App stores + cordova... get excited!
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See why app stores are the way of the future for application distribution. Follow my adventure of submitting my Advice Owl mobile app to four different app stores.
Transcript of App stores + cordova... get excited!
Why App Stores?
Old Way:Y U NO buy my game?
Why App Stores?What game? I never heard of it.
You’re hosting it on GeoCities, how good can it be?
Why wouldn’t I buy a game from a publisher I’ve heard of?
How do I know it doesn’t have a virus?
You want my credit card? No Way!
How do I install it?
Why App Stores?
Now:
That looks nice! I’ll click install!
Your app is displayed on same footing as Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, etc.
Why App Stores?Basically everyone buys their apps there
Payments are easy!
“We know from our user testing [of] tablets and mobile devices that users quickly accumulate numerous applications”
- JAKOB NIELSEN
I need this… Download!Oooh, cats… Download!Hmm, monkeys… Download!Furious birds? OK… Download!
The Journey Begins
Enter My App: Read Advice Columns!
Actual Screenshot!
Android or iOS?
iOS!“iPhone users spend an average of 19 cents per app downloaded, while Android users spend only 6 cents per download.”
http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/07/18/iphone-users-pay-average-of-19-cents-per-app-android-users-pay-just-6-cents
Android!“80 percent of smartphone sales worldwide — especially in developing markets such as China, where Apple’s iPhone is seventh.”
http://venturebeat.com/2013/09/04/iphone-up-windows-phone-up-android-down-in-latest-mobile-marketshare-numbers/
Why not both? Yay PhoneGap!
Build your app in HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript
PhoneGap builds it for:
● Android● iOS● Windows Phone● Blackberry● … And More!
Or Apache Cordova, whatever!PhoneGap or Cordova?
● Both are Open Source and Free
● Would you rather type “cordova” instead of “phonegap” on the command line?
● PhoneGap build does allow you to build apps in the cloud (1st app free, pay for more)
(You can think of Apache Cordova as the engine that powers PhoneGap, similar to how WebKit is the engine that powers Chrome or Safari.)
PhoneGap or Cordova?
Doesn’t ReallyMatter
http://phonegap.com/2012/03/19/phonegap-cordova-and-what%E2%80%99s-in-a-name/
How does this thing work?Install Cordova 3.1$ sudo npm install -g [email protected]
Create app skeleton$ cordova create hello com.example.hello HelloWorld
Add platforms$ cordova platform add ios$ cordova platform add android
Run app on Android Device!$ cordova run android
Run app on virtual iPhone!$ cordova emulate ios
...code code code code...
Add to your app: Google Analytics
● You want analytics
● Can install with Cordova plugin
Add to your app: Google AdMob
Step 3: Profit!
Can install with Cordova plugin
$$
AdMob: Spend MoneyI tried: $2 / day I get: 5-7 conversions (installs) / day
AdMob: Spend Money
Pro Tip: AB test your ads
First… Android (Google Play Store)!
Wait time to publish: A few hoursRejections? No WayPain rating: Use Eclipse, but not bad!
Pro Tip: For your app to be showcased in the 'Designed for tablets' list in the Play Store, you need to upload at least one 7-inch and one 10-inch screenshot.
Android: Google Play Store
Google Play Store
First result!
Next Step… Kindle!
No Problem: Submit Same Android APK that you submitted to Google Play store
Wait time to publish: 3 days
Amazon Kindle App StoreRejections? Once, for good reason (AndroidManifest.xml showed app incompatible with 1st generation Kindle Fire, but I said it worked on all Kindles).
Solution: Edited device support section on dashboard and resubmitted.
Pain Rating: Low
Amazon Kindle Dev Dashboard
Amazon Kindle Store
OK! Now… Chrome!2 Types of apps:
Packaged Web App● Self contained code package● Strict JavaScript security restrictions
Hosted Web App● Basically just points to a web site
My Choice!
Chrome hosted web app
Just upload this zip…
app.zip:adviceOwl-128.pngadviceOwl-16.pngmanifest.json
Chrome hosted web appmanifest.json:{ "name": "Advice Owl", "description": "Read all your favorite advice columns in one app.", "version": "1.3", "manifest_version": 2, "icons": { "16": "adviceOwl-16.png", "128": "adviceOwl-128.png" }, "app": { "urls": [ "http://d2whqoo26gzkh3.cloudfront.net/adviceOwl/main.html" ], "launch": { "web_url": "http://d2whqoo26gzkh3.cloudfront.net/adviceOwl/main.html" } }}
Chrome Web App StoreWait time to publish: Few hours
Rejections? Once, because I mistakenly published the same app twice.
Pain rating: Super Easy (for hosted web app)
Any Caveats? See next slide...
Chrome Web App Store
Caveat: You can never delete an app from your dashboard
Chrome Web App Store
Chrome Web App Store
Launching from Chrome Browser
In Chrome, click this icon to see apps
My app!
Finally... iTunes App Store!
Pain Rating: HIGHLearn Xcode (kind of intricate)
Generate provisioning profilesCreate signing requests
Various stages of waiting
Rejections? Yes...
Submit To iTunes App Store
Wait…1 day…2 days…6 days...
Submit App (excited)…
iTunes App Store
Rejection!We found that your app only provides a very limited set of features. It only provides a simple RSS with no curation, or other features. While we value simplicity, we consider simplicity to be uncomplicated - not limited in features and functionality.
iTunes App Store
I Wrote My RebuttalThank you for taking the time to review Advice Owl. I would like to make the case that while it basically does provide a simple RSS service, it is not true that it provides no curation or other features: 1. The feeds are all...blah...blah...blah
I completely expected them to ignore it...
iTunes App Store
The next day…
Subject: The status for your app, Advice Owl (739076106), is now Ready for Sale.
They Listened! They Listened!
iTunes App Store
Live Version New
Version
iTunes App Store
My App On the iPad
iTunes rounds your app’s icon automagically for you
App Store RoundupAndroid: Steady Growth, Decent Ad performance
Kindle: Very little sales in Kindle app store, but analytics show many Kindle users (must be able to get from Android store)
Chrome: Easy to host, light activity (~7 visits / day)
iTunes: Most likely to reject your app, but Best growth and Ad performance so far
