I see it everyday with my app. A very large disproportionate number of people who buy an app actually rate an app. If you are like me, and I suspect many are, rating seems like a pain. "Why should I rate an app? It seems like work. I already gave this app company money now they need a pat on the back! Or if not that a slap on the wrist, I don’t want to do that its just mean.” Why rate?
The answer, I’ve found, is if we don’t rate, we don't effect the kind of change we want to see at in the app store to make it a better store. Look at it it this way. When a movie comes out like, My Big Fat Greek Wedding many people who went to see it loved it. They told friends. Sales soared. The amount of money spent to make and sell that film was pretty low, but the word of mouth on it allowed us all to have a fun night at the movies watching a movie we might have otherwise missed. Conversely, if someone had saved me money by telling me that the last Superman movie was not good, I would have been grateful for not having had paid IMAX ticket prices on it!
So many of us don’t know the power word of mouth has on the iTunes store. It has a HUGE impact on sales. HUGE. What does that mean for you though? It means if a company makes a dud they need to be told so. Why? Because if they are not told so they will keep going on making duds thinking people like the duds. What if an app is good, but it can be better somehow? Give it a three stars and tell them why you did. The app you spent your hard earned money on in a store that allows you to talk to the producer directly to say how they need to improve what they make. Don’t be surprised if you see an update making the app three times better because of your comment either.
When I worked for Big Idea making Veggietales and we saw harsh comments on Amazon regarding what we were lacking in, we took it to heart. We know that every one comment might as well have been a thousand comments. The great thing about the App store is its like being in a restaurant, getting bad food, and its okay for you to tell people all around you “Don’t get the pasta it’s waaay undercooked!” Don’t think for a minute the cook wont change how he does things.
You have the power to make the app store better for yourself and others. Rate things. Be honest. Get your money’s worth.
