Are low priced apps really as good as they sound? In an editorial by Tracy Erickson, from
Pocket Gamers.Co.Uk , she claims that the unstable market at the App Store may be hurting developers.
The prices of popular apps, and those that aren't so popular, are being reduced in the App Store, which may lead to an alarming trend.
There are thousands of apps for sale, or for free at the App Store, and it's becoming more difficult for a developer to come up with an idea that stands out amongst the crowd. Even when a developer has a good idea they are challenged with how to market it. More importantly, how do they convince consumers that their app is better than their competitors.
This is the problem that many developers are facing. How do they compete? Well, some developers compromise quality and produce cheap knock offs of the more popular titles like
Super Monkey Ball and
Tetris. Other developers, who might have quality software are forced to drop their prices in order to stimulate sales and get their app noticed.
The short sale might gain some exposure but it causes anger amongst consumers. Price fluxuations can be an obvious ploy to get the app on the top 25 list in the App Store. Even when developers try the price dropping trick, there is no guarantee that the app will even come close to making it on the coveted list. Now, apps that are packed with quality are forced to lower their prices in order to compete with their own knock offs.
A possible fix won't be easy, but it has been suggested that Apple needs to play a role in the pricing of apps that are selected for the App Store. A good idea might be for developers to submit a suggested retail price, and leave the ultimate pricing decision up to Apple. One possibility might be implementing a pricing system that all apps would have to go through equipped with certain specifications that will determine the quality of the app and therefore the price.
By having a pricing system, consumers could more readily find a quality app to purchase rather than depend on reviews that may or may not be written by the developers themselves. On the upside apps that were once highly overpriced may be pushed down to a reasonable rate.
Consumer testing of the apps would lead to better quality, rather than just pushing apps out as soon as they're done. If Apple actually implemented a rating system than developers would be forced to make apps with more quality, but have more of a fair chance amongst their competitors. consumer testing is a great way to guarantee higher satisfaction amongst consumers. The testing would also help work out bugs before the app actually hits the public.
If nothing is done than the market will continue to go on fluctuating uncontrollably. But, the consumer just has to remember... don't let the price fool you.
Thanks Jeremy for the tip.
