Niche selection is not as straightforward as it seems. It needs a certain degree of market research, observation and genuine interest on the market. But just like any selection process, pros and cons need to be weighed carefully. In order to make the right choice and successfully find your niche, these factors need in-depth consideration:
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Profit
It’s easy to say that the top apps get all the money but conversion rates aren’t made equal. Make sure that the app category converts strongly (games, health, etc.) and target a niche where the audience is willing to spend in in-app purchases. Don’t just stop on the main app categories. Who knows, you may find your niche in a yet unexplored app subcategory.
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Time and effort
Established niches have a huge audience so it won’t be difficult to introduce a new concept but for app reskinners, it would be difficult to compete with many apps that bank on the same concept and feel. It would take less time and effort to reskin an app for this niche but at the end of the day, it would take more effort to market such an app. Some apps take longer to reskin but bring in more solid return.
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Visibility
Are the keywords in the niche frequently searched? Do apps from this niche appear on top of the search results? Is the search volume considerable? How many competing apps appear on the results?
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Competition
Niches that have weak and limited competition are easy choices. The number of competition won’t matter if it’s weak and underserving the market. Having a little competition, on the other hand, is only advantageous if a majority of the competition are weak and not yet established in the niche.
It’s also important to consider the number of abandoned apps in a niche. Since app reskins has short lifespans, developers often abandon them once its performance starts to stagnate.
Consider how you can divert user loyalty by reskinning an app with the same functionality but with features that the abandoned app failed to deliver.
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Specificity of the niche
Some niches are so broad that it evolve to have micro niches that target specific segments of the market. Find your niche here since this is where most app reskins prosper. Games, communication, and social media are very broad app categories but have numerous niches that target specific audiences. There are games for hobbyists like fishing, origami, and hunting. The challenge is to find a micro niche with a target audience that can deliver profitable conversions.
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Pre-existing Market
Instead of creating a new market, search for underrated markets – niches that have underperforming apps in terms of marketing and monetization. Developers focus mostly on niches that are very profitable (on average) and neglect to explore niches that though unpopular, actually deliver steady profit.
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Play to your strengths, do what you love
Sometimes, it is tempting to invest on something that we aren’t really into especially if the rewards are promising. But most of the time, those who prosper are those that not only play the game but also genuinely enjoy what they are doing. This doesn’t mean though that after you find your niche things would be easy. Play to your strengths; if you’re into marketing, and focus on that aspect of app development and go from there.
