One of the top queries that companies and individuals have when it come to developing an iPhone application is, “how long does it take?”. This depends on a number of factors and Impiger Mobile explains them one by one.

Note: iPhone game development is very different from generic app development and therefore we’re not talking about game apps in this article.

The Scope of the Project

If it’s a simple app with just 5 screens and no integration to a web site, payment gateway or CRM, then it can be done in a few days. In case of a complex app for a large retailer that involves database, payment, social media integration and hundreds of product information, reviews, demo videos etc, development could take a few months. Features, technology complexity, interfaces, backend integrations can all vary the development times.

Design and Graphics

Generally if the app requirement is graphics intensive as in a game, it takes longer to build the app. Graphics and design heavy applications need plenty of time for conceptualization and execution.
3D animation, for example, could take weeks to develop. Unlike web designers, good iPhone designers are hard to find, and their costs are going up all the time.

Since the user experience and design are what users interact with on the application, it’s imperative to work with a quality team on these aspects. So we suggest you never compromise on these.

Requirements Documentation Affects Time

Companies that have internal IT teams are pretty good at gathering their iPhone app requirements and documenting them, while smaller companies need help to do this.

At times, it may surprise you, some individuals can’t articulate what their app needs to do. It takes some effort and cost to help them document the app idea.

Once the scope of work, requirements and milestones are put down in a Statement of Work (SOW), then it’s easy to work with the development team to move forward.

Integration with Third Party Systems

Complex apps will talk to a company’s database, pull information and spit it out for app users. Sometimes an iPhone app may be integrated with an existing website for fetching information. Or even connecting to a Customer Relations Management software system to store data from the app user. And these days may iPhone apps connect users with social media to share, comment or review the product or service while using the app.

Or the app may need integration with a payment gateway so that users can order products/ services via the app. Most of the above integrations need APIs to be developed and involve extra development efforts to achieve the goal of the application being developed.

Such integrations with external, third party systems take a good amount of time and impact the timelines of the project.

Testing the iPhone app

Though not many developers talk about this, it’s critical to the success of the app. Testing takes care of the quality of the app and ensures that users don’t face issues after the app is launched on the App Store. Generally, testing takes about 10 to 15% of the total time. It depends on the complexity, number of features, integrations with third party systems and whether it’s using location awareness. For example, we’re doing a theme park application for which our testing is inside the theme parks. In such cases one needs to add a fair bit if time for travel.

App Changes and Maintenance

A word of caution, app needs may change after launch and new features may be added. In many cases, apps require continuous maintenance. From Angry Birds to Cut The Rope, Foursquare and Evernote, apps evolve and many layers on creativity, innovation and gameplay come up with user feedback or utility upgrades.

So plan accordingly.

Examples of How Long it Took to Develop some Popular iPhone Apps

Twitterrific took $100k – $250k to develop with the effort being 1500 hours (as quoted by one of the developers in a forum). Twiterrific is a simple app to use with a minimal set of features.

The Official Barrak Obama app was developed in 12.5 weeks – 25 weeks. This is nothing but a basic listing app with info and news about Obama.

Impiger Mobile’s examples of Development Times for some apps

Folks, it’s true there are 1,40,000 iPhone apps and 18 billion of ‘em were download from the App Store in the past three years. But all these success stories haven’t come from just sheer luck. The apps were high on entertainment. Offered great value. Or the very idea was exciting or innovative. How will you develop a great app?

Let’s cut to the chase. First, you need a great IDEA.

Innovative. Creative. First-of-its-kind, Scary, Weird or downright Funny. Runaway hits like iFart, Koi Pond or Pocket Guitar are examples of great app ideas that need little marketing push.

8 questions to help you create a Winning App Idea!

• Is there a user pain point that your app will address
Utility apps have a greater chance of success. Do a bit of research to find out iPhone users’ problems that need attention. Build an app that helps people address a problem, that’s your key to success.
• Who is the target?
Have a clear picture of your intended audience. Where they are, what they do everyday, do they have iPhones?
• Will your target audience pay for this app?
Anything we buy must have value. Users must find your app worthy enough to pay for and download. Ask yourself why will they pay?
• Is the audience large enough to make decent money?
Are there millions who need your upcoming app? Google, talk to friends, lurk at forums and chat rooms to find out more about your audience. The larger the better. But if you’re looking at a niche, you could still make a lot of money with better pricing.
• Are there similar apps on the Apple Store?
Be wise, head to the App Store to discover if there’s already a similar app. Study them, if they exist. It’ll help you a lot.
• If it exists, how is yours going to beat the shit out of them?
Don’t be crestfallen if a similar app exists on the store. There’s always room for a better one. Find ways of improving, adding new features, better user experience, easier to use, nicer design etc.
• Do you have enough expertise in that domain?
How much do you know about the area of interest? The deeper your knowledge and insight, the better your product can be.
• Have you spoken to your prospective app users?
Don’t be paranoid about anyone stealing your idea – Go and talk to a cross section of intended users. Validate your idea. Know what are their concerns about the problem your app will address. Actual users are a goldmine of ideas. The more you know their pain points, the better your app.

Now, do you have a clear idea for the iPhone app? Great!

Don’t have a clear idea of the app? Find out developers who have created similar apps, ask them if they can give shape to it.

If you like to talk to us about making your dream app, call now: 1-972-375-6301

For further information on making an app,visit iPhone Applications Development

I need a good developer at a fair price. That’s what anyone who wants to hire an iPhone App developer wants. Good developers are everywhere, but the question is how to find them?

Here a few tips to help you search and hire a quality iPhone developer.

• Search the App Store
This could be the best starting point. Hit this link “Download iTunes”, download and search for apps you like. Not just for apps similar to your idea, but for any app that interests you. The developer’s link will be available on the app page. If you’re impressed with their work, speak to them.
• Use the Social Media
If you’re on Twitter or Facebook, ask your network to recommend. Quite nothing like a reference from a friend. Do a check on the developer’s apps. If you like what you see, get in touch. In the end, to hire a developer go by your gut feel.
• Search in Google, Bing, Yahoo, AOL or Ask
Google for app developers in your area. If you find someone interesting, ask for a portfolio. It may be a good idea to meet up and discuss. But, talk about your app idea in brief, never reveal details until you have signed a Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
• Try the Forums
I’d also suggest you to visit some forums like Modmyi, everythingiCafe, iPhoneblogForum, and search for app developers. You can also post here that you’re looking for iPhone app developers. Better still, if you have a site or blog post your requirement there. The search engines will pick it up and developers will reach you.
• Reach professional freelancers
Here are a few sites you may browse through to find iPhone application developers. Guru or GetaFreelancer. Some of these sites work on the bidding model. You can browse through and find developers, read reviews about their work, find their hourly rates. Contact them. And hire them.

If you like to talk to us about making your dream app, call now: 1-972-375-6301

For further information on making an app,visit iPhone Applications Development

Let’s be frank, nobody can steal your idea and make a lot of money unless they also have the research, business plan, marketing and promotion ideas etc for the iPhone app. Mere ideas are aplenty in this world. The execution of the app idea is what determines success or failure.

Anyways, when your app is out and if it happens to be a great idea, there will be “me toos” in a couple of weeks. So, the protection of the app idea has limitations.

Ideal way to protect my App

The best way is to do build a great product. Think about features that’ll rock your users. Provide great user experience. Have a neat marketing plan that includes press releases, app reviews, social media, blogs, TV and Radio. Don’t forget that the design elements of the iPhone app is as important as the code and marketing.

When you talk to a developer, tell him the high level plan for your app. I mean just give him a broad idea of what you want developed as an iPhone app. Once you’re comfortable with the person or company, request for a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA).

While its difficult to find someone accepting a non-compete clause, good developers will agree to a contract that governs agreement for use and non-disclosure of proprietary information.

What does the professional developer contract say?

Basically, the contract will talk about non-disclosure of the app related information (that you provide and discuss) to anyone outside the company. It will also say that no app-related information will be shared with any third party outside the scope of the project. Upon termination of the contract, the developer will agree to return all copies of written, recorded, graphical or other tangible proprietary information; or destroy it.

And, you may have to agree that the idea is wholly yours and the development of the iPhone application in no way infringes on the rights of any other person or company.

If you like to talk to us about making your dream app, call now: 1-972-375-6301

For further information on making an app,visit iPhone Applications Development

How much does a developer charge for an iPhone app?
The good developers who have kind of established a name with their clients can charge anywhere between $100 and $200 per hour.

Check out Guru for bids on good iPhone projects. But decent ones will charge you anywhere between $50 and $100. Don’t think of those at $20 per hour. The horror stories behind such development is to be heard to be believed. Don’t be pennywise and pound foolish.

When 18 billion apps are downloaded, you can imagine the peak demand for developers. Trust me, it’s better to hire a good developer and get a quality job, than to run round trying to fix bugs in the app developed by a low cost developer, working from his garage on the weekends.

How many hours does it take to develop an app?
This depends on the kind of app you’re making. If it’s a simple one, then it’s roughly 160 hours of development, 40 hours of graphics designing and another 40 hours of testing and polishing. Customization of iPhone applications take time. If you have clarity on what you want, the fees could be decided at the start. But if you just have a vague idea, then the cost could rack up fast.

Impiger Design Tip:The icon is probably the most critical piece of work because that what’s everyone first sees. In 5 seconds, it should convey the Unique Selling Proposition (USP) of the app. A bad icon can ruin your chances. That’s why a designer is a key link in the app development.

What determines the cost of iPhone app development?
How do they estimate the effort? After speaking to you the first time, the developer has a fair idea of the requirement. The developer then does “requirements analysis” to figure out what are the various “use cases” in the app (the various features and what the user is supposed to do at each step). The requirements analysis usually takes 10% of the development time. If the development time is 100 hours, this means 10 hours for requirements analysis.

The graphics design is about 10 to 20% of the development time, depending on the case. Testing, which is crucial for performance of the app, is estimated at about 25% of the development hours. In case your app needs to talk to third party sites (or apps) like Twitter or Facebook, then the development could take longer

How long will it take to develop an iPhone application?
From first code to release, it can take about 4 to six weeks. Much less, if it’s a freelance professional who will work on just this for atleast 5 hours a day. And after it’s released, Apple may take a couple of days to approve or in some cases suggest changes.

One last tip: Apple tests every iPhone app submitted on the App Store. And thousands of apps have been rejected, asked to change a few things, or sometimes ordered to fix some bugs before re-submitting. Small reason why you should go with an experienced quality iPhone developer. They not only give you a good app, but also peace of mind. Think about it.

If you like to talk to us about making your dream app, call now:
1-972-375-6301

For further information on making an app,visit iPhone Applications Development

Too often app makers think they need to give the app free at first to draw a horde of users. But be warned! Many are wary of freeware because they don’t want to be served ads in their face or malware downloaded on to their smartphones. Serious buyers are more than willing to pay a few bucks and buy an app they need.

Don’t be bitten by the 99 cent bug. The get-rich-quick syndrome affects many app makers, but not even .1 percent of 99 cent apps make even $500 a year. Low price does not guarantee success. Don’t be tempted by the 99 c tag, unless you’ve got a kicking app that will fuel impulse download while users wait for a table at a restaurant; or a price and feature revision strategy.

Remember, the price of the app reveals the quality of the app. That’s the general perception

Factors that contribute to pricing:

• How much does Apple take?

Apple is very fair, it takes only 30% and gives you 70%.

• What’s your development cost?

How many dollars do you spend on app development, design and marketing determines how you’ll price the application.

• What’s the value the app provides?

Are people who’re going to buy using this to monitor something of high value, is it going to save them critical decision-making time, will it offer big dollar tips.. what’s the value of your solution.

• How are apps similar to yours priced?

Competition should be factored in while ideating on price.

• How big is your market?

If you’re building an app for 10,000 rocket scientists in the world, you won’t price your app at $2.99.

• Are you planning upgrades?

If it’s a one-time app with no great features in the pipeline, price it right. If you’re looking to provide quality upgrades in future, keep price revision in mind while pricing.

The strategy I’d suggest is to hit the Apple Store and find similar apps. In all probability they already exist. How are they priced? Read up a bit on the reviews, how they fare and strategies they’ve adopted. That should give you a fair idea of how to price.

Do high priced apps work?

Life is full of surprises. iRa Pro, a mobile video surveillance app is priced at, hold your breath…… $899.99. Are people buying this app insane? Nah! The buyers are monitoring security systems for large corporates and earn a few million dollars doing that. So $900 is peanuts for them.

Impiger’s Application Pricing Tip: Most of the top 50 grossers on the App Store are priced under $3.

Many tout that the high volumes at low prices (read 99 cents) will fetch developers a lot of money. But that’s like sighting the Loch Ness monster or the Himalayan Yeti.

Some follow a strategy of releasing a good app, pricing it low in the segment; and then rolling out some sticky features in the next version and revising the price upwards. Sounds good! But convince yourself that this would work.

Of course, there are other things to consider – you can organize a sale during certain times of the year and lower your price. Apple allows this. And there more tips. But that’s for another day. Stay tuned.

If you like to talk to us about making your dream app, call now: 1-972-375-6301

For further information on making an app,visit iPhone Applications Development

Making a great app just doesn’t guarantee you success in the competitive iPhone app world. But, together with marketing, it can bring you some fat cheques.

First understand how apps are sold
Apple allows makers of iPhone apps to upload and sell the apps on its store. Unless you’re in the top 10 or Top 100, even your girlfriend won’t hear about the app.

So how are users going to know about your app. Chances are if you go and tell them. But where are the users? That’s the question you need to ask. They are on news sites, social media, blogs and app review sites. Go, get them where they are.

How a Press Release can Sell your App?
A press release can announce to the world the launch of your app. This can effectively drive your initial sales, if you can write a great press release that talks about the benefits and excitement of your app. While good online PR sites charge a fee ranging from $40 to $200 for distributing your media release, they can reach good quality sites and blogs. Else, you can try the free PR sites too.

Shoot your story to the local TV, Radio and Newspapers. You never know, if an editor likes the story you may turn a celebrity in your community.

How to use Social Media to Market your iPhone App?
Channels like Facebook and Twitter offer a great way to communicate your app launch. Get a few good screen shots, a neat little note on your app and blast it into your accounts on these channels. This will work best if you have already set up your accounts and built a community before your app launch. You could also touch base with app sites, app reviewers, journalists, bloggers and iPhone forum folks who are on Twitter. If they tweet about your app, you may well laugh all the way to the bank.

You may also upload a video on Youtube, Digg, bookmark, Stumble Upon, blog, publish on slideshare or push articles into directories like Ezine Articles.

Get your App Reviewed
This is a critical part of app marketing. Let me tell you one thing, it takes time, money and a lot of networking to get apps reviewed. Most of the app review sites that have decent traffic charge anywhere between $15 to $100 for a review. Though it doesn’t guarantee you a favorable review. But, it’s a fact that many app buyers browse these sites.

Psst! Don’t forget to post your app reviews on Facebook, Twitter, your blog and other social media.

Put up a website for your app
A month before you launch a PR campaign, set up a website with your story of why you created the app, benefits of the app, features; and later price. Your site should look great and offer ways for users to share the links, comment, or review the app. Can you write to save your life, then set up a blog for your app.

Advertise your app
The easiest way is to set up an account with Google Adwords and run a campaign. It costs you a bit though. The big guys with money launch a full scale campaign not only on Google, but MSN, Yahoo, App Review sites, relevant social media, forums and blogs. Do what your budget allows permits.

I suggest that you write to all sites and blogs that are relevant to your app. For example, if you have an ski app (http://itunes.apple.com/in/app/skiquestgps/id349090403?mt=8) that helps skiers to locate great mountains, get live data on navigation, explore trials, where to buy ski equipment etc, then you should search for ski resort sites, ski stores, ski blogs and travel sites for partnership, reviews and advertising.

Email blast to targeted audience
If you have a great app idea and can build curiosity around it, you can begin grabbing emails ids of interested users through your website. Offer them a sneak preview, throw in the offer of free promo codes for 20 lucky folks or any creative or interesting way to make folks leave their mail ids. You can email them after the app launch. If you have the money, look for targeted email databases or use the co-reg route to collect email ids of relevant users. This is a great tool used by successful marketers.

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If you’re looking to develop an iPhone app or market your application, our team at Impiger Technologies Inc, based at Texas, US, can help. See <a mce_href=”/iPhone-App-Samples” href=”/iPhone-App-Samples”>sample iPhone apps </a> designed and developed by us or call us now 972-591-3195

If you like to talk to us about making your dream app, call now: 1-972-375-6301

For further information on making an app,visit iPhone Applications Development

Marketing and promoting your iPhone app, Android or Blackberry Applications is as critical as developing the app. With more than 425 Thousand apps on the iTunes store and 284 Thousand apps on the Android stores and 20,000 on the Blackberry store, DISCOVERABILITY is an app maker’s nightmare. Here are a few app marketing strategies born out of our experience in developing 100+ apps and promoting many apps for clients and our company.

Name of the App, Keywords and Description for App Store

This is one of the most neglected areas of app searchability. It’s always great to have the main keyword for the app as part of app name. We recommend that you go through the App Store (iPhone, Android and Blackberry) to understand competition and also the likely keywords that users may type to search for your mobile app.

The first word is very important, but the main keywords and related keywords also need to be built into the description details. The first few lines visible on the app page are crucial to your application’s visibility and success. The copy must be attractive enough for the user to click the “more” link and read the details.

Description for the app is very important and it should clearly explain the key benefits and highlight the cool features.

Press Releases to Publicize Launch

How to crank up a publicity machine that can put your app in front of your actual users? An engaging press release…. this could put your app in front of millions of readers and potential customers across the globe.

We’re in the Telecom and Mobile App Development space since 2004 and we know which online PR sites work best. The trick lies in writing an engaging press release and shooting it out through the appropriate PR sites.

Recommended PR sites:

• For iPhone apps, we suggest PrMac (mandatory) along with PrNewswire or PrWeb. www.prnewswire.com

• This is mandatory since it reaches the niche iPhone audience: www.prmac.com/about

• www.prweb.com

• www.standardnewswire.com (category: Newspapers, News Magazines & Internet Publishers)

App Reviews

Ever since mobile apps became a rage with smartphone users, dozens of specialty app review sites have sprung. Reviews on these sites and specialized blogs can help drive traffic and sales. Impiger Mobile recommends that you constantly look out for app review sites specific to your platforms – iPhone, iPad, Android or Blackberry as the case may be.

Just Google, identify app review sites, blogs and app directories that have decent traffic…and connect to reviewers and editors who can help showcase your app.

Some sites will even offer your app’s free promo codes to readers as part of a contest.

Commenting on Articles and Participating Forums

Contributing to conversations in your niche area can help immensely. Meaningful contribution on your topics can bring potential users to your app page or website and generate downloads in the long run. But don’t spam with profane single lines and your signature. One of our clients, Steven J Wilson, an actor who launched the MySocialMania app, took this up seriously and has tasted quick success. A single comment on a related article in www.mashable.com fetched him a couple of hundred hits within hours.

Google Alerts to Monitor Your App

Set up a Google alert (http://www.google.com/alerts) for your domain keywords and immediately participate in conversations related to your domain. Setting up an alert for your app name, your name, company name and website will help in monitoring news about your app. Google, as it trawls the internet every millisecond, picks up news on your app and sends links to you in near real time. Comments, reviews, links, blog posts are all tracked and sent to you.

Building Email Lists

We can’t stress enough on this. The money is in the lists, if you didn’t hear. The way to begin is to start with a list of people you know – friends, co-workers, contacts on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin etc; club members, neighbors, school and college mates, community members etc.

If you’re serious you may want to publish a newsletter related to your app idea and have web visitors sign up for it. This gives you an opportunity to share your knowledge and views on issues of interest to your audience and a chance to subtly push your app.

Connect to News Sites

Research and identify news sites that matter to the domain and area your app targets. Follow writers and bloggers who specialize in your domain and connect to them on Twitter or Facebook. Write to them and chances are that could lead to a story about your app or company.

Pre-Launch Strategy

If you have the resources, we suggest that you build curiosity around your app weeks before the launch and have people sign up for more information, kicking the tires, release dates, offers etc. Try identifying bloggers, websites and twitterers who matter and follow and connect to them. Mentions and reviews can bring early traction when you launch the app.

Submit News Tip to Reviews Sites and Blogs

Many popular app review sites and blogs have a page where you can submit a news tip about a forthcoming app. Sites are always looking to break news to their readers ahead of competition and you stand a good chance to get a pre-launch review. Send your news a week or two before the app goes live. If the app interests the editors they may choose to write a story which can create pre-launch buzz for your app.

Admob Testing for Apps

Mobile advertising channels like Google’s Admob are a great way for you to test app names and icons even before launch of an app. Multiple variations of app names, text descriptions can be rolled out and tested and this is a tremendous advantage. Admob Click through ratio (CTR) data helps you decide which app name, ad copy works best for you.

Any good mobile advertising platform allows you to target geography and device along with other useful metrices.

If you have money to invest, mobile advertising to target smartphone users who use mobile applications is a good strategy. Especially advertising inside similar apps could lead to quick conversions.

Social Media Strategy

I’m sure we’ve heard enough of how social media has changed the lives of ordinary people, connecting them to the network and the world. This new phenomenon is massive and can alter your fortunes if only you know how to use it. Impiger Mobile has generated a lot of business through social media enquiries and so we can definitely say Social Media Rocks!

Twitter Power

A micro blogging platform with more 200 million users and 80 million tweets a day, Twitter offers great opportunities for internet marketers. Set up an account and do a nice profile for your app. They are many free sites that offer customizations to your Twitter page.

Let’s say, you are launching an app that offers free greeting cards; you could tweet about funny greetings you came across, how to greet your love on Valentines, writing love notes, best greeting cards, cool greeting messages, best sms greetings, top greeting apps, how companies can send messages through greetings, various occasions to greet, music and talking cards, funny news about how people greet, how to greet in different languages…this will bring traffic to your Twitter page and trickle to the app page.

But yes, you need to promote it on your website, blog, signature, emails and newsletters.

Don’t forget to identify influencers (who matter to your niche) on Twitter and follow and network with them. They could be app reviewers, journalists, artists, social media folks, bloggers, with a good following and if they retweet your messages, you get more traffic. If they review your app…that could be huge.

Facebook

Set up a page on Facebook, create content, connect your twitter account to your page, upload pictures, news, customer testimonials and what have you. Again identify groups that interest you and connect. Spend atleast 20 mins every day and find ways to connect to your audience.

Blog

Set up a page on Facebook, create content, connect your twitter account to your page, upload pictures, news, customer testimonials and what have you. Again identify groups that interest you and connect. Spend atleast 20 mins every day and find ways to connect to your audience.

Article Directories

Content is a great way to market any product. Create relevant content that talks about users’ challenges your app addresses and publish them on articles directories that have a ton of traffic. Write and submit articles regularly and leave a link to your app page or website. Ezinearticles is a great source for generating traffic. Other directories include AssociatedContent, Buzzle, Squidoo and Articlebase.

App Directories

It is always good to be listed in app directories like appolicious.com, appvee.com…Invest your time to find the best directories that fit your app and list them there. There are specific directories for iPhone, Android and Blackberry.