I remember when I first had an app idea that could change lives. It solved a big problem, filled a gap, or just added some fun to the world. But the tech stuff? It was always a roadblock for me.
Then, I discovered something game-changing – ChatGPT. It flipped the script, and now those app dreams can become a lucrative side hustle with the new GPT store.
Think of it like the App Store or Google Play, but just for apps built with ChatGPT.
Curious? Doubtful? I get it.
But here’s the thing… this isn’t another quick-money scheme. This is about building a real, sustainable side hustle that could change everything.
So, this week, we’re diving into the why and how.
This week’s newsletter brings you:
- Trends – With the popularity of ChatGPT on the rise, there’s so much potential to land free traffic for your app! Let’s take a look at the stats.
- Strategies – This week, discover strategies to make your GPT app stand out, engage users effectively, and create a polished product that delivers a top-notch experience.
- Tool of the Week – Supercharge your GPT apps with ready-made web scrapers and seamless integration using Apify.
Trends
It’s no secret that ChatGPT quickly became a part of many people’s daily lives when it was launched back in December 2022. And it doesn’t seem like it’s losing popularity anytime soon! With so many eyeballs visiting the site every month, there’s a heck of a lot of potential free traffic to your GPT app.
Let’s take a closer look at the numbers.
ChatGPT Monthly Visits (2022-2024)
It’s estimated that ChatGPT hit 100 million monthly active users in January 2023. This made it the fastest-growing application in history until Threads took that crown in July 2023.
To put that into perspective, TikTok took 9 months to reach 100 million users. And Instagram took 2.5 years.
Approximately 13 million unique visitors used ChatGPT each day in January – over 2x more than in December.
Strategies
Okay, the potential numbers are exciting, but let’s shift gears and talk about transforming your ChatGPT-powered app idea into reality.
How the GPT Store Works
The GPT Store presents a unique opportunity to monetize your ideas and skills.
It’s where dreamers like yourself can showcase your ChatGPT-enhanced creations while other users can find innovative solutions to their problems.
So, what kind of apps thrive here?
Apps that stand out tend to be those that offer clear value. This could mean productivity tools that streamline tedious tasks, educational apps that make learning less boring, or even niche social or gaming experiences that leverage ChatGPT’s conversational AI capabilities.
Some of the trending GPTs on the GPT store.
Compliance and Requirements
The GPT Store prioritizes safety and user experience. To ensure a safe, trustworthy, and high-quality marketplace, the GPT Store has a set of standards your app must meet.
Your app needs to function as intended, respect user privacy and data, and align with OpenAI’s (the creators of ChatGPT) guidelines. This means avoiding harmful content or potential misuse of the technology.
Planning Your GPT App
Before you dive headfirst into creating an app, let’s get strategic to maximize your app’s potential and go beyond simply repackaging the conversational chatbot.
With ChatGPT’s popularity, the GPT Store launched with an astounding 3 million apps on day one—a feat the Apple App Store took years to achieve.
This highlights the platform’s immense potential but also presents a challenge: How do you make your app stand out?
To make your app really shine, you’ve gotta pinpoint a specific problem or craft a one-of-a-kind experience that only your app can bring to the table! Think about your own pain points, areas where you have expertise, or underserved communities that could benefit from a specialized app.
Next, you need to scope out your competition. Who else is offering solutions similar to yours? You can even get more hands-on and go undercover. Try their apps yourself. What do they do well? Where do they fall short? Check out their reviews, too. This is where you’ll find the pain points your app can solve.
With that out of the way, you can now focus on finding your people.
A cool app is useless if no one wants it. Define your ideal customer. Age, interests, tech-savviness…the more specific, the better.
Designing Your GPT APP
Since GPT “apps” are essentially customized GPT models or skill sets, designing them is a bit different than traditional apps.
When designing your app, start with the essentials—what are the absolute must-have functions that define your solution? This is the most important question to answer before designing features.
Imagine a business owner drowning in spreadsheets, or a student struggling to make sense of research data.
Your app could be their lifeline! Instead of complex software, they could simply upload their data and ask ChatGPT questions in plain English. Think, “What were my best-selling products last month?” or “Show me a graph of customer satisfaction over time.”
Next, a great user experience is just as important as cool features.
With a GPT app, our focus isn’t on fancy buttons or complex menus but on crafting a seamless conversation that guides the user naturally, allowing them to accomplish their goal in the fewest, easiest steps possible.
Even with the GPT Store simplifying things, you need to consider its technical architecture. Technical architecture might sound complicated, but it’s basically the blueprint for how your app handles everything behind the scenes.
What data will you need to train your app? And will it need the help of programs outside of ChatGPT to process data? These are questions you need to ask yourself before creating your app.
Developing Your GPT App
Okay, now we’re getting to the nitty-gritty of bringing your app to life! But before you dive in, let’s talk about the brains behind the operation: GPT models. Creating a ChatGPT app means choosing the right one.
So, GPT-3, GPT-4—what’s the difference?
GPT-3 is a tried-and-true model known for smoothly generating text and handling various tasks. GPT-4, the newer release, goes further. It’s better at understanding complex instructions, reasoning through problems, and even working with images on top of text. Naturally, this added intelligence comes at a cost ($20, to be exact!).
Consider what your app needs. If it’s focused on text-based tasks, GPT-3 might be perfectly sufficient. However, if you envision an app that incorporates images, and web browsing or needs more nuanced reasoning, GPT-4 could be the way to go.
OpenAI is constantly pushing the boundaries of AI. Keep an eye out for future models that might be even more specialized and powerful.
Aside from the GPT model, you’ll also need a robust set of development tools. Luckily, OpenAI has a great collection of developer-friendly tools and resources to help you get started:
- APIs: APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) are like messengers between different software systems. With APIs, you can integrate your app with external services like translation, voice recognition, data sources, and more. These are the third-party programs we mentioned earlier. Essentially, APIs can transform your GPT app from a boring chatbot into a truly powerful tool.
- SDKs: SDKs (Software Development Kits) include code libraries and tools designed specifically for interacting with APIs. They make your life easier by handling the nitty-gritty of sending requests and interpreting responses. OpenAI offers SDKs for popular languages like Python, Node.js, and more.
- Built-in ChatGPT Tools: ChatGPT provides powerful features to enhance your GPT app’s capabilities. Explore web browsing, image generation with DALL·E, code interpretation, knowledge retrieval, and custom actions to give your app an edge.
Ready to get building?
Here’s your step-by-step guide:
Step 1: Subscribe to ChatGPT Plus to access the builder tools and create apps for the store.
Step 2: Open the GPT Builder by clicking this link or by simply going to “Explore GPTs” and then clicking “Create.”
Step 3: Prompt away. Start with a simple description of your app and watch the magic happen. Use clear and concise instructions to guide GPT Builder through what you want.
Step 4: Add more advanced features with the “Configure” tab. Customize your app with image options, detailed instructions, additional knowledge, web browsing, and connections to third-party APIs.
Step 5: Test and iterate. Don’t expect perfection right away – this is a back-and-forth process! Refine your instructions, provide feedback, and let the GPT Builder gradually build your app.
Preparing for Launch
Your app is built, it’s tested, and now it’s time to share it with the world.
First, let’s talk about putting a price on your app. For now, the GPT store doesn’t have pricing models in place. However, they do have a revenue model in the works (which we’ll get to later).
If and when OpenAI releases pricing models, knowing how much to charge can be tricky. Should it be free, a freemium model with paid upgrades, or a subscription service? Think about the value your app brings, how similar apps are priced, and how you envision making money from it.
Next, you’ll need to create buzz around your app even before launch day.
Social media will be your best friend here—share screenshots, explain how your app works, or even have some behind-the-scenes fun. If there are bloggers or influencers in your app’s niche, reach out to them and see if they’d be interested in trying it out. You can even just create a simple landing or teaser page.
Karen Cheng’s simple website features her GPT creations.
But remember, while getting that early excitement going is awesome, you also want to be ready for when your app is out in the wild.
An FAQ page on your website, or even in the app itself, can take care of any easy questions people might have. Also, make sure users have a clear way to contact you, whether through email or a support form.
Launching Your GPT App
Launching your GPT app smoothly can be achieved with this simple checklist:
- Review OpenAI’s usage policies and brand guidelines to ensure your app doesn’t violate any of its terms of use.
- Verify your builder profile by either enabling your name or website. If you don’t have a dedicated domain, you can simply use the landing or teaser page you built prior to the launch.
- Make sure your app has an eye-catching logo and a description that highlights your app’s features and why it’s awesome.
- Publish your app by setting it to “Publish to GPT Store.” Take note: setting it to “Anyone with a link” will not make your app appear in the store.
Once you’ve launched your app, you need to continuously monitor its performance to ensure that you’re not only making money but also providing real value to users.
The GPT store’s current form doesn’t have much in the way of metrics and analytics. But that shouldn’t stop you from making a winning app. For now, here are some metrics you can track and monitor:
- Number of chats or conversations: This gives you a basic idea of how many people are actively using your app. Track trends over time to see if usage is growing.
- Reviews and average stars: Pay close attention to both star ratings and written reviews on the store. What do users love? What are their pain points? Use this to guide improvements.
Launching your app is just the beginning! The most successful apps constantly evolve and improve.
Analyze the data you collect, and listen closely to user feedback. Plan for regular updates and be responsive to user needs – this shows commitment and builds a loyal user base.
Monetizing Your GPT App
One aspect the developers are still trying to figure out is how to best implement monetization.
OpenAI has spilled the beans that a GPT builder revenue program is on the way (slated for a Q1 launch).
Initially, it’ll focus on US-based builders, who will receive compensation based on user engagement with their GPT creations. However, we’re still waiting for the exact details about how they’ll measure engagement and, of course, the proportion of revenue you’ll be splitting with the developers.
While the specifics of monetization are still unclear, one thing’s for sure—to build a sustainable app, you’ll need a strong foundation of high engagement.
So, how do we do that?
By increasing visibility and building a dedicated user base. Here’s how:
- Craft a Compelling Description: Clearly explain your app’s benefits, highlight unique features, and add a touch of personality to stand out.
- Focus on Visuals: Invest in a catchy icon to grab attention instantly.
- Prioritize Reviews: Get users talking! Encourage reviews, and respond to feedback to show engagement.
- Socialize & Collaborate: Build an online community around your app, and consider partnerships with complementary apps to expand your reach.
- Listen & Improve: Use user feedback to guide your updates. Show you’re committed to making the app even better!
Tool of the Week (Apify)
If you’re building an app that relies on accessing real-world data, Apify will be your new best friend. This web scraping platform provides over 1,500 pre-built scrapers (“Actors”) that let you extract data from almost any popular website. Think of it as a supercharged way to get up-to-date information on products, reviews, social media trends, locations, and more.
Apify eliminates the need to build scrapers from scratch and offers easy integration with your GPT-powered apps, ensuring you always have access to reliable, up-to-date data.
A preview of some of the “Actors” Apify has to offer. Image from Apify.
They offer a free tier for testing, a starter tier for $49/ month, or a scale tier for $499/month. So, what are you waiting for? Create your Apify account and check out how you can leverage its resources to build the app of your dreams!