A few lessons from this program
Here are edited excerpts from our interview.
What’s the biggest lesson you learned?
Probably the most significant thing is that the directory is ordered by release date. When you submit your iPhone app for approval, they ask you, “what date do you want this released?”
What did is say, “I want this released tomorrow. Why should I wait?”
So when they approved it three weeks later, the release date that my app had was 3 weeks old. So when the directory got sorted I WAS NOT EVEN ON THE FRONT PAGE!
Oops! That was a huge mistake!
How did you get your first users?
I have 2 million FaceDouble customers on my site and on Facebook. So what I did is massively email them and tell them, “I have a new iPhone app. If you have an iPhone go download it.”
You released 3 versions of your app at 3 different prices. How does price impact user feedback?
I think the perceived value is an important factor. If people spend $3.99 for an app, when they un-install, they’re very unlikely to rate it 1 star.
What did you learn about virality?
Focus on the customer’s friends, more than your customer.
After someone downloads your iPhone app, you have 10 days to get them to understand the functionality–and tell their friends about it. That’s your time window. You better build an app that’s freaking easy to use, so that they could get the value and either tell their friends, or some way get the viral effect.
Now, on my app, you get to the end of it, and you get your FaceDouble look alike. Immediately, I say, “send it to your friends.” You can’t do anything else. You have to exit the app if you want to get out of this.
Why haven’t you been paid by Apple yet?
It’s been 6 months and I’ve had some success, but Apple’s just sitting on my money. They can’t pay me because the online developer process doesn’t accept my bank’s SWIFT code. My bank is Union Bank, it’s a big bank.
I probably should open an account with Bank of America, just to get around this problem.
[Thank you Parand Darugar for suggesting this interview.]