Even though the success of your app depends a lot on you and what you do, it also depends on your competitors. So, your two step plan of attack is to keep an eye on your competitors and then respond to what they do.

Watching your competitors can start before you ever enter the App Store, in fact. You should look at the competitive landscape before you dive in with your app because it will help you do something different. It would be tough if you worked hard to build an app (or spend money to ask someone else to build it), then when you launched it in the App Store, you discover there’s another app exactly like it. The only thing worse would be if the other app is cheaper too!

Now, you can definitely have an app very similar to others. Or one that solves the same problem as others but does it better, has more features, or is easier to use, or costs less.

That’s what some competitive research can tell you – what you need to do to make your app different and better than the others. Because your app will be side-by-side with your competitors. If you make a racing game and someone searches for ‘racing game’ in the App Store, your app will literally appear right next to all the others. In a split second, your customer will need to decide to click on you or them. And, when they read your description and check out your screenshots in the App Store, they’ll need to make choice of your app or theirs.

The competition in the App Store can be fierce. It’s easy for you to make an app and sell it, which means it’s also easy for  your competitors to do the same. New apps are added every day. If there’s one thing for certain, it’s that the App Store won’t change. That makes it really exciting, but also tricky.

Now, some people will tell you that doing competitive research is hard and time-consuming. And if you think about all you want to learn about your competition, you might get overwhelmed. But there are shortcuts you can take if you know what you’re looking for. There are really only a few key things to keep an eye on.

And, when you’re first entering the App Store, there are some particular things you want to look for. When you know what they are, you’ll begin spotting opportunities everywhere in the App Store. Wherever there is a spot for a new app, you’ll see it once you train yourself to have a critical eye. The next great app idea is out there waiting for you. You might even have it now.

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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The App Store now gives app developers like you a powerful new way to get more downloads and boost your sales. It uses an age-old marketing strategy: give something away for free and use it to make more money.

How can you use this proven technique for your app? We’ll show you.

Marketing 101 says that people love free things. They do not have to think if it is worth the $0.99 to buy your app. They know if they do not like it, it’s OK – it did not cost them a cent. But, there is one problem with the “give my app away for free” strategy: how are you going to make any money?

You could set a price and sell your app, but there is a challenge with that too. People may not be sure your app is worth the price. “What if I buy it and do not like it?” Even if your price is as low as $0.99, customers might worry they will have buyer’s remorse.

Try it before you buy it

What if you could have the best of both worlds? You could offer your app for free and watch lots of people download it. Then, after they have tried it and loved it, you could turn them into paying customers.

Now you can, thanks to a recent change made by Apple. You can now offer a free version of your app in the App Store and let your customers pay to upgrade it. Whenever people choose to upgrade because they want additional features in their app or more levels to the game, you make money.

Or, you can offer both a free and paid version of your app separately (as many developers do now). The advantage of the new way is that your customers can upgrade easily within the app, meaning people are more likely to do it.

And here’s tip to boost your sales: To encourage people to upgrade, you have to offer attractive features that people will want to pay for. Often developers will give away too much in the free app, so users do not have a reason to pay to upgrade.

Get a leg up on your competition in the App Store today. Build in an upgrade feature to your iPhone app and turn your app users into paying customers.

Discover more tips to help you boost your iPhone app sales – sign up for our free email newsletter using the form below. Do not miss out on insider secrets that can help you make more money.

To get more sales for your iPhone app, you need more than a great description on the iTunes store. To supercharge your earnings, make sure you have a website that tells everyone exactly why they need your app.

It doesn’t need to be a large site – even one page will do if it’s well-designed and gives your users all the reasons they need to buy your app.

Want some inspiration? Web Designer Wall has an excellent collection of powerful iPhone app sites plus tips to design your own:

http://www.webdesignerwall.com/trends/iphone-app-site-design-trends/

Why do you need a website for your app? Isn’t your description in the iTunes Store enough? A website gives you a new way to promote your app – it’s a stand alone advertisement that can link directly to the iTunes Store where people can download your app. Your website has the flexibility to show what makes your app special.

And, using your website, you can invite people to connect with you in ways that go beyond just a download. In this blog, we’ll show you ways to get people to buy not only your first app but every one after that because they’re on your email list, they follow you on Twitter, and they’re your raving fan. Stay tuned to learn the secrets behind apps that get you noticed and make you money.

But first, check out the iPhone app site inspirations and build that website.