publishing your first paid app on appexchange: the inside scoop
DESCRIPTION
Are you thinking of building an app to sell on AppExchange? Are you just about to publish your paid app? Join us for tips and tricks on how to get the most out of AppExchange before you hit that "publish" button. After this session you will have a better idea of how AppExchange works, how to generate more leads from AppExchange, and how to give your app the best chance for success.TRANSCRIPT
Publishing Your First Paid App on AppExchange: The Inside ScoopKevin Chan
Director, CloudClickware
@ccwkc, @cloudclickware
Safe Harbor
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About You• Thinking
– Have an app idea and want to build for AppExchange
• Running– Currently building your app for AppExchange
• Swimming– About to market or already in market on AppExchange
Assumptions• Flying solo or part of a small/medium team• Development “skills”
– Apex, Visualforce, managed packages perhaps
• Joined a partner program– https://partners.salesforce.com– Partner org, License Management App (LMA)
• One or more dev orgs• AppExchange listing
AppExchange Insights
• Apps in market over the last 12 months– Roughly 450 apps have entered the market
• App installs over the last 12 months– Roughly 600,000 app installs
1900
2000
2100
2200
2300
2400
2500
Total Apps
2000000
2100000
2200000
2300000
2400000
2500000
2600000
2700000
App Installs
Note: data based on weekly observations of appexchange.com
Why AppExchange Makes Sense
The Journey
Build
• Innovation• Security Review
Paperwork
• Partner Program• Contracts & Policies
Launch
• Your Presence• AppExchange
Market
• Install• Support
Idea
• Generation, Refinement• Prototyping
Recipe for Success
AppExchange JourneyThe Idea
Idea• You have an idea
• What makes for a good idea?– It adds value– You are passionate about it
• What is your idea?– What does your app do?– What are the top 3 benefits of your app?
Idea Example• What does it do?
– Allows you to build a target list quickly, make calls and track results
• What are the benefits?– Create a target lead or contact list quickly– Make calls from your browser or using your
existing Open CTI softphone– Log calls, measure call results
and track last called
Idea Reach• How can you increase the utility of your app?
– Integrate with APIs
• Why is it a good idea?– Diversify the capabilities of your app– Speed up your time to market– Focus on your core competencies– Leverage user familiarity with existing services
Idea – Key Takeaways• Follow your passion
– to follow through on your idea
• Consider the reach– Integrate with leading services to give your app a boost
• Define the benefits• Use your app’s top 3 benefits as a roadmap
AppExchange JourneyThe Build
Build - Basics• The Top 3 Benefits
– Let them guide you throughout the process
• Wide vs. Deep?– Do you have the industry expertise?
• Scope Creep– Its easy to keep building– Do you really need to add that extra feature?
• Testing– Environments (production, sandbox)– Features (PersonAccounts, MyDomain)
Build – The Customer Experience• First Encounter• Install• Setup• Configuration• Usage
Area Detail Goal
First Encounter Customer finds your app on AppExchange or traditional internet search
Customer installs the app
Install Customer installs the application Easy click-click-click no-hassle installation
Setup Customer performs initial setup of your app Minimal (10 minutes). Application is functional out of the box
Configuration Customer configures different aspects of your app Point-click, drag and drop configuration options
Usage Customer uses your app Application is intuitive, minimal training is required
Build – The Customer Experience GoalsGoals for each touchpoint with the customer
Build – Salesforce1 Platform• Post Install Script
– An Apex script that runs automatically after a subscriber installs or upgrades a managed package
• Custom Settings– List or Hierarchy– Enable application developers to create custom sets of data
• Fields Sets– A grouping of fields
Build – Key Takeaways• Focus on user experience
– think about each touchpoint
• Make it functional out of the box– everyone is pressed for time
• Make it customizable– everybody wants something slightly different
AppExchange JourneyLaunch –Online Presence
WWW• Company Info
– What is your company’s goal?
• Product Info– What products do you have?– What do they do? What are the benefits?
• Support– Install, configuration, troubleshooting
Tip: Twitter Bootstrap
App Naming• Google Search
– How many similar results are found?
• Google Image Search– What kind of associations?
• Domain Search– Is the .com available?
• Trademark Search– http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/– http://www.ic.gc.ca/app/opic-cipo/trdmrks/srch/
Tip: buy all the domains
App Logo• Solo vs. Series
– How many apps are you creating?
• Color Scheme– Is there a theme to your apps?
• Search– Are you infringing on any logos?
• Competitor Comparison– How do you want to differentiate?
Do You Blog?Companies that blog have 434% more indexed pages. And companies with more indexed pages get far more leads. –SEJournal
Benefits
- content, content, content
- build a reputation
- get feedback
Tip: blog now to generate interest
Do You Tweet?• Stake your claim• Follow and Followers• Your Content
• Only 19% of brands tweet on the weekends• Tweets < 100 characters, 17% more engagement• Tweets with #hashtags, 2x more engagement• 12x higher chance of retweet if asked for, 23x higher if using“retweet”• Tweets including links, 86% more likely to be retweeted-fastcompany.com
Tip: create a tweeting guideline and stick with it
SEO – huh? the process of affecting the visibility of a website or a web page in a search engine's "natural" or un-paid ("organic") search results
• Benefits– Increased web traffic– Cost Effectiveness– Usability– Brand Awareness
SEO – Tips• What can you do to contribute to SEO?
• Fresh content– Your blog, website, twitter
• Guest blogging– Free press, backlinks
• Contextual on-topic blogs– Industry leaders
Online Presence – Key Takeaways• Do your homework
– Pick your app name and logo wisely
• SEO– Keep it in mind for any public content
• Get organized– Get the blog posts and tweets flowing
AppExchange JourneyLaunch – AppExchange Presence
What’s in a Title?• AppExchange search results
– first thing viewed by prospects
• 80 characters– use keywords, avoid buzzwords– use name and tagline
• Example– “Client Alerts - track important client
dates and receive mobile alerts”
A Brief Description• Be Concise
– about 75 characters to work with– pick the keywords carefully
• Example– “track birthdays, anniversary and
more - get mobile notifications”
AppExchange Digest• Sign-up
– salesforce.com/form/appexchange/news.jsp
• One-time Free Press– Not immediate– Whenever there are enough apps
• Brief Description– 130 characters– Important to focus on keywords and
Phrases
The Listing - Screenshots• 8 / 750 x 500 px• Keep it simple
The Listing – Screenshots (part 2)• Mix it up
– pricing– testimonials– statistics
• Keep it simple
The Listing – Video• What is the optimal length?
– under 2 minutes
• Is professional or self-made better?– doesn’t matter, content is key
• What kind of content?– remember the top 3 benefits– don’t forget to show the app
• What is the goal?– app install
Test Drive• Think about the customer experience
– Landing page - provide instruction and information– Side components - viewed with your app
Free Trial• Optimal Duration?
– 15 or 30 days
Tip: don’t use a site-wide license
AppExchange Presence – Key Takeaways• Focus on content
– Keywords and phrases– be compelling
• Think like a prospect– what kind of information is needed?
AppExchange JourneyFinal Thoughts
Launch Reality• It never ends
– app is a living breathing entity
• Prepare for change– customers will give you feedback
• Respond quickly– customers react positively to good service– implement suggestions fast
Now What?• Your Idea
– what does it do and what are the top 3 benefits– can your app’s reach be extended?
• Your build– review your customer experience– make it functional and customizable
• Online Presence– focus on content– get those blog posts and tweets flowing
• AppExchange Presence– make everything count (copy and visuals)– optimize your test drive and free trial
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