Infographic - 59% of apps created don't break even

General (non-technical) Marketing and Monetization
#1

I found this infographic based on a survey of developers. It’s basically reiterating what most of us know. If you don’t dump a lot of money into marketing then your app is sure to fail.

http://app-promo.com/wake-up-call-infographic/

You can download their white pages by signing up or you can skip the signup and view it here

The necessity of mobile app marketing:
http://app-promo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/AppPromo-TheNecessityofMobileAppMarketing.pdf [import]uid: 31262 topic_id: 25928 reply_id: 325928[/import]

#2

Anyone want to market my apps? I suck at it and have no budget, ergo I don’t make any money. [import]uid: 19626 topic_id: 25928 reply_id: 104960[/import]

#3

@ Robmiracle.: I will have to take some %…ha! ah!

Mo [import]uid: 100814 topic_id: 25928 reply_id: 104961[/import]

#4

@30Below: Thanks for sharing. Yes I agree marketing is key but when they talked about top earners, let’s face it they are NOT talking about us! They are talking about the makers of Angry Birds and so on. Most of us will not see $30k let alone putting aside that amount for marketing!!

I think this type of data is interesting but they should be taken with a grain of salt. i am actually amazed that 80% of the developers are not able to sustain a business with their apps. I would have thought 98% of us would not be able to sustain a business. 20% is huge considering all the “junk” in the stores…

Just my 99 cents:)

Mo
(LairdGames)

Ps: I maybe wrong but Blast Monkey did not make any great marketing efforts and still got great results. They are not the only ones but the point is “you never know…” [import]uid: 100814 topic_id: 25928 reply_id: 104959[/import]

#5

There is so much craptastic crappy crap crap on the app store that if we were to subtract that, the numbers would be higher. So many clones, clones of clones, clones of clones’s clones + more clones, rip offs, rewrites, reskins, tra la la la la.
I’m usually pissed off about most apps I touch, and the ones I do like are few. What I find craptastic, others might find good or great.

I’m also a picky bastard, so that skews things a bit (;

The most important thing to learn here is the tra la la. I think everyone needs a little tra la la in their lives. [import]uid: 61600 topic_id: 25928 reply_id: 104984[/import]

#6

It’s worth noting that this is a marketing company arguing for the need to pay for marketing.

Not that marketing can’t help under the right circumstances, but if there’s anything that will compound the debt incurred by making a game that doesn’t sell, it’s paying for marketing that doesn’t change the fact that your game isn’t selling. [import]uid: 1560 topic_id: 25928 reply_id: 105000[/import]

#7
  • 1

“It’s worth noting that this is a marketing company arguing for the need to pay for marketing.”

Mo. [import]uid: 100814 topic_id: 25928 reply_id: 105008[/import]

#8

What is worth noting is that the numbers look high because the entry level barrier is so low : get your Apple developer account, use a framework, reskin a template, don’t even market your app : you are now counted in the total number of developers.
The majority of app devs are not entrepreneurs and can’t handle a business. But most don’t want to hear about it.

I would say *hopefully* the majority of apps don’t break even because the majority of app devs don’t make good apps.
Good apps are good because they stand out from the crap. At least they solve a problem, a need, a want, even if they don’t appeal to everybody. In that way, they deserve more success.
The market will clean itself soon and the quality will raise.

60%, I think there is nothing to be scared of. [import]uid: 95346 topic_id: 25928 reply_id: 105069[/import]

#9

@30Below,

very interesting read, thank you so much for sharing.

to be honest i agree with the advertising does help out and could generate more funds for the business to pay of development costs.

I put aside some $ to invest into advertising when the game gets launched, as usual most people wish they had more to put into there apps. but i figure something is better then nothing :slight_smile:

[import]uid: 17701 topic_id: 25928 reply_id: 109552[/import]