How to Reach the Top of the App Store and Stay There

How To Target the Top 25 Apps Charts?

The number of newbies in the app world is growing exceptionally every day. Every business develops a new app with a dream of reaching the top 25 in the iTunes store, a difficult yet the most cherished dream. Getting your app the desired attention is difficult, as nearly 600 new apps are uploaded on the app store every day. The chances for each and every app reaching the top 25 are bleak. There is no secret trick to reach the top. However, devising an astute marketing strategy for your app may help you in reaching your goal.

If you too are targeting the Top 25 apps charts, follow the list of best methods to get your app its share of attention on the app store:

1) App store optimization – Top ranking in the app store can be achieved by app store optimization. Apps which are discovered through organic search generates a huge number of downloads. Therefore, keep an eye on the following:
• Keywords, that are mostly used for searching or identifying a category, must be strong as it represents the user search and must relate to the app category
• The app title must carry a relevant and highly sought-after keyword to maximize the app exposure. The app’s name must represent its function
• The description, wherein you can describe the benefits of the app or the key features to the users, using keywords in the text. The app description must be optimized for search on Google, Yahoo and Bing

2) Using Social Media – A marketing strategy is incomplete if it does not involve social media platforms. With an astute marketing strategy you can make your app viral on social platforms like, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and LinkedIn. Link these channels to your website or micro-site for the maximum effect.

3) Press Release – A press release at the time of launch will get your app the desired exposure. Therefore, release an introductory note laced with keywords (to improve the search engine visibility) and distinct features of your app. Don’t spill the information in the release, instead focus on the key points and features. Additionally, coincide the release date of app with the day when press releases are mostly read. Give a link at the end from where the users can download the app. You can also post the reviews on various social media platforms for maximum exposure.

4) Using Freemium Model – Free apps get more attention than the paid apps. Then why to shy from using a new technique, i.e. Freemium Model, where in you offer a free version to the user and the further content is offered either through in-app purchasing or subscription. The subscription technique is used in the content based apps like publications. But to achieve success through this technique, don’t forget to list the benefits of paid version in the app itself.

For more information on iPhone app development and marketing strategy send in your email to marketing@ymedialabs.com

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What Made Instagram So Popular in the App World?

How to Become #1 in the App Store - Learn From Instagram's Success

Instagram was launched on October 6, 2010 and became #1 in the App Store within 24 hours of its launch. The photo app was declared the app of the week and also got a place on the cover of the Wall Street Journal. It also holds the record of quickest app to reach 1 million downloads within four months of its inception.

Surprised with all these stats? You must be thinking what made Instagram so popular with in a small fraction of time. So let me tell you the secret behind the huge success of Instagram, an online photo sharing and social networking app. Instagram is popular for a simple reason and that is, it makes clicking decent-looking pictures easy and fast.

Factors that helped Instagram in achieving incredible popularity in the app space

Presentation- Instagram presents pictures in an interesting way. Users can use various filters to show the feelings, memories and experience. Also, they get a chance to show their creativity by applying some filter on their click and making it visually appealing. Ordinary objects can be given a new look of art in a few moments.

Ease of sharing - Instagram is all about sharing. Users can share their pictures from a single screen. All the prominent social platforms like, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Flicker and Foursquare are at your beck and call. Click a picture, edit, write a caption and you are ready to share your piece of art work on these social networking sites.

Community/Audience - Instagram is not all about going social. It has various communities which let the users connect to anyone from any country. This global community has helped Instagram in gaining more traction. Anyone can get immediate audience for their photos. Thus, giving its users a quick access to the whole world.

Access - Instagram lets the users maintain their privacy by allowing access to their close friends and family to share what they are doing on the app.

For more information on app development and marketing strategy send in your email to marketing@ymedialabs.com

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Best Practices for App Development Quote

How to Get the Best iPhone App Development Quote?

Looking to get an app developed for your business? Many businesses want to transform their ideas into an app. However, not all of them have in-house development teams. Here comes the role of app developers who have expertise in creating applications.

How to connect with iPhone app developers?

The internet connects you to the millions of iPhone app developers throughout the world. Once you send your requirements in the form of a quote to these app development companies your mailbox will be glutted with innumerable responses. But now the question is how to send an apt quote to get the crucial information like, cost, time to deliver the final product etc.

Following are some of the important points that you must add in your quote in order to get maximum information from the developer.

In-App advertising: If you are thinking of investing in in-app mobile advertising then mention in the quote as well to know the exact cost a company will charge you for this.

Web Services/CMS: If you want to save content/data on a server on which app will interact for some features then do mention in the quote that you need web services/cms.

No. of pages: Developing an information app then do let the developer know about the no. of pages required in the application.

Social integration: Specify if app needs integration with social media such as Facebook twitter etc. Also, do let the developer know about the type of integration you need, i.e. whether you want to use log in registration integration or you want to fetch personal data from Facebook/twitter as well

iPhone App UI Design: Don’t ignore this aspect while sending the quote. App UI design is the most important part to ascertain the cost and time factor. You can also help the developer by providing UI design related requirements.

For more information on iPhone app development and free quote send in your email to marketing@ymedialabs.com.

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How to Hire an iPhone App Developer

Hiring iPhone App Developer Made Easy

Hiring a good iPhone app developer is by no means an easy task. You have to go through a lot of research to understand which company may work for you.

Ask these questions to yourself first

1. Will your app be a free or a premium version?
2. What is your budget?
3. What time frame can you live with?
4. Do you want a local developer company?
5. Are you open to global app Development Company?
6. What type of company are you looking for, SMB or Enterprises?
7. Have you thought of any monetization plan?
8. Evaluate all these with your budget

Once you have finalized on the above checklist, you can start your research work to find an apt developer company within your budget, location and ease of communication.

How to zero in on the Developer Company?

There are again some checklists for the company that you choose

1. Location?
2. No of Apps created?
3. Worked with Brands?
4. Store Ratings?
5. Testimonial
6. Ability to talk to a client?
7. Budget?
8. Timeline
9. Support/ Update
10.Discount if any if you come up for version update or app for other platform like Android

Take a note of the points and then compare the best three companies. I would advise to partner with a company who can offer dedicated project management, quality assurance & a clean polished design in addition to playing to their development strengths.


iPhone App Development Costs

iPhone App Developers are in demand and there is no argument on the fact that it’s not just that the developers are making money but Companies who have delved into app making have seen profit from their apps. Be it monetization – In App Advertisements in (Lite Version), or Revenue from downloads and In App Advertisement (Paid Version). Instagram and Angry Birds are just a few examples. iPhone App Development costs can vary by a huge margin. A simple app may cost you in the range of $1500-$5000 but a complex app with database and other advanced feature may cost you $50,000-$150,000.

How does it work?

A company can be charged in two ways either through a fixed rate contract or through an hourly rate which ranges from $100 -$200 based on the brand.

• Simple App - $1500-$5000
• More Complex or Recognized Brand App: $50,000-$150,000

One company is charging too low and the other too high?

This is a common question asked by most of the clients when faced with a company charging too high and another company maybe a little higher. The best way is to compare three top companies you have chosen. Also, keep in mind to ask each of these companies as to why they are charging to low or too high. You might actually get enlightened on few factors to which you were earlier oblivious.

The most important part of all – Design, Development and Quality Testing

To hire top iPhone app Developers, send in your email to marketing @ymedialabs.com

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How to Search Top iPhone App Developers

Where Can I Find App Developers for iPhone?

Every entrepreneur dreams of creating high brand value for their product or services. With this dream in mind scores of ideas are turning into apps which find space on the App Store. The great revolution called iPhone app development has become the preferred approach for many to achieve their business goals. But there are many who shy away from venturing in to this new form of marketing. Most entrepreneurs are confused as to where to look for expert app developers.

Before plunging in to the vast iPhone space, it is important to understand your expectations from the app developers. Following aspects should be figured out even before you start searching for a suitable iPhone development team:

• The development cost
• Experience in developing iPhone and iPad apps
• Number of successful apps in their portfolio
• Non-disclosure agreement
• Time required in completing the product life-cycle
• And most importantly the support policy

Once you are aware of your requirements and expectations from the iPhone app developers, start looking for the experts. Few of the prominent sources that could help you in your pursuit to success are:

1) App Store: This is the best source as you can search for look-alikes apps developed and posted by developers throughout the world. Download these apps to know more about the work done by the developers. If you like their work, speak to the developers who created them.

2) Search engines: Use Google, Bing, Yahoo, AOL or Ask to search for top iPhone app developers in and around your area. Ask for their portfolios to learn more about work and projects they can handle. Once you come across the right team of developers, it is always good to meet them and discuss various questions that you have in mind. You can ask them if they have developed apps that are similar to your idea. Talk about your app in brief, but never reveal the details till non-disclosure agreement.

3) Independent research firms: Many independent authorities like sourcingline, bestwebdesignagencies and theymakeapps maintain directories and enlist top app developers on their site. You can also refer to the list of top iPhone development companies given on these sites. You can work with the best iPhone app developers with the help of these agencies.

4) Review sites: Read reviews about the app developers’ work, find their hourly rates, check out their work, contact them and hire them.

5) Professional Freelancers: Reach professional freelancers through Guru, Elance if you can work on the bidding model.

6) Forums and blogs: Search on various forums and blogs. iPhone blog forum, modmyi, everythingiCafe are the best sources to look for iPhone app developers.  Post your requirements and wait for the recommendations or answers from the members.

7) Social Media Platforms: You can ask your Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn friends/connections for recommendations. Additionally, you can check developers’ Social media profiles to take them on board.

Want to hire iPhone app developers? Send in your email to marketing@ymedialabs.com

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How Much Does it Cost to Build an iPhone App

Understanding Factors that Affect the Cost of Developing iPhone Apps

The discovery of iPhone has given a new name to the infotainment, i.e. applications. The Apple’s App Store is abuzz with billions of applications which have caught the fancy of many users. With the release of iPad, interest in these apps has reached new heights. Also, it has become a quick way to create brand awareness, engagement and generate revenue.

 “How much does it cost to develop an iPhone application” is the ubiquitous question that comes across everyone before they think of diving in to the pool of iPhone app development.

Generally, it is considered the cost involved in creating these apps is very high, which is true to some extent. But there are certain variables that influence the cost factor greatly. Type of app, its design and development all have a high impact on deciding the cost of developing an application. Therefore, understanding your requirements before contacting a developer will help you in exploring the cost involved in developing your app. Here is the breakup of basic app types that you can create depending on your requirements:

1) Basic table functionality apps - These simple apps that displays basic information costs you around $1,000-4,000. The perfect example of table functionally apps are, diet planner, calendar apps or emails etc. There are additional costs in case you want GPS locators or social media integration in your app.

2) App with a Database server-  An application with back-end dependent functionality, search/ data inputs/ result screens, with content being swapped between client side and server, using camera / GPS functionality of the device and bit more, costs around $8,000-$50,000.

3) Games app – Cost of developing iPhone games app is bit higher as compared to the apps in other categories. Several advanced features, high end graphics and social media integration makes these apps a costly affair. They may cost around $10,000-$250,000. A classic racing game, again depending on its various features and graphics, costs over $100,000. Therefore, the more features you add in your app, the more you will have to shell out from your pocket.

There are some additional features that you may opt to add in your app to enhance the user experience. You just need to pay some extra bucks to get them installed in your app. For instance, In-App Purchasing – This feature allows users to buy full version of the apps. You pay around $1,000-$3,000 for the complexity involved in applying this feature in the app. Similarly, integrating sharing capabilities (which is mostly done for social media and emailing) in your app will cost you $500-$1500.

For more information on iPhone app development and free quote send in your email to marketing@ymedialabs.com.

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How to get your app high exposure in the app store

Use New Age Social Media Tools to Get Your App High Exposure

Mobile trends and the App Store Charts reflect a staggering shift in the consumer habits. This has made it imperative to be a little extra cautious while adopting a market strategy for your app. Whether you want to market a new app or are looking forward to multiply the viral effect of your existing app, you need to devise a smooth road map which will act as your ladder to success. Welcome to the world of social media, your new age marketing tool.

Social media helps you in spreading the word to a countless number of audiences. Share news and updates related to your app on your twitter or Facebook fan/community page or post experts’ reviews to draw attention of millions to reach the new heights. If you delve a little deeper in the pool of effective marketing tools, you will find a plethora of ideas that will help you in reaching your goal of getting maximum attention.

1) Facebook fan page and activity feed:

Starting with Facebook, you can create a fan page, where app enthusiasts will like or talk about the app and its features. Or if you want to remain a step ahead than others, creating a community is a better idea, where you can share all the news about the app or engage the members in a discussion. You can also play contests with in the community and reward the active users.

If you don’t want to overstep the number of app news and updates on others wall and don’t want to face any social criticism, then the best idea is to use the Facebook activity feed, which keeps people up to date on the minuscule details of other people’s lives. If users find something interesting in the activity feed, they will click on that feed from where they will reach your website. You can easily increase the number of downloads with the help of this social media landing page.  

2) App review sites:

A reviewed app gets more eyes, and if it is reviewed by prominent reviewers who have a strong subscriber base on their websites or blogs, then you surely have picked up the right marketing strategy for your app. Many of the new users prefer going through reviews before downloading any app. A featured review can get your app the desired recognition in the otherwise crowded mobile app space.

3) Using LinkedIn for promotion:

Update your profile with the app reviews and other news. This will draw attention of your LinkedIn connections. Social sharing on your profile will expose your app to millions. Additionally, in the LinkedIn profile “Websites” section, add a link to your website showcasing your app.

4) You tube:

Upload demo videos or tutorials of your app on YouTube to educate people. You can also send your app details to the YouTube app reviewers who have a long list of subscribers or followers on YouTube. Also, you can share these videos on many other sites to multiply the prominence of your app in the mobile app world.

5) Twitter:

Reach new audiences simply by tweeting the updates, news and other information related to the app. Add all the essential details in your Twitter bio which will help them in downloading the app if they are interested. Use hash tags to spread and share the app’s news and activities. It will add value to your marketing campaign. Turn to tactics like contests, quick giveaways or rewards for people who re-tweet your twitter post.

For more information on app development and marketing strategy send in your email to marketing@ymedialabs.com

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