How to market test an iPhone app - help!

[meanttodo]

Hey there,

I have an idea for an iPhone app that I believe would have a solid market appeal but I'm having trouble determining how to test the market before going all in. The approval process for apps that Apple has in place makes it difficult to test something because the app has to be completed in order to be approved and thus be available for sale. There's no way to test the waters that I'm aware of.

Any idea how to test an iPhone (or other mobile device) market for apps?

Any help would be very appreciated!

- J.

[seth121]

you can set up a test site that invites people to use your iphone app or you can do alot of SEM work and post great reviews of your app or have other bloggers post reviews of your app for some money and then test to see if they click on the link to your site and on the download link.

but before that you should do some keyword research. If you have a totally new kind of app then it will be quite hard to test because no one knows about it yet.

[meanttodo]

Thank you for the advice, it was very helpful! It got me back into 4HWW mode rather than 9-5 grunt mode. I suppose one of the key skills to have in muse creation is to be creative and as accurate as possible in testing the muse before going all in.

I've since thought better of making an iPhone application from the get-go and will be pursuing a more general internet based approach to the tool.

Thank you!

[seth121]

ahhh what you could do is post the app for free and then have people write and blog about it and then charge for it once it gets some traction.

Apps are good for link bait.

[BrandonCorbin]

If you have the app already built, you could setup an Ad-Hoc distribution profile, and offer a limited number of people a free beta. This would require you to do some technical juggling, but it would allow you to distribute the application via email to up-to 1000 people. Just a thought.

[Domer88]

Similar to what others have suggested, you could offer a demo version for free. The demo version could either have a reduced feature set, or it could allow for x number of uses before becoming disabled. I am not sure what Apple allows.

You then could charge $xx for the full version. Again, if Apple allows, you could have the user register the demo version, and then you can email them offers to upgrade. Those emails could (if Steve Jobs says it's okay) test various pricing.

Maybe you should make an Android version, which has a channel to market not controlled by Apple.

[paulwbrowning]

I've just finished my first iPhone app.

I used a programming company on Elance who also submit the app for you.

I actually created a web based version first. It is a free app helping solve IT engineers network addressing issues.

here is the web version. It is the subnet question generator and not the calculator:

http://www.howtonetwork.net/public/department78.cfm

Had about 10,000 people use it so I know the iPhone version will be popular. It is free but I am using it as part of a viral marketing campaign.

Hope it helps

Paul Browning

www.paulbrowning.com