Discover the New World 47 We will go over app revenue models in much greater detail in Chapter 9, but for now, you must be aware of the power of free app monetization and ensure you have included free apps in your research. THE IMPULSE BUY Apps appeal to buyers for many reasons. One main reason so much money is spent on them, and why a recession is unlikely to adversely affect the core business model is because app sales are instantaneous micro-transactions. It's easy to act on impulse if instant gratification is only 99 cents and a five-second download away. In the consumer's mind, spending 99 cents is not a big deal and doesn't require much contemplation, especially when people have purchased a relatively expensive device like a smartphone. In his blog, rocksaucestudios .com, John Gholson nicely paraphrases this behavior: "Ninety-nine cents is the perfect price for an impulse buy, and it rarely feels like a loss because a little digging in your couch cushions or car console means another dollar is right around the corner." The impulse buy happens in the blink of an eye, with a specific purchase process. I tested this with many users and found that, in the App Store, the average customer goes through the same six-step process when buying an app. Check out the following screen capture of the popular game, Flight Control, as you follow along: 1. They discover the app by searching or browsing the App Store (see Figures 3.5 and 3.6). 2. They check out the app's icon. People are visual. They like inter- esting icons that tell them what the app does, like a camera for a photo app. Flight Control's icon has a big plane on it and the cartoon vibe tips users off that it's a game. 3. Next, the customers read the title and glance at the rating; Flight Control. The title says it all. "If you want something exciting, this is your game." With 9,060 ratings and 4.5 stars, there's no question about the app's popularity. 4. The customers' eyes then fall on the description, which they scan as they move down to the screen shots. (See Figure 3.7.)