Happy Birthday! Two Years On The App Store!

Posted by Noel Chenier on October 30, 2014

Where does the time go? Crazy to think it’s been two years since I first (accidentally) launched my first app.
Here are some of the things that happened over the past year:

-I launched a huge V2.0 update that added some really great features (Photo 365 lists, selfie365) that made my app truly a Photo365 tool. Wanted to try to make an even bigger splash than launch….but didn’t.

-the downloads are close to 27,000. Again mostly free, but all in all..not bad for a one man operation.

-redid all my icons…I think they look quite nice.

-I had the #1 Photo and Video App in….Dominican Republic! Again, only a few downloads to get that…but hey…another #1 for the record books!

-my app still works in iOS8…always a concern when a new iOS comes out when you are using non-native methods. (which you really should be doing BTW)

-judging by my update numbers, I am still retaining users, and I’m continuing to get feedback here and there from my users.

-really pleased to see people using the app and sharing the results! Congrats to Mary Giordano for just completing her 52 week challenge inspired by the app!

-however, I failed yet again to get many online reviews/mentions for the apps.

-still not an app millionaire…

ADVICE FOR NEWB APP DEVELOPERS AFTER TWO YEARS ON THE STORE?

Another year of learning! Along with my advice from my first year anniversary (reposted below), I’ll add this:

-Having a large social media following can be crucial to app store success. If you don’t have one, you may want to think about working on that.
You’ve got one shot to use your social media following to help you promote your app once you launch. This was made very clear by the lack of sharing when I tried to push V2.0 of my apps. People were sick of me posting about it, and didn’t want to share. And looking back, I don’t blame them. You also need to make it EASY for them to help promote the app. I created a promotion page filled with tweets, like buttons, etc that made it so all they had to do was click and everything was good to go.

-If possible, incorporate social sharing functionality into your app. This is where you can get your app out there, with basically no cost and the users doing the work for you. But again, it should be USEFUL. I incorporated sharing of assignments via email, Facebook, and Twitter…but it doesn’t appear that people are using them. Unfortunately I don’t have any real way to track this, other than searching Twitter/Facebook for the hashtag I placed in the text of the tweet/post (#learnphoto365). Where I find mostly tweets by me. Sigh.

-decide what kind of MVP you want your app to be at launch. My V2.0 was the app I should have released… Again, you get one chance at launch to make a big splash.

-DESIGN A BEAUTIFUL APP. Make it look great. Make it work great. Create a beautiful icon. Don’t have the skills to do it? Hire someone. If you app looks like crap, it isn’t easy to use, the icon is ugly…you are only hurting your chances of success.

-I’ve said it before…but If you think you can just put your app on the App Store and just put your feet up…think again. You have to be prepared to do a lot of extra work marketing your app, either yourself or by hiring someone to promote it.

-Make sure you are using the best keywords. (Just don’t be an idiot about it) Despite it technically being “against guidelines”, don’t just use simple screenshots. Create ones that show the app on a device and with some descriptive text at the top. Many people won’t even bother to read the description of your app, so putting the text in the screenshots at least gets the key info in front of them.

-DON’T GIVE UP! I know this advice seems to be negative in tone…but this is the reality of trying to be a success on the app store today. Even though I haven’t made a fortune on my apps…I’m still proud of what I’ve accomplished.

The whole point of this blog is to be educational. I really hope those taking up the challenge of creating an app can find useful information on this blog, and that might just help them avoid the mistakes I’ve made.

PREVIOUS ADVICE FOR NEWB APP DEVELOPERS AFTER ONE YEAR ON THE STORE, STILL JUST A RELEVANT

PLAN EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. Figure out each stage,what you need to do, and make it happen.
Get HONEST feedback about your app idea from people who will give it to you straight. Your mom is going to love it no matter if it’s the worst idea in the world.
Make your app look great. The only negative comments I get about my app is that it’s ugly. And it is. So if you don’t have the skills to make it look awesome, hire someone.
Test your app over and over again.
When you run into problems, ask for help. There are so many great online communites to tap into. Just make sure you give back when you can help.
Think hard about how you want to price your app. Research the various models and pick the one that will suit what your goals are.
Do your homework/research before you launch your app so you can MAKE A BIG SPLASH ON LAUNCH DAY, and keep the momentum going. Take the week off so you can do nothing but promote, reply, repeat
Don’t expect the app store to sell your app for you. You have to market it.
If you have a bit of money for promotion, use it wisely. Pay for ads in places that will get to the people who will use your app.
If you know nothing about or suck at social media/marketing…hire someone, or learn how to do it properly.
Sending promo codes or tweeting celebrities about your app in general is a waste of time.
Be prepared to be called a spammer promoting your app. Even when you are promoting it to people who should be interested in it. Because you are.
Be prepared to be ignored by a lot of the people you contact. But as the saying goes, if at first you don’t succeed, try again. Just don’t stalk them.
Be prepared to be blocked on Facebook and unfollowed on Twitter by people you know.
Proofread everything-your emails, tweets, and posts, as mistakes and copy paste errors will make you look like an idiot to people you are hoping will look at your app. Or get your app rejected. And don’t tweet tired.
Try to find fun ways to promote your app
Listen to all the feedback you get from your testers and users, and use it to make your app the best it can be.
Play by the rules, even though others aren’t.
Thank anyone and everyone who helps spread the word about your app.
Don’t give up. Even when people tell you are crazy. If you really believe in your app and the idea, it doesn’t matter. And at the end of the day you’ve got an app on the app store. Not everyone can say that.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

Again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you to all those who have helped me out, either with advice, help promoting, being patient with my non-stop talk about the apps, brutal honesty, and most importantly, your support and encouragement. Again, I hope that I have been able to express my gratitude and reciprocate.

Below, I’ve listed a whole bunch of great people and sites who have helped me along the way, I’d appreciate if you could help them out by checking them out.
I’ve also continued to update the RESOURCES page…tons of great info there.

WHAT NOW?

Well…I’m still coming up with ideas for the apps…but I may be at the point where it’s not worth the effort with these apps. We’ll see.
But I am also continually coming up with new ideas for apps…and I’ve signed up for a few developer courses so I can learn how to properly code apps. If I get the time, it’s highly possible you may be subjected to another round of me talking about this great app idea I’m working on…

Noel Chenier

Help out a fellow developer! Download the free versions of my Photography Assignment Generator Apps and let me know what you think! Would also be cool if you wouldn’t mind sharing the word about my app from my promotion page.
If you want to keep updated on my newb app developer adventures, subscribe to the blog by clicking on the subscribe page at the top or in the sidebar on the right!
———————-
Photographer and teacher
LEARNPHOTO.CA, Noel’s online photography learning community!
NEW! Photography Assignment Generator Apps now available on the app store!
Noel’s Portfolio
Noel’s Photo Tips Blog
Student Gallery
Contact Noel

Updated list of some awesome people you should check out!

WEBSITES/COMMUNITIES/RESOURCES/COOL PEOPLE

LifeinLofi.com http://lifeinlofi.com

Run by Marty Yawnick, this is a great iPhoneography resource. Marty does honest reviews and says what he thinks about the apps. If there are problems with the app, he points them out. He’s also willing to give apps second chances when they take the feedback he gives them and makes changes.

Mobitog http://www.mobitog.com/

This is a long running iPhoneography community. Lots of great discussion, reviews, tutorials, and challenges!

Mobile Photography Central http://mobilephotographycentral.com

Great iPhoneography community

Richard Byrne http://www.freetech4teachers.com/

Amazing resources for technology for the classroom. If you are a teacher, you need to check out this blog.

Combo Apps Blog http://ashcroft54.com

Tina L Rice creates some interesting art with her mobile photography and apps.

Outdoor Photography Canada Magazine www.outdoorphotographycanada.com

Great Canadian photography magazine you should check out! Huge thanks to Editor Roy Ramsay for using my app to get the ideas for their last two photo contests!

PhotoLife Magazine http://www.photolife.com

Another great Canadian photography magazine you should buy! Thanks for the mentions about the apps!

Billy Wilson http://www.thebillywilson.com/

Billy hosts a weekly Google+ Hangout show about photography and other things. He’s had quite an interesting mix of guests on this shows, and he was nice enough to let me on to talk about the apps. Check out all the shows here.

Barb Crawford http://barbbarbbarb.com/

Great blog about local Saint John people, artists, fashion, food, you name it.

Mark Hemmings http://about.me/hemmings

Mark is an amazing photographer, and a great teacher. If you want a great photography trip, sign up for his Mexico trip.

Greg Hemmings/Hemmings House http://hemmingshouse.com/

Hugely talented filmmaker and storyteller here in Saint John, and all around cool dude.

Mel Martin http://www.azdeepskies.com/

Mel has some amazing astrophotography on his website that you should check out.

Jeff Roach at http://sociallogical.com/

This guy knows his social media. He’s helped me out a lot (now, don’t let my social media suckery be your measurement of his knowledge…he gave me the tools, showed me how to use em…I’m just like the idiot with the nail gun who ends up shooting himself in the foot…)

Sean McGrath http://seanmcgrath.ca/

Another awesome photog here in Saint John.
Also has some really wicked photoshop scripts! http://www.codeandhustle.com/

Kelly Lawson http://lawsonphotography.ca/

Another awesome SJ photog and lover of the golden rule!

Christian LaForce http://thechronicleherald.ca/topics/Christian%20Laforce

Canadian Photojournalist

Alan Bailward http://www.bailwardphotography.com/

Canadian fashion/lifestyle photographer

Ashlan Nathens http://www.ashlann.com/
Australian Photographer and Illustrator

Jordan Oram http://www.maplemusketeer.com/

BC Based photographer, writer, artist.

Alex Mills http://www.alxmls.co.uk/

UK Based photographer

APPS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT

Mextures http://www.mextures.com/
Great editing app for adding effects and textures

Waterlogue http://www.waterlogueapp.com/
Great editing app for creating watercolor images from your photos

Quotely http://www.quotelyapp.com/
Great for anyone with kids who say the darndest things and want to remember them!

Pixhole https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pixhole/id636465635?mt=8
A really fun photo puzzle game that you should try out. It’s FREE!

Letter Glow https://itunes.apple.com/CA/app/id650715760
Great app for adding text to your images.

Monokrom https://itunes.apple.com/id/app/monokrom-photo-editor/id673637750?mt=8
Great black and white effects app.

Distressed FX https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/distr…
Great filter effects app.

iColorama S https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/icolo…
Another great editing app to get artistic with your images.

Photo365 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/photo…
A great way to keep track of your 365 photo challenge.

Perspective Correct https://itunes.apple.com/app/id584634318
Great app for correcting perspective on your iphone images.

Collect http://collectphotoapp.com/
Cool app that lets you organize your photos in a calendar style to capture your life.

ITakeNotes https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/itakenotes-meeting-notes-reports/id567645467?mt=8
Great app for documenting meetings on your ipad with lots of cool features!

REVIEWERS/REVIEW SITES/PODCASTS

iOS Affairs http://iosaffairs.com

Tracy Pease’s reviews are some of the most in-depth I have seen, and many are tutorials/walkthroughs for the apps she is reviewing, including tons of screenshots and examples.

Today in iOS http://tii.libsyn.com

This is a great podcast. While not a reviewer, Rob gives developers the opportunity to showcase their apps on his podcast. All he asks for in exchange is promo codes. The podcast itself is very informative and full of info on what is happening in the world of iOS.

Three Geeky Ladies http://www.threegeekyladies.com/

These three ladies love all kinds of apps, and have great podcasts discussing/reviewing them!

My App Adventure http://www.myappventure.com/

Great podcast/website by developer Scott Ruth where he talks about his experiences as a developer along with a new podcast!

Julie Clover

http://appadvice.com/appnn/author/juli

http://www.padgadget.com/author/juli/

Has a regular photography app blog posting/reviews on these review sites

Mobile Photography Related
Reviews, resources, news, and links about photo apps!

Appotography http://appotography.com/

PhotoCruncher http://www.photocruncher.com

iosPhotoApps http://www.iosphotoapps.com/

The Photo Momma http://www.thephotomomma.com/