After creating any windows store app, developer is always interested to make available that app to world. In windows store app, it can be possible after publishing app to Windows store.
This process is known as deploying windows store apps.
While deploying window store app, we first need to create one of the following account types:
Company account
This type of account can be created for company use. It requires detailed verification, that’s why it is necessary that the person should be authorized on behalf of company side. In this type of account, we can’t only deploy Windows store apps we can also deploy Desktop apps. We can also use various capabilities like enterprise authentication and shared user certificates.
Individual account
This type of account is related with individual person. Individual account holder cannot deploy desktop apps to windows store.
Publishing window store app as Individual developer
In this type of deployment process, we must follow:
- Analyze developer agreement and certification requirement of app
Before deploying any app, we have to review Microsoft certification requirements and developer agreement for app. It also defines the criteria that must be followed by an app for eligibility. It also defines the terms and conditions that we must follow while deploying app.
- Sign in windows store developer account
Signing in to our windows store developer account.
- Select and reserve app name
Before deploying any app, we have to assign a specific unique name to our app.
- Determine the age rating of app
In windows store app we can also specify the age group of users that best suits according to the users of our app. We should specify the rating certificate along with this app.
- Create description of app
Before deploying app to windows store we must add description of app. The description should be enough impressive encourage users to download app. It should also be available in all languages according to the countries where the app will be available to sell.
- Select business model according to your requirement
The app may be available to users either free of cost or paid. Therefore, we must need to decide how it will be available to users. For this various business models are available.
In this business model the apps are available without any cost. Users can directly install them from windows store.
- Free
- Trials
- Ad-supported
- Free with in app purchase
- Price tiers
- Determine the country and region
While publish our app to windows store, we can choose multiple countries and regions where we want to make available our app.
- Test app
Before publishing any app to windows store it must be tested to ensure that it fulfills specific requirements, it meets all the certification standards and guidelines of windows store apps. For this we should use Windows App Certification kit tool provided by Microsoft to test our app.
- Submit app
After verifying the test performance of our app we can publish our app to windows store.
Process to create individual developer account:
- Go to registration page of Microsoft. Following screen will appear:
After successful signing In the Account type page will open as:
There will be two different sections for individual and company account:
Once you entered the type of account and country information you will get the following page:
Once you enter all the information following page of agreement will appear:
After submission of this page payment page will appear where you specify the mode of payment for windows store account to Microsoft.
Then your account will be created and you can deploy your apps to windows store.
Using windows store dashboard you can submit windows store app, view the status of app and get the information about your app working. Dashboard will be appear as link at window store app developer centre page:
Publishing app as Company developer
While creating company account, we can develop:
- Desktop apps
- Enterprise apps
- Original Equipment Manufacturer app
The process of publishing each of the above type of app is different.
Desktop app publishing
In this type of account developers are allowed to publish desktop apps to windows store. The difference between desktop and windows store apps is desktop apps cannot be directly installed from windows store. Firstly a link of the URL of each app is provided to users, from where they can download or purchase the app. On the other hand windows store apps are directly installed to device.
While creating desktop apps we should follow some steps:
- Setup a Microsoft company account
- Register for desktop dashboard account.
- Test the app
- Submit the test results to desktop dashboard
- Create and upload app’s info
- Submit app to the windows store
Enterprise app publishing
These types of apps are specifically developed for a company itself. There is no need to publish these apps to windows store; they can be directly deployed on the devices by the IT admin of company. This process is known as sideloading. In this process following steps are included:
- Test app
- Sign the app
- Provide app to the IT Admin of company.
- Make PCs ready
- Deploy the app
OEM apps publishing
These types of apps are specially developed for hardware manufacturers. These types of apps are preinstalled in the devices. To publish these types of apps to windows store we must follow following steps:
- Determine the business terms and agreements
- Create a developer account
- OEM fills the enrollment form
- Determine that the app is exclusive to OEM
- Custom data file created
- Submit app to windows store
Analyzing apps in windows store
After publishing any app to windows store a developer should know how the app is performing? For this feedback can be taken from users, that is very useful to improve the app and deliver the enhanced apps.
Feedback is automatically collected in windows store dashboard. It displays the summarized information about the app. This information includes:
- App summary
This page displays the brief information of an app in following sections:
- Adoption
This page provides information about how users find app and how many of them installed the app. This page contains:
App listing views by referrer
Average app usage per day
- Downloads
This page provides the information of downloading app by age group and by market type.
- In-app purchases
There may be apps those allow users to purchase additional apps. For eg while creating music player app, we can provide converters within this app for purchase. These types of apps are known as In-app purchases.
- Usage
It provides the information about the average usage per day of app. It is the time spent by users on any app.
- Feedback
Here user can write reviews or give rating to any app.
- Quality
Quality of any app is measured using:
- Javascript exception rate
- Crash rate
- App unresponsive rate
- Finance
This section lists the financial information of any app, it includes the total amount paid till date for app in the currency and sales information.