[peteysd]

Thanks for sharing. The diary/journal app space is pretty crowded, otherwise I think you would be selling a lot more apps. The one thing that I noticed is that there aren't many reviews. I think that reviews are key when someone is evaluating your app for purchase.

[ajlburke]

(BTW I'm the author of the article and the developer of Remembary)

Thanks for reading. It is true that the diary space is crowded - and the lock-in on a diary app is pretty strong once people pick one. Getting reviews is of course a bit of a chicken-and-egg problem: reviews help get users, but you can't get reviews without users in the first place. I've got a link in the app for the review page, but I thought an interruptive pop-up box wouldn't be appropriate for a personal diary.

I've worked hard on distinctive and powerful features for the latest releases, but I have a nagging suspicion that my big boost in sales recently was from rearranging the screenshots on the app page to highlight the "Jane Austen" handwriting font.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how the "lite" iPhone and Universal versions work out - but I have to find some time to build them first.

[timeuser]

In my experience with our app, prompting for reviews is worth it. Our average sales have gone up about 3x and I attribute it mostly to having more reviews spurred by prompting. Especially with a low number of users you just don't get enough reviews otherwise. Prompting doesn't have to be too onerous either if the app waits until it's been in use for a while. Also if it lets a user dismiss the prompt permanently how annoying can it be? If someone likes an app and uses it, giving a review is a significant way they can help ensure it survives. If it takes a little prompt to motivate them it's worth it for both sides. Prompts have gotten me to review apps positively in the past that I otherwise might not have bothered.

[alanfalcon]

I can definitely imagine you picking up some sales from people searching "Jane Austen" and finding this app, then seeing the screenshot and making an impulse buy.

That said, I can hardly imagine using a font like that, personally. It's fairly strongly illegible.

[ajlburke]

It actually gets easier to read over time - but I'll admit I didn't include it for legibility but rather how distinctive it looks. App sales seem to be a balance between well-implemented innovative features and flashy-looking hype.