If Apple would do this, they'd have even more incentive to promote the highest g...

kw71 · on Feb 17, 2015

Maybe it would be better to have a choice about what your marketing channels are.

I'm selling software on eBay! For just a little over 10% I get to be super lazy and not develop a marketing website. eBay queues up requests for pre and post sales help for me. And they have me at the top of google results for queries related to my products: anyone facing the problems my software products solve will easily find me with a web search. I am shipping physical media and documents, which is boring work and is a pain. I really like not having to worry about marketing because it leaves me more time for development. My market is not very large, it's a rather specialty niche, and I think that I'm close to reaching the whole universe of interested people through eBay.

eBay is probably not going to tell me my software products violate any arbitrary rules or are not fashionable. I have heard so many negs about Apple Store that I want nothing to do with it.

xenadu02 · on Feb 17, 2015

How so? If Apple promotes an app it often becomes a high-grossing app, especially for games. That means you cross into 70/30 territory very quickly and Apple still gets the same cut.

mcintyre1994 · on Feb 17, 2015

Is Apple necessarily the only marketing channel? Ie is there no way to deep link into the app store? I've seen links to iTunes app pages online - and while last I heard you can't download to your device from that page, will it not open in the app store if you open it on an iOS device? Also on Android Facebook for instance advertise apps a lot with a link to the store, is that not possible on iOS? Or do you have to use an Apple ad network on iOS for all advertising?

Sorry for the confused reply, I'm just curious whether they've actually taken steps to force themselves as your only marketing channel or why that would be the case.

tjl · on Feb 18, 2015

Anyone can share an app link. So, you can tweet a link, you can post a link on your own web site (and even use an appropriate app store graphic from Apple) or any way you want to share the link. Plus, you get a set of promo codes you can share to give to reviewers. So, there's many ways one can advertise an app.

Now, Apple has started a deal with Pinterest as well so people can pin apps so that's another avenue.

Relying on Apple promotion generally means that you'll end up in the long tail. Occasionally, apps break out (then they often get Apple promotion after this happens) like Flappy Bird, but that's uncommon.