Zillow's new iPhone app was a major relaunch of the company, so CEO Richard Barton and president Lloyd Frink flew to Apple's headquarters to meet with representatives and try to get their app featured in the App Store. While it may seem odd for former Microsoft employees to visit Apple, getting on Apple's good side is important since the App Store drives so much traffic. The App Store has become hugely successful, with over 1 billion apps downloaded, and developers want prime placement to catch Apple's eye. However, Apple's app review and communication process is opaque and approval can be slow. Ultimately, great apps tend to rise to the top on their own merits without needing special placement from Apple.

1. Provided comPliments of At&t AdAPted from fortune mAgAzine
the Wizards of Apps
Software developers are making pilgrimages to Cupertino to ask for prime placement
on the iPhone App Store.
by Jeffrey m. o’brien
After six months in development,
Zillow’s new iPhone application—a data-intensive
program that marries the gadget’s GPS functionality
with the real estate site’s property-value estimates, or
Zestimates—was finally ready for the light of day.
CEO Richard Barton considered the app
nothing less than a relaunch of his company. So
naturally he didn’t want it to disappear into the
sea of 35,000 programs in Apple’s App Store. A
well-connected Zillow board member secured a
meeting at Apple for Barton and president Lloyd
Frink. And then the duo, who toiled a combined
28 years at Microsoft (MSFT, Fortune 500),
hopped a plane from Seattle for Cupertino to
kiss a few rings—in hopes of elevating their app
to What’s Hot or New and Noteworthy status in
the App Store. For developers, creating a must-have app that catches
Apple’s eye is the key to success.
“It’s ironic that one guy who started at Microsoft
in the ‘70s, and me, an old Microsoft guy too, would be making forthcoming stores from Palm and Nokia (NOK)—feels oddly
a trip to the Infinite Loop,” says Barton, referring to the address retro. A decade after the web emerged as a unified platform for
of Apple’s HQ. “But when someone is potentially going to be delivering rich content, the mobile web has become a series of
your most important partner, you want to get to know them.” proprietary systems. Developing a mobile play means refitting
sites for a small screen, customizing to individual peculiarities,
Apps Aplenty and redoing the process for each platform.
That’s not the only irony in play here. For Zillow and hundreds But businesses ignore the wireless web at their peril. In
of other web developers, the rise of the App Store—as well as the less than a year, downloadable wireless apps have become the
proliferation of competing wireless platforms such as Google’s place to be for online vendors, games, and content creators.
(GOOG, Fortune 500) Android, BlackBerry’s App World, and And the influence of apps is sure to grow. According to the
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2. the Wizards of Apps
Pew Foundation’s recent study “The Future of
Planet of the Apps
Apple, BlackBerry maker RIM, and Google-backed Android all have “stores”
the Internet III,” mobile devices will surpass that offer dowloadable applications. Here’s how they stack up.
computers as the primary tool for Internet
connectivity by 2020. Apple BlackBerry Google
App Store App World Android Market
Apple, whose iPhone customers have
downloaded a staggering 1 billion apps since last Opened July 11, 2008 April 1, 2009 Oct. 22, 2008
July, is clearly driving the trend. It wasn’t long
Apps 35,000 1,000 3,200
ago that the company’s developer-relations staff available
was begging software publishers to build Mac
apps. Lately, however, the power compass has Apps 1 billion N.A. N.A.
downloaded
found a new magnetic north.
The App Store—an iTunes Store for applications— Most Facebook, Weathereye, Wikitude, Imeem,
popular Crash Bandicoot, Viigo, Quickoffice,
has turned the device into a moneymaking Nitro Kart 3D Slacker Radio* Ringdroid
platform for big businesses and indie developers
alike. Pandora, an Internet radio company whose N.A. NOT AVAILABLE. *BLACKBERRY POPULARITY DATA FOR APRIL 29, 2009.
app has remained among the most popular since SOURCES: APPLE; RIM; GOOGLE
July, has been revitalized. “It’s been a game changer
for us,” says founder Tim Westergren. “We’re getting 30,000 new iPhone owners visit Mint 1.2 times a day on average, vs. twice a
iPhone listeners a day, and 60,000 overall.” week for web users. Apple has spotlighted Mint in commercials.
All that activity, not to mention ubiquitous iPhone Naturally Patzer gushes about his relationship with the company.
commercials, has developers clamoring to get into the App But he also remembers what it’s like to be just another developer.
Store. Only problem: Like the talent agent with a star client, “We literally found out that our app was approved because we
Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) seems in no rush to communicate saw it appear in the App Store,” he says.
with developers. The company claims that 98% of apps are So how to catch Apple’s attention? Developers suggest
reviewed within seven days, but many developers gripe that the designing a must-have app for users, not for Apple. Great
review process vacillates between opaque and capricious. The apps have a way of bubbling up, and when they do, Apple
only thing worse than an unexplained rejection is a months- will take notice. Even Zillow’s experience reflects that. In its
long purgatory of nonapproval/nondenial. first day Barton’s app was downloaded 16,000 times and
climbed the real estate and lifestyle charts entirely on its
Great Apps Bubble Up merits—without What’s Hot or New and Noteworthy status.
Even the most successful developers acknowledge that Apple can No ring kissing necessary.
be frustrating. Aaron Patzer, founder and CEO of finance site
Mint.com, says his team launched an app last November. Today From the May 25, 2009 issue of Fortune.
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