Two Marketing Lessons for App Developers

Clearly there are more lessons to be learned about marketing apps, you have to start somewhere. Call this post App Lessons 1.0.

1. Much like anything else (except Apple technology), people don't like to buy version 1.0 because they know it's likely to have buggy features. Same goes for apps. Apparently, versions 1.0 don't do as well as later versions of the app. According to one app developer I spoke with, "It almost pays to launch as 1.0 and then upgrade even with a minor change to 1.1." In an era when perfect is the enemy of good because you need to get the product or service out the door and into the hands (or smartphones) of customers, that appears to be good advice. You don't want to release a product that still belongs in beta, but you don't want to wait until the app is perfect. Good enough is a good first step.
2. Keep a blog for your users so they can exchange ideas, tips, etc. In the age of social media, this helps build a community of users, which engenders loyalty and results in stronger brand awareness. As an example, check out the blog for Photo Shootout for iPhone. (Disclosure: I've worked with the developer, Paul Michaels, but not on the blog.)
   
   Please share other lessons you may have learned along the way.