- We've Seen This Movie Before
- Benefits/Drawbacks of the Big Win and Steady Win Strategies
- Summary
Benefits/Drawbacks of the Big Win and Steady Win Strategies
The App Store is not a perfect democratic society and never will be. No matter how many changes Apple makes to the App Store, there will always be unhappy participants. So, you can whine about what's wrong or you can figure out how to work the system to your best advantage. Table 1.2 illustrates the advantages and disadvantages of the Big Win strategy. The App Store is not for the faint of heart. Table 1.3 shows the advantages and disadvantages of the Steady Win strategy. Again, it's more likely you'll end up in this category than the Big Win.
If you haven't started developing your iPhone/iPad app, you are at an important decision-making point. Making a strategy decision now will help you make important marketing decisions as you get closer to launch. Having clear (and realistic) expectations of where your app will be positioned on the App Store gives your app purpose and will help your avoid the No Win bucket.
Table 1.2. Big Win Advantages/Disadvantages
Big Win Advantages |
Big Win Disadvantages |
Make lots of money quickly |
Customers expect high quality at a crazy low price, like $0.99. |
Deliver apps quickly to market |
Usually requires development team to get app created quickly. Time is of the essence. |
Games are extremely popular with this strategy |
Extremely competitive, market very fickle |
Charge a low price to attract customers |
Highly price-sensitive customers, promotions have limited impact, no pricing flexibility |
Table 1.3. Steady Win Advantages/Disadvantages
Steady Win Advantages |
Steady Win Disadvantages |
Make money slowly but more predictably |
Developers get discouraged easily, don't see their efforts through to success. |
Apps build a customer following with repeat business for add-ons |
Must build updates on a frequent basis and respond quickly to customer feedback. |
Almost any app can participate in the Steady Win category |
Games are a challenge here because of their short lifespan. Developers must build in add-ons to keep the audience coming back. |
Apps can achieve access into the Top 100 (or other categories) with consistent marketing |
Income drops off dramatically if steps are not taken to keep the consumer in front of the app. Marketing is a full-time job. |