Are there any stories of positive experiences (for Developers) with Amazon's App Store? This is the second bad one I've read on here.
Amazon App Store: Rotten To The Core
71–80 of 98 posts
Re: Amazon App Store: Rotten To The Core
#72Earlier quoted context omitted.
Okay, fair enough. But I do think it is exaggerating to say that "everyone downloading the free app is harboring illusions that they're supporting the developer." I strongly suspect that the overwhelming majority of downloaders get no further than "ooh! free stuff!" click
I had no idea 20% was expected to be paid to the dev and I've downloaded several from the Amazon App Store. It sounds like this dev made an uneducated choice to be featured even after knowing they would receive zero %.
At the very least you have to say their choice was educated - there was a debate, they decided to go ahead and do it, it didn't work out, they're shifting their resources as a result.
Re: Amazon App Store: Rotten To The Core
#73Earlier quoted context omitted.
Amazon's didn't make any money either, it was a free app. I doubt your average downloader thought for one second about the relationship between Amazon and the developer. They saw free, they downloaded. Who other than the app developer and Amazon care one bit about the financials of the deal? When I see a great sale in a store I don't care if it's the store or the manufacturer taking a hit.
Amazon spent a lot of time advertising that devs get "70% of the sale price or 20% of the list price, whichever is greater ". Consequently, many people are under the impression that when the download the free app of the day, they are doing the devs a favor and earning them 20% of their list price, and I have absolutely seen people in public forums run around advertising when an app from a dev they like is a free-app-…
That advertising is to developers. I'm baffled by why anyone would think that the general public cares what payout Amazon is giving to developers. To the general public, it's a free app.
Do you seriously imagine that members of the public are attracted to the Amazon Android App Alliteration Store because they think Amazon is a more charitable and supportive firm than Google, and shows greater kindness to the ramen-chewing developer? I feel pretty comfortable in asserting that the vast majority of people don't give two hoots about what arrangement exists between publisher and distributor. Do you go to the movie theater and decide to watch a Universal film because their producers are nicer than the ones at Paramount? Do you grade other products/services you buy by the providers' corporate social responsibility score, or the credit terms extended to their suppliers? Of course you don't. With a few exceptions (mostly symbolic) you are wholly ignorant of such things, and rationally so. You assess products and services based on whether they fill your needs at a reasonable price.
I don't run a whole lot of apps and as a result have not got around to using the Amazon store, but non-industry members of my social circle have mentioned that there's 'a free app every day' there. I suspect that if I asked what return they think this nets for the developers of said apps they would just give a me a funny look.
Re: Amazon App Store: Rotten To The Core
#74My worthless 2cents.
> Did the exposure count for much in the days afterwards? That’s also a big no, the day after saw a blip in sales, followed by things going back to exactly where we started, selling a few apps a day. In fact Amazon decided to rub salt in the wounds a little further by discounting our app to 99 cents for a few days after the free promotion.
Well here is the image with sales numbers from the day after.
What I'm seeing is a a huge sales/profit increase; $300 that day as compared to Next logical step? You have a >100,000 user base so push an update to the free app so that it now includes ads.
The tone of the article feels like the author is just upset he didn't get his way- "I was against putting the app on Amazon and my partner was for it"- so now he is trying to make himself appear "right". It's called pivoting.
Re: Amazon App Store: Rotten To The Core
#75What I got from this blog post is that they made an uninformed decision, and ended up with an unexpected result that pissed them off from the perspective of "lost sales". The email from Amazon clarified there were no money to made and sure enough, no money was made. The added costs of the server is unfortunate and justifiably something to be upset about (especially if you weren't accounting for it), but I have to poi…
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Re: Amazon App Store: Rotten To The Core
#76What this story teaches is a simple business lesson.
If you give an app away, you should build in some monetization.
Re: Amazon App Store: Rotten To The Core
#77What I got from this blog post is that they made an uninformed decision, and ended up with an unexpected result that pissed them off from the perspective of "lost sales". The email from Amazon clarified there were no money to made and sure enough, no money was made. The added costs of the server is unfortunate and justifiably something to be upset about (especially if you weren't accounting for it), but I have to poi…
Can I just reply here? Here goes. I think you missed the entire point of the article. We agreed to be featured, we stand by that decision. What we take issue with is the public perception that Amazon pays their (publicly stated) 20% of the asking price for developers to be featured. They don't. Simple as that. Everything else is a beef, yes, but not our primary beef. Also we left it a month, we got featured June 27th…
Wait, you expected to receive 20% of your pre free giveaway price during the free app of the day promotion and Amazon just gives you money, seriously? Where exactly does it say that you get paid during a free giveaway promo?
From the FAQ:
What is the payment structure between Amazon and me? Amazon pays developers 70% of the sale price of the app or 20% of the list price, whichever is greater.
Re: Amazon App Store: Rotten To The Core
#78Earlier quoted context omitted.
Your entire response is conjecture. He readily admits he bought into the 20%, got and clarified the 0% offer, debated and went for it. He shows the 54k number as a way of reinforcing the bait-and-switch they are using to lure people into the market, not as a way to say 'i should have been paid $x'. You say 'Amazon gave that company an incredibly aggressive marketing campaign for 1 day' but let me tell you what i see.…
campnic, I appreciate the response. I'll try and address each thing you mentioned. -------------------- but let me tell you what i see. 'Amazon is building their market on the backs of apps by giving them away for free.' -------------------- This company's app uses a simple software model. You pay $1.99 and you get their app. Your comment decries the entire Amazon model as benefiting them and not the developer. I don…
If they had a subscription-based business model, they likely wouldn't have been charging for the app to be begin with. Amazon pitched it to them, and pitched it to others, as benefiting sales. Their claim needs to be evaluated on that basis, otherwise, you're just moving the goal posts.
Re: Amazon App Store: Rotten To The Core
#79Earlier quoted context omitted.
Can I just reply here? Here goes. I think you missed the entire point of the article. We agreed to be featured, we stand by that decision. What we take issue with is the public perception that Amazon pays their (publicly stated) 20% of the asking price for developers to be featured. They don't. Simple as that. Everything else is a beef, yes, but not our primary beef. Also we left it a month, we got featured June 27th…
Wait, you expected to receive 20% of your pre free giveaway price during the free app of the day promotion and Amazon just gives you money, seriously? Where exactly does it say that you get paid during a free giveaway promo? From the FAQ: What is the payment structure between Amazon and me? Amazon pays developers 70% of the sale price of the app or 20% of the list price, whichever is greater.
You are being sarcastic, right?
Re: Amazon App Store: Rotten To The Core
#80Remember folks, its 20% after Amazon twists your arm to price all android products not in Amazon store at Amazon's prices..