Image above borrowed from Apple.

Let’s face it folks, releasing an app on Apple’s AppStore is like dropping a needle in a haystack. There are well over 100,000 apps available and our chances of getting noticed gets smaller by the day. I was lucky enough to have my first game (Card Drop) featured by Apple under iTunes’ New and Noteworthy section. Sales soared for a week but gradually slowed down weeks after the feature. My second game (SOW), although much more unique than the first wasn’t that lucky. It went down the new releases list with the rest of the pack and didn’t get the attention I was rooting for. So what now? I’m here to tell (and convince) you that there’s light at the end of the tunnel…if you’re willing to work on it (stay positive guys!). Well, my sales aren’t what you can call successful yet but at least I don’t get a day with ZERO sales anymore (I used to!). Below are some tips and tricks I learned the hard way and wanted to share it with you.

Work on your website and product pages. Your app or company website will be your first chance to make a sales pitch (and a huge impression) so be sure that its interesting, concise, userfriendly, and catchy. Don’t let your readers think, serve them what they need to know, get to the point, give them access to BUY and TRY buttons, screenshots, videos, etc.

Start with the small review sites. Dropped Toucharcade a note and you were ignored? Work your way up by starting with the small fishes. Game review sites like Toucharcade, Appgamer.net and Pocketgamer.co.uk only feature groundbreaking titles that set the bar high or push the device to its limits. If you don’t have such a game, your chances are low so its best to go to several small review sites instead.

Know your app’s crowd. Know your niche market. And go there. For example, my second game (SOW) involved planting and business simulation so I joined several forums about simulation, planting, green revolution and let them know about my app and how it “may” benefit them. iPhone and iPod users are everywhere!

Let them experience your app. Capture a video of your game and showcase the best features. Post it on YouTube and send it along with your press release. Another way to allow users to experience your app is to create a “Lite” or “Free” version for players to download and try. The “Free” version may not have the same features as the full version but it can be enough to entice the player to purchase a copy.

Join communities on the web. Toucharcade’s forums is one of the busiest so why not mention your new app there? It wouldn’t hurt to post a small blurb about your app, a few screenshots and allow other people to post comments and feedback about it. Forums are a great way to start building a community around your app or company or any product in general.

Create a small promotion. Does your app earn you a little more than $10 per week? If so, start a small gimmick–say, give a $10 iTunes Gift Card every week to your fans and subscribers. That’s what I did for Kuyi Mobile and from a twitter following of 50+, my followers went up to around 600+ after a few weeks and still growing. It allowed me to spread the word about my games, the company and it also gave me a chance to give back to the iPhone gaming community and talk to people who have enjoyed and played my games.

Harness the power of social networking. Embrace Twitter. Embrace Facebook. These may sound odd but don’t underestimate the power of inbound marketing. Handle your support via Twitter and let others listen to what you have to say! Start discussions on Facebook and get enough fans who can help you spread the word about your apps!

Get professional help. If you can generate enough funds to afford someone who can market your game and create your press release or allow you to post ads on popular websites, don’t be afraid to go that route. After all, you gotta spend money in order to make money, right? But, always remember to back it up by having enough reviews or testimonials about your app.

There you go. The tips above are based on my personal experiences and of course, assumes that you have a quality app that’s ready for the big league. The AppStore is not a goldmine(as I learned the hard way) but it could work for you given the right cards. Don’t waste your cards, use them wisely and you’ll be on your way to achieving your goals. Good luck!