App Store Tips I Give Non-Techie Friends

How to identify download-worthy apps when searching the store.

Photo courtesy of kaboompics.com

I was sitting with a friend the other day and she happily announced that she quit smoking. (Congrats! May you live long & prosper!) While discussing the day-to-day hardships she now faces (be careful, nail biting is just as addictive) she did point out one fun aspect — her new smoke-quitting tracking app. This app tells her how many days it’s been since her last cigarette, and more importantly — how much money she’s saved since kicking this pricey habit.

And then she showed me the app. What a disappointment. Several features weren’t working properly, not to mention a very dull UI alongside a lot of banner ads that were too large and intrusive for my taste. All in all, it really kind of sucked.

The first thought that crossed my mind was that I would have probably looked for a different app, and knowing me — I’d probably download all smoke-quitting apps and try them all out before picking which one to use. So I asked her how/why she picked this specific app. And her reply was — “It was the first one on the list.”

“It was the first one on the list.” !?!?

Moment of realization. Not everyone works in “the biz”. ASO does work (no shock there) and most people don’t put too much thought into the apps they download; they definitely aren’t as aware as you or I (assuming this post reaches mostly product & marketing colleagues) of any behind-the-scenes efforts that are made in order to make sure an app is seen and then downloaded.

But we’re talking about a friend. I couldn’t let this slide. I wanted her to have the best possible app that will fit her needs, not just the first one that elbowed its way to the top of her search results.

So I gave her the following tips, advice which I happily give any “unaware” friend or family member that asks, and I also think that app developers and marketers should keep these points in mind when thinking about how their apps are seen and perceived in the App Store:

1. Look for the date — when was the app’s latest update? A recent update date means that the app is being maintained, that bugs are being fixed and that features are being added; it means that the people behind it care. In my friend’s case, the last update was well over a year ago. (Personally, If I see an app that hasn’t been updated in over a year, I don’t even try it — I immediately look for the next alternative. It’s really annoying to start using an app and get used to it, only to have it pulled for the store soon after because it just wasn’t going anywhere…) An updated app is a healthy app.
2. Does the app offer in-app purchases? Does it have a Pro version? These are monetization indicators. My theory is that if an app doesn’t have any in-app purchases or paid versions, it’s safe to assume that you can expect a lot of ads within the app, as those are probably its main source of income. This isn’t a rule-of-thumb or anything that has been checked and confirmed, you can easily come across an app that offers in-app purchases that will also bombard you with video ads every two interactions, or place banners wherever possible (that’s up to the app owners who decide what they value most and what their goals are — to give a good user experience and retain returning users, or to make as much money as possible from every single visit, even if it’s a one-time user.) I personally like to use freemium apps that offer a Pro version, because I know that if I like the free ad-supported app, I have no problem to splurge on a good $2.99 app, to both get rid of the ads and contribute to the people behind it.
3. What other apps are listed under this developer? If you look under the Developer Apps section, you’ll see additional apps offered from the same company — I think this says a lot about their intent. For example, if you’re looking at a music streaming app, and the company’s other apps have something to do with music — like an app to create playlists and a music discovery & recommendation app — that makes sense. The company is probably also called 123ABCMusic, or something related, and they’re a legit company that cares about making good apps for people like you who are looking for one within their category. On the other hand, if this one developer is making an app to quit smoking, an app to stream videos for kids, and an app to track the stars according to your astrological sign, then it’s quite clear they are making apps according to trending niches or very specific categories that they can dominate (like my friend’s smoke-quitting app) in order to get downloads regardless of who the users are and what they really need or will enjoy, all for the sake of monetization. Not for the sake of delivering a real, good, quality product.
4. Look at the reviews. Not all apps have many reviews, but it’s always good to take a look and see if people are complaining and frustrated by bugs, or if people really do love it and give it a full five stars rating.
5. Look at the related apps — under “Customers Also Bought” you can see which other apps were downloaded by people who downloaded this app. Odds are that you’ll see apps that are similar to the one you’re currently looking at, and if you’re not 100% sure about this one (if it didn’t pass all of the above), this could be a good place to start looking for alternatives.

Did I forget anything? Do you have your own “App Store cheat sheet” & tips? I’d be curious to hear what they are — let me know in the comments below. (And if you liked this post, feel free to give it some ❤. Thanks!) :)