app sales drop off question? also freebies

rooster117 · 04-28-2009, 12:32 PM

Hello everyone,

I was wondering what the general rule is for sales drop off after the first couple of days following a new release or an update?

My app is now on its third day where the first day is sold about 160 and the second day it sold about 100. What is the best thing I can do to try to keep the numbers up besides submitting new updates which I am working on? I am trying the google adwords but it seems its not worth it for the price of the app compared to the cost of the click.

Here are some promo codes. If they are all used let me know and I'll submit some more.

746TPYN6KXPL
FAMNL3MHWKL9
9E6RKFAFHJWL
76RM4PJMXFYR
YXTFTFMPE7EP

Bolt and Nut iphone utility app

Let me know what you think as its still a work in progress.

Thanks
-Ryan

Tomtheman2 · 04-28-2009, 02:33 PM

I don't know about drop off in sale because my app has just been released but I have read that Google Adwords does not increase sales.

I have looked into it before and it can get very expensive. Your best bet it seems would be to try to get some reviews of your app and get it noticed.

I hope that helps.

taintedzodiac · 04-28-2009, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tomtheman2

I don't know about drop off in sale because my app has just been released but I have read that Google Adwords does not increase sales.

I have looked into it before and it can get very expensive. Your best bet it seems would be to try to get some reviews of your app and get it noticed.

I hope that helps.

QFT. AdWords does not offer a very good ROI for most apps compared to good ol' word of mouth.

Get the word out. Swap some links/clicks with other devs. Most importantly, keep the updates flowing to get back on top of the Release List.

rooster117 · 04-28-2009, 04:49 PM

Thank you both for the replies. I'm working on updates as we speak.

How long does it usually take for your comments to appear on itunes? Mine still haven't appeared and I know a couple were left 2 days ago. Very strange since my first app had comments appear within a day.

I'm defiantly relying on word of mouth now and trying to post my site in friendly places.

Thanks again
-Ryan

neonext · 04-28-2009, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tomtheman2

I don't know about drop off in sale because my app has just been released but I have read that Google Adwords does not increase sales.

Quote:

Originally Posted by taintedzodiac

QFT. AdWords does not offer a very good ROI for most apps compared to good ol' word of mouth.

wow calm down. perhaps re-read what you quoted. it seems to me that you are both saying the same thing

psybert · 04-28-2009, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neonext

wow calm down. perhaps re-read what you quoted. it seems to me that you are both saying the same thing

LOL? QFT = Quoted for Truth.

neonext · 04-28-2009, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by psybert

LOL? QFT = Quoted for Truth.

LOL! I always knew that acronym as "Quit %@#$ing talking"

sorry

taintedzodiac · 04-28-2009, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neonext

LOL! I always knew that acronym as "Quit %@#$ing talking"

sorry

LOL. No problem.

For a long time I thought it was "quite &!%@!$% true" myself.

paymaster · 04-30-2009, 07:43 PM

Used 76RM4PJMXFYR, will post review tonight!

knichols · 05-03-2009, 11:40 PM

All codes have been used.

rooster117 · 05-03-2009, 11:44 PM

77636F7N4EPE
K3NPWJKAPXJM
EHY66TFLXKLE
AJ9HRPLTJ43A

knichols · 05-03-2009, 11:49 PM

Used 77636F7N4EPE. Thanks for the quick response! Will post a review shortly on iTunes.

knichols · 05-03-2009, 11:58 PM

Nice simple interface. I haven't verified the sizes as I'm not at the shop but looks good. No flaws in the UI that I could find except for the information icon seems sort of hard to get to open...possibly a larger icon for it?

rooster117 · 05-04-2009, 12:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by knichols

Nice simple interface. I haven't verified the sizes as I'm not at the shop but looks good. No flaws in the UI that I could find except for the information icon seems sort of hard to get to open...possibly a larger icon for it?

Thanks a lot for the feedback. I agree with you about the information icon. I don't know why it is so hard to hit because it is the info button provided by apple. I might just make it a custom button so I can increase the hit size. There is another update in review now. Thanks again and I hope you find it helpful!

-Ryan

Kirsten8 · 05-04-2009, 02:00 AM

I have looked into it before and it can get very expensive. Your best bet it seems would be to try to get some reviews of your app and get it noticed.

soliday · 05-04-2009, 08:51 AM

Thanks for copying my Nut Sizer app.

rooster117 · 05-04-2009, 11:24 AM

Hey man,

I'm sorry that our apps are so similar. I've been working on this app for a long time now. I was really surprised to see one the same as mine too.

taintedzodiac · 05-06-2009, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soliday

Thanks for copying my Nut Sizer app.

Competition is good for everyone. Perhaps you guys should share ideas and improve both apps.

john3478 · 05-07-2009, 05:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taintedzodiac

Competition is good for everyone. Perhaps you guys should share ideas and improve both apps.

Its only the beginning, soon every app will have at least 10 competitor. And its coming very soon.

ALEXLLC · 06-08-2009, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rooster117

Hello everyone,

I was wondering what the general rule is for sales drop off after the first couple of days following a new release or an update?...

I finally hit the single digits in sales for yesterday for the first time after almost a month of double digit downloads. It kind of depressed me, so I may have over-reacted a bit by lowering the price from $1.99 to $0.99. I put this sale up for only 7 days, thinking that by then, the free version will have been released by iTunes.

My thought is to bring the price back up to the original $1.99 with the release of the free version, but I am willing to play it by ear. I had been ranked 23 in Educational Games for a while, but now I'm down to 50th or 51st.

Any thoughts on this strategy? Has anyone successfully lowered the price of an app, and then raised it again without killing sales? Any thoughts on the free version driving additional sales?

rooster117 · 06-08-2009, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ALEXLLC

I finally hit the single digits in sales for yesterday for the first time after almost a month of double digit downloads. It kind of depressed me, so I may have over-reacted a bit by lowering the price from $1.99 to $0.99. I put this sale up for only 7 days, thinking that by then, the free version will have been released by iTunes.

My thought is to bring the price back up to the original $1.99 with the release of the free version, but I am willing to play it by ear. I had been ranked 23 in Educational Games for a while, but now I'm down to 50th or 51st.

Any thoughts on this strategy? Has anyone successfully lowered the price of an app, and then raised it again without killing sales? Any thoughts on the free version driving additional sales?

I've actually had another app selling 2 - 5 at .99 cents a day so I made it free and got between 1000 - 500 downloads a day for a week. I made it paid again and it went right back to 5 downloads a day. I think that would only work if your app is amazing and people just haven't heard about it yet. I've never had an app worth 1.99 so I didn't try that yet. Hope that helps.