tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12719553453685728382024-03-19T02:18:33.696-07:00Story of an iPad App, from cradle to the App StoreThis is the story of an iPad business app designed for meeting reports, iTakeNotes. It's an entrepreneurial story and an experience sharing on how to develop and market an app to the App Store.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02601962113899154907noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1271955345368572838.post-71252343265292791732014-05-17T03:04:00.001-07:002014-05-17T03:04:16.967-07:00The free iPad app for your meeting notes and minutes!<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/y8QygbBqnR8" width="459"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02601962113899154907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1271955345368572838.post-3418178158656694682013-10-03T07:46:00.005-07:002013-10-03T07:46:51.315-07:00Welcome to a free iTakeNotesAfter long consideration and in depth analysis of the market, <b>we have decided to make iTakeNotes a free App </b>with no hidden costs and without any ads<b>. </b><br />
We are starting a brand new era with <b>more than 25,000 users after just a month</b> and very positive feedback on our initiative from the public.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQoYhgxbRhjSKlDmf0ApVcNE9LOkEaN1VARzkMyOXPifntZSZUbaNW18nkliqybjbmNfay6bHHqO1BXNGxy7w80EZFHYd5gLXUdb6DHi_sKMuyFWiSz4LqOO1poG_txYv6ZT6XNaYAUI/s1600/nowyoufree.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQoYhgxbRhjSKlDmf0ApVcNE9LOkEaN1VARzkMyOXPifntZSZUbaNW18nkliqybjbmNfay6bHHqO1BXNGxy7w80EZFHYd5gLXUdb6DHi_sKMuyFWiSz4LqOO1poG_txYv6ZT6XNaYAUI/s1600/nowyoufree.gif" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now taking notes on your iPad will be free</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There's a lot to say about it and I will come back in the following weeks on the various aspects of this decision.<br />
But right now for those who still hesitate to put a penny in downloading a great meeting notes app for your iPad, well, save it because it's free!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02601962113899154907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1271955345368572838.post-83238104665405617542013-06-16T04:13:00.003-07:002013-06-16T04:13:44.494-07:00Customer Service on the App StoreEven the most skilled ios developer knows that bugs will eventually come up. No matter how extensive your testing has been, you need to be extra careful about it.<br />
<br />
In the real world, a bug can always be managed. A customer will call you and you'll end up dealing and solving the issue.<br />
On the App Store, not a chance. You don't know the customers, they are Apple customers. And if they get a bug, they may end up firing a terrible review and that's bad.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7x6RjPiNQbhHUHMmKLO1at35AeIl7eKyTEPKeGajylBPbtcvHR_kPhMu-_LzNQnbfCAdfzAzC8QoUVl4ArM_bsze-FqpB-Q5upS1mh56-7cccRPtfS4jk_zfFEqBKSYchC01RkuoUHs4/s1600/la+creature+du+lac.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7x6RjPiNQbhHUHMmKLO1at35AeIl7eKyTEPKeGajylBPbtcvHR_kPhMu-_LzNQnbfCAdfzAzC8QoUVl4ArM_bsze-FqpB-Q5upS1mh56-7cccRPtfS4jk_zfFEqBKSYchC01RkuoUHs4/s1600/la+creature+du+lac.gif" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Despite all efforts, there's always a bug somewhere</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Three scenarios may show up:<br />
<br />
Scenario 1 (likelihood: 70%) : they get angry and drop you App. Most people just stop using an app when they are not satisfied with it, this "fire and forget" behavior is not in the developer interest. You might never get the information on the bug and you will lose a customer forever.<br />
<br />
Scenario 2 (likelihood: 20%) : they get angry and write a bad customer review. And that's bad. Because everyone knows that excellent reviews are fake (they come from your friends, your mom or whoever else) but bad ones are real.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPp1COs_bl-OJaoptm4L5SMnd96lbjM4rkASKwlP6iDAdo_CY0kUqCJ9TGTPA8Q-ZHEGdHw6l-7o62UhzRrQtOFIU9oxatRH46YnW8pQ8xhqsQ9wfYvcjIrJOTs0MJPAGBfGe_LwDQZk0/s1600/yelling+looking+back.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPp1COs_bl-OJaoptm4L5SMnd96lbjM4rkASKwlP6iDAdo_CY0kUqCJ9TGTPA8Q-ZHEGdHw6l-7o62UhzRrQtOFIU9oxatRH46YnW8pQ8xhqsQ9wfYvcjIrJOTs0MJPAGBfGe_LwDQZk0/s1600/yelling+looking+back.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A bad review will follow you for a long time</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
And a bad customer review is there for a while. The only way to get rid of it is to come up with a new version that hopefully corrects your bug.<br />
<br />
Scénario 3 (likelihood: 10%): they still get angry but they are nice enough to send you a request to complain. And that's the best thing that can happen.<br />
<br />
Now when you get the complaint through email (or facebook page or twitter...), <b>answer right away</b> with 3 elements:<br />
- Acknowledge receipt of the message<br />
- Say you are sorry<br />
- Say you'll do your best to correct the issue.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSQu_VNa9gacAJVzKTB7cU3FUjgnKPeCsZv-U_l-hfhl2tbl4eea76mJ_80KaO2gK3pYWXdfiveu6LgOX2iMzaEpN_xxDs-1J-9k-L4-I_XibIJrLaLSDlgOcLPc9b7FWgDZq7wdo9RU/s1600/doctor+strangelove+phonecall.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSQu_VNa9gacAJVzKTB7cU3FUjgnKPeCsZv-U_l-hfhl2tbl4eea76mJ_80KaO2gK3pYWXdfiveu6LgOX2iMzaEpN_xxDs-1J-9k-L4-I_XibIJrLaLSDlgOcLPc9b7FWgDZq7wdo9RU/s1600/doctor+strangelove+phonecall.gif" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whatever happens, say you are sorry</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Keep in touch with the customer to inform him/her of your corrections because correcting the bug and submitting to Apple may take a good month over all.<br />
<br />
If the customer is really angry and has already dropped a bad review, you may want to pay him/her back (provided your app is not for free...). It doesn't sound very profitable but in such a case, some customers have corrected their review and that's completely worth it!<br />
<br />
Finally make good use of those customers who took the time to write to you: ask them for the features they would want, the usage of your app they have. Apple will leave you any access to them, so take advantage of the situation!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02601962113899154907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1271955345368572838.post-77122230983444523772013-04-21T12:55:00.000-07:002013-04-23T04:07:16.406-07:00Lessons from the AppGratis experienceFor those who haven't been following French tech news, there's an interesting story going on between AppGratis and Apple.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Background</u></b><br />
<br />
AppGratis has been founded back in 2009 when iphone apps were kicking up. As others business like AppShopper, AppGratis was giving an app for free to its followers for one day only. We all know those businesses have been very successful so far because they connect 2 needs: a customer need to get something valuable for free and an app developer need to get your app ranked and known to the market. When you know that there are 1,2 millions iphone apps and 300,000 ipad apps, there is definitely an issue to get market awareness.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjh-zFCe2jJxFdCc_g-MS_qktWwRZGjjC5YASXeSy1NsIg9fuwLO0IOhoSFNS0XcwuItxARyANqoV9M2__9fWO-OrfAn4UFy70-GLWL13l__WfsKVV5QIZoHVTkgtst-kXLasqR-JgT8/s1600/breakingnewsappgratis.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjh-zFCe2jJxFdCc_g-MS_qktWwRZGjjC5YASXeSy1NsIg9fuwLO0IOhoSFNS0XcwuItxARyANqoV9M2__9fWO-OrfAn4UFy70-GLWL13l__WfsKVV5QIZoHVTkgtst-kXLasqR-JgT8/s1600/breakingnewsappgratis.gif" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is there anything more important in the Tech news?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b><u>The Story</u></b><br />
<br />
AppGratis developed its own iPhone app and recently its own iPad app. It's been <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>ousted from the AppStore on April 7th</b></span> with very little explanations from Apple, which was perceived as a scandal in France, the media picturing Apple as the bad guy vs. the French startup world. Even the Digital Economy Secretary of State, +FleurPellerin, made a public appearance at AppGratis business site to show support against the great injustice. AppGratis has now started <a href="http://save.appgratis.com/" target="_blank">an online petition</a> to get public support.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>What Apple says</u></b><br />
<br />
Apple stated that AppGratis's App has violated 2 AppStore rules: <br />
"- <b>2.25 </b>Apps that display Apps other than your own for purchase or promotion in a manner similar to or confusing with the App Store will be rejected.<br />
- <b>5.6</b> Apps cannot use Push Notifications to send advertising, promotions, or direct marketing of any kind."<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUwk8NX7cj-vayW-5AxmL9HAwhWxgLQV0tF3xPgl8fhhM_GTMxfMgC2zHqMv3i-_tJ5gyZCNqk3nAzDwRAsj6T_RnG5PqMEI6Tp1vxYQ4a0KZU0BBPrvFSz6Km3-dtBRspeiwA9TSDSPM/s1600/oss117expulse%CC%81.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUwk8NX7cj-vayW-5AxmL9HAwhWxgLQV0tF3xPgl8fhhM_GTMxfMgC2zHqMv3i-_tJ5gyZCNqk3nAzDwRAsj6T_RnG5PqMEI6Tp1vxYQ4a0KZU0BBPrvFSz6Km3-dtBRspeiwA9TSDSPM/s1600/oss117expulse%CC%81.gif" height="136" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple doesn't like App Store rules violations</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://allthingsd.com/20130408/confirmed-apple-kicks-appgratis-out-of-the-store-for-being-too-pushy/">AllthingsD</a> believes that <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>Apple are started cracking down AppGratis and similar apps</b></span> because they say they were troubled that AppGratis was pushing a business model that appeared to favor developers with the financial means to pay for exposure. “The App Store is intended as a meritocracy,” a source familiar with Apple’s thinking told AllThingsD.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I believe that behind that beautiful thinking,<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"> Apple also protects its market:</span></b> you want to promote your App, use Apple tools or get ready to live dangerously. As I stated earlier, App Store customers are Apple customers before being yours, so don't feel home and respect the rules.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><u>What does that tell us?</u></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>It's going to be harder to "manipulate" rankings from within the AppStore </b></span>but it doesn't mean paying for promotion is going to disappear, it's just going to happen on more traditional websites. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I would add AppGratis and the likes are not going to be out of business because they are not on the App Store any longer. As AppGratis CEO +SimonDawlat stated it, this story is an incredible chance for them since they are getting almost free advertising. For sure. But it will not last forever and they are not alone on this market. That's why I believe <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>AppGratis business model will probably evolve to market analysis</b>.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinGIV_RMyw33_XLiegoz7JDqMa1NmUYhUXgAyGUJSpF3oJV8fholsqPI1EDXan7JkNutmD0FWlJPwNd_fUbfL-ieIscoH3xJgmouz96tYIDE2SGzWfsC_dGEYNFK5OcLrDkyMzU0uH0HE/s1600/terminatorvision.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinGIV_RMyw33_XLiegoz7JDqMa1NmUYhUXgAyGUJSpF3oJV8fholsqPI1EDXan7JkNutmD0FWlJPwNd_fUbfL-ieIscoH3xJgmouz96tYIDE2SGzWfsC_dGEYNFK5OcLrDkyMzU0uH0HE/s1600/terminatorvision.gif" height="144" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AppGratis type firms future is in customer intelligence </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div>
Think of it: they have thousands if not hundreds of thousands regular users. They can measure campaign success according to customers profiles, a very high value information for any app developer. If you've been using <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>iTunes Connect</b></span>, you know that <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>this kind of information is just not available</b></span>! The only thing you get from iTunes Connect is the number of App sold per country and that's it. Market analysis is pretty much what companies like <a href="http://www.nielsen.com/us/en.html" target="_blank">AC Nielsen</a> were doing in retail, only now we are on virtual retail.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Getting more customer insight is a real challenge, if these companies would understand the value they could bring they will securitize their market position for a long time without any need from Apple approval.</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02601962113899154907noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1271955345368572838.post-64765631635186921232013-04-13T01:34:00.002-07:002013-04-13T01:34:50.586-07:00First days on the App StoreProvided you set your sales to all available App Stores, you are now "ready for sale".<br />
<br />
What happens next?<br />
<br />
Well in the first few days, you will be featured in the News section of the App Store, meaning you are sitting in the front page: everyone who opens its App Store app during that period will see your app. Result: if your app is good and you are not pricing it like a luxury item, YOU WILL SELL. And believe me numbers can be surprising.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja73N9leVtsDEEroCeG5gYZhj3et2acAzXJSHEpbCWuCIkDb7FrUGHJvGa9oqeJ0z8nbw72dRrI5RhfCSMEMh_N06_drvQKSTzd569AnxQk8cF4Ys8JS8LQWqgwY9_yV8zKmPMwMEv1es/s1600/intolerablecruelty.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja73N9leVtsDEEroCeG5gYZhj3et2acAzXJSHEpbCWuCIkDb7FrUGHJvGa9oqeJ0z8nbw72dRrI5RhfCSMEMh_N06_drvQKSTzd569AnxQk8cF4Ys8JS8LQWqgwY9_yV8zKmPMwMEv1es/s1600/intolerablecruelty.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Success is surprising in the first days</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
A lot of people will buy out of curiosity or just because your app looks good. Reality is that they buy it because you are<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: x-large;"> visible.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMFxTGXQ7_H1NbWi0hZS4F4s4AjEwfRo9BzCTIONsuHir2bk_HJ3TDYzNF0lh97aDtS3KbDaz-ZZ3zpmQgthx3NMYaAQY9lGaAz7ntMHQu-hWfFm_5WLD1MqRVCnuSoxNAZMcRMr-gFuE/s1600/Diapositive1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMFxTGXQ7_H1NbWi0hZS4F4s4AjEwfRo9BzCTIONsuHir2bk_HJ3TDYzNF0lh97aDtS3KbDaz-ZZ3zpmQgthx3NMYaAQY9lGaAz7ntMHQu-hWfFm_5WLD1MqRVCnuSoxNAZMcRMr-gFuE/s320/Diapositive1.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An example on the French App Store</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Think of you app as any store in the world: If you are sitting on Rodeo Drive or the Champs Elysées, thousands of people walking by a day, part of them will stop and some of them will buy. The more pass by, the more you sell, nothing more simple.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
Provided you are damn sure that all the major bugs have been identified and corrected, my advise is to take advantage of those days to do 2 things:<br />
- Communicate on every media available about your app being out, it will eventually help you be ranked<br />
- Use viral marketing: Insert all the relevant "like" buttons (Facebook, LinkedIn, Tweeter..) so your new users can communicate on their incredible experience. <br />
<br />
And get prepared. A few days, a week, maybe more?<br />
<br />
Toutes les bonnes choses ont une fin, all good things have an end. One day you are out of the news and your sales will drop. And boy that hurts<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7mJUABUcHs-1n8T3aSznIZ1gW0X-jCcg-6QR2hE0evCLGzSIr3Kd0HdfS2fs0-4OhuA-Z1Jdb8UO_b_NbCfYiZZAdcc_mTRvt6RPBWCUKqO1RYSDXlBK167XJU2kEzT8yQWLsPBZ-Rag/s1600/spacejump2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7mJUABUcHs-1n8T3aSznIZ1gW0X-jCcg-6QR2hE0evCLGzSIr3Kd0HdfS2fs0-4OhuA-Z1Jdb8UO_b_NbCfYiZZAdcc_mTRvt6RPBWCUKqO1RYSDXlBK167XJU2kEzT8yQWLsPBZ-Rag/s320/spacejump2.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's how it feels when you are out of App Store News</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As of March 2013, there are 1,2 millions of iPhone apps and 300,000 iPad apps and you will need to crawl your way out <a href="http://www.blueoceanstrategy.com/" target="_blank">from red sea to blue sea</a> and it can feel very long but don't despair: this blog will keep giving advise, so keep faith and keep posted!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02601962113899154907noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1271955345368572838.post-31452934350032848022013-03-30T15:19:00.003-07:002013-03-31T11:45:06.299-07:00iTunes Connect, the way to submit your AppIf you have checked all the boxes regarding your app submission check list, you can now move on to submission.<br />
Submission happens only through <a href="https://itunesconnect.apple.com/WebObjects/iTunesConnect.woa" target="_blank">iTunes Connect</a>. If you believe you can talk to Apple about your app in the process, forget about it. iTunes Connect is just a landing platform which will inform you of the following submission steps:<br />
<br />
1) Prepare for upload<br />
2) Waiting for Upload<br />
3) Upload received<br />
4) Waiting for review<br />
5) In review<br />
6) Processing for App Store<br />
7) Ready for sale<br />
<br />
Between "Waiting for review" and "In review", 15 days will pass in a complete silence, so be patient. And pray. Pray that your testing has been well done, otherwise <u>you will have to retake the whole process from the start</u>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3j2ZDrJjS14QLVdhHj3UsjDc_E00DKgds0n0T81q3-S2fhJMCfBoJbE696zCks3RrfdYpADB3mI8v1ghMw6ywUZMSVtTWe6KC0meGXRnbT0AjKJ60nnSfUdxZzDv6hhW_-SSXp4sDSaU/s1600/septie%CC%80me+sceau+prie%CC%80re.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3j2ZDrJjS14QLVdhHj3UsjDc_E00DKgds0n0T81q3-S2fhJMCfBoJbE696zCks3RrfdYpADB3mI8v1ghMw6ywUZMSVtTWe6KC0meGXRnbT0AjKJ60nnSfUdxZzDv6hhW_-SSXp4sDSaU/s320/septie%CC%80me+sceau+prie%CC%80re.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ios developers praying Apple divinity during submission</td></tr></tbody></table><br />
Apple will check that your app is compliant with the AppStore rules and that it works. And that's pretty much it. Review last on average a few hours, very frustrating when you think that nothing happened for 15 days while "waiting for review".<br />
<br />
If your app is rejected, Apple will give you the reason why (the bug they found for example). I strongly suggest not to discuss your rejection, even if you feel it's unjustified.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxc53c6Vzo3oiB16uQN5JcpZjVtGnW0aPsVZ4ioJhep1Q-9yNChb6LOufMo-vSgU3oct6HuAjcBthbb_rTyDXhLsEgOkAqnh3Z-uCn0xwrOKHyC5xAX_KmsXPex-aoChBUbJkrtshJyYw/s1600/monsters-inc.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxc53c6Vzo3oiB16uQN5JcpZjVtGnW0aPsVZ4ioJhep1Q-9yNChb6LOufMo-vSgU3oct6HuAjcBthbb_rTyDXhLsEgOkAqnh3Z-uCn0xwrOKHyC5xAX_KmsXPex-aoChBUbJkrtshJyYw/s1600/monsters-inc.gif" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't play too smart if your app gets rejected</td></tr></tbody></table><br />
In a world where the only relationship you will have with Apple is based on your app and half filled dialog boxes, it's better to keep it clean. Remember that Apple is the one calling the shots here. Even if customers will be terribly frustrated from not getting your app, all these customers are Apple customers. And Apple is not going to jeopardize its customer relationship for you.<br />
<br />
So what can you do during those 15 days? Well for one thing you can create a facebook or google+ page, a tweeter account and start creating some awareness around your app. If your customer target is not too wide, you can also start creating some buzz. If you have connections at Apple, it might help you get some interest but we didn't have any so it didn't take us very far.<br />
<br />
And then, one day, you will receive the magic notification "Processing for AppStore" very quickly followed by "Ready for Sale". You're in baby and that's worth celebrating!<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj7h7lRFqcYvw7BydR7WGpoa4RupGhFvVzJvuh-dRcJc688a6Mi644nE1iSUGLhGl90yp-3qgsUES1ax88zBto8Re3kMXFqAdIbO2v5NqvPqo0uUHnAjpHqXIO7cGQygz5GbB9t1K083I/s1600/rocky3happynow.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj7h7lRFqcYvw7BydR7WGpoa4RupGhFvVzJvuh-dRcJc688a6Mi644nE1iSUGLhGl90yp-3qgsUES1ax88zBto8Re3kMXFqAdIbO2v5NqvPqo0uUHnAjpHqXIO7cGQygz5GbB9t1K083I/s320/rocky3happynow.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrate when you get your "ready for sale" notification</td></tr></tbody></table>Nonetheless don't forget that :<br />
<br />
- You will need to go through the same process for EVERY evolution (which will be very stressful for bug resolution)<br />
- It's only the beginning!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02601962113899154907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1271955345368572838.post-35149790713889243792013-03-15T15:00:00.001-07:002013-03-20T07:02:44.218-07:00Will everything be free on the App Store?Creating an app is a painful process, it takes long time and you would believe it deserves to get some reward and a price. One thing when you start thinking about pricing an App is that you can't escape having those wild billionaire dreams where all users will pick up your app and you'll end up purchasing a beautiful island somewhere.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDCvs8rV_0jTeXzC_cTzUx087Ke4uOVhb7sbmipvrcf32cS2Ayu0-bwCri6gJCaNITX0Pg-LVvK1hKmSION2-a3eILupIUQAQ3YMtbOOrfjBYEnFhhRx6FHZd_tjgKfyi8RrMG05tsRKU/s1600/happy-gilmore-dream.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDCvs8rV_0jTeXzC_cTzUx087Ke4uOVhb7sbmipvrcf32cS2Ayu0-bwCri6gJCaNITX0Pg-LVvK1hKmSION2-a3eILupIUQAQ3YMtbOOrfjBYEnFhhRx6FHZd_tjgKfyi8RrMG05tsRKU/s1600/happy-gilmore-dream.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All app developers share the same dream</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Before approaching any fancy real estate agency and putting option on a Ferrari, you will need to pick up your pricing model. Choices aren't that large even if Apple pricing matrix offers up to 87 tiers.<br />
<br />
Setting the starting price for your app seems to offer lot of flexibility. You can either:<br />
<br />
Option#1: Go for an upfront price ($0.99 and above)<br />
Option#2: Go for a freemium model ($0 and selling in-apps)<br />
Option#3: Go for upfront + in-apps because you are very confident<br />
Option#4: Go for free because fame is the reward you are looking for<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>Option #1</b></span>: For some obscure reason, someone at Apple decided to make prices start at $0,99 and by doing so made completely useless about 70 tiers above $10. On iPhone, prices have already got down to $0.99 and as <a href="http://www.tuaw.com/2012/09/04/making-money-in-a-crowded-app-store-its-dog-eat-dog-and-spy-vs/" target="_blank">Richard Gaywood</a> stated it, it looks that there is very little room for prices above that tier.<br />
The iPad has been somewhat preserved from <a href="http://www.joshlehman.com/thoughts/stop-using-the-cup-of-coffee-vs-0-99-cent-app-analogy/" target="_blank">the cup of coffee syndrome</a> but there are very few apps above the $5 tier. I see a few reasons to this deviation from the iphone apps price behavior:<br />
<br />
- The iPad reaches a different kind of public than the iPhone (families, business people) who sound more able to pay for an app that's worth it<br />
- There are less apps for iPad than iPhone and competition has not been as fierce as on the iPhone market<br />
<br />
Overall I think there is a market on the iPad for the moment but looking at the way iPhone market has evolved I am pessimistic and Option#2 is likely to become the standard.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx4qN0Uve7DApi0XtmYA1f6Sw_xJICu5HM_g3tY5qXsKqftPmI_b7hsPb2SuTXgsScS7LvhGGuclRcL29scTwoLwFMrlMn83DseWv-VVDE1nICOI8S3XBxWi29pA7u-j61ItMI2qLQET0/s1600/margin-call.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx4qN0Uve7DApi0XtmYA1f6Sw_xJICu5HM_g3tY5qXsKqftPmI_b7hsPb2SuTXgsScS7LvhGGuclRcL29scTwoLwFMrlMn83DseWv-VVDE1nICOI8S3XBxWi29pA7u-j61ItMI2qLQET0/s1600/margin-call.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No escape from the freemium model?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Option #2</span></b>: The freemium model will probably become a standard in the months to come. Most of the games have already gone that way and with increasing pressure on boosting downloads, going free seems the way to go (check out this <a href="https://twitter.com/drbarnard/status/241186598086123521" target="_blank">incredible experience</a>). With a broader customer base, In-Apps purchases make sense, provided that they come with a service.<br />
<br />
There are however 3 limits to this model:<br />
- Customer behavior may evolve with the increasing amount of junk apps around. They may become suspicious at free apps and may be willing to pay if they see a point in getting your app.<br />
- What has value has a price, everyone knows there is no such thing as a free ride. They know that there is a price to pay at some point either with in Apps or with no maintenance.<br />
- Customers are zappers: they get an app and for a large majority of them, they just forget about it after a few hours, making In-Apps just inapt.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>So big question is: are we doomed? </b></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8qfGsisz4ugAKs_8QAkwxtmWxUDR3NCPwrcCsxa6Stu4orxALZ9XOXduQ7obPnU5wVYuRGvAGOFc1m9vzUzN0YpFcqrAsWTE30jSBLssvD9p3jC66HaPzDO_6i3aLSBrprFL8Q_tDxKk/s1600/godzilla.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8qfGsisz4ugAKs_8QAkwxtmWxUDR3NCPwrcCsxa6Stu4orxALZ9XOXduQ7obPnU5wVYuRGvAGOFc1m9vzUzN0YpFcqrAsWTE30jSBLssvD9p3jC66HaPzDO_6i3aLSBrprFL8Q_tDxKk/s320/godzilla.gif" height="168" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unsustainable business model will bring everyone down</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Everyone needs to make a living. There are less and less investors on App Store start ups and many developers are giving up because it's just not sustainable that everything goes for free. Price war is like nuclear war, at some point everyone loses. Even Apple will start to worry (at some point) because what makes iPhone and iPad competitive is the number of apps available. And with an unsustainable business model, who will develop apps?<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Conclusion and I am asking Apple here: why not make possible a 30 days trial on every app? It will give customers more confidence in what they buy and developers a reason to compete!</span><br />
<br />
It's not that hard to do and cannot be more complicated than the pricing matrix!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02601962113899154907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1271955345368572838.post-29596998199879449892013-03-09T11:34:00.000-08:002013-03-11T02:30:17.890-07:00Screenshots on the App Store: how to choose them?Screenshots have always been an important part of the purchasing process on the App Store. It is the only way for the App shopper to get an idea of what the app look like.<br />
<br />
If you are familiar with <a href="http://itakenotes-an-appstore-adventure.blogspot.fr/2013/02/best-marketing-pitch-for-app-store.html" target="_blank">reading patterns</a>, you know that the average shopper will surf very quickly through your screenshots (15 seconds is the average time spent). In that case, what's critical is to get the shopper to stop by. Therefore catching his/her attention must be your only obsession.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpLlnjo5VN2mUsDumFlVJZDCtkAcozYinOl5GlHab0m5jHqQux-wAT0DmDr-gltRrv_9MMokXBrKYg3JJkMN2ZeeZ3tltOGDwItvUwTEaPlkxnctT1p412H1ofszI6tXPcYdQk6fo7KVE/s1600/vertigo-painting.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpLlnjo5VN2mUsDumFlVJZDCtkAcozYinOl5GlHab0m5jHqQux-wAT0DmDr-gltRrv_9MMokXBrKYg3JJkMN2ZeeZ3tltOGDwItvUwTEaPlkxnctT1p412H1ofszI6tXPcYdQk6fo7KVE/s1600/vertigo-painting.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If the shopper doesn't stop by, it's not a good screenshot</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Also if you have updated your iPad to ios 6 (meaning you have at least an iPad 2), you also noticed that on the App Store screenshots now come first, making it more important to put up the best you have, especially the two first screenshots which will make a difference.<br />
<br />
On iPad 1:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYHmMksLJY__R3jtqvh3kCVf5oxPxZ-apt6_9a3EvgfbkbYz5gpSQnYg4DxZb071FU5ukxPd20NPpBj5dj-N1slZHZglS-Jzyum9xlt2nxJ8jGXBILz2Fkt1FNv_RGDMOnrQMXfkUxgD0/s1600/itakenotes+sur+l'appstore.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYHmMksLJY__R3jtqvh3kCVf5oxPxZ-apt6_9a3EvgfbkbYz5gpSQnYg4DxZb071FU5ukxPd20NPpBj5dj-N1slZHZglS-Jzyum9xlt2nxJ8jGXBILz2Fkt1FNv_RGDMOnrQMXfkUxgD0/s320/itakenotes+sur+l'appstore.png" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Text first, screenshots second with an iPad 1</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And now on iPad 2 or above<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUZ4ZhAdjC8WAAhuAjlpuu55wblT3lsY82XgXcMpVsGtJVq6j0IrLPchG8EqgDooPLB_k0q6V397zGxFfkuJiinVGHkSt5h_iK2k156AIen9opesChV0FYverSBPmRLED4_lJSSOHOoJs/s1600/itn+on+app+store+ios6.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUZ4ZhAdjC8WAAhuAjlpuu55wblT3lsY82XgXcMpVsGtJVq6j0IrLPchG8EqgDooPLB_k0q6V397zGxFfkuJiinVGHkSt5h_iK2k156AIen9opesChV0FYverSBPmRLED4_lJSSOHOoJs/s1600/itn+on+app+store+ios6.PNG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first 2 screenshots come first on ios 6</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
I have also noticed some app developers have put concept pictures instead of their real app screenshots which is something I don't recommend. The shopper is visiting your App Store site to get an idea of what your app is about, if he/she was looking for concept pictures, there's all he/she needs on the net. If the picture you put up is not about your app, forget it.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Instead focus either on real app screenshots OR contextual picture of your app i.e the user using your app in a particular situation (remember <a href="http://itakenotes-an-appstore-adventure.blogspot.fr/2012/12/the-umbrella-principle-and-why-office.html" target="_blank">the umbrella principle</a>). </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
In either case, I recommend one important thing: tell a story! Tell what is happening when you use your app, it's the best way to attract their attention.</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEtNAIAbhpDKzFdlmjkZwXL1zW4a1UVkxgFAx_HpxgbBO2WrHOiRBlKLkHy2v671XjXbOqQPkytwzU9UtQ8sAyqgNEgDypqcGwKtKCvOE2Xi4c3zc0kh5hYDy8OgmzSks6CpaTjjFb71k/s1600/screensfrommars.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEtNAIAbhpDKzFdlmjkZwXL1zW4a1UVkxgFAx_HpxgbBO2WrHOiRBlKLkHy2v671XjXbOqQPkytwzU9UtQ8sAyqgNEgDypqcGwKtKCvOE2Xi4c3zc0kh5hYDy8OgmzSks6CpaTjjFb71k/s1600/screensfrommars.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Your screenshots should tell a story</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
A user case scenario is a good way to tell a story. Here's what we have picked up:<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1) Screenshot 1: Welcome screen</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2) Screenshot 2: Setting up a meeting</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
3) Screenshot 3: Meeting notes being taken</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
4) Screenshot 4: A finalized meeting Report</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
5) Screenshot 5: The email ready to be sent with the attached meeting report</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
You can also add a few comments on your screenshots to help the user better understand what the screenshot is about (features and such).<br />
<br />
Finally don't forget to update your screenshots when you have a new version available.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02601962113899154907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1271955345368572838.post-30309519729697137412013-02-21T14:01:00.002-08:002013-02-22T22:18:05.698-08:00Best marketing pitch for ipad app : Are quotes any useful?<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<br />
"<b>Best meeting report iPad app ever</b>"<br />
<br />
"<b>Meeting notes on iPad</b> have never been that easy with iTakeNotes" </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"<b>Best Meeting Minutes</b> <b>iPad App Award Winner</b>"</blockquote>
<b>Sounds familiar?</b> If you've been shopping around the App Store, you've probably noticed that quotes are just everywhere. I looked over in productivity apps, <b>5 out of 20 app pitches were starting with quotes</b>.<br />
<br />
Well, most of the App Store marketing specialists tell you that you need to give quotes because <b>shoppers are looking for social proof</b>. And putting quotes first is a good way to give shopper a virtual "certificate".<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9McdYnb_HLwdc-LsBUsxdyGX7DSFwwMicQhUDXCkqJJxSJ58IgwKqrW276SUBVub9Uy4z2FLokfpIjA6mt-N5098aJjQY6KxeaYQewpFRqyGTXYrHrTe1Cjyv7WcxKGobKECVRBtV-gA/s1600/tootsiereveals.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9McdYnb_HLwdc-LsBUsxdyGX7DSFwwMicQhUDXCkqJJxSJ58IgwKqrW276SUBVub9Uy4z2FLokfpIjA6mt-N5098aJjQY6KxeaYQewpFRqyGTXYrHrTe1Cjyv7WcxKGobKECVRBtV-gA/s1600/tootsiereveals.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shoppers want quotes to avoid bad surprises</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The web is full of junk and so is the App Store even if Apple is checking who's showing up. We are all looking for a recommendation from someone, either customer reviews or "media" quotes.<br />
<br />
Following the same phenomenon you have for restaurants or hotels, iPad and iPhones magazines both online and at the newsstand have appeared almost everywhere.<br />
<br />
<b>Why?</b><br />
<br />
Because we don't want to spend money on something that's not worth it. But the issue I am not comfortable with is the same issue we find all over the web, from TripAdvisor to Amazon:<br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Fake reviews and fake quotes</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheX875uMfR99JGfFB0Z503iS0-bdj3n7lJHgttBkNtiwr6G76HmblViySkKM5tVQjpIuVA8dccUpYNAvLhNMZtRNXWeFc6XBrgqCD1bx597CBgtqH-wAatjUwT3witjYdXzWvGpS2cWSQ/s1600/evillaugh.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheX875uMfR99JGfFB0Z503iS0-bdj3n7lJHgttBkNtiwr6G76HmblViySkKM5tVQjpIuVA8dccUpYNAvLhNMZtRNXWeFc6XBrgqCD1bx597CBgtqH-wAatjUwT3witjYdXzWvGpS2cWSQ/s1600/evillaugh.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes fake reviews are everywhere now</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Yes <b>there is a business of paying for reviews</b> and getting supposedly independent reviews. I don't say that all reviewer sites and magazines are not sincere but there is a fair share of that market which is corrupted.<br />
<br />
And it's going to be more and more difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff. This is the reason why I believe that <b>quotes are likely to become less and less effective</b> unless you are able to quote a review from an unquestionable brand, which will be difficult to find.<br />
<br />
Rather than presenting your app like if it was a broadway show, I would rather not use quotes unless they are really worth showing.<br />
<br />
Instead <b>refine your first sentence</b>, the one that makes the difference, make it sounds true about your app: what does it bring to the user? What is the pay off? In conclusion I would say:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<b>Be true, it will eventually pay off</b></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02601962113899154907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1271955345368572838.post-2299024885316107502013-02-16T13:14:00.001-08:002013-02-24T02:56:14.864-08:00Best marketing pitch for the App Store: choosing the right wordsMost of App Store Marketers tell you to put up quotes at the start of your app pitch. But since you are writing your first pitch, you have no reviews yet and it's going to be just plain text.<br />
<br />
As we stated in a previous post, most shoppers won't read your text, so you better say what you have to say really quick. But how should you structure your pitch? And which words should you use and which ones should you avoid?<br />
<br />
<u>How to structure your pitch?</u><br />
<br />
- A first sentence that summarizes exactly what you app does and the added value it brings to the user. Remember the <a href="http://itakenotes-an-appstore-adventure.blogspot.fr/2012/12/the-umbrella-principle-and-why-office.html" target="_blank">umbrella principle</a>, your app main feature should be crystal clear. If you want a good indicator that it works: even a 10 year old must understand it.<br />
<br />
- Put your app in its context, be concrete: in which case, should you use it? At work? At home? In a boat? Be precise.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT1cmYa5SM6T0hbr2Ctc0SSYXVm3-KmJxfrXyy9AMwZhc367d9VXacrHnv4pIsYmW30flEgTlz5lV5Ea5NV-JPNEJ6rLaycMpi6fJNEHboCFx9zAPHCK2ONLTWeIvDT8Igqf1no1JaEZA/s1600/carey+typing+like+crazy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT1cmYa5SM6T0hbr2Ctc0SSYXVm3-KmJxfrXyy9AMwZhc367d9VXacrHnv4pIsYmW30flEgTlz5lV5Ea5NV-JPNEJ6rLaycMpi6fJNEHboCFx9zAPHCK2ONLTWeIvDT8Igqf1no1JaEZA/s320/carey+typing+like+crazy.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't write a too long pitch: Be concise</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
- Then explore the various features of your app. The best way to do it is to follow the most common user case. Otherwise describe what makes your app truly different.<br />
<br />
- Saving time, money or Willy is always good so don't forget to put upfront positive effects included in your app.<br />
<br />
- Since most readers won't spend too much time reading, do not write long sentences, use short ones. And use them with bullets as often as possible, they are easier to catch when scrolling down a text.<br />
<br />
<u>Which words should you use? </u><br />
<br />
- Personalize as much as you can: avoid words such as "user", "individual" and so on. Prefer the "you".<br />
<br />
- Avoid technical words, remember the ipad (or iphone) user is not an app developer.<br />
<br />
- Some studies have shown that buyers respond more to some words than others. Words such as "new", "discover", "now", "instantly" etc. should be preferred wherever possible.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5ajs4kcM4cBd6z4T2Yn-s1z_As3EI82I1xbMuAP8ZT-PiBadGd7IIA0w9TgwcHb6SziQ1dTFHjapiU7vnu9GlJV-MUj73621mwbu57HQcrAvIvGZDBB_LUD1QQITFV8OA1u9BLoowkQ/s1600/austin+powers+come+gain.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5ajs4kcM4cBd6z4T2Yn-s1z_As3EI82I1xbMuAP8ZT-PiBadGd7IIA0w9TgwcHb6SziQ1dTFHjapiU7vnu9GlJV-MUj73621mwbu57HQcrAvIvGZDBB_LUD1QQITFV8OA1u9BLoowkQ/s1600/austin+powers+come+gain.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some words can be confusing for the shopper</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
If you want to know more about persuasive words, I suggest you read <a href="http://www.thejfblogit.co.uk/2012/08/13/the-twelve-most-persuasive-words-you-can-use-when-delivering-a-presentation-2/" target="_blank">this article</a> from Jonathan Farrington's blog, a famous sales coach.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02601962113899154907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1271955345368572838.post-31949048010718876652013-02-06T13:07:00.002-08:002013-02-20T00:07:26.969-08:00Best marketing pitch for the App Store : understanding reading patternsThe App Store requires you to write a presentation of your App, which is something you have probably seen a hundred times if you have surfed on the App Store with your iPad. This post will focus on some <b>reading pattern issues </b>that I found important to capture before getting into the "pitch" subject which I will review in a second post.<br />
<br />
As of today, there are no real public studies about readers behavior on the App Store. The only way we can figure how readers behave on the App Store is through how they read in real life and more specifically how they read on the web, something that has received a lot of attention in the past 15 years. <br />
<br />
Let's start with <b>facts from real life</b>: People read on average 200 words per minute. Since there are between 15 and 20 words per line, the average person reads one line in 5 seconds. So if they get to your app description and knowing they can only read 3 lines without having to scroll down, <b>they are likely to spend 15 seconds on your App description, yes, 15 seconds and that's it.</b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEFVQvM3zo-9fBBTxwfvN3G_ThyaulauvCf0L-x3k_32etsGLR8EXHG6cF7Obfy5ehwBu9PGnsuprSs4d3WX0DY6DqpUd3vemiNrQEtuD5EmRv1CZsO1l_kXozQMe9lLrY-G6hjLzFRg/s1600/burn+after+reading.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEFVQvM3zo-9fBBTxwfvN3G_ThyaulauvCf0L-x3k_32etsGLR8EXHG6cF7Obfy5ehwBu9PGnsuprSs4d3WX0DY6DqpUd3vemiNrQEtuD5EmRv1CZsO1l_kXozQMe9lLrY-G6hjLzFRg/s1600/burn+after+reading.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You have 15 seconds to get your audience interested</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Not only they spend a very limited time on your description but eye tracking studies suggest that reading is not a smooth process: we <i>read over</i> the text, <i>stop</i> from times to times in a process called <i>fixation. </i>Then we move forward or backward (if we didn't understand for example).<br />
<br />
<b><i>Fixation</i> is good</b> in marketing because it increases the chances that the reader will remember.<br />
<br />
But fixation depends on how long the word is (short words don't get much fixation) and its nature: if the word is a content word, there's 85% chances we will fix it, it it's a function word, there's 35% chances we will fix it.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglXy_1oUPE07crTrSqbCTd-wH7bmVzigyt1vyDPfJaZy0bGEgZakBBkhN-XY28X8NksVLTyPr-4YzlZKhsaWpyQT9SIi0Ei-_4H2HGEDqjC5C-e0Ohn5VGQvf_G5Hzcpy-t1EHAArDdMA/s1600/thegoodthebadtheugly.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglXy_1oUPE07crTrSqbCTd-wH7bmVzigyt1vyDPfJaZy0bGEgZakBBkhN-XY28X8NksVLTyPr-4YzlZKhsaWpyQT9SIi0Ei-_4H2HGEDqjC5C-e0Ohn5VGQvf_G5Hzcpy-t1EHAArDdMA/s320/thegoodthebadtheugly.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fixation is a reading process you'll be looking for</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
And it gets worse:<br />
<ul>
<li>Web studies have shown that people will scan the main sections of a page and <b>make decisions in 3 seconds about staying or leaving</b>.</li>
<li>If they stay, meaning that they do scroll down your app, if their behavior is similar to web user behavior, they will read <b>only 20% of your text, </b>often focusing on a triangular area in the upper left corner. Eye tracking studies have shown that this reading behavior looks like an <b>F shape, specifically on e-commerce sites</b>.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNLNwKa53glFZ-K87Lx5liLTYlCpm1UgMsQYQz7ITDejG_y6kOS_FiIN3IbO4dnOGCeqtCdxbYFlC9lT6l9dZOqnQvIFII60Qv8TpI4wfkYCwM28MtQ5H6-RIlmyqFl643oJwvvybO1Wc/s1600/f+shape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNLNwKa53glFZ-K87Lx5liLTYlCpm1UgMsQYQz7ITDejG_y6kOS_FiIN3IbO4dnOGCeqtCdxbYFlC9lT6l9dZOqnQvIFII60Qv8TpI4wfkYCwM28MtQ5H6-RIlmyqFl643oJwvvybO1Wc/s1600/f+shape.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">F shape reading pattern</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Now let's apply this behavior to the app store</b> where you don't have as much choice as on an html page. Here are the most important part of your text before the user scrolls down:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVvSJAvhayAxuLYjQMlCx4vMwJyvSyN-dekHBPrdEQNSuBspG2b3ARVUgTltHGa3E1c1jfiT-cyStx2wJ_hUjKzF3_VX9yAFzZL9qCuHHOqmB4H17vjcX4LIHwc0TmLniN0Bw6fVMZQEk/s1600/app+store+short+20130206+f+shaped.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVvSJAvhayAxuLYjQMlCx4vMwJyvSyN-dekHBPrdEQNSuBspG2b3ARVUgTltHGa3E1c1jfiT-cyStx2wJ_hUjKzF3_VX9yAFzZL9qCuHHOqmB4H17vjcX4LIHwc0TmLniN0Bw6fVMZQEk/s1600/app+store+short+20130206+f+shaped.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what most customers read before they scroll </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div>
and if he took the decision to scroll down and "read" the rest of the text:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSvn4tI4BKjnkOanIUREKON0ucKu1fRn9Egv_oNQaOb2rHRIqHnjl6Xt-E65Bbk7bh6TDVMwuSDHuzznsRik3dKLff7RQBftxahmlMOaaUhFItfz6L7KZiF_lOrl0BWvRdJUL1AmCIjI/s1600/app+store+full+20130206+full+shaped.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSvn4tI4BKjnkOanIUREKON0ucKu1fRn9Egv_oNQaOb2rHRIqHnjl6Xt-E65Bbk7bh6TDVMwuSDHuzznsRik3dKLff7RQBftxahmlMOaaUhFItfz6L7KZiF_lOrl0BWvRdJUL1AmCIjI/s1600/app+store+full+20130206+full+shaped.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what most customers read if they scroll down</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I don't have an eye tracking device and I haven't try to check that this web reading pattern apply to all users (but I swear I will). Using an iPad to browse the App Store is something very new that is likely to evolve over time. Also the impact of screen captures is not taken into account.<br />
<br />
Nonetheless until someone smarter than me with an eye tracking device challenge this theory (for which I will welcome any input), I suggest the following for App developers:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Put the most important content first</b>, in the opening sentences and paragraphs and get straight to the point: what is you App about?</li>
<li>Make <b>short sentences</b> with content words</li>
<li><b>Use bullets lists</b> wherever you can</li>
</ul>
</div>
If you want more information about reading patterns, I encourage you to visit the following sites:<br />
- <a href="http://www.nngroup.com/articles/f-shaped-pattern-reading-web-content/" target="_blank">Nielsen's research</a> on web readers : Nielsen is one the eye tracking most recognized searchers and is the first one to have identified the F shape pattern<br />
- The National Center for Children with Disabilities (yes) has a very good article on the subject that you can find <a href="http://nichcy.org/dissemination/tools/webwriting/reading" target="_blank">here</a><br />
- Apple studies that you will find if you work for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_intelligence_agencies" target="_blank">one of these organizations</a> (and you can send me whatever you have)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02601962113899154907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1271955345368572838.post-44135433869539368942013-02-02T10:34:00.001-08:002013-02-17T11:04:05.742-08:00What is the real impact of keywords on the app store?You have a great app but how the millions of iPad users will now that it does exist? If they don't know, how can they find you on the app store? We developed a meeting report app, but how will user know that there is a meeting report app?<br />
<br />
Two ways: either you are very visible on the app store, a probability that comes very close to winning the national lottery, either you have found the magic keywords. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5LWaDsEPk0WahXwDVr5pazjGZ6GGhfIV4A0FHcItmIQed-pc1SSDRFzCsYJl1uoN_vwYz6DVo5gLVb0xFqRdIo6kgCvgmd4u2tu5AotOEbgcssQdqdOIOuzp7-B2HocLnDI4ur_84EQ/s1600/wiining+100000.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5LWaDsEPk0WahXwDVr5pazjGZ6GGhfIV4A0FHcItmIQed-pc1SSDRFzCsYJl1uoN_vwYz6DVo5gLVb0xFqRdIo6kgCvgmd4u2tu5AotOEbgcssQdqdOIOuzp7-B2HocLnDI4ur_84EQ/s320/wiining+100000.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If this happens to you with keywords, wake up, you're dreaming </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Magic keywords combine both a very high search by the users AND a very high ranking of your app in the search results. Needless to say that even Hogwarts best students won't find out the magic keywords for your app.<br />
<br />
So here's my advise: find the right keywords for your app, don't spend too much time on it and most importantly try not to mess up that process.<br />
<br />
Finding the best keywords for your app: take your app main feature with the umbrella principle in mind. It's raining outside, you need to go out, what are the first words that come to your mind? "rain", "wet", "umbrella" and so on.<br />
<br />
For iTakeNotes, we came with meeting, meeting report, minutes, notes, conference,... Those words are close concepts to our app main features. And we did it in english, french, spanish...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiENk7EVJnzNAALNNCGODIE2IaFJxrCMAQ4RaHqNy4Uuo5LG88UnNLj4EDedUY0rHU8Ef9GE3fbt-ZxIsNaG6giGTzmcsyBIazijmn539yiaWtLfyP-FCAN5Wf8uX-ufxpGAq8Scvt4ZTo/s1600/wargames.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiENk7EVJnzNAALNNCGODIE2IaFJxrCMAQ4RaHqNy4Uuo5LG88UnNLj4EDedUY0rHU8Ef9GE3fbt-ZxIsNaG6giGTzmcsyBIazijmn539yiaWtLfyP-FCAN5Wf8uX-ufxpGAq8Scvt4ZTo/s1600/wargames.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't play keyword strategy too long</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
And that's enough. Seriously.<br />
<br />
There are so many things to do to market your app, no need to spend more time on it. Think of it: you're not alone, thousand of smart developers are out there and came with the same ideas. If you are familiar with game theory, you will realize that keywords are just too basic marketing to help you differentiate your app.<br />
<br />
But still don't mess up your keywords. On the app store there is no coming back i.e. once your keywords are set, you will not be able to change them unless you make a new app release.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4eV6VqCIktSf9m6uCmg5Y5vdzUj0IVWnlALkgRfrNAVlJsIyaZl5-D0bBhF6YGT5Zdffg1PMyxY_WhPj1RQl0RbE6kz-6qFW3xyiMX8VPWdSDgQPiz-ScJzHUACvcigas-JHfkvkzPNk/s1600/death+tarot.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4eV6VqCIktSf9m6uCmg5Y5vdzUj0IVWnlALkgRfrNAVlJsIyaZl5-D0bBhF6YGT5Zdffg1PMyxY_WhPj1RQl0RbE6kz-6qFW3xyiMX8VPWdSDgQPiz-ScJzHUACvcigas-JHfkvkzPNk/s1600/death+tarot.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There is no second chance for keywords on the App Store</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Now a few useful links:<br />
- How to deal with keywords on App Store: check out <a href="http://learnphoto.ca/newbappdeveloper/keywords-you-must-choose-wisely/" target="_blank">Noel Chenier article</a> on its blog, very useful<br />
- The most used keywords: very interesting article by Bryson Meunier on <a href="http://searchengineland.com/the-most-popular-app-store-keywords-from-chomp-google-play-135744" target="_blank">Searchengineland</a><br />
- A very interesting slideshare on the subject can also be found <a href="http://fr.slideshare.net/kolinko/app-store-seo-2-choosing-keywords" target="_blank">here</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02601962113899154907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1271955345368572838.post-40035391172035215992013-01-26T05:47:00.000-08:002013-02-20T00:10:07.845-08:00What is the best design for an app icon?If you picked <a href="http://itakenotes-an-appstore-adventure.blogspot.fr/2013/01/whats-best-color-for-app-icon.html" target="_blank">your icon color</a> right, what your app icon design should be?<br />
<br />
Remember that your icon must tell something about your app main features. It must be in line with your target audience. That's the easy part.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjijgiweBzWYE48Yq3WWmpbQkOkzF3mcIrh0XrYueMrVIij6Kv2mEektgjnkaJXMVmbnslXFRNUjnk-3W_2A4VJ6TTRX7-xTMOZy1QPGr414TNY2Z4PMu3LRyC7X79y-EQ3jFrrlcwF2Z8/s1600/dream+fridge.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjijgiweBzWYE48Yq3WWmpbQkOkzF3mcIrh0XrYueMrVIij6Kv2mEektgjnkaJXMVmbnslXFRNUjnk-3W_2A4VJ6TTRX7-xTMOZy1QPGr414TNY2Z4PMu3LRyC7X79y-EQ3jFrrlcwF2Z8/s320/dream+fridge.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Your app icon must give the user an idea of what's in there</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Now designing an icon means drawing something. If you are good with Photoshop, google up some tutorial, otherwise get ready to spend around $40 to purchase an icon design software from the <a href="http://www.1stwebdesigner.com/freebies/best-toolkits-for-icon-designers/" target="_blank">following list</a>.<br />
You can also buy directly ready to use icons or customize them through dedicated websites such as <a href="http://www.webiconset.com/" target="_blank">webiconset </a>, <a href="http://www.seanau.com/" target="_blank">seanau</a> , <a href="http://symbolicons.com/" target="_blank">symbolicons</a> or the very cheap <a href="http://www.iconshelf.nl/" target="_blank">iconshelf</a> (how can they be so cheap?)<br />
<br />
Whether you are designing the icon yourself or you bought it out (believe me, there's no shame in that), there are 4 principles you should respect:<br />
<br />
- The simpler the better: don't put too many things in your icon, it will ultimately be confusing: 3 objects is a maximum<br />
- Use universal imagery that people will understand wherever they come from<br />
- Avoid putting text in your icon: it's a waste of space and it's hard to read anyway<br />
- Avoid gloss, when you load your icon, Apple automatically adds gloss<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDNMVx2KZfFMMULJNjTPVyhxeTuK6m_4fei77OE3UoH-tn2askPwoUrnXfIZJk5yz94oReE8bUax3kbnMyh2ThioKhSnF3eqIqbaa1fa8kGM40KeCSdWl-NEQnwNwuZSDQsE8VCYMU1Cw/s1600/itakenotes+icon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDNMVx2KZfFMMULJNjTPVyhxeTuK6m_4fei77OE3UoH-tn2askPwoUrnXfIZJk5yz94oReE8bUax3kbnMyh2ThioKhSnF3eqIqbaa1fa8kGM40KeCSdWl-NEQnwNwuZSDQsE8VCYMU1Cw/s1600/itakenotes+icon.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keep it simple and universal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Also bear in mind <b>general design principles also apply to the app world</b> because the eye moves throughout a design from one element to the other just like the ear with music:<br />
<br />
- The eye associates line positions and directions with concepts: horizontal lines are calm and quiet, vertical ones suggest potential for movement and diagonal lines suggest movement and vitality.<br />
<br />
- Straight lines are associated with human creation and work, curbs with nature and emotions<br />
<br />
- Use familiar schemes: the eye is naturally attracted by something that is both complex and familiar, in the App Store chaos, it's a good way to make a difference. Check out <a href="http://designshack.net/articles/graphics/how-to-use-visual-hierarchy-in-web-design" target="_blank">this excellent article</a> on visual hierarchy from Joshua Johnson on the subject, a real eye opener<br />
<br />
- A good design must always be "balanced": to avoid mistakes, I found useful to use the <a href="http://digital-photography-school.com/rule-of-thirds" target="_blank">"rule of the thirds"</a> to build good proportions in an icon<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioxWU_pRRzHqZH_jx2rhc9bqcqmplPdhBQ5oP2JafvY2nk0wqQc4eoJ5rWWkgw4KvSOGMmC4KnSjWO1C53-DiPT774vzrGI1PwpXD29_AdmGYUyJO2bN6CIJBLinvsOkDOe9ThbHGRd5A/s1600/ten+commandments+gold+veal.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioxWU_pRRzHqZH_jx2rhc9bqcqmplPdhBQ5oP2JafvY2nk0wqQc4eoJ5rWWkgw4KvSOGMmC4KnSjWO1C53-DiPT774vzrGI1PwpXD29_AdmGYUyJO2bN6CIJBLinvsOkDOe9ThbHGRd5A/s1600/ten+commandments+gold+veal.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thou shall not ignore design principles even on the App Store</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
There so much to say about design that we could discuss it forever. But our <a href="http://itakenotes-an-appstore-adventure.blogspot.fr/2013/01/apple-submission-check-list.html" target="_blank">app check list</a> is far from over, we now need to focus on keywords and marketing pitch.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02601962113899154907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1271955345368572838.post-54630608032025747292013-01-19T09:24:00.000-08:002013-02-20T00:09:50.382-08:00What's the best color for an app icon?An icon represents your app on the App Store. Just like walking in the street, some people will notice your store and stop by, some won't.<br />
What does it take to catch the attention? Color? Suggestive draw? Link with the name? Preview of the graphical interface? All of that?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDCPgsst-BXN8gpQlQD8Gv0PBht6op21OKc1abnPUwou3b6iGPJ4lC30B7O87B2zdsBGXK98nCEjSccVb1UYFY0_9vb16Gcm-EgLY96dtIqyiwxZbcaWelOOOQvCMJPD247ONx8MDuOHg/s1600/orangina+vieille+pub.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDCPgsst-BXN8gpQlQD8Gv0PBht6op21OKc1abnPUwou3b6iGPJ4lC30B7O87B2zdsBGXK98nCEjSccVb1UYFY0_9vb16Gcm-EgLY96dtIqyiwxZbcaWelOOOQvCMJPD247ONx8MDuOHg/s1600/orangina+vieille+pub.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How to attract attention in the App Store?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Being an amateur, I don't have a definitive answer BUT I do have a few clues. Let's start with colors.<br />
<br />
Studies have shown that people tend to associate colors with emotions: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">white</span></span> is pure, cold or high tech since Steve Jobs decided so but it is a mourning color in Asia; <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>red</b></span> is associated with heat, passion and is the color the eye recognizes most quickly; <b>black</b> is associated with sophistication, power or underground (Anonymous for example); <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;">green</span></b> is nature, environment, more generally associated with wisdom; <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">yellow</b></span> is the most attractive color for the eye, the most tiresome also, supposed to go with fun and used with black it's a strong teaser; <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: magenta;"><b>purple</b></span> is power but difficult to use; <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;"><b>brown</b></span> is both nature and strength; <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>blue</b></span> which is the most popular color especially for men often associated with trust. No wonder why most brands use blue. And finally <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f4cccc;"><b>pink</b></span> which is associated with romance and the favorite color for women (which I challenge since I won't bet on any guy dressed up in pink for a date).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDpbygsvDFH_g0uDOG_kaux_l6zf2R43sXL9KFpESutJBye5yCM17BQhS6sSAElwWPyN5oEEMgHmLcZioMhjy9XDgGXSYxjaE3z-q3jCuWNZhohkaCv8awMyAZnl9Y04v81wasF_6f1RY/s1600/lady-in-red-matrix+final+2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDpbygsvDFH_g0uDOG_kaux_l6zf2R43sXL9KFpESutJBye5yCM17BQhS6sSAElwWPyN5oEEMgHmLcZioMhjy9XDgGXSYxjaE3z-q3jCuWNZhohkaCv8awMyAZnl9Y04v81wasF_6f1RY/s1600/lady-in-red-matrix+final+2.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colors help you get noticed from the App crowd</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Now what's the best color for an app icon on the App Store? Remember that the App Store is a grey world, so avoid grey of course but also black, at least for the background. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Depending on the target you have, I suggest you choose the following:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
For business, productivity or any category which is serious, I would pick blue, brown or white as favorites and handle with care the others. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
For health I would pick white and blue.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
For everything around games, I'd go for more vivid colors like red, yellow, everything which catches the eye of young folks. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
If you've been clever, your graphical interface was already in line with your target and all you need is to duplicate.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
You are still not sure? Well, make a test. Like for name get random people <u>in line with you target audience</u> and make them choose between several png colors for the same name and see how it goes. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_yWPWpjgKphCCy9NRWaXNOMmftjHN_FfWFqt-nQajFWGpijQ8yBhVAH4O5gvRy3xccg5sBj-udrTG3deM0Dbhv3AAe6nkIF8HtaYQhFPF0Q-lDTEDbe9BwiC_fogOrU8eugtxiNdqL1k/s1600/monty+python+stoning.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_yWPWpjgKphCCy9NRWaXNOMmftjHN_FfWFqt-nQajFWGpijQ8yBhVAH4O5gvRy3xccg5sBj-udrTG3deM0Dbhv3AAe6nkIF8HtaYQhFPF0Q-lDTEDbe9BwiC_fogOrU8eugtxiNdqL1k/s1600/monty+python+stoning.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Make sure your color attracts the right target audience</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
To tell the truth, we didn't act this way since we were more or less in a rush. Our app icon has been designed after our graphical interface which was brown so we didn't get it completely wrong. But not having it right the first time is not that critical, you can change your icon with a new version, so there is always time to do things right.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
If you want to explore some more about colors: </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Generic about colors:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
- <a href="http://blog.kissmetrics.com/color-psychology/" target="_blank">Kissmetrics blog</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
- <a href="http://blog.marketo.com/blog/2012/06/true-colors-what-your-brand-colors-say-about-your-business.html" target="_blank">Marketo Blog </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
More specific about icons</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
- <a href="http://www.mobileapptesting.com/most-common-app-icon-colors/2012/08/" target="_blank">Mobile testing blog</a> which has some very useful information</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
- <a href="http://friggeri.net/blog/data-mining-color-analysis-tehula-icon/" target="_blank">Adrien Friggeri</a> experience on the iphone</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
And if you need inspiration, check out <a href="http://iphone.appstorm.net/roundups/design/30-gorgeous-iphone-app-interfaces-icons/" target="_blank">AppStorm review</a> of most gorgeous icons. They didn't pick iTakeNotes but we are forgiving.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02601962113899154907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1271955345368572838.post-43318291356322190522013-01-12T11:59:00.001-08:002013-02-20T00:10:50.331-08:00Finding the right App nameFinding the right App name is everyone's obsession. There are plenty of theories around setting up brand names : it has to be positive, make reference to something people aspire to etc etc<br />
Well would that be true then someone may explain to me why a pathetic name such as Google has been such a global success? Or Microsoft? Or Volskwagen? Or Lady Gaga?<br />
<br />
Let's be serious: of course having a cool name is important, but if the product behind is crappy, it will be shortlived anyway. Like for people, a name, in the end, is just a name. Customers will ultimately decide if the product is worth it or not. And with virus marketing, you can bet they will make your promotion.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9V63PeLFk5Utnnd1yshv0ADBKNlWM8AQcreP8QKZT2IeKPazQFu9_nr7crTWzhb3gLX6HHdFnY-IDXtTGZTUu8mZE7V3KGoVTEBKe9eKCeevXdf0F9Y1dQydUC9eNDFV4SK5hvBE0_uU/s1600/hudsucker+proxy+boy+playing.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9V63PeLFk5Utnnd1yshv0ADBKNlWM8AQcreP8QKZT2IeKPazQFu9_nr7crTWzhb3gLX6HHdFnY-IDXtTGZTUu8mZE7V3KGoVTEBKe9eKCeevXdf0F9Y1dQydUC9eNDFV4SK5hvBE0_uU/s320/hudsucker+proxy+boy+playing.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> That thing is cool with or without a name</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
OK but we still need a name, don't we? So how do we choose it? So here's my advice:<br />
<br />
Remember the <a href="http://itakenotes-an-appstore-adventure.blogspot.fr/2012/12/the-umbrella-principle-and-why-office.html" target="_blank">umbrella principle</a>. The name must answer for your app main feature. Don't go look for exotic names, remember that the App Store is a very crowded place and for one category you pick there may be thousands of Apps, so don't go confusing too much the customer.<br />
<br />
I also suggest you look for several names and not just one. In my case I came up with iTakeNotes, Minutes and a few others. Then make a quick check that they don't exist on the App Store. Once that's done, pick up a few people from various backgrounds <u>who have no idea what you are working on</u> and who could be interested in your App. That would rule out wife, husband, significant other, mom and dad and whoever would be too nice with you. 5 to 10 people is a good number for a "focus group" because that's what this is.<br />
<br />
Then ask them what kind of app they would suppose each name is about. Once they are done, tell them about the concept and see how they react. Listen to what they say (even if it's sometime painful) and which one they would pick. If the whole process ends up without a name, try again. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiahxg1xIf_ptgBR62xyhcZ6C3TB_hUa7BGJ9GFm4Cr4U9V6oA4RfvxHQEZnsgFMFeicnKzPZyddxtoxEN6SClnSKvI7aJ3M78m_eEomjxumZDZwWxsbakW8aIU_rNpLcWBzDU64CkROpk/s1600/wizard+of+oz+laughing.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiahxg1xIf_ptgBR62xyhcZ6C3TB_hUa7BGJ9GFm4Cr4U9V6oA4RfvxHQEZnsgFMFeicnKzPZyddxtoxEN6SClnSKvI7aJ3M78m_eEomjxumZDZwWxsbakW8aIU_rNpLcWBzDU64CkROpk/s320/wizard+of+oz+laughing.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reactions to name proposals can be disappointing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
When you have finally picked up your name, I suggest you make a quick reservation of the web domain and why not for a change picking up yourname.app .<br />
<br />
Now here are a few spoilers on the App Store:<br />
<br />
-You can add a keyword to your app name in each language: say you have a name for a cooking app, you can add "Cool Recipes" in English and to whichever language you publish your app.<br />
- Don't try cheating with the alphabet, so far it seems that only release dates or ranking have an importance on the positioning of your App.<br />
- Apple prohibits the use iPad and iPhone names, so it seems.<br />
<br />
If you want to check for more spoilers, I suggest you check out the following blogs:<br />
- <a href="http://learnphoto.ca/newbappdeveloper/whats-in-a-name/" target="_blank">Noel Chenier's blog</a> who has a great article on this subject<br />
- <a href="http://bhapca.blogspot.fr/2011/11/choosing-name-for-your-ios-app.html" target="_blank">Bogdan's thoughts</a> on app name rejections<br />
- <a href="http://happipapi.com/blog/choose-your-app-store-name-wisely-it-cannot-be-changed" target="_blank">Happi Papi</a> on name changes<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02601962113899154907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1271955345368572838.post-50548767110915872752013-01-05T10:13:00.004-08:002013-02-19T03:04:02.410-08:00Apple Submission Check List<br />
Now that you believe you're done with testing and your App is ready, you will proceed to the developer's holy temple, <a href="https://itunesconnect.apple.com/WebObjects/iTunesConnect.woa" target="_blank">iTunes Connect</a>. It is designed to give you access to all resources you need to manage your App.<br />
<br />
Back when I thought iTakeNotes would be ready in no time, I registered on iTunes Connect right from the start and paid for my developer's license too early. I suggest you do that when your App is maturing, no need to rush.<br />
<br />
Apple is very tight on registration so make sure all necessary company numbers are ready and that your company exists. In case you're an individual entrepreneur, I believe the process is a little easier.<br />
<br />
Anyway don't even think about talking to anyone at Apple at this stage, the whole process is highly industrialized. You do as they say or you just won't access the millions of iPad users waiting for you.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEJ3hdJ0Qdb0F8_5_OoxBNG3yfeU36VtKErkADWOaegBA7geSrU46umNc11CLYvsoVtUJzar5ogfZdUzEOtsvpdP7BabyyaEz5WUXSbabXhUTdRgQunK2LEGK_aBNS2nnpqKkCDdmkM0o/s1600/full_metal_jacket.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEJ3hdJ0Qdb0F8_5_OoxBNG3yfeU36VtKErkADWOaegBA7geSrU46umNc11CLYvsoVtUJzar5ogfZdUzEOtsvpdP7BabyyaEz5WUXSbabXhUTdRgQunK2LEGK_aBNS2nnpqKkCDdmkM0o/s1600/full_metal_jacket.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just do as Apple says</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Once registration is done, you can proceed with your app. BUT... there are important things you need to have when you arrive at this stage:<br />
<br />
- <a href="http://itakenotes-an-appstore-adventure.blogspot.fr/2013/01/finding-right-app-name.html" target="_blank">An App name</a><br />
- An App icon appealing enough for the App Store <a href="http://itakenotes-an-appstore-adventure.blogspot.fr/2013/01/whats-best-color-for-app-icon.html" target="_blank">in color</a> and in <a href="http://itakenotes-an-appstore-adventure.blogspot.fr/2013/01/what-is-best-design-for-app-icon.html" target="_blank">design</a><br />
- A list of <a href="http://itakenotes-an-appstore-adventure.blogspot.fr/2013/02/what-is-real-impact-of-keywords-on-app.html" target="_blank">keywords</a><br />
- A 10 lines <a href="http://itakenotes-an-appstore-adventure.blogspot.fr/2013/02/best-marketing-pitch-for-app-store_16.html" target="_blank">marketing pitch</a> describing your app making good use of <a href="http://itakenotes-an-appstore-adventure.blogspot.fr/2013/02/best-marketing-pitch-for-app-store.html" target="_blank">reading patterns</a><br />
- 4 Screenshots of your app<br />
- A fancy website with in depth explanations<br />
- A demo video if you are good at it<br />
- Email adresses for inquiries and customer support<br />
- A price<br />
- A banking account in case you end up doing revenues<br />
<br />
Did we have all that when we came up on iTunes Connect? Well, partially. So we had to fill up the gaps ourselves. And since we believe in our guiding principle, <a href="http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/readers-digest-complete-doityo-75726" target="_blank">"Do It Yourself" </a>, we did everything ourselves.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX4SL2052byGrqyxyj2xUewfy5e0_aUz0tljNd90YLHaVVAw5Yau_OuFpEWNUlP-Dw9haVxd1tnsSxM2RAMfQ-DQhxv2neiu7W8ZHBjxtqp2zo_DL0fqRO1xNKcLu8OD4zP7bV9EcD8eM/s1600/of+course+I+can.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX4SL2052byGrqyxyj2xUewfy5e0_aUz0tljNd90YLHaVVAw5Yau_OuFpEWNUlP-Dw9haVxd1tnsSxM2RAMfQ-DQhxv2neiu7W8ZHBjxtqp2zo_DL0fqRO1xNKcLu8OD4zP7bV9EcD8eM/s320/of+course+I+can.jpg" width="234" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Our upcoming posts will describe each of these items in details, one by one, yes we can!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02601962113899154907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1271955345368572838.post-43398866718199807742012-12-31T03:20:00.006-08:002012-12-31T03:20:59.245-08:00Happy New Year Bonne Année 2013 <div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Happy new year 2013! Best wishes to you all !</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Bonne année 2013! Meilleurs voeux!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDeaSbtI0M7QxMDROTbHOHqjjGrnbscSrwcFMGLBR-eQqEyZaZd8swARok6KjQAGJhNAR8nST1izXQQcbwI4PZIre_IR5zGrxxUX5XZNEQ8jzhsEmnKgAW8lZNbFCnTCI5viMBcfRZCX0/s1600/finally+2013.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDeaSbtI0M7QxMDROTbHOHqjjGrnbscSrwcFMGLBR-eQqEyZaZd8swARok6KjQAGJhNAR8nST1izXQQcbwI4PZIre_IR5zGrxxUX5XZNEQ8jzhsEmnKgAW8lZNbFCnTCI5viMBcfRZCX0/s1600/finally+2013.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally 2013 shows up! Let's hug!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Next post in 2013!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02601962113899154907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1271955345368572838.post-75440427638257824372012-12-29T11:06:00.002-08:002013-02-20T00:11:49.507-08:00App user testing : Getting ready for the big moveAfter 2 months of hard rework and extensive design and recoding, the app reaches the stage where we can test it.<br />
2 months may sound long to some but remember we are family men and we work at night. I've read recently that start ups behave like rock bands and I find it very true, we just don't have the road shows in far away places on week ends.<br />
<br />
If you come from the IT world, you know about user testing. Back in the "old ways", user testing would happen at the very end of the project and would be very structured with long user scenarios and so on. The software world has gone very far in industrializing the process and when a product reaches user testing, if the work has been done properly, they are not that many critical bugs i.e crashes that prevent you from doing what you are supposed to do.<br />
<br />
IPad app user testing is different. It is closer to web like applications development and what people in IT call Rapid Application Development meaning coding and testing go in parallel. However there are 2 things that you need to know about iPad apps user testing:<br />
<br />
- iPads may sound homogeneous but there are multiple configurations out there: iPad 1, iPad 2 and so on, various ios versions and it seems that some apps will generate memory issues. So sometimes the App will crash on one configuration and not on another and finding the bug can be very time consuming.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwG0mKdK17T2RIPQBf3d2k3tv6Bj1bG1LD3uxiOrqfXzg_alBTr-WUsQsN4nt0ra-jadfM7z98dnW5Pmk2Qik3BUrJa_qpw9ZlyB6OVqsxb-58b1oPA0tW9yA62Mr0SOQVqPB4V_e_GpQ/s1600/black_lagoon_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwG0mKdK17T2RIPQBf3d2k3tv6Bj1bG1LD3uxiOrqfXzg_alBTr-WUsQsN4nt0ra-jadfM7z98dnW5Pmk2Qik3BUrJa_qpw9ZlyB6OVqsxb-58b1oPA0tW9yA62Mr0SOQVqPB4V_e_GpQ/s1600/black_lagoon_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let's admit it: bugs are a hassle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
- It happens all along the project with 2 stages:<br />
Stage #1: you test it home, some features work fine, some not at all, multiple crashes, several days to fix them. Fine.<br />
Stage #2: you make the tests in real life situation.<br />
Why? Because the Apple development environment happens on Mac and even if the simulator is good, it feels very different on your tablet where you happen to use your fingers and not the mouse pointer.<br />
And also because if you have followed us so far, you know that the umbrella principle applies. If you want to test the umbrella, get out when it's raining and see how it goes.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKvFSL8iq1UUdIp0O2XpJa54dq-OPA6sOq-JtTfc_n-Hg-5CPVYvBpgzorP6va3qNtgMMVb98G3aF3gI2Z7KcWtTxsdp7IYYMVyufc_XKi6WwkUedm-AK3JXVuDZa0wO-PJqDbWjnM8ww/s1600/doctor+cockroch.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKvFSL8iq1UUdIp0O2XpJa54dq-OPA6sOq-JtTfc_n-Hg-5CPVYvBpgzorP6va3qNtgMMVb98G3aF3gI2Z7KcWtTxsdp7IYYMVyufc_XKi6WwkUedm-AK3JXVuDZa0wO-PJqDbWjnM8ww/s400/doctor+cockroch.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No test is worth a real life testing </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
So we took our iPads in multiple meetings. And we tested and we crashed and we fixed. It was very painful when it crashed during meetings so we really made sure it will NOT happen again. The very good point is that it gave us new ideas on features we could propose to the user.<br />
More importantly we were able to "impress our colleagues" with a report right at the end of a meeting and saved us a LOT of time. Audio records were also a must, you can really write down minutes without any mistake.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8W_krdKdWjUU_0pHuW9cK_759yo5t7oaBt625fQcSzt3PwxZ-WRHVDxRKnj3fWht3OwbVHVuM4dHcmhbwkX53AyESdBrIf5ttKT7gHog-NZHBHsuPEL94uJo4waWYlLocs67lnMPfd_U/s1600/07+BigLebowskiDance.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8W_krdKdWjUU_0pHuW9cK_759yo5t7oaBt625fQcSzt3PwxZ-WRHVDxRKnj3fWht3OwbVHVuM4dHcmhbwkX53AyESdBrIf5ttKT7gHog-NZHBHsuPEL94uJo4waWYlLocs67lnMPfd_U/s320/07+BigLebowskiDance.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When you're done testing your app, you feel indestructible</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<i><b>Lesson#7: Good real life testing should make you feel comfortable for submission</b></i><br />
<br />
Time now to get prepared for the big show, the Apple submission.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02601962113899154907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1271955345368572838.post-2686182448835366822012-12-27T11:13:00.000-08:002013-02-24T01:10:16.792-08:00The umbrella principle and why Office like suites are in troubleWith a mobile device app, what is important is the context where the user is and the added value you bring to him. I call it the <b>umbrella principle</b>. Let me explain.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6o3mqtpI_6Ww9rpPg1EdO5GtOCNMTgLQS3ok70o43DE9uE1emrCrm7bMWgNyFzJfGkAo63YDa7tepLMTgjN8d7-xl1pAkwoN8eCPuGV8D8OIqqaodUhfE55HYuoC2fbirBUkbAd2hBCo/s1600/Singin-in-the-Rain-classic-movies-865382_1024_768.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6o3mqtpI_6Ww9rpPg1EdO5GtOCNMTgLQS3ok70o43DE9uE1emrCrm7bMWgNyFzJfGkAo63YDa7tepLMTgjN8d7-xl1pAkwoN8eCPuGV8D8OIqqaodUhfE55HYuoC2fbirBUkbAd2hBCo/s1600/Singin-in-the-Rain-classic-movies-865382_1024_768.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Umbrellas and apps have much in common</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
If you go to a museum nowadays, you'll see people walking around with iPads, looking at a painting or a sculpture, googling it out on their iPad to get details or explanations. Some do that their with smartphones as well. And museums out there are designing apps to help people walk around and promote museum stuff such as in <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/american-museum-natural-history-launches-mobile-app-visitors-iphones-ipads-ipod-touches-article-1.468760?print" target="_blank">NYC Natural History Museum</a>. <br />
<br />
As it may have occurred to you, none of this ever happened with laptops because they aren't designed for<em> this</em> kind of mobility. And the same thing applies to applications and office type suites. It means that, as Google has understood it, office type suites are to become a commodity and Microsoft Office is in trouble.<br />
I am not saying that Office like suites will disappear on tablets but what I believe is that their usage will decrease and so will the prices the users are likely to spend on them. Why? Because these applications were designed for computers (desktops and laptops), they give the user an incredible freedom but they are not "<em>situational". </em><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH8FMdx4tgSJXF9Vz3uSH3OmG21qbV3_zV35SWqfrFVYU-TGZPiQv9XbSMGrwX5_N7PGMwD0_DzATqRTRmTyK04Z4Tb2OnFot2njNSDUKBHhOfePfruVTgvU-2h_9whzOH9Q_nYpd2ZD4/s1600/captain+kirk-choking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH8FMdx4tgSJXF9Vz3uSH3OmG21qbV3_zV35SWqfrFVYU-TGZPiQv9XbSMGrwX5_N7PGMwD0_DzATqRTRmTyK04Z4Tb2OnFot2njNSDUKBHhOfePfruVTgvU-2h_9whzOH9Q_nYpd2ZD4/s1600/captain+kirk-choking.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mobile apps are giving Office like suites a hard time</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Business apps designed for tablets or smartphones are <em>"situational", </em>they are designed to answer one situation and add value to it. Just like an umbrella which is useful when it rains. That's the <b>umbrella principle</b>.<br />
<br />
iTakeNotes have been designed with this principle in mind.<br />
<br />
<i>Situation</i>: you go to a meeting and you have to do a meeting report.<br />
<i>Added value</i>: You can prepare it beforehand or jumpstart and set the elements afterwards. You can record what is said and take pics or draw and use them to finalize your reports. You can generate a structured report right after the meeting with all elements set up. And finally you can generate an email and send the pdf or txt to the participants. The added value is 30-50% time saving.<br />
<br />
It's a push button process and word processors don't do that. And I know what I am talking about. I've been writing tons of meeting and interview reports, forgetting things, rewriting and I hated it.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNJeINJB956l43Ak3lcZOZfwkoCRM2pNO0xTKbRJwR-X36nLllV_oxtQr3pEVMxdIUKVwdtV4A4AtacxzUg-dIM1VlT4Wdjc_u027gbhkK621NgfsAh3DiM0JLWkGAfAW-l03ZIDErMps/s1600/OldMeeting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNJeINJB956l43Ak3lcZOZfwkoCRM2pNO0xTKbRJwR-X36nLllV_oxtQr3pEVMxdIUKVwdtV4A4AtacxzUg-dIM1VlT4Wdjc_u027gbhkK621NgfsAh3DiM0JLWkGAfAW-l03ZIDErMps/s320/OldMeeting.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And now gentlemen, who will write the meeting report?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Other features will be of course be available to accommodate upcoming needs. But for a first dry version it has to concentrate on key added value.</div>
</div>
<br />
<i><b>Lesson learned: Concentrate your app on its key features and make sure the added value is there in the situation it is designed for. Forget the rest. </b></i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02601962113899154907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1271955345368572838.post-89471328816691570372012-12-25T13:50:00.001-08:002013-02-23T08:34:37.241-08:00Time to market: how long can the chicken cross the road?All right, we have lost enough time: between the moment I got my idea and the moment our team was up and ready, 9 months have been wasted.<br />
Everyone tells you that time to market is everything. I challenge this opinion. Big time.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW7hemPKIxBnU0s1iG93e5v6kdBmi0L06aKXB4oSiVI9ZcOiiIWhYa8tfr4W2Agg3MvAy9164GbpjZBl71n79cFtY1N7HZmpB6aZBCCz-f3znfSlfGFXRLUjvUk__rgZlxoW36aXv5cV0/s1600/batmantimebomb.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW7hemPKIxBnU0s1iG93e5v6kdBmi0L06aKXB4oSiVI9ZcOiiIWhYa8tfr4W2Agg3MvAy9164GbpjZBl71n79cFtY1N7HZmpB6aZBCCz-f3znfSlfGFXRLUjvUk__rgZlxoW36aXv5cV0/s1600/batmantimebomb.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time to market, a time bomb?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
Don't get me wrong here. Time is important, it's a variable you need to take into account. but it's not everything. Between the time the web was accessible (1995) to everyone and Facebook turned out (2005), how long? Sure HTML evolved and web changed into 2.0 but was technology the only issue here? Of course not, <i><b>maturity</b></i> is what matters here.<br />
The first iPod was released in 2001, the iPhone in 2007, the first iPad was shipped on April 2010. And those products keep evolving. Even if that sounds strange in a world where technology is everything, products and markets evolve and mature <i>with</i> time.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfRn2-jPpPI08PstWwUkiy_jLty4O2y9NuG1dcGIzW9h6lW0Xd4tA3_LFL8dVRAb9ktLNJ08SuA70KuQZzmyFDp15CiuSokbc9DCUqVt8twqS97YGHwunaOy8nqpIVr4AKttDqmeKm3hE/s1600/Car-Phone-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfRn2-jPpPI08PstWwUkiy_jLty4O2y9NuG1dcGIzW9h6lW0Xd4tA3_LFL8dVRAb9ktLNJ08SuA70KuQZzmyFDp15CiuSokbc9DCUqVt8twqS97YGHwunaOy8nqpIVr4AKttDqmeKm3hE/s320/Car-Phone-1.jpg" width="317" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First car phone, not so cool when you use it in a roundabout</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
If you take into account the equipment rate, people started using the iPad in 2011. Do we really know all the usages that are enabled by the iPad? And I'm talking only about general apps. Now let's talk about business apps.<br />
Even if everyone agrees that the laptop is doomed and that tablets are to replace it, how many people do you know have given up their laptop since they have an iPad? None. And why's that? Because businesses cannot yet replace laptops and despite all the "freemium" frenzy and what your kids may think, iPads are not for free.<br />
<br />
The average price of the iPad is $550 in march 2012 whereas the average price of a windows laptop is $513. So instead of spending $513, the average business would spend more than a $1000 per user? Not likely.<br />
When both features and prices will be in line, <i>then </i>you can guess laptops will drop sharply and join VCRs, wired phones and stereo systems in history books. With Amazon, Google & friends and Windows & friends trying to jump in the bandwagon, you can bet this will happen.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpb16fxpCn7waDTdDonxiugmS6d5RkBJysLe8CHfKuxrBS-WlQHsmEJIaYUsy-G8eqN640uQaiSHs1UWsXAJZT2hKCfzoMj51VXsKrNOwZ-V5r2KCFYdb1bL1RaVYeRYkLxXgr0LyG1LI/s1600/Popeipad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpb16fxpCn7waDTdDonxiugmS6d5RkBJysLe8CHfKuxrBS-WlQHsmEJIaYUsy-G8eqN640uQaiSHs1UWsXAJZT2hKCfzoMj51VXsKrNOwZ-V5r2KCFYdb1bL1RaVYeRYkLxXgr0LyG1LI/s320/Popeipad.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't worry, everyone will have a tablet</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Now there are about more than 1.8 billions laptops out there (about 380 millions are sold every year and I took 6 years lifetime if you want to know). And how many iPads are out there? 80 millions as of September 2012. Do I let you do the maths?<br />
So when the market is 5% of what it should become in, say, 3 years, who is arrogant enough to tell you how such a massive number of people are going to use and behave with their tablets?<br />
<i><br /></i><i><b>Instead of concentrating on time, tablets software vendors must concentrate on getting the right product with the right features, able to evolve with the market.</b> </i><br />
<br />
Does iTakeNotes fall in this category? You bet!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02601962113899154907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1271955345368572838.post-36025895879548872822012-12-25T09:25:00.001-08:002012-12-25T09:25:20.477-08:00Developing the app - episode 3 : A new hopeAs I said, I was in the middle of nowhere. I was contacting IT firms, many of them were talking about starting all over the project with in many cases serious doubts about the possibility of getting some of the results I was looking for on an iPad app.<br />
Proposed budgets were also far from the idea I had in my business model. Don't get me wrong, I am not related to Uncle Scrooge but I tend to dislike throwing money down the drain and my previous experience was pretty bad enough if you've read this blog from the beginning.<br />
I have realized the net and the iWorld were pretty close to the wild west and I was not ready to give away money to people I didn't know or who couldn't get recommended by anyone I trusted.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhOA3DAoQAEOX2GxSatWioOk4S63golvuSGDtw06mCIcN2fT9Now0Db8jvjOgpgBrElfGk9f9nfEunlY3N3nnhG1Lzx6zQwT6C5N34Wgj4qPUTCipg35TnR3m26gMDNR9CiUd3ERog-90/s1600/Once-upon-a-time-in-the-West1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhOA3DAoQAEOX2GxSatWioOk4S63golvuSGDtw06mCIcN2fT9Now0Db8jvjOgpgBrElfGk9f9nfEunlY3N3nnhG1Lzx6zQwT6C5N34Wgj4qPUTCipg35TnR3m26gMDNR9CiUd3ERog-90/s320/Once-upon-a-time-in-the-West1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hard to find people you can trust in the App world</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Speaking of trust, one thing I was late realizing was that my own personal network could be of help. A friend of a friend had developed an iPhone app, I might as well get in touch with him, even to get an advice...<br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i>Lesson #2: never underestimate the power of your own network</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
So through a friend, I met with <a href="http://www.horen.net/" target="_blank">Guillaume Horen</a> who happens to have developed with David Ughetto an iPhone app named <a href="http://www.applifab.com/optivisit/" target="_blank">Optivisit</a> designed to help you ranking and classifying real estate visits. And they have developed it on their own, graphical interface and app.<br />
Ironically we met in a place called "La Grande Armée", "the Great Army" (of Napoleon), a restaurant near Arc de Triomphe in Paris.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQYVSjw43DNwHyMiOqWbYt9SKWlehhr9cp0cBwNyMiuAtogPtLEfRCPvtskdF1QW_HMjbd6y6Cdu1w8S-M425hRP2wdTCT-2nOyQiLJ3JnG_laC8Zpz-YpsZIodhzj7CdxR4YAJXpnbFs/s1600/la+grande+arme%CC%81e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQYVSjw43DNwHyMiOqWbYt9SKWlehhr9cp0cBwNyMiuAtogPtLEfRCPvtskdF1QW_HMjbd6y6Cdu1w8S-M425hRP2wdTCT-2nOyQiLJ3JnG_laC8Zpz-YpsZIodhzj7CdxR4YAJXpnbFs/s320/la+grande+arme%CC%81e.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small teams meet in great places</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I showed them the project (the interface, the bugged App) and the added value. We had a good discussion and a few days later we decided to go forward.<br />
To make a long story short, we ended up partnering in the company I created not right away but a few months later.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Lesson #3: Three are better than one</i></b><br />
<br />
Why? Because we bring complementary skills to this project. And that's a big lesson I learned overall. a team can do much better than one person, especially when it's not a full time job.<br />
But not <i>any</i> team will do: experience in coding and ability to develop/modify a graphical interface are key to any success in the iWorld.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJhM3FDxz2Mz2PR9B3-b9JRynsQtHfBfiDHX1xZEoieMQLpwaofEk2Y0MrGIdUs1HhZHMbtCNUth9livdgx2kLZJbuCjmD7rIG-dPa70FjgIjIbqWPSyEevpAK_sm3mG7zc_oRyEzp94U/s1600/three-amigos-chevy-chase-steve-martin-martin-short.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJhM3FDxz2Mz2PR9B3-b9JRynsQtHfBfiDHX1xZEoieMQLpwaofEk2Y0MrGIdUs1HhZHMbtCNUth9livdgx2kLZJbuCjmD7rIG-dPa70FjgIjIbqWPSyEevpAK_sm3mG7zc_oRyEzp94U/s320/three-amigos-chevy-chase-steve-martin-martin-short.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not any team can do the job</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Great coding skill helps you include quickly in your app new available coding features instead of reinventing the wheel. Printing a pdf for example is a feature that's already been developed, don't bother wasting time coding. Instead better concentrate on the added value your app is bringing to the end user.<br />
It is also the ability to fix the bugs that will appear. And except in you live in Lala's world, there are always bugs hiding somewhere especially considering the multiple ipad/ios combinations.<br />
And finally great coding brings a great point of view that is truly enriching when mixed up with others.<br />
<br />
Graphical interface is also a real expertise: it is both being able to bring up the top graphics and getting the best user experience. A new feature that you haven't thought about will need a graphical object or symbol.<br />
And don't think that because you happened to be gifted in drawing when you were 10, you'll be kicking ass in designing a graphical user interface. It is a long learning curve and it doesn't come cheap. And even if you have that expertise in your team, there are still some little things here and there that will require you to buy a software license or call an individual consultant.<br />
<br />
Now iTakeNotes is in better shape to get finalized and reach the Appstore but we are not there yet: choosing priority features with a clear roadmap and setting up the sales and marketing pack are next.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02601962113899154907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1271955345368572838.post-26241224041652485042012-12-24T05:10:00.002-08:002012-12-24T05:10:22.153-08:00Developing the app - Episode 2 - Looking for helpShopping for an iPhone / iPad developer doesn't sound that hard at first. It's just a question of finding the right person and pay the right price.<br />
But it isn't that easy: the iPhone and iPad markets are just booming and there are not that many developers in Paris. I could try hiring someone in the US or elsewhere in the world but I am too old fashioned: I like to see the person who is supposed to translate my requirements into a business app. I have been doing enough user testing in my consulting life to know that working with some distant developers can drive you insane.<br />
So I turned to Google search and start collecting names of developers in the area and found myself a small web agency specialized in the area: I met 2 typical Apple geeks which got interested in my project and signed in to provide me with:<br />
- a user interface<br />
- a working app<br />
I signed a fixed fee contract with a variable fee tied to the revenues.<br />
A few weeks later we produced the business requirements and a glimpse at the look & feel. I got the user interface later on and with a few changes it seemed to me that I was on the right track.<br />
I also found out the name : "takenotes", "meeting minutes" and so on until I found "iTakeNotes" which I tested with a few friends and the name had a good feedback. I opened a page on Facebook, created the company (which is in France always a headache) and waited for a first release.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghhARAIsv5OIcDFnO4U5bs2zNyuhERKOTVqRpvt1sFEQ9MIP2yykDicUoCRnld6UUnUG-5Vz8x7bh_7WhW7nhWS_W2GnXixKTxJVvFx55zW7iKCwQonG7cwRCBF8n8iLoVmbUYT6zgkcA/s1600/e%CC%81cran+EN+01+rogne%CC%81.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghhARAIsv5OIcDFnO4U5bs2zNyuhERKOTVqRpvt1sFEQ9MIP2yykDicUoCRnld6UUnUG-5Vz8x7bh_7WhW7nhWS_W2GnXixKTxJVvFx55zW7iKCwQonG7cwRCBF8n8iLoVmbUYT6zgkcA/s320/e%CC%81cran+EN+01+rogne%CC%81.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">iTakeNotes first user interface</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The first release arrived. But to my disappointment there were a LOT of bugs with very little features. So I did all the necessary user testing, posted the bugs and waited.<br />
<br />
And waited... Nothing seemed to happen, responses were taking longer and I finally got a response stating that they were having financial issues and that we needed to double the budget to finish up the product.<br />
We weren't talking about millions but still, there was something wrong. The 2 guys I had hired were fine in designing user interface and setting up a look and feel but truth is they weren't coding. And the coding expertise was somewhere else.<br />
<br />
So what is their added value? I figured I'd do better on my own and recover my interface and my product as it was and look myself to get help elsewhere. I could have sued them but that wouldn't have got my product done, they were not able to produce it.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Lesson learned: if the external help you are getting isn't able to code in Objective C, look somewhere else.</b></i><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhbIDSt35AECdM_fH646FngGDmSGRmbnK51_ANqRp_wouSyzViPJVl592eTWpzWgJGRBisR4uahtOGMTEh0r-LE2z9qgOlBge83HbqgDS7cYcmiY0Jp0IaUzLUjNJCJBA4HQAGwICnfOw/s1600/rocky_balboa-10762.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhbIDSt35AECdM_fH646FngGDmSGRmbnK51_ANqRp_wouSyzViPJVl592eTWpzWgJGRBisR4uahtOGMTEh0r-LE2z9qgOlBge83HbqgDS7cYcmiY0Jp0IaUzLUjNJCJBA4HQAGwICnfOw/s320/rocky_balboa-10762.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ultimate test of motivation</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
At that point of the project, I had my code and my user interface but nothing else. The Appstore seemed really far away. I was desperate. I was close to give up. Fortunately for me, there was an episode 3.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02601962113899154907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1271955345368572838.post-81454693236660765212012-12-24T01:54:00.002-08:002012-12-24T01:54:37.511-08:00Developing the app - episode 1 - Try it yourself and then don'tDeveloping an app for iPad mustn't be that bad.<br />
<br />
When I was 13, I learned Basic, a scriptural language and I used to develop <i>amazing</i> programs on my Commodore 64. Don't bother looking for Basic tutorial on the web, that thing is way too old for the net, you will need to get into history book. And Commodore 64 was a top computer back then, not some TV show.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GS4PDOXUDa8dIUS_oPjiSeGHau_t-YlqzeIQk-vHEp9ihdObp4o-5oFejL513klDBUaUeANhOq6BdJ-YokwQeqo_02kcGjEoiy9Lr0tn298KfNsaN3NZeWKAsnkEYXs5NHVkFxTyXio/s1600/basic+on+c64.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GS4PDOXUDa8dIUS_oPjiSeGHau_t-YlqzeIQk-vHEp9ihdObp4o-5oFejL513klDBUaUeANhOq6BdJ-YokwQeqo_02kcGjEoiy9Lr0tn298KfNsaN3NZeWKAsnkEYXs5NHVkFxTyXio/s320/basic+on+c64.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A good old Basic screen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Anyway, I was sure I could do it so I started looking around for tutorials. I bought 2 books : <a href="http://www.amazon.com/iPhone-Application-Development-Dummies-Computers/dp/0470487372">Developing iPhone apps for Dummies</a> and another one of the same kind. The books were all about setting up Xcode, the developer framework, for a start.<br />
<br />
First of all, don't even think about developing on iPad or iPhone if you don't have a Mac. Apple doesn't provide any developer framework on Windows and even if here and there they explain to you how to set up Xcode on Windows, unless you are McGiver, don't even think about it. Get a Mac. By chance I happened to have one.<br />
<br />
So I downloaded Xcode on the Mac Appstore which is for free (worth saying because there's not that many things for free in this story).<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioJIfqiltxnxThV70oTdE8OiEmK58z8x93XYTdYShfcLZ27wAzG1S3LToBHB0Mv9lVaXVbEtv0D9lhn002jbx8IEil5ToDlJ5U28UFLLaAGeRmqVXGsivsuMKA_0zVTW3mpnT3fnRxETM/s1600/Xcode-Mac-App-Store.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioJIfqiltxnxThV70oTdE8OiEmK58z8x93XYTdYShfcLZ27wAzG1S3LToBHB0Mv9lVaXVbEtv0D9lhn002jbx8IEil5ToDlJ5U28UFLLaAGeRmqVXGsivsuMKA_0zVTW3mpnT3fnRxETM/s320/Xcode-Mac-App-Store.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Xcode doesn't look too hard</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Once with Xcode and the dummies book in your hand, you feel like Steve Jobs in his garage, well at least for the first 50 pages. Then it gets really rough.<br />
<br />
Developing an app requires you to master Objective C, an object oriented language which is at the core of all Apple developments. I found two ways to improve my Objective C level (which was level zero when I started):<br />
- iTunes University which provides some classes on the subject<br />
- a website named <a href="http://Lynda.com/">Lynda.com</a> which is focused on software training and has tons of really good video courses. I recommend the courses given by <a href="http://simonallardice.com/#490/twitter">Simon Allardice</a> on what is object oriented programming (mandatory) and objective C (really good).<br />
<br />
Unfortunately coding is a full time job, well at least for me that's how it appears. A good Objective C developer is someone who knows how to re-use what's been developed by the Objective C community. And the more I digged into it, the more I realized my app was complex to code, that it would take me a year to succeed and I needed help. But having tried to learn coding, I felt more comfortable talking to someone who knew and concentrate on marketing the app.<br />
<br />
I also needed to design the interface and that is something I didn't feel comfortable with. So help is all I needed but how much is it going to cost? And who is going to help me?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2X9LYZnVzoyp66rd_xmhAmmjk88VobBU44nfr6E66Mzfu248sX5fmw1LYz1S_fxJzXSXOfkkjgSql17ryrJ1dAV3Hz36-F3QSjAMoLx0TqHOU4ccIP0aDT0ucJK2nqIxCcWDTVXxNiJw/s1600/man_question_mark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2X9LYZnVzoyp66rd_xmhAmmjk88VobBU44nfr6E66Mzfu248sX5fmw1LYz1S_fxJzXSXOfkkjgSql17ryrJ1dAV3Hz36-F3QSjAMoLx0TqHOU4ccIP0aDT0ucJK2nqIxCcWDTVXxNiJw/s200/man_question_mark.jpg" width="158" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02601962113899154907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1271955345368572838.post-72896101340601857532012-12-23T13:22:00.000-08:002012-12-23T13:22:17.045-08:00The original ideaOk so every app starts with an idea and an iPad (or an iPhone).<br />
I bought my first iPad in January 2011, I already had an iPhone 3G which I found nice but nothing really thrilling. The iPad was somewhat different.<br />
As any modern consultant, I have been living with a laptop for the last 15 years. Laptops are nice, especially since they have been improving so much: weight, performance, connections and so on. But even though they have improved, they still take long to start up especially if you have a windows OS. Also they heat up on your knees when you are surfing on the net and checking your emails in front of your TV (did that ever happen to you?) and they are still pretty heavy.<br />
With the iPad, my laptop suddenly got really old. I can surf on the web, check my mails, turn it on and off quickly enough and yes, watch a TV program.<br />
I started to wander around with my iPad and I started taking it at work. I found good use of it especially in meetings where I found it<br />
- more discreet and efficient than the laptop to check emails<br />
- less annoying than the iphone/smartphone (but that's a personal view)<br />
While in meetings I started taking notes with it because it was really a pain to show up both with the iPad and my notebook.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXWGY_E55qnET0AXvvNjEA_ov3bNAZJSm2trmsWFHyb4XBYAaiRNgROBQiBEDG3qHjUVxEi8gCQq0b-W9dCGHB1fRyz42vjM6rKf-B7or_OIBuhSXH1yXx-XvXUoPKwxyJXEQfMluh0Aw/s1600/ipad+laptop+smartphone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXWGY_E55qnET0AXvvNjEA_ov3bNAZJSm2trmsWFHyb4XBYAaiRNgROBQiBEDG3qHjUVxEi8gCQq0b-W9dCGHB1fRyz42vjM6rKf-B7or_OIBuhSXH1yXx-XvXUoPKwxyJXEQfMluh0Aw/s1600/ipad+laptop+smartphone.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Which device should I use to take notes?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
But how do you take notes with the iPad?<br />
There are only 2 choices on the iPad: email or Apple Notes.<br />
- email gives you little room for template but you can recover your notes by sending them to yourself and then take your good old laptop to re-work it.<br />
- Apple Notes are not very intuitive: you cannot structure them the way you want, you still need to work a meeting report out of them and so on.<br />
Taking notes directly on your iPad or your notebook have also one big drawback: it is hard to talk while typing or taking notes. So all in all taking notes on your iPad is not so much of an improvement since you still have to work a meeting report after your meeting and it is always hard to be sure you have taken good note of what has been said.<br />
And if you have been in business meetings long enough, you know how it is long and painful to write down meeting reports afterwards, especially when you get 3 to 4 meetings a day.<br />
<i>There. That's how I got it.</i><br />
So now I have an idea: If there was an app able to help you take notes on your iPad, record everything which is said and generate a meeting report ready to be emailed, there would be added value.<br />
When I looked on the appstore, I got comforted that at that time there was no such app.<br />
<br />
Having an idea is great. So I wrote it down: the concept and the user case.<br />
And now what? I figured I just need to find myself developers to get it done.<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02601962113899154907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1271955345368572838.post-23557549757635625072012-12-23T09:20:00.000-08:002012-12-23T09:20:48.322-08:00Welcome<div>
First let me introduce myself: I am David Yana, a management consultant working at Deloitte where I am a Partner in the French practice in charge of the Human Capital Practice. I live in Paris, France and I am married with 3 kids. And yes, I speak English (or at least I pretend to).</div>
<div>
One year ago I decided to create an app on the appstore, an app designed to take notes and help structure meeting reports as soon as a meeting is over. It is called iTakeNotes and it works as of today in english, french and spanish.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/itakenotes/id567645467"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm9BsZ3BasUPLH-TTzHAN-OO9AgdNUbV42n-MEs9rp386vtt_vAdL1AxmuCwrVUDQJuFhlz92TwaBpLCcA4zkMueXF02-pD23FCDwQfdbcb-DTutWxhvvI_i3YFmrvRyIK31ByK9azMMc/s1600/ipad+sur+table+1.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/itakenotes/id567645467">iTakeNotes on iPad</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Anyway, this blog is about this little story of mine, from the idea to the product launch on the appstore and beyond. Being a complete amateur in all the issues I was about to deal with, I would have appreciated to run into such a blog. So I decided to write my own and here it is.</div>
<div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02601962113899154907noreply@blogger.com0