Developers from every walk of life are now flocking to Virtual Reality as it has grown from a niche idea to a legitimate hardware. Companies all over the world are starting to pop up that specialize in virtual reality applications, experiences, and games. Last year alone, Sony did $2 million in sales of its VR system. That figure portends good things for the future and cements the virtual reality technology as a real piece of exciting hardware.

The legitimacy of the platform has garnered immense amounts of Interest from software development companies and individuals. For those who are just now entering the burgeoning industry there are a few things you can do to enhance your VR technologies and grow your business.

First and foremost, be proud that you are engaging a new platform that has the power to revolutionize our understanding of entertainment and advertising. This means, simply, tell everyone that you are making a VR application and advertise it boldly. It also means that you should reach out to other major businesses working on massive VR applications as they will most likely want to work with you. Really it's about creating and crafting a strategy that has the future in mind and a practical purpose.

The first thing to do is make a VR app to the best of your ability using utilities and engines already available. The Unreal Engine, for instance, has a predefined virtual reality application environment that makes programming VR apps much simpler. Through the Unreal Marketplace, and other various marketplaces, take a look and familiarize yourself with the applications being developed and the future of the technology.

Virtual reality applications are about having unique experiences, but, are unusable if the technology powering it is not powerful enough to provide an experience that is seamless and smooth. Focusing on the tech and making sure the frames per second are correct and that the resolution is clear enough to not cause sickness should be the primary concern.

You can have a game about washing a car or an experience of sitting down in a lake but if the tech behind the experience is bad then the app is unusable. So much of the VR space now is wholly dependent on the efficacy of your technology and is only limited by what your computer can produce. So many companies only concern themselves with creating unique experiences and inadvertently ignore the most important aspect of the platform. If the frames per second are not correct then the experience is choppy and will undoubtedly make those prone to motion sickness sick indeed.

When the tech you are using is strong enough, then we can get on to the ideas. Now the creativity used in a VR application is entirely up to the art, UI, and UX designers but they should know that even the simplest sounding idea can have a lasting impact in virtual reality. Walking up the side of a mountain or playing a game as a zookeeper takes on a new level of experience in virtual reality that would not come across by traditional means. This means that you can keep your creative dream simple without sacrificing impact. As previously stated, the technology should be the only thing that you are concerned with as a VR company.

Ultimately, this is about creating and finishing a virtual reality app that can be shown to bigger companies and can get you the exposure you need to become a major player in the virtual reality space. This is by no means a simple task and will come with its fair share of hardship like all software development does. However, due to the nature of the platform and the progress of the technology, developing virtual reality apps is simpler than most likely imagined.

Developers from around the world are making open source code available so that anyone interested can jump right into virtual reality application design. This grants you the power to not only design a VR app but to continuously innovate and share your creations freely with the world. As with all great pieces of advice it boils down to this, whatever your goal, just complete it and never stop trying. Persistence is the key to success. 

About the Author: Tania Brooks is a business journalist with a focus on emerging technologies and emerging markets. She used to work as an overseas operations coordinator for Unilever. You may contact her on Twitter.