The App Store is not the “gold mine” some would have you believe


Steve Demeter has done really well in the iTunes App Store. He made $250,000 in profits in the first two months of release of his game “Trism”. His success has sparked more than a few articles claiming that developers can “strike it rich” in the iTunes App Store.

These articles give the impression that all you have to do is cobble together a game of some kind, put it into the App Store, and wait for the money to come pouring in…and that couldn’t be further from the truth.

“Trism” has been a success for a number of reasons…one of which is that it is really well done. Another, is that i was one of the first games in the App Store, and was around at a time when there wasn’t a whole lot of choices in the store. That made the game much more appealing at the time, and helped it stand out.

The “gold rush” days of the App Store are already over, however. You can simply look in the store now and see that the competition is insanely fierce. I hear from developers all the time that are just plain shocked that posting their app in the App Store hasn’t instantly made them thousands of dollars.

The App Store is now so crowded that have to “shout” to be heard. What I mean by that is that you can’t simply post your App and wait for the money to come rolling in. You have to build an amazing App, then promote the hell out of it. Without proper marketing and promotion, your App will very likely go unseen…no matter how great it may be.

That’s not meant to discourage any of you potential developers from jumping on board…just understand that you have more to do that simply creating a great App. This isn’t a “gold rush”…it’s a business…and businesses take marketing, promotion, hard work, and determination to be successful.

You can do it, but to be a success, you’re going to have to work for it.


Kokou Adzo

Kokou Adzo is a stalwart in the tech journalism community, has been chronicling the ever-evolving world of Apple products and innovations for over a decade. As a Senior Author at Apple Gazette, Kokou combines a deep passion for technology with an innate ability to translate complex tech jargon into relatable insights for everyday users.

6 Comments

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  1. What Apple could do to ease the problem of being lost in the crowd is to bring back the option to view all the apps ordered by release date. I used to check this link almost every day up until they mysteriously removed it. The only way I can keep track of new apps now is to keep an eye on websites such as this one, but even then, it’s just the major apps that get a mention. I think there’s a gap in the market for someone to set up a quality, unbiased blog that focuses purely on iPhone apps.

  2. Let me second that Matt. Reviews, demos, top 100 lists in 20 to 30 different categories. Best new this week, month, et cetera.

    App ads, paid new software announcements, you name it. allaboutiphoneapps.com or some such name.

    If I wasn’t so damn busy I’d do it myself.