In an article published earlier this week<\/a>, global tech giant, Apple, \u201cannounced the App Store ecosystem facilitated USD 1.1 trillion in developer billings and sales in 2022<\/em>\u201d, and experienced 29% growth. These findings were part of a study conducted by Analysis Group, which also reported that, among other things, \u201cSmall developers in particular found tremendous success on the App Store \u2014 outpacing larger developers by growing their revenue by 71 percent between 2020 and 2022<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, by 2018, as was explored in our article, Is it just me, or has the app development craze died down in the Caribbean?<\/a><\/em><\/strong>, the region\u2019s mobile app development space seemed less vibrant than it had been. However, whilst app development in the region seemed to have waned, globally it has been growing exponentially. So have we missed that opportunity?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As was noted earlier, consumer taste and expectations have grown over the past decade, hence increasingly, today\u2019s apps need to be well-designed and well-executed, whilst also providing users with an enjoyable user experience. However, having a well-built app is no guarantee of success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Essentially, successful app development operates as a business, which is carefully planned and resourced, not just to build the app, but also to develop the customer base. Hence, marketing and promotion, which itself has become more sophisticated and competitive in the digital age, now requires a cogent strategy and effort, noting that worldwide there are over 8.93 million apps available vying for users\u2019 attention (Source: BankMyCell<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the biggest challenges app developers experience generally, is how to increase the visibility of their products in such huge marketplaces. The odds are that an app will not be viable or considered successful unless consumers are downloading and using them. To that end, and at an earlier time, efforts were made in some quarters to highlight the known Caribbean apps, in the hope of highlighting their existence in a space where they are often overshadowed by similar or competing apps. However, that effort appears to have also waned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Having said this, and noting the continued growth of the app market, it could be argued that there is still the opportunity for a Caribbean-developed app to make it big in a global app store. However, it is unlikely to be a fluke, but a venture that has been carefully planned and executed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We often highlight the uniqueness of Caribbean countries and culture, lament the appropriation that has occurred, and that we should be doing more in that regard. Hence, there may still be opportunities and innovative app-based ventures that can be explored and developed. However, people with vision and resources would be critical to play the inevitable long game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Having a successful app in Google Play or the Apple App Store is a significant achievement and is often the prize upon which many developers and businesses focus. However, software applications are often created to solve problems whilst also facilitating greater and more personal access through portable devices. For Caribbean developers or apps geared towards addressing Caribbean issues, it can be a lot of hassle to wade through all of the options global app stores may be quick to recommend apps that have little or no relevance to our local situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A platform that highlights apps more aligned with the needs of Caribbean users or even visitors to the region could improve the viability of these apps and incentivise the developers to give them the requisite attention. Having said this, some would argue such an approach is taking away from the more covered presence in the global app stores. However, noting that the revenue per app download varies significantly but tends to vary between USD 0.02 and USD 1.00 (Sources:\u00a0 Forbes<\/a>; Sensor Tower<\/a>), and more recently, 90% of billings and sales for iOS apps were conducted outside the Apple App Store, establishing channels outside app stores to directly engage users is a smart move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Image credit:\u00a0 William Hook\u00a0(Unsplash<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n