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Apple Warns Developers Not to Manipulate App Store Rankings
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That's what many independent developers fail to understand (and it is the same with indie musicians): take the time you put into developing your app, multiply it by 3 to get a rough estimate of the marketing effort you'll need to do to have a shot at a healthy distribution.
If your talent resides only in creation, face the facts and get someone (shameless publicity: me) who knows how and to who to talk to generate some hype around your app. But DON'T resort to those automated bots type of things.
I wouldn't call it a need more than it's something I'd like to see or really appreciate having a better way of finding the best app for my needs. I like to know all my options, especially when there's money involved, (and no refunds too.)
I think what bothers me the most about the app store is the search engine. It needs to improve. You put in a hyphen here, a space there... The results can vary dramatically. One could end up missing out on some of the better choices.
It is really nice to see Apple doing this. People are gaming the system.
I can understand why some do it. Take for example doodle jump. They were gaming the system for a while with lots of update trying to stay on top because they got covered with all the crap app. Apple change the rules so updating did not do the same thing any more. The app only took off after they got luck and they got someone at Apple to make it a recommended App of the day or something.
After that they got the downloads and became one of those games everyone knows about and across multiple platforms. I could see how the devs are looking like 5k gets them on top and the critical mass they need.
Apple doing some stuff is great start of improving it but like others as said they need more categories. It will always be a cat and mouse game for the stores.
I can understand why some do it. Take for example doodle jump. They were gaming the system for a while with lots of update trying to stay on top because they got covered with all the crap app. Apple change the rules so updating did not do the same thing any more. The app only took off after they got luck and they got someone at Apple to make it a recommended App of the day or something.
After that they got the downloads and became one of those games everyone knows about and across multiple platforms. I could see how the devs are looking like 5k gets them on top and the critical mass they need.
Apple doing some stuff is great start of improving it but like others as said they need more categories. It will always be a cat and mouse game for the stores.
Ahh yes you got me it is hard maybe it could last for two-3 weeks?
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Now normally I don't agree on the criticisms you make about apple but this is spot on!!!
I think part of the solution would be for Apple to move the Review Interface In App. At the same time expanding it to more than an overall star rate, even weight the rating based on time in app before review.
I Feel The Same Way and I Have Created a Soultion
This is not spam or a marketing ploy, but pure coincidence. I have been working to fix all of these problems you are all complaining about for over a year, and think I have come up with something pretty good. We have not launched yet, but I would appreciate if you guys would check it out and let me know what you think. If you want to try it feel free to email me at mre.appvue@gmail.com or check out www.AppVue.com. This App and our service is going to change the way we share and discover apps. AppVue provides socially curated categories, which enables better search, and personal recommendation to friends via your already existing networks digitally.
This is not spam or a marketing ploy, but pure coincidence. I have been working to fix all of these problems you are all complaining about for over a year, and think I have come up with something pretty good. We have not launched yet, but I would appreciate if you guys would check it out and let me know what you think. If you want to try it feel free to email me at mre.appvue@gmail.com or check out www.AppVue.com. This App and our service is going to change the way we share and discover apps. AppVue provides socially curated categories, which enables better search, and personal recommendation to friends via your already existing networks digitally.
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For Temple Run it would be pointless since the app is free.... and i do think that app is quite popular, I've played it and a lot of my friends to, we really had a big competition on whom had the highest scores...
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I think Temple Run is legit (in that people are actually downloading/playing the game). As many of my Game Center friends play Temple Run as other popular games such as Angry Birds. It's also the #2 grossing app right now, and was #1 for awhile - meaning that even though it's free people spent more on in-app purchases in Temple Run than on complete revenue (in-app purchases + cost of app when applicable) for all other apps except DragonVale currently. Having played the game, I don't even see a reason to spend money on it as it's completely functional without buying anything. That says a lot about it.
ibanez81 said:
I think Temple Run is legit (in that people are actually downloading/playing the game). As many of my Game Center friends play Temple Run as other popular games such as Angry Birds. It's also the #2 grossing app right now, and was #1 for awhile - meaning that even though it's free people spent more on in-app purchases in Temple Run than on complete revenue (in-app purchases + cost of app when applicable) for all other apps except DragonVale currently. Having played the game, I don't even see a reason to spend money on it as it's completely functional without buying anything. That says a lot about it.
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Glad apple has finally decided to do something about this. I see a lot of apps with obviously fake reviews (usually oddly worded as if cranked through Google Translate, may have little to do with the app being reviewed, reviews explaining how the new Night Vision app "really works" and "changed the reviewer's life," etc.) that are in the top ranks.
If you scroll a bit you'll usually see real reviews from disgrutled customers tricked into buying the app. Really simple way Apple could fix this: offer a refund for apps that aren't as described. I don't see how offering a refund could affect Apple's or even the dev's bottom line if they offer a half way decent app.
Scams like the "animated wallpaper" apps that claim to provide android-style animated wallpaper have been popping up all over the store. Apple could simply block apps that claim to provide features that aren't possible for devs to utilize on iOS.
Glad apple has finally decided to do something about this. I see a lot of apps with obviously fake reviews (usually oddly worded as if cranked through Google Translate, may have little to do with the app being reviewed, reviews explaining how the new Night Vision app "really works" and "changed the reviewer's life," etc.) that are in the top ranks.
If you scroll a bit you'll usually see real reviews from disgrutled customers tricked into buying the app. Really simple way Apple could fix this: offer a refund for apps that aren't as described. I don't see how offering a refund could affect Apple's or even the dev's bottom line if they offer a half way decent app.
Scams like the "animated wallpaper" apps that claim to provide android-style animated wallpaper have been popping up all over the store. Apple could simply block apps that claim to provide features that aren't possible for devs to utilize on iOS.
I think this all boils down to one thing: There's too many apps out there.
What's the solution here? How could Apple better organize and catalogue the huge collection of apps?
I think that a lot of good things get buried with all of the garbage out there. 100,000 apps are too many to browse through. It's getting a bit ridiculous, IMHO.
This is good for everybody
This is good for everybody. I had a surge in one of my apps Oct-Nov 2011. It hit #2 in my category, but the #1 spot was a paid-for-download app called Sex (yes TM). I never hit #1, but once I had dropped a bit, I felt cheated and asked Apple to investigate and away they went. I should have done that sooner.
It's good for the end users because the overall quality of the top apps will be better because they are based on merit. It's good for Apple because it improves the overall quality of their app ecosystem and makes the entire iDevice experience better. It's good for Joe Schmoe developer like me because I don't have to spend 1/2 of my potential future income to some review mill
to get noticed.
I tell ya what though, if you download a high ranking app that is crap and has 50% 5 stars and 50% 1 star, report it to Apple. They will check it out and it will be gone pretty quickly.
This is good for everybody. I had a surge in one of my apps Oct-Nov 2011. It hit #2 in my category, but the #1 spot was a paid-for-download app called Sex (yes TM). I never hit #1, but once I had dropped a bit, I felt cheated and asked Apple to investigate and away they went. I should have done that sooner.
It's good for the end users because the overall quality of the top apps will be better because they are based on merit. It's good for Apple because it improves the overall quality of their app ecosystem and makes the entire iDevice experience better. It's good for Joe Schmoe developer like me because I don't have to spend 1/2 of my potential future income to some review mill
to get noticed.
I tell ya what though, if you download a high ranking app that is crap and has 50% 5 stars and 50% 1 star, report it to Apple. They will check it out and it will be gone pretty quickly.
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It's funny how the app store is set up. Unless you know the keyword of an app, it's kind of difficult to find an app.
Just from being on the phone, you aren't even aware of how many apps there really are.
It's funny how the app store is set up. Unless you know the keyword of an app, it's kind of difficult to find an app.
Just from being on the phone, you aren't even aware of how many apps there really are.
My favorites are the people who fake-review their own app multiple times. Thirty rankings, all five stars, with the same phases and key words, often in broken English. Its laughable.
The App Store is not the place to market your app. If you think you can write an app and count on position or visibility in the store for sales you will always be disappointed.
Market your software as if there were no app store and you will do much better.
Market your software as if there were no app store and you will do much better.
Oh they are there. THey just aren't that obvious.
But you can find them if you look. Check for several 5 and 4 star reviews with only a sentence or two of bland 'this is awesome' text, coming in a short period (like 3 days tops) starting with several on the day that a new update posts. Check the other apps by the same developer. If you see the same thing in several apps be suspect. If you see wedged into this a couple of 1 stars that say things like "I'd give it a zero if I could because this sucks", really be suspect. If the apps are in the top 50, it's probably a bot at work
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Or simply that there's so many apps coming in every day for approval that they simply can't catch every issue off the top. Because no one person can know everything that is out there. Nor can they watch all the reviews etc.
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Temple Run has been around for a while and it is a well marketed game. Not a show that out of the many versions it might get that many reviews. And they could in fact be legit.
Had Temple Jump had even 1/100th of that count then I would be questioning it. Cause it was a short lived rip off.
I wouldn't call it a need more than it's something I'd like to see or really appreciate having a better way of finding the best app for my needs. I like to know all my options, especially when there's money involved, (and no refunds too.)
I think what bothers me the most about the app store is the search engine. It needs to improve. You put in a hyphen here, a space there... The results can vary dramatically. One could end up missing out on some of the better choices.
I was going to say just this.
(Also, that Evi app was a strict 2 stars, I don't know how it jumped up to 3.)
So.. for just $5000, I can get Apple to remove any developer from the app store?
Zynga, here I come!
I LOL'd
I LQL'd
PS: Laughed Quite Loudly
PPS: Is there an App for that? I mean is there an app whith which you can rent a bot net to promote your App?
So the App Store is becoming like Youtube, with tons of people manipulating things to get noticed.
They did this in the 60s to get records in the top 10. They probably did it in Biblical times to hike the price of a breed of goat.
Forgive me if someone mentioned this, but if they are "developers" (they could at least write an app) why wouldn't they just write an automated tool to do this themselves?
Not really fair
So basically if your competition wants to kill all of your apps they simply have to use this bot to download your app enough to get you booted from the Dev program?
I would never do this but if I lost my Dev membership due to someone else I would be upset. Yes I am a dev (I just joined last week) and would be mad if I lost my $3000 investment. I say $3000 because I just got a new MBP with Apple care and spent the $100 on the Dev membership as well as other software to do thing such as graphics.
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When I want an app I sort reviews by most critical and read them. I skip the wont load on my second gen touch crap.
So basically if your competition wants to kill all of your apps they simply have to use this bot to download your app enough to get you booted from the Dev program?
I would never do this but if I lost my Dev membership due to someone else I would be upset. Yes I am a dev (I just joined last week) and would be mad if I lost my $3000 investment. I say $3000 because I just got a new MBP with Apple care and spent the $100 on the Dev membership as well as other software to do thing such as graphics.
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When I want an app I sort reviews by most critical and read them. I skip the wont load on my second gen touch crap.