iPhone Application Development – is it a great way to make money?

Since Apple’s iPhone and the App Store has reached the peak of success, most people think that developing iPhone application is perhaps the best and easiest way to make it to the top and earn loads of money. To a certain extent this maybe true, but even if you get into the store, it may not be enough to get what you desire. After the huge success of the App Store, the press has been highlighting the lucky iPhone developer and programmers who made a lot of money through their iPhone programs.

But, truly establishing yourself as a successful iPhone application developer is not as easy as it sounds – it is much more than just hitting the chart. According to most developers, being in the chart maybe an easy job but making it to the top, in terms of money as well as popularity depends entirely on the number of times the application had been downloaded. A LA- based iPhone app developer Rick Strom notes that his app named Zen Jar ranks around 30th in the App Store under the social networking category, and gets around 35 downloads per day, which earns him more than a dollar/ hour even after giving away Apples share. In his blog Strom wrote:

"Keep in mind there are over 36,000 apps in the App Store,". "If the apps on the category charts are doing those sorts of numbers, what do you think the rest of them are doing? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. They aren't selling at all."

However, developers strongly admit that the figures actually start rising as you get to the top of the app chart in the App Store. Initially, hitting the top 25 will give you enough exposure and at the same time will boost downloads of the app. Nevertheless, there are some genres of applications that will earn you more profit than the rest - like games, entertainment or productivity.

According to the market survey, top apps have been downloaded by almost 30% of iPhone users and that too from an estimated user base of more than 15 million people in the US alone. However, this proves that for top-selling apps there is undoubtedly big money – but to get that the app needs to be at the top end of the chart and get as much downloads as possible.

Despite of its several odds and risks, iPhone application development has undoubtedly made its place as one of the most happening industries in the whole world. So, if you are planning to make it big in this field, tighten up your belt, prepare yourself for the fight in every respect and make your way to the top of the App Store list.