GetJar Goes Social

GetJar has revamped its app store and now claims to be the first leading app store to fully leverage social media in an app store.

The new portal includes Facebook Connect, which allows users to share their app download activity and comments through wall posts and news feeds. They can also inform friends of must-have apps and what to steer clear of, with Like and Dislike buttons.

GetJar’s recent App Meter survey found that only 21.6 per cent of app consumers actually discover apps in app stores. Since discovery continues to be such a big issue for developers and brands, GetJar set out to leverage what consumers care about most, the opinions of their friends.

If consumers still want recommendations or to search for apps on their own, they can use the site’s new navigation tabs; an improved search facility; a ‘Top Apps’ section to identify popular apps; and a ‘Just In’ section for the latest apps. The new site also enables consumers to track their personal downloads with GetJar’s ‘My Apps’ feature, which consolidates the user’s downloaded app history and makes it accessible for reference.

“Now that users can share apps with their friends on Facebook, recommendations are really a bit old school,” says GetJar’s CEO, Ilja Laurs. “Our recent research clearly showed us that what consumers care about is what their friends are downloading and using, not what we as an app store think they should download.”