defining app store success: or how to cope with not getting acquired by facebook
DESCRIPTION
In this era of blockbuster mobile acquisitions it is easy to narrowly define App Store success in terms of financial payoff or monetary gain. But succeeding in the App Store can take many different forms. In this talk Ben will discuss different ways of defining Success in the App Store, through examples from his own personal experience as an indie developer and his professional experience as a mobile consultant. Through discussions and examples from both well known and not so well known apps, you'll leave this talk with your own ideas for how you too can succeed.TRANSCRIPT
DEFINING APP STORE SUCCESS or How to Cope with NOT Getting Acquired by Facebook
Ben Johnson @scoober
Ben Johnson works at Raizlabs building great mobile apps for awesome clients.
800 Million iOS Users1 Billion Android Users
300 Million Visits a Week75 Billion Apps Downloaded1.2 Million Apps in the Store
THERE ARE SO MANY APPS
LET’S TALK SUCCESS
(on the App Store)
1. Come up with a cool idea2. Put it on the App Store3. Get acquired (by Facebook, Google, or Apple)
Three Step Process
SUCCESS IS NOT THAT SIMPLE
(except for Instagram, Tumblr, WhatsApp, Waze, Mailbox, Pulse, etc)
1. An app that you’re proud of
2. An app that people find useful
3. An app that makes you a living
4. An app that changes someone's perspective
5. An app that changes someone’s life
Redefining Success
1. An app that you’re proud of
MY FIRST APP
Bowdoin Dining
Find a way to be proud of what you do
2. An app that people find useful
Just because people use it, doesn’t mean its useful…
RECALL
RECALL
YAHOO NEWS
3. An app that makes you a living
MAGIC WINDOW
MAGIC WINDOW
MAGIC WINDOW
MAGIC WINDOW
4. An app that changes someone’s perspective
FREE TIME
200,000 Downloads
150 Countries
Featured 5 times by Apple in 2011 & 2012
CNN, Lifehacker, TNW, AppAdvice
People spent a cumulative 2 years in the app.
By most measurementsFree Time was not a success
Downloads over Time
Users over Time
Engagement over Time
Revenue over Time
“Free Time will completely change the way you look at your calendar.”
- TNW
SUPER PAC APP
SUPER PAC APP
During 120,000 sessions users identified ads 36,000 times and added 38,000 ratings.
“Finally a candle to light the way through dark money political ads.”
5. An app that changes someone’s life
RUNKEEPER
1.5 Million Walks & Runs30 Million Users
Simon is Blind
“If you had asked me three years ago if training alone was possible while being blind I would have said no.”
- Simon Wheatcroft
We can change the world through great software
NOW WHAT
Four Things to Think About
1. Limit Your Focus
Do One Thing Well
YO
YO
YO
2. Design Everything
3. Iterate
3. Iterate
4. Animate
TeachYour Users
Data Animation
Set The Mood
Animations that Surprise and Delight
Surprise and Delight
In Conclusion
THANK YOUBen [email protected] @scoober