Learning from Your Competition
Once you’ve determined your key competitors, build out a small list on a spreadsheet to make some notes about their features and other noteworthy items. You can also use the list to track the competition on an ongoing basis. Try to narrow your list to two or three apps that most closely resemble what your app does or will do.
Spend time reviewing the competition’s written description of their app on the App Store. Be sure to review their pictures and, most importantly, the customer reviews. The customer reviews reveal a lot about the app. People tend to talk about what they liked and what they think is missing in the app or what could make it better. No reviews either means that the app is very new or it has not sold too well.
Sometimes it may be necessary to purchase an app to understand its full capability and assess its features. Competitors in every product area routinely purchase each other’s products to understand their strengths and weaknesses, especially in the software industry. Software companies have dedicated labs, for example, where they do nothing but test their competitor’s products in an effort to improve their own product and marketing programs.
Note
Keep in mind that we are never suggesting that you steal someone else’s proprietary work. You are trying to understand how you can improve your own app and build a better app than what’s currently out there. This is perfectly legal and within the bounds of ethical behavior.
Once you have narrowed your list to the most likely competitors, ask yourself the following questions as you do some competitive iPhone/iPad app reconnaissance.
The answers to these questions will help you make some important marketing and development decisions:
- What unique features does your competitor’s app have that yours doesn’t?
- How do the graphics look compared to your app?
- What claims do they make about their app? Is it the only iPhone/iPad app to utilize such and such feature?
- Does the app appear to have multiple updates?
- Is their marketing message consistent?
- Do they have a strong, compelling offer?
- What do you like or not like about their overall presentation of marketing materials?
Maybe you’ve borrowed a good app idea from some other source and are attempting to build a successful business around it. Every buyer expects multiple options, and many of the apps look very much alike. However, if you examine the more successful apps, you’ll notice that they tend to emphasize and promote something special or unique. It may be better graphics or higher sound quality.
Some developers undoubtedly borrowed their ideas from other companies (for instance, Electronic Arts sets a high bar with their game apps), others they’ve dealt with, promotions they have noticed, and so on. Successful developers always find ways to make their apps stand out from the crowd or at least stand out from the crowd in their immediate niche area.
Note
Even established businesses need to periodically reevaluate their direction in relation to competition. For example, Apple has a very long history and a strong base of loyal customers. In recent years Apple has built many retail stores at great expense. Although the core “business” for Apple was very strong, the company had to very carefully decide who its retail market was and then position its stores uniquely. They have successfully created a different kind of buying experience for their products.
Apple stores do not have the typical computer warehouse look. Instead they are clean and noncluttered and very well organized, focusing the buyer’s attention to each product for sale: iPhones, iPads, iPods, Macs, accessories, and so on. The strategy has been so successful that Microsoft started opening its own retail stores in late 2009.