Selling Software in the Mac App Store
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1 Posted by rob on 24 Oct, 2010 06:21 PM
Aperture, Logic Studio and Final Cut all have a paid upgrade system... I wonder if they will all go to the Mac App Store too.
Regards,
Rob...
Support Staff 2 Posted by drewmccormack on 24 Oct, 2010 06:45 PM
Interesting, and good question. They are pro apps. I suspect Apple may not sell them in the app store.
Seems like Mac App Store is intended more for consumer apps, like iLife.
Drew
3 Posted by Mike on 25 Oct, 2010 08:39 PM
I think the idea that support costs will go down is incorrect, Apple is not going to provide support for your apps and if by getting an app in front of a larger audience more copies get sold more people will have questions (and they won't be the traditional 'power users' either they will need lots of help with even simple things and not take much effort to look at FAQs or tutorials for the app). I think have apps that do well on the Mac App Store will actually increase the amount of support requests.
As to the idea of dropping prices because users aren't used to buying apps for $40, I think this is also a bit off. Granted users that haven't bought any indie software aren't used to paying $40 for software, they are used to paying $80 for iWork, $50 for iLife, $150 for Office, $80 for Parallels, $100 for Photoshop Elements, etc. That doesn't even take into account pro level apps that are priced dramatically higher (just look at CS5). Take Photoshop Elements for example, when a user finds a graphics app on the store that will do what they need for $40 they are going to see it has a huge deal, especially if it is an established app that already has lots of good press on it's site. Games will be the only apps that really need to be in the $10-$30 range as that's where they are now, for the most part, from the established vendors that a user sees in boxes in the Apple Stores.
Support Staff 4 Posted by drewmccormack on 25 Oct, 2010 08:54 PM
I can only speak from my own experience. Probably half of my support requests are related to installation, registration, lost serials, etc. I don't have those questions for my iOS products, and I don't expect them in the Mac App Store.
Re: price. Today, when you pay $40 for an app, you do it knowing you will probably be able to get future upgrades for $15-20. In the Mac App Store, you won't. Either you give away all upgrades free, or users will have to pay the full $40 every time. Somethings got to give.
Drew
drewmccormack closed this discussion on 28 Oct, 2010 08:12 AM.
drewmccormack re-opened this discussion on 11 Jan, 2011 06:08 PM
drewmccormack closed this discussion on 28 Jan, 2011 09:44 AM.
drewmccormack re-opened this discussion on 16 Oct, 2011 09:33 AM