Since the Apple Store topped the 2 million mark for apps, it’s clear that there is an app for everything out there. However, developers have yet to figure out how to create an app for free and make money. If you want to make money without having to invest a lot into app building, all you need is a unique idea and a good plan to implement it.
Here are four the of the most important thing to keep in mind on your journey for building an app.
1. Make Multiple Versions
If you want to ensure you make some money with your app, you need to consider making multiple versions. Really, you’ll make one version, but some of the functions are only going to work on one version of the other. When you focus more of your attention on your paid version, you’ll get your customers to consider paying for what you offer.
Your free version helps get customers in the door. However, that doesn’t mean that your free version should be useless. Ultimately, you want to be a brand that’s in the business of providing value.
When you provide a free version, include ads. Don’t let them interfere with your functionality or it’ll seem like your app doesn’t meet the standards your customers demand. However, once they realize they could skip the ads for a one-time fee or an inexpensive subscription, they’ll think about it.
Once you have users in the door, it’s vital to show off your worth. Users like to reward an app that they like. If you provide value and convenience to their life on a daily basis, they’ll feel good about the few dollars they throw your way.
2. Give Them Lots of Unique Content
If you want to ensure that you stand out from other apps, you need to offer lots of content that users can’t find anywhere else. If you fail to offer unique content, you’ll fail to show off the knowledge and expertise that only you have. Since you have something special to offer, don’t hide it.
If your app is in a specialized field or assists novices with dealing with complex issues, existing makes you useful. In this case, your content is the real product that the user is looking for.
If you provide translations, articles, or digital video content that users can’t get anywhere else, don’t be stingy with it. The more you let people binge, the more addicted they become. After a while, they’ll realize how much you have to offer them.
In a lot of cases, an app is an easier way for people to access the content that would be on your website. When you give your content freely, you’ll get a lot of positive response in return. Start by showing your worth and then introduce paid offers.
Exclusive content is always worth paying for.
3. Eggs in Many App Baskets
If you want to ensure that you make some serious money from your apps, then you should try spreading yourself around. Don’t make one app, but take the model of the first app that you build successfully and repeat it. Once you see how easy it is to build one app, you’ll see that you could build a whole suite.
Start by looking into how to create an app with a free or inexpensive mobile app building tool. Once you take the time to learn how to use the tool, you’ll be able to streamline the process the next time. That means that you’ll become an app building expert in no time and start building incredible apps you’d never imagined.
Don’t create a bunch of apps for the sake of it, however. Make sure that each one serves a unique purpose. At the end of the day, you want to build a name for yourself and a fanbase for your brand.
If you flood the market with cheap and uninteresting apps, consumers won’t see you as a quality producer. Instead, make sure you’re always building your reputation by maintaining each app. Make plenty of updates and listen to user feedback as you build your app company.
4. Keep it Snackable
While it seems like you’d want to have people poring over your app for hour after hour, the opposite is true. People prefer an app that they can pick up and put down on and off all day. Most apps get used between activities, waiting in a waiting room, or while riding a bus.
Keep that in mind when putting together content for your app. Don’t include hour long videos or long and involved texts. People don’t turn to apps for that.
Your content needs to be consumable in bite-sized chunks, the way that people look at social media or how they view a magazine. Think of them as thumbing through what you have to offer and choosing one thing for five minutes or less.
While having an app with powerful, robust, and unique content is important, you can start off by viewing your engagement as short. If you want to ensure you capture all audiences, offer a mix of both. Little bits of content that you can pop inside your head and longer and more complex ideas is the ideal mix for creating a perfect app.
Learning How To Create an App For Free and Make Money is Easy
If you want to know how to create an app for free and make money, it all boils down to starting with the right tool. If you use the right tool for the job, you’ll be able to start an entire app suite that people rely on for years to come.
To make sure your app has a great homepage, check out our guide for finding the right domain and hosting solutions.