I think I've done this with every new programming language I've attempted to learn. I begin what I think will be a simple "Hello World" program and along with the way come up with an idea and end up writing a complete program. That's what I did here.
The real problem this time is that I came up with an idea that thousands before me have come up with. It wasn't until I went to post the app on Google's Play Store that I realized just how many similar apps there are to mine. I read once that a new app is uploaded to the Play Store every 5 minutes. It is almost impossible to get your app noticed, and even more insurmountable when you make one that a zillion people before you have.
In all honestly my original intent was not to create the next Instagram. My intent really was to just learn how to create an Android app. It had come up at work about 8 months ago that we might want to develop a simple app so some of our members could access data on their phones. I really think there is more vanity to it than practicality, but I got excited about the challenge.
What I should have done, though, is come up with several ideas and then researched them to see what is out there. My app has been on the Play Store for a week now and other than a few friends and co-workers I've only had two downloads. I have no idea how these people found it because I can't unless I type in the actual name of the app. Google plays it close to the chest when it comes to how apps bubble up to the top of the search.
What I've read is that commonly used words in the description play a part in key-word searches. Install counts versus uninstall counts are an important metric. The most important though, from what I've read, are ratings and reviews by users. This is where it gets depressing.
I added in a functionality that if someone rates and reviews the app I will "flip a switch" in the database and turn off the ads. All they have to do is rate and review the app and they get the add free version. Sounded like a good way to get people to leave a review and hopefully push my app up the ever expanding list of apps on the Play Store.
Well, it didn't quite work out that way. I released the app in English, Spanish, and French. The first person to download it was Portuguese. I'm not sure what language his phone displayed but he didn't understand how it was supposed to work. Because the app stores data in the cloud it forces you create an account to link you with your data. He thought it said the ads would be turned off when you create an account.
That doesn't make any sense, when you think about it. If the very first thing you do with the app is create an account and that is what turns the ads off, then what is the point of having ads in the first place. Everyone must create an account before they see the first add. Anyway, he left a very bad review and only one person has downloaded the app since. Below is his review.
ISSSUES ITS A ONLINE REGISTRATION SCAM.IT DOES NOT GO ADD FREE ONCE YOU REGISTER IT HAS PRE SET CATEGORIES YOU CANNOT EDIT AND CRASHED ON FIRST ATTEMPT TO USE .I WAS IN A GOOD MOOD SO I GAVE THIS A PP A EXTRA STAR
Painful. Four months of work and that is what I got. To make matters worse, he emailed me before he left the review and I tried to explain to him he misunderstood what was written, but he didn't listen. I was able to leave a comment to his review, but I'm not sure it matters. You must click on his review to see my comment. I don't know what's worse, what he wrote or the fact that he writes in all caps. I emailed him a few times and then just gave up.
To add insult to injury, the Google's Developer Console, where you manage your apps in the Play Store reports on crashes and ANRs (Application Not Responding). His crash was a null pointer exception, but he wouldn't tell me what he was doing when it happened. I've gotten a few people at work and some friends to download the app and it has not crashed for them. His was the first and last crash or ANR reported.
Trying to decide how to proceed. I think some rebranding is in order.
The real problem this time is that I came up with an idea that thousands before me have come up with. It wasn't until I went to post the app on Google's Play Store that I realized just how many similar apps there are to mine. I read once that a new app is uploaded to the Play Store every 5 minutes. It is almost impossible to get your app noticed, and even more insurmountable when you make one that a zillion people before you have.
In all honestly my original intent was not to create the next Instagram. My intent really was to just learn how to create an Android app. It had come up at work about 8 months ago that we might want to develop a simple app so some of our members could access data on their phones. I really think there is more vanity to it than practicality, but I got excited about the challenge.
What I should have done, though, is come up with several ideas and then researched them to see what is out there. My app has been on the Play Store for a week now and other than a few friends and co-workers I've only had two downloads. I have no idea how these people found it because I can't unless I type in the actual name of the app. Google plays it close to the chest when it comes to how apps bubble up to the top of the search.
What I've read is that commonly used words in the description play a part in key-word searches. Install counts versus uninstall counts are an important metric. The most important though, from what I've read, are ratings and reviews by users. This is where it gets depressing.
I added in a functionality that if someone rates and reviews the app I will "flip a switch" in the database and turn off the ads. All they have to do is rate and review the app and they get the add free version. Sounded like a good way to get people to leave a review and hopefully push my app up the ever expanding list of apps on the Play Store.
Well, it didn't quite work out that way. I released the app in English, Spanish, and French. The first person to download it was Portuguese. I'm not sure what language his phone displayed but he didn't understand how it was supposed to work. Because the app stores data in the cloud it forces you create an account to link you with your data. He thought it said the ads would be turned off when you create an account.
That doesn't make any sense, when you think about it. If the very first thing you do with the app is create an account and that is what turns the ads off, then what is the point of having ads in the first place. Everyone must create an account before they see the first add. Anyway, he left a very bad review and only one person has downloaded the app since. Below is his review.
ISSSUES ITS A ONLINE REGISTRATION SCAM.IT DOES NOT GO ADD FREE ONCE YOU REGISTER IT HAS PRE SET CATEGORIES YOU CANNOT EDIT AND CRASHED ON FIRST ATTEMPT TO USE .I WAS IN A GOOD MOOD SO I GAVE THIS A PP A EXTRA STAR
Painful. Four months of work and that is what I got. To make matters worse, he emailed me before he left the review and I tried to explain to him he misunderstood what was written, but he didn't listen. I was able to leave a comment to his review, but I'm not sure it matters. You must click on his review to see my comment. I don't know what's worse, what he wrote or the fact that he writes in all caps. I emailed him a few times and then just gave up.
To add insult to injury, the Google's Developer Console, where you manage your apps in the Play Store reports on crashes and ANRs (Application Not Responding). His crash was a null pointer exception, but he wouldn't tell me what he was doing when it happened. I've gotten a few people at work and some friends to download the app and it has not crashed for them. His was the first and last crash or ANR reported.
Trying to decide how to proceed. I think some rebranding is in order.
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