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Two-Thirds Of App Store Are "Zombie" Apps

31 Jul 2012 News
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When you hear Apple declare 650,000 applications are available on the App Store, you might think that's a huge number, and it is. However, approximately two-thirds of the apps (roughly 400,000) on the App Store are un-downloaded, un-ranked apps that don't do well at all. Many blame this huge problem on Apple and its poor search algorithms - it can be very difficult if you are a small, independent app developer looking to get your apps discovered. The App Store tends to focus on the big apps, from big companies - you see top lists almost everywhere, and apps tend to be ranked by reviews - so what if you haven't got any reviews? Unless a user specifically looks for your app, it's unlikely to be found. According to AppleInsider.com, Apple is attempting to improve this problem, and has acquired a small mobile application search engine, called Chomp, for around $50 million. The company intends to integrate the methods used in Chomp into the App Store, to help smaller developers get discovered. And changes are being made - last month we reported that users found results pages had changed, giving priority to relevant apps and popular apps, but this was quickly changed back. It's a tough thing for Apple to get right - it needs developers to trust the platform, but if small developers have a hard time getting off the ground, they won't stick around. But how do you ensure users are getting quality apps if you give them apps that don't have any reviews?  
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matt

Matt is a technology enthusiast, particularly surrounding smartphones and Apple products. Living in the UK, Matt passionately follows all of the latest news on Apple from across the globe.