App Store 101

General description:

Apple App Store is the online marketplace where third-party developers can digitally distribute their apps for iOS devices (iPhone/iPad/iPod touch).

The App Store was launched on July 10, 2008. When it launched, there were a total of 500 third-party apps that had been developed for distribution to iOS users.

By January 22, 2011, the 10 billionth app was downloaded and it continued to grow at an astronomical rate, surpassing 25 billion downloads this year alone.

It has become quite apparent that if you are considering developing an app but are unsure of the platform to develop it on, Apple is the only logical choice. There’s nothing against Android or Windows Phone, but why limit your potential market share, especially for your first app? You’ll face tougher competition, but with the right marketing plan and a creative idea for your app, you’ll have a higher ceiling for success.

The showcase:

For those who don’t know, the App Store is divided into categories. When you open it, you will start in the Featured Section. There is a navigation panel with buttons at the bottom of the app store that will allow you to choose how you will navigate the app store.

Top Charts: Shows the top free, paid, and top-grossing apps available on the App Store.

Categories: Breaks down each app based on the categories listed on the App Store. Get to know these categories well, as this will determine what kind of app you will develop and the market you are targeting.

Categories range from Business to Education, Entertainment to Gaming or Productivity to Health and Fitness.

Featured: The apps in this section are the lucky few that have been chosen by Apple’s editors as new and noteworthy. The announcement of being put front and center on the App Store is as good as gold.

There is also a search function available in the top right hand corner so you can search using keywords to better understand what has already been created and the potential that exists for your idea.

Prices:

The pricing structure of apps can be a bit tricky, but let’s say almost 75% of all downloaded apps are free, but the average price of all apps sold is $4.99. That’s not to say that you can’t make money from a free app, in fact, quite the opposite, by placing ads on your free apps you can make solid profits. The simple breakdown of this pricing structure that you’ll need to know is that 30 percent of all revenue generated from your apps sold in the app store goes to Apple and 70 percent goes to you.

We hope this article gives you a solid starting point and begins the process of brainstorming creative ideas for your next app.

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