This may seem like a simple problem for those with great ideas, but I'm just having a hard time thinking about what to build, I just don't know what I want to write. Originally my first idea was to create a side scrolling game, but my progress has stopped because the idea is too large of a project for myself to handle, I barely have a vision for it, and for the most part I want to get experience in creating the art and music for the game rather than hand off that work to someone else.
That being said I think I should downscale and start with a simpler app, I don't care whether or not it is profitable more than I care if I can continue going down that path. Coming in so late to the app development scene I feel that there's already too many apps that there's no point in going a particular direction because it has been done already. I figured I can find some niche that hasn't really been explored yet, or ones that have but the quality of the apps are poor. The vision would be much more clear as I would be narrowing down everything the app needs.
Anyway, my overall question is: Where/How can I find a good niche market?
I don't think anyone with a lead on a good niche market will willingly share. That said, I think the best niche markets are the ones that you yourself are passionate about.
Anyway, my overall question is: Where/How can I find a good niche market?
The short answer for any successful product, is to do what you love. Take a look at your hobbies and interests. Think about what you wish was available for that hobby or interest, and go write it. Chances are, if you fill one of your own needs, there will be others who would be willing to pay for the same solution.
The short answer for any successful product, is to do what you love. Take a look at your hobbies and interests. Think about what you wish was available for that hobby or interest, and go write it. Chances are, if you fill one of your own needs, there will be others who would be willing to pay for the same solution.
I don't think this is about what you would like, and you need to get a marketing head on and see what is missing. If you have kids then target their brains, and think along those lines. My kids are my biggest spenders, and I always think about them for ideas.
I would make a list of target areas.
I don't think anyone with a lead on a good niche market will willingly share. That said, I think the best niche markets are the ones that you yourself are passionate about.
Yeah, well said. That's why my question was more geared towards how to find those potential markets. After dwelling about for most of today, I figured it should be about something I like. The current thought process I have right now is:
1. Find something I have an interest in
2. See if there's apps for that already
3. If none of the apps seem to be of good quality, begin to conceptualize and write my own.
The problem with games (especially Action) is that this is a very hit driven category - unless you've got a perfect product with a supreme marketing, it will be hard to gain exposure. Most people are looking at the Top25 games, or the featured ones.
If you find a niche within utility/productivity, there's a chance you'll get exposure from app store seo. For example, if you made a Hacker News iPad reader app, you'd get a couple of sales, because people are constantly searching for this in the store, and there are only like 10 competitors (compared to 1000s in games for any query). With a good product and some smart marketing tricks you can become #1 within Hacker News readers. This won't bring you millions, but you might get hundreds of bucks a month from it.
I think what the op should do:
- decide, whether he wants to build utils or games.
- if games, then the only way is to spend half a year building a really good product, and the next year improving it (read up about Trainyard and Ow My Balls - this is a path to success in games)
- if utils, pick a niche you enjoy which has *some* competition, and work within that niche. The profit will come sooner, but it still won't be easy.
You want *some* competition, because it usually means there is a need for such a product, and the competitors have already educated the market.
There is no almost no way to build a product within 2 weeks, put it in the store sans marketing and earn cash. It will take you at least 2 months before you understand the market and learn how to promote within it.
Finally, follow me o Twitter, I'm building a set of iOS marketing tools, and I'm publishing some cool market info from time to time.
__________________
App Store marketing toolbox, use «devforum» code for $1 first month. Tools for App Store SEO, competitor tracking, etc. http://appcod.es/
The problem with games (especially Action) is that this is a very hit driven category - unless you've got a perfect product with a supreme marketing, it will be hard to gain exposure. Most people are looking at the Top25 games, or the featured ones.
If you find a niche within utility/productivity, there's a chance you'll get exposure from app store seo. For example, if you made a Hacker News iPad reader app, you'd get a couple of sales, because people are constantly searching for this in the store, and there are only like 10 competitors (compared to 1000s in games for any query). With a good product and some smart marketing tricks you can become #1 within Hacker News readers. This won't bring you millions, but you might get hundreds of bucks a month from it.
I think what the op should do:
- decide, whether he wants to build utils or games.
- if games, then the only way is to spend half a year building a really good product, and the next year improving it (read up about Trainyard and Ow My Balls - this is a path to success in games)
- if utils, pick a niche you enjoy which has *some* competition, and work within that niche. The profit will come sooner, but it still won't be easy.
You want *some* competition, because it usually means there is a need for such a product, and the competitors have already educated the market.
There is no almost no way to build a product within 2 weeks, put it in the store sans marketing and earn cash. It will take you at least 2 months before you understand the market and learn how to promote within it.
Finally, follow me o Twitter, I'm building a set of iOS marketing tools, and I'm publishing some cool market info from time to time.
For now, I am going to write a utility app for a video game, I don't think I'll delve into creating a game for a long time, until I get some experience in creating art and music. However, I think this first app should be free with ads, as I have experience in writing one, but not actually submitting it to the app store and learning about something I've released.
For me, free+ads proved to be a disaster. Ads rates are lousy, and you need a lot of replayability for ads to make sense. i.e. if your app only gets opened once or twice, you won't earn much from ads.
Replayability is very hard to achieve.
Some people think, that free is easier to promote than paid. It is not.
__________________
App Store marketing toolbox, use «devforum» code for $1 first month. Tools for App Store SEO, competitor tracking, etc. http://appcod.es/
For me, free+ads proved to be a disaster. Ads rates are lousy, and you need a lot of replayability for ads to make sense. i.e. if your app only gets opened once or twice, you won't earn much from ads.
Replayability is very hard to achieve.
Some people think, that free is easier to promote than paid. It is not.
Ah, I see. Maybe I am scaling back a little too much. Currently there's nothing on the market which has the type of app I would like to build for free (they are all paid), but if this is a bad approach, what do you think of a Lite/Paid approach for an app?
My two main hobbies are sports (rugby, tennis, football) and cars. I feel both would are difficult to make App for as it is very easy to stray into someones copyright!
Difficult, as in "to build" is good - that means you won't get too much competition from 14-year olds
Difficult, as in "to market" is bad - even if you make a good product, you won't earn money.
__________________
App Store marketing toolbox, use «devforum» code for $1 first month. Tools for App Store SEO, competitor tracking, etc. http://appcod.es/
If you're looking for a game idea, how about creating a Blocksum variant? I really like the core gameplay idea, it's very original yet easy to understand, here's a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6IT1g4jyI0
It's a 2006 freeware game for Windows, and I've always wondered why they haven't released it on iOS or Anrdoid. Maybe the gameplay is too "Japanese"-like i.e. fast and difficult, but then again a similar game was released on XLA called Sum Fighter. Also, the game is perfectly suited for touch screen.
Not sure what app to make / What market to go for
Snake Slider
Linear Mode
