App entrepreneur success stories are becoming increasingly common through the ever-growing mobile industry. Of course, the truth is that working up to a hit app almost never happens over night or with your first app for that matter. As someone once put it, for every Angry Bird out there, there are at least 20 thousand angry developers.

Having met with countless app developers, I can safely say that the one thing they all have in common is entrepreneurial drive. With Apple recently crossing the 10 billion download mark and an estimated 44 billion downloads expected to be achieved by 2016, creative young mobile app developers everywhere are going all-out, looking to cash in on the hottest business trend to emerge in the last decade.

What does it take to become a successful app entrepreneur? Some may say that the development process is actually the easy part. Thinking of an app with the right balance of value, creativity and marketing reach, that’s the tricky part.

One of best apps to riches stories involves Lisa Bettany, a Canadian figure skater who suffered through a serious injury only to bounce back at the top of the app charts with her hit app Camera+. Entrepreneur.com shares her awesome story which I urge you all to read at least once.

Anybody Can Do It

We’ve all at one point or another had an “Ah-Ha!” moment where we were sure we’ve thought of a hit app idea, or at least know someone who has. However, we weren’t all born with the gift of coding flowing through our genes. Luckily there’s no lack of talented freelance developers for hire on services such as odesk, elance, guru.com and many other freelance sites to help get the job done.

Enter Trey Smith. After launching a very lucrative business as an affiliate in the online world, Trey turned his attention towards iPhone apps. His iPhone apps include top hits such as Jump Pack, Maze+ and Monster Magic.  In just a 5 month period Trey’s apps have had over 3,000,000 downloads. In his webinars, Trey explains how he took his iPhone app game, Kolo’s Journey, from concept to completion and through marketing, almost entirely through the use of freelance services.

Business Sense on the Go

One of the biggest advantages entrepreneurs have today is the ability to conduct business anywhere via their mobile devices. From answering emails, to signing agreements, the use of Smartphones as business tools has transformed the way entrepreneurs do business. This also opens the door for app entrepreneurs to think outside of the box as far too many restrict their app ideas to “the next big game,” when in reality, there’s a huge window of opportunity to deliver utility and productivity tools to make on-the-go users’ life a little more fun and manageable.

In conclusion

The most successful app entrepreneurs have approached their app ideas by looking at what niche their app could best fill. Do not underestimate the power of targeting a specific audience or end-user for your app idea, that being said, the real magic happens when you keep  your mind open to fun and creative ideas.

What’s New @ W3i for Mobile App Partners

App ID Creation – Create an ID for your app that you can use for integration. This will save you time speed up implementation so your app is to market faster! Forgot your ID? Do you need to know what we have set up for your currency? Can’t remember if you have been set up as a partner for a specific application? Find it all here!

Self-Service Campaign Management (Coming Soon!) – Stop and start your campaigns to optimize your return. No more waiting for someone who may be in a different time zone than you. Move quickly with the ability to pause and resume your campaigns as needed without the help of a W3i associate. Were you looking for the ability to see the campaign information for your applications? Now you can! You will be able to view your budget, remaining balances, daily cap information, country targeting, rate, start time and expiration time, whether or not your application was featured and more!

Mobile Integration Documentation – For ease of implementation you now have direct access to updates to SDK’s, sample apps, FAQ’s, etc. No more waiting, direct access to all of our integration updates immediately without having to log in.

Create and Save Custom Reports – Saves time and gives you the insight you need at your fingertips. Save your reports for immediate access to your most important reports after login.

Custom Subscriptions (Coming Soon!)– Now that you have the ability to save your reports, wouldn’t it be nice to have them e-mailed directly to you? Coming soon, the ability to subscribe to your custom reports and have them sent directly to you as you need them. Weekly, daily, whenever, you got it!

This is just the beginning of improvements we are making to improve your experience partnering with W3i.

It’s becoming evident that when it comes to mobile devices and their operating systems, their success strongly depends on the apps they run.

At the moment, all App Stores follow the same business model, in which 30 percent stake of all downloads go directly to the brand, while the developer/publisher of the app gets 70 percent. That includes hosting and credit card fees, as well as “marketing” for the app.

Before we dive deep into the clash of the app stores facts and figures, let’s get this out of the way right off the bat; Apple is king supreme when it comes to leading the app race. To make sense of it all, it’s far more important to understand how they achieved such massive success and set the standard for the way apps are downloaded today.

Apple’s App Store

From day one Apple worked extensively with developers and kept a close eye on all apps submitted to the app store. This doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have its share of gimmicky, single-use-only apps, but for the most part, they leaned heavily on quality as opposed to quantity.

According to 148Apps.biz as of November 2011, the App Store hosts 518,601 approved applications with over 85,000 registered developers creating apps for the platform. The iPad alone has over 150 thousand native applications available for download. Let’s not forget the over 80 thousand Mac apps also available for download.  You you can see why no other app store even comes close.

For any budding app developer, the place you should strive to be is on the App Store’s home page. Make it there and your app is gold. Of course, getting there relies on how well your app is received by iOS users. Rarely will Apple feature an app that has yet to make a significant impact in terms of installs.

Google’s Android Market

When it come’s to Google’s Android Market, their mantra has always been “we’re open!” Whether that’s a good thing or not, is up to you to decide.

Unlike Apple, for example, there’s absolutely no lengthy or draconian app submission process. Got an app!? Come on down, it’s as simple as that.  All that Google asks is that developers do no evil. That means; no malware, no porn, no funny business. The problem is that some app developers clearly didn’t get the memo, as sneaky Android apps are on the rise. Regardless, have a clean, mainstream app? Boom! It’s available for download almost instantaneously.

Google recently announce that worldwide Android Market app downloads now exceed one billion per month.  Compared to iOS, which surpassed 18 billion total downloads in October. Another interesting fact to point out is that  the Android Market recently surpassed 10 billion total downloads in total.  This comes on the heels of comScore’s latest MobiLens report, showing that, for the three months ending in October, Android devices now account for 46.3% of U.S. smartphone subscribers versus 28.1% for Apple.

Taking into consideration how prevalent third-party app stores are on the Android platform, particularly in countries like China but also elsewhere, that’s a remarkable achievement.

Windows Phone Marketplace

Developers are already eyeing the opportunities that the Windows Phone Marketplace offers, and there are at least 6 reasons why.

In terms of raw numbers, Microsoft’s Windows Phone Marketplace has gone from a few thousand apps to a milestone 40,000 in just over a year. This leaves it well behind the iTunes App Store and Android Marketplace (both are quoted at around the 500,000 applications mark).

When asked why developers are more interested in Windows Phone 7 now than a year ago, a plurality (48%) said it was the Microsoft/Nokia partnership. Nokia also received high marks from its new Lumia Windows Phone 7 smartphone announcement last month, with 28% of developers saying they are ‘very interested’ in developing for the device.

But Wait, There’s More!

So far we’ve looked at Apple’s leading App Store, Google’s “open” Android Market and Microsoft’s up and coming Marketplace, but that’s only part of the story. A clash of the app stores pose wouldn’t be complete without including Nokia’s OVI store which holds roughly 35,000 apps. Although it’s particularly interesting to see how the OVI store will evolve considering Nokia’s attention is shifting almost entirely towards Microsoft’s Windows Phone. That being said, Symbian still retains, by far, the highest potential user base. Even though its users are incomparably less active than iOS’s heavy downloaders, it still generates significant download volumes to Symbian publishers.  This is largely because whilst Apple boasts of its 500,000+ apps, the OVI store contains less than a tenth of that number.

The Takeaway

At this point, it truly sounds like it’s Apple vs. the world, but as we’ve seen so far, the app industry is changing at a rapid pace. Every app environment has its pros and cons, both for consumers and developers alike. Ultimately, it’s up to you, the end user to decide what best suits your lifestyle and budget. Turning it back over to you. How do you see the App Store Battle being played out over the next year? Share your thoughts in the comments below or reach out to us on Twitter at @W3i and @OrenTodors.

Minneapolis, Minnesota, November 30, 2011–W3i® (www.W3i.com), a leader in monetization and user acquisition services for mobile apps, announced today the launch of the $10 Million AppX Game Developer Marketing Fund.  The goal of the marketing fund is to accelerate user growth for up-and- coming mobile social game developers by aiding in their user acquisition financing.

W3i's AppX - Resources to Accelerate Game Profitability

iOS™ and Android™ game developers’ goal is to drive user acquisition of mobile games accelerating the growth of active users.

This fund reinforces W3i’s commitment to iOS and Android game developers to help them compete with AAA competitors thus accelerating their path to profitability.

W3i is known for its extensive experience in partnering with mobile and desktop app developers to grow their app  businesses.  All developers who qualify for the AppX Game Developer Marketing Fund receive adept production support, actionable insight to optimize their game business and profitable user acquisition with funding to speed up growth.  The AppX suite of services is provided without charge and with no, long-term revenue share.
Using AppX does not require the developer to give up their IP rights allowing them to focus on actual game design and development.

“W3i has proven to be a valued partner in marketing our game, My Pet Zombie. Not only did we quickly become  profitable with our app, W3i helped increase the lifetime value of our users by three times. We would highly recommend using W3i to market your mobile game,” comments Brian Robbins, Founder of Riptide Games.

“We continue to develop tools that add value for mobile game developer partners,” said Andy Johnson, CEO. “Our road map continues to focus on improving monetization and user acquisition tools to optimize ROI using a decade of experience doing the same for our desktop app partners.  The rollout continues with AppX.”  For more information contact W3i AppX.

About W3i: W3i is a leader in monetization and user acquisition services for mobile and desktop apps.  Utilize an experienced team of app-savvy marketers with deep technical know-how and many years of industry experience to grow your app business. We are ready to collaborate with app developers to execute programs that quickly deliver revenue and quality users. To learn more, visit www.W3i.com with offices in San Francisco, Minneapolis and Sartell, MN. 

Press Contact:

Deborah Manthei

Director of Marketing Communications

320-257-7571 (office)

deborah.manthei@W3i.com

The names of companies and products mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective owners.

Everyone agrees that apps are great marketing tools for engaging consumers. Now the debate is whether to develop native or web apps. Which is better? Well, it depends.

What Are Native Apps, Web Apps, and Hybrid Apps?

Native apps are apps that are explicitly developed and stored on a device. Native apps require installation.

Web apps are written entirely with web technologies and the code is executed by the browser; installation is optional.

Hybrid apps are native apps with embedded HTML. They have most of the benefits of native apps. The web portions can be packed with the app or downloaded from the web.

Factor 1: How Will the Consumer Use the App?

If the app uses features of the device (microphone, speaker, camera, vibration, GPS, etc.), a native app is more appropriate. If the app relies on the Internet for content (i.e., a catalog of products), a web app is more appropriate. This chart demonstrates applications by Internet task – shopping and search apps being heavy browser users are more likely to be web apps while connecting and navigating apps use features of the device and are more likely to be native apps.

Factor 2: How Fast and How User Friendly Do You Want the App?

Since a native app is explicitly downloaded and stored on the device, generally the user experience is better. The user interface can be cleaner without multiple frames. As Matt Legend Gemmell said when speaking about native apps in his article “Apps vs the Web,” “…humans are designed to focus the majority of our attention on a single task at a time. Interfaces which permit and even encourage this separation of concerns reduce our stress level, and facilitate concentration.” Native apps tend to have better graphics and a smooth user experience due to the interface with the device.

Factor 3: How Will the App Be Distributed?

Native apps can be distributed for free through app stores using their payment system. However, a negative is the loss of control through the approval process, monetization, and promotion of the app. Web apps generally have less visibility and are usually marketed using search engines or on branded websites directly to the consumer.

Factor 4: What Do You Want to Spend?

Native apps are more expensive to develop, as they need to be developed for each specific operating system – iOS, Android (multiple devices), Windows, etc. Many web apps can be developed by in-house developers using existing skills. Therefore, native apps can also take longer to develop. Maintaining apps on multiple operating systems is also expensive and time consuming.

Of course, you can always use the hybrid model, which can combine the best of both worlds. Hybrid applications are increasingly rising in popularity as operating systems become more fragmented.

Usage, user experience, control, distribution, and cost all come into play when developing an app; and then there is how to design the app itself so that it is engaging and retains the user to defray distribution costs.

To learn more, watch this great presentation entitled “HTML5, Hybrid or Native Mobile App Development Webinar.”

Rob Weber, Senior Vice President of Mobile Business Development and Co-Founder, W3i, LLC
Rob is an Internet marketing pioneer with over ten, profitable years evolving W3i in the consumer application industry.

I recently gave a talk to a group of marketing specialists from large corporate firms. After my talk, one of the attendees approached me and said: “I enjoyed your talk, it all sounds so exciting, but can you please tell me what exactly an app is?” Talk about a reality check.

In the ultra fast paced world of connected devices, one of the words that’s thrown around more than any other is the term “app”. So for those amongst you who are still trying to figure it out, an app typically refers to software used on a smartphone or mobile device such as the Android, iPhone, BlackBerry or iPad, as in “mobile app”. Similarly the phrase “web app” or “online app” is also used in a business setting as an abbreviation for “Web application” or “online application”. It’s a piece of software that helps you get things done, receive updates, or enjoy a little leisure time.

Now that we have that figured out, let’s fast forward to how apps are evolving almost as quickly as they appeared.

Apps, The Next Evolution

Mobile apps extend the reach and productivity of your business, but even “mobile” devices are rapidly changing shape. Take for example the I’mWatch – A sleek, thin and ergonomic watch that’s powered by the Android OS. The watch is a phone, web, music, radio, organizer, photo and video player. This new level of portability delivers new use cases for apps, as we currently know them.

“The effects of the mobile industry are making a huge impact in retail right now. Companies are looking at innovative ways to bring in new customers, deliver their messaging and maximize sales through the use of branded apps,” shares Ariel Haroush CEO of I Display, Part of the Outform Group. “The key is to deliver mobile content throughout the retail shopping experience via smart digital retail signage.” Expect to see Android OS based point of sale devices sprouting up in a fashion boutique near you.

Samsung, Sony, Toshiba and other TV Manufactures have already started launching their line of app enabled TVs. These “Smart TVs” can connect to the web through ethernet or wireless connection.  This connectivity allows the user to perform many of the functions on their television that could normally only be done on a computer or mobile device. Samsung has already gone the extra mile by launching their own dedicated App Store for TVs.

“The support for Samsung Apps – from content providers to developer partners and consumers around the world – has been tremendous,” said Eric Anderson, Vice President of Content and Product Solutions, Samsung Electronics America, Inc. “As we look ahead, Samsung sees the opportunity to expand not only the breadth and depth of apps, but also how users interact with them, making it easy to discover and enjoy content across multiple devices in the home.”

In conclusion – Get ready to re-learn everything you know about apps. The trends creeping up right around the corner are about to deliver the reality to the sci-fi we’ve been dreaming of. Developers who aren’t seriously considering the opportunities of these connected devices will be missing out.

Turning it back over to you – How do you see the evolution of apps progressing? Let us know in the comments or reach out to us on Twitter @W3i and @OrenTodoros

Apps World Europe is returning to London Olympia on 29-30 November for two days of discussion and insight around multi-platform apps, with some of the leading brands and individuals from around the industry gathering to examine the latest industry trends, and the impact they will have on us.

This year’s event includes three separate conference tracks, covering a broad spectrum of the industry’s most burning issues; operator and developer revenue streams, publishing strategies, mobile and tablet app marketing, handset innovation, branding and the rise of the TV app.

Oren Todoros will be attending Apps World London on behalf of W3i.  If you’re developing a mobile app for either Android or iPhone, this is a perfect opportunity for you to talk to us and discuss your marketing strategy.

To put things in perspective, 16 of the top 25 grossing US iPhone apps have partnered with W3i to maximize their app’s reach and increase revenue.

Ian Johnson, Apps World founder, said: “We feel like this has been a real watershed year in terms of companies recognizing the value and scope of what apps represent to their future business activities. The interest in apps has broadened to include marketing professionals across all industries. The opportunity for talented developers to connect with large multinational brands is a facet of the show we take very seriously, that’s why we’re offering the developer streams for free.”

Attending Apps World London? Let us know in the comments or reach out to us via Twitter @W3i or @OrenTodoros – The drink’s on us!

I just returned from the GDC Online (Game Developers Conference) in Austin, TX, and found many of the sessions focused on data and how to use it to grow an app business. This is a subject dear to my heart, as it has helped my company grow our business over the years. For example, in 2004 we created our first business intelligence system and grew the business by more than 400 percent. (Making all the employees quite happy, as they won a trip to the Florida Keys.) Here are some examples of how you can use your data for actionable insights that will have a major impact on your app business.

Optimizing Images for Huge Performance Improvements

It is very important to test and optimize images. Our game investment company, Recharge Studios recently optimized an image in My Pet Zombie that increased the click-through rate (CTR) from 6.6 percent to 32 percent. Just by testing and optimizing the creative, 4.8 times more users clicked the image.

Optimizing the Tutorial Reduced Churn

Not many developers think of optimizing their tutorial. The new iOS game called My Pet Zombie from Riptide Games had a huge churn rate during the game tutorial prior to optimization. By optimizing the tutorial and improving the user interface, My Pet Zombie reduced the churn from 41 percent completion rate to 81 percent completion rate – a 98 percent improvement.

Improving just one particular image in the tutorial saw the churn rate go from 25 percent to 4 percent. The developer focused on the elements circled in pink.

Distribute Through Multiple Channels and Measure the Results

Not all app developers believe in paying for distribution. However, buying the right traffic and knowing the return can have a major impact on scaling your business. By knowing the return on investment (ROI) for each source of distribution, you can make smart buying decisions, but you need to experiment and understand the data. Also, some of the more expensive channels may have the most qualified users and can prove to be your best source of traffic, but you will never know unless you look at the data.

On the left side are various sources of traffic, and on the right side are the user retention rates after 30 days. As you can see, there was a lot of variance in the traffic sources. Once you know what traffic has the best ROI, it is a pretty easy business decision to buy more of that traffic. If you are interested in more information, check out my blog article.

Offer Users More Than One Revenue Stream

Only around 5 percent of users are willing to pay for an app or make an in-app purchase. By adopting an incented purchase model – offering users virtual currency for installing another app, for example – app revenue can more than double.

In this game, Dolphin Play, the user is offered Dolphin Bucks for installing Tap Fish 2.

In a recent case study using the incented, offerwall system, My Pet Zombie’s average revenue per user (ARPU) increased by 131 percent.

Do I have you convinced that to grow your app business, testing and optimization is important? (It’s almost as fun as playing the game itself.) Getting actionable insight from your app stats can turn an unprofitable app into a profitable app. Are there other tests you performed that made a major impact on your revenue? If so, please share the data in the comment section.

Rob Weber, Senior Vice President of Mobile Business Development and Co-Founder, W3i, LLC
Rob is an Internet marketing pioneer with over ten, profitable years evolving W3i in the consumer application industry.

When I was a child, there was nothing I loved more than wasting countless hours playing with my favorite toys, except maybe playing countless hours on the PC. Mobile devices such as the iPhone and iPad have created a new way in which to interact with physical toys in ways I could only have dreamt about.

The recent merging of apps and toys opens a world of new possibilities for developers who are breaking the digital confines of mobile devices and discovering new and innovative ways to bring their creations to life, by way of physical toys.

 The Life of George

Danish toy company Lego is the latest to push its toy line into the mobile age The Life of George iPhone app. The app combines a digital and physical gaming experience kids, and just the young at heart, are sure to love.

The new Lego game consists of a free iPhone app, a set of bricks and a play mat that acts as a green screen. The objective of the game is to build the image shown on the screen as quickly as possible in real life. Once players finish building the same object, they have to take a picture of it with their iPhone or iPod touch to see if they succeeded. The app calculates a score based on accuracy and speed.

Disney’s AppMates

Disney, never being one to trail behind in the toys and gaming industry introduced Appmates, a new toy line that comes to life digitally when used with an Apple iPad. Developed in collaboration between Disney Consumer Products (DCP) and Disney Mobile, the Appmates toy line features miniature Cars 2 vehicles with sensors on the base of each toy that are recognized as a unique footprint by an app without the need for cables or a bluetooth connection.

Kids can simply download the free Cars 2Appmates app from the iTunes app store, place their favorite Appmates toy character on the screen and start playing. Each toy unlocks different features and content within the app specific to the character, allowing kids to come back over and over to enjoy an imaginative, open-ended play experience using the Appmates toys.

“We have cracked the technology code in changing the way kids play with their toys,” said Sunny Lauridsen, director of digital toys for DCP. “Kids will always use toys to play out their favorite Disney stories, but Disney Appmates now allows them to include technology which has become a way of life for them through a beautifully rich app.”

The Licensing of App Characters

Following Rovio’s lead, ZeptoLab is the latest company to join the new licensing app characters trend. A range of plush toys will soon be hitting store shelves based on their successful Cut the Rope title main character, Om Nom.

Outfit7, the creator of apps including Talking Tom Cat, Talking Larry the Bird, Talking Gina the Giraffe and many more are also set to take the toy licensing world by storm.

Meanwhile, Disney is debuting its first original mobile game character, Swampy with hopes that it will become a pop culture phenomena like Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck. A plush toy can’t be too far behind.

When it comes to toys and apps, it’s starting to look a lot like a win win situation. On that note, I’m turning it back over to you: What mobile app character would you most like to see become a toy or what toy would you most like to control using an app?

Share your thoughts and comment below or reach out to us over on Twitter @W3i and @OrenTodoros

Oren Todoros, Consultant, W3i, LLC
Oren has more than 9 years experience in online marketing and now specializes in app marketing.

There’s no question about it, without the right kind of hype, most blockbuster movies, products, tech-toys and goodies from the global brands we love wouldn’t succeed in achieving the record breaking sales they attain year after year.

Hype–it isn’t just being shouted from product brands. Everyone from media companies, tech enthusiasts and yes even journalists who have their own personal “agendas”  have been known to exacerbate hype.

For those looking to understand how to create positive hype, you need not look any further than Apple; specifically at the launch of the iPhone.  At the time of the launch, Steve Jobs did two things phenomenally well. The first was to deliver a product that the mass market wanted, with a minimalistic and an insanely sexy design. Second and probably more important is the fact that the hype surrounding the product lived up to user expectations. In a sense, Steve Jobs reshaped the thought of what a smartphone should be.

Hype vs. Marketing

What is hype? What is marketing? And more importantly what separates these two opposing concepts?

The word Hype seem to have involve into evoking a negative connotation; consumers of information are very “anti-hype.” This is largely due to marketing fatigue (too many people making outlandish promises). In other words, over-promising, and under delivering. In reality, hype is defined as: Deception; especially, loud, exaggerated promotion or publicity.

In contrast, marketing can be described as the art of delivering the right product, in the right place, at the right time, at the right price. Of course there’s a lot more to it than that, and a complete post can be dedicated specifically to the exact definition of marketing.

Success in hype and marketing can only occur when both strategies feed off each other and a bold promise is backed up with legitimate proof upon delivery of the product or service.

To set your upcoming app’s hype-factor in motion, I’ve rounded up a few tricks of the trade that are sure to help you build up towards the delivery of your bold mobile app promise.

Pre-Launch Pages

We’ve all seen the epic words: Coming Soon, Available Shortly and Be the First to Know, splattered across the screen, and I’m not talking big budget movie releases here, I’m of course talking about apps. Creating a pre-launch website for your app is a perfect way to get a feel for your apps upcoming success while stimulating your potential end-user’s download trigger finger.

Obviously, websites (either pre-launch or post-launch) can be coded from scratch line by line, but that can be quite costly and not to mention time consuming. On the flip side, there are many free online website builders such as Unbounce, Moonfruit, Weebly, Bluevoda, Wix and more to help you get the job done. Mobile app pre-launch pages are meant to do one thing: entice potential end-users.

Here are a few important notes to keep in mind in regards to creating pre-launch / teaser pages.

• Allow people to get notified by e-mail as soon as your app goes live.
• Start blogging and place a link to your blog on your pre-launch page as well.
• People like sharing, so allow them to share by including links to the leading social networks.
• Make real friends, nothing is more effective than building a good reputation and working with others to increase exposure to your content.

Facebook Fans

The old saying is true; no one likes to be the first person to arrive at a party. When it comes to Facebook pages however, no one likes to be the 20^th, 30^th, or even 50^th person at the party. To really set the sparks flying with Facebook pages, chances are you’re going to have to set a few creative paid ads in motion. Ads increase Likes; it’s as easy as that.

According to a study by DDB Worldwide and Opinionway Research of more than 1,600 people ages 18 to 60 , 75% of those who liked a brand on Facebook did so because of an ad or another form of direct outreach.

Truth be told, introducing visitors to your Facebook page by way of an ad is the easy part, the tricky and definitely more important part is engaging and motivating them into becoming active long-term participants, and in a sense, turning into brand ambassadors.

Graphical Work

Normally when you release a new product or service, you’ll usually want to have full creative control or work with the best freelance graphics designers that are available for the project. The truth is that phenomenal graphic designs can be incredibly cheap, if you know where to look.

If you’re not yet sure what you’re looking for or where to start, you could try talking with the designers in the 99designs/crowdSPRING forums.  It’s as simple as starting a new project and asking for a concept sketch first instead of a fully designed graphical work. You can tailor these projects any way you want. Additionally services such as Fiverr are a great starting point. What’s even more amazing about Fiverr is that there’s no lack of talented video creators who are ready to blow you away with an insane video demo for your app. Which leads us to my next trick of the trade…

Sneak Peak Video Trailers

Video trailers are designed to do one thing, hype viewers up to a level where they’re anxious to shell out more money to watch a movie. I previously wrote a post called 6 Tips to Create Captivating App Trailers. Memorable app trailers create an instant “want” factor for the viewers within a few short seconds, without giving away too much of course.

With iOS apps, taking screenshots of your app via the device is as simple as pressing the power and home buttons together. Screenshots are automatically saved in your Camera Roll, so make sure you grab the most impressive visuals of your app.

Next, you’ll want to sign-up to Animoto if you haven’t already done so; upload your screenshots, select a music track and complete your video trailer.  Going Pro on Animoto gives you the option to download the video in HD which I really suggest you do.

The Bottom Line

Understand the impact of positive hype, but focus on establishing a sustainable business. Above all, remember this: Have Integrity. Conduct your business in the most ethical and honest way possible. Always remember that no hype or sale is worth ruining your reputation. People appreciate honesty, and when you show them that you are a person of integrity, people will want to do business with you and possibly, even download your app.

What are you app hype tricks of the trade? Let us know in the comments or reach out to us via Twitter @W3i and @OrenTodoros

Oren Todoros, Consultant, W3i, LLC
Oren has more than 9 years experience in online marketing and now specializes in app marketing.