- Mar 22, 2013
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I really don't check, because also for some apps I didn't integrate Firebase and also I didn't login to Google Play since published the app for safety reasons - don't want the account to get terminated.
[Journey] Building an iOS & Android App Empire
- Thread starter nakamura
- Start date
- Mar 22, 2013
- 6,272
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Update:
Fortunately, I was able to generate a passive income through apps, which basically all goes to my companies bank account and I almost didn't spend any of it yet. Now the game is to turn this existing money into even more money. For this I plan a few things. Using it for developing new apps (doing it all by myself will just be way too time consuming) and also using a part of the money for another business model (which I will probably open a journey thread for soon).
So I think this journey is a success. The only unfortunate thing was that the apps and accounts (only Google) got banned/terminated so many times. No joke, I would have been able to generate $10k per month just with Android apps.
The biggest problem is: It is a bad cycle and becomes a waste of time.
-> creating app and making developer account
-> publishing app
-> app gets removed or account banned
- start all over again
so basically sometimes I ended up working on the exact same app for days and weeks reuploading it just in the end it gets removed and the account terminated again.
The biggest factor and also problem here is Google. I don't have any idea why they would randomly terminate accounts and apps for sometimes absolutely ridiculous reasons. And sometimes also for no reason at all. Somehow it seems they want to prevent people to earn money or becoming successful. Basically, what they are doing is: They are manipulating the market by removing specific accounts/apps. They are selecting who is going to rank and who is going to be successful. And yes, you can also help someone to succeed by simply removing every competition.
This is something Apple didn't do at all. The only thing what they did is making sure your app works, has a good quality and doesn't cheat on people. But once your app is in their App Store, they keep it live and it depends on your marketing skills and the app itself whether it will succeed or not. They don't manipulate anything, they don't remove anything. This is what a search engine and also app store should be like. Let the best succeed. - and I am by far not a fan of Apple products or anything, but kudos to them...they are doing it right.
Fortunately, I was able to generate a passive income through apps, which basically all goes to my companies bank account and I almost didn't spend any of it yet. Now the game is to turn this existing money into even more money. For this I plan a few things. Using it for developing new apps (doing it all by myself will just be way too time consuming) and also using a part of the money for another business model (which I will probably open a journey thread for soon).
So I think this journey is a success. The only unfortunate thing was that the apps and accounts (only Google) got banned/terminated so many times. No joke, I would have been able to generate $10k per month just with Android apps.
The biggest problem is: It is a bad cycle and becomes a waste of time.
-> creating app and making developer account
-> publishing app
-> app gets removed or account banned
- start all over again
so basically sometimes I ended up working on the exact same app for days and weeks reuploading it just in the end it gets removed and the account terminated again.
The biggest factor and also problem here is Google. I don't have any idea why they would randomly terminate accounts and apps for sometimes absolutely ridiculous reasons. And sometimes also for no reason at all. Somehow it seems they want to prevent people to earn money or becoming successful. Basically, what they are doing is: They are manipulating the market by removing specific accounts/apps. They are selecting who is going to rank and who is going to be successful. And yes, you can also help someone to succeed by simply removing every competition.
This is something Apple didn't do at all. The only thing what they did is making sure your app works, has a good quality and doesn't cheat on people. But once your app is in their App Store, they keep it live and it depends on your marketing skills and the app itself whether it will succeed or not. They don't manipulate anything, they don't remove anything. This is what a search engine and also app store should be like. Let the best succeed. - and I am by far not a fan of Apple products or anything, but kudos to them...they are doing it right.
- Nov 25, 2017
- 11,571
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- Mar 22, 2013
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Thank you. I have learned this all just by trial and error and reading through blogs and watching YouTube videos. I think everyone can do it if they are willing to put enough time and effort into it. Before February 2020 I had absolutely no knowledge about mobile apps at all.
- Nov 25, 2017
- 11,571
- 7,556
NimaZeynali
Regular Member
- Dec 16, 2020
- 344
- 134
Good job bud,
Can I ask how do you get installs beside ads? ASO?
Where can I find an ASO expert? Thanks
Can I ask how do you get installs beside ads? ASO?
Where can I find an ASO expert? Thanks
- Mar 22, 2013
- 6,272
- 10,984
Mostly through my own website traffic. With Apple for example, you can set up campaigns and get a specific link to check how many people click/install the app through the specific campaign link. I found that I got a lot of traffic to my iOS app through my websites. This ia great, because its free app installs and it also helps with the rankings within the App Store.
There are many so-called experts, but in fact, ASO isn't this hard. Why? Because basically all you have to do is check the app descriptions, titles, subtitles and also the design of the screenshots from all the big and successful companies and apps like Tinder, Clash of Clans, Brawl Stars, etc. - you can be sure of one thing: They spent a lot of money to figure out the best way to do ASO...and the results are right there in front of you. Also, you need a specific knowledge in keyword research to know what keywords you need to target and how competitive these keywords are. The only problem is: Don't overoptimize and don't try to push the people too hard. Avoid words like "free", "best" or fake quotes, otherwise the app will be removed or not even approved.
Microprocessor
Banned - Multiple Rules Violations
- Jan 4, 2022
- 39
- 20
What kind of websites do you own? Do you write game reviews?
I would like to know more about your traffic source because it is interesting.
Also are you willing to do paid consulting in the future?
OP, I understand why you don’t disclose any details about your apps, but in my experience, almost in 100% of cases the apps that get banned are parasiting on existing brands, trademarks, copyrighted keywords, etc. The affected developers tend not to mention these things when complaining about bans, but I think that such complaints must include screenshots of play store app page so that community could learn the mistakes and not to repeat them
- Mar 22, 2013
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Because this thread got more than 30k views so far and unfortunately, there is a shit load of people who are trying everything they can to find profitable niches, copying apps or ideas and to mass flag/report apps or accounts. I have seen it all. This is a blackhat forum and it would be really stupid of me to talk about my niches or my apps. I think you underestimate the amount of people who got nothing better to do than to simply copy or hurt others. Especially if I keep updating the earnings, people will be like "oh I am wondering what are his apps or what niches he is into". I am not stupid.
I don't copy or parasiting any apps or whatsoever. Here are just two examples of why Google terminated apps and accounts: 1. Typo/wrong words in the chinese app description. 2. Having an external link inside the app leading to the privacy policy (because the link would open the browser of the phone, they called it HACKING - no joke - and suspended the app).
Take a look on Medium.com for example how many people got their legit apps and their account deleted for ridiculous reasons....and nothing is happening. Google doesn't give a fuck. The people responsible and working for Google, they don't give a fuck either.
liquardo
Regular Member
- Sep 26, 2019
- 256
- 267
I guess the potential for that kind of external link would be that you could eventually redirect that url/domain wherever you want and they would never be able to tell. Hacking is a ridiculous stretch though lol..
I highly doubt they give as harsh treatment to all apps with external links
I got intrigued by Flutter after following your journey a while back, but decided to start learning Blazor instead, cuz I work with C# daily and noticed they have this https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/mobile-blazor-bindings/
Interested to see if that has enough potential to make some apps, not just websites (obv not going to be as efficient as Flutter, but at least will look unique I guess haha)
Then just gotta find a reasonable non-gaming niche. Gotta follow your footsteps and delve deep to see what the big bois are doing to get some tips on 'optimal levels of optimization'
Keep up the interesting updates and congrats on the great earnings!
- Mar 22, 2013
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The problem is: They write the guidelines/policies in this way that they can do whatever want.I guess the potential for that kind of external link would be that you could eventually redirect that url/domain wherever you want and they would never be able to tell. Hacking is a ridiculous stretch though lol..
I highly doubt they give as harsh treatment to all apps with external links
I got intrigued by Flutter after following your journey a while back, but decided to start learning Blazor instead, cuz I work with C# daily and noticed they have this https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/mobile-blazor-bindings/
Interested to see if that has enough potential to make some apps, not just websites (obv not going to be as efficient as Flutter, but at least will look unique I guess haha)
Then just gotta find a reasonable non-gaming niche. Gotta follow your footsteps and delve deep to see what the big bois are doing to get some tips on 'optimal levels of optimization'
Keep up the interesting updates and congrats on the great earnings!
Lets just take a look on one of Facebook/Meta's guidelines for Facebook Audience Network:
"We reserve the right to reject, approve or remove any Publisher or app or site for any reason, in our sole discretion, including Publishers and apps that negatively affect our relationship with our users or advertisers, or that promote content, services, or activities, contrary to our competitive position, interests, or advertising philosophy. These guidelines are subject to change at any time."
Basically, this single paragraph means that ALL the other policies doesn't matter, because they can do whatever they want at any time. So you have no chance at all, no matter what.
The same goes for Google. They say "if your app opens another app, it is considered "hacking" - but when Tinder, Clash of Clans, Genshin Impact, Twitch, Amazon, etc. are opening the browser or even another app, they don't consider it hacking. If my app opens the browser, they call it "hacking" and suspend the app. They can do whatever they want...and they will do it.
And honestly, since the moment they suspended one of my apps because there was a grammar error in the chinese description, I knew this is a rigged game. It is by 100% manipulation, nothing else. Who or whatever decides to remove apps/accounts from the Google Play Store is absolutely corrupt.
- Sep 3, 2018
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You're getting suspended and terminated bc of of your shitty screenshots and ASO
Check your DMS
HMU if you wanna collab with me.
I can help take you to the next level.
App world sucks. Ad revenue sucks for apps. ASO doesnt work. Going viral with IAPs or if you have millions of dollars for marketing and your customer acquisition cost is < than your ROI per customer is the only way to make money. Reskinning was profitable in 2011 but not anymore. All of these reasons combined with the little to no control or power you have over apple, google, or getting paid makes it stressful and not worth it. As OP was stating, they can ban you at any moment and you have no appeal or recourse and 0 customer service. Google and Apple have all the power over apps. Then comes the ad networks, then the developers have the least power in the app world. Hang it up OP
- Mar 22, 2013
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Google Play gets you way more traffic than Apple. Also, with Apple it seems the ad revenue became much lower since the iOS 14 update.
You will always have this problem. Either it is already created or it has never been created and there is no demand for it. You just have to do proper marketing OR you get into a subniche and then expand into the main niche OR you just make a better app than your competition.
I went into a high competition niche with 0 knowledge and I outranked them. And what was the reason? All of their apps were shit. Low quality. Not thought-through well. Sometimes just plain buttons, not even really functional, bombed with ads.
So what did these guys do? Instead of improving their own apps, they spent a lot of time and energy to mass report mine. After I figured out a bunch of competitors from Thailand just mass reported me again and again, I blocked the whole country and I didn't have this problem again for a long time.
And seriously, if you are afraid of competition, you should should quit IM, because there is competition everywhere. No matter if its in SEO, Apps, eCommerce, etc.
LOL. I highly doubt I will collab with someone who jumps into conclusion without seeing one single screenshot of mine or whatsoever.
And nope mate, "I don't need you" won't add your "telegram" because of two screenshots you sent me per PM. No offense tho, just seems fishy.
Yes, but this goes for everything else as well: Google, Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Spotify - all of these monopols have the full power over their users/sellers/artists/developers/etc.
Apps are still profitable, in fact, I am earning with them without spending any money. Did it become harder? Yes, absolutely. Why? Because there is more competition and it became way easier to create apps than in 2014 or before.
But: There are also way more consumers than before. It all comes down to a proper business plan, marketing and the quality of the app.
- Sep 3, 2018
- 901
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lol why so edgy?
https://www.blackhatworld.com/seo/i-did-600-000-in-sales-on-my-first-year-of-shopify-ama.1368548/
i'm heaps ahead of u mate.
tell me what's fishy again?
https://www.blackhatworld.com/seo/i-did-600-000-in-sales-on-my-first-year-of-shopify-ama.1368548/
i'm heaps ahead of u mate.
tell me what's fishy again?
- Jan 27, 2018
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They say it where?
- Mar 22, 2013
- 6,272
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https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9888379?hl=en
This is what they write. They turned it into "hacking" because my app opened an external link and the browser of the phone would open. LOL.
Here is the thing: They can always find a reason. Just alone the last paragraph: Almost every big app and especially ecommerce apps are "modifying" or updating their landing page of the app without releasing a new update on the Google Play Store.