My First App Part2

Last month we discussed the first stages of creating an app and started to look at how you go about developing it. but how do you get it on the App Store? Official All Blacks app developer Scott McKenzie of Paper Kite is back with more advice for beginners. How much time and money should I expect to spend creating an app? To start with, give yourself a period of a few weeks to build something. See what you have at the end and evaluate what you have ended up with. It's best to keep the scope fixed at first - less features rather than more.Once the app’s finished, how do I test it for bugs? In the same way that software development is a career, testing is a career for many. It can take as long to become a good tester as it does to become a good developer. To start with, try to get friends and family using the app to find bugs. How do I get my app on the iTunes store? I find the process for deploying apps to the store torturous. I always make mistakes with signing and certificates. You have to become a member of iTunes Connect. It's only $US99 per year, which also gives you access to good training material. Your app is approved by Apple using a combination of people and tools, which can take several nerve-wracking days depending on the app’s complexity.  How do I decide what to sell my first app for? The sweet spot will depend on the number of customers willing to pay. If there are lots, then you might make something at the cheap end. If it's a specialised app with only a few customers, then you'll have to charge more. After free, the cheapest app is $NZ1.29, I think.If I don’t charge for my app, how can I make any money? You can charge for in-app purchases. Good examples can be found in games where you can buy new skins or weapons. You get people interested and then let them buy more content from within the app. Apple and third-party companies allow you to do this.Once it’s on the app store, how can I make sure it doesn’t get lost in all the noise? This is the hard slog. If your app has a theme, then find online communities you can promote it in. Twitter it. Tell your friends about it. Push it whenever you can. Think outside the box.