Coding is difficult enough, but IMHO, app promotion is infinitesimally more problematic. Failure to find successful methods to promote your app and give it some traction in todays overly saturated marketplace can make the entire struggle meaningless.
Eight years ago after getting my first app in the App Store, I fell into every app “promotional” trap that existed on the net. The worst of which was one which I paid to have my app “reviewed” and was ignored - after receiving payment via PayPal, of course. PayPay refused to rectify the situation. I’ll leave it at that. Lesson learned.
Today, although a bit wiser about these “app promotional” pitfalls, the problem remains: What is the best way for a coder to promote his or her app?
Oh, yeah, there’s a ton of info on the net on the subject. IMO, most of these articles are a regurgitation of each other. If you’ve read one, you’ve read them all.
So all of this said, I, respectfully, make the following suggestions:
1 Create a tutorial on how best to promote an app after (or before even) the app is accepted in the App Store;
2 Add a RW forum where a dev can promote and have his or her app reviewed.
In detail:
The first suggestion would cover general guidelines on the best way to get the “word out” on new apps. It would be great if this included personal experiences of dev’s who have mastered this process. This would be incredibly helpful.
Pros: This info would help new dev’s avoid a lot of the app review scams that abound on the net. It would also provide them with real life stories on how other dev’s succeeded in reaching the masses.
Cons: None.
The second suggestion should, IMO, be a pay-to-participate forum where the dev could pass out Promo codes as necessary and have his or her app critiqued in a meaningful way. To justify the cost, the experienced reviewers would have to be dedicated to each dev’s app review process. IOW’s, the dev would expect to get meaningul feedback on his/her app because they are paying for the service.
In some ways this could be construed as another form of beta testing. This would not be true of those who have real beta testers, but could be helpful for those who do not. I lost my most trusted beta tester and had to beta test my own apps, so this would be beneficial to indie devs such as myself.
Secondly, each app reviewed would benefit from market/internet exposure due to the inherent web traffic generated by this website. That, I think, would be a huge plus. ( I do not know the web traffic this website receives, but it’s surely greater than my website.)
Pros: This could be extremely beneficial to devs who participate in this forum for all the obvious reasons.
Cons: Unless this is a member-only forum, a very real danger is having a devs idea/concept ripped off by some unscrupulous person. I recall reading within this website of someone who actually took a tutorial app and submitted it to the App Store. So I don’t think I’m being overly cautious or paranoid about this danger.
To be clear: I am aware of the App Announcements forum. However, with all due respect, this leaves me wanting which is why I began this thread.
I have no doubt that I have overlooked a ton of things on these matters. So, feel free to correct me on anything I have written.
Thanks for hearing me out.