Not all app markets are created equal for developers and consumers

Although apps for smartphones and tablets are more popular than ever, figuring out the app market has become a significant challenge, whether you're a developer or an end user.

With so many different apps available, finding just the right store in which to market the app can be tricky for developers. Then there's the question of figuring out which platform to aim for, the pricing scheme and whether to go with an open source option.

Developers have never had more choices to make regarding their apps -- and these choices could be the difference between a wildly successful launch and a great app that sits unnoticed, gathering virtual dust.

One app market that has been consistently popular has been Apple's iTunes App Store. With the way Apple has developed iTunes over the years, it has a large advantage over some of the newer marketplace options. Google's Android Market is the leader among Android based options. However, the Amazon AppStore has seen an increase in traffic before and after the holidays, as the Kindle Fire has drawn more users to the Amazon app market. Statistics show that the overall Android app market is even beginning to challenge the market-leading Apple iTunes offering.

It might be tough to imagine Apple giving up the lead in apps, thanks to the popularity of its various mobile products, such as the iPhone, iPad and iPod. However, because Android devices are available from a variety of manufacturers, the platform with more available devices is sure to end up with the overall advantage eventually, and Android devices may end up with more overall users down the road.

There are plenty of reasons why Apple's iTunes App Store remains popular, however. Don't discount the model that Apple developed with iTunes for music, eventually adding TV shows and movies, and then mobile apps. People are familiar with iTunes, and it's very easy to use, which gives it a slight advantage over some of the other app markets in the space. As more and more devices make use of Android, though, you're going to see these advantages that belong to Apple become less and less important to mobile-savvy users, who simply want the best apps for whatever platform they own.

Focusing on the Android market, it'll also be interesting to see whether this growth at the Amazon AppStore is a short-lived phenomenon. After all, because the Amazon AppStore was so small compared to the Android Market to begin with, it has much more room to grow. In fact, it could grow quite a bit percentage wise, while still trailing the Google option in the overall market.

Both markets are using different pricing strategies, too, which will lead to some interesting battles in the upcoming months. Amazon tends to offer more fee-based apps, while Google's Android Market includes more free apps. However, a key statistic from PC Magazine shows that the most popular apps on Google's app store tend to cost about 40% more than what they cost at Amazon's AppStore.

Mobile-savvy users certainly are going to notice those price differences very quickly, and they're going to migrate to Amazon, unless Google can find a way to match its competitor's prices. Although the free apps that can be found at Google may draw some people who are new to the world of apps, most experienced mobile users are very comfortable with a fee-based app system, and they aren't going to balk at paying for really useful apps. So Google's large number of free apps probably won't be of interest to a large chunk of mobile users down the road, as more people are familiar with apps.

The primary thing to take away from all of these statistics is that the mobile market remains one that's tough to pin down. Changes occur almost more quickly than the statistics can keep up with, and the stats sometimes are out of date even before they can begin to measure the changes. Consequently, what looks like a good decision today may have disappointing results in a month, because of the changes constantly occurring in the app marketplace. For example, Mozilla plans to launch an app store called Mozilla Marketplace -- given the high usage of Firefox and its competition with Google Chrome, this new app market could again upset the equation.

The smartest thing developers can do is try to be forward thinking and flexible in their approach to the app market. Don't discount any option. Look for a fast-moving market, such as what's occurring with the Amazon AppStore now, and try to enter it as early as possible. Keep an eye on trends.

Most of all, keep your prices reasonable, and you're sure to have more success. After all, the best advertising in the app world occurs through social media. As more users gain access to your app because of a low price and enjoy it, you're sure to see greatly increased downloads through word of mouth.

So, while the headlines in the app market will continue to pit Apple against Android and Amazon against Google, reality says the mobile app market probably isn't that much different than any other product market. Develop a great product, offer it at a reasonable price, and try to place it in front of as many consumers as possible, and you're going to have a successful situation.