Making a Successful App

Making a successful app is very hard. Some companies spend a lot of money on advertising whilst other apps just get lucky. But you should do everything in your hands to promote your app.
Maybe you don't have an idea for an app yet, but you have decided to go into the app business. First of all, you should have a look at other apps that are already successful. Explore the app stores (App Store, Google Play, Amazon... ) you are interested in and see what kind of content is being featured. Those are the ones who did it right, and you should learn from them. A good book with examples of successful apps is The App and Mobile Case Study Book, a guide with 80 stories of brands that nailed it.
Conduct a bit of research about what users are interested in right now. Use the Google Trends service to see what people are searching on the web, and check whether there is an app that matches that interest. Additionally, don't give up on an idea if you don't find it trending. Sometimes people don't know what they want until they see it done.
Have a look at the store's Top 10. Maybe you can release something similar or even better; improve what already exists. After Whatsapp, came Line, Snapchat, and Telegram. These were all apps that were slightly different and offered the consumer more options for a chat app.
What do YOU need? Surely you have been in multiple situations when you needed some information, a tool, or a service, and you couldn't use any computer or the smartphone in your pocket. Instead of waiting for a solution to be made, you can make it yourself.
Choose the right category. Some categories have more competition than others.
Use the in-app analytics tools to know how your users interact with your app.
Create the app website. You can do it very simply by using WordPress and one of the many mobile app themes. Be sure to include your app name and icon, show the supported devices (iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows Phone... ), and add your best screenshots and even an explanatory video. Set a large, visible button linking your app to the app store. If you already have good reviews about your app, add them to the website. Show your contact information and social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Google+... )
Implement a section within the app to get feedback, and listen to your users. Not only will you improve your app based on the users critiques,, but you will also build a valuable connection with them. It will encourage them to share and talk about your app to others, and they'll become possible customers for future apps.
Send your app to specialized bloggers (you can use promo-codes), and they will spread the word to potential customers.

Are Your Psych Meds Making You Fat?

We all know that eating processed food laden with chemicals such as MSG and sugar can contribute to weight gain. And fast food, huge portions and sedentary lifestyles are all likely to put on pounds.
In addition, stress releases excess Cortisol, a hormone integral to health in the proper amount, but responsible for increases in abdominal fat given too much.
But did you know that one of the biggest contributors to obesity is rarely if ever mentioned - let alone discussed?
The elephant in the living room, so to speak, is the use of psychiatric drugs --otherwise known as psychotropic medications or psych meds for short.
At least among psychiatrists, it's a well known fact - the same medications that are prescribed to treat such psychiatric symptoms as anxiety, depression, psychosis, mania and mood swings very often have the unfortunate side effect of rapid weight gain.
• The worst culprits when it comes to weight gain are the atypical antipsychotics; most of these drugs cause 'fairly significant' weight gain in most people. Some are FDA approved for treating psychosis (as in, but not limited to, schizophrenia). Others are approved for symptoms linked to Bipolar Disorder -- bipolar depression; psychotic agitation; bipolar maintenance; and 'other indications.'
• Next on the list? The Anti-Manics or "Mood Stabilizers" used to control mood swings, particularly in Bipolar Disorder.
• Last but not least come the antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications -- estimated to cause weight gain in approximately 25% of the population for which they are prescribed.
The fact that these medications so often result in weight gain is sad indeed - it simply compounds the emotional problems for which the drugs were originally prescribed.
Now, let me round out the picture with some hard, cold numbers:
• According to The Obesity Society from the late 1990's until now prescriptions for psychiatric drugs have increased by 73%.
• In 1996 Eli Lilly was exposed as trying to conceal knowledge about side effects of one of its biggest sellers -- Zyprexa -- one of which is weight gain.
• Over the past twenty years the number of obese adolescents has tripled; in roughly the same time period prescriptions for psychiatric medication in children rose over by over 50%.
So why in the world would your psychiatrist or M.D. withhold such important information? Well, much (if not most) of what prescribing doctors learn about both drugs and treatment protocol comes straight from the horse's mouth -- the pharmaceutical companies -- companies who are publicly traded and have a bottom line responsibility to the shareholders.
Accordingly, most psychiatrists are in the business of writing prescriptions, as opposed to presenting patients with a choice of treatment options, including the many alternative ways to help people feel better emotionally.
I don't know about you, but does the following scenario not sound like the creation of a vicious cycle? Start with people who are depressed or otherwise emotionally disturbed... diagnose them as mentally ill... put them on psych meds... create an increase in weight... and then prescribe more psych meds to both deal with the weight gain and the further emotional problems caused by the weight gain.
But perhaps that is exactly the point. Believe it or not, there is talk about classifying obesity as a mental disorder by 2013, when the revised Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) is released - creating yet another 'reason' to prescribe more drugs.
So how can you truly determine whether your psych meds are making you fat?
The short answer is by taking responsibility for your own health. Position yourself as an active participant in your treatment plan and make sure your doctor is clear on your stance.
• When your doctor proposes a treatment plan (which most likely will include medications) ask questions - and plenty of them.
• Ask about the risk of weight gain, but don't stop there - while you're at it, ask about other side effects.
• Then do your research - Google the name of the drug and see if its side effects include weight gain.
• After all that, should you decide to fill the proposed prescription(s), read all of the accompanying information provided by your pharmacy or HMO.
• Say yes to a consult with the pharmacist when you pick up the prescription for the first time. He/she can be an important resource to double check the information you've now gathered and to ask any additional questions you might have neglected along the way.
• And lastly, be observant and track your med usage - if you start to gain weight your notes will help you sort out whether the drug(s) are responsible or not.
I've said it before, but it bears repeating -- the state of your health is up to you.

Making An Auction Website Using WordPress

Online auctions are extremely popular around the world, as far as raising some good money is concerned. Using a WordPress blog, you could easily create an auction site and raise some good money for a cause. Auction websites like eBay have really gained a lot of critical acclaim due to the fact that they allow the customers to buy their favorite items at discounted rates. Most of us nowadays have already taken part in one of the online auctions and so this is something which everyone already knows about. By creating your own website, you will not just able to enhance your company's reputation but also sell all the products easily.
Why should you use WordPress for building an auction website?
There are various advantages of using WordPress for building an auction website and you need to study all of them before you start your company. The best thing about WordPress is that it allows you to create a new website for absolutely no cost. There are, a number of free, plug-ins, which you could use here. You just require a nice theme which is based on your auction website. It would help you in reaching more and more customers in a short period of time.
You could even extend your WP auction website easily. You could add an article section, forum or even a gallery to your webpage for making the website popular. There are some really useful things that could help you in generating some fine results on the go as far as selling the products online through the auction is concerned.
How can you easily create an Auction website on WordPress?
There are basically two simple ways of creating a website on WordPress. One is to choose a simple theme and the other one is to choose some plug-ins for creating a website based on the Auction theme. From an expert point of view, choosing the theme based method of creating a website is a far better one and so you need to ensure that you choose a premium theme that suits your products and services. You could even manage payments and sales on your website and maintain complete clarity for the users to see. It will also help you get better standing in the industry because people easily trust the companies who maintain absolutely no secrecy.
WPAuctions
The WPAuctions is a premium plugin which could be easily used for adding some auctions to your WordPress website. You could even let your members do this by adding an option to add auctions from anywhere in the world.
Conclusion
You must ensure that you create a custom made auction website using WordPress. It would help you in making good use of this amazing platform and generate maximum benefits. So, get as much information as you can through this article. I hope you'll be able to make an auction website in the right way!