Developing an App on iOS

Eugene Norman

conorryanofla wrote: »

Actually regarding advertising, it would be possible as long as we have a general location of the user.

We could take a few of the persons interests upon download, and then integrate advertisements into the app in line with their interests. It would need to be productive things, so it would ensure they are productive. We wouldn't work with advertisers who entice you to buy their products like clothing etc, instead an event in which you can actually benefit from.

For example, there is a 5k road race happening in an area close to where the user is situated, there would be a page on the app where the user can view events happening, and could even receive a notification from the most promising one. It's the same with different events, like beginner painting classes, piano lessons etc etc I'm sure you get the idea. For charity events they could list for free, but for private events we could charge the advertiser a small fee.

Does anyone think I am explaining too much and I'm at risk of somebody stealing the idea?

You're describing different and more complex apps each time you post. It's all a bit pie in the sky.

You're also not listening to people.

conorryanofla

Eugene Norman wrote: »

You're describing different and more complex apps each time you post. It's all a bit pie in the sky.

You're also not listening to people.

As I think about it more, I get new ideas to better the potential application.

Okay. Got it, thanks

conorryanofla

Graham wrote: »

BBM is a free app, that makes a significant difference.

Are you planning to make your app free or make your backers buy the app again?

Only saw this now, apologies.

Yes - I was planning on making it free. People my age and a small bit older are not very likely to pay for an app. The chances are unless it was going to make a great difference to my life, I wouldn't pay for one either.

Graham

conorryanofla wrote: »

People my age and a small bit older are not very likely to pay for an app.

Aren't these the same potential customer you're hoping will pony up €20,000 to fund the guessed development and marketing costs?

conorryanofla

Graham wrote: »

Aren't these the same potential customer you're hoping will pony up €20,000 to fund the guessed development and marketing costs?

No, crowdfunders have no problem backing a project if they feel there is a good reason for it, from my understanding. If there is a good, solid concept behind it, I think getting funding will be fine. It depends on the person, and whether they believe my project is worth backing.

Anyways, only a very small amount of the users would need to back the project for it to be feasible for everybody.

Eugene Norman

conorryanofla wrote: »

No, crowdfunders have no problem backing a project if they feel there is a good reason for it, from my understanding. If there is a good, solid concept behind it, I think getting funding will be fine. It depends on the person, and whether they believe my project is worth backing.

Anyways, only a very small amount of the users would need to back the project for it to be feasible for everybody.

You haven't sold anybody here. Each time you post you have a new app idea and no real technical clue how to do any of it, just a certainty that you will get funding.

Why not cut the buzzwords and tell us what the final app will be. Many people here - myself included - have apps on the App Store and Google play.

conorryanofla

An app a user downloads to help them spend less time on their phone, so they spend more time doing things that may be productive. If they do not know what to do to be productive, the app could suggest to them some things.

The app would need to be customisable, so that it would not function while you were at work or sleeping. The app would come into force when you have free time. The chances are that when you have free time, you'll be spending the time on your phone, on the internet or watching tv. Around these times, you would get notifications on the phone, outlining quotes or reasons to do something productive.

The app would take a users common interests and general location after they download it. At any given moment if somebody got a notification from the app, and the person was unsure on what to do to be productive, they could look into a section of the app and there would be a list of things that the person should be interested in, that show positive health results. Certain suggestions could be expandable. For example, going to the gym or going out for a run. Upon clicking one of those options, it could list a recommended Spotify playlist to play while doing the activity. This is just a general example, I know it should be tailored down a lot more.

I believe it would be possible to factor in advertising. Once we have the persons interests and location, it would be easy to display relevant advertisements on the app in a designated section. The advertisements would also have to be for a productive reason, for example there was a 10k road race on in the local area. The user might get a notification for an event maybe once a week. The advertisements would be opportunities to be productive in the future. This should not be mistaken for opportunities to be productive in the present.

These are the fundamentals to it.

Eugene Norman

Ok I'll post the technical limitations on iOS regarding that tomorrow. You may be better off targeting Android.

conorryanofla

Eugene Norman wrote: »

Ok I'll post the technical limitations on iOS regarding that tomorrow. You may be better off targeting Android.

Appreciate that Eugene. I'm open to hearing about both

Eugene Norman

Ok so here are the problems on iOS as I see it, with non-Jailbreaking phones.

Code:

1) Your application will not be able to tell the amount of time spent in another application. Applications are totally sandboxed on iOS.
2) The lighter features you are suggesting are not enough because they are just rehashes of the reminder and alarm functionality.
3) The other slightly more useful feature, you have been using the phone for too long, is difficult but not impossible. However have to make sure your app always runs in the background, and it needs to catch sleep and awake events and so on. If the user is using a very memory intensive app in the foreground, like game, you will be jetisoned anyway. So when the users need you to warn them they are wasting their time the most, you will be gone. Also Apple frowns on apps that don't behave nicely in the background unless you need to always be on.
4) The advertising you are talking about is actually very difficult on your own. Thats what google does. You need a backend server architecture for that and some way to allow advertisers to input their ads. That won't be an app but a website. Adds significantly to the cost.

funding:

Because of this I think funding would be an issue.

Marketing:

You have a chicken and egg situation with the locale aware advertising you hope to add to the app. Lets assume the original idea was great and could sell. You still need to market the app to tens of thousands to millions, so that you can sell your own adverts about local events to advertisers. You need to be able to do this in more than one language. You correctly noted that marketing is everything. Google allows small advertisers to use their website to choose keywords and to show ads in applications ( including locally aware ads), but it goes aggressively after some companies too. They are your competitors for the ads on Google Play, and Apple is a competitor on iOS.

Solution ( partly):

Think about Android and use Google for advertising. Firstly Android is not so sandboxed so you may be able to do the more complex application you described at the start. Use Google advertising to begin with, they do what you want anyway.

The Corinthian

Eugene Norman wrote: »

Use Google advertising to begin with, they do what you want anyway.

For monetization or marketing?

conorryanofla

Eugene Norman wrote: »

Ok so here are the problems on iOS as I see it, with non-Jailbreaking phones.

Code:

1) Your application will not be able to tell the amount of time spent in another application. Applications are totally sandboxed on iOS.
2) The lighter features you are suggesting are not enough because they are just rehashes of the reminder and alarm functionality.
3) The other slightly more useful feature, you have been using the phone for too long, is difficult but not impossible. However have to make sure your app always runs in the background, and it needs to catch sleep and awake events and so on. If the user is using a very memory intensive app in the foreground, like game, you will be jetisoned anyway. So when the users need you to warn them they are wasting their time the most, you will be gone. Also Apple frowns on apps that don't behave nicely in the background unless you need to always be on.
4) The advertising you are talking about is actually very difficult on your own. Thats what google does. You need a backend server architecture for that and some way to allow advertisers to input their ads. That won't be an app but a website. Adds significantly to the cost.

funding:

Because of this I think funding would be an issue.

Marketing:

You have a chicken and egg situation with the locale aware advertising you hope to add to the app. Lets assume the original idea was great and could sell. You still need to market the app to tens of thousands to millions, so that you can sell your own adverts about local events to advertisers. You need to be able to do this in more than one language. You correctly noted that marketing is everything. Google allows small advertisers to use their website to choose keywords and to show ads in applications ( including locally aware ads), but it goes aggressively after some companies too. They are your competitors for the ads on Google Play, and Apple is a competitor on iOS.

Solution ( partly):

Think about Android and use Google for advertising. Firstly Android is not so sandboxed so you may be able to do the more complex application you described at the start. Use Google advertising to begin with, they do what you want anyway.

Thanks for that Eugene, you are a great help..

As regards to the alarm functionality, I understand where you are coming from however this concept is different for the most part. With the alarm clock, yes you can set it up to receive notifications for yourself, and yes you can add a label to it. What the alarm clock does not have though is an extensive library of quotes that are going to empower you to get up off your arse and do something. The app would constantly be giving you different and empowering quotes and reasons, where as with the alarm clock you need to label things yourself and it is a lot less motivating in my opinion. In addition, the alarm clock doesn't tell you new and interesting things you could do to be productive - that should all be aligned to your general interests.

I don't believe we should write off that idea above, as although it does have a bit in common to the alarm and reminders, it is a lot more complex, in depth and motivating. I'm don't have too much knowledge about the tech side of things, but from what I know, running apps in the background wear down the battery the most of the time. I don't want to do that, as then the app would be first to be deleted. I think it would be a more sensible idea to target both iOS and Android, with the concept I mentioned above.

If everything behind the app was in line to be a success, I was hoping to approach several parent companies that are in charge of numerous events across a country. I thought that they then could distribute targeted ads depending on the app users location. When you put it that way it does sound a lot more complicated and costly, to put in simply I'm just looking for a way that advertisers can put their ads on the app without too much hassle. It wouldn't be pop up advertisements, just a different part to the app where all the ads would be displayed, in a subtle form.

I was planning on marketing the app with various fitness Instagram celebrities you can call them. I feel the followers of those kind of people are the ones that would be most interested. In another project of mine, I have translators from 20 different languages, that apply to over 50 countries. I do not think there will be a language barrier block. I'm very familiar with AdWords and I definitely feel this is not the best use of my money marketing wise, I feel endorsements are much more successful and kind of in your face, if you get me.

Eugene Norman

The Corinthian wrote: »

For monetization or marketing?

I meant for monetisation - the google ads that appear in the apps. That said I am not all the knowledgeable about how it all works on Android.

Atomico

OP I think there are better ideas to which you can apply yourself. The problem with these kind of ideas is that they look fairly decent on paper, but translated into reality don't really stack up without a massive marketing budget (as someone else mentioned).

To get advertisers on board you need tens of thousands or more likely hundreds of thousands of app users, but you can't get to that level of usage without a very large marketing spend.

While the idea seems ok, I don't think it stands out enough or is all that compelling to attract large numbers of users. Even with a large marketing spend this could be unlikely to happen either.

Also I don't think that using your phone a lot equates to not being productive, and getting notifications to drop what you are doing in favour of something 'productive' (the definition of which will vary person-to-person too), could get a bit irritating after a while.