When advertising your iPhone app, you want to be where your potential customers are – online. Internet marketing offers you many ways to spread the word and boost your sales, even on a small budget. The advantages of online marketing for iPhone developers include:

• It’s low cost: You don’t need a huge budget – there are many online marketing tactics that work well even on a modest budget. The point is to keep your eye on the prize: make sure your ad dollars are coming back to you in the form of increased app sales.
• It’s cost-effective: For some types of online marketing, you only pay when your customer takes the action you want. For example, when you place an advertisement on Google, you only pay when someone clicks on your ad and is sent to your website.
• It’s targeted: You can reach only the people you want to reach. Target your advertising toward the people most likely to buy your app. There is no need to waste time or money with ads for a general audience.
• It’s easy to get started: You can start your online marketing any time, and many tactics allow you to get up and running quickly. You might already visit web sites that could help your marketing efforts, such as discussion forums that you could participate in or app reviews sites that you could submit to.

A lot of the most effective advertising is done online, which is perfect for promoting your app. Paid search advertising (also called search engine marketing or SEM) is a good example of how internet marketing can help you make money from your apps.

Paid search ads are the sponsored links you see on Google or Yahoo, that are purchased by advertisers. On Google, they show up on the top and right-hand side of the page.

Here is how search engine advertising gives you all the advantages listed above:

• Paid search ads are low-cost: You set your own budget when you place ads on search engines. You can also set a daily maximum spend, so you know that you won’t pay more than a certain amount. You’re in control, and you can start with even a small budget.
• It’s cost-effective to use paid search ads: When you use search engine marketing, you only pay when someone actually clicks on your ad and is sent to your website. Unlike many other forms of advertising, like newspapers or magazines, where you pay a fixed amount but don’t know how many people actually see your ad (let alone do something such as visit your website), paid search advertising is highly cost effective.
• Paid search ads can be targeted: You make a specific type of app, and you want to show your ad only to a specific type of person (people who are most likely to want to buy your app). It’s possible with search engine advertising. You can show your ads only to people who have shown interest in what you’re selling. How do you know this? Because they typed something in the search engine, such as your type of app or a problem that your app solves. Targeting your paid search ads saves you money by not wasting money on ads that are shown to people unlikely to buy your app.
• It’s easy to get started with paid search ads: You don’t need an ad agency or a degree in marketing to get started advertising on Google. They’ve made it easy with a self-serve website that walks you through it, meaning you can be up and running quickly.

Spreading the word about your app online (in addition to your efforts inside the App Store) can be one of the best ways to raise awareness and increase your profits. There are many ways to market your app, including paid search advertising, that can help you turn your app into big profits.

Congratulations! Your iPhone app was approved by Apple and is now for sale in the App Store. Your hard work to code and test your app is about to be rewarded.

But wait, how will people know your app is there? When they find it, how will you convince shoppers your app is worth their money? In other words, how do you market your iPhone app?

Having a bestselling app is about more than just creating the best software (although, that certainly helps!).  How you market your iPhone app will make the difference between having sluggish sales and raking in huge profits.

One of the most effective ways to market iPhone apps is by making the most of your spot in the App Store. Your app should do more than just sit on the shelf. Use the App Store as your launch pad to successfully selling your software.  Learn as much as you can about the ins and outs of this superstore so you can maximize your chances your app is seen and downloaded.

While at first it might seem like you don’t have much control over how your app will appear in the App Store – after all, Apple controls all aspects of their shop – you have more ways to market your app than you might think.

You should use every part of your App Store page to its fullest to convince shoppers your program is worth buying. That means taking some extra time when you submit your app to write a compelling description and create an eye-popping icon.

If your app is already for sale, make your next update a money-making makeover: update your description, upload a tweaked icon, and use screenshots that really show off the best of what your app can do.

Also, take a look around at your competition and find ways to set yourself apart. You can make your customers’ decision to buy much easier if you price your app lower than your competitor’s. Or if you make it crystal clear in your app description why yours is better (and worth a higher price).

When you market your app in the App Store, you’ll set yourself apart from all the competition. Many iPhone developers just let their products sit on the shelves. But now you can supercharge your marketing to start selling more today.

If your app has been in the App Store for a while and you want to boost your sales, it is easy to freshen up your image.

Customers love new apps, but it is hard to keep updating your app to add new features. It is also tough for your older app to compete with shiny new products in the App Store.

Plus, a makeover is the perfect opportunity to use everything you have learned from your users and this blog. Take the feedback about your app from App Store comments and emails about what your customers love about your app and highlight the strongest parts of your app in this makeover.

The result will be a fresh new face on your existing app – one that will catch the eye of more App Store shoppers and convince more of them to buy your app.

Of course, Apple will need to review and approve the changes you make. Here is how to freshen up your little corner of the App Store:

Icon

You may not want to overhaul your icon if people recognize it, but you can give your iPhone app’s icon a face lift to help it stand out. Make the colors bolder or brighter. If you have an image in your icon, can you make it larger? Can you remove text that is hard to read and focus on a graphical icon?

Price

If your app has been in the App Store for a while, maybe it is time to spark some more interest in it by having a limited-time sale. Lower the price for a short time (announce the sale in your description to let people know) and build some buzz around your app. More people will want to try it and grab the savings before the sale ends.

Description

Are you doing all you can in your App Store description to win over shoppers? To spruce up your text, add a bulleted list of the top benefits of your app. Keep each bullet short and to the point.

Rewrite the first sentence of your description. Because it is visible to shoppers (while the rest of the description is hidden unless they click “More”), it is the most important. Make your opening sentence grab the reader by saying something about your app that is unique, surprising, or intriguing. Encourage your customer to want to read more.

Keep your app looking like new – and selling like when you first launched it in the App Store – with these tips for a quick and effective marketing makeover.

How do you turn an innovative app into a worldwide success? That is exactly what many iPhone developers are trying to do, so we wanted to share with you the story of a Japanese developer with global aspirations.

Helping MotionPortrait spread the word is Mark Lytle Hiratsuka, who explained how thinking big can help your app connect with customers no matter where they are.

Marketing Your App: Could you tell me about the HourFace and PhotoAvatar iPhone apps?

Mark Lytle Hiratsuka: Basically, working with Tokyo developer MotionPortrait on two apps based on their existing technology, we quickly realized a lot of iPhone users probably had no idea how powerful their handsets really are.

While the photo-aging app HourFace is likely the more impressive end product, its follow-up, PhotoAvatar , probably has more going on technically in terms of the impressive image manipulation at work, all of it taking place in the ‘cloud’ before being sent back to the iPhone.

In a nutshell, both apps take a still photo – either from the camera or the photo roll – and morph it into an attention-hogging animated 3D ‘movie’. HourFace spits out an older version of you, a friend or whoever, while PhotoAvatar turns them into a variety of alien creatures.

MYA: How have these two apps been promoted so far?

MLH: The difficulty with promoting such technically impressive apps, however, lay in the fact that any review is basically just going to say “Wow – these work!”, leaving the issue of how to speak directly to potential customers and get them firing up iTunes.

Fortunately, as we all know, that’s precisely where the social networks like Twitter excel these days. In our case, we leveraged an even broader – and dare I say it – better online tool in the shape of Posterous.

My personal Posterous blog not only quickly drew about 4,000 page views for each app posting, but also pushed the stories out to Twitter, Facebook and plenty more — boy, is this thing flexible!

The upshot? Both apps from an obscure Japanese developer hit the iTunes App Store charts worldwide from the US to Chile within 48 hours, driving sales we’re only now finding time to start counting! Color us impressed.

Both apps are available in the App Store by clicking these links: HourFace and PhotoAvatar

Do you have an iPhone (or even iPad!) app? Would you like to see it featured on the Marketing Your App blog? Find out how.

Making an iPhone app can be exciting and profitable, but it can also be frustrating, especially when it comes to selling it. That is what we heard from you in our latest survey. And we want you to know that we are here to help (read on for a sneak peak).

What you said about marketing your apps

Thank you to everyone who took the survey – many more of you turned out than we ever expected. It is clear that marketing your iPhone app is not easy and just putting it in the App Store is not enough to guarantee a profit.

Here are the challenges app developers like you say they are facing:

• Coming up with ideas for an app that sells – How do I know if my idea for an app is a good one? That is what one developer asked, and we know many of you are feeling the same. Before you put in the time to create your app, you want to be sure it is an idea that your customers will love.
• Creating a marketing plan that gets big results (without a big budget) – Several people said they were overwhelmed with promoting their apps. There are just so many possibilities – search engine marketing, Twitter, yelling from the rooftops – that many developers said they did not know where to start.
• Submitting your app to review sites and getting published – We heard from many developers that their top frustration is submitting their apps for review and hearing nothing back. Or worse, just getting a canned email response that “we’ll get back to you”.
• Overcoming frustration at low sales - “I haven’t sold a single app” several people said. Others have tried everything but cannot break into the Top 100. Many developers said how frustrated they are that their hard work is not being rewarded as they expected it would.

You shared the challenges you face each day as you try to promote your iPhone apps, and I want you to know that we want to help. We have been there, too, and know that the right game plan can make all the difference. That’s why I want to let you in on a project in the works that I think you will be interested in.

Sneak peak of app marketing e-course

To help you promote your app, we are creating an online course that will show you exactly what to do step-by-step to get maximum returns with minimal effort. It can be frustrating logging into iTunes Connect each day to check your app sales only to see zeros looking back at you. There is no need to struggle any more, or buy dozens of marketing books.

When the new Marketing Your App course is available, members of our email newsletter list will be the first to know. If you would like exclusive details before anyone else, sign up now.

iPhone users love games and developers have created them by the thousands. Gaming is a huge money-making opportunity for developers, but it also presents a significant challenge: how do you make your game stand out?

The iPhone app development company bees4honey, which successfully sells several games in the App Store, uses everything from videos to widgets to spread the word. Konstantin Panchenko shares the company’s strategy for marketing their puzzle game iQBloxing and gives you the insider tips to help you sell your own app.

Marketing Your App: What is your app?

Konstantin Panchenko: So, the name of our app is iQBloxing. It’s a very addictive game. Basically, it’s a puzzle game, but it is very dynamic.

You may know the Flash game which inspired us to create iQBloxing, this game is Bloxorz. You can also take a look at YouTube video of iQBloxing gameplay.

iQBloxing is free, but contains an InApp Purchase option to unlock all levels and achievements. There are 7 levels for free, and 33 total levels.

MYA: What have you done to promote your game?
KP: We’ve done many thing to promote our app, such as:

1. Created a YouTube video and put it on our site’s header, on the iQBloxing promo page, and posted about this video in our blog. Also we submitted this video to some review sites, which provide an option to post the YouTube link.

On YouTube, we found the Bloxorz videos (original Flash game) and made a video reply with our iQBloxing video, so people who are interested in Bloxorz can also see that there is an analogous game on the iPhone. I suppose it would be much better to have lots of iQBloxing videos, so we can make more video replies, but unfortunately we have only one.

2. Submitted to numerous review sites. Most of them will never post reviews until you pay them, but there are also some nice and good-looking sites, like FreshApps. But anyway I’m not sure that review sites, excluding the major ones, are effective.

3. Registered on the most valuable iPhone-related forums, such as MacRumors, iPhoneDevSDK, etc. We created posts about iQBloxing and our company and put short, non-obtrusive ads in our account’s signature. In total we get about 1,000 views of the iQBloxing post – it’s free and doesn’t take too much time.

4. We created something like a widget for our blog. It shows all our apps available on the App Store. Site visitors can easily access our apps in the App Store by just clicking on the iTunes link in this widget. Judging by statistics, we have small sales from this.

5. We have a Twitter account where we post all our news. We are trying to grow our followers base to increase the effect from Twitter.

6. We embedded ad banners in our free game Brain Twister. This banner is linked to iQBloxing on the App Store.

7. Every app we submit to the App Store has a “More Games” section which contains direct links to all our apps on the App Store.

MYA: Are you planning to release a paid version of your game?

KP: We are going to create a paid version of this game – iQBloxing Pro – with more levels and I suppose we will post some promo codes in forums. I think we’ll try this idea – create a “premium users” group. These guys will receive promo codes for every one of our paid apps via email as soon as the app hits the App Store. Premium users would post an iTunes review for our app. Not sure if it will work well, but we are going to try it.

MYA: What tips do you have for developers who are looking to sell their iPhone apps?

KP: Having a good, high-quality product is only a half of success, the other half is marketing. Create a useful program which helps users and try to get as much as exposure as possible. Work hard and you’ll reach success!

iQBloxing is available in the App Store by clicking on this link

Calling all iPhone app developers: Would you like your app featured on this blog? Find out how

Selling your app is not the only way to make money in the App Store. Putting advertisements in your app can be an easy way to turn your free app into a profit. But how do you get started inserting ads in your app?

We will show you the basic steps to show ads in your app, and offer helpful links to companies that sell ads for you. Several mobile advertising companies have made it simple to put ads in your iPhone apps and start making money. Here is how you can insert ads in your apps and make the most of this prime opportunity.

Step 1. Choose a mobile ad service

If you are developing an iPhone app or already have created one, your first step to inserting ads in your app is to choose one of the many companies that will sell ads on your behalf. They line up advertisers to put messages online and share a part of the profits with you, the app developer.

Here are some options to consider:

• AdMob
• Medialets
• Smaato
• Mobclix
• Tapjoy

Signing up with these companies is like having a full-time ad sales force working you around the clock. You do not have to find sponsors, deal with billing, or insert each ad in your app. They do the work for you.

Step 2. Insert code into your app

Once you have signed up with one of the mobile ad providers, your next task is to choose where the ads will appear in your app.

You usually just put some lines of code in your app that says where the ad should appear. For example, someone at Mobclix showed how to insert the code in just a minute and other companies offer equally easy set ups.

Many times, you get paid based on how many times your ad is shown to users or clicked on by users, so it is important to choose a good location for your ads. On the other hand, you do not want the ads to distract too much with the operation or enjoyment of your app. You might want to test several different sizes and locations for your ads over time to see which ones work best in your app and yield the biggest profits – that is step three.

Step 3. Test and tweak

Once you insert the code, users who download your app will start seeing the ads – but your job is not done. To make your ads perform their best – and boost your profits – you will need to keep an eye on them and make any tweaks necessary.

The service that provides ads probably offers you a way to track their results. Take the time to learn how to use the reporting interface and what all the charts mean.

Then, start experimenting to see what works best with your users. You could decide to change the size or location of ads. Maybe you want to show ads only after every other startup or when the user takes a specific action. Keep on testing and tweaking for best results.

If you have a free app in the App Store or you are developing one now, consider placing ads in your app. It may not be right for every app, but the three basic steps we shared with you make it easy to get up and running today.

If you are interested in learning more about making money by having ads in your app, keep checking this blog for more tips. And, for the latest articles and advice, sign up for our email newsletter today.

Understanding your customer is one of the most important parts of marketing your iPhone app, and it is an advantage that Mark Johnson is banking on as he sells his financial iPhone app.

Even though the stock market can be a roller coaster, prospects for the app Wall Street are looking up because of the work Johnson is doing to promote his app. Learn how he came up with the idea, his advice for submitting your app to review sites, and how to get App Store shoppers to hit “buy”.

Marketing Your App: What is your app and what have you done so far to promote it?

Mark Johnson: The name of my app is Wall Street. Wall Street lets users research financial markets when they’re on-the-go.

Users can make their own stock portfolios, look at historical charts, apply analysis tools to the charts, look up company and global news, get price quotes on currencies and commodities, and more.

So far, to market my app, I’ve started to use Google AdWords, word-of-mouth, made a promotional website, and posted on just about every iPhone app website that exists.

MYA: Who is your audience for this app and how did you choose this audience to serve?

MJ: I’m gearing this app towards young professionals who would like market information when they may not always be sitting at a computer. I started writing Wall Street when there was really only Apple’s Stocks app, and I just wanted something better.

At the time, I needed a way to maybe look at stock charts, get commodity quotes, and even take a quick look at currencies. Generally, I think this app can be useful to anyone who could use mobile market data.

MYA: Based on your experience, would you have any advice for developers submitting their apps to review sites?

MJ: Make your app as clean and bug-free as possible. Of course, there will always be some unavoidable bugs. Still, it’s never a good feeling when you want to show someone your app, and it crashes right when you open it.

On another note, if you can’t think of any new ways to market your app, then buy other people’s apps and visit other developers’ websites. Developers are smart people, and they are always finding new ways to get their apps sold and onto iPhones. Take a look and see what other developers are doing, and maybe spark some ideas of your own.

MYA: Do you have any other advice for app developers who are selling their apps?

MJ: The one tip that I would give other iPhone developers is that they should not expect their apps to sell themselves. Customers like to feel comfortable when they buy something. Customers do not like to feel like they’re taking a risk on an app that might just have a good screenshot. Marketing is the best thing an iPhone developer can do to sell their apps.

Wall Street is available in the App Store by clicking on this link

Do you have an iPhone app? Would you like to see it featured on this blog? Find out how.

Stay on top of the latest iPhone news to help with marketing your app. We round-up new articles from this blog and beyond with tips and advice for selling more apps and boosting your app profits.

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