App Launch Idea

tenrdrmertenrdrmer Member, Sous Chef, Senior Sous-Chef Posts: 9,934
edited November -1 in Business and Marketing Theory
I have been thinking of a different way to launch apps to gain better exposure. Obviously the most important thing is to have a good app with good screenshots and icons. But as we have seen with mini cannon that wont sell it on its own. So What if the app released for free. and post in the description the first 500 downloads are free availble for up to 7 days. then it goes to 1.99 500 downloads in a week would boost you right up the ranks in itunes correct. and once your there if you are lucky enough to get some reviews you may very well stay there for another few weeks with people buying the game.

Let me know if this just sounds like non- sense. Or does your free downloads not count toward the ranking when you go to a paid app. surely not right?

Or has anyone ever tried this and seen it fail miserably? I've still got a while till my next game is ready so i'll be pondering this idea more.
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Comments

  • Player_EPlayer_E Member, PRO Posts: 604
    I actually tried this with one of my apps a few things i would like to note.

    1) you wont be able to do such a low number as 500. With Itunes connect only updating once a day you would not know when to take it off free. and my app had over 30,000 downloads within 3 days of being free. Best bet is to just go for a set number of days.

    2) free downloads do count towards ranking in the "free" games. once switched to paid you drop down and start fresh for "paid" ranks.

    3) I thought also that 30,000 downloads must translate into at least 20-50 paid downloads. I was wrong. Numbers were around 7 once I changed to to paid.

    I am about to do another test here soon with a new app. I am making a puzzle game, but with very few levels only 30. I will make that game free from the get go and I will see how it does in terms of downloads and feedback. If I see that the game does really well and people seem to like it, I will then make a "sequel" to the game with more level like 80 or so and make it paid.

    P.S.
    one thing I will note about making a game free. My game was not featured at all, but once I made it free (3 days after release). I noticed on appannie that I was featured under N&N in 26 different places. I assume it was due to the downloads that got me there. When I changed to paid I was still in N&N in all those places and stayed for a few days, but obviously it didnt help with sales.
  • DimensionGamesDimensionGames PRO Posts: 993
    it doesn't work I think they changed it a while back to prevent this skullduggery ;)
  • tenrdrmertenrdrmer Member, Sous Chef, Senior Sous-Chef Posts: 9,934
    Player_E said:
    I am about to do another test here soon with a new app. I am making a puzzle game, but with very few levels only 30. I will make that game free from the get go and I will see how it does in terms of downloads and feedback. If I see that the game does really well and people seem to like it, I will then make a "sequel" to the game with more level like 80 or so and make it paid.

    This is what was done with doodle destroy and doodle destroy 2 and did pretty well but I think people where pissed pretty quick when the free game had like 40 levels and the paid game had 16. So probably better make your sequel better?
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  • Player_EPlayer_E Member, PRO Posts: 604
    yeah I plan to do 30 for the first and then 80-100 for the second plus added features for new puzzles.
  • xyloFUNxyloFUN Member Posts: 1,593
    I am wondering something ...

    Does it make sense to release a free "light" version with limited content and then 3 - 4 weeks later, the full version for $4.95?

    Is that ok to have a gap between the releases or is it best to release the free and non free apps the same day?
  • gyroscopegyroscope I am here.Member, Sous Chef, PRO Posts: 6,598
    Hi xylo, don't know what the other guys n' gals think but I'm definitely going down the route of releasing a limited content lite version and the full version of both my games at the same time. I think if you release the lite version too early before the actual game, people forget, and you won't get a sale of the full game. Whereas if it's there ready to be purchased, there more chance of impulse buying, I reckon.

    :-)

    ""You are in a maze of twisty passages, all alike." - Zork        temp domain http://spidergriffin.wix.com/alphaghostapps

  • xyloFUNxyloFUN Member Posts: 1,593
    Gyroscope,
    You nailed it dead on! People have a short memory and "Impulse" buying is the name of the game ...

    Marketing is an art in itself and without the right strategy (plus a lot of luck), success is unlikely in 2011

    Don't you wish we knew what we know now about three years ago? Lol
  • tenrdrmertenrdrmer Member, Sous Chef, Senior Sous-Chef Posts: 9,934
    gyroscope said:
    Hi xylo, don't know what the other guys n' gals think but I'm definitely going down the route of releasing a limited content lite version and the full version of both my games at the same time. I think if you release the lite version too early before the actual game, people forget, and you won't get a sale of the full game. Whereas if it's there ready to be purchased, there more chance of impulse buying, I reckon.

    :-)

    If you release at the same time how do you know what the URL for your full version will be?
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  • MotherHooseMotherHoose Member Posts: 2,456
    tenrdrmer said:
    If you release at the same time how do you know what the URL for your full version will be?

    you put the url address in your project for a blank page on your website...
    (or just say "coming soon" on the page)
    and when released you put a redirect on that page to the iTunes address for your app.

    MH
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