Idea to iPhone: The essential guide to creating your first app for the iPhone and iPad

Packed with tips and tricks to get you started, this book shows you - start to finish - how to take your idea and turn it into a fully working, functional app.

• Walks you through getting started, designing your app, and developing your idea
• Helps you launch your app and then promote it
• Reassures you that no programming experience is needed in order to create a fully functional app

Idea to iPhone is an easy-to-read book that shows you how to get your idea from your head to the iTunes store!

CHAPTER 1 Kicking Off Your App Adventure  9

Eliminating Doubts and Debunking Myths  10

“I’m not a developer or even the slightest bit techy”   12

“I don’t have the money to create an app”           12

“The app market is saturated I don’t stand a chance”  14

“I don’t have the time”  14

“I’m not artistic, and I don’t know how to use design software”       14

“I don’t live in a tech center”        14

“What if I fail?”         15

Financing Your App with Your Time and Talent         15

You need less money than you may think            16

You have more to off er than you know   16

Keep doing what you do best     17

Filling in the missing skills       18

The Journey Ahead       18

The Mobile World We Live In          19

Apps must be understood in 15 seconds or less      20

We see only part of the screen and it’s blurry         21

Think thumb, not fingers           22

What You Need to Know About Working with Apple     23

Apple may take months to answer a question        23

Handling rejection      24

How to grab Apple’s attention       24

How iTunes helps (or hurts) sales    25

Getting paid by Apple   26

Getting Organized and Setting Up Shop     27

Learning how to talk the talk        27

Getting the right Mac and iDevice   29

iDevice  29

Mac computer       30

Downloading the software          30

Developer tools     30

Design tools         31

Tools to manage your team and project           31

Registering as an Apple Developer   32

Purchasing the iOS Development Program membership  32

Snagging the best domain names    33

One Small Step to One Giant Leap      33

CHAPTER 2 Shaping Ideas into Apps People Want 35

Your Target Audience: Finding Your Tribe   36

Go tribal   36

Find your proxy        38

Making the most of your research   40

Creating Apps Th at People Really Want     40

Strategy 1: Fix a problem           41

Strategy 2: Amuse, charm and captivate  41

Strategy 3: Connect us with people and places        42

Ingredients for Magnificent App Ideas  42

Don’t be afraid of crazy ideas        43

Let your passions inspire you       43

Add a dash of personality           44

Spice it up with surprises           45

Mix in some viral goodness         46

A Brief Introduction to Integrating with Facebook       49

Which Device Is Right for My App? iPhone, iPad, or Both    51

Th e benefi ts of targeting both iPhone and iPad     52

Why the iPhone’s smaller touchscreen might be best  54

Why the iPad’s extended views are the way to go   54

Doing Your Research      56

Making a (Mission) Statement         57

Avoiding Scope Creep: The $120 Bottle of Shampoo      58

Prioritize your features  59

Save some killer features for updates     60

Avoiding headaches: Features to leave out           61

Avoid features that require you to own a server    62

Avoid features that require moderating           62

Avoid anything that requires a Terms of Service agreement        64

Keeping Your Idea Confidential and Protected          64

Testing Your Idea’s Pull Power in Th ree Easy Steps       65

Step 1: Create a site for your app     65

Step 2: Run an ad campaign         65

Step 3: Watch it for a week          66

What to make of the test results     67

Kicking Off Your Marketing Campaign  67

You’re not just creating an app; you’re putting on a show 68

Your tribe already loves you; they just don’t know it yet   68

Jumping on the social media bus    69

Concocting an enticing teaser video  70

Try for some humor  71

Keep it clean and simple         72

When friends refuse to be actors  72

Where to share your masterpiece     72

Growing your audience with a teaser site            73

CHAPTER 3 Designing Luxurious and Stunning Apps           77

Getting the Ballpoint Rolling          78

Understanding the Navigation Models  80

Nested dolls           80

Tab bar     81

Breaking the tab bar ceiling         82

Swiping tabs        83

Slide-out navigation  84

Bento box  85

The sliding cards        87

Immersive designs      88

Navigation found on the iPad       90

Layered navigation   90

Sidebar navigation   91

Button and Tab Combo Navigation    91

Taking a Peek at the Standard Controls     92

The bars    92

The status bar       93

The navigation bar   93

The toolbar         94

The table view          95

Inputs and outputs     97

Stealing Good Stuff      100

Finding design inspiration        100

Building your collection          101

Creating Natural Flow in Your App   101

Map out the flow with boxes and arrows           102

Turn the fl ow into a story         104

Shifting Your Ideas into a Killer Design    104

How anyone can design like a pro  104

Why prototyping is the best thing since sliced bread 105

Start by sketching    106

Creating paper prototypes in a flash 106

Test, edit, repeat… 107

Creating working prototypes: No coding required   108

Putting Your Designs to the Test     110

Capture useful feedback          111

The “Get it?” test   111

The key task test   112

Five-second test   113

Edit, edit, and edit again          113

From Mockup to Masterpiece       114

Preparing your designs for Retina Display          114

Building designs that scale using Photoshop        116

Creating your layout  117

Shortcuts to layouts           118

Stealing some templates       118

Making each image 118

Naming files      119

Creating Designs That Really Stand Out   119

The importance of pixel perfect design  119

Make it subtly real    120

Make it easy and effortless: The ABC’s of design    121

The power of contrast         122

Repetition and grouping       122

Give it some space 123

Same, same, same  124

Make it delightful    125

Tuck it away      126

Be careful with the interruptions    126

Making That Critical First Impression Count          127

What you need to know about icon design         127

Shortcuts to creating an icon      129

It’s all in the name    130

Launch screens of love           132

Outsourcing to a Professional        137

Finding a good great designer     137

What the designer needs from you 138

What you need from your designer139

Signing the contract  139

Doing without the designer       140

Marketing Ideas Checklist           141

CHAPTER 4 Developing and Testing Your App   143

Finding Dependable and Talented Developers         144

Reaching out to the iOS community   145

Where to scout out the talent     145

Making the most of Elancecom and other sites     147

Search for the developer you want  148

Post your project and let the developer fi nd you  150

Find other places to circulate your job description   151

Selecting the Best Developer for Your App Project     152

The developer review checklist     152

Interviewing prospective developers   154

Questions to ask   154

How to review the developer’s prior work       156

Where to find honest feedback on a developer’s skills157

Understanding that cheap can be expensive in the long run        158

Comparing apples to apples       158

When can work start?         159

When will I get my app?       160

Test-drive with a mini project  160

Learning to trust your gut        160

Signing the contract  161

Working with Developers           162

The secrets to keeping your developers happy      162

1 Listen to them  162

2 Don’t keep changing your mind  162

3 Be specific      162

4 Have realistic deadlines     162

5 Check in but don’t micro-manage163

6 Make decisions quickly      163

7 Don’t use any four-letter words  163

Be nice and be boring 163

Money as a motivator 163

It’s more than a short courtship   164

Kicking Off Development           164

Creating a spec that says it all     164

Remember to include the kitchen sink          166

A six-year old can understand it 168

What your developer needs from you   168

What you can expect from your developer         168

Issues, Bugs, and Tweaks: Testing Your App          170

Have you downloaded the SDK and Xcode?        170

The absolute beginner’s guide to Xcode 171

Setting up your device for testing  175

Taking a look at Apple’s iOS Provisioning Portal    179

Adding in Game Center, Push Notifi cations, or In-App Purchases 180

Find bugs and create buzz by enlisting your tribe   181

Distributing your app using Test Flight         181

Keeping track of bugs 182

Breaking the news to your developers  184

Tweaking design after development: Don’t do it    184

When It’s All Gone Wrong           185

What to do if your developer disappears           185

Knowing when to fire your developer   185

Knowing When to Go Live           186

Marketing Ideas Checklist           186

CHAPTER 5 Raising the Curtains and Going Live 189

The Ultimate App Submission Cheat Sheet 190

Selecting a Powerful Launch Date    191

At Least One Month Before Submitting Your App     191

Get set up on Apple’s iTunes Connect  192

Prepare for customer care        194

Select a support site           194

Add a contact link in your app  195

Offer an FAQ page 195

Identify launch tricks you must start now          195

Make the most of promotion codes 197

Prepare your website for the red carpet         198

Recognize the beauty of a great newsletter      199

Build your press kit           200

Produce a viral video          201

At Least One Week Before Submitting Your App      201

How people really scan the iTunes store           202

The formula for an effective product description    203

The perfect elevator pitch      204

Reaffirmations, reviews, ratings, and rewards    204

Craft an awe-inspiring benefits list  205

Share upcoming enhancements 206

Add in a personal note         206

How to design screen shots that sell   206

An entire story with five images 206

Screen shots that say it all      207

Improve discovery with the right keywords        210

Submitting Your App for Approval    211

Complete the app details on iTunes Connect       211

Set up certificates, App IDs, and profiles           212

Create the distribution build yourself  213

Let your developer create the distribution build for you 214

Countdown to App Approval        214

Prepare your message 215

Close shop           216

Backstage sneak peek event       217

Announce your launch date       217

3…2…1…Launch!       217

Double-check the important stuff  217

Roll out your new site 218

Blog your big news   218

Get the word out on social media  218

Ready, set, email!     218

Get fans in on the fun 219

Keeping Track of Sales   219

Add a free analytic service        219

What Apple tells you and doesn’t tell you          219

Building Customer Love  220

Answer emails early, often, and sincerely          220

Be real and they will reward you   220

CHAPTER 6 Promoting Your App and Making a Profit         223

The Art of Attracting Attention and Creating Hype    224

Give people a story to tell         225

Pull on the heart strings       225

Build identity     226

Make it cute as kittens         227

Make us laugh     228

Create nostalgia   229

Try taboo, unusual, or outrageous   230

Monitoring buzz to create more interest           230

The $5 Marketing Plan   231

Have a sale          232

Give out promo codes 232

Promote your app inside your app 233

Build in social and sharing features  233

Request a review   233

Tell a friend       234

Reward handsomely           234

Teach to reach       235

Write, write, write 235

Reveal your secrets 235

Praise other apps  236

Create videos and presentations    236

Share everything     236

Share customers   236

Share your brand  236

Put your name on everything   240

Hit the streets       240

Speak Out        240

Pull a stunt       241

Promotion Tactics That Don’t Work  241

Press releases are spam           241

Think before leaping into banner ads   241

Never slam competitors’ apps     242

Creating a Compelling Website       242

Registering a domain name       243

Purchasing web hosting          243

Tips for creating a memorable teaser site          243

Should you use a landing page service?          244

Collecting names and addresses 244

Tips for an effective app website   245

Tips for a Successful Email Campaign 247

Repeat after me: no spam!        247

And you are?         247

Boring subject lines actually work better           248

Use space wisely      248

Make it quick and reward them    248

Use images sparingly  248

Make it easy to share  249

Answer replies       249

Making Money from Your App       250

Pricing your app in the paid model 250

When to give it away for free      251

How the free-to-paid model might be the ticket  251

The difference between free and lite 251

The latest fad: In-app purchases 252

Making money with iAd and other advertising options          253

Think outside the app 253

The Generosity Principle 254

Donate to a charity   254

Find a launch sponsor 254

Create a promotion   254

Order some business cards and freebies           255

CHAPTER 7 Maintaining Your App and Going the Distance     259

Working on Your Business as Well as Your App        260

Tweaking Your Way to the Top       260

The boomerang theory           261

The addicts model    261

It’s an easy sale booster           262

What to Tackle First     264

Feedback and reviews 264

Fix the bugs first     265

Improve usability     266

Examine the analytics 266

Localize the description on iTunes 266

Localize your app to expand your market          267

Adding New Features to an App      268

Rocking the boat     269

Taking your time to release       271

Should you create a whole new app instead?        272

Managing Your App on iTunes Connect   272

Keeping your app fresh and current    273

Submitting new updates          273

Understanding software versioning    273

Major updates     274

Minor updates    274

Revisions and bug fixes        274

Keeping Up with Apple and iOS Releases  274

What new iOS updates mean for your app         275

Porting your app to a new iDevice 276

Expanding to Android 278

The Law of the Vital Few 278

Let Your Inspiration Guide You      279

Index    281