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Apple Considering Google-Like 'Paid Search' On App Store (bloomberg.com)
Apple is considering big changes to the App Store, according to a Bloomberg report. The publication claims that the iPhone maker has a team working on "paid searches" -- something similar to Google's model. Under this, the company will charge its developers for showing their apps among top search results. Apple critic John Gruber writes: This sounds like a terrible idea. The one and only thing Apple should do with App Store search is make it more accurate. They don't need to squeeze any more money from it. More accurate, reliable App Store search would help users and help good developers. It's downright embarrassing that App Store search is still so bad. Google web search is better for searching Apple's App Store than the App Store's built-in search. That's the problem Apple needs to address.
While we're doing Google comparisons ... how about letting developers respond to a confused, erroneous or otherwise misinformed review.
Apple is ridiculously rich because of the high margins on their products. The reason they can have high margins is primarily because they have high customer satisfaction -- and also a great reputation, which is a result of the customer satisfaction. Cluttering their app store with stupid shit like this might make them a few pennies, but it will reduce customer satisfaction.
Its also possibly a step back to the old brick and mortar days where small devs had to compete with large corporations for shelf space, in other words rarely get shelf space. It might undo the somewhat equalized footing of a good set of keywords in a search showing both the large and small developers. Where the difference may be brand recognition and not so much visibility to potential customers (as with brick and mortar shelf space).
The search in the app store already sucks so hard that I literally Google what I want first, and then go back and try to "trick" the app store into actually showing it to me.
I hate ads with a passion, but in this case, I doubt paid listings could seriously make it any worse.
"...The publication claims that the iPhone maker has a team working on "paid searches" -- something similar to Google's model."
So that's why I only get garbage on the results of my searches on Google Play? At best one or two relevant results and the following not having nothing to do with what I was looking for? Dammit!
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All of their divisions make money.
The iPhone is far from 'average'. It may not always be 'best', but average is underselling it by quite a large margin.
The unused cash pile is enormous. It would run the company for an awfully long time.
Apple makes money the same way every other company does: they put products for sale at a certain price. If people buy them, they make money. Apple has made products that nobody wanted, and those products went away. Calling them 'money grubbing' may be true, but no more true of them than anyone else. They just happen to be the best at playing the game.
Right now, discoverability is terrible in the app store. Unless I know what I want already, I don't go there - because the suggestions I get will be for Star Wars, Angry Birds, and Star Wars Angry Birds.
As a comparison, look at Steam. I buy all sorts of weird crap on Steam because they have so many ways to explore their content. One day I'm buying a AAA title for $50, the next I'm the 100th person to buy some random indie title for $2, the next I'm getting some older thing that just went on 70% - and I'm having a good experience with all those. The Queues are brilliant, their sales system is great, and their social features actually work (even though I only have a few friends on Steam, I quite often get sucked into buying something that they've played or reviewed or whatever).
Google and Apple (who both enjoy essentially monopoly status on their platforms) should both be stealing ideas as hard as they can from Valve here (who earned its popularity with users and developers by providing value to both over the long term).
Trying to monetize placement is completely backwards - it's creating win-lose situations between developers, and win-lose for Apple and consumers. Doing better work to help show people the stuff they might want is win-win-win, where the pie gets bigger, developers sell more, and consumers are more satisfied with what the stuff they get because it matches their preferences better.
Let's not stir that bag of worms...