5 Rules to Score better among other Apps

5 Rules to Score better among other Apps

Rule #1 - Know your market.
The most successful apps we see are those being published by companies or individuals that really know their market. This is more than just being able to recite some industry statistics. This is knowledge that only comes from years of experience in your field. And with this knowledge comes access to the right contacts that can endorse your app or help get your game trailer on the leading sites.

Rule #2 - Know the difference between a distribution platform and a marketing platform.
It is common to hear of the App Store being referred to as a marketing platform. And, it IS a marketing platform, but only for the top 5% of the apps in the 20 different categories buyers can browse. For the other 95,000 apps it is merely a distribution platform. It provides a billing/digital rights management mechanism for the developer, but that's it. This means you need to plan to market your app until it rises above, at least, 95,000 others to fully reap the benefits of the platform.

Rule #3 - Launch quickly and launch often.
Don't try to jam pack your version 1.0 release with every single feature you can come up with. A better strategy is to launch many apps with smaller feature sets and see what sells. Then you can take advantage of the distribution platform to push future releases of the titles that are performing well to keep your audience hooked. Always listen to user feedback about which features they would like to see added, removed, or what's just plain buggy. More often than not, the end user is the best product manager.

Rule #4 - Utilize the embedded ad networks.
Many of the top free apps on App Store utilize ad networks such as AdMob, Decktrade, or Quattro. If you want to be in the top 5% of App Store, then you need to put your app in front of people that use the top 5% of apps. Target your ads to be featured in other apps that you think your target audience might enjoy. Warning, this can be expensive.

Rule #5 - Have a competitive advantage.
Let's take a look at our partner, Tapulous, for a good example of having a competitive advantage. Tapulous makes amazing games. At the time of this writing they have just released Tap Tap Revenge 3, they have the #1 Top Paid app in App Store, and are sitting at #2 Top Grossing. Very impressive, but it's more than just their amazing game designs that got them to where they are. There are many companies out there making amazing games, but only Tapulous has a deal with Universal Music Group, one of the largest record labels in the industry. Having access to artists like the Black Eyed Peas and the #1 DJ in the world, Tiesto, makes a huge difference to the marketability of an app.
P.S. ref from http://www.seekmobileinteractive.com/5-rules-to-stay-above-the-clutter