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10 Ways People Find New Web Apps
January 21st, 2008 · No Comments
Surprise! Just what I’ve always wanted!
Originally uploaded by Sugar Pond
They don’t come in a box, or bought off the shelves. So how do people find new web applications?
1. You see a friend using it.
This could be directly over the shoulder, or they could casually digesting someones twitter feed and hear that they use it. This is how I discovered Desklickr yesterday as Lachlan Hardy twittered it, not as a promotion, but just that he used it.
2. You get an invite from Facebook, et al.
Whether it’s a vampire app or something that is actually useful to the planet, when someone decides to spam/invite you to a new application it comes with (some) credibility. This credibility is like a borse in that the more Vampire’s I get from you, the lower your credibility, the more Quicksilver’s I get, up goes your credibility.
3. You get emailed an invite personally.
As far as referrals go, this is the big one. “Hey Mick, you really should check this out, you’ll love it”. Is pretty much a guaranteed click. We often miss this one in the viral shuffle, but it’s gold.
4. You read about it on the web.
Whether you’re daily on Read/Write Web, NY Times or your mothers blog people talk about the apps they use and test and it’s a way to get a recommendation along with a reason why.
5. You search for it.
This is the mega-high value that app owners want to get to. That moment when you say “Hmm, I really need to do ABC.” It’s fertile ground. When do you need it? Why do you need it? How much is it worth to you? You might start by searching the type of product or you might get specific. You will look at the Google ads in this case, but you often assume you have to pay for those.
6. You ask your friends what they use.
If searching comes up with nothing or nothing convincing, you will probably ask your network. Which network depends on which problem you are trying to solve. This can be an IM, email and increasingly for me, a Twitter, although the randomness of responses makes this hit and miss.
7. You are forced in order to join something or do something.
If your local sports team uses 3eep or your geek gang uses Google Groups, you don’t really have a choice. They’ll invite you and you can either try the app or miss out on the goodies. Or when Jyte asks for your OpenID account just to join.
8. It is an extension of an existing application or hub-app you use.
Google are great at this and Yahoo try it a lot, but to less success. You’re a Gmail user and now you can chat to your friends with GTalk. You’re already registered so it’s one click away.
9. You are referred to it by another application.
Less immediate then the extension, this is when Flock has an Flickr component and offer account association, or when WordPress says the best tool for creating favicons is Blahr. It’s not one click away, but if you love this app, then it’s a powerful push.
10. You see a widget for the app on someones blog.
Widgets are a great way to show off the end results of an app without a big take up cost. “Hey, I can see what music you are listening to, what’s LastFM?” Some widgets just let you see the goods, while some let you play with them right there.
11. It comes with your computer (BONUS)
Less with web apps than with desktop apps, but some computers come with either desktop links to web apps. Not Macs of course…
That’s my list so far, feel free to add to it, bash it and throw it around.
Where do you find Apps?
I usually rely on people like you to make a recommendation! 
Seriously tho, I'd say....
1. You see a friend using it. = 10% (I don't actually 'see' a lot of my friends/colleagues)
2. You get an invite from Facebook, et al. = 10% (I often sign up, but either remove immediately, or get 1/2 way through the sign up and realise it isn't for me)
3. You get emailed an invite personally. = 30% (I always accept invites, but as per #2, I often sign up then immediately delete my account, similarly, I often don't return unless prompted by a valid source eg. a real person asking me a question etc.)
4. You read about it on the web. = 5% (I wish I had more time for this, but there is just too much out there to sift through!)
5. You search for it. = 5% (I mostly use search engines & del.icio.us)
6. You ask your friends what they use. = 30% (I'm always asking friends what they use - a personal recommendation has a lot of weight).
7. You are forced in order to join something or do something. = 0% (If i'm forced, i will register, but rarely return unless it is a really neat product).
8. It is an extension of an existing application or hub-app you use. = 5%
9. You are referred to it by another application. = 2%
10. You see a widget for the app on someones blog. = 2%
11. It comes with your computer (BONUS) = 1% (perhaps if i was on a mac it would be different?)
Is that 100%? Also, when I was at uni, the lecturers were a great resource for discovering new apps (they were always making recommendations eg. Last FM was heavily 'promoted', as was Multiply).
Nice one Michelle. Good summary.
So what makes you download a desktop application? There's still a place for desktop applicatiosn but how do we hear about them and what makes us 'tip' to use them?
A desktop app is different in the sense that it takes more commitment and therefore has to be filling a real need. I would download Firefox, Skype, Textpad, Winamp, because these things make my like considerably easier. The thoughts that go through my mind before I download and install something is how much space will it take, how much will I use it. What are the advantages of having that app on my comp? So there's a thought process where I weigh up how much I need that thing.
Now consider Joost. When I had to download it the first time, I deferred the decision for a very long time. A couple of months if I remember correctly. I kept reading comments people made about it, trying to figure out if I'd ever use it, and if I did, how much I would. It was a big download as well, and I think it used a lot of space. I downloaded it, and didn't like it. Got rid of it. I then downloaded it again and kept it just so I could send invitations to other people, but I never had anything good to say about it.
I'm almost just as cautious about downloading desktop tools of web apps. For example, I still haven't downloaded any Flickr tool because it's still not evident how it'll add value to my life.
Desktop apps have to be waaaay more compelling than web apps because they require such a 'commitment'.
- Big need to do something ON my desktop - "I need screenshots, screencasts, file manager, FTP, now"
- Big referral - "Man, you have to have this"
- Web extension - Snitter for twitter, etc.
Good question Phil and worthy of a good answer.
My quick one;
I think ur spot on Mick! The latest app I added is Jing which is a screenshot grabber... v. useful!
