Publishing Your First Paid App on AppExchange: The Inside ScoopKevin Chan

Director, CloudClickware

kevin@cloudclickware.com

@ccwkc, @cloudclickware

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About You• Thinking

– Have an app idea and want to build for AppExchange

• Running– Currently building your app for AppExchange

• Swimming– About to market or already in market on AppExchange

Assumptions• Flying solo or part of a small/medium team• Development “skills”

– Apex, Visualforce, managed packages perhaps

• Joined a partner program– https://partners.salesforce.com– Partner org, License Management App (LMA)

• One or more dev orgs• AppExchange listing

AppExchange Insights

• Apps in market over the last 12 months– Roughly 450 apps have entered the market

• App installs over the last 12 months– Roughly 600,000 app installs

1900

2000

2100

2200

2300

2400

2500

Total Apps

2000000

2100000

2200000

2300000

2400000

2500000

2600000

2700000

App Installs

Note: data based on weekly observations of appexchange.com

Why AppExchange Makes Sense

The Journey

Build

• Innovation• Security Review

Paperwork

• Partner Program• Contracts & Policies

Launch

• Your Presence• AppExchange

Market

• Install• Support

Idea

• Generation, Refinement• Prototyping

Recipe for Success

AppExchange JourneyThe Idea

Idea• You have an idea

• What makes for a good idea?– It adds value– You are passionate about it

• What is your idea?– What does your app do?– What are the top 3 benefits of your app?

Idea Example• What does it do?

– Allows you to build a target list quickly, make calls and track results

• What are the benefits?– Create a target lead or contact list quickly– Make calls from your browser or using your

existing Open CTI softphone– Log calls, measure call results

and track last called

Idea Reach• How can you increase the utility of your app?

– Integrate with APIs

• Why is it a good idea?– Diversify the capabilities of your app– Speed up your time to market– Focus on your core competencies– Leverage user familiarity with existing services

Idea – Key Takeaways• Follow your passion

– to follow through on your idea

• Consider the reach– Integrate with leading services to give your app a boost

• Define the benefits• Use your app’s top 3 benefits as a roadmap

AppExchange JourneyThe Build

Build - Basics• The Top 3 Benefits

– Let them guide you throughout the process

• Wide vs. Deep?– Do you have the industry expertise?

• Scope Creep– Its easy to keep building– Do you really need to add that extra feature?

• Testing– Environments (production, sandbox)– Features (PersonAccounts, MyDomain)

Build – The Customer Experience• First Encounter• Install• Setup• Configuration• Usage

Area Detail Goal

First Encounter Customer finds your app on AppExchange or traditional internet search

Customer installs the app

Install Customer installs the application Easy click-click-click no-hassle installation

Setup Customer performs initial setup of your app Minimal (10 minutes). Application is functional out of the box

Configuration Customer configures different aspects of your app Point-click, drag and drop configuration options

Usage Customer uses your app Application is intuitive, minimal training is required

Build – The Customer Experience GoalsGoals for each touchpoint with the customer

Build – Salesforce1 Platform• Post Install Script

– An Apex script that runs automatically after a subscriber installs or upgrades a managed package

• Custom Settings– List or Hierarchy– Enable application developers to create custom sets of data

• Fields Sets– A grouping of fields

Build – Key Takeaways• Focus on user experience

– think about each touchpoint

• Make it functional out of the box– everyone is pressed for time

• Make it customizable– everybody wants something slightly different

AppExchange JourneyLaunch –Online Presence

WWW• Company Info

– What is your company’s goal?

• Product Info– What products do you have?– What do they do? What are the benefits?

• Support– Install, configuration, troubleshooting

Tip: Twitter Bootstrap

App Naming• Google Search

– How many similar results are found?

• Google Image Search– What kind of associations?

• Domain Search– Is the .com available?

• Trademark Search– http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/– http://www.ic.gc.ca/app/opic-cipo/trdmrks/srch/

Tip: buy all the domains

App Logo• Solo vs. Series

– How many apps are you creating?

• Color Scheme– Is there a theme to your apps?

• Search– Are you infringing on any logos?

• Competitor Comparison– How do you want to differentiate?

Do You Blog?Companies that blog have 434% more indexed pages. And companies with more indexed pages get far more leads. –SEJournal

Benefits

- content, content, content

- build a reputation

- get feedback

Tip: blog now to generate interest

Do You Tweet?• Stake your claim• Follow and Followers• Your Content

• Only 19% of brands tweet on the weekends• Tweets < 100 characters, 17% more engagement• Tweets with #hashtags, 2x more engagement• 12x higher chance of retweet if asked for, 23x higher if using“retweet”• Tweets including links, 86% more likely to be retweeted-fastcompany.com

Tip: create a tweeting guideline and stick with it

SEO – huh? the process of affecting the visibility of a website or a web page in a search engine's "natural" or un-paid ("organic") search results

• Benefits– Increased web traffic– Cost Effectiveness– Usability– Brand Awareness

SEO – Tips• What can you do to contribute to SEO?

• Fresh content– Your blog, website, twitter

• Guest blogging– Free press, backlinks

• Contextual on-topic blogs– Industry leaders

Online Presence – Key Takeaways• Do your homework

– Pick your app name and logo wisely

• SEO– Keep it in mind for any public content

• Get organized– Get the blog posts and tweets flowing

AppExchange JourneyLaunch – AppExchange Presence

What’s in a Title?• AppExchange search results

– first thing viewed by prospects

• 80 characters– use keywords, avoid buzzwords– use name and tagline

• Example– “Client Alerts - track important client

dates and receive mobile alerts”

A Brief Description• Be Concise

– about 75 characters to work with– pick the keywords carefully

• Example– “track birthdays, anniversary and

more - get mobile notifications”

AppExchange Digest• Sign-up

– salesforce.com/form/appexchange/news.jsp

• One-time Free Press– Not immediate– Whenever there are enough apps

• Brief Description– 130 characters– Important to focus on keywords and

Phrases

The Listing - Screenshots• 8 / 750 x 500 px• Keep it simple

The Listing – Screenshots (part 2)• Mix it up

– pricing– testimonials– statistics

• Keep it simple

The Listing – Video• What is the optimal length?

– under 2 minutes

• Is professional or self-made better?– doesn’t matter, content is key

• What kind of content?– remember the top 3 benefits– don’t forget to show the app

• What is the goal?– app install

Test Drive• Think about the customer experience

– Landing page - provide instruction and information– Side components - viewed with your app

Free Trial• Optimal Duration?

– 15 or 30 days

Tip: don’t use a site-wide license

AppExchange Presence – Key Takeaways• Focus on content

– Keywords and phrases– be compelling

• Think like a prospect– what kind of information is needed?

AppExchange JourneyFinal Thoughts

Launch Reality• It never ends

– app is a living breathing entity

• Prepare for change– customers will give you feedback

• Respond quickly– customers react positively to good service– implement suggestions fast

Now What?• Your Idea

– what does it do and what are the top 3 benefits– can your app’s reach be extended?

• Your build– review your customer experience– make it functional and customizable

• Online Presence– focus on content– get those blog posts and tweets flowing

• AppExchange Presence– make everything count (copy and visuals)– optimize your test drive and free trial

Questions?Kevin Chan

kevin@cloudclickware.com

@ccwkc, @cloudclickware

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