Running a small business is about helping customers while moving fast.
The Microsoft App Store is a big part of our efficiency in going-to-market.
Here and in a few following articles we share our experience with the store.
There are a few hurdles but there are big advantages too which we hope you can enjoy as well.
The app store brings benefits to us and to our customer (which is also good for us).
Our customers use the store because:
- Easy and accessible one-stop shopping,
- Curation elevates perceived quality and reliability,
- Trouble-free installation, update, and deinstallation,
- Transparent fees and charge, and
- Desktop software often has better security than a website.
When you are small and just starting to sell apps through your website none
of these benefits exist for you; unless you partner with a big firm. By partnering with
Microsoft and placing your apps in the Store you gain instant customer credibility for all the above listed reasons.
All of the above points serve us, the developers, by serving our customers.
In addition the Microsoft App Store helps us with the following issues the come with selling software:
- Fewer relationships to manage,
- Easy installation and update,
- Simple telemetry, monitoring, and feedback,
- Clearer relationships with customers and partners,
- Fewer serious competitors, and
- Store ranking largely independent of how much we pay Microsoft.
All of these points can be managed independently of the store as you gain experience.
But they pose a hurdle to someone just wanting to get their solutions in front of paying customers.
And these issues never go away, sometimes grow, and are an ever-present aspect of the friction in
crossing the chasm
from idea to market (which deserve their own article - later).
While the Microsoft App Store adds value to the software ecosystem is supports, it does also impose costs.
Developers targetting this store do best if apps they intend to publish in the store use the UWP framework
(though legacy Windows apps can be published through the store through the
Desktop Bridge).
And as mentioned, publishing will require a 'certification' step which does raise the quality of the product but may require fixes which appears like a cost.
Look on these relatively few strictures as you do your
compiler which preserves your users from many potential bugs in your product.
Overall, the Microsoft App Store saves you time by telling you things you need to know to improve your chances for success.
For now let us get you past a few basic modern software business hurdles:
- Establish a developer relationship with Microsoft
- Create a web presence easily, and
- Publish your first app.
These three points circumscribe the entire process for getting your apps listed in the Microsoft Digital Store.
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Click on the above three links to see our recommendation on how to get started on each step.
When you complete those steps you will be ready to put your own app in the Microsoft App Store.