Developing an App could be a tedious task, especially when you are a newbie. We all pursue a dream to create the next generation mobile application and make some money by monetizing it. But very few succeed in this journey due to a lot of factors such as limited knowledge in app development, high-cost investment barriers, and choosing between the two platforms i.e. Android and iOS.
But all I can say is developing an App in itself is a very fascinating thought and if you have a kick-ass idea then you should convert it into a reality by developing a robust app that can add value in people’s life. Here I am going to answer 4 common questions that come across in the mind of every person who wants to step into the journey of developing his dream app, so here we go!
Check these 4 questions and their answers.
- A) How long to develop an App?
- B) How much to develop an App?
- C) How to earn money from developing iPhone Apps?
- D) Can you Develop iOS apps on Windows?
A) How long to develop an App?
The app Development process varies greatly, depending upon the complexity and cost of the project. If you still insist to give a general answer then I would say it would somewhere take 4 to 6 months to develop a Mobile App. This statement does not imply that the first version of an app cannot be built in less than 4 months or the timeline won’t stretch more than 6 months. There is a chain of factors that influence this timeline.
TL; DR
- All the various app development processes take their own development time.
- Usually, the first version (v1.0) takes about 4 – 6 months to build.
- Quality is something that takes time. Apps vary from two weeks to more than a year to produce.
- Apps that are loaded with multiple features take more time than those containing with lesser features.
- The timeline is dependent on the overall budget. The more is the project cost, the more will be the time taken along with the risk factor.
- Factors that contribute to slowing down the app development process are namely changes made mid-project, use of complex technologies, and inexperienced developers.
- MVP’s, RFP’s and cross-platform development tend to speed up the app development process.
- Hence, a combination of the right skill, approach, and process will tend to lead a more efficient timeline.
B) How much to develop an App?
Making an estimate is quite tricky as the project cost can vary from $15,000 to $230, 000 for one platform. For a very basic project, the minimum budget will cost you around $10,000. In the majority of the cases, this figure can stretch up to $50,000 for developing the first version of an app. The reason for this discrepancy is due to factors like the number of features, app type, designing, location, rates of IT Vendor, marketing expenses, number of platforms, and so on.
As per a study conducted by Clutch and Outsystems, the cost of a potential project can range between $5000 to $50,000 plus and a duration of 1 to 10 plus months. As per another report published by Goodfirm, the app with minimum feature set would cost around $40,000 to $60,000 and if the app is of a complex functionality then it would cost around $70,000 to $100,000.
Here is the list of various factors that Determine app development cost:
- App Type (e-commerce, education, healthcare, etc.)
- Type of Vendor (IT Agency or Freelancer)
- Vendor’s Location and Rate
- App complexity and Number of features
- Number of Platforms (Android, iOS, Web)
- Complexity in Design (basic, custom, use of animations)
C) How to earn money from developing iPhone Apps?
With these 5 steps you can actually make money from developing iPhone Apps:
- App Store Registration
The first step is registration on app store. In order to publish your app you need to get enrolled in the Apple’s Developer Program which is not free. This was possible for putting a full stop to trash apps from having to be scrutinized by apple testers. The program will cost you $99 per year. This will also give you all the tools for testing along with early access to versions of Apple’s device apps and the ability to publish apps for Mac, apple watch, mobile devices, apple TV and more.
- Picking a Niche
You need to pick a product as per its niche. This means choosing a potential area where someone might need an app and is willing to pay for it. Search for any of the competing apps and see what they charge. Also, you might switch your application genre to a specific category that is highest in terms of earning, for example, healthcare. This process might take a while but put special emphasis on analyzing the demand, choice and preference of the customer.
- Build a paywall
The best example of this is Nintendo’s recent super hit game – Super Mario Run and casino online check this out. It’s free to download and you get to play three levels until you pay for the fourth. If you pass three levels and are will to play further, the app charges you an amount of $9.99/ £7.99. This is a ninja technique to maximize sales and promote an app. If Nintendo had put a price on its app in the first place then there is a good amount of possibility that it would have fallen flat on its face.
It is because most of the mobile users are not willing to pay cash until and unless they are sure about the quality of the software. Therefore, engaging customers for free initially and then charging an amount later on would not cause a trouble in user’s pocket, provided he is getting a value in return.
- Be responsive
Users will going to put feedback if your app is on the app store. Sometimes the comments can be quite harsh and unpleasant. So you should not worry at all and reply all the comments that you get. Try to solve the problems by addressing the feedback and be responsive. It’s because the users who are browsing apps will choose those with highest ratings. You need to do everything that brings you close to a five star rating and that means fixing people’s problems and treating them well. Hence being responsive will increase your app’s goodwill and eventually increase the amount of revenue you can generate from your app.
- Host Advertisements
Hosting ads is another great option to make money from your app if you do not want your users ask for money in the early stage and want to make extra money on the side. There are several options as far as ads are concerned. For Example, some developers prefer banner ads which throughout displayed on screen. This might annoy the user a little but also can be a catalyst in convincing the user to get rid of it by chipping in a small in-app-purchase.
For some apps there are also video ads, so that the user can earn a little perk after watching the complete video ad. You can easily sign up with any of the available ad networks after going through their revenue schemes and the tools that they use. Google for example, has its own ad network called AdMob. AdMob has a feature called Mediation that allows the user to selectively serve ads from multiple networks to maximize the revenue.
D) Can you Develop iOS apps on Windows?
The simple answer to this question is ‘yes, you can’. But there is a procedure you need to follow. Although there are multiple ways to do that but here I am going to explain a very simple way to develop iOS app on Windows just by using Virtualbox and installing Mac OS on your Windows PC.
One of the quickest ways to develop iOS App on Windows is through Virtual Machine. The job of a virtual machine is to create an environment where any operating system (OS) can run in as if it is running in the existing hardware itself. The term used for this kind of functionality is Visualization. Visualization allows you to run Windows on multiple platforms like Linux and even Windows on OS X.
Two things are needed to run Mac OS on a Virtual Machine:
- A virtual machine tool like VirtualBox or VMWare.
- A copy of OS X as a Virtual Image file or an Installer.
A duplicate of OS X can be acquired by downloading it from the App Store. There are various sources on the internet from where you can find installers. But one thing should be noted that utilizing Mac OS on non-apple hardware is against End User License Agreement (EULA) of Apple.
