Play Store description - call for suggestions
- Thread starter Simon9
- Start date
This is riding the line a little too close to trolling... please keep it productive.
PHolder: I do not see Gristle's one word reply as trolling, though indicative of the problem with too much conciseness.
Gristle:
I often get super annoyed at someone posting in say a newsgroup or forum, and all their post contains is a link, or the title and the link, not even a paragraph summary of it, and in almost every case I decide it must not be important and it is spam or an attempt to infect people, since they could not even do that much.
So how is this relevant for a description on an app store?
Well if you can have a micro summary, that then can open up to a fuller few paragraphs in the about this application thing, while still on the app store, then that is fine, just put a concise one liner in the short description, and then describe the application and SQRL in enough detail that a person can understand it enough to decide if they want it or not, without leaving the app store, or some people will move on. In this bigger description you can also include a link to where exhaustive information can be found.
Then again this is not my application, I do not control what developers choose to do, and I think most people might not find SQRL via app stores, but instead via sites starting to offer it, and hearing about it from friends, or even having friends help set it up with them.
I prefer there is a concise introduction, a summary/preamble if you will, and then enough description to explain what the thing does, then some place I can get full details. Many apps lack this and I just decide to move on, since installing and removing apps to see what they do is not my way of doing things.
---
Anyway my shot at this I suppose, though I am I suppose a nerd, or geek, so I may not speak normal user very well:
Short description:
This app allows you to log into sites that support SQRL, using a single password, securely, on every site.
About application:
SQRL, secure quick reliable login, allows you to create an identity that can be used to identify yourself to sites that support SQRL.
You use a single password to unlock this identity, that never leaves your phone, and the identity is used to create an unique identity for each site you use it on, that can not be used to track you, also you do not have to worry about the sites getting hacked and having their passwords stolen, the identities that SQRL generates for each site, can not be used by others to log in even to that site, to get further information and support, up to detailed technical documentation should you desire to really know how it works, please visit https://sqrl.grc.com/
---
Something like that
The super short description is that first thing that appears about the app with the screen shots, above the comments. Then about application has a beefier description, but still targeted at users explaining more details of why they would want it, and giving the link to go to, to fully sate ones desire for knowledge about how it works. Would probably be best it links specifically to some new user entry point on the forum or on grc.com, or specifically the introduction/manual of the app in question, explaining where to find everything in the app.
Gristle:
I often get super annoyed at someone posting in say a newsgroup or forum, and all their post contains is a link, or the title and the link, not even a paragraph summary of it, and in almost every case I decide it must not be important and it is spam or an attempt to infect people, since they could not even do that much.
So how is this relevant for a description on an app store?
Well if you can have a micro summary, that then can open up to a fuller few paragraphs in the about this application thing, while still on the app store, then that is fine, just put a concise one liner in the short description, and then describe the application and SQRL in enough detail that a person can understand it enough to decide if they want it or not, without leaving the app store, or some people will move on. In this bigger description you can also include a link to where exhaustive information can be found.
Then again this is not my application, I do not control what developers choose to do, and I think most people might not find SQRL via app stores, but instead via sites starting to offer it, and hearing about it from friends, or even having friends help set it up with them.
I prefer there is a concise introduction, a summary/preamble if you will, and then enough description to explain what the thing does, then some place I can get full details. Many apps lack this and I just decide to move on, since installing and removing apps to see what they do is not my way of doing things.
---
Anyway my shot at this I suppose, though I am I suppose a nerd, or geek, so I may not speak normal user very well:
Short description:
This app allows you to log into sites that support SQRL, using a single password, securely, on every site.
About application:
SQRL, secure quick reliable login, allows you to create an identity that can be used to identify yourself to sites that support SQRL.
You use a single password to unlock this identity, that never leaves your phone, and the identity is used to create an unique identity for each site you use it on, that can not be used to track you, also you do not have to worry about the sites getting hacked and having their passwords stolen, the identities that SQRL generates for each site, can not be used by others to log in even to that site, to get further information and support, up to detailed technical documentation should you desire to really know how it works, please visit https://sqrl.grc.com/
---
Something like that
The super short description is that first thing that appears about the app with the screen shots, above the comments. Then about application has a beefier description, but still targeted at users explaining more details of why they would want it, and giving the link to go to, to fully sate ones desire for knowledge about how it works. Would probably be best it links specifically to some new user entry point on the forum or on grc.com, or specifically the introduction/manual of the app in question, explaining where to find everything in the app.
I think Einstein's Razor applies: Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler. But yes, short, quick descriptions are best, but you need some way for a user to click a link or something to get more information if they feel they need it. In this case, the initial text that shows on the app needs to be as concise as we can possibly make it, but when the user taps that arrow to get more information, they're specifically saying they want more details.
The most concise and correct text in the world does nothing if it doesn't give the reader a motivation to install and learn how to use the application. It's the why, not the how that is important.
Google's best-practices for Play Store listings are not as simple as possible. Apples rules are even tougher.
My guess is we can't know where users will read about SQRL the first time, and I think we better use every channel possible for evangelising and explaining SQRL. I also think Steve's pages and this forum is not optimised to capture first time visitors, and I think the Play store listings can have a chance. When I show SQRL to people, I've so far shown the app in the Play store, opened the app, then signed in somewhere.
The idea with a one-liner first is great! @vela-nanashi.27
Another hour (or two), another iteration (or more...). How about this:
And SQRL by itself can't prevent tracking. It's a tiny piece of the puzzle, sure. (Does anyone think that some big social site would enable SQRL and at the same time track their users any less.)
I also avoided mentioning "second factor" since users either don't know about it, or are in a situation where they likely can't get rid of 2FA anyway, so it's better to not get their hopes up then let them down. Underpromise, overdeliver, if possible.
I write "site-specific codes" and avoid calling these unique codes "identities". In SQRL, you typically have one identity in the client app, and it's confusing to talk about more identities.
My guess is we can't know where users will read about SQRL the first time, and I think we better use every channel possible for evangelising and explaining SQRL. I also think Steve's pages and this forum is not optimised to capture first time visitors, and I think the Play store listings can have a chance. When I show SQRL to people, I've so far shown the app in the Play store, opened the app, then signed in somewhere.
The idea with a one-liner first is great! @vela-nanashi.27
Another hour (or two), another iteration (or more...). How about this:
Again I made sure to not talk about tracking in the text. If you sign in you typically expect the site to track you at least temporarily.
And SQRL by itself can't prevent tracking. It's a tiny piece of the puzzle, sure. (Does anyone think that some big social site would enable SQRL and at the same time track their users any less.)
I also avoided mentioning "second factor" since users either don't know about it, or are in a situation where they likely can't get rid of 2FA anyway, so it's better to not get their hopes up then let them down. Underpromise, overdeliver, if possible
.I write "site-specific codes" and avoid calling these unique codes "identities". In SQRL, you typically have one identity in the client app, and it's confusing to talk about more identities.
I know the thing that actually got people I have talked to in real life interested in SQRL was the idea that they only need one password, several were "where can I get it" So I think that alone will be a selling point, I mean if you only have two SQRL supporting sites, that is one less password to remember and it only gets better from there.
So I think that alone will be a selling point, I mean if you only have two SQRL supporting sites, that is one less password to remember and it only gets better from there.
I haven't checked, but is there a video linked on the play store? Maybe have a couple images with a caption like "Scan the QR code...be logged in completely secure...no username or password needed." Then show a video of this in action. It doesn't have to be long, just like 10 seconds.
