Android Tutorial 445
Selling Your Android Application
After you’ve developed an application, the next logical step is to
publish it so that other people can enjoy it. You might even want to
make some money. There are a variety of distribution opportunities
available to Android application developers. Many developers
choose to sell their applications through mobile market places such
as Google’s Android Market. Others develop their own distribution
mechanisms—for example, they might sell their applications from a
website. Regardless, developers should consider which distribution
options they plan to use during the application design and
development process, as some distribution choices might require
code changes or impose restrictions on content.
Choosing the Right Distribution Model
The application distribution methods you choose to employ depend
on your goals and target users. Some questions you should ask
yourself are
Is your application ready for prime time or are you considering a beta
period to iron out the kinks?
Are you trying to reach the broadest audience, or have you developed a
vertical market application? Determine who your users are, which devices
they are using, and their preferred methods for seeking out and
downloading applications.
How will you price your application? Is it freeware or shareware? Are the
payment models (single payment versus subscription model versus ad-
driven revenue) you require available on the distribution mechanisms you
want to leverage?
Where do you plan to distribute? Verify that any application markets you
plan to use are capable of distributing within those countries or regions.
