When it comes to making money from iPhone or iPad apps, it all starts with a great app. No amount of clever marketing will help sell a ho-hum app.

The most important part of the development process is to have an original idea for an app that will help people in their everyday lives. Your inspiration is the core of your software. And, having a great idea behind your app will help it stand out.

Of course, coming up with a good iPhone app idea is easier said than done. Racking your brain until it hurts probably isn’t going to work. There are strategies you can use to come up with not just one idea, but lots of winning ideas.

Just as important as coming up with ideas of what your app could be is knowing how to edit those ideas down to one gem. Knowing what separates an idea that will be popular versus the rest is one of the first big decisions you’ll need to make when creating an app. You want to learn the strategies behind coming up with many great ideas, then pairing it down to the one best idea that you’ll be excited to work on and sell.

So what makes a great app? Is it the slick graphics, the list of features that go on and on? I say that the key to a bestselling app isn’t what you might think. It’s not the features you’ve put into it, even if those features took you days to program. No, the real measure of an outstanding app is the benefit it gives your user.

Your user will buy your iPhone app because it does something for them. In some way – big or small – your app helps make their life better. It’s that reason why people will want your app.

Ask yourself, what problem does my app solve? Making money is all about solving your customers’ problems, and the best developers know that they can only profit from an idea that truly helps make their customers’ lives easier (or a little more fun).

It’s not the flashy graphics or the clever features. If you really want your app to be irresistible, here’s what to do.

Choose the one top benefit that your app offers. Then, do everything you can to play up that feature. Design your app to really provide as much of that benefit as you can. In your app description, say it clearly.

The real key to selling more apps is not the marketing tactics you use. The big secret is to learn that you need to think like your customer. What do they want out of your iPhone app? What problems are they trying to solve?

Change your thinking from “how do I sell my iPhone app?” to “why would someone want to buy my iPhone app?” While it may sound simple, this change in the way you think about marketing your app can have a huge impact on the way you sell your iPhone apps.

You are putting yourself in the shoes of the customer. After all, they are in charge. Selling iPhone apps is a matter of understanding their needs and helping them solve a problem by using the app you made.

To sell iPhone apps to your customers more effectively, ask them what they want to see in your app while you are creating it. You can use surveys, send out an email, or ask your friends on Twitter or Facebook. Use this feedback to make the best app you can, which will make it much easier to sell your app and reap bigger profits down the road.

Now that you know that the best way to sell your iPhone app is to listen and respond to your customers’ needs, take action. Take a look at all the ways you are marketing your app – online and offline – and make sure they speak directly to your customer by putting their needs first. You will quickly see that selling more apps comes naturally when you learn to think like your customer.

To make money selling your iPhone app, you don’t need a huge budget or a big time ad agency. Yes, both of those tools are very helpful, but the great thing about apps is that there is so much you can do yourself.

Online marketing and the internet have put you in the driver’s seat when it comes to making money, and the app revolution has pressed the pedal all the way to the floor.

You can see this in the way you made your app. Apple has put the power of app development in your hands. You don’t need to be a huge software company to make an app. You just need a Mac, an iPhone, and some ingenuity.

Or, you might not have written the code yourself, but you can still find an app developer by yourself easily. Sites like Elance bring together many experienced developers you can hire by the project. No long term commitment required.

Now, this doesn’t mean that you have to do it all yourself. There are many smart tools out there to help you. There are tools to help you spread the word about your app. You can advertise your app on search engines like Google, or popular app websites.

There are ways to learn the ins and outs of app marketing, too (just like our free App Profits Roadmap eBook) so you don’t have figure it all out yourself. There’s so much you can do by yourself, but when it comes to app marketing, you’re not alone.

There’s another great source of help, too: your fellow app developers. You’re all going through the same experience, and if you have a question, many people probably have it too. There are developers who have tackled the same challenges you have – how do I create an app that people will want? How do I promote it? What can I do to increase my profits?

While the App Store can be a competitive place, there are many developers who would be glad to share their advice on marketing your app. If you’re worried about a competitor stealing your ideas, seek out someone who makes a different type of app than you. Their puzzle app isn’t really competing with your financial services app. The two types of apps are going after different audiences, so you can both increase your profits without harming the other.

When you do market your app, the key to marketing your app is to do it early and often. If you are working on an app, now’s the perfect time to lay the groundwork to make it a success. Or, if your app is new to the App Store, there is a lot you can do to boost your sales.

You want to build up momentum and excitement about your app, start your marketing efforts even before it appears in the App Store if possible. Get people talking about your new app and make them eager to buy it as soon as it’s available. Have it appear on popular blogs, have it be featured in the App Store, get people sharing it with their friends.

But no matter how long your app has been in the App Store, you want to get buzz around it to get more people knowing about your app and buying it.

Don’t stop your marketing – keep it up, keep building momentum. Reach out and connect with people who might buy your app in every way you can. It’s especially easy online because many online strategies are free or low-cost.

In fact, I recommend you strive to something everyday, even if it’s something small. Making progress each day will make you feel great – there’s something you can point to every day to say you’re making progress to spreading the word.  That momentum will build and build, so even modest marketing efforts can grow into something much larger.

Do you want to sell your iPhone app to more people? Some apps in the App Store pull in huge profits for the people who created them while others seem to struggle. Are your apps getting all the sales you deserve?

There are many marketing tips and tricks I could show you to encourage more people to download your iPhone or iPad app. In fact, there are easy and inexpensive ways to make your app the bestseller you always thought it could be.

The real key to sell more apps, though, is not the marketing tactics you use. The big secret is to learn that you need to think like your customer. What do they want out of your app? What problems are they trying to solve? Who will pay for my app, exactly? Instead of thinking about yourself, you should make the shift to thinking like a potential user of your app.

Change your thinking from “how do I sell my iPhone app?” to “why would someone want to buy my iPhone app?” While it may sound simple, this change in the way you think about marketing can have a huge impact on the way you sell your iPhone apps.

You are putting yourself in the shoes of the customer. After all, they are the ones in charge here. Selling iPhone apps is a matter of understanding their needs and helping them solve a problem using the app you made.

To sell iPhone apps to your customers more effectively, ask them what they want to see in your app while you are creating it. You can use surveys, send out emails, or ask your friends on Twitter or Facebook. Use this feedback to make the best software you can, which will make it much easier to sell your app and reap bigger profits down the road.

Now that you know that the best way to sell your iPhone app is to listen and respond to your customers’ needs, take action. Take a look at all the ways you are marketing your app – such as your App Store description – and make sure they speak directly to your customer by putting their needs first. You will quickly see that selling more apps comes naturally when you learn to think like your customer.

Are you looking for the best way to sell your app in the App Store? Many developers jump in blindly and overlook the simple things they can do to increase their profits by selling more apps.

In this article, we’ll show you the three key steps to set yourself up for success when selling your iPhone or iPad app. These essential ingredients can help you get more exposure for your app and increase your sales from day one.

With more than 150,000 apps currently being sold in the App Store, you need every advantage you can get to stand out and be noticed. Read on to learn how to take the first crucial steps to turning your latest app into a bestseller.

1. Think like your customer

After all the hours you are spending coding and testing your iPhone app, you know it inside out. But your potential customers do not know a thing about it yet. How are you going to sell your app to your eager audience of App Store shoppers?

While there are many ways to get the word out about your app, the one thing you should remember when doing any marketing is that to be successful, you must think like your customers.

Take yourself out of your shoes and try on your customer’s. What will really make your app appeal to them? How you sell your app is all about how you communicate what it is to people.

When selling your iPhone app, aim to be clear and compelling every time you talk to shoppers. By putting their needs ahead of your own, you will win over more buyers and accelerate your sales.

2. Do a little every day

Successfully selling your app can seem like an overwhelming task. There are so many marketing activities to try, who has time for them all?

When you want to boost your sales, do not worry about trying to do everything at once. There is so much you could do to help you increase your profits that you might just burn out by trying to do too much.

Instead, commit yourself to do just a little something each day. Marketing your app works best when it is a sustained effort, not a sprint.

By doing one thing every day to promote your app – whether it is submitting to a review site, working on your search engine marketing, or improving your App Store description – you will be amazed at how much you accomplish in a week. You will feel great and that momentum will push you to go further.

3. Don’t ignore your competition

At the same time you are selling your app, thousands of other developers are doing the same. App Store shoppers have become more choosy about the apps they will download and buy – there are over 150,000 to choose from after all – meaning you will need to keep an eye out for what your competitors are doing.

Before you launch your app and also when it’s live in the App Store, carefully watch the other apps in your category or that appeal to the same audience as yours. Here are some important things to look for: Did they raise or lower their app prices? Are they adding new features that you do not have? Do they hold sales or special promotions? Do they offer a free or “lite” version?

What you do to respond to your competitors can make the difference between winning new customers or losing sales. By keeping a close eye on your competition, you will be ready to make the most of every advantage you have.

Selling your app is an ongoing journey. Put these three opportunities into action today and start earning all the sales you deserve every step of the way.

Many developers wonder, can I really make money by selling iPhone apps? Just look at the numbers: by 2013, Americans will buy $4.2 billion in mobile applications according to the Yankee Group. Make this year your time to start cashing in on this exploding opportunity – we’ll show you how.

Your opportunity to profit from iPhone apps is growing as more people buy an iPhone or iPod Touch, which can both run the apps you will make. Over 30 million iPhones have been purchased so far, meaning you have a large and growing audience of potential customers.

2010 looks to be another huge year for the iPhone as the leading smart phone continues to soar in popularity. This means that you will be able to make more money by selling your app to more people.

The first step to making money with iPhone apps, is to create your app. The most important part of the development process is to have an original idea for an app that will help people in their everyday lives. Ask yourself, what problem does my app solve? Making money really comes down to solving your customers’ problems, and the best developers know that they can only profit from an idea that truly helps make their customers’ lives easier (or at least a little more fun).

Next, get your app listed in the App Store. As 2010 starts, there are over 100,000 apps for sale in Apple’s superstore. How many apps there will be at the end of the year is anyone’s guess, but you want to make sure yours is one of them if you want to start cashing in.

Before you start making money with iPhone apps, though, spend some time thinking about your marketing plan. How will people find your app? Why would people want to buy it? What is the right price for my product? These are all critical questions to ask yourself before launching your app – and to keep asking yourself while you are selling it.

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There’s one question that most iPhone app developers get wrong and, unfortunately, it leads them to spin their wheels rather than making money.

“Who would want to buy your app?” I ask.
“Everybody!” you say.
“So, a small-town mom with two kids and a college student in the city are both going to want to buy your app?” I reply.
“Well, maybe not…” you say.

You’ve worked so hard and spent so much time creating your iPhone app that it’s tempting to think that everyone will want to buy it. No software will appeal to everyone, even the hippest, newest app. And that’s OK.

In fact, it’s better that way. Imagine trying to create your app to please everyone! There just aren’t enough hours in the day.

Instead, you need to focus on the exact type of person who would love to buy your app. Marketers call it your target market and it’s the secret to happy customers and more sales.

Who will buy my app (and who won’t)?

Now that we know not everyone will want to buy our app, the first step is to define the people who will. It’s so hard to think in terms of big groups, so use this easy shortcut: just picture one person in your mind. The exact type of person that is the perfect customer for your app.

What are his interests? What type of websites does she visit? Where does he live? What kind of job does she have?

Sometimes, it’s almost easier to imagine who is not in your target market – who would absolutely never download or use your app even if you paid them. Picture them in your mind and then take the opposite.

Your customer is king

Now that you know the type of person who will love to buy your app, keep them in mind with each decision you make while developing and marketing your app.

For example, say you are going to ask a blog to write about your new app. If you thought  the audience for your app is everyone, you might just submit it to the same sites as everyone else. But, if you knew that your app is the favorite of rich urban preppies, you would try to get write-ups from very different types of blogs than if your audience was cost-conscious senior citizens.

Knowing who your audience is – and isn’t – for your product is the first step to successfully marketing your app. Taking just a minute to picture exactly the type of person who your app will attract already puts you far ahead of your competition. Now, you can focus on creating an app that people will happily pay you good money for.

Want to learn more secrets for marketing your iPhone app? Learn how to boost your profits – even if you’re just getting started today – by signing up for our email newsletter now. It’s stuffed with helpful tips plus you’ll get our new guide “5 Ways to Make Money with iPhone Apps” free.

How you describe your app in the App Store can make or break the sale. You don’t have much room to tell your customers what makes your app worth buying right now. Find out what you can learn by looking at the descriptions of top-selling apps and how you can make write your app description easier.

You don’t have to be a copywriter to come up with a compelling description that drives sales. You just have to know the 4 parts of a successful description in the App Store. Use these as building blocks to write your own. Breaking it down and writing each part individually will make the process easier and quicker because you won’t be overwhelmed.

Also, remember that you will not write the perfect description the first time. Put your ideas down on paper (or, more likely, a computer) first and then you can revise and improve as many times as you like.

Here are the 4 parts that every best-selling app description must have:

Headline

The first things many people want to know about an app are “what is it?” and “what does it do?”. You can quickly answer these questions and encourage people to read more with a short but powerful headline. Just like a newspaper article, your headline should sum up the most important aspect of your app and spark someone’s interest so they will read more.

Quotes, awards, and testimonials

Help your app stand out from the crowd by showing what makes it popular and worth people’s time. The best way to do this is with quotes from users and reviews.

A few well-chosen quotes show potential customers that your app is fantastic – not just because you say so, but because other users just like them have tried it and love it. Make sure your testimonial is short and descriptive. Just saying “it’s the best app ever!” does not carry much weight.

Also, make sure to include any awards your app has received. If it has been shown on a popular app website but not reviewed (so you do not have a quote), you could write “Featured on (site name).”

Benefits

When Apple says “There’s an app for that”, your job is say what is the “that”. Is it getting organized? Saving time? Meeting new people? Make it absolutely clear how your app will help your customer by listing the most powerful benefits.

This will likely be the longest part of your description in the App Store. But successful app developers know that it should not be long-winded. Spell out the benefits in a bulleted list rather than long paragraphs so that customers can quickly scan your description to get the information they need. Few people (especially on the smaller screen of an iPhone) will read your entire write-up from start to finish so make the format of what you write easy to scan.

Call to action

End your description by asking your customers to take the next step and download or buy your app. Even though you may think this is obvious, a call to action such as “Purchase this app today” can help you increase sales because it makes it clear what you would like your customer to do. It also asks them to take an action now – if they wait thinking they will buy your app later, they will likely forget about it.

Looking for more tips to help you boost your iPhone app sales? Sign up for our email newsletter today and receive our new guide “5 Ways to Make Money with iPhone Apps” free.

The one thing that can set the iPhone app you made apart from all others is having a large number of rave reviews. Your customers know that you, as the developer, can say whatever you like in the description. But they will trust what other customers just like them say.

Having many 1-star reviews can sink your app, but attracting 5-star votes will give your app instant credibility. With over 100,000 options in the App Store, you need every edge you can.

But reviews are important for more than just that. When someone does a search in the App Store, what is written in the reviews will be taken into account. If you have many well-written comments that call your application a great “card game”, you stand a better chance of being listed in the search results when customers look for that phrase.

How can you get great reviews for your iPhone apps? Here are 3 insider tips to help you attract more 5-star reviews:

1. Create a winning app

Of course, it all starts with a stellar offering. As an iPhone app developer, make sure your creation has a clear benefit to the people who will buy it.

What to do: People download apps because they make their iPhones do something new and make their lives better. They will happily give you a rave review if your app does that.

2. Give people a way to offer feedback

Many poor reviews are because something in the app is not working how it should (or people think it should). Or, people have an idea for a new feature or improvement that would make your app 5-star worthy. You do not want those people to give you low scores but you still want that valuable feedback.

What to do: If you have a website that goes along with your app, make sure you have a way for people to contact you. Or, include your email address right in the description in your App Store.

3. Tell your customers what to expect

Especially when they pay for an app, people will be disappointed if the app does not do exactly what they expect it to. You may have a great app that does one thing well but if people expect it to do something else, too, they could give you a low review.

What to do: When you describe what your application does in the App Store, list everything it does – but do not exaggerate. It is tough, because you want to make your app sound like the one thing that your customers cannot live without. But, if you avoid promising more than you can deliver, you will see happier customers and more 5-star reviews.

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If you think marketing your iPhone app is just about sticking some ads online, it’s time to rethink your strategy. Let’s start at the beginning – with the one thing that you should consider even before building your app. (If you already created an app, that’s OK too).

The one thing that will cause your iPhone app to sell or flop is your audience. How well have you met their needs? Have you created something people will love using… and love telling their friends about?

Because, with over 100,000 competitors in the App Store, it’s your audience that will decide if they want what you’re selling. Here are the three key questions that all iPhone app developers should ask themselves before starting to code or trying to sell their software:

1. Who is my audience?

Can you picture the exact type of person that will want to use your app? It’s too easy to think “everyone will want it!” but, even with the most popular programs, that’s just not the case.

Instead, try to think of just one person who would love to download it. Zero in on what that person wants and design your app just for him or her.

2. Why will my audience love my app?

Answer the question that everyone will ask themselves when they see your offering in the App Store: “what’s in it for me?”

Jot down the one top benefit that you’re offering your customers. Will it save them time? Allow them to do something new? Impress their friends? It’s that one benefit that will inspire people to click “download”.

3. Is my audience willing to pay for what my app does?

Once you’ve figured out the true benefit of your app to customers, ask yourself if people would be willing to pay for it. Is the benefit important enough that someone will pay the $0.99 or more to have it?

Figuring out the audience for your iPhone app may seem like a chore, especially if you’re doing it after creating your program, but it’s the one marketing secret that can make your app a success.