Study claims 47% of app downloads come from search results, but I'm not so sure
How do you normally find new app to download? According to data from analytics firm TUNE, you're more likely to find new apps to download in the App Store search results than anywhere else, and the competition isn't even close. The percentage of people who claimed their most recently downloaded app was discovered in search results stands at 47%, while the next most popular response -- "My friends/family told me about it" -- accounts for just 15%.
Other responses that were less common included reading about the app online, and finding it in one of Apple's featured sections. The numbers are pretty bold, and fall roughly in line with those of studies by other analytics companies, but what exactly does it mean?
The suggestion here is that search optimization is a key factor in the success or failure of an app, as half of an apps sales are likely to come from user search results. However, the idea that half of app downloads come from users who didn't even know the app existed to begin with may be a bit far-fetched, so there's obviously factors not being taken into account here.
Yes, the customer might have found the app's page using the search function, but how did they know to search for it to begin with? Things like weather apps and other essentials can be search for with generic terms, but the App Store is filled with specialized apps with extremely unique names, and countless numbers of those are getting plenty of attention as well.
Perhaps these surveys need a bit more specificity, or maybe respondents are simply confused by the question itself. If you heard about an app from a website or a friend, but then use the search function on the App Store in order to actually locate it, which answer fits the best?
[via TechCrunch]
