DEV Community: New.blicio.us

Succeeding as a SaaS Startup

New.blicio.us — Fri, 17 Apr 2020 04:36:36 +0000

Here is a post I made regarding independent SaaS startups. If you are looking to start your own, give it a look:

https://new.blicio.us/tips-to-succeed-as-a-saas-startup/

Software as a Service (SaaS) is one of the hottest business models of internet-based businesses, and if done right, it can be quite profitable with little overhead. More than half of the world’s organizations are reliant on SaaS services, and big companies like Microsoft are serving such applications.

Startup Ideas for Programmers in 2020 (crosspost)

New.blicio.us — Mon, 09 Mar 2020 17:36:53 +0000

Crosspost from: http://new.blicio.us/startup-ideas-for-programmers-in-2020

Programmers are in demand since they are able to create powerful products or services by hacking around on their laptops. This leads to new and interesting ideas being implemented into all facets of society, from IT to agriculture.

While the average university graduate may go off to work for a large corporation or the government, your anti-authoritarian spirit would rather start something from scratch. If you haven’t a clue what kind of niche to get into, hopefully, this article will give you a few ideas of what’s in demand.

Starting an App Development Agency

Albeit with a few limitations, creating mobile applications can be just as dynamic as desktop programs. Since there are now more mobile users in the world, businesses of all sizes what to get their brand into app stores to garner more business.

An app development agency can be the jack-of-all-trades, making just about any program a paying customer tells you to make. Of course, it could help to niche-down with what’s in demand, whether it be games, social media apps, or e-commerce.

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)

The SaaS is quite a trendy business model that most programmers are already familiar with. Its monetization method is to provide a service on a subscription basis, and with a little creativity, it can be applied to a diverse array of industries.

The access point for users is typically the web browser, but can also include mobile applications, desktop applications, API libraries, and even open-sourced client software.

Some SaaS success stories include:

MailChimp
Spotify
LastPass
Square
DocuSign
ServiceNow
GoToMeeting

Create a new Cryptocurrency or Blockchain-based App

I know, blockchain technology is being hyped beyond its actual real-world capabilities. Even with that said, cryptocurrencies alternative model that can do quite well if you’re missing traditional financial backing. Your company doesn’t necessarily have to be based around being a currency but rather having a token integrated within a service.

Some cool concepts for cryptocurrencies include:

Creating apps for existing cryptocurrencies, such as mobile wallets or side-chain projects.
An MMORPG using cryptocurrency as its main service. Worldopo is a perfect example.
Social media or blogging platforms with a blockchain backend – like Steemit or Uptrennd.
Forking and making improvements on an existing coin project. See Bitcoin Cash and other Bitcoin forks.
Video sharing website/app with a blockchain backend. LBRY would be a good example of this, and it was created using Ethereum’s ERC20 token design.
Cryptocurrency trading bots or price analysis software.

Indie Game Development

Most have had probably pondered creating their own video game at some point. If you are adept at a programming language and you have a cool idea, it’s possible to turn that fantasy into a real business.

While the competition is stifling, it’s totally possible to make it as a game development company with little resources. For example, a game like Runescape had started as a small university project that grew into a multi-million dollar company, and continues to grow.

While a small team can still do amazing things, there are still lots of fronts to handle in game development. This can include handling art design, social media & PR, creating a website, reaching out to media, game testing, etc...

Software Consulting

While it’s more applicable for someone with a well-established resume, software consulting can be quite lucrative with enough clients. It’s typically when a business needs an outside opinion from an expert on how to make a business or design decision related to software development.

Being an independent consultant, or starting your own consulting company, usually doesn’t involve writing code, at least not often. It’s more about giving your expert opinion in exchange for money. I suggest reading this article by DaedTech to learn more.

Teach Others How to Program

Programming is a skill that’s in-demand worldwide, yet not everyone has the ability to enroll in University for a computer science degree. This is why people are turning to free or low-cost materials on the internet, and if you’re a formally educated programmer, you are in the perfect position to capitalize on it.

The most basic way to get started could be creating an informative blog and/or Youtube channel, although that’s quite a slow crawl to making a decent income stream. Some notable influencers in this space include Treehouse, Derek Banas, or Mike Locke.

A more direct business model would be launching courses on popular platforms like Udemy or Teachable. Even then, this could require a decent amount of promotion via social media or PPC campaigns to kick off your courses.

Embedded Devices

If you have a knack for low-leveling programming languages, your skills transfer over well to embedded devices and IoT. While this side of the industry is more or less consolidated towards large electronics manufacturers, there is still room for startups, especially since production costs are going down.

Some startups to look up to include:

Are Mobile Applications Still a Profitable Venture? (crosspost)

New.blicio.us — Mon, 09 Mar 2020 06:37:20 +0000

Our cellphones are a great tool for us since we use the variety of Apps that allows us to solve a problem, help us with something, or we use them just for fun.

Since the launch of the app market for cellphones, there has been a lot of developers that have created a lot of mobile apps and have earn some money with them since they are so popular and in some cases, profitable.

The truth is that although there are thousands of mobile apps, the market is still growing, and some experts believe that in the following years every company will have their App as part of their marketing strategy.

If you’re a developer, and you’re considering launching a mobile app to get revenue, there are some things you have to know first to determine if it’s going to give you the earnings that you want.

Google Play Store vs. App Store

One important aspect before developing a mobile app is that you have to know if you’re going to upload it to Google Play Store or the App Store.

You have to decide this because for Android phones you can create simpler apps, while for the App Store is more difficult since they are strict on the quality and they don’t upload just any app.

Many developers prefer Android, but if you want to make more money then you should aim for creating mobile apps for iOS phones since they have more consistent software and you’re guaranteed that your app will work correctly, whereas this is not the case for some Android devices that might not work as you expect with your app.

Besides, if you want to charge for the mobile app, you should aim for iOS phones since they have a less price-sensitive user base.

Deciding where you’re going to upload your app will save you a lot of work, and will make you focus on one specific type of apps.
Free vs. Paid Apps

Once you have developed your mobile app you have to determine if you want it to be free or paid, and this is very important because this will make an impact on the profits.

In the case of free apps, the competition is higher since there are many more of them, but the good thing is that the likelihood of download is higher since users won’t mind downloading it to try it. This will help your app to have a better position in the store, so you’ll have more visibility for new users.

Also, in the case of free apps, the user isn’t expecting great functionality, but this doesn’t mean that you have to put a buggy app.

In the case of paid apps, the competition is less, but the advantage is that if a client pays for it, it’s likely that they will purchase another product or service from you, so they’re more qualified leads.

If you’re planning on launching a mobile app that is a complement of your business, then it’s best if it’s free so you’ll get more customers, but if you’re offering high-quality service or content, then it’s better if it’s paid.

Some of the best mobile apps are those that can be downloaded for free, but that offers some extra features if the user pays a specific amount of money, so you’ll get a lot of downloads and also you’ll receive profits, but just if your mobile app is good and engaging for the users.

How to make money with your App?

Most developers start designing mobile apps without knowing first what the audience wants, so this causes the developer to be discouraged because he/she is not receiving the expected profit.

Creating a mobile app shouldn’t be a blind process, especially if you want to make money. It takes a lot of work, but it’s worth it if you’re taking the right path.
Market research

If you want to be successful in developing mobile apps you have to know that your only job is not just programming and designing, you need to think about it as a business, so you have to take all the steps to make it profitable.

One of the things you have to do is market research. You have to see a problem and think about providing a solution with your mobile app. There are many useless apps in the market, but you want yours to be useful.

You want your audience to download it and give it good use, so they can recommend it and you can gain more users.

You have to identify your customers, establish a target audience, and start your marketing strategy to make it visible.
Specific purpose

One of the best ways to make a decent living by developing mobile apps is by focusing on a niche and creating apps that serve for a specific purpose.

You can develop a game aimed for a target group, make it a free app, and then add some paid-on features; this is the surest way to make money. But you have to make a great game, always focusing on your target.

You just have to be smart about the mobile app you’re going to develop, and then you have to create a marketing strategy that will help your audience find it.

If you own a business, you can develop a mobile app that complements your services, or that offer some help for your users, this way you’re being specific and you can even gain more customers with this strategy.

Marketing strategy

You’re focused on creating an excellent mobile app, and you nailed it, but that’s not enough for making money.

You can’t make an app, launch it on the market, and expect to get thousands of downloads and get money with no effort.

You need to have a strategy for promoting your mobile app; otherwise, it will stay in the market without any downloads.

To have significant earnings, you have to promote it effectively, and you can use social media, websites, and any other media to reach your audience.

Original post from my website: http://new.blicio.us/are-mobile-applications-still-a-profitable-venture/