iTunes 9's New Interface Causing App Sales To Drop?
September 11, 2009
If you are anything like me, you probably couldn't wait to start downloading iTunes 9 just so you could get some hands-on time with it. The thrill of first firing up a new piece of software can literally send tingles down your spine. Hours can be spent digging around and messing with new features, but one developer thinks that these new features, this having to dig around is actually negatively affecting app sales.
Powerybase, the developer of NotifyMe, has just posted an in-depth analysis on why they believe iTunes 9 is causing their app sales to drop by a hefty 20 percent. Apparently it isn't just one thing either, it's quite a few things.
The issue seems to be the new iTunes 9 interface. iTunes 8 clearly displayed all app categories, such as games, finance, entertainment, and what have you, on the left-hand side of the screen. iTunes 9, however, hides all of these categories under a tiny arrow within the top navigation bar. An arrow that doesn't appear unless hovered over. This, Powerybase feels, is counter-intuitive since not every iTunes user is technologically savvy enough to actually find this arrow and know what it is even there for.
Another issue, one that doesn't directly affect Powerybase, is that all game sub-categories have been removed. In iTunes 8, game sub-categories consisted of things like action, puzzle, and shooting, but they aren't there anymore in iTunes 9. Every game is lumped together into the single Games category, which obviously makes it even more difficult to get noticed, especially when there are tons more games in the App Store than any other kind of app.
UPDATE: The App Store now contains game sub-categories. They are within the Games category and are located in the bottom right-hand portion of the screen.
The last point Powerybase makes is that iTunes 9 features a much tighter grid design. When accessing any of the "Top Apps" lists, you will notice that the icons have been pushed together, which has allowed Apple to display a top 200 list instead of just 100, but there is a trade-off. Apple was able to do this by removing some vital information, such as an app's price and release date, and some of the titles have even been shortened to fit into this tighter grid. This puts more emphasis on the icon rather than actual app information.
Phil Schiller and company have stated in the past that they are working on making app discovery in the App Store easier, and they certainly have with features like Genius technology for apps, keywords, and a Top Grossing apps list. But if more developers begin to report sales numbers dropping as Powerybase has after the new iTunes 9 release, you would have to consider this more of a one step forward two steps back sort of situation. Apple may get it right eventually, but just how long will it take?
How do you feel about iTunes 9's new interface? Is it easier to navigate? Find new apps? Or did you enjoy iTunes 8's interface more?