Developing an app is an ambition that many of us hold. Although with the range of development software and platforms available today, it is actually fairly easy to build an app from start to finish, building an app that is sure to be approved by your target marketplace is another challenge in itself.
For many app developers, whether they’re building an app as a marketing tool for a business or creating a game simply to make a profit, iTunes serves as their main target.
One of the biggest frustrations any developer can experience is if their app has been rejected when submitted to the iTunes store. Here are some of the reasons this might happen, and ideas of what you can do to prevent your app experiencing any problems.
Your App is Too Similar
Much like Copyscape will tell a writer if what they’ve written is considered plagiarism, Apple will tell you if your app has too many elements of another that is already featured on iTunes.
If this does happen, then it is unlikely to be a coincidence. There is nothing wrong with using another idea as the basis for your own, but an app clearly needs to be your own rather than a copy with a tweak here or there.
Your App is Useless
This might sound harsh, and admittedly Apple won’t come back to you with such a direct response, but if what you’ve developed doesn’t have a purpose or fulfil a need,
Apple aren’t interested in allowing you to sell it through their platform. Remember that the number of poor apps on iTunes will reflect badly on Apple, not the developers responsible for them!
Market research is the key here; what gap in the marketplace is your app going to fill?
You’ve Violated Apple Guidelines
There are many guidelines from Apple that you need to fulfil, but the ones relating to human interface are probably the most stringent.
Even a small violation, we’re talking potentially a handful of pixels, will see your app rejected and might result in you having to do a lot of work again. If in doubt, hire an iOS developer who can ensure everything about your app satisfies the necessary guidelines.
You’ve Developed a Glorified Website
Given the popularity of HTML5, there is now a fine line between what you would consider an app and what you’d consider a mobile website. That, in itself, is fine, but Apple is clamping down on developers who are trying to charge people for apps rather than developing their own mobile site.
Ensure you’ve taken the necessary steps to differentiate your app from your website; you’re allowed to have similarities and even shared content, but if you’re giving something away online but trying to sell it through an app, it isn’t going to get through Apple’s test.
Remember to Work With Apple
Apple want the best apps to be featured on iTunes, and as such will always work with developers to try and ensure their apps meet their guidelines. The key to this is you; ensure you’re doing what Apple want, and the additional development and added features can come later.