If last week’s Mobile World Congress proved one thing, it’s that 2009 will be the year mobile apps take over. Every major player is launching its own app store, and offering a slice of the action to the public.
From networks like O2 to software makers such as Microsoft and even hardware manufacturers like Nokia, there are app stores springing up everywhere, but best of all, whether it’s building apps, reviewing apps or just acting as a middle man in referring them, there’s money in them there mobiles. Read our top tips to get rich by becoming an app magnate!
1. Make your own app
If you’re serious about getting rich, you’ll need to dream up a killer app of your own. Make it compatible with all the major platforms and get it on the appropriate app stores. There’s no dancing around it: You’ll need some hefty programming chops of your own to get this done, or a good programmer to help you out. Luckily, iPhone, Symbian and Java developers all hawk their skills for cash, so you shouldn’t let a lack of technical ability hamper you. Just make sure there’s a contract in place which signs all the intellectual property rights for the app over to you. For more on rinsing iPhone apps for every penny they’re worth, check out our guide to profitable iPhone apps.
2. Become the middle man
Most retailers operate affiliate schemes, which will give you a percentage of the sale for sending a customer their way, and app stores are no different. Find a way to make yourself an indispensable source for app recommendations and you’ll cash in big time as they become ever more popular, and available on more and more phones. You could do that by setting up your own aggregated app store, pulling in the contents of all the mobile stores, launching an app review site, or simply hosting a message board where app fans can trade tips on the newest software for their phones.
3. Review apps for money
The new O2 Litmus app store is unusual in that it pays customers for reviewing apps. OK, so you’re not going to become a millionaire overnight, but it certainly beats forking out your own money for mobile software. The trade off is that you’ll be trialing unreleased and potentially buggy software, but the more apps you test, the more your rating and earning power increases.
4. Develop a plug-in
Is there something all other app developers need? Can you provide it? Then figure out how to make the appropriate lumps of code and sell them to developers. Since Apple removed the legal complications around iPhone developers sharing code a small selection of “plug-in” providers have popped up. Pinch Media is a good example: it offers code for developers to insert so they can keep tabs on how their app is used. They can then track usage online through Pinch Media’s site. It’s simple, clever and in hot demand. If you can equal it you could be on your way to a fortune.
5. Dance a corporate jig
Just as websites can become valuable for the audience they attract, so can your app. Build something which generates a genuine following, and there’s a significant chance you’ll be approached by a company interested in buying it. Failing that, build apps with room for customisation, and then target them at companies who’ll pay you in return for a branded version. Yes, you too could be the proud purveyor of the next iPint. Hey, who said capitalism had quality control?
