Interesting, what is accounting for this? Since your reporting an increase in sales, this implies that your apps were already in the store; which in turn means that they are not benefiting from the increase in exposure of new apps....so what is causing this? I'd definitely like to apply whatever is going on with my apps too!
Interesting, what is accounting for this? Since your reporting an increase in sales, this implies that your apps were already in the store; which in turn means that they are not benefiting from the increase in exposure of new apps....so what is causing this? I'd definitely like to apply whatever is going on with my apps too!
LOL, well... maybe he was selling 1 units per day, today he sold 5... - that's 500% increase
__________________ Game Pack - All-in-1 Game Pack Shinro - A combination of Minesweeper and Sudoku Nibbles - Remake of a classic snake game Hooptie Browser - Humorous web filter
Eh at first i didn't like this idea, but now that ive thought about it i dont mind at all anymore.
My new apps get to stay on the top of the first page for a long time now!
Perfect timing 2 cause i just submitted 4 apps this month 1 rejected 1 accepted 2 in review that should get approved and at least 3 more getting submitted this month
as for updates with added features just learn in app purchases. Ive wanted to for a while now, just never felt like doing it.. now i have a reason to
as for sales boosts learn to use the 50 promo codes effectively. I handed out nearly 40 that got used over the course of 3 days and i saw a jump from 60 ish to 26 on hc&f top paid. If you timed this just right you could hand out 50 right before your app had an update release then hand out another 50... havent gotten round to tryin this yet tho
Looks like I'll be submitting my updates as new apps going forward (at least for major major updates).
For the sake of my sanity please don't. There is enough clutter as is on the app store. Take up learning in app purchases like i will be doing shortly and release major updates/feature additions as an in app purchase.
This *SHOULD* actually give u better results.
Your new paid update will have the near instant exposure of all the people that already own your app. Unless the current version was terrible and didnt sell at all, then you might want to remove from store and start over.
Maybe I'm just being a bit thick here, but how is releasing the same app with a different number at the end every two weeks going to build a solid reputation for itself? Any one version of the app is going to have its launch (which should give it an initial kickstart, you would hope), then thats it, it will probably flounder in the mass of 100k apps, the next version is then out leaving the consumer with lots of different versions to choose from and none of them doing very much in the charts (as it's then so diluted), and the process starts again.
I bet the devs/companies with solid chart performers won't be going down this releasereleaserelease route, as releasing the same stuff week after week will only undermine the good solid position that they already have in the genre/sector for any given app.
I'd much rather have one solid product with a solid user base, with a big number of reviews, riding high in the chart, than 10 copies of the same thing with all the dilution that entails. How the hell are you guys who are going to do this expecting to have any version actually be stable from a sales performance perspective? Or are you just hoping each release will gain you 50 sales and then on to the next one? Because I can tell you now that in no way will releasing it ad nauseum bring any sustained sales.
A good, appealing app is a good appealing app, no matter how many different iterations it has been through. Some of the top selling apps haven't been updated for months.
I agree; but I think we're missing a big problem here in the logic. If the goal is to decrease app store clutter this will not accomplish it; because everyone will now make their updates NEW APPS instead of an update. This will lead to more clutter, not less, and a more blatantly redundant and stupid collection of apps in the app store. If this is true and I had a major update to Ninja Buddy planned; why would I release it as an update; when I could release SUPER Shinobi Buddy!! See what I mean?
There is no problem in the logic at all. You are assuming that was goal. I don't think it was. The problem was allowing visibility for minor upgrades/fixes/asset changes in the first place and they fixed that. Mission accomplished and I am so happy they did.
If developers do what you suggest they may do (release minor upgrades as a new product), then people are going to stop buying their stuff pure and simple. Survival of the fittest at that point. I like that mechanism better than a system that could be gamed. People will buy sequels. Especially for properties they have confidence in. That's a fact. The new buzzword and business term in the games industry is called Annualization. This is taking a franchise and IP and basically treating it like Madden does their football game. Yearly releases. The Activision president said as much and this is why they are staggering CoD between 2 studios. I think we are moving towards that (proven) model.
Hopefully (crosses fingers) this change will promote better development practices but I'm not holding my breath. Plan each iteration and scope functionality. Make stable and compelling iterations. Fix your current iteration for free (patch). Save major new features for a sequel or as DLC.
There's really a simple solution to this mess: disallow multiple iterations of the same app on the App Store and force developers to use in-app purchase if that is the way they want to go. Instead, Apple is throwing the baby out with the bathwater and it STILL is not going to solve the problem since those who game the system will now just spam the store with new releases.
Steve Jobs may be a true visionary, but whoever is running the App Store part of Apple is a reactionary fool and should be fired immediately.
I bet the devs/companies with solid chart performers won't be going down this releasereleaserelease route, as releasing the same stuff week after week will only undermine the good solid position that they already have in the genre/sector for any given app.
I absolutely agree. I prefer to have solid product instead of multiple product doing the same stuff. If the product is really good, you don't want to lose all of your user base. Go for quality product, it will pay off as the number of your user increase
For the sake of my sanity please don't. There is enough clutter as is on the app store. Take up learning in app purchases like i will be doing shortly and release major updates/feature additions as an in app purchase.
This *SHOULD* actually give u better results.
Your new paid update will have the near instant exposure of all the people that already own your app. Unless the current version was terrible and didnt sell at all, then you might want to remove from store and start over.
How on Earth in-app purchases are gonna increase your app's exposure? How is it gonna give you NEW customers? So you will try to sell each update to the same customer, he/she will just get pi$$ed, remove your app and leave 1 star comment. The customer will feel ripped off.. he will even contact Apple to get refund for the original purchase, because he paid money for something that doesn't work anymore.
Unless... you believe that your app is soooooo unique and useful that the customer will be willing to keep paying for using it? dreams, dreams...
__________________ Game Pack - All-in-1 Game Pack Shinro - A combination of Minesweeper and Sudoku Nibbles - Remake of a classic snake game Hooptie Browser - Humorous web filter
you guys are fool to think that the road to success is to build a quality product. look at the some of the apps that are consistently on the top charts. take pocket god for example, the only reason why it is successful is because it keeps doing releasereleaserelease
The difference being that Pocket God could be updated with new episodes without any extra cost to the user and still be bumped using the release date trick. I bet the next episode of PG does NOT come out as Pocket God 2, but will still sell bucketloads:
Pocket God has surpassed critical mass. It'll stay up there now even though it won't show up in the new releases next time the new episode is released. It has gained something called momentum (a lot of it!), which by the sounds of it, a lot of devs on here don't have with their apps, and are consequently gutted that they can't get a small sales bump on the back of a faux new release.
On the Pocket God issue, the devs sales would DIE if they released each new episode from now on as a new app. They won't, and I doubt their sales will suffer at all. The problem with a lot of apps is that there's no foundations to build on in the first place, they are floundering from day one, and that is NOT the fault of Apple - everyone was in the same boat to start with. Survival of the fittest, if I'm not mistaken.
Maybe the best way to go is:
- Lite & Full Versions for every app I sell.
- In App Purchase in the lite version to "convert to the full version."
- Sequels for the apps that are successful, with improvements & different content.
For everyone's sanity & for the benefit of my "brand" - when I think of new versions, I am not talking about releasing App 1, App 2, App 3, App 4 every other week. Possibly every six months or so - but for major updates or "sequels" as you say.
So for example I have a recipe app out there called "CrockPot" with about 100(+/-) different soup recipes, so CrockPot II would be 100 different soup recipes and some added features.
I think the benefit of this change, is now I actually have TIME to work on CrockPot II because CrockPot I (if released post Nov 4th) would have had a lot more time to gain exposure, and momentum... (not that a soup recipe app will ever be as successful as a PocketGod or MiniGore or something like that... but just making an illustration)
My feeling is that the App Store has become a dollar store. That's because most of the items in it cost, well, a dollar. And most items in a dollar store are bought on impulse, not on reputation, or research, and sure as hell not on the manufacturer's reputation.
That doesn't mean you can produce crap. People can usually spot crap on sight. But it also doesn't mean you can sell it like you were selling dental implants.
My feeling is that the App Store has become a dollar store. That's because most of the items in it cost, well, a dollar. And most items in a dollar store are bought on impulse, not on reputation, or research, and sure as hell not on the manufacturer's reputation.
That doesn't mean you can produce crap. People can usually spot crap on sight. But it also doesn't mean you can sell it like you were selling dental implants.
Its simple I think, build a quality product that there is demand for that has hopefully also gone through focus groups. Release it with a strong pre-launch marketing buzz, and follow on marketing campaign as it releases and climbs the charts.
Continue to work the marketing end of things, getting featured on review sites, doing interviews, paid advertising, etc. Hopefully grab Apple's attention and be featured, gaining even more momentum. Take in user feedback, and fix the bugs that QA missed, but your customers found.
Do this and I don't think you'll have a big problem selling the product for more than 99 cents.
My feeling is that the App Store has become a dollar store. That's because most of the items in it cost, well, a dollar. And most items in a dollar store are bought on impulse, not on reputation, or research, and sure as hell not on the manufacturer's reputation.
That doesn't mean you can produce crap. People can usually spot crap on sight. But it also doesn't mean you can sell it like you were selling dental implants.
This guy finally gets it. I have been telling people to stop building quality apps for almost 9 months now. No one seems to get it. Everyone insist on building the next google and the money will come. No. That's not how the app store works.
You build apps that are worth 0.99 and nothing more. And release often.
....
Continue to work the marketing end of things, getting featured on review sites, doing interviews, paid advertising, etc. Hopefully grab Apple's attention and be featured, gaining even more momentum......
Keep doing that.... and then it's really simple to file for bankruptcy....
__________________ Game Pack - All-in-1 Game Pack Shinro - A combination of Minesweeper and Sudoku Nibbles - Remake of a classic snake game Hooptie Browser - Humorous web filter
Keep doing that.... and then it's really simple to file for bankruptcy....
I would disagree, this is how products, and more importantly brands are made and loyal user bases established. You of course don't stop at just the AppStore either, you port to other platforms as well.
I agree. This will stop those who only get sales from gaming the system, and start to drive forward people who actually have quality software. Centurion is right though, it takes time, a plan, and a marketing budget to get noticed.
How on Earth in-app purchases are gonna increase your app's exposure? How is it gonna give you NEW customers? So you will try to sell each update to the same customer, he/she will just get pi$$ed, remove your app and leave 1 star comment. The customer will feel ripped off.. he will even contact Apple to get refund for the original purchase, because he paid money for something that doesn't work anymore.
Unless... you believe that your app is soooooo unique and useful that the customer will be willing to keep paying for using it? dreams, dreams...
Well if you look at the top grossing apps for the week, Eliminate Pro just came in at number 9, with all the revenue generated via their micro transaction model using in-app purchases. So despite the backlash, its obviously been quite successful.
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