Creating iPad Apps : THE IMPORTANCE OF STRIKING EARLY

Tweet

Striking early, however, is critically important for those who hope to profit by developing for the iPad. To understand why, let’s take a look back at the evolution of the iPhone. In the beginning, the App Store took some time to gain traction. Once it did, however, there was something of a “gold rush” to develop lucrative apps for the system. Game developers in particular were excited about the opportunity to cheaply develop games and then sell them for 10 to 20 dollars apiece (nearly all profit). Over time, however, these high prices could not sustain themselves, and users saw the overall price of apps getting lower and lower, to the point where the average price for an app is now about 99 cents. What does this mean to the developer? Obviously, while people still make tons of money developing for the iPhone, the most profitable time to be a developer was in the early stages of the product, before the marketplace was saturated with thousands of competing apps. Consider it this way. The people who are buying iPads are for the most part already familiar with the App system and how it works. Apps are the very reason they’re buying an iPad in the first place. Consequently, they will be excitedly looking to download and buy new apps as soon as they acquire their new toys. People will, for a period of time, actively want to be sold apps. During this time, one can strike and make a name for oneself as a developer of quality apps. Moreover, with more chance of being seen early on, any submission to the App Store stands a greater chance of becoming a hit. Therefore, the iPad developer who wants to profit from this business had better get started right away! Fortunately, that’s exactly what this book was created to do – help you get started, and succeed, at creating and selling iPad apps. To that end, it’s divided into several sections. First, we’ll take a look at the iPad itself from a hardware and software perspective. Once you know how the iPad works and what its limitations are, you’ll be able to brainstorm new ideas for apps that take advantage of those specifications in a unique and entertaining way. Then, we’ll look at Apple’s review process and learn how to assemble a team, design and blueprint a project, and then carry that project through to completion with this review process in mind. With this method, you can more easily assure that your creation will be approved by Apple for inclusion in their marketplace. After that, we’ll cover some more abstract topics such as how to market your app, different ways to generate income from your apps, and in general how to get the most out of this opportunity. So, sit back, relax, and open your mind up to a world of exciting opportunity: the world of creating and developing apps for the Apple iPad!