon, you're giving away more of your company in exchange for that money than you would if you had more proof of what you're doing!

Take the time to do customer validation to understand the problem you're solving and how the people you're solving it for perceive it. Then take time to build a prototype and validate that with your end users too. At the end of that process, you'll have a much better understanding of your market, your product, what your MVP should be, and how much money you really need and exactly how you'll spend it to reach your goals.

Go forth and validate your ideas, friends!

Go back to “Reason 1 your startup is failing – Hocus Pocus, Lack of Focus”.

Go back to “Reason 2 your startup is failing – Your pride gets in the way“.

Go back to “Reason 3 your startup is failing – You don’t act like a boss”.

Go back to “Reason 4 your startup is failing – We question your commitment”.

Go back to "Reason 5 your startup is failing - You took some bad advice".

Originally Posted here: The Startup Therapy Couch: Reason 6 of 7 your startup is failing – “Too much money too soon”

[gotanappidea]

Video Podcast: The State of Healthcare (Technology)

https://youtu.be/MS5yB9_oTJk

Raika Technologies and GotAnAppIdea are proud to present this episode of Incubate This!, in podcast partnership with The Raika Show.

Today we are discussing the state of healthcare, and positing whether the push for technological advancement in healthcare record-keeping has been beneficial or has wrecked provider-patient relationships.

First Posted over here: Video Podcast: The State of Healthcare (Technology)

[gotanappidea]

Tips For Brainstorming About Your App’s Goals

With or without technological skills, you have no reason not to enter the application market and earn some money from it.

The first step in your attempt to create a successful application is producing a great idea. Start by thinking about what kind of application you would like to do. There are chances that many people are interested exactly in this type of application. For example, you might consider the area where you live. If you live in a city that attracts tourists, the possibilities are endless.

You can also consider your personal interests. Maybe you are a coffee lover and have discovered some great places around the world. If that's the case, why not turn your knowledge into a guide application to help other coffee aficionados?

Gaming applications tend to make more money than other types, as people tend to pay more for them. Games that become popular in certain social circles will become viral most easily. Many applications gain popularity through word of mouth.

Don't give up if you find in the app store something similar with your idea. This is the point where you have to think outside the box. What has your application to offer unlike the others? Maybe you collect personal feedback from the coffee shop owners or provide information about what is special at a particular coffee shop.  Then find the best mobile app companies to start your journey to implement your idea.

  GotAnAppIdea is an app design and app development company, primarily working with new ideas in the earliest stages of incubation. As one of the top app development companies in the Denver, CO, area, we help new start-ups get from idea to execution planning quickly, efficiently and with as little time and money invested up front as possible. Our philosophy is that failing quick and often leads our clients to better outcomes, bigger businesses, and healthier work-life balance. Need Android app development, iOS app development or app design help? Call us today!

Originally Posted on: Tips For Brainstorming About Your App’s Goals

[gotanappidea]

The Startup Therapy Couch: Reason 5 of 7 your startup is failing – “You took some bad advice”

https://youtu.be/nj3loKSnDSc

Reason #5: You are getting (and taking) bad advice You must surround yourself with smart, capable, qualified people when you're building and running a business. You most likely will never be (and should NOT be) the smartest person in the room.

HOWEVER... Keep your eyes and ears open about the advice you're getting. Consider the source of the advice, how much the person is familiar with your situation, and whether your gut is sending you signals to beware. Unsure if you're getting bad advice? Ask other people, too!

The consequences of bad advice can be wasted time, wasted money, and even an ultimate failure in your business. You need to get really good at judging the advice coming your way, taking the good, and leaving the bad... Even if the bad comes from someone you trust and value highly!

Go back to “Reason 1 your startup is failing – Hocus Pocus, Lack of Focus”.

Go back to “Reason 2 your startup is failing – Your pride gets in the way“.

Go back to “Reason 3 your startup is failing – You don’t act like a boss”.

Go back to "Reason 4 your startup is failing - We question your commitment".

Original Post right here: The Startup Therapy Couch: Reason 5 of 7 your startup is failing – “You took some bad advice”

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Video Podcast: It’s All in the Family (Business)

https://youtu.be/oQIarn5Zmsc

Raika Technologies and GotAnAppIdea are proud to present this episode of Incubate This!, in podcast partnership with The Raika Show, where we talk about our own experience building our startup.

We work with a lot of entrepreneurs, and a lot of them are brand new to starting and running a business. It's easy for them to forget that Raika's founders are entrepreneurs too! In this episode, we're talking about our journey (so far) in building a business that builds businesses... The ups, the downs, and how we navigate it all, is exactly why we are passionate about working with other budding startup-pers!

Originally Posted right here: Video Podcast: It’s All in the Family (Business)

[gotanappidea]

What Qualities Make An App Successful

Some applications are downloaded millions of times, while others are condemned to being forget or are completely ignored. Do you know what makes the difference?

Now there is an application for pretty much everything, and if there is one thing left uncovered, do not worry: an app will be invented soon to cover it. We have everything from 3D games to applications that monitor the heartbeat or baby noises. And the platforms they appear on are as varied, from Android or iOS to Smart TVs.

The dream of any developer is to reach the Top 10 worldwide, but this happens in less than 1% of cases. For the 99% of programmers, a well-defined niche could be a step forward, sometimes even easier to monetize. Or you can consider local markets. Local news applications, weather, TV programs, video content or useful information can be a starting point.

Good applications do one thing, which they excel at. It is important for your application to be original and to use the best app prototyping tools available, to solve a problem, to entertain or to improve the way we interact with the respective gadget.

In no case is developing an application easy. The idea from which you start is only the first step and typically the easiest. Its implementation, execution, consistency and promotion are the stages that most often make the difference.

  GotAnAppIdea is an app design and app development company, primarily working with new ideas in the earliest stages of incubation. As one of the top app development companies in the Denver, CO, area, we help new start-ups get from idea to execution planning quickly, efficiently and with as little time and money invested up front as possible. Our philosophy is that failing quick and often leads our clients to better outcomes, bigger businesses, and healthier work-life balance. Need Android app development, iOS app development or app design help? Call us today!

Originally Posted over here: What Qualities Make An App Successful

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How Do Apps Make Money?

A fair portion of the available apps today are add-ons to an existing company’s business or services. Some apps are loss leaders for companies intending to drive stickiness in their brand by offering alternative methods of interaction by their existing customers. And still other apps are designed and published simply because the next generation of smartphone users is more accustomed to apps than to the mobile web.

  But what if you want to build an app for the purpose of generating revenue? Is it possible to make money on an app strategy alone? And what are the pathways for making money from an app?

  App purchase

The most obvious way to make money with an app is to charge for the initial purchase and download of the app. This is a pay-to-play type of fee and can be as high or as low as you want.

  However… Keep in mind that most people are very hesitant to buy apps outright without experiencing them first and determining whether they do what is promised. So, while you CAN charge for your app to be downloaded, this is typically a very high-customer-acquisition-cost strategy and not a recommended one.

  Free Trial

Apps that offer a free trial before purchase are much more appealing to a wider audience. This strategy allows users to download the app for free, use it for a period of time, and then opt-in to pay outright for the app (or opt-in to a subscription) once they’ve realized how much they love it and can’t live without it. You’ll get a much higher conversion rate of paying customers with this method than the outright purchase method.

  Monthly or Yearly Subscription

This brings us to the SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) model, where you offer some kind of recurring value in exchange for recurring revenue. Typically, the user has the option of a monthly or yearly subscription, often with a discount given for the purchase of an annual license, and there is on-going value the user receives for their on-going payment. This strategy, in tandem with the free trial, is a very effective way to build a user base of paying customers that allows you to keep innovating and updating your app, which in turn provides that continuous value that has them coming back for more, month after month and year after year.

  In-App Purchases

Another strategy for monetization is in-app purchases. Many games use this method for things like extra lives, bonus levels, and the like. This strategy entails timely, one-time payments at a point where the user really WANTS to keep going and will pay a nominal fee to do so. We’ve seen creative uses of this outside the gaming world, but that is where it is most prevalent.

  Ads

Of course, no list of options to monetize an app would be complete without the mention of ads! While we find them rather annoying, they can be incredibly effective when implemented properly. Keep in mind that you need a fairly large user base, or a very targeted user base, in order to get the right number of or kind of impressions to make your ads pay off. Also, it is a LOT easier to start an app off from the get-go with ads already in it than it is to add this as a monetary strategy later on; so if you think you might want to do an ad strategy, start out with it from the beginning. Your users will be accustomed to it all along, and if you find it’s not valuable enough for you, you can always remove it. No one will ever complain about that.

  Ultimately, how you monetize your app comes down to your target audience and the intended use of your app. Spend time getting to know your target users, hearing their thoughts and feedback, and letting them guide you to the right strategy or set of strategies that make you their hero. And you should always do this BEFORE you spend a lot of money hiring a top app development firm. In the end, you’ll spend less money on app development if you spend more time on target market research.  Contact Got An App Idea for more valuable information and implementation of your app ideas.

    GotAnAppIdea is an app design and app development company, primarily working with new ideas in the earliest stages of incubation. As one of the top app development companies in the Denver, CO, area, we help new start-ups get from idea to execution planning quickly, efficiently and with as little time and money invested up front as possible. Our philosophy is that failing quick and often leads our clients to better outcomes, bigger businesses, and healthier work-life balance. Need Android app development, iOS app development or app design help? Call us today!

First Posted here: How Do Apps Make Money?

[gotanappidea]

The Startup Therapy Couch: Reason 4 of 7 your startup is failing – “We question your commitment”

https://youtu.be/26ufsKSQqV0

Reason #4: You lack the commitment and passion to see your idea through. Passion is absolutely a necessary quality when deciding to turn an idea into a business. How that passion typically shows up is as a driving, unwavering commitment to getting your idea built, out in the market, and in front of as many users as possible... No matter what.

If you don't have a strong passion for your idea, you will lose your focus and you won't be able to stay committed when the going gets tough. And the going WILL get tough at some point in your journey; it's perfectly natural and normal that it does. However, if your passion and your vision is lacking, you'll stop caring about whether you ever get past it.

There are a helluva lot of things that are MUCH easier to do in life than start a business and become an entrepreneur. You have to want this so badly that you'll sacrifice just about everything else to make it happen, and that only comes when your passion is strong.

Go back to “Reason 1 your startup is failing – Hocus Pocus, Lack of Focus”.

Go back to “Reason 2 your startup is failing – Your pride gets in the way“.

Go back to "Reason 3 your startup is failing - You don't act like a boss".

First Posted here: The Startup Therapy Couch: Reason 4 of 7 your startup is failing – “We question your commitment”

[gotanappidea]

Video Podcast: Security with Sam (Masiello)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFsDRX6DvTY

Raika Technologies and GotAnAppIdea are proud to present this episode of Incubate This!, in podcast partnership with The Raika Show, featuring our very special guest Sam Masiello, CISO of Gates.

As Chief Information Security Officer of a major multi-national corporation, Sam has a wealth of insight and knowledge on all things security. In this episode, we find out how Sam protects himself, the biggest security holes that exist today (some of these might shock you!), and how you can protect yourself and your business from the most common security breaches.

Originally Posted here: Video Podcast: Security with Sam (Masiello)

[gotanappidea]

Why Interactivity Is Crucial To Mobile Apps

Back in the days of yore, when Ye Olde Worlde Widee Webe came out, there was very little interaction.  You visited a web site, read everything that interested you, looked at the visit counter (because those were important back then) and then probably clicked a link on the page to go somewhere else.  That was the extent of the interactivity of a web site.

  Then things like JavaScript and videos came along and made the web more interactive.  Today, we take it for granted that websites and web applications are interactive.  So, you might be surprised at the number of app prototype design ideas that include very little interactivity.  In the rush to bring an app to market many developers and app design companies will try to push out something that is, in effect, the mobile version of what we used to call “brochureware”.  This was a web site that pretty much did nothing but tell you about a company or product.  It was the electronic equivalent of a three-fold brochure and about as useful.

  But we’re in a different age now.  Interactivity is assumed, especially in mobile apps.  Apple will reject your app if does nothing more than act as a brochure or business card.  One can’t blame them, really.  It’s hard enough to make an app stand out amongst the three million other apps on the App Store; the last thing they want is that number increasing and the problem compounding because of a bunch of apps that don’t do anything.

  As we always say, fundamentally your app should be about solving a problem.  Simply showing off your company or product is a problem best solved elsewhere.  Find a way to use the inherent interactive nature of a mobile app to solve a problem, and you’re golden!

    Courtesy of Darrell Brogdon, CIO of Raika Technologies and GotAnAppIdea.com.

  GotAnAppIdea is an app design and app development company, primarily working with new ideas in the earliest stages of incubation. As one of the top app development companies in the Denver, CO, area, we help new start-ups get from idea to execution planning quickly, efficiently and with as little time and money invested up front as possible. Our philosophy is that failing quick and often leads our clients to better outcomes, bigger businesses, and healthier work-life balance. Need Android app development, iOS app development or app design help? Call us today!

  Original Post right here: Why Interactivity Is Crucial To Mobile Apps

[gotanappidea]

The Startup Therapy Couch: Reason 3 of 7 your startup is failing – “You don’t act like a boss”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcEzy3iuPys

Reason #3: You don't know how to be the boss and run a business. No one is born knowing how to run a business. You may have innate skills in reading people, understanding complex concepts, etc, but running a business is a different animal. To be successful at it you need skills in conflict resolution, managing different types of people, managing up (to your board of directors) as well as down, and you need to know how to fire someone.

It's also important to understand the jobs that you are hiring people to do for you. You don't need an MBA in finance to be able to read a P&L and see if something looks off to you in your books. You don't need to necessarily be able to write code, but you should be asking questions about the stack your team is working in and understanding what your technical debt is. You will likely always be the top sales performer at your company, but even if you aren't "good at sales", you have to develop a process for your sales team and the only way to do that is by doing the process yourself first. You can't hire someone if you don't know what you're hiring them FOR and you can't set performance metrics if you don't understand what's actually achievable.

All of these skills CAN be taught and learned. If you want your startup to be a successful business, learn how to RUN A BUSINESS!

Now go do it... like a BOSS.

Go back to “Reason 1 your startup is failing - Hocus Pocus, Lack of Focus”.

Go back to “Reason 2 your startup is failing - Your pride gets in the way“.

Original Post right here: The Startup Therapy Couch: Reason 3 of 7 your startup is failing – “You don’t act like a boss”

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Video Podcast: What’s with all the “work culture” talk?

https://youtu.be/NVdFn0evFFw

Raika Technologies and GotAnAppIdea are proud to present this episode of Incubate This!, where we are talking about work culture.

Work culture is a high-trending topic at the moment, and we are exploring what it really means. Is work culture encompassed by policies such as unlimited PTO and work-from-home? Or is this an attempt to address a larger concern from a smaller level...

Incubate This! Podcast (iTunes): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/incubate-this/id1451975927?mt=2 Incubate This!: https://www.incubatethispodcast.com GotAnAppIdea.com: https://www.gotanappidea.com

The Raika Show Podcast (iTunes): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-raika-show/id1451978510 The Raika Show: https://www.raikatech.com/theraikashow Raika Technologies: https://www.raikatech.com

Originally Posted here: Video Podcast: What’s with all the “work culture” talk?

[gotanappidea]

How To Keep People Engaged With Your Mobile App

App design and app development.  That’s all you need, right?  You just spent a lot of time and money to get an app onto the app stores.  Yet, the people using your app, well, aren’t.  At least not as much as you had thought they would.

  “How is that possible?”, you might ask.  People are walking into doors and traffic because their faces are glued to their mobile phone screens.  Obviously, they’re using apps!  “Why aren’t they using mine?!”

  Engagement.  It’s the big buzzword these days.  It’s like “cloud”.  It applies even when it doesn’t.  Your coffee order got mixed up with someone else’s?  Engagement.  Need a new battery for your car?  Engagement.  The hairdresser thought you said “buzz cut” when you really said, “Keep it long but give me leopard spots”?  Cloud.

  Even though the word “engagement” is way overused these days, the reality is that you want them to be engaged because you want to solve their problem.  Cynically, one might say that you want them engaged because you want to show them more ads.  That’s not necessarily the route we recommend, but you do you.  Still, in the interest of building the best app you can there are some things you can do to keep people more engaged with your app.

  One thing to consider is the speed of your app.  How can you solve a problem quickly when your app is slow?  We’re an impatient lot, leading busy lives, so if your app is too slow then your customers are going to move on to a competitor.  Ask your app planning developer to spend a little time with performance optimization which is a process whereby they look for and fix bottlenecks in the code.  But a word of caution is due here: don’t do this too early in the app development process!  There’s a reason “premature optimization” sounds as off-putting as other premature things.

  Sometimes not having to use the app at all can be more valuable, so take advantage of Push Notifications if it makes sense.  That last part is key.  Don’t just add Push Notifications for the sake of doing it.  Push Notifications should simply be another tool in your toolbox of ways to solve a problem.

  You should also think about how you’re marketing your app.  How are you telling potential customers about what it can do?  One great way to do this is in the app store listing.  Don’t just upload a screenshot or two with a line of text in the description.  Sell your app!  Show what it can do with screenshots and videos.

  Have you considered past customers?  You’ve probably added new features since the last time they used it.  There may be new app design ideas that you’ve implemented in recent versions.  Tell people about it!

  Does your customer even know how to use your app? Don’t take for granted that they do.  What may seem obvious to you may be very confusing to others.  While you can’t sit next to them and show them how to use it, you can do the next best thing: build an on-boarding experience into the app.  This is usually done with a set of overlays placed on top of your regular graphical user interface that shows all the different features of the app.  The first time they open your app they will see this overlay that will gently walk them through how to use it.  Videos are also a great way of teaching people how to use your app.

  Speaking of features; do you have too many?  We often think that we must add every feature we can think of in order to be competitive but in reality, trying to fit everything on such a small screen will usually cause more problems than it solves.  When adding a new feature always ask yourself whether the app simply cannot do without it. Otherwise, put your app on Keto and get rid of the fat!

  In the end, building the best app you can, and that solves your customers problems, is one of the best ways to keep them engaged with it.

    Courtesy of Darrell Brogdon, CIO of Raika Technologies and GotAnAppIdea.com.

  GotAnAppIdea is an app design and app development company, primarily working with new ideas in the earliest stages of incubation. As one of the top app development companies in the Denver, CO, area, we help new start-ups get from idea to execution planning quickly, efficiently and with as little time and money invested up front as possible. Our philosophy is that failing quick and often leads our clients to better outcomes, bigger businesses, and healthier work-life balance. Need Android app development, iOS app development or app design help? Call us today!

  Article Source on: How To Keep People Engaged With Your Mobile App

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Is it a tech company? Is it, really?

We appear to be in the midst of a trend where companies are claiming to be “tech companies” when they’re anything but.  One might wonder why it matters?  So the guy selling peaches on the side of the road is claiming to be a tech company because he uses his phone to accept credit cards.  Who cares, right?  Let’s find out why it matters.

As I write this, the WeWork IPO is in trouble.  They were touted as the next “tech unicorn”.  But why were they ever called a “tech” anything?  Looking at their business model, they rented out space to companies.  Sure, they offered their locations to technology companies all the time but that doesn’t make them a technology company.  They used technology to manage scheduling, network access (insecurely, I might add), etc… but does that make them a tech company?  No more than the guy selling peaches.  Their core business is real estate, plain and simple.  One of their differentiators, however, is that they have positioned themselves as this sexy technology company solving world problems and moving humanity forward.  In reality, they’re a room with a desk where you can do business for a monthly fee.  Also known as an office.  I don’t know enough about pricing public companies to say for certain but it seems to me their IPO troubles stem from the fact that they’re a real estate company selling their stock as if it was a technology offering and the investors aren’t buying it.

So, again, no big deal right?  The only people who are apt to be harmed are their investors.  Now let’s take a look at how insidious this trend is becoming.

Take a minute to ask a medical provider about Juul.  My better half is a Family Nurse Practitioner and what she has told me is astonishing.  She regularly sees teenage patients with the lungs of a 55 year old who has smoked most of their life.  All because of a company that is touting themselves as a “tech company”.  Such a claim is specious at best.  They took what someone else invented, modified the formula to contain more nicotine than two packs of cigarettes, slapped stylish marketing on it, and started targeting kids.  If that’s what it means to be a tech company now, I want no part of it.

Part of the problem here comes from a saying going around these days that asserts, “Every company is a tech company.” To the degree that it may be true, what it really means is that you have to use technology to do business.  That part is unavoidable.

Using technology doesn’t make you a technology company any more than driving a fast car makes you a race car driver.   Farmers use computers and technology on an ever increasing basis.  Even the workers in the worlds oldest profession make use of technology to find “clients”.  But none of them, from Joe Farmer to, well, we’ll call her “Candy”, are hiring a team of software developers to help them manage their products or services.

If at any point after asking yourself the question, “Is it a tech company?  Is it, really?” you have to contort your face while you ponder the answer then, no, it probably isn’t.  To paraphrase Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart; you know a tech company when you see it.

Courtesy of Darrell Brogdon, CIO of Raika Technologies and GotAnAppIdea.com.

First Seen right here: Is it a tech company? Is it, really?

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The Startup Therapy Couch: Reason 2 of 7 your startup is failing – “Your pride gets in the way”

https://youtu.be/2dZRCxSchY0

Reason #2: Too much pride, not enough coachability Pride can be very useful, especially if you're a lion. (HA)

When you're an entrepreneur, however, pride can get in the way of hearing where your idea wants to take you. It's easy to think that the original spark and original intent of your idea MUST be the thing and in exactly the way you first imagined it. However, that kind of thinking will cut you off from hearing what your audience wants and what the nuances of the problem you are trying to solve really are.

This is why customer validation and product validation is so incredibly important, no matter what stage you're in. Getting time with real target users, finding out if the problem is painful enough for them to change their habits, spend money, or both is critical to understanding whether you have a viable market. Once you really understand the problem, you can look at your proposed solution and find out if it resonates as a real solution for your users or not. If it's not a good solution for users, whatever the reason or reasons, then there is a very good chance you won't be able to see a return on your investment of time and money.

Listen to your users, listen to those around you offering feedback and advice and new ideas, and be willing to shift and change to meet the needs of your market.

Don't get attached to your idea, get attached to solving the problem your users are having!

Missed the previous episode? Go back to “Reason 1 your startup is failing - Hocus Pocus, Lack of Focus”.

First Posted on: The Startup Therapy Couch: Reason 2 of 7 your startup is failing – “Your pride gets in the way”

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Video Podcast: “The Great Hack” – Your data, privacy, and manipulation

https://youtu.be/d9JFltxI2rY

Raika Technologies and GotAnAppIdea are proud to present this episode of Incubate This!, in podcast partnership with The Raika Show.

If you haven't seen the Netflix original movie "The Great Hack", you should watch it. It reveals the questionable practices of a company called Cabridge Analytica in effectively stealing and using unsuspecting Facebook users' data to manipulate their choices in political elections.

In this episode, we talk about the movie and the potential ramifications of the lack of international law with regard to how our data can be (and is being) used against us.

First Seen on: Video Podcast: “The Great Hack” – Your data, privacy, and manipulation

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What Qualities Make An App Popular?

Sometimes an app is just destined for greatness. Remember Angry Birds? Of course you do, because it was all the rage for almost a decade after its meteoric launch from obscurity into the smartphone lime light. The franchise is now worth an estimated $210 million dollars, includes two movies (the 2nd of which was released in August of 2019), and features 17 different versions of the game for download.

  That level of success is something beyond what can be accurately boiled down and offered as a tip for reproduction in a simple blog post, but there are several qualities that an app might have in order to give it the best chance of becoming popular.

  Novelty

Many games get popular because of their novelty. (We’re looking at you FlappyBird.) That is to say that they are cute, funny or a take on a common, everyday thing with a comical or unique spin. If you’re building something that’s just plain unique and doesn’t require a lot of learning, then you might have one of these.

  However, beware that these types of apps typically have a short lifespan, and once the hype is done, usually so are sales. To make these into a viable business, you either need to find a way to create a “mania” behind your novelty or keep finding new spins on it that keep your users coming back for more (and paying you over and over again).

  Timely or relevant subject matter

Sometimes apps become popular simply because they deal with or contain relevant and timely topics that everyone is interested in at the same time. This could be a flash-in-the-pan frustration reliever, like Political Smackdown, or something similar that is designed to capitalize on the current state of affairs.

  Like the majority of news, these types of apps are typically short-lived and will not make a great option as a long-term viable business. As with the novelty apps, if you can find a way to stay relevant and create an app that is easily updatable to the latest trend or hot topic, then you might be able to stay ahead of the curve.

  Solves a problem

The best types of apps solve problems. Real problems in the real world for real people who are real(ly) tired of their problem. If you have an audience that is willing to change their habits (and spend money) to solve their problem, and your app is a solution they resonate with, you’re already ahead of 95% of other apps out there.

  The best way to determine if your app is such a solution? ASK PEOPLE! Find people who have the problem you’re solving and get their feedback on whether your solution is the right one. This category is the absolute best shot at longevity and building a real business based on an app.

  Good marketing matters

The one quality that ALL of these types of apps have is a great marketing strategy. It’s not enough to push your app to the Apple App Store and Google Play and hope for the best. There are millions of other apps competing with very small screen real estate, and no one is going to find yours just because you’re a good person and you built something cool or relevant or novel. You MUST be willing to build a marketing strategy that plays to your app’s strengths, gets it in front of the right people at the right time, and that accurately portrays what a user can expect if they download it, see more https://gotanappidea.com/.  This will cost you money, but as the old saying goes: It takes money to make money.

  So what really makes an app popular? The right app, at the right time, with the right marketing strategy.

  Or birds, apparently.

    GotAnAppIdea is an app design and app development company, primarily working with new ideas in the earliest stages of incubation. As one of the top app development companies in the Denver, CO, area, we help new start-ups get from idea to execution planning quickly, efficiently and with as little time and money invested up front as possible. Our philosophy is that failing quick and often leads our clients to better outcomes, bigger businesses, and healthier work-life balance. Need Android app development, iOS app development or app design help? Call us today!

  Originally Posted here: What Qualities Make An App Popular?