Yesterday, tweeted this on Twitter:
“2014 resolution: Will now rate apps I enjoy (most) fridays. I encourage you do so. Helps both developers and app discovery. #ratefriday”
The idea is simple: every friday, find an iOS or Mac app that I enjoy, give it a good review on the App Store and let my followers know about that app on Twitter.
This actually snowballed way beyond my expectations, which were pretty much none but I’m happy to see so many people compelled by this personal initiative.
You see, we independent developers rarely get any positive feedback. A lot of it is composed of bad reviews (that are actually support or feature requests) with the occasional pat on the back.
I’m also a consumer and, like most of you, I rarely take the time to write a review for apps I use daily. I’m also guilty of leaving bad reviews that may not have been deserved or didn’t bother to contact the developer first.
With over one million apps on the App Store, it’s getting harder and harder to have your app stand out in such a crowded market.
So I thought that #RateFriday would be a good way to kill two birds with one stone:
- ・Encourage developers that create apps I enjoy and use.
- ・Let other people know about those great apps.
Word of mouth is a very powerful marketing tool as we tend to trust people when they suggest a product that they actually use themselves. When an app makes my life easier, I want everyone to know about it so that they can benefit from it as well!
##Reviews Are Not Support Or Feature Requests##
Just a friendly reminder that we independent developers find it very frustrating to read one star reviews that are actually bug reports, feature requests or questions that are impossible to reply to.
Most serious developers out there will offer a way to reach them via Twitter, Facebook or a Support page. They’ll be happy to help you out because they value their users and want them to enjoy their apps.
Leaving a bad review helps no one, including you:
- ・You don’t get your issue solved as the developer cannot reach you.
- ・You’re not actually leaving a review about the app itself, which won’t help other customers to make a decision about the app they’re going to buy.
Of course, I’m not saying that you should refrain to leave a bad review when it’s deserved, but at least try to contact the developer first and see if you can get help from them.
So I really hope that this small initiative will be a positive thing that will let developers out there that their apps are truly appreciated.
