This is awesome news (though it's been known for a while) for the top publishers who have: large download numbers, good AppStore SEO, and good screenshots.
While I think that this is bad on whole for developers/discovery as we knew it, it might just help users. Most of the time, users are either window shopping or looking for a very specific product.
Window Shoppers: "I want a photo editing app", chances are you are going to look at the first result and scroll down and see if a icon stands out. With the new model, you see the screenshots too. Could save time over, tapping into an app, tapping into reviews, and then tapping back twice. This means that the icon is downplayed in sales and the first screenshot has become extremely important.
Very Specific Product: "I'm looking for Gmail" It's quicker to just get the first result and confirm that it's actually what you are looking for. This however means that Apple has to be really confident in their search results (which aren't as great as they can be).
Net effect for developers:
1. App Store SEO is important. (It always was, but now I think developers will start to see it now in their app sales)
2. Your copy on the sales page should also grab users attention.
4. Also note, categories have been removed from the app tab bar.
5. Ratings seem to matter a lot for the search algorithm but not for Featured apps
6. This is the "Chomp" update, and Chomp has been known to get content from Blogs and various sources, so you should be mentioned off the App Store too.
7. Facebook Likes also help since those are displayed.
Just imagine for a moment that Google only offered one result per page. Do you really think this is going to improve the user experience? How often do you click "I'm Feeling Lucky"?
The ability of Apple apologists to rationalize bad behavior is astounding.
Absolutely crazy I agree. The app store is for two people, app makers, and people who want to download apps. For app makers it is unquestionably worse, not even remotely close, an infinitely worse experience. The OP seems to imply that this shouldnt matter, because the experience for the end user is better, and then goes on to give no real reasons and even says that "it will force developers to focus on seo" as if that is something ANYONE wants. It's like people's brains are now wired to defend anything apple does no matter what. Getting really tiresome.
Hmm, I don't think the app store is "for" app makers at all. It's for end users exclusively - the paying customers. That app makers are required to keep a fully stocked app store is an implementation detail.
You kind of just said "no you're wrong, its not for developers" and didn't really follow that up with any sort of supporting evidence, which is usually how these kind of exchanges go. If Apple designed the app store for the end user and 0% for the app makers than we would simply see the most popular app at the top and everything would be free. But we don't have it that way, why? Because if we had it that way developers wouldnt develop apps, which is why features in the app store, like actually having people pay, are built for developers.
Not far from the truth there. Apple loyalties seem to produce the same kind of psychological effect as religion or politics. Rationality doesn't enter into it.
Does anyone know if developers can track Facebook likes? Can you connect your App Store page to your Facebook page and track who shares it? Will iTunes connect show Facebook likes?
Ignoring the whiners, fanroids and Apple haters. Apple did this for a reason: to maximise revenue. If this encourages people to buy more stuff more quickly it stays otherwise it will change to something else. The "it's all different" whining is just like people complaining when Google tweaks their results presentation and suddenly a carefully SEO'd site is no longer on page 1.
Personally I never use the iPhone interface to the appstore, I hated the way it used to be, and I hate this.
However, Apple have announced an iTunes revamp for next month, I suspect this is a preview of what that will be like.
While I think that this is bad on whole for developers/discovery as we knew it, it might just help users. Most of the time, users are either window shopping or looking for a very specific product.
Window Shoppers: "I want a photo editing app", chances are you are going to look at the first result and scroll down and see if a icon stands out. With the new model, you see the screenshots too. Could save time over, tapping into an app, tapping into reviews, and then tapping back twice. This means that the icon is downplayed in sales and the first screenshot has become extremely important.
Very Specific Product: "I'm looking for Gmail" It's quicker to just get the first result and confirm that it's actually what you are looking for. This however means that Apple has to be really confident in their search results (which aren't as great as they can be).
Net effect for developers: 1. App Store SEO is important. (It always was, but now I think developers will start to see it now in their app sales)
2. Your copy on the sales page should also grab users attention.
3. Your first screenshot is very important. Your screenshots should be good. (Link: http://mobile.tutsplus.com/tutorials/mobile-design-tutorials...)
4. Also note, categories have been removed from the app tab bar.
5. Ratings seem to matter a lot for the search algorithm but not for Featured apps
6. This is the "Chomp" update, and Chomp has been known to get content from Blogs and various sources, so you should be mentioned off the App Store too.
7. Facebook Likes also help since those are displayed.
Here's a cheat sheet that seemed useful: http://www.apptamin.com/ASO_Cheat_Sheet-v2.pdf