Under the Radar

00:00:00 ◼   ► welcome to under the radar a show about

00:00:02 ◼   ► independent iOS app development I'm

00:00:04 ◼   ► Marco Arment and I'm David Smith under

00:00:06 ◼   ► the radar is never longer than 30

00:00:08 ◼   ► minutes so let's get started so in the

00:00:10 ◼   ► grand tradition of early January podcast

00:00:12 ◼   ► episodes we decided it would be nice to

00:00:14 ◼   ► kind of do a 20-17 in review episode and

00:00:18 ◼   ► to look over some of the things that

00:00:20 ◼   ► happen in 2017 that were relevant to iOS

00:00:22 ◼   ► developers and then kind of our

00:00:24 ◼   ► perspective so far on how those are

00:00:27 ◼   ► going or how those have changed things

00:00:28 ◼   ► so far and kind of where we see things

00:00:30 ◼   ► going and I wanted to start out you know

00:00:33 ◼   ► and first of all just a brief opening

00:00:34 ◼   ► statement here they've been killing it

00:00:37 ◼   ► ever since Phil took over like there

00:00:39 ◼   ► have been so there's been section a

00:00:42 ◼   ► pleasant and dramatically improved rate

00:00:46 ◼   ► of progress in the App Store ever since

00:00:49 ◼   ► they at like a year and a half ago

00:00:51 ◼   ► basically authority of it transferred to

00:00:54 ◼   ► Phil Schiller and I don't know what

00:00:56 ◼   ► other changes happened at that time but

00:00:57 ◼   ► there's there's a pretty clear trend

00:00:59 ◼   ► that like since that time things have

00:01:02 ◼   ► gotten significantly better and

00:01:04 ◼   ► significantly faster that and then the

00:01:06 ◼   ► progress that used to happen before that

00:01:08 ◼   ► which was pretty minimal so big thumbs

00:01:10 ◼   ► up to Phil and whoever else was involved

00:01:12 ◼   ► with that so one of the big changes that

00:01:16 ◼   ► has happened this past year too is

00:01:20 ◼   ► greatly broadening subscription pricing

00:01:23 ◼   ► for apps it started out in actually in

00:01:25 ◼   ► 2016 in in in June right before the BTC

00:01:30 ◼   ► when they announced that more apps would

00:01:32 ◼   ► be allowed to use subscriptions and that

00:01:34 ◼   ► the for from years - onward of a

00:01:38 ◼   ► subscription you would get 85% instead

00:01:39 ◼   ► of 70% of the Commission so while that

00:01:42 ◼   ► was the year before the effects of that

00:01:44 ◼   ► I think have been felt more in 2017 and

00:01:46 ◼   ► especially because starting in June of

00:01:49 ◼   ► 2017 we got our raise we got those first

00:01:52 ◼   ► round of 85 percent renewals and for me

00:01:56 ◼   ► that that those started in September I

00:01:58 ◼   ► think or October because that's it that

00:02:00 ◼   ► was like the one year anniversary of me

00:02:01 ◼   ► launching my auto renewing plan for

00:02:03 ◼   ► overcast but I think subscriptions have

00:02:08 ◼   ► you know there have been there's been a

00:02:10 ◼   ► lot of developer wish lists over the

00:02:12 ◼   ► years that have included thing

00:02:13 ◼   ► like free trial and you know and paid

00:02:17 ◼   ► upgrades and things like that that that

00:02:19 ◼   ► are basically the old ways of monetizing

00:02:21 ◼   ► software the ways that that that we

00:02:22 ◼   ► pretty much always had as many companies

00:02:25 ◼   ► still use on PC and Mac and we don't

00:02:29 ◼   ► have those yet and I'm not sure we ever

00:02:32 ◼   ► will have those on iOS but with all the

00:02:35 ◼   ► changes to subscriptions and some of the

00:02:37 ◼   ► new features that were added for things

00:02:39 ◼   ► like free trials of the subscriptions

00:02:41 ◼   ► and different flexibility and different

00:02:43 ◼   ► price tiers and everything else I think

00:02:45 ◼   ► we've come very close to those and it's

00:02:47 ◼   ► not nearly as easy as it was before but

00:02:50 ◼   ► you can now simulate free trials in a

00:02:54 ◼   ► few different ways that that people are

00:02:56 ◼   ► are seemingly doing with success so that

00:02:59 ◼   ► that's a pretty big thing and also just

00:03:02 ◼   ► by expanding subscriptions so much there

00:03:05 ◼   ► are so many more business models that

00:03:07 ◼   ► that have become possible that while it

00:03:10 ◼   ► is still not like trivially easy to make

00:03:13 ◼   ► money in the App Store in a sustainable

00:03:14 ◼   ► way we have more options than we've ever

00:03:17 ◼   ► had before

00:03:17 ◼   ► and I feel like now if you can't find

00:03:20 ◼   ► something if you can't find some way to

00:03:23 ◼   ► monetize your app that people actually

00:03:25 ◼   ► want then I don't think you're looking

00:03:27 ◼   ► hard enough so you know thumbs up for

00:03:30 ◼   ► all this all the subscription changes

00:03:32 ◼   ► and the the rules around subscriptions

00:03:35 ◼   ► becoming loosened in some ways for

00:03:37 ◼   ► really giving us way more options for

00:03:40 ◼   ► how we monetize our apps and having the

00:03:43 ◼   ► 85 percent on the years 2 and above is a

00:03:47 ◼   ► pretty nice raise also yeah I think 2 is

00:03:49 ◼   ► also nice to see that but and this is to

00:03:52 ◼   ► earlier point about that now that it

00:03:55 ◼   ► seems like the changes that are being

00:03:57 ◼   ► made into these types of business model

00:03:59 ◼   ► changes or more policy changes they're

00:04:02 ◼   ► not in a situation where what they just

00:04:04 ◼   ► sort of like one and done like they felt

00:04:06 ◼   ► like oh there's a problem with

00:04:07 ◼   ► subscriptions let's change something and

00:04:09 ◼   ► then now it's fine they what's nice to

00:04:11 ◼   ► see I think now is any things continue

00:04:13 ◼   ► to get better over time like in the you

00:04:16 ◼   ► know towards the end of 2017 we got

00:04:18 ◼   ► introductory pricing as a new option in

00:04:22 ◼   ► subscriptions it's like now this is new

00:04:24 ◼   ► on bidding you know there's this new

00:04:25 ◼   ► mode there's this new tool and

00:04:27 ◼   ► I like that with something like so you

00:04:30 ◼   ► know business models with subscriptions

00:04:31 ◼   ► in this case it's nice to see that

00:04:34 ◼   ► continue to develop and that it's Reno

00:04:36 ◼   ► it's reasonable to imagine in that you

00:04:38 ◼   ► know 2018 we'll continue that process

00:04:41 ◼   ► that Apple will continue to expand both

00:04:43 ◼   ► sort of the types of subscriptions that

00:04:45 ◼   ► are possible and some of the mechanisms

00:04:48 ◼   ► mechanically with that like I know we

00:04:50 ◼   ► also I think at Dover DC last year we

00:04:53 ◼   ► got a bunch of new like web hooks I

00:04:55 ◼   ► believe for being able to you know do

00:04:57 ◼   ► validation and understanding around a

00:05:00 ◼   ► user state in a subscription so all

00:05:02 ◼   ► these types of things that are you know

00:05:04 ◼   ► they just make that better and better

00:05:06 ◼   ► and I love to see like irrespective of

00:05:09 ◼   ► Eros whether in the individual you know

00:05:10 ◼   ► sis it the individual details are

00:05:13 ◼   ► important or useful have panned out

00:05:14 ◼   ► wonderfully what is most important I

00:05:16 ◼   ► think is that this is an area that Apple

00:05:18 ◼   ► is clearly continuing to enhance over

00:05:20 ◼   ► time and it seems generally speaking to

00:05:23 ◼   ► be the area that they are putting the

00:05:26 ◼   ► most effort behind in their in their

00:05:29 ◼   ► kind of in a lot of their development

00:05:31 ◼   ► and their allocation of resources and

00:05:33 ◼   ► attention that they are making

00:05:34 ◼   ► subscriptions a better and better way to

00:05:37 ◼   ► monetize your apps and you know if

00:05:40 ◼   ► that's true and that's sort of where

00:05:41 ◼   ► they're pushing then it kind of makes

00:05:42 ◼   ► make sense to sort of think about it

00:05:45 ◼   ► like I currently don't use any and I

00:05:46 ◼   ► know you do but it's certainly something

00:05:48 ◼   ► that I'm aware of because anytime that

00:05:50 ◼   ► it seems like you know things keep

00:05:52 ◼   ► changing in a direction it's like hmm

00:05:54 ◼   ► that's interesting you know maybe I need

00:05:56 ◼   ► to be thinking thoughts will of a way to

00:05:58 ◼   ► take advantage of that because clearly

00:06:00 ◼   ► it's something that is you know

00:06:02 ◼   ► seemingly just getting better and better

00:06:03 ◼   ► of a deal and more more flexible of an

00:06:07 ◼   ► option over time also when subscriptions

00:06:09 ◼   ► launched we a lot of people had concerns

00:06:13 ◼   ► about whether App Store customers would

00:06:17 ◼   ► feel quote subscription fatigue this is

00:06:20 ◼   ► the idea that like well one or two apps

00:06:23 ◼   ► can charge prescriptions but then but

00:06:25 ◼   ► soon all the apps will be charging you X

00:06:28 ◼   ► dollars a month and people will get

00:06:29 ◼   ► tired of it and don't want that many

00:06:30 ◼   ► subscriptions and they will stop paying

00:06:32 ◼   ► for all of them and I don't think that

00:06:34 ◼   ► has really happened I haven't seen any

00:06:36 ◼   ► in just anecdotally I really haven't

00:06:38 ◼   ► seen any signs of that

00:06:40 ◼   ► many apps are still not charging

00:06:42 ◼   ► subscriptions so it isn't like they all

00:06:44 ◼   ► all of a sudden changed over and I

00:06:47 ◼   ► haven't really heard from people who

00:06:49 ◼   ► meaningfully have a lot of feedback from

00:06:52 ◼   ► people saying that they won't pay their

00:06:54 ◼   ► subscriptions because they have too many

00:06:55 ◼   ► subscriptions like that doesn't seem to

00:06:56 ◼   ► be happening which is good and I think

00:06:59 ◼   ► it's it is with all these things I feel

00:07:02 ◼   ► like there's this fundamental question

00:07:04 ◼   ► of are you providing some service or an

00:07:07 ◼   ► eval you to your user that exceeds the

00:07:10 ◼   ► costs that you're asking for that

00:07:12 ◼   ► service like at its basic level and like

00:07:15 ◼   ► subscription fatigue I'm sure is a thing

00:07:17 ◼   ► and it's certainly something that's

00:07:18 ◼   ► possible but you kind of imagine a

00:07:20 ◼   ► scenario where if someone is feeling

00:07:22 ◼   ► that and they have that many apps that

00:07:23 ◼   ► are providing that much value to them

00:07:25 ◼   ► they're going to be more apt to continue

00:07:27 ◼   ► to pay like the situation I think is

00:07:29 ◼   ► more it's a subscription fatigue is

00:07:30 ◼   ► perhaps a shortcut for saying you're not

00:07:34 ◼   ► providing enough value to your user to

00:07:37 ◼   ► be able to justify subscription pricing

00:07:39 ◼   ► which i think is entirely reasonable and

00:07:41 ◼   ► I mean that's in many ways the reason

00:07:43 ◼   ► why I a lot of my apps don't have

00:07:45 ◼   ► something like subscriptions where I

00:07:46 ◼   ► don't feel like I have something

00:07:48 ◼   ► tangible enough to warrant that kind of

00:07:51 ◼   ► direct action on an ongoing sustained

00:07:53 ◼   ► basis but other apps do and you know it

00:07:58 ◼   ► doesn't seem like that's actually a

00:07:59 ◼   ► problem in practice that if you provide

00:08:01 ◼   ► a service that has a tangible value

00:08:03 ◼   ► going forward that charging a

00:08:05 ◼   ► subscription for it is a reasonable

00:08:07 ◼   ► thing and fair enough like not everybody

00:08:08 ◼   ► is going to take advantage of that and I

00:08:11 ◼   ► think there is a certain element of

00:08:13 ◼   ► getting used to the mindset that not all

00:08:16 ◼   ► of your customers are going to be paying

00:08:18 ◼   ► customers is something that is certainly

00:08:20 ◼   ► a very important thing to understand and

00:08:22 ◼   ► just be comfortable with that there are

00:08:23 ◼   ► going to be people who use your

00:08:24 ◼   ► application and you never really

00:08:26 ◼   ► directly receive any monetary value from

00:08:29 ◼   ► that but like that's okay because as

00:08:31 ◼   ► long as you have a reasonable proportion

00:08:33 ◼   ► of users that do get enough value to be

00:08:35 ◼   ► motivated to do that you know you'll be

00:08:37 ◼   ► okay in the end

00:08:38 ◼   ► so moving on one of the other big

00:08:41 ◼   ► changes that was announced early this

00:08:42 ◼   ► year is that developers got the ability

00:08:46 ◼   ► to respond to App Store reviews and this

00:08:50 ◼   ► was long-awaited I think the Google Play

00:08:53 ◼   ► Store

00:08:54 ◼   ► had it like since the beginning or since

00:08:55 ◼   ► early on and so iOS iOS developers were

00:08:57 ◼   ► clamoring for this for years so we

00:08:59 ◼   ► finally got the ability to respond

00:09:02 ◼   ► publicly to user reviews in the App

00:09:04 ◼   ► Store how has that been going for you um

00:09:07 ◼   ► I think it's one of these things that I

00:09:09 ◼   ► am glad that it's there

00:09:11 ◼   ► that I think overall like as with all

00:09:13 ◼   ► the stuff like I love that it's a tool

00:09:15 ◼   ► that is now available the impact of it I

00:09:18 ◼   ► think is more measured and some of that

00:09:21 ◼   ► is dealing with also some changes to the

00:09:23 ◼   ► App Store that I think we're gonna talk

00:09:25 ◼   ► about later but the way the new app

00:09:27 ◼   ► store is set up the reviews like textual

00:09:30 ◼   ► reviews I think are less emphasized than

00:09:32 ◼   ► they used to be in the sense that

00:09:35 ◼   ► there's really you see one review and

00:09:37 ◼   ► it's kind of hard to even understand

00:09:39 ◼   ► that there's even more than one review

00:09:41 ◼   ► so assuming that you're like your main

00:09:43 ◼   ► review is a positive one the other is

00:09:47 ◼   ► kind of disappear into the sort of

00:09:49 ◼   ► disappear into the ether behind it and

00:09:51 ◼   ► so it's less important in that regard

00:09:53 ◼   ► because it you know but the reason why I

00:09:56 ◼   ► think it was initially very useful is

00:09:59 ◼   ► that if you you know there was a huge

00:10:01 ◼   ► whole section of your App Store page

00:10:03 ◼   ► that was about reviews and if someone

00:10:05 ◼   ► was you know was asking a question or

00:10:08 ◼   ► talking badly about your app in a way

00:10:10 ◼   ► that wasn't true or accurate or that you

00:10:13 ◼   ► could help with even you know the in

00:10:14 ◼   ► just from a positive customer service

00:10:16 ◼   ► perspective now it's good to be able to

00:10:18 ◼   ► respond to that like that was important

00:10:19 ◼   ► it's I would say it's less important now

00:10:21 ◼   ► and I view it now it's just another in

00:10:24 ◼   ► some ways it's just another support

00:10:25 ◼   ► venue you know that else you know people

00:10:27 ◼   ► email me and then some people leave

00:10:28 ◼   ► reviews and it's nice to be able to

00:10:31 ◼   ► reach out to them and you know it avoids

00:10:34 ◼   ► that situation where someone was

00:10:35 ◼   ► complaining about something like oh man

00:10:37 ◼   ► I wish this app it did this or you know

00:10:39 ◼   ► it when I do this this is you know it

00:10:41 ◼   ► doesn't seem to work right and being

00:10:42 ◼   ► able to reach out to that person and

00:10:44 ◼   ► correct that but it's much more of a

00:10:46 ◼   ► customer service thing than it was a

00:10:47 ◼   ► marketing thing I think initially so

00:10:49 ◼   ► like I'm glad it's there it's useful but

00:10:52 ◼   ► I don't think it had a major impact in a

00:10:55 ◼   ► way that it may have if they hadn't

00:10:57 ◼   ► redesigned the App Store yeah I I'm in

00:10:59 ◼   ► complete agreement I mean it like the

00:11:00 ◼   ► when you it turns out like the in

00:11:03 ◼   ► practice the reading of the reviews with

00:11:05 ◼   ► these responses like I loved how Mike

00:11:07 ◼   ► put it on connected this past week here

00:11:10 ◼   ► on relay FM they were doing the year

00:11:12 ◼   ► review if like kind of just all Apple

00:11:13 ◼   ► tech news and and they mentioned this

00:11:16 ◼   ► and Mike said it's it's kind of like

00:11:17 ◼   ► reading somebody's email chain it's like

00:11:19 ◼   ► yeah like because in practice you used

00:11:21 ◼   ► to like one person's you know it's

00:11:22 ◼   ► talking about some problem and then you

00:11:24 ◼   ► see like a support person saying we're

00:11:26 ◼   ► sorry you've had this problem please

00:11:27 ◼   ► contact us and we'll help you resolve it

00:11:29 ◼   ► like it's it's it's like resolve it's

00:11:31 ◼   ► like basically reading somebody's

00:11:32 ◼   ► support email like in public it's kind

00:11:34 ◼   ► of weird

00:11:35 ◼   ► as a reader and and as a developer I

00:11:38 ◼   ► I tried responding to reviews for a

00:11:41 ◼   ► little while but found it mostly not

00:11:44 ◼   ► worth doing and I think you nailed it

00:11:47 ◼   ► with like one of the biggest reasons is

00:11:49 ◼   ► the new App Store design change where

00:11:51 ◼   ► reviews written reviews are so sidelined

00:11:55 ◼   ► in the new App Store layout that they

00:11:57 ◼   ► barely matter at all anymore and frankly

00:12:00 ◼   ► I think that's all for the better

00:12:01 ◼   ► because you know for four years I think

00:12:04 ◼   ► it's been apparent that your your star

00:12:07 ◼   ► average mattered way more than what any

00:12:10 ◼   ► particular written review said and

00:12:12 ◼   ► there's so many problems with written

00:12:15 ◼   ► reviews it's just it's it's it's a

00:12:17 ◼   ► system that is so deeply broken and

00:12:20 ◼   ► dysfunctional and always has been so the

00:12:23 ◼   ► ideal solution would be to get rid of

00:12:25 ◼   ► star ratings and reviews altogether and

00:12:27 ◼   ► replace it with like a thumbs-up

00:12:29 ◼   ► thumbs-down kind of thing that way you

00:12:30 ◼   ► remove the the problem of different star

00:12:34 ◼   ► levels meaning different things to

00:12:36 ◼   ► different people like what does it mean

00:12:39 ◼   ► like what does it mean for for me to

00:12:41 ◼   ► write four stars versus five stars and

00:12:43 ◼   ► is that the same thing that you

00:12:44 ◼   ► distinguish between four stars and five

00:12:45 ◼   ► stars like it that whole system is

00:12:47 ◼   ► dysfunctional but the way they've done

00:12:48 ◼   ► it now I think is a significant

00:12:50 ◼   ► improvement where it is way less

00:12:53 ◼   ► emphasized you hardly see any written

00:12:56 ◼   ► reviews unless you really try to seek

00:12:57 ◼   ► them out and even then you're likely to

00:12:59 ◼   ► only read the first one and maybe two if

00:13:01 ◼   ► if you really get into it but it's so

00:13:03 ◼   ► cumbersome to actually scan through

00:13:06 ◼   ► written reviews that they might as well

00:13:08 ◼   ► not even be there which also means that

00:13:11 ◼   ► it's not really worth responding to most

00:13:12 ◼   ► of them it's you know unless unless

00:13:15 ◼   ► you're the kind of developer who I

00:13:16 ◼   ► greatly respect you who you know goes

00:13:19 ◼   ► through and answers every single person

00:13:21 ◼   ► who has anything to say to you that's

00:13:23 ◼   ► wonderful I don't have time for that I

00:13:25 ◼   ► can't do that I'd like if you have staff

00:13:27 ◼   ► or if you're so motivated that you can

00:13:29 ◼   ► do that awesome this is one more channel

00:13:31 ◼   ► for you to do that in but for people who

00:13:33 ◼   ► don't have the time to respond to every

00:13:36 ◼   ► it's every single thing this like the

00:13:39 ◼   ► the written reviews and being able to

00:13:42 ◼   ► respond to written reviews I think

00:13:44 ◼   ► should be treated the same way you treat

00:13:45 ◼   ► support email or tweets which is if you

00:13:47 ◼   ► can respond to them all cool if not this

00:13:50 ◼   ► is no different than those and you don't

00:13:51 ◼   ► need to worry about it and with the new

00:13:52 ◼   ► app store changes it's less important

00:13:55 ◼   ► than ever yeah and I think probably that

00:13:57 ◼   ► the biggest change that they made which

00:13:59 ◼   ► was a 20-17 change is not resetting

00:14:01 ◼   ► reviews on updates now right being an

00:14:06 ◼   ► optional sure making an optional making

00:14:08 ◼   ► that you in general you can choose to do

00:14:11 ◼   ► it and you would opt univis obviously

00:14:12 ◼   ► only do it when it would made sense to

00:14:14 ◼   ► do it

00:14:15 ◼   ► that in general it's kind of changed the

00:14:18 ◼   ► I don't know if it's right words it's a

00:14:20 ◼   ► bit almost like app reviews were this

00:14:21 ◼   ► weird kind of vague currency before

00:14:23 ◼   ► we're like you as a developer you're

00:14:25 ◼   ► trying to build up this number as

00:14:29 ◼   ► quickly as you can

00:14:31 ◼   ► for every updates you do so that you can

00:14:33 ◼   ► appear good in the store and continue to

00:14:35 ◼   ► you know grow and look like you're a

00:14:37 ◼   ► good app that's worth downloading but

00:14:39 ◼   ► this change I think had a I mean I've

00:14:41 ◼   ► been it's probably if I had to pick my

00:14:43 ◼   ► favorite change out of everything in

00:14:45 ◼   ► 2017 it's probably that mostly because

00:14:48 ◼   ► it's changed the way that I can can like

00:14:50 ◼   ► think about my development cycle and

00:14:52 ◼   ► doing small updates are now like fine it

00:14:58 ◼   ► doesn't really matter like I can if I if

00:15:00 ◼   ► I had the time and ability I could

00:15:01 ◼   ► update my app you know once a week and

00:15:03 ◼   ► it would be fine it wouldn't have this

00:15:04 ◼   ► weird tension that I had before where

00:15:07 ◼   ► every time I updated the app I knew that

00:15:09 ◼   ► I had to kind of like rebuild all this

00:15:11 ◼   ► and so things like responding to reviews

00:15:13 ◼   ► would have been more important because

00:15:14 ◼   ► if someone you know had you've given it

00:15:17 ◼   ► a one-star and I respond to them and

00:15:18 ◼   ► they changed their one start to a

00:15:19 ◼   ► five-star that that difference was very

00:15:22 ◼   ► more measured whereas now if you've you

00:15:26 ◼   ► know it's like either if you use the new

00:15:27 ◼   ► ratings prompt system which also came in

00:15:29 ◼   ► 2017 or yep you just gradually build up

00:15:32 ◼   ► your reviews over time

00:15:34 ◼   ► once you have a certain number of

00:15:35 ◼   ► reviews you can just keep them and

00:15:38 ◼   ► assuming that you don't massively mess

00:15:40 ◼   ► up and do something to jeopardize it you

00:15:42 ◼   ► can maintain a good star rating that

00:15:45 ◼   ► makes you look good in the App Store and

00:15:46 ◼   ► it's generally positive going forward

00:15:48 ◼   ► and you have to worry less about your

00:15:51 ◼   ► App Store reviews in that way and I mean

00:15:53 ◼   ► that's basically what I did for a lot of

00:15:55 ◼   ► them firm my main apps is I don't love

00:15:58 ◼   ► the ratings prompt system it's certainly

00:16:00 ◼   ► it's very effective but I is we've

00:16:03 ◼   ► talked about many times I don't love

00:16:04 ◼   ► interrupting customers and so on but

00:16:06 ◼   ► what I kind of love about is that plus

00:16:09 ◼   ► non resetting reviews is I just set up

00:16:11 ◼   ► my app so that I you know I was tried to

00:16:14 ◼   ► be very respectful but when I would do

00:16:15 ◼   ► it that it was only at the end it's like

00:16:17 ◼   ► you've clearly been in the app for a

00:16:18 ◼   ► while and you're returning from

00:16:19 ◼   ► finishing an operation rather than

00:16:21 ◼   ► starting an operation and I sort of set

00:16:24 ◼   ► the app up such that it only prompts

00:16:27 ◼   ► until I had a certain number of who

00:16:28 ◼   ► views and then since then it's just

00:16:30 ◼   ► turned off and I haven't done it so it's

00:16:32 ◼   ► like there was a two-week period or one

00:16:34 ◼   ► week period maybe even where like I was

00:16:36 ◼   ► asking people for reviews on a

00:16:37 ◼   ► semi-regular basis and that built up

00:16:39 ◼   ► enough reviews that now the app looks

00:16:41 ◼   ► great in the store and I can just turn

00:16:43 ◼   ► that off and in some ways like as long

00:16:44 ◼   ► as I keep you know keep shipping quality

00:16:46 ◼   ► updates and I'm not going to end up with

00:16:48 ◼   ► this big flood of one stars like the app

00:16:50 ◼   ► review system is not something that I

00:16:53 ◼   ► have to concern myself with which I love

00:16:55 ◼   ► and I can just kind of keep moving

00:16:56 ◼   ► making that better and better and it

00:16:58 ◼   ► doesn't have this weird external effect

00:17:00 ◼   ► that I'm trying to counteract and that's

00:17:02 ◼   ► how it always should have been like the

00:17:03 ◼   ► written reviews medes made like the

00:17:06 ◼   ► loudest most upset people it made their

00:17:11 ◼   ► review count for more than it should

00:17:13 ◼   ► have counted for and now that now that

00:17:15 ◼   ► we have a larger number of reviews that

00:17:17 ◼   ► persist between between updates and that

00:17:21 ◼   ► we'd have this this way to get quick

00:17:22 ◼   ► star ratings from people who don't who

00:17:24 ◼   ► aren't upset enough to write a full

00:17:27 ◼   ► review like they just like your app and

00:17:28 ◼   ► just use it quietly like they're likely

00:17:30 ◼   ► you know it the silent approving

00:17:31 ◼   ► majority their opinion now matters more

00:17:34 ◼   ► and and I think that's great for

00:17:36 ◼   ► everybody because it more fairly

00:17:38 ◼   ► represents how people actually hope

00:17:41 ◼   ► you'll actually think of your app rather

00:17:42 ◼   ► than just focusing on the few people who

00:17:44 ◼   ► were most angry enough to write reviews

00:17:47 ◼   ► and and one thing that's kind of funny

00:17:49 ◼   ► is I feel like it's made me less as a

00:17:53 ◼   ► customer I'm cared less about the star

00:17:56 ◼   ► rating that I used to because it seems

00:17:59 ◼   ► like every app has a couple thousand

00:18:00 ◼   ► reviews and it's four or five stars like

00:18:03 ◼   ► that's just sort of like that that's

00:18:05 ◼   ► like the baseline now and so it makes it

00:18:08 ◼   ► as if an app doesn't have that I'm

00:18:10 ◼   ► almost like I'm actively worried like

00:18:12 ◼   ► something is really weird with this app

00:18:13 ◼   ► if it's having really bad star rating

00:18:15 ◼   ► because they have so many more tools

00:18:17 ◼   ► they don't have to reset them every time

00:18:18 ◼   ► and rebuild that audience it's like it's

00:18:20 ◼   ► now it's just this thing that you have

00:18:21 ◼   ► and so it's like it's nice to it in some

00:18:26 ◼   ► ways that's nice in some ways that's

00:18:27 ◼   ► that's not so nice but I do love that I

00:18:28 ◼   ► just it's a thing that I care I have to

00:18:30 ◼   ► carry and focus less about you know I

00:18:32 ◼   ► don't have to actively check and

00:18:34 ◼   ► maintain and manage the star rating of

00:18:36 ◼   ► my apps like I used to and I appreciate

00:18:38 ◼   ► that being able to just focus on other

00:18:40 ◼   ► things that are much more important to

00:18:42 ◼   ► my customers we respond to this week by

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00:19:43 ◼   ► to fresh books comm slash radar and

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00:19:47 ◼   ► hear about us a section thank you so

00:19:49 ◼   ► much to fresh books for their support of

00:19:51 ◼   ► this show so the other thing that is

00:19:53 ◼   ► probably big has had the biggest impact

00:19:56 ◼   ► on us as that Kate was introduced in

00:19:58 ◼   ► 2017 would probably be the

00:20:01 ◼   ► a big App Store refresh redesign relay

00:20:05 ◼   ► out whatever whatever you want to call

00:20:06 ◼   ► it and the sort with that the big

00:20:09 ◼   ► changes in the editorial process within

00:20:11 ◼   ► the App Store where now we have in

00:20:14 ◼   ► addition to just like a totally new kind

00:20:15 ◼   ► of look and feel and a bunch of new

00:20:17 ◼   ► fields where now we can have promotional

00:20:19 ◼   ► text that's different than the

00:20:21 ◼   ► description text and we have a subtitle

00:20:23 ◼   ► now as in addition to just the regular

00:20:25 ◼   ► title and the title it's got four

00:20:27 ◼   ► shorter and we can have multiple app

00:20:29 ◼   ► previews in the app reviews auto play

00:20:31 ◼   ► like there's that side of things and

00:20:33 ◼   ► then we also have the new kind of every

00:20:36 ◼   ► day or several times a day editorial

00:20:39 ◼   ► process that kisk sort of come along

00:20:41 ◼   ► with it and I think and I think overall

00:20:44 ◼   ► it's been good to me it's always like I

00:20:47 ◼   ► mean I don't know if that's just a

00:20:49 ◼   ► self-centered way to look at this but I

00:20:50 ◼   ► think overall it's been a slight benefit

00:20:52 ◼   ► that I think the design changes seemed

00:20:56 ◼   ► to seem to work better or at least at

00:20:59 ◼   ► the very least they they didn't have a

00:21:01 ◼   ► negative impact and I certainly had some

00:21:02 ◼   ► concerns that because of the a reduction

00:21:06 ◼   ► in density in a lot of the screens that

00:21:10 ◼   ► it would have had a negative impact but

00:21:11 ◼   ► if anything it's had a yes and a slight

00:21:13 ◼   ► net positive so I like that

00:21:15 ◼   ► I think the editorial side of things

00:21:17 ◼   ► seems really nice

00:21:18 ◼   ► like I've been fortunate enough to be in

00:21:21 ◼   ► a couple of the like roundups or like

00:21:23 ◼   ► included in some of the the daily

00:21:25 ◼   ► articles and it certainly has an impact

00:21:27 ◼   ► and it's nice to you know have seven

00:21:30 ◼   ► chances a week for that whereas before

00:21:33 ◼   ► you had you know one chance a week to do

00:21:35 ◼   ► that it was every Thursday here's the

00:21:36 ◼   ► new set of features it's kind of nice to

00:21:38 ◼   ► feel like we have more options and you

00:21:41 ◼   ► know it probably proportionately means

00:21:43 ◼   ► that the impact of any one featuring has

00:21:45 ◼   ► gone down that read being premium having

00:21:50 ◼   ► a substantial feature before would have

00:21:52 ◼   ► had a resulted in more downloads but you

00:21:54 ◼   ► can now get them more often and it seems

00:21:56 ◼   ► like once your app is sort of in that

00:21:59 ◼   ► world where it's on the list of being

00:22:01 ◼   ► feat of kind of things that are being

00:22:03 ◼   ► considered for featuring it's reasonably

00:22:05 ◼   ► likely that your app will show up as

00:22:07 ◼   ► they kind of cycle through the different

00:22:09 ◼   ► things that they're trying to promote

00:22:10 ◼   ► throughout the year so like overall I

00:22:12 ◼   ► think the new app store is taking a bit

00:22:15 ◼   ► of getting used

00:22:16 ◼   ► but otherwise I like it and I think it's

00:22:19 ◼   ► had a positive impact overall yeah I I

00:22:22 ◼   ► was also a little wary when it launched

00:22:23 ◼   ► of you know not just not knowing what

00:22:25 ◼   ► kind of impact it would have and it was

00:22:27 ◼   ► it's a it's a bunch of very major layout

00:22:30 ◼   ► changes and so it seemed and major

00:22:32 ◼   ► editorial changes so it seemed like it

00:22:34 ◼   ► was likely to have a pretty wild swings

00:22:37 ◼   ► in either way and he didn't really know

00:22:39 ◼   ► until it locks like whether you're

00:22:40 ◼   ► whether or benefit you or not and as far

00:22:41 ◼   ► as I can tell I don't think it really

00:22:43 ◼   ► has meaningfully affected overcast

00:22:46 ◼   ► positively or negatively it seems like I

00:22:48 ◼   ► kind of got away with a nice neutral

00:22:50 ◼   ► outcome there but overall it does seem a

00:22:53 ◼   ► lot more pleasant to use in a number of

00:22:55 ◼   ► ways the information density is

00:22:56 ◼   ► significantly lower and in some ways

00:22:58 ◼   ► that gets in my way and feels clumsy but

00:23:01 ◼   ► honestly it wasn't like the App Store

00:23:03 ◼   ► layout and usability and things like

00:23:05 ◼   ► that weren't that great in the previous

00:23:07 ◼   ► one either so it's I think it's

00:23:08 ◼   ► significantly better than it was and all

00:23:10 ◼   ► the editorial changes are very welcome

00:23:12 ◼   ► they're clearly putting a ton more

00:23:15 ◼   ► effort into the weekly editorial stuff

00:23:18 ◼   ► and now the daily editorial stuff on it

00:23:20 ◼   ► one one area that this is a little bit I

00:23:23 ◼   ► don't know of unsettling as the word but

00:23:26 ◼   ► they they've added many ways in which

00:23:29 ◼   ► companies with large marketing resources

00:23:32 ◼   ► at their disposal like companies that

00:23:34 ◼   ► can afford to have a very large

00:23:38 ◼   ► marketing effort that coordinates with

00:23:39 ◼   ► Apple that reaches out that supplies all

00:23:42 ◼   ► sorts of different materials and and

00:23:43 ◼   ► achieves all sorts of different you know

00:23:46 ◼   ► goals and relationships and everything

00:23:46 ◼   ► there's there is more for them to do

00:23:49 ◼   ► there are more ways than ever for

00:23:52 ◼   ► marketing people and marketing teams to

00:23:55 ◼   ► help boost an app in the App Store and

00:23:58 ◼   ► that's that's good I think those should

00:24:01 ◼   ► exist and I think those kind of always

00:24:03 ◼   ► did exist but now they're baby made a

00:24:04 ◼   ► little more official but it also raises

00:24:08 ◼   ► the the bar for independence like us for

00:24:12 ◼   ► like how much of this marketing are we

00:24:14 ◼   ► ever really going to do or can we afford

00:24:15 ◼   ► to do or will we have the the tools and

00:24:17 ◼   ► resources to do that is a little bit

00:24:20 ◼   ► less awesome in some ways but I think a

00:24:24 ◼   ► lot of that's just kind of an inevitable

00:24:26 ◼   ► maturing of the App Store over time and

00:24:28 ◼   ► we're gonna have to figure out

00:24:29 ◼   ► operate in that environment yeah I mean

00:24:31 ◼   ► it's an MA in many ways I think makes me

00:24:33 ◼   ► think of search ads which is also

00:24:34 ◼   ► something that it got enhancements in

00:24:36 ◼   ► 2017 and was something that it's like

00:24:39 ◼   ► I've just sort of gotten everyone's as

00:24:40 ◼   ► I've gotten a sense of the cost

00:24:42 ◼   ► associated with that it's just sort of

00:24:43 ◼   ► the understanding that the types of APIs

00:24:45 ◼   ► I make don't justify playing in that

00:24:48 ◼   ► market and that means that I'm never

00:24:50 ◼   ► going to be the thing at the top of a

00:24:53 ◼   ► search result even if I am the top

00:24:55 ◼   ► search result there's always going to be

00:24:56 ◼   ► someone else who is willing to pay more

00:24:59 ◼   ► and as a result you know that's just

00:25:02 ◼   ► sort of where the best I can hope for a

00:25:04 ◼   ► second place and in general so far

00:25:06 ◼   ► that's been fine

00:25:08 ◼   ► but it is certainly a bit frustrating

00:25:09 ◼   ► that it's you know the bet that there's

00:25:12 ◼   ► a there's an heart of the App Store that

00:25:14 ◼   ► is just not viable for me to take

00:25:16 ◼   ► advantage of that you know would

00:25:18 ◼   ► increase my visibility and you know

00:25:20 ◼   ► maybe that's certainly I see that as my

00:25:22 ◼   ► problem it's not like it's a problem for

00:25:23 ◼   ► Fred doing search ads like I'm not I

00:25:25 ◼   ► think they they're useful and they're

00:25:27 ◼   ► I'm glad they exist I think overall I if

00:25:31 ◼   ► they'd went away if I decided that they

00:25:33 ◼   ► were you know that they decided they

00:25:35 ◼   ► didn't want search ads anymore I

00:25:36 ◼   ► wouldn't be sad but it certainly is one

00:25:40 ◼   ► of the only kind of Dan net downside of

00:25:42 ◼   ► kind of the way that this you know the

00:25:44 ◼   ► App Store changed and I think it the App

00:25:46 ◼   ► Store changes in in fact if anything in

00:25:49 ◼   ► Iowa in in iOS 11 made the searches this

00:25:54 ◼   ► dad's even bigger and slightly more

00:25:55 ◼   ► prominent just because of the way they

00:25:57 ◼   ► changed the layouts of everything so

00:25:59 ◼   ► that's just one of those you know it's

00:26:01 ◼   ► just like one of those things but it is

00:26:05 ◼   ► it take a net win but in that area is

00:26:08 ◼   ► probably a much more marginal one for me

00:26:10 ◼   ► all right so to wrap this up if you can

00:26:12 ◼   ► pick like one number one wishlist item

00:26:15 ◼   ► for the App Store in 2018 you have any

00:26:19 ◼   ► idea what that might be I would loved to

00:26:21 ◼   ► see Apple further enhance the app

00:26:24 ◼   ► analytics area especially around sources

00:26:27 ◼   ► I think that would be very helpful to

00:26:30 ◼   ► get a bit more insight into like when

00:26:32 ◼   ► someone's when they say like this

00:26:34 ◼   ► percentage of my users are browse this

00:26:36 ◼   ► percentage of my users are search having

00:26:38 ◼   ► some insight into what they were

00:26:39 ◼   ► browsing for what they were searching

00:26:41 ◼   ► for

00:26:42 ◼   ► I think would be helpful I like that I

00:26:46 ◼   ► think that that's something that I

00:26:47 ◼   ► certainly think of that would be would

00:26:49 ◼   ► be nice I think I would look forward to

00:26:51 ◼   ► it's like I'm trying think of other like

00:26:54 ◼   ► things that I would love I love when iOS

00:26:55 ◼   ► 12 and watch OS 5 come out for them to

00:26:58 ◼   ► drop support for some old devices

00:26:59 ◼   ► because there's a couple of older

00:27:02 ◼   ► devices that are making that make

00:27:04 ◼   ► development a bit more clumsy and

00:27:05 ◼   ► awkward then I would love and so I'd

00:27:07 ◼   ► love to see that them to be slightly

00:27:09 ◼   ► more aggressive and who knows the way

00:27:10 ◼   ► that they're the recent battery scandal

00:27:13 ◼   ► shenanigans situation has happened maybe

00:27:16 ◼   ► they will be more apt to do that so

00:27:18 ◼   ► that'll make my life easier and their

00:27:19 ◼   ► life easier but those are these sort of

00:27:21 ◼   ► the two that come to mind what about you

00:27:23 ◼   ► I think you know within the realm of

00:27:26 ◼   ► things that are actually realistic like

00:27:27 ◼   ► yeah I would love for them to drop that

00:27:29 ◼   ► 70% Commission and and you know get and

00:27:31 ◼   ► you know give us more like 85% all the

00:27:33 ◼   ► time like that would be nice it's not

00:27:34 ◼   ► gonna do it here within the realm of

00:27:36 ◼   ► what's actually likely and and not

00:27:39 ◼   ► counting things like API and SDK changes

00:27:42 ◼   ► the for the actual store itself the

00:27:45 ◼   ► biggest thing I want is better search

00:27:47 ◼   ► and I don't just mean like different

00:27:50 ◼   ► layout of search results I the biggest

00:27:53 ◼   ► thing I want to see is improvements to

00:27:55 ◼   ► their relevancy ranking that is the

00:27:59 ◼   ► hardest part of search the hard part of

00:28:01 ◼   ► search is not finding results it's

00:28:02 ◼   ► sorting the results in a reasonable and

00:28:05 ◼   ► useful way and and that's the area in

00:28:07 ◼   ► which Apple has so badly fallen down in

00:28:09 ◼   ► the App Store so much of a time and and

00:28:12 ◼   ► that affects both the search results

00:28:14 ◼   ► themselves and as previously discussed

00:28:16 ◼   ► in previous episodes that affects the

00:28:17 ◼   ► the relevance pricing and ranking of

00:28:19 ◼   ► search ads as well so number one for me

00:28:23 ◼   ► that's I think what the App Store needs

00:28:25 ◼   ► the most is better search and more

00:28:27 ◼   ► specifically better relevancy ranking of

00:28:29 ◼   ► search results yeah I certainly would

00:28:31 ◼   ► would love that I mean there's some

00:28:34 ◼   ► things that is always so frustrating and

00:28:36 ◼   ► I know this is partly because I have

00:28:37 ◼   ► most of my apps a fairly generic names

00:28:39 ◼   ► which is an intentional thing but it's

00:28:40 ◼   ► also sometimes a problematic thing is

00:28:42 ◼   ► where someone does a literal search for

00:28:45 ◼   ► the name of my app you know so they they

00:28:47 ◼   ► type in workouts plus plus that's their

00:28:49 ◼   ► search term and it doesn't show up

00:28:52 ◼   ► anywhere in the search results it's just

00:28:55 ◼   ► very frustrating

00:28:56 ◼   ► we're like I understand why like I'm

00:28:58 ◼   ► sure they're just excluding the plus

00:28:59 ◼   ► plus characters and then sitting there

00:29:00 ◼   ► doing like a general you know general

00:29:02 ◼   ► search and so on but it's just one of

00:29:04 ◼   ► those things where like anytime that

00:29:05 ◼   ► happens it is certainly very frustrating

00:29:06 ◼   ► and so I would love for that system to

00:29:09 ◼   ► be improved

00:29:10 ◼   ► and but honestly also both as a user

00:29:12 ◼   ► like I always kind of hate when I'm

00:29:14 ◼   ► search I do a search for an app or a

00:29:16 ◼   ► type of app and most of the initial

00:29:18 ◼   ► results clearly are apps that have been

00:29:20 ◼   ► updated in a while or are in lower

00:29:23 ◼   ► quality or whatever that are just like

00:29:25 ◼   ► apps that have been in the store for a

00:29:26 ◼   ► long time like that's tombstone or are

00:29:28 ◼   ► totally irrelevant to what you searched

00:29:29 ◼   ► for sure so like definitely an

00:29:31 ◼   ► improvement to that would be very much

00:29:33 ◼   ► appreciated all right well here's hoping

00:29:36 ◼   ► to a great 2018 and here's some thanks

00:29:38 ◼   ► for a good 2017 to the App Store people

00:29:40 ◼   ► yeah thanks everyone for listening and

00:29:42 ◼   ► we'll talk to you next week bye