If you have an app built for gadget platforms made by Apple and you want to get it to be discovered more, then you might be in luck. The tech giant seems to be looking into improving its way for people to find apps within the App Store. Paid search is one way the tech firm might be able to improve both discoverability and also make some money off of the new feature, as what numerous sources have said. This is the same way Google does with their own Google Play store, wherein developers and publishers for Android apps can pay for better discoverability.
For Apple, Paid Search is the Way to Go for Apps on App Store
With Paid Search, it would let developers shell out cash to Apple to prominently display their apps within the App Store. There is a secret team of about a hundred employees from the known tech giant. The team includes individuals from the iAd team and headed by the company’s vice president, Todd Teresi, who was also in charge of the iAd services previously, according to a Bloomberg report.
Even though without the Paid Search feature, the Apple App Store continues to generate revenue for Apple as the company does get a 30-percent cut from each sale on the App Store. The revenue earned is also part of the $20-billion the tech firm made last year, and they even deem it as “services revenue.”
There are more apps people can purchase within the App Store, and the company finds ways to make it easier for users to finds apps will continue to be a trend (especially when talking about customers who don’t mind spending to download apps).
The firm has already been looking to improve the App Store’s discoverability and search functions for quite some time now. With their acquisition of Chomp back in 2012, as well as some executive shift back in December of last year when the App Store was taken over by Phil Schiller, those goals may now be met within the near future. This is also in part of Schiller’s worldwide marketing responsibilities.
Even though Apple has their work cut out for them, as the App Store’s 1.5-million apps are needed to be searched through, many are still unsure as to making it a “pay-to-win” system is a viable idea. Developers that are already on the top spots may find it an unappealing case as there might be some companies, even startups, who might be able to take their crowns away from them just by spending cash. However, if there will be an added “paid search tax” in order to pay, then it might also put quite a few smaller teams to shy away from the opportunity.