pashernate postings

shrinkURL v1.3 Released

ShrinkURL v1.3 has hit the App Store today with the following new features;

• Option to save you favourite shortened links to a history page
• Ability to send shortened links to a multitude of sharing services, including Twitter, Facebook, Google Reader and more
• Improved GUI for iPad
• iPhone 4 optimised icon

I decided to bring the App back to life and put some of the functionality into it that I had initially intended when first developing it back in August 2009.

Because the App is free I've also taken the opportunity to implement iAds too but my thoughts on that will be delayed for a future post.

App Store Reviews – Improvements Please

One thing that really needs improving in the App Store for developers is the user review section.

There are flaws in the whole process, some of which have begun to be addressed in iOS4, for example the controversial feature of forcing a user to rate an App upon deletion (which can only be a good thing) but there is still room for improvement in many more areas. As i see it there are two frustrating areas that really do need to be improved that will not only benefit the developer but also the user.

Giving Support to Users

Firstly, a developer cannot give direct support through the App store to a user who has downloaded one of their applications. I've seen many reviews left for Apps (some for my own) that simply state 'the App doesn't work' and there is no way for me as the developer to contact that user directly to resolve the issue. The vast majority, if not all developers of any software want the user to enjoy their application and removing any misunderstanding of how an App works is crucial to this.

A review cannot be 'contested' in the App Store by the developer too, therefore false or incorrect statements on an App that can have a detrimental impact on future downloads/purchases cannot be rectified. Even if the developer could resolve an issue with the user directly and then allow that user to modify their own review comments would be a big step forward and would likely give a more accurate set of App reviews.

Country Specific Reviews

Secondly, I don't see the need for country specific App Reviews. As an example, my App shrinkURL has some exceptionally good reviews in the U.S. App Store, many more in fact than in the U.K. but a user outside of the U.S. will never see these reviews to assist them in deciding if downloading the App is worthwhile. Why should they be separated out by Country?

Also, as a developer I cannot see a consolidated list of all my Apps reviews, yes iTunes Connect allows you to see them but only if you go through each individual country and do a manually check –  a real painful task at the best of times, this is flawed further by the fact that iTunes Connect only shows reviews for the current version and not all versions of the App since release.

I know Apple are continually improving the whole developer toolset and it's supporting processes but I'd like to think that these two points are on the roadmap for overhaul.

One year on…

I've just had my reminder through to renew my subscription to the iPhone developer program and it got me thinking, just where has the year gone?

I achieved my initial aim for last year by releasing an iPhone application and I've been pleasantly surprised with the feedback I've received for my first App in terms of reviews, tweets and verbal compliments but I had hoped to have at least one more application out before now and that hasn't quite happened.

Time and effort

To be an iPhone developer you have to either a) be lucky enough to have it as your full time job or b) dedicate an awful lot of hours to produce an app worthy of getting paid for.

I've spent what spare time I have on gaining knowledge of not only the iPhone SDK but Objective C too, it takes a little while and I'm only part way there but I still feel i've come a long way. If I think about it I have probably averaged two hours a week over the last 12 months. I don't think that's too bad for what I've achieved but those hours are ramping up as I write more complicated code.

What next?

So what for the next 12 months?

I'm due to have another iPhone application in the store very soon, although this will have been submitted under the company  that I work for rather than my own developer account and then within 6 weeks or so from now, my second iPhone application will be released. The latter App has been delayed mainly due to the fact I'm useless as graphical design work, so sourcing and waiting for someone with that particular skill set has slowed it down somewhat.

After that, who knows. As i've always said, it's the idea that matters rather than the ability to write the applications in the first place and at this moment I don't have that 'light bulb' moment.

I wonder what I'll be looking back on in another 12 months time?…