8 Ways to Improve App Store User Experience

Developing an Interface for the Future of Mass Market Software Distribution presented by Stephanie Rieger Informa Mobile User Experience Conference: 18, November 2009

8 ways to improve the app store user experience (that don’t involve squeezing more stuff onto a small screen)

what I will not talk about

who has a store

what it looks like

the platforms it supports

the ecosystem around it

its billing mechanisms

revenue models

its politics

or, the number of apps in the store

these things are all (incredibly) important, so important that...

stores that are launched on a whim, have low reach and unpopular tools, policies or platforms will eventually have to adapt, re-think...or go away

and when the dust clears, it will simply leave a great big store full of content :-)

so let’s take a closer look a the store

stores have been around a long time and they all have one thing in common...

products, or if you prefer...inventory CC BY 2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidw/1245345652/in/set-72157601682265152

they also share similar concerns...

discovery CC-BY 2.0, http://www.flickr.com/photos/tracyhunter/101864931/

search CC BY 2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidw/1245345652/in/set-72157601682265152

wayfinding CC BY 2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/slybeck/25847359/

and compete in similar ways...

drawing you in CC BY 20 http://www.flickr.com/photos/roosterfarm/445442722/

by impulse CC BY 2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/jetalone/2171035379/

through need or convenience CC-BY 2.0, http://www.flickr.com/photos/bignavijp/3800631373/

cost CC BY 2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/cogdog/2899006860/

recommendation CC BY 2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/glynnis/358502163/

(pointless) differentiation CC BY 2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/slybeck/25847359/

opportunities for personalization CC BY 2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/smith/81109/

...and service CC BY 2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/scornish/1764306516/sizes/l/

...in other words, basic retailing and merchandising

ok, but...the digital stores are different

we have these things called databases

endless shelf-space

contextual advertising

a decade of best-practices, design patterns

algorithms, tagging, microformats...

you can find anything, anytime

intelligently target and profile everyone

recommendation is practically “built-in”

a lot of “real-world” problems just go away...

or do they...?

TIP #1: plan for ‘real people’

app stores see content as inventory (which it is...)

except people don’t actually want inventory

when people make a purchase, they are looking to fulfill a need

play celebrate reciprocate make friends solve a problem share explore they want to feel comforted communicate show off save face feel happy

because unlike computers, people are fickle, unpredictable...complicated

but app stores, tend to view people like this + + 1 person 1 phone 1 culture

when in fact...

“not available in the UK store” user accounts assume one-region

few stores consider (or enable) a multi-device experience

real people also shop for other people

gifting apps or content

+ gifting + out of box experience

TIP #2: Prioritize metadata

Board games: page 1 of 70 the more popular your app store is, the less useful categories become

...so then there’s search

but indexing this is not exactly easy

so search has to rely on metadata provided by app vendors (which might be fine if these guys were metadata experts) http://www.flickr.com/photos/haimediagroup/2402295757/

Case study: iStockphoto online content marketplace

5+ million items for sale 70,000+ artist contributors detailed approval process primary discovery mechanism: search

detailed (curated) and tiered categories

disambiguation taxonomies & assisted keyword generation

TIP #3: Editorial is your friend

roll up your sleeves and actually look at the content :-)

iStockphoto again...

Not needed Needed files (i.e. closed category) inventory management: open and closed categories

TIP #4: Help them, help you

think of it as a partnership

if vendors look good, you look good and vice versa

proactively simplify their pain points

manage vendor expectations increases approval rate clarify guidelines (e.g. IP, legal) training manual

another example...Apple

remember these guys? http://www.urbanartguide.de/ making an app is easy, making an icon...not so much

icon glow can be disabled if needed start with this automated corner radius and transparency icons made effortless

TIP #5: Make it personal

“staff picks” make things more personal, now take them to the next level

1% of overall collection premium cost iStockphoto, Vetta collection premium content hand-picked by domain experts + higher royalties for vendors

TIP #6: Make it acessible

a lot of purchases just happen

people stumble-upon stuff they want while doing other stuff...

so discovery is hard to architect

if you make it insanely easy to reach your content (from any platform) you start to see stuff like this....

iPhone apps movie marketing

TV + desktop Click to buy from the App Store Jamie Oliver (TV + web tie-in)

which can then come full-circle...

“iPhone Apps from TV Ads” with stuff like this...

TIP #7: Explore other touchpoints

offline app sales could be a natural extension for certain stores

here’s how they could work...

Duoguo mobile content stores and kiosks in China http://duoguo.cn

...and a less formal (and legal) variant in Thailand

and it’s not just an “Asian thing”...

“would you like a Google app with that?” + Best Buy “Walk Out Working” service http://bestbuyinc.com/news_center/11-05-09/best-buy%C2%AE-mobile-announces-partnership-google-co-market-google-mobile-app

now what if...

destination stores... True Urban Park, Bangkok buy a mobile... some books, or music.... bring your laptop... have a coffee... and buy some apps...?

Apple stores Microsoft retail even better if you can make it an activity CC BY 2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/smith/81109/

TIP #8: Consider segmentation

we’re familiar with segmentation in other industries

“great fashion, “accessible luxury” great prices” “iconic style” fashion

Cadillac Chevrolet GMC automotive

so far, app stores are selling pretty much any app that passes the acceptance criteria

but segments are emerging which could justify a “store within a store”

the “pass-back” apps for kids

business/enterprise

personal shopping “money--but no time”

and a final tip: if you’re not in it for the long run, get out while you still can :-)

thank you steph@yiibu.com

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8 Ways to Improve App Store User Experience

by Bryan Rieger on Dec 03, 2009

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