Sure, sure, Apple’s (AAPL) App Store is glowing, having just reached its 10 billionth download.
So how are Google (GOOG) and its Android purchases faring?
Could be better. A lot better, Android platform manager Eric Chu told the Inside Social Apps conference in San Francisco.
Oliver Chiang said in Forbes that Chu “knows that though the number of Android smartphone users may be rising quickly, the number of purchases of paid apps in the Android Market is not doing nearly as well,” he said. “In fact, Google is downright ‘not happy’ about the purchases of paid apps.”
Among Google’s plans to boost app sales:
—Android will introduce an in-app payment system soon, following Apple’s success with this approach. With these systems, users pay for the app, as well as making purchases within an app. TechCrunch said Chu said Google was ready to launch this program last quarter but didn’t because “Developers were busy with their Christmas applications. So we couldn’t get enough feedback.”
—Liz Gannes at All Things Digital said Google has been slow to form partnerships with carriers, and so far has done so only with T-Mobile USA and AT&T (T). Chu said more such billing arrangements are on tap around the world.
—Google will be enhancing the Android Market’s ranking algorithm to make it easier for users to find apps they like.
—Google plans to make the Android Market and Android apps more social, using the Android address book.
—Chu told Chiang: Google is “betting on” the new web standard, HTML5, as a way to create apps.
Chu said: “My team is 100 percent focused on the success of the developers — are users downloading apps, are they buying them? You can expect to see more investment into merchandising, payments, discovery, downloading, those are absolutely top areas for us.”
A transcript is available at Inside Social Games.
brother
Well duh. The only way to "try" most paid apps is to buy them. If you don't like them you can get a refund for a short time. This is a terrible model. Nobody likes messing around with charge backs or paying up-front for things they don't know that they want. I know I don't and this is why I tend to steer clear of paid apps on the Android market. I'm simply not willing to screw around with my credit card company and charge and charge back a ton of transactions just so i can sample a few paid apps. The Google method is sloppy as hell.
The approach is so sloppy and broken that many app makers have taken to having to make two versions of their applications (more proof that the Google system is flawed) one free one and one paid. They do this because they know the Google system doesn't work. The only people that don't seem to know their system doesn't work is Google. Who instead choose to complain about how they aren't making enough money with their market. Maybe give some attention to the elephant in the room? Just a thought.
They need to implement the Xbox style of transaction where you can try it for free and then get charged once you decide the app is worth using. (Did i mention this method is actually successful for Microsoft?)
Does it really take a rocket scientist to figure this stuff out? This is basic stuff Google. Get with the program.