Developing a mobile app can be an excellent way to increase brand recognition, customer loyalty, profitability and market share. With the wide range of mobile devices out there and the increasing number of consumers jumping on board with this technology, it’s important that you get your app out there now. However, there’s still one question that you need to answer – which OS is right for your app? Should you go with iOS? Maybe Android will be a better choice for you. Is Windows worth your time? This can be a confusing question to answers, but the tips below can help.

Bigger Isn’t Necessarily Better

First, let’s look at iOS. Apple commands the lion’s share of the market in terms of mobile technology, and there are more apps available for iPhones, iPods and iPads than for any other operating system. That means you get immense reach in terms of potential customers. However, that also means that you have far more competition from other companies. That’s particularly true if your industry or niche is already heavily represented (or the type of app you’re developing doesn’t really stand out from the crowd).

Middle of the Road

If you want to avoid some of the super saturation going on with Apple, you might consider releasing your app for the Android market. That’s a pretty good idea, considering the fact that Android is almost as well represented in the landscape as Apple. However, you might have to rethink your pricing strategy. A quick glance at the Android mobile apps market and related statistics shows that these users are more apt to download an app if it’s free, whereas Apple users are more likely to pony up the cash for a paid app. This can work to your advantage depending on your strategy.

Windows?

Now, let’s talk about Windows. As something of an underdog, you might think that releasing a mobile app for Windows won’t offer much in the way of benefits at all. However, that’s not actually true. There are some advantages to the Windows marketplace, including the fact that there’s much less competition here, which means that your app will enjoy greater visibility. Of course, growth is a bit slower within this segment, but it is picking up. Getting into the Windows market now can be an excellent option for your needs.

When all is said and done, determining which OS is right for your app can be a very tough question. In fact, the answer might be that releasing your app on all three major platforms is the best option for your needs. You’ll find that the right mobile app developer can make a real difference here, and can help you not only identify the best markets for your app, but even help with marketing to improve visibility.