It only takes a quick visit to any app store to see how many apps are out there—and to imagine how many of them will inevitably fail. With literally thousands of apps in the market, and new ones being produced every day, most of them won’t survive. Whether you’re just getting started, or your app is already well underway, considering why apps might fail can be critical to your own success—and can help you avoid making the same mistakes.
Patrick DeFreitas has been at Intel for nearly twelve years, and is responsible for helping Intel understand what makes apps successful, as well as app targeting for gaming and PC. That means he’s kept his finger on the pulse of publishers and titles who are doing it right. We talked to him to get his thoughts on common mistakes that cause most apps to fail and what developers can do to prevent them. Read on to learn more about the types of apps that make it, the major trends to be aware of, and how to maintain success once you have it.
The Busy, Cluttered Marketplace
No app is created or marketed in a vacuum, so it’s important to first understand the overall marketplace and the trends that may have an impact on your success.
- Way too many choices. Think back to that app store. There are only a handful of categories, but within each, thousands upon thousands of choices. It can be hard to make sure your app will even be found in the first place. How will you stand out? (Take a look at this article on how to maximize your app store listing for more insight.)
- Hard to find quality. In a traditional store, customers know the products on the shelf have been selected to meet a certain standard of quality. That’s not true in an app store, and as a result, consumer behavior has changed. Because they don’t know what they’ll find, consumers tend to download widely, take a quick look, and then delete. Or they’ll download an app and never look at it again. With such a range of quality out there, even gems can remain undiscovered.
- Lack of developer support. On the flip side, many of the apps out there aren’t treated like proper products by their own developers—which means crashes aren't fixed and no one responds to consumer concerns. Or they try to go for quantity over quality, making as many apps as possible to see what sticks, which only further erodes consumer trust and makes the problem worse.
Look to the Winners!
There are success stories of all types, but there are a few categories of apps that DeFreitas has seen succeed time and time again. If you’re still in the early idea-generation phase, consider directing your efforts to one of these categories.
- Quick and Easy Games – Simple and addictive is key. Games that can easily be picked up and played by a wide variety of consumers—kids and grandparents alike.
- Utilities and Securities – Apps designed to make your device function better, like extending battery life or closing apps that aren’t in use. Phones and tablets are still in their infancy, and consumers are always looking for ways to use them better.
- Functional Apps – Apps that satisfy a specific need, and do it well, such as flashlights, cameras, and content-aggregating apps. If you can identify a need, you can tap into a new market.
Clues that an App Is on the Right Track
When you look at an app store listing, there are a few simple clues that can tell you whether an app is headed for success.
- Is the developer responding to reviews? Are they fixing problems and responding to customers? The more responsive they are, and the more they’re engaging with their target audience, the more aligned they can be with what their audience needs and wants from their app.
- Are they expanding their service offering? As a developer, this is one of the key ways to support an app as a product and grow the business. If they’re introducing new characters, new levels, and new rules—or new services, such as communication, security, and privacy—chances are good that they’re on the right track.
Grow, Grow, Grow—And Maintain Your Success
Once your app has launched, and you’ve achieved a certain degree of success, the work isn’t over. There are some important steps you can take to keep growing your business and keep engaging your customers.
- Introduce or reintroduce content. Reward your customers’ time and interest by giving them new compelling content, such as new levels to unlock or new features and capabilities that can improve or enhance the experience.
- Stay true to your values. Build on the app you have, and expand your content or service offering, but remember to stay true to the values and core that drove you to build this particular app and attract your customer base in the first place. Don’t fall prey to a scattershot approach—there’s no longevity in that.
- Listen to your customers. Pay attention to reviews and ratings. If your customers are taking the time to give you feedback, make sure you’re listening. Address crashes and consider new features that are being requested. That doesn’t mean you’ll do everything they ask, but it does mean that you’re paying attention and respecting their input. Simply responding to reviews (in a respectful way!) can go a long way.
- Establish a true brand. Incredibly important in such a large marketplace. Be thoughtful about the product you’re offering, and about the associated content as well, such as your logo and marketing materials. Does everything feel like it’s part of the same package? Does it represent the core values of your product?
- Start simple. Don’t try to solve every problem at once.
- Be original. Get ahead of the trends.
- Treat what you’re creating as a product. That means you develop your app with a long-term goal in mind, you support it, and you have plans to continue and manage growth.
- Focus on your customers. No one operates in a vacuum, and happy customers are your best asset.
- Start simple. Don’t try to solve every problem at once.
- Look for co-sponsorships. Are there opportunities to partner with a bigger brand? Look to vehicles outside of the app world, too. This can allow you to effectively reach new markets you may not otherwise have access to.
You’re Ready—But Is Your Product?
If you have a finished app and you’re ready to go, make sure your product is ready, too. You’ll need a web presence and social media plan.
- Website
Remember: You Have a Product, Not Just an Idea
Treating your app like a product is one of the most important things you can do. As DeFreitas says, “Having the mindset that you have a product—and you believe in the services, or the experience that your product brings into the marketplace—that’s the foundation.” Nurture what you’ve built, and to listen to your customers. There are many apps out there, and many of them fail. But if you treat your app like the product that it is, and stay true to your core, and listen to the people who are buying and using it—yours can be one of the apps that thrives.