Market Research

This is an essential step in the creation process and if done wrong, can condemn your app to failure as you haven't done your homework. This step is basically the research that you need to do to understand which apps exist so that you learn about the successful apps and the apps with obvious mistakes. Even if you encounter a bad app you will learn from their mistakes and that is key in the research process.

To do this research, first look at all the apps which are similar to your concept/idea which exist in the Apple Store. Note the advantages and disadvantages of each one and how your app can incorporate some of the useful features of the successful apps.

Secondly, you need to consider the capabilities of the iPhone so that your app fully utilises the hardware of the iPhone and how the user will interact with the app. It is very useful to download and play as many apps as you can which are similar to your proposed app because you quickly learn about how you can organise information, which menus are easy to use and how apps use the swipe, expand and rotate functions. Reviewing apps (especially the top 25 apps) will vastly increase your knowledge of how your app can look and which apps already exist in your field.

Determining your Market
Once you have your interesting concept for an app and have some ideas about the features that can be included, you need to bare in mind the type of people you're trying to target for this app. To do this, think about what the app can offer people. If, say, the app is a calendar organiser then the market may be middle aged people who lack much time for organisation.

Think about the following questions:

• Which features of the app will benefit your target audience?
• How can people they relate to the app?
• Ultimately, will your intended target audience enjoy using the app?

Recommended Link: iPhone App Creation Guide

Forming an idea; Collating the Tools

Once you have overcome the basics and now understand some of the jargon used in relation to iPhone app creation, coming up with the idea or concept is the second step. This step can seem easy and simple yet you must think about whether your concept is solid and whether it actually has any use.

Good Apps

• Does your app solve a problem or make life easier for the user? This is a key question and being able to answer "Yes!" is an indicator that your app may be successful. Having an app that solves a problem or an issue really helps in terms marketing because you are then able to focus on this advantage, plus it makes your app more likely to sell.

• Does the app cater for certain niche market? Having an app that is unique benefits you greatly because it's different and people love to discover new, interesting apps.

• Is the app interactive? Successful games and apps make people interact more whether that's clicking something, moving the screen or speaking into the iPhone. Attracting people by making them become more emotionally involved helps too and having an app that does this makes them play for longer.

• Is the app amusing or fun? Having an app that is fun and simple is sometimes the best combination. Important Rule: Fun apps = More popularity. 

If you believe that your idea/concept covers the points mentioned above then you may be onto a winner!


Tools you require

• An iPhone/iPad
• A Mac computer/notebook with the Mac OS (Note: the latest release is currently the 10.6.4)
• Access to the Apple iPhone Developer Program 
• Access to the iPhone SDK (you are required to download this software)
• At least basic knowledge of programming (Objective C, Cocoa etc) 

Recommended Link: iPhone Programming Course

Learning the Basics

Dear readers

Before we jump into the world of iPhone apps, I'd just like to help you understand the terminology that I will be using in future posts. So in this first chapter I will be defining key words and explaining the two main development approaches which many iPhone app creators use on a daily basis.


The Two Apps
There are two types of apps that I will be referring to: Web apps and Native apps.


So what is a Web App?
A web app is basically a website that is specifically created for the iPhone. An example is a travel agents brochure site or an online car insurance calculator. The main characteristic is that the user interface (the platform which all users see and use) is built with standard technologies; it is available through a URL (which may be public or private) which is optimised specifically for the iPhone.

What is a Native App?
On the other hand, native apps are software packages that are installed on the iPhone with access to the iPhone's hardware, such as speakers or a microphone. These are usefully built with Objective-C, something I will explain in a future post so stay tuned! The distinctive characteristic of a native app is it's availability in the iTunes App Store - a store many people use and love, including me.



Advantages and Disadvantages
There are many applications which all have different requirements. Understanding the pros and cons of a method will help you to make the right decision about which approach you would like to use to make iPhone apps.

Native app development advantages:

• You are able to access all the hardware of the iPhone 
• You can use the Interface Builder and the Cocoa Touch Framework as your development platform
• Credit card owners are targeted directly 

Native app development disadvantages:

• You need to pay money to become a developer
• Objective-C must be used for development
• You must use a Mac
• Development can be slow, including the testing stage

Web app development advantages:

• You can use any of your already existing authoring tools
• You aren't limited to the Mac OS
• Your app will run on any web browser
• Bugs can be fixed easily and quickly
• Development can be fast

Web app development disadvantages:

• You can't access the iPhone's hardware
• It can be difficult to include sophisticated effects

Stay tuned for future posts about how you can build iPhone apps and how you can market them to make money.