app marketing question

eboy

Those of you who are now making bank with your iphone apps, I have a question. I have tried to advertise my app on various iphone game sites with no real impact, would most agree that the best way to sell your app is to offer a lite version? Just wondering as I prepare to offer my most ambitious iphone game yet...(please sell, daddy needs a new pair of shoes.) Thanks for any info

design219

Don't mean to hijack your thread, (I can't authoritatively answer) but I've been curious about your avatar artwork. Is this from your upcoming game? It looks interesting.

JamesZeppelin

I've got a lot of good info off of this guy's blog

http://www.onlinemarketingrant.com/

Pretty good with relevant stories instead of just opinions like most the blogs have

iDeveloperz

I have made a lite version but have only had 1 download because of it out of 150 downloads of the lite version.

JamesZeppelin

@ idev my doodle monster game was getting a download every few days when i made a light version i have gotten at least 5+ every day since but i think the URL pro feature plays a pretty big part. As per tshirts suggestion if anyone is into the game enough to beat the first boss it opens the app store right up on the full version for them.

at that point the work is done for them. Its just one more click to buy.

for free stuff i think it all comes down to if its catchy
people will try anything for free if it grabs them

One of my free games has close to 100k downloads in about a week and just hit 1000 reviews
(too bad half are ones lol)

i figure when i have a descent game i have some advertising in the bank with upgrades :P

design219

Does anyone know if there is any way to determine what your app store game url will be before submission? I would like this for a ratings link in the first version of my next app.

I know it sounds like a silly questions, but maybe there is some way from the dev profile or something. But probably not.

I may need to start a thread with that question.

ckurt25

Isn't there always one for http://itunes.com/apps/yourgamenamehere

design219

Whoa, it's that simple? You don't need the id part for an in-app link?

Thanks! I'll give that a try.

ckurt25

Sorry we hijacked your topic....

I haven't had a ton of sales and I've tried just about everything. Let me add that my game is "okay." Not great, not bad. If someone showed it to me on their phone I'd pay a $1 for it and I'm not just saying that because it's my game. I know its not everyones cup of tea but it has gotten some decent feedback.

I've submitted all my info and tried to come up with interesting reasons for some app review sites to review my app but didn't have any luck. There are just a ton of games coming out every week so getting yours recognized is kinda tough for an indie developer. I've posted about it many times on Facebook and emailed just about everyone I know about my game. I had it out for about 10 days and then read the suggestion to have a free version as well so I put one out there. The free version has only been available for a few days and it's getting more downloads than the full one but the jury is still out on if it'll drive sales or not. I don't think it can hurt.

I also joined different forums on app review sites and posted promo codes, links to my website, links to the game in the app store & my promo video on youtube all in hope of generating some interest as well. I think it has.

One thing I know that has helped me is I've taken the constructive feedback I've gotten here, from friends and really from any source and put out an update with all the suggestions. It wasn't anything major, just a few tweaks here and there but I got a lot of feedback from friends saying it was a very good update.

With all the apps out there it's tough to get noticed but keep trying.

scitunes

@dsign - make sure to remove any punctuation in the app name part of the url (don't know if you have any your app name)

eboy

thanks for the info. the icon horse is my illustration, My game is based on my illustrations.