The only advantage of native app stores is in gaining initial visibility/traction. Things like the google chrome store are not good enough for that. We should have something effective for web apps instead of infesting HN, reddit and various blogs. Are there any startups working on making the process of bootstrapping a new web app easy?
I launched Threddie.com two years ago by submitting to web app directories like appstorm.net . It was a manual and repetitive process which bored me half to death, but it still yielded better long term results than posting on HN & reddit or cold mailing big tech blogs.
From that experience I did notice that getting listed on a relatively big one like KillerStartups.com always resulted in an avalanche of automatic listings on smaller directories and blogs - as well as a lot of twitter activity.
From poring over google analytics, and talking to users, I concluded that while a lot of that chatter is automated garbage, it does often end up being read by real people who follow the links and sign up for the app.
All of this is to say that potential web users are scattered across too many discovery vectors to solve the problem by simply building The One True Directory.
What could be done, maybe, is build a sort of central repository to which developers could post their apps in a standardized fashion and then have those listings freely available. That repository could work a bit like Crunchbase, except with less focus on money & people and more on categorization & features. Ideally, app directories would then consume and relay that information to their audiences - editorialized or not.
Such an initiative would require massive participation by app developers, which, of course, is the real crux of the matter. In practical terms, there would be little difference between building a solution now or simply flocking massively to one of the already available directories. Which begs the question: why don't we?
There have been many central directories in the past. What is needed is people to actually give a go at the apps and spread them virally if they like them. One would need to organize a large pool of mechanical turks around a pay-to-submit-your-app model.
I agree with you, and I'm working on a solution as we speak. I'm looking to feature web app submissions real soon. If you would like more information or just want to chat, please email me at contact(at)webmenu.org. :)
Comments
The only advantage of native app stores is in gaining initial visibility/traction. Things like the google chrome store are not good enough for that. We should have something effective for web apps instead of infesting HN, reddit and various blogs. Are there any startups working on making the process of bootstrapping a new web app easy?
I launched Threddie.com two years ago by submitting to web app directories like appstorm.net . It was a manual and repetitive process which bored me half to death, but it still yielded better long term results than posting on HN & reddit or cold mailing big tech blogs.
From that experience I did notice that getting listed on a relatively big one like KillerStartups.com always resulted in an avalanche of automatic listings on smaller directories and blogs - as well as a lot of twitter activity.
From poring over google analytics, and talking to users, I concluded that while a lot of that chatter is automated garbage, it does often end up being read by real people who follow the links and sign up for the app.
All of this is to say that potential web users are scattered across too many discovery vectors to solve the problem by simply building The One True Directory.
What could be done, maybe, is build a sort of central repository to which developers could post their apps in a standardized fashion and then have those listings freely available. That repository could work a bit like Crunchbase, except with less focus on money & people and more on categorization & features. Ideally, app directories would then consume and relay that information to their audiences - editorialized or not.
Such an initiative would require massive participation by app developers, which, of course, is the real crux of the matter. In practical terms, there would be little difference between building a solution now or simply flocking massively to one of the already available directories. Which begs the question: why don't we?
There have been many central directories in the past. What is needed is people to actually give a go at the apps and spread them virally if they like them. One would need to organize a large pool of mechanical turks around a pay-to-submit-your-app model.
I agree with you, and I'm working on a solution as we speak. I'm looking to feature web app submissions real soon. If you would like more information or just want to chat, please email me at contact(at)webmenu.org. :)