Why are people so reluctant to spend for apps?

[kas23]

I usually have to ask myself if I actually need the app and if I have the time (which I find much more valuable) to actually use it.

There are a limited number of app "categories" in the App Store right now; there are one touch dialers, calendars, GTD, clocks, budget apps, games, weather apps, camera apps, etc. Until Apple changes the SDK, I really don't need anything else. I have my 1-2 apps for each category. There is no need for me to purchase another app from one of the above categories. Sure, it may be better, but I already have a good idea about what is good and what is just a re-tread of an already existing app. Additionally, even if it's just $0.99, I really don't have the time to go through another weather, clock, calculator, etc. app as I already likely know what's in it at this point (due to Apple's very restrictive SDK).

 

[kas23]

I'm sorry, but if you can spend $230 - $600 on your apple mobile device, plus $70 a month for your bill, plus $9.95 for software updates, and you can't spend $0.99 on an app?

Tell me what app(s) you develop and I will list very specific reasons on why I would not spend $0.99 on it. I'm game if you're game...

 

[firewood]

Tell me what app(s) you develop and I will list very specific reasons on why I would not spend $0.99 on it.

That's not even an interesting game. My apps are targeted at far less than 1% of iPhone owners. So there's a greater than 99% chance that some random person will have a good reason NOT to buy it.

If fact, if 99.7% of iPhone owners had specific reasons not to spend $10 on one of my apps, but the other 0.3% did buy it, I'd get rich!

 

[Ashyukun]

This is something that we've come across a lot in checking out apps for the podcast, especially the last few weeks where we've been reviewing apps with a fairly large range in price and capabilities. Especially when it comes to the more expensive games, a limited lite version that gets you the chance to get a feel for the game and whether you'd enjoy it is something I can't recommend highly enough- games far more than productivity apps are harder to truly accurately gauge from just a description and screenshots. I think there's still a benefit for there being lite versions of productivity-type apps, but the problem is finding a balance where it shows off what the app can do while still offering enough incentive to buy the full app and not just continue using the lite version.

There's also the issue that there are a truly stupid number of apps available now- Appshopper put there being over 21,000 active apps, and looking through Appsniper every morning it's not uncommon for me to see 300 new apps having been posted. Though there are still a lot of people getting new iPhones those that have had them for a while may be running out of space on their phones and patience at trying to find anything useful in the App Store. I tend to find lots of neat stuff, but that's because I have a reason to spend the considerable time to sort (or at least skim) through everything- your average iPhone user isn't going to want to put in that kind of time and effort.

The price fluctuations definitely don't help- especially when they bounce around like a yo-yo. Prices dropping slowly over time? I have less of an issue with that, it's the same thing as pretty much anything high-tech- you're paying a premium for being an early adopter and getting to use it for a while before it gets cheaper. Also, if I'm happy with an app at the price I paid for it? Sure, I'll be a bit disappointed if it goes on sale shortly thereafter, but generally if I was pleased with it at the price I originally paid for it, it now costing less shouldn't lessen my enjoyment of the app.

Especially from the standpoint of someone who reviews apps, having a 24-hour or the likes trial period like the Android store would be wonderful. I've been fairly fortunate in that there have been fairly few apps that I've gotten that I thought were just complete stinkers and I wanted my money back on, but then I tend to do very little in the way of truly impulsive buying and will in most cases research a bit before buying something, especially if it's on the more expensive side.

And of course, some people are just stingy.

 

[liptonlover]

Personally the only way I can get songs, videos, audiobooks, or apps is throuh itunes cards I have now and then. So I'm careful about any app I buy, whether it's a dollar or not. I can't afford to be burned.
For cheapskates, btw, there's that app appsniper. I've saved roughly $15 because of it. It not only tracks apps you specify, it also has a list of accurate new apps, and a list of apps that have dropped their price. So even if you're not watching an app, you may find one you want anyways.

 

[firewood]

The price fluctuations definitely don't help- especially when they bounce around like a yo-yo.

I think you're going to see more of that, a quick price drop after a new app's initial sales burst wears off, helps keep that app higher in the popularity rankings for a brief period. After that, for many apps, a gradual raise in prices over time seems to bring in the most average daily sales dollars.

Prices dropping slowly over time? ...

How about the new trend of individual app prices slowly rising over time?

That's the new plan for a lot of developers, because that's what the actual data says works better.

 

[iFerd]

I've assumed that the yo-yo prices were a strategy to keep the application showing up on AppSniper and AppShopper. Of course, this assumes enough users follow those kinds of services to make that useful. Maybe not?

 

[firewood]

I've been fairly fortunate in that there have been fairly few apps that I've gotten that I thought were just complete stinkers and I wanted my money back on, but then I tend to do very little in the way of truly impulsive buying and will in most cases research a bit before buying something, especially if it's on the more expensive side.

The first couple weeks I had my iPhone, I wasted maybe a few dozen bucks on apps I'll never use. Since then, I've been more careful about waiting for enough reviews before I buy an app.

ymmv.

 

[Williamapps]

interesting that drop price. like car selling

 

[iFerd]

This article from AppleInsider is pretty interesting in this context.

Edit: This story is now on the front page here at MacRumors.

 

[yalag]

none of this explains why there is a huge difference between $1 in the appstore and a $1 in real life. If you bought a burger and it was kinda shi ty, you just shrug and move on. You wouldn't write a letter to complain. BUT if you bought an app for $1 and it wasn't what you expected, you would SHOUT till your lung bleeds on the review page, whine about it on the forum and email the developer with 80% swear words. What the HELL is going on!!

 

[MacToddB]

none of this explains why there is a huge difference between $1 in the appstore and a $1 in real life. If you bought a burger and it was kinda shi ty, you just shrug and move on. You wouldn't write a letter to complain. BUT if you bought an app for $1 and it wasn't what you expected, you would SHOUT till your lung bleeds on the review page, whine about it on the forum and email the developer with 80% swear words. What the HELL is going on!!

I *wish* they would email the developer. So many users complain on reviews because they don't hear sounds, not bothering to check their MUTE switch. And there's no way to reach them.

 

[kas23]

That's not even an interesting game. My apps are targeted at far less than 1% of iPhone owners. So there's a greater than 99% chance that some random person will have a good reason NOT to buy it.

I'm not talking directly to you, but this is why someone shouldn't be asking the question of why a person wouldn't spend just $0.99 on an app (which is what this thread is complaining about).

Like you point out, the answer could be really simple, like maybe a user just doesn't want/need your app.