Tools & Resources for Mobile App Entrepreneurs
To be successful in a cutthroat business like the mobile app business, you must be equipped with the best weapons to give yourself a fighting chance. Below, you will find app development and marketing tools and resources that I use to survive the app battleground.
Disclaimer: You may notice that some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that if you decide to purchase a product or service through one of these affiliate links that I will receive a commission from the sale. This will not impact the price that you pay at all, it just means that you will be supporting the site! Please note that small affiliate commissions that I receive from some of these resources does not impact why they were included in this list. I have personally used and vouch for the quality of each and every tool and resource listed below, unless otherwise noted.
Mobile App Development Frameworks & SDKs
It used to be that one could only build a mobile app or game using native programming language which was often a big barrier to entry for non-programmers. In recent years, many SDKs have hit the market that have streamlined the mobile app development process (especially for games) and made it more accessible for developers of all backgrounds. What’s more, they have become much more affordable as well!
- Unity3D
When it comes to making 3d mobile games, I don’t think it gets better than Unity. This SDK is used by big name studios and indie developers alike due to its ease of use, cross-platform capabilities and massive library of plugins and assets. In the past year, Unity3D has also added support to make the process of creating 2D games easier as well.(I used Unity for a school project. While my team and I never completed the development of the game, we were able to get an alpha version of it up on the app store. Check it out: Hypnoticons)
- Corona SDK
Corona 2D development kit that is a favorite among many indie developers. It uses the LUA programming language which is somewhat similar to javascript, so it is easy to learn, especially for web developers. Corona can be used to create simple to moderately complex mobile games, apps and ebooks. The community around Corona is vibrant, helpful and active. There are tons of great 3rd Party tools to enhance the SDK as well as a plethora of educational materials out there to get you started.
Source Code Marketplaces
For non-programmers looking for an avenue to get taste of the mobile app industry, source code marketplaces provide a way to purchase complete mobile app templates or snippets of code to speed up the development process. Check out this post for a complete list of source code marketplaces.
Outsourcing
Marketing & PR
- 100+ App Review Websites
A list of 100+ app review sites filtered by Alexa ranking, social reach, genre and more. Easy to track your submissions to app review websites!
- MakeAppIcon.com
Upload a hi-res image of your app icon and this nifty free tool will resize it to all the sizes that you will need for iOS 6, iOS 7 and Android. Saves a ton of time!
- presskit()
A dead simple solution to make beautiful, no frills press kit for your mobile game or app. Developed by the indie game studio Vlambeer, presskit() is designed to display everything the media will need to write stories about your app or company, including photos, videos, team members, history and more.
Training & Courses
Building a Website for Your App
Books
- The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses by Jesse Schell (Full Review)
- The Business of iPhone and iPad App Development by David Wooldridge