When I set out to create my iPhone app, iKidNY, I had no background in technology nor did I know the steps to take to accomplish this fairly compliacted task. So many people I meet say “I want to do that”, “I want to create an iPhone app!” Well, you CAN! Here are the steps to take:

1) IDEA – Make sure you have a viable idea. There are over 150,000 apps in the iTunes store. Is your idea different? Has it been done before? What need(s) are you filling? Will it help people or entertain them?

Do your research – scour the iTunes store and make sure your app doesn’t already exist. Or, if a similar app exists, how is yours better or more attractive to users? Where would your app fit in to the app marketplace? What category and audience are you targeting? Of your target market, how many have iPhones? You are going to want to run some back of the envelope numbers and make some projections.

2) DRAW IT OUT – Start putting pen (or even better – pencil) to paper. What will your app look like? How many pages will it be? What functions will it have? Try to create the bones even if it’s very rough. Make several drafts as you perfect it along the way. After you complete this process, you may realize your idea is not a great one after all.

3) HIRING A DEVELOPER – Now it’s time to go and find out how much this thing will cost! You can visit a website like Guru to get a free quote for the technical development from iPhone app developers around the world. Make sure you have a one-paragraph summary of your app idea (keep it vague for now). Once you get your quotes back, you will want to narrow down your choices. Do you want to find a developer that’s near you or is price the most important thing? Do they have experience developing iPhone apps? Which iPhone apps have they developed that are in the iTunes store. I would download them all and use them.

Are the developers providing you with an hourly rate or a flat fee? I would be cautious of hourly rates unless you are quite sure how long it will take, because just like any construction, it always takes longer than you anticipate. Does the developer live in a big city? Usually the guys a little further out are more affordable since their cost of living is lower. Would you prefer someone in the U.S. to do this for you or is price more important? Would you like to have an individual develop your app or is time more imporant to you (some are big shops with lots of developers working on one project). How much time will they have to devote to this – will they do it full time or part time? How long do they think it will take them and how much will it cost?

You can also get a quote from a development shop such as mob.ly. They develop great products but it will cost you.

Once you have determined all of this, you will be able to narrow down your developer options to 2 or 3. You will then want to send them a non-disclosure agreement so you are protected (you have a great idea, right? You don’t want anyone to steal it.) – you can download a simple template off the Internet.

When they have signed your NDA, you can send them some more details on your iPhone app idea. This is your when you send them the long version. This should be at least 1-2 pages and should have as much detail as possible. Include everything you can think of. You don’t want them coming back to you later saying you never talked about that and having to make the choice whether to pay more and go over your budget to include it, or skip it. Put as much in there as you can the first time around.

When you receive your responses back from your 2-3 developers, look at them in detail. Make a chart and size them up against each other. Negotiate with them a bit. They want your business. Think long term – you will likely need updates down the line – would they be responsible for doing this? How many updates will they include? Again, you want to think in DETAIL and as LONG TERM as possible.

Call them on the phone (or meet in person if you live in the same city). You are going to be working very closely with this person so you want to make sure they understand your vision and that they are someone you trust can accomplish this, and someone you can work with. After this back and forth, your choice should be clear.

4) GRAPHIC DESIGN – Will you need graphic design for your iPhone app? If so, you will want to get a quote for that as well. You can post for flat flee graphic designs on a website like crowdSpring and get quotes (but you have to pay in advance) or tap into your network of friends on Facebook or LinkedIn. See who you know who already does graphic design and if they want to get involved. They might even agree to work for equity if they think it’s a good idea. Either way, get a quote.

5) OTHER FEES – Development and design of the iPhone app will not be the only fees involved. Try to make a list of every possible cost you can think of. You will likely need a simple support website – how much will that cost? Will you want marketing materials like postcards and business cards? Will you do mailings by post and/or by email blast? Will you have any legal fees – do you want to incorporate yourself?

5) BUSINESS PLAN – Now you are ready to put all of this in writing. By putting it down on paper you map out your business’s plan and how you will accomplish getting your app out there and actually turning a profit. Believe it or not, it’s not an easy thing to do.

Your business plan should outline what your app idea is, what need it will fill, who the target audience is, how much it will cost (estimates on who you will hire), how long it will take to develop, how will you market it, and what time investment will you have to make during and after development?

Your business plan can be short or extensive – it’s up to you. This is a tool for you!

6) CONQUERING THE iTUNES STORE – It’s not as hard as you think. You can enroll in the iPhone developer’s program on the Apple website. For $99 you will become a bona fide iPhone app developer. You can complete everything online from there. Just make sure you allow yourself extra time since you never know what will happen. iKidNY got rejected the first time for missing a silly alert. That little mistake cost me another three weeks (quite aggravating when you have a launch date set and press in the pipeline).

7) MARKETING – Your app has launched. You are now in the iTunes store and you are officially an iPhone app developer. CONGRATS! Pat yourself on the back, because this is no easy feat. But now… the toughest job of all begins. People have to know about your app in order to download it.

I would highly recommend generating interest BEFORE your app launches (although not too early, because you don’t want someone to beat you to it). Have a press release ready so that when it launches you will be ready to send it out. Make a list of publications in which you would like to see your app. Read papers, magazines, and blogs, making notes of who would write about your app and gathering their contact information in a spreadsheet. Use social media sites to get the word out there and tell everyone you know! Word of mouth is a powerful thing.

UPDATES – You are all launched and your app is selling up a storm, but your job is not yet done. You will have user feedback and fixes to make. Expect to have at least four updates a year (probably more).

9) NETWORKING – Use Twitter and Facebook to your advantage, getting the word out there about your app on a daily basis. Follow people that would be interested in your app. Get involved with companies and individuals in similar industries, and grow your network and following that way. Make sure people find out about you and your app. Also, try to find out if there are groups of developers that are involved in the same genre of apps – for example iKidNY is a part of Moms with Apps group. These groups work together to promote each others apps and learn from each other. You will have to continue to market and network to get and keep your app on to one of the top 100 lists or even better on the “new and noteworthy” list. Being seen in the iTunes store is not an easy task and you will sell lots more copies if you can get on one of Apple’s coveted lists.

10) CONGRATS!!! You did it! Now on to your next million dollar app idea!

Here are my top 10 favorite NYC iPhone apps (in no particular order):

Exit Strategy
This NYC-based app tells you where to stand on the subway platform to shave minutes off your subway trip. It also tells you which subway exits are the closest so you can get out of the subway the fastest. New Yorkers have no time to waste!

SOHO In My Pocket
SOHO In My Pocket tells you what’s around you in Soho and how to get there. Soho is one of NYC’s best neighborhoods and it is jam packed with stores, restaurants, hotels, art galleries, attractions, and more. This great locals and visitors guide also offers deals and discounts at some great NYC locations.

Dinosaurs: The American Museum of Natural History Collections – This is a phenominal app if you are traveling to NYC with kids or if you are just really into dinosaurs. If it’s the former, you can visit The American Museum of Natural History and use this iPhone app as your guide through the dinosaurs. Your kids can even use it when they get home to explore the dino’s even more, or to re-live their great NYC experience.

Hop Stop
Gives you directions or a subway route from point A to point B. With Hop Stop you can chose your method of transportation – subway, bus, taxi, walking, or just the fastest route, and Hop Stop will tell you exactly how long it will take and how to get there. A true staple for New Yorkers and tourists.

Menu Pages
It’s no secret that New Yorkers love to eat. Can you blame them? We have some of the best restaurants in the world here on our little island. Menu Pages is a comprehensive collection of NYC restaurant menus. Definitely a go-to when finding a place to eat.

Cab Sense
Believe it or not, hailing a cab in New York ain’t always easy. Cab Sense helps out by using historical data and prediction math to figure out the best corner to hail from, and when to do so. Seriously, how did we ever live without things like this?

Up Next NYC
An interactive 3D map of Manhattan where users can view restaurants, nightlife, and shops. Users can tap a building to see all the businesses inside, or on a subway station to see all the trains passing through. It’s a great travel tool for locals or anyone visiting for the weekend.

Time Out New York
This iPhone app is great for residents or tourists. It provides ideas of thing to do, places to see and eat by neighborhood in NYC. It highlights all the standards and features some great spots that are off the beaten path.

Fresh Direct
This app allows you to order groceries to be delivered straight to your home from your mobile phone. It saves your previous grocery lists and even syncs with your online orders. No more wasting time in the supermarket! This is a lifesaver app for busy New Yorkers.

iKidNY
Last but not least, I have to include iKidNY. If you live in, or are traveling to NYC with kids, it’s a must have. It tells you how to find the closest parks, playgrounds, museums, indoor playspaces, kid friendly restaurants, changing tables, subway stations with elevators, and much more.

The Dr. Seuss iPhone apps are on sale for a limited time only for $0.99!

For Dr. Seuss lovers of all ages, these apps are interactive – you can either read the book out loud with your child (or have them read it!) or have the app tell the story.

Here are the titles currently available:

Books: The Cat in the Hat, Dr. Seuss’s ABC, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
Camera: The Cat in the Hat Edition and The Grinch Edition
Game: Grinchmas!

Who knew that The American Museum of Natural History was developing iPhone apps? And good ones too! A couple of weeks ago AMNH launched their first iPhone app called Dinosaurs: The American Museum of Natural History Collections. The app allows paleontologists, both big and small, to discover and explore the museums famous dinos through hundreds of beautiful photos, renderings, and detailed descriptions. If you are at the museum, the app will act as your tour guide. If you are at home, the app brings the collection to you. What a great way to explore the history of dinosaurs with your kids! Oh, and did I mention that it’s FREE? Check out the app demo on You Tube.

According to the Museum this is just the first of many “Collections” apps to come. Good thing, because this is just ANOTHER reason for us to get excited about The American Museum of Natural History!

The American Museum of Natural History
(212) 769-5100
Central Park West & 79th Street, New York, NY 10024

Finally a BRILLIANT invention for cold weather iPhone/iTouch/iPod users! Echo Touch Gloves allow you to keep your hands warm AND use your mobile device. Echo’s gloves have electromagnetic fabric on the fingertips so you can tap away as if you were using your bare hands. I am so grateful to have discovered these gloves after constantly having to stop to take my gloves off to use my iPhone and then freezing to death!! The gloves are actually quite cute and come in four sizes and eighteen colors. Now go pick some up before it gets warm again!

I often get asked what apps I have on my iPhone.
I don’t know if that is because I am an iPhone app developer or because people are just looking for the latest and greatest in a sea of 140,000 iPhone apps. Either way, here are my top 10 at the moment:

- Exit Strategy – Tells you where to stand on the subway platform to shave minutes off your subway trip. Invaluable time-saver for busy moms.
- Around Me – Shows you all the businesses “around you”. Great for finding nearby restaurants, movie theatres, or practically anything.
- CNN – Busy moms on the go don’t always have time to sit down and read the newspaper. Enjoy the “power of CNN in your hands” with videos and all.
- Old MacDonald – This really is my son’s favorite but I’ll include it here since it’s a mainstay. Hours, well at least minutes, of enjoyment for the little one.
- Starbucks – Since I am often out and about all day long, I need coffee on the run and sometimes some internet access too.
- TweetDeck – My favorite of all the Twitter applications. It’s well organized and simple to use.
- PrimoSpot – This is a must when driving a car in NYC. It helps you find the closest on-street parking spots and lets you know when they will become available.
- Hop Stop – Gives you directions or a subway route from point A to point B. I use it at least once a day.
- Yelp – Reviews on anything and everything.
- Menu Pages – NYC restaurant menus. Definitely my go to when finding a place to eat.