The Impact of Bestseller Rank on Demand: Evidence from the App Market

 MARCH 20, 2013 Wednesday 

For Apps, Only the Very Top of the Bestseller List Really Matters

Consumers of smartphone apps are heavily influenced by whether an app appears on a bestseller list—but only if it's at the very top, according to an analysis by Octavian Carare of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. Consumers' willingness to pay is about $4.50 greater for a top-ranked app than for the same unranked app, but their willingness to pay declines steeply with each rank until leveling off between ranks 11-50, after which the rank has negligible importance.

Source: The Impact of Bestseller Rank on Demand: Evidence from the App Market