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[iPhone] Screen Spy - Sales Update
ImLeftFooted
Member #3,935
October 2003
avatar

The sales are staying fairly consistent at around $250/mo. Keep in mind the minimum exchange requirements I mentioned in my last post which mean I'm receiving much less money than this.
{"name":"601868","src":"\/\/djungxnpq2nug.cloudfront.net\/image\/cache\/6\/f\/6f751b734472ca4947cd8fa3299723e9.png","w":857,"h":671,"tn":"\/\/djungxnpq2nug.cloudfront.net\/image\/cache\/6\/f\/6f751b734472ca4947cd8fa3299723e9"}601868

Here are the only two deposits to my bank account. [1]
{"name":"601869","src":"\/\/djungxnpq2nug.cloudfront.net\/image\/cache\/4\/e\/4e3b1fa448a80e6bdb070b9f7f91e9a9.png","w":615,"h":30,"tn":"\/\/djungxnpq2nug.cloudfront.net\/image\/cache\/4\/e\/4e3b1fa448a80e6bdb070b9f7f91e9a9"}601869
{"name":"601870","src":"\/\/djungxnpq2nug.cloudfront.net\/image\/cache\/7\/b\/7b43c9f8611580f65629dc4b10a3eaa7.png","w":615,"h":31,"tn":"\/\/djungxnpq2nug.cloudfront.net\/image\/cache\/7\/b\/7b43c9f8611580f65629dc4b10a3eaa7"}601870
129.10 + 240.80 = $369.90

This is over my informal commitment to make a V2 that is much higher quality once I reach 150 in profits from V1. :)

So, now I'm busy building a very large remote desktop suite. This time I will have a proper website with many features (eventually I will add an in-browser javascript based client as well! :o).

Usage Stats

I want to find out if people are figuring out how to use the app successfully. If they are not, that is both bad for them and will lead to bad ratings later on.

I ran a quick query

SELECT COUNT(DISTINCT account_id) as AccountsWithAnActiveComputer FROM computer WHERE account_id IN
(SELECT DISTINCT serial FROM account) AND remote_ip IS NOT NULL

AccountsWithAnActiveComputer: 17

Next a simpler query.

SELECT COUNT(DISTINCT serial) as ActiveAccounts FROM account

ActiveAccounts: 57

The result is quite bad, 70% of users haven't used it once! Either my supposed to be super-simple installation process is too complicated or there is a serious bug in the code. Another possibility is people aren't reading the description closely and buying it for a Windows machine. I will address all three of these issues in V2. I have received 3 customer support emails asking how to install for Windows -- so that is a clear issue but I'm unsure what the percentage of users this accounts for.

Slippage Stats

There are 49 sales + 2 refunds = 51 legitimate apps.
The ActiveAccounts query tells us we have 57 unique iPhone serial numbers.
57 - 51 = 6 Slipped Apps.
Slippage: 12%[2]

References

  1. Disclaimer: I have other apps that have made small amounts of money that contribute to the deposits. I have no way of knowing which part of the deposit is which but I know the other apps are very little (like $3/mo or something).
  2. This includes people who transfer their apps to a new phone.
Matthew Leverton
Supreme Loser
January 1999
avatar

I make more than that per day, but I actually have to work a few hours. :-/

You've got the right idea though with "simple" business apps. Keep it up and you'll be an intarweb thousandaire who never has to work again!

ImLeftFooted
Member #3,935
October 2003
avatar

The correct term is intarweb millionaire :o.[1]

edit: Changed smiley

References

  1. Currently iTeleport App is making 1-2M per year and LogMeIn's App is likely double that or more
Peter Wang
Member #23
April 2000

I, too, want to make money.

Trent Gamblin
Member #261
April 2000
avatar

My iphone game is still making money, but it hasn't reached my goal of 2000 sales (half that). I made $185 this month, in August I'll get a cheque for about $300. 60% of that is mine to do whatever I want with.

Arthur Kalliokoski
Second in Command
February 2005
avatar

Take heart, guys. You have a much better chance and rationale than all those lottery players.

http://www.moddb.com/games/minecraft/news/minecraft-status-update-and-1000-sales-in-24-hours

They all watch too much MSNBC... they get ideas.

verthex
Member #11,340
September 2009
avatar

Take heart, guys. You have a much better chance and rationale than all those lottery players.

Maybe, but I've seen people make more than 5 grand per day selling speakers out of a van doing nothing besides asking "HEY! Wanna buy a speaker?".

I'd have to say the problem with selling software is the corporate world which dominates most markets and very few niche players exist. I'm surprised minecraft is doing that well, I don't see much there but I guess people are willing to throw 15 bucks on something so be it.

ImLeftFooted
Member #3,935
October 2003
avatar

verthex said:

I'd have to say the problem with selling software is the corporate world which dominates most markets and very few niche players exist.

You haven't been paying much attention to the iPhone app store I'm guessing... :P

I, too, want to make money.

:D

james_lohr
Member #1,947
February 2002

Quote:

network misconfigurations and distracting lags

Lag is an uncountable noun. I would not buy your software because the poor grammar in the description makes it look like it was outsourced to India.

Change it to "distracting lag" or "distracting periods of lag" and you might sell a few more. :P

Mike Farrell
Member #248
April 2000
avatar

Have you tried going free for a day. I made one of my games free for a day and it got 41 sales the next day in France. Wish it would have sustained though. And before you ask Trent. The categories were action and arcade.

vbovio
Member #8,283
January 2007

Have you tried going free for a day. I made one of my games free for a day and it got 41 sales the next day in France. Wish it would have sustained though. And before you ask Trent. The categories were action and arcade.

that's nice, what else you did when you put the game for free (besides changing it on iTC) ?, what promotions did you tried ?

I like to try free for a day too..

---------------
BovioSoft

Trent Gamblin
Member #261
April 2000
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Good idea. Monster RPG 2 free tomorrow.

Mike Farrell
Member #248
April 2000
avatar

Other promotions? Not too much apart from posting on touch arcade and giving away promos. Because the app store is so oversaturated I'm not willing to spend any money on advertising.

I should also say that I tried this with just about all my apps and afterwing 3d was the only one to make money after it's free day likely because it hit #15 free in France according to igamestats.com. The other two games beer machine and tube tennis both sold almost 0 copies the day following the release and got destroyed in the ratings. So beware.

Trent Gamblin
Member #261
April 2000
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My ratings already got destroyed when I put it on sale for 99c. I had an over 4 star rating, now it's down below 3.5 (and I think below 3 for the current version).

Mike Farrell
Member #248
April 2000
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You think thats bad? I had crash reports flooding in from jailbroken os users. Somehow I used a piece of API that triggers a crash only on jailbroken OS's. 1 stars flooded in from those people.

Trent Gamblin
Member #261
April 2000
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AFAIK my game doesn't work on jailbreak either :x... Oh well, the ratings can kiss my ass. If someone doesn't leave a reasonable review, their opinion doesn't really mean anything to me. And of the people that do leave reviews for my game, the vast majority are 4 or 5 stars.

Mike Farrell
Member #248
April 2000
avatar

Same here. I've discerned its not the reviews that impress upon people, but the sheer amount (oh look at all the people who took a $1 risk on it, I suppose I can). Hence the free technique. AW3D is up to 44 ratings now I think.

BAF
Member #2,981
December 2002
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There are 49 sales + 2 refunds = 51 legitimate apps.

I like your math.

Anyhow, you guys seem to do an awful lot of work coming up with ideas, creating them, and marketing them for such minimal returns. $150 in sales is enough success that you will spend more time creating version 2? I guess I just don't understand the mindset - maybe I'm just spoiled by earning more than that just for getting out of bed in the morning.

Mike Farrell
Member #248
April 2000
avatar

BAF. Indeed you are right. After being so appauled at spending a month working on afterwing to make a few hundred dollars. I refuse to spend more than 2 days at at time on a new app and then wash my hands of it.

Obviously, My primary job pays me enough to make a living. The app thing is kind of that "hey if this blows up I can pay off my car but likely won't" idea. Like the other guy said, its like a lotto ticket in my pocket that pays me dividends.

ImLeftFooted
Member #3,935
October 2003
avatar

BAF said:

I guess I just don't understand the mindset - maybe I'm just spoiled by earning more than that just for getting out of bed in the morning.

The mindset is to make millions of dollars. Don't confuse stepping stones with end results.

Quote:

I like your math.

Refunded apps still have an account on my system, there's no reason to flush them.

Trent Gamblin
Member #261
April 2000
avatar

My mindset is to make good games, because I enjoy doing it and the money attracts good help. I've made over $1500 on my first and only app, that's not too bad for a first. I don't make games in 1-2 days like Mike. Even the current game we're working on, which is nowhere near done, has been in the works for months. We're hoping it's a success, but if not, it sure as hell is going to kick ass.

Neil Walker
Member #210
April 2000
avatar

What time UK does the free day run out? or is it midnight regardless of country?

Neil.
MAME Cabinet Blog / AXL LIBRARY (a games framework) / AXL Documentation and Tutorial

wii:0356-1384-6687-2022, kart:3308-4806-6002. XBOX:chucklepie

Trent Gamblin
Member #261
April 2000
avatar

I guess it runs out at midnight pacific time (Apple time). That would be... around 5-6pm in UK I think.

edit: Actually, I don't know how it works. It may just be 08-03 regardless of timezone.

Neil Walker
Member #210
April 2000
avatar

Ok, I've been asking everyone at work to download it and rate it well (presuming that's why you're giving it away free), but it's impossible to download 80mb over 3G.

Neil.
MAME Cabinet Blog / AXL LIBRARY (a games framework) / AXL Documentation and Tutorial

wii:0356-1384-6687-2022, kart:3308-4806-6002. XBOX:chucklepie

Trent Gamblin
Member #261
April 2000
avatar

Heh. 30MB? It's actually almost 80 :P. Thanks though.

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