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Should Goodreads build an iphone app?
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Otis wrote: "A quick update: Because we now have book data from B&N, we may now be able to build an iphone app. Stay tuned..."This is wonderful news!! I can't wait!:D
Yes, especially since most people only read an ebook once, but play games over and over. Which is relevant here because games or apps that are free with a small advertising banner get lots of views. I use a free Twitter app and a few of those really lame ads have caught my eye. Amazon should encourage that kind of advertising. I haven't opened my laptop for days, but I've been on Twitter and goodreads many times a day; they're missing the boat.That said, yay for the recent mobile site updates! Not sure how recent because I kept going to the full site to post reviews or add shelves to books by habit, but those functions work wonderfully well on my iPhone using the mobile site now. Thank you! Now all I need for easy daily book updating is the ability to say "Yes" I like a review. I'm sure there are people clamoring for groups and friends updates, which would be cool, but you've got the meat of things working great and I'm really enjoying it. Thanks again!
iPhone is getting very interesting, and might be the biggest ereader out there. But the explosion of book apps is just because all these companies are making one app per book. I bet in terms of usage games are way ahead.
They're getting ebook apps on the iPhone somehow...From PC World, Nov 2, 2009:
And now it appears it is the Amazon Kindle's turn to take a beating, as book applications for iPhone exceeded the popularity of games apps in the last four months, according the Flurry report. In September, iPhone books (some running on Kindle for iPhone) overtook games for the first time, while one in every five new apps in the App Store in October were books.
This also explains why Amazon changed their TOS... they're losing marketshare.
That's great news! Any chance that goodreads will change the book links feature so that Amazon won't automatically be included as a book buying source? Or what I would love to see is independent bookstores/Indiebound as the primary source. Wouldn't that be wonderful if goodreads funneled enough book lovers toward independents to change the story from 'Amazon and Walmart shut down yet another Independent Book store' to 'Goodreads turns the tide towards a resurgence of Indies?' It would be a courageous thing to do... And the story would make a great best seller!
Glad to hear it! Especially the book data from B&N. I've basically stopped using Amazon as my primary book source. Since I have a brick-and-mortar B&N within a couple of blocks of work, it only makes sense.
A quick update: Because we now have book data from B&N, we may now be able to build an iphone app. Stay tuned...
It seems to me any iPhone developer should be able to create an app that uses the public Goodreads API. I haven't looked at the API closely, so I don't know what capabilities that would mean, but it's one of those fun-to-do things I've been thinking about.
An iPhone app would be amazing! I'm always checking the store to see if anyone made one. It would be so useful. My main use for it would be, for example if I heard a book I want to check out on-the-go, to search the database, find it, note the average rating, look at the description, read a few reviews, and add it to a library if I like it. Typical. But I'm looking forward to it.:]
Even though the mobile version of the page is pretty decent and most of the things I like to do are on here, I would like to see an iPhone app, as well as one for other major devices like BlackBerry and Google G1. I just think that it would allow access to much better tools and make the user interface much more intuitive. I know I would use it even more than I do now if there was an iPhone app.
I think I've mentioned this before, but I'd pay for an ad-free account. There was a long thread awhile ago about adding a personal calendar feature, that's another example of an extra that I'd happily pay for. Even if a donation link was added, I'd do that. Especially if it would speed up progress on some of the to-do list features.
I don't have an iphone but if there weren't any extras for premium, I would donate anyway; I'd like Goodreads not to be beholden to Amazon.
Many of us would pay for what we have now, but if growth is important, I'm afraid a lot of members would leave, especially if the free membership included less than the current membership does now. From what I've read some competing sites are free for only the first limited number of books. If Goodreads went that route it might not be as successful overall.I'd pay for an iPhone app for sure!
Otis wrote: "Bookmooch says they are driving $20,000 worth of sales to Amazon a month (and getting commission on that). I wonder what the much-bigger GR sales on Amazon are?"
"Several times larger..."
Difficult position. You have a good (and well-deserved) source of income from Amazon. Get data elsewhere and you have to pay and probably lose some of the income.
Have you considered subscriptions as well as free memberships? I don't know what else you could add for a premium one, maybe iphone apps, maybe the ability to have a blog (I'd like that). Maybe you could try a poll and see if people would be willing to pay or donate? I definitely would.
I just wrote a polite but forceful email to Amazon about this issue. I'll see whether I get anything other than a standard response. I didn't tell Amazon about my other reasons for not wanting to give them business. I've actually given them a huge amount of business over the last over 12 years, so hopefully my opinion has some weight. If enough customers write, who knows.We are still looking into alternative sources of data.
Really?! I didn't know that was a viable option. Please keep us posted. Thanks.
A quick update: We are still looking into alternative sources of data. It has been amazing to see how many people have been sympathetic to our plight, especially the ABA.
Well, I guess we should all write Amazon
Can't hurt!
Bookmooch says they are driving $20,000 worth of sales to Amazon a month (and getting commission on that). I wonder what the much-bigger GR sales on Amazon are?
Several times larger.
“You will not use the …Data Feed…in any… manner, that does not have the principal purpose of advertising and marketing the Amazon Site and driving sales of products and services on the Amazon Site.”Says it all. Goodreads, Librarything, Bookmooch et al are, as far as Amazon are concerned, just shopfronts for them and must have the philosophy of acting as such, not passively but actively "driving sales" to them. (I excluded Shelfari as they are 100% owned by Amazon).
Bookmooch says they are driving $20,000 worth of sales to Amazon a month (and getting commission on that). I wonder what the much-bigger GR sales on Amazon are? I wish there was a way of getting out of using Amazon data and GR being completely independent.
Well, I guess we should all write Amazon, especially Goodreads members who have given Amazon a lot of business. I really don't understand Amazon; it seems to me this will hurt and not help them get/keep customers. I understand when Goodreads needs Amazon's database, but I'm loathe to give them my business for several reasons, this just being one of them.
Maybe this thread should be closed or renamed since the iPhone app is definitely not happening now, thanks to Amazon.
I'd love to see an iPhone app - but at the same time can see the advantge of a universal mobile site. If a lot of the backend is being done from the goodreads site itself, would it even be that difficult creating native apps for each major platform?What I would like to see most is a mobile site thy provides access to just about every function of the regular site :)
I"ve pretty miuch figured it out. It is usually better to use the regular, not the mobile version. But, to get to comments on reviews, I have to go to the book. That works if the review is mine or is one of my GR friends' reviews, but if it's a review not by a GR friend, it's usually impossible to find. The direct link from the email I can't get to go to any comments on the reviews. But, I can do most things; the rest I wait until I can get to a computer.
I have found that with the iPhone, it is easier to just zoom in on whatever link there is to click. I think an iPhone app would be nice, but I also noticed there was a mobile version of goodreads. I decided not to use the mobile version because not everything seemed accesible from the mobile page on the internet.
Thanks Catherine. Yes, I've seen and even used the link to switch to the non-mobile site. I'm going to have to play around some more. It's just thrilling to be able to get on the site at all (and other sites and get to my email, etc.) when I'm out and about. Thanks very much for the offer to help. I might take you up on it if I get stuck.
Lisa, I was responding to Sarah's specific request to be able to read reviews when at the bookstore, which can be accomplished already without a specific app. Many people are unaware of the mobile site. It is very handy for quickly looking a book up, and I use it a lot for status updates as well. I agree that not being able to see, make, respond to, or vote on comments is one of the mobile site's big limitations. I have the same problem you mentioned when linking from emails. You get shuttled to the mobile site automatically, but comments don't show there. To get around this on your iPhone, scroll to the bottom of the book page or review page and hit the "switch to the non-mobile version of this page" text. You will be able to do everything from there, if somewhat slowly. Also, there is usually a link at the top to switch to non-mobile as well, but it usually takes you Home and you'll have to search for your book again. I'm pretty experienced at using my iPhone on Goodreads at this point, so if my explaination didn't help or if you have any other questions, I'd be happy to try to help.
Catherine, From my iPhone I still can't get to most of the site though. If I get an email saying someone has made a comment on a review I'm following, I can get to the review when I click the link, but not to any of the comments. I have to save the email as new and check when I get home. Perhaps it would work if I simply accesses goodreads dot com and not goodreads dot com slash m from my iPhone. Or maybe I'm doing something wrong. An app would be nice and if it could get more members that would be worth it, but I still say Goodreads should concentrate on working on features/improvements that will benefit the greatest number of worldwide members.
Sarah, In the meantime just go to goodreads.com/m for the mobile site and you'll be able see all of the reviews quickly and easily. I did it in the library just yesterday, no problem.
Today I was in the book store and reading the back cover blurb of a book that sounded interesting. I would have liked to be able to quickly look it up on GR to see what the reviews were like.
Well, If Goodreads creates an app, I'd certainly use it, and I'd certainly share it with my friends who are Goodreads members and friends who have iPhones but who are not yet Goodreads members. It might convince them to join; some I think it will some it won't. For people who have never heard of Goodreads though (none of them my friends) I think Goodreads would get more members, but I don't know how many.
My husband has a I phone and tries to use it with our bookshelves to avoid buying duplicate books. He has said many many times the he wished he had an app because it would work so much faster.
An iPhone app definitely would be a good marketing tool. I actually found out about another site because of their app and ended up joining.Of course, all of us existing members with would have to do our part with spreading the word about the app... that way it would be sure to be on the top app lists.
I'm kinda surprised no one has mentioned Android here. While I appreciate that iPhone has a larger install base (right now), I'd love to see an Android app for Goodreads.And don't forget, you don't have to wait for approval from Apple to put an app in the Android Market. :-)
Amazon is buying everything up!I was distressed to hear on the news, that they're trying to buy Netflix. I hope that never happens.
half the reason (maybe more) to do the app over the site is the marketing opportunity
Yes, everyone I know with iPhones, most not Goodreads members, add apps incessantly and some might consider trying Goodreads that way.
Catherine: That might be because Snaptell was recently acquired by Amazon, which also owns Shelfari. Amazon is buying everything up!I agree though that half the reason (maybe more) to do the app over the site is the marketing opportunity.
Tricky, right? Personally, I'm pretty satisfied with the members we have, it's a great crowd. But the more the merrier, plus I'm pretty sure the nice folks who run this site for us would like to have more members/viewers/income, and they deserve it. I guess the good news for me is that I'll be happy either way and I don't have to make the decision!
Catherine, You've made me think. I've thought Goodreads should concentrate on improving the site in general to benefit the most members possible, but that's a good point re getting new members. The iPhone certainly is popular and its apps are particularly valued. Hmm.
Addendum to above: I just tried SnapTell, which you use to photograph a book, movie or game and it quickly searches for it and shows a bunch of options, like finding it on Amazon or Google, B&N or Yahoo. But at the bottom of each of those results (for books) it has an option to "View In Shelfari"!!! SnapTell has gotten a lot of press, but I hadn't heard that detail. The competition has scooped us! It's actually a very cool feature and the app works really well. Wonder if we can get in on it somehow or do something similar? Too ambitious?
I was just browsing around the App Store when I saw an app that supposedly scanned bar codes and ISBNs. It was a total lie, but it got me curious to see if there were other apps that would let me enter my books here more quickly (now that I can copy and paste). When I searched "ISBN" I was surprised to find several apps for cataloging books. Now I'm wondering if we aren't missing an important audience, and advertising, by not doing it. A Goodreads app could be listed in several categories (utilities, entertainment, social networking and books) and might be good for the site overall. I still lean toward focusing on the main site and the mobile site (please let me add books to any of my shelves on mobile!), but I'm torn.
I'm about to get an iphone, but I'd rather Goodreads concentrate on features that will benefit the entire membership. There are many features that have been requested. If goodreads.com/m can be improved easily then I'd vote for that to happen.
