8 ways to improve app store user experience
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Developing an Interface for the Futureof Mass Market Software Distribution
Informa Mobile User Experience Conference: 18, November 2009
presented by Stephanie Rieger
8 ways to improvethe 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 timeand they all have one thing in common...
products, or if you prefer...inventoryCC BY 2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidw/1245345652/in/set-72157601682265152
they also share similar concerns...
discoveryCC-BY 2.0, http://www.flickr.com/photos/tracyhunter/101864931/
searchCC BY 2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidw/1245345652/in/set-72157601682265152
wayfindingCC BY 2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/slybeck/25847359/
and compete in similar ways...
drawing you inCC BY 20 http://www.flickr.com/photos/roosterfarm/445442722/
by impulseCC BY 2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/jetalone/2171035379/
through need or convenienceCC-BY 2.0, http://www.flickr.com/photos/bignavijp/3800631373/
costCC BY 2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/cogdog/2899006860/
recommendationCC BY 2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/glynnis/358502163/
(pointless) differentiationCC BY 2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/slybeck/25847359/
opportunities for personalizationCC BY 2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/smith/81109/
...and serviceCC 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
they want to explore
play
solve a problemmake friends
communicate
share
feel happy
show off
feel comforted
reciprocate
save face
celebrate
because unlike computers, people arefickle, unpredictable...complicated
1 person 1 phone 1 culture
but app stores, tend to view people like this
+ +
when in fact...
user accounts assume one-region
“not available in the UK store”
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
the more popular your app store is,the less useful categories become
Board games: page 1 of 70
...so then there’s search
but indexing this is not exactly easy
so search has to rely on metadataprovided by app vendors
(which might be fine if these guyswere metadata experts)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/haimediagroup/2402295757/
Case study: iStockphotoonline content marketplace
5+ million items for sale70,000+ artist contributorsdetailed approval process
primary discovery mechanism: search
detailed (curated) and tiered categories
taxonomies & assisted keyword generation
disambiguation
TIP #3: Editorial is your friend
roll up your sleeves and actually look at the content :-)
iStockphoto again...
inventory management:open and closed categories
Needed filesNot needed
(i.e. closed category)
TIP #4: Help them, help you
think of it as a partnership
if vendors look good, you look goodand vice versa
proactively simplify their pain points
iStockphoto again...
training manual
manage vendor expectations
increases approval rate
clarify guidelines(e.g. IP, legal)
another example...Apple
remember these guys?
making an app is easy, making an icon...not so much
http://www.urbanartguide.de/
icons made effortless
automatedcorner radius
and transparency
icon glow can be disabled if
needed
start with this
TIP #5: Make it personal
“staff picks” make things more personal,now take them to the next level
iStockphoto again...
premium content hand-picked by domain experts + higher royalties for vendors
iStockphoto, Vetta collection
premium cost
1% of overall collection
TIP #6: Make it acessible
a lot of purchases just happen
people stumble-upon stuff they wantwhile doing other stuff...
so discovery is hard to architect
if you make it insanely easyto reach your content(from any platform)
you start to see stuff like this....
iPhone apps
movie marketing
Jamie Oliver (TV + web tie-in)
Click to buyfrom the App
Store
TV + desktop
which can then come full-circle...
with stuff like this...
“iPhone Appsfrom TV Ads”
TIP #7: Explore other touchpoints
offline app sales could bea natural extension for certain stores
here’s how they could work...
...and a less formal (and legal) variantin 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 activityCC BY 2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/smith/81109/
TIP #8: Consider segmentation
we’re familiar with segmentationin other industries
“iconic style”
“accessible luxury”“great fashion, great prices”
fashion
automotive
Cadillac
GMC
Chevrolet
so far, app stores are selling pretty muchany app that passes the acceptance criteria
but segments are emergingwhich could justify a “store within a store”
the “pass-back” apps for kids
adult
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 :-)
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