What makes a customer pay for a paid app? Even popular apps can't get purchases?

[PompiPompi]

It seems that many apps with a lot of 5 star ratings... a lot of content and uniqueness aren't able to sell much as a paid app.
As free apps they get a lot of downloads and good reviews... but no one seems to like to pay for apps...

My own video editing app on OSX gets decent downloads... but when I make it paid, even for 2$, I get 0 purchases...
Why is that?

Is it possible because I don't have 10 reviews yet then they don't see any reviews so they won't buy it?
Is it because my landing page on the store is not "pretty enough" ? With dark theme or fancy design?
What makes someone on the App store buy an app that whether he download it for free he would have liked it?

 

[robertk328]

I think it depends on what alternatives are for free and how well those work compared to yours. $2 isn't much though it's still a barrier to people looking to try.

 

[Wotchered]

Ok, I'll answer for me. I pay for apps when they prove to be what I need, which can only be done by trying them. Most of the time they are not what is needed and I delete them, however if an app is good I'll pay for the full blown version for the extra features ...and to kill the advertisements. Of the apps I have downloaded about 1% stay with me. If an app wants me to enroll into a sustained subscription I won't buy it, the same with in app purchases.
So to make me actually buy an app, it has to be good, useful, offer a one off payment and have no ads. I will add that often, full bore professionally made apps prove to be useless to me personally, I cite Pages as an example, it may work well on a Mac, but is useless on an iPad, I've deleted it.

 

[anon(4697585)]

As above.

I HATE having to pay subscription charges including Apple's for iCloud! I would rather see and test a free app then pay a one off charge for the full product even if that one off is slightly higher.

I also tend not to buy an app if the free trial is too restrictive and doesn't let me do any testing

 

[Ledsteplin]

I don't like ads. Most of my apps are paid. Many I get while on sale for free or reduced. Some I like to test drive before purchasing, others I don't need to test. I do check out other free apps that are similar, before making a decision to buy. I will use a free app first, if the ads are not too distracting. As to why your app doesn't sell well as a paid app is anyone's guess. What kind of app is it?

 

[PompiPompi]

I was mostly asking about a paid app... so you can't really test it before purchasing.
I think what you were suggesting is a free app with one in app to unlock some features or remove ads?
My app is a video editing app(Pompi Video Editor) for Mac.
You can take a look and tell me what you think of it?

Yea, I guess having to buy an app without testing it first is a big barrier... I should try out a one time in app instead. Maybe to remove a water mark.

 

[robertk328]

As above.

I HATE having to pay subscription charges including Apple's for iCloud! I would rather see and test a free app then pay a one off charge for the full product even if that one off is slightly higher.

I also tend not to buy an app if the free trial is too restrictive and doesn't let me do any testing

If the paid one is better than the free, I'm paying as long as it's reasonable.

 

[robertk328]

I was mostly asking about a paid app... so you can't really test it before purchasing.
I think what you were suggesting is a free app with one in app to unlock some features or remove ads?
My app is a video editing app(Pompi Video Editor) for Mac.
You can take a look and tell me what you think of it?

Yea, I guess having to buy an app without testing it first is a big barrier... I should try out a one time in app instead. Maybe to remove a water mark.

Worth a shot to see if it helps if you go from 0 to 0 it costs you nothing. If it goes from 0 to 1 or more, you win

 

[Just_Me_D]

From my personal perspective, if I don't use the app, it will not stay on my device. Having said that, I must find the app useful. Paying for an app is not an issue for me, but at the same time, I won't pay $30 for a glorified To-Do app (for example). Furthermore, I detest ads. I really do. I get that the developer has to generate income/revenue, and ads play a big part in that, still, I do not want to see ads in an app that I've paid for. In general, there are people out there who refuse to pay for any app, and that's unfortunate. Anyway, if an app is useful, well supported, updated regularly and doesn't contain ads then a good deal of people will not have a problem buying it, in my opinion.

 

[Ledsteplin]

Be sure to play along with what Apple/iTunes likes. Developers that cooperate with Apple's whims seem to get noticed and pushed. Good luck with it. I'd check it out, but I only have my iPhone.

 

[Honey Beagle]

I will see if the free version is any good. If so and I tend to use the free version then I will get the paid version.

Examples are Scrabble, Tunein Radio.

 

[twinlight]

Im very picky with apps. I only get the ones I need so I don't try many apps.
I have picked up one or two of the free ones they give away sometimes and even payed for one of them.

I will never get an app on subscription unless it was something like Adobe CS, but I'm not a photographer, so its not for me. I have been thinking about a 1-year subscription for runkeeper since I started running a couple of times per week. There are no ads and no really must have features coming with the subscription so I haven't tried it yet.

I did buy 6snap and 6tag on Windows phone. Three reasons, support the developer, get rid of ads and show the original developer that they sucked, in this case, snapchat and instagram.

 

[iCricket]

A lot of people don't want to pay for something until they know that it solves their problem. Try offering a free trial. Also utilize in app purchases. Let them start using the free program and the more they use it. The more they will want out of it because it's solving their problem.

 

[DangerousYams]

In my experience, people tend to be more open to buying paid apps if
1) they are on sale (eg. 50% off usual price for labor day weekend)
2) their friends have the app
3) Apple has featured it
4) It exists elsewhere (like on Steam or a console)
5) It is associated with a brand
6) The app solves an immediate problem they have