Many marketers have started developing apps over the past few years. Some develop them on their own, and others outsource the work. Some develop apps to help compliment their marketing efforts, and some try to turn their apps into a business on their own. However it is down, and for whatever reason, app development has quickly become a huge industry.
A recent report from ReadWrite found that the vast majority of apps being developed are targeted for consumer audiences. These include games, social media and things that the average Joe would use. Some of the games, like Candy Crush Saga and Angry Birds, have become huge successes, earning the developers millions. The majority of these apps, however, end up earning little or nothing for the developer.
The report went on to show that for developers (or marketers who are employing developers) who really want to make money, it is important to focus on enterprise apps. These apps aren’t typically going to be nearly as fun or imaginative to develop, but there nowhere better to make money as a developer.
In fact, while 73.67% of apps developed are for consumers, and only 12.39% are for enterprises, the enterprise apps still earn significantly more. The average enterprise app earns $49,400 per developer per month, compared with under $15,000 for the consumer apps. In addition, with there being so many more consumer apps, it is much more difficult to get a successful app.
There are a few run away hits, but most apps make very little. Enterprise apps, on the other hand, might not get the media attention or public following that some developers would like, but they earn consistent income.
While the move is slow, developers are starting to realize this, and move away from the consumer focused sector of the industry. Since 2010, enterprise focused developers have gone from 29.3% of developers to 42.7%. Consumer focused developers have dropped from 70.7% to 57.2%.
If you’re an app developer, or you pay developers, it may be time to take another look at enterprise level apps. While it might not be sexy, it will likely bring in the cash, which is what it’s all about anyway.
You can see the full report from ReadWrite HERE.
