- We've Seen This Before
- Benefits/Drawbacks of the Big Win and Steady Win Strategies
- Summary
Benefits/Drawbacks of the Big Win and Steady Win Strategies
The Android Market is not a perfect democratic society and never will be. No matter how many changes Google makes to the Android Market, 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. It 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 in the Big Win category.
Table 1.2. Big Win Advantages/Disadvantages
Big Win Advantages |
Big Win Disadvantages |
You can make lots of money quickly. |
Customers expect high quality at a crazy low price, such as $0.99. |
Apps are delivered quickly to market. |
The development team is usually required to get the app created quickly. Time is of the essence. |
Games are extremely popular with this strategy. |
The market is extremely competitive and very fickle. |
You can charge a low price to attract customers to the app quickly. |
Customers are highly price sensitive, promotions have limited impact, and there's no flexibility in pricing. |
Table 1.3. Steady Win Advantages/Disadvantages
Steady Win Advantages |
Steady Win Disadvantages |
You make money slowly but more predictably. |
Developers get discouraged easily and don't see their efforts through to success. |
Apps build a customer following with repeat business for add-ons. |
You 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 move 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. |
If you haven't started developing your Android 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 in the Android Market gives your app purpose and will help you avoid the No Win bucket.