App-onomics and the shrinking relevance of market share.
Uber apparently launched a Windows Phone version of their app today, plugging yet another hole in the leaky boat of the once all but ignored platform. And this helped make a point. This along with John Cleese promoting the Ministry of Silly Walks app on other platforms.
Many like to mock Windows Phones market share for having not improved. But, as I've stated in the past, with the rate at which the smartphone market is growing, this doesn't mean that WP is losing users. To the contrary, the market growth is simply outpacing their growth. And while that is indeed a bad thing, it is far better than an actual reduction in users. As long the absolute number of users continues to grow, the platform continues to have a potential future.
I'm not going to say that any time soon we'll wake up to Windows Phone being one of the first OS's most major apps are written for. But, it seems to be hitting that point where there are enough users that virtually everyone is making the effort to at least get around to writing an app for the platform.
In my mind, I think WP has finally crossed an important barrier. The absolute size of the market is large enough to attract most of the most important app developers. Even if they will drag their heels getting there. And that means that barriers to adoption are dropping. I'm actually starting to think that the platform could seem some healthy growth in the upcoming months or years as a result. With Uber now on there, BBM coming, Intagram, Facebook and all but a few holdouts available on the platform it is quickly looking like a more acceptable place to be.
Ironically, as I think the platform is finally picking up potential steam they are starting to focus even more on entry level devices. There, unfortunately, is nothing glamorous about entry level devices.
Back to the John Cleese reference. On his Twitter feed he (perhaps jokingly) said that they would make a MoSW app for Windows Phone if 11 million people retweeted his post. While I'm fairly certain it was a joke, and the acknowledgement makes me think they are more serious than he implies, the joke implies that there is a predefined, absolute threshold that needs to be met. And I think that is a feasible point regardless of the seriousness of the post. It also explains why apps continue to show up on the platform, even as the global market share shrinks a bit.
It isn't the percent of the market they have that it important to app developers. It is all about how potential buyers there are and whether or not they think they can recoup the investment. The investment to make an app doesn't change based on the size of the market. Just the potential for profit. And that is why it is absolute numbers which are most important.
Developers will still prioritize larger markets. They will hit Android and iOS first because the larger user base means more potential buyers/users. It also gives a safer environment to test adoption rates. While platforms do affect adoption rates (iOS users are more likely to buy a paid app for example) being able to test it on another platform first can help give you more information on whether or not the size of another user base is large enough to start considering.
Many like to mock Windows Phones market share for having not improved. But, as I've stated in the past, with the rate at which the smartphone market is growing, this doesn't mean that WP is losing users. To the contrary, the market growth is simply outpacing their growth. And while that is indeed a bad thing, it is far better than an actual reduction in users. As long the absolute number of users continues to grow, the platform continues to have a potential future.
I'm not going to say that any time soon we'll wake up to Windows Phone being one of the first OS's most major apps are written for. But, it seems to be hitting that point where there are enough users that virtually everyone is making the effort to at least get around to writing an app for the platform.
In my mind, I think WP has finally crossed an important barrier. The absolute size of the market is large enough to attract most of the most important app developers. Even if they will drag their heels getting there. And that means that barriers to adoption are dropping. I'm actually starting to think that the platform could seem some healthy growth in the upcoming months or years as a result. With Uber now on there, BBM coming, Intagram, Facebook and all but a few holdouts available on the platform it is quickly looking like a more acceptable place to be.
Ironically, as I think the platform is finally picking up potential steam they are starting to focus even more on entry level devices. There, unfortunately, is nothing glamorous about entry level devices.
Back to the John Cleese reference. On his Twitter feed he (perhaps jokingly) said that they would make a MoSW app for Windows Phone if 11 million people retweeted his post. While I'm fairly certain it was a joke, and the acknowledgement makes me think they are more serious than he implies, the joke implies that there is a predefined, absolute threshold that needs to be met. And I think that is a feasible point regardless of the seriousness of the post. It also explains why apps continue to show up on the platform, even as the global market share shrinks a bit.
It isn't the percent of the market they have that it important to app developers. It is all about how potential buyers there are and whether or not they think they can recoup the investment. The investment to make an app doesn't change based on the size of the market. Just the potential for profit. And that is why it is absolute numbers which are most important.
Developers will still prioritize larger markets. They will hit Android and iOS first because the larger user base means more potential buyers/users. It also gives a safer environment to test adoption rates. While platforms do affect adoption rates (iOS users are more likely to buy a paid app for example) being able to test it on another platform first can help give you more information on whether or not the size of another user base is large enough to start considering.
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