Cory Bohon

The Mac, iOS, Android, and Amazon application stores and other places like it have become the go-to destination for many device owners to find and purchase new applications for their devices. But, they are also drawing large crowds of developers. According to Apple, there are over 350,000 applications; and, that number is growing almost daily.

However, the app store model isn’t perfect. I have always come from the persuasion that you need to step back and look at the past in order to gain appreciation and inspiration for future endeavors. Because more and more consumers are using these app store as the primary point of sale and delivery of software, I believe that we should take a step back and look at the app store model in an overall picture to see what things need to be changed going forward. No app store is perfect, and I highly doubt that it ever will be; but, I believe that there are 4 things that, if implemented, would make the app store a better concept in general. Two of the problems are from a developer’s point of view, and the other two are from the consumer’s point of view.

1. Developers and App Store Listings

At the core of any app store is the developers. Without them, you wouldn’t have any applications available for your platform. They are the “bread and butter” of devices. Imagine an iPad without any apps. Not so “magical,” huh?

I think Apple has implemented a great system for developers to get their applications out to the public with a great distribution system. They have also allowed developers to get their applications out to the press, free of charge, with promotional codes that can be downloaded and sent out to reviewer. However, there are things that Apple and others could do better.

First, I would like to see all development platforms provide developers with the ability to download promotional codes. Currently, Google’s App Market doesn’t support this, and I’m sure there are other app stores that don’t.

Second, developers should have the ability to customize their app store listings a little more. Perhaps the ability to use their company logo and colors, or the ability to have an email contact or support form that can be filled out. Before the app stores, customers interacted directly with the developer’s website. Since then, the app store has abstracted the developer, making them almost “the man behind the curtain,” so to speak, when it comes to interacting with customers. No longer do we get to e-mail a customer when they purchase a piece of software, to ask them how they are liking it. We usually only hear from a customer when they are having problems with the application.

2. Comments and Ratings

Comments and ratings are a tough situation. In part, they are a good thing because it allows a customer to express their opinion about the software they just purchased; however, I have seen many customers complain about a feature of the product not working when they just didn’t read the instructions. This bad review can then turn into tanking sales, and suddenly an application you’ve been working months on ceases to turn a profitable number of sales.

Another problem with ratings and comments is that usually the only time a user actually posts one is when they are having problems with the application. Because the app store listings don’t foster a relationship between the developer and the customer, and because most listings on app stores don’t feature contact information for the developer’s support channel, customers feel they should just post their problem into the comments and give the app a bad rating in hopes that the developer will pay attention to the issue.

Here’s the problem, however: Developer’s don’t have access to the comments, or the e-mail addresses of those users posting their problems.

This is why I think app stores should implement some type of CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software so that when a user is having a problem with your application, you will be able to respond to them in the comments to let them (and others) know what is going on and how to solve the issue. Perhaps these messages could be posted publicly, or (if the customer requests), privately.

Regardless, however, developers should have the right to respond to customer’s comments. Especially since we are giving 30% of our revenue (depending on the app store) to the app store, and surely, all of that can’t be going to just hosting of the downloads and credit card transactions.

3. Upgrades

Another thing that really annoys me about the app store is the inability to issue (as a developer) or get discounted upgrades (as a customer) for future versions of the software. Many developers allow discounted upgrades (say, 50% off) for repeat customers upgrading to the newest version (i.e. from version 1.0 to version 2.0) of the software.

To make matters worse, often times when an X.0 upgrade is released for a piece software, the developer takes down the older version, most of time forcing people to upgrade to the new version at regular price. This, of course, leads us to the last problem with the current app store model: Backups.

4. Backups

How many of you have been in a similar situation as this: You purchase an app from the app store, and after a year, the developer decided to upgrade to a new 2.0 release. Because the developer no longer wishes to keep distributing the old 1.0 release, they delete from the app store completely. But, as a buyer of the old 1.0 release, you no longer have access to download the 1.0 release should you wish to in the future. Of course, you can still install the software in the future using a backup stored on your computer, but that is your only lifeline.

My wish is that from a consumer standpoint, Apple and Google would finally see that if you purchase a piece of software it should remain available to you, even if the developer decides to take it down in the future. I further think that even if the app store management decides to take down the software at their own discretion, they should either refund you or allow purchasers to keep downloading the software. It’s not fair to take down the software without any warning, not refund the customer, and then not allow access to the purchase.

What are your thoughts regarding this situation? I think there are other changes that need to be made, but these are just a few big ones. Join the conversation on Twitter or in the comments below. I’m looking forward to your thoughts and comments.

Earlier this week, one of my newest iPhone applications, TipCalc (Tip Calculator) was approved and placed on the iTunes App Store for $0.99. Here’s a little about the application and what it does.

• “Wait, you want to leave how much of a tip?”
• “How much would that bill be if we gave a 15% tip?”
• “But the service wasn’t that good!”

So, you’re at a restaurant, arguing with your colleague over splitting the bill. Normally, you would have to figure out the math on a napkin, or pull out that geeky calculator. That is, until now.

TipCalc lets you quickly and almost instantly calculate a tip based on the quality of service using a 4-star system (1-star: 5% tip; 2-stars: 10% tip; 3-stars: 15% tip; 4-stars: 20% tip). Then, if you wish to split the bill with someone else (or among several people), then type in the amount of people to be split with and click “Calculate Tip.”

An alert dialog will display all the pertinent information regarding your bill, including taxes, tip, and split amount.

You can download this application from the iTunes App Store starting today. A future update will let you input custom tip percentages and automatically calculate taxes based on a percentage inputted by the user.

Today iOS 4 was released, and I am glad because I have three iPhone applications that were approved to go on sale today for the launch. There will be more applications on the way (as well as a few games that I’ve been working on). Be sure to check out the App Development section of my website to find out about my other applications as well.

Coin Flipper (Free; iAd-Supported)
Never be without a coin to flip again! The Coin Flipper application for iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad will let you flip a coin by simply shaking your device. Don’t have enough room to shake it? Tap on the large easy to read coin instead. Our random flipping engine gives you a perfectly equal chance of either heads or tails, and the large read out will allow you to easily see the results. Now you can settle a bet with anyone.

StepTracker Lite (Free; iAd-Supported)
Do you find yourself walking endlessly without really knowing how far you walked? Do you enjoy carrying your iPhone or iPod touch with you? Then you need StepTracker. StepTracker lets you know exactly how many steps you’ve taken along with how many miles you’ve walked. Using StepTracker couldn’t be easier. Simply launch the application and place your device in your pocket, then begin walking. The application will begin to measure your steps while you walk.

StepTracker also comes as a paid, ad-free version for $0.99 (Available via the iTunes Store here).

If you download and use any of these application, I would appreciate it if you could give me an application rating. It only takes a second from my app pages on the iTunes Store.

Want a game that gives you loads of fun to play when you just have a few minutes to spend? Well, Ceville for iPhone has you covered. This fun action arcade game lets you blast your way through three different levels: the dungeon, the oasis, and the graveyard, where you will fight off enemies with tomatoes ranging from zombies to flying faeries. Choose between two awesome characters: Ceville or Lilly and play away to your hearts content. Tilt your iPhone to pan around the different scenes as you toss tomatoes at enemies. Ceville is great fun at a great price.

Ceville is available from the iTunes App Store for just $1.99-U.S. You can also get a free lite version from here.