Just over 48 hours have passed since my first app Our Lists To-Do went live on the app store and I have yet to sell a copy in the US. Well, to be fair, I have yet to sell a copy in the US to somebody that I don’t already know. But - and here’s what I never would have guessed - Our Lists is currently ranked #15 in the productivity category in the Netherlands.
Here’s how it has played out so far:
Day 1: One sale in the Netherlands (presumably via the just released status of the app)
Day 2: Twenty sales in the Netherlands and ranked #15 in productivity
This is with no marketing, no localization of the app or description on the app store. Just one original sale. The core feature of the app is shared to-do lists so it has the potential to spread quickly in social and work circles. For example, Sarah buys the app and likes it, but wants to share her grocery list with Matt. She can send an invitation email in the app. So far users have invited 8 new people.
Our Lists also ranks (albeit very lowly) in terms of gross sales in Belgium, Italy, and Australia. No rankings in the US yet.
The International App Store Matters More than you Think
During the development process, I heard many times that discoverability in the app store was extremely difficult, and the results so far in the US seem to be confirmation. However, was I didn’t expect was that in some international app stores, just a few sales can garner a lot of visibility.
Lesson learned
The next version of Our Lists is going to be designed with localization in mind from the start, probably at first in the countries that show early traction. In fact right now, I am translating the app description from English into Dutch.
It’s like hearing that a band you have never heard of is “famous in Japan”. What country will your next project “be famous in”?