Your Users Don't "Get It"

Well, you see, the "problem" with these negative reviews was that they didn't seem relevant to the point of the product. They generally weren't complaining about bugs or errors, but rather these reviewers expected the app to have functionality that it was never intended to have (according to the app's description written by the developer). [Important note: I have not downloaded, installed, tested, or reviewed this app and am making judgments based on the information given on the app's Store page].

It's a sticky situation when your users don't understand the intent and the spirit of your application, and want to use it in ways that it was never meant to be used: ways that might be better suited to a different offering somewhere out there. This is particularly sticky because: you didn't design and optimize the app to work as they want it to, and because you may have never wanted it to work that way, missing the mark completely in your implementation, execution, and marketing. Your app gets low ratings even though it does exactly what you intended it to do.

On the other hand, this can be seen as good news, for the optimistic, because it seems your users are intrigued: if you are up to the task, you might change your course (in this case, the direction of the app), take feedback and make something very successful, unexpected as the turn-out might be. Maybe the need for what exactly you made wasn't there, but within your product people found some useful gems that serve a different, but related purpose?

Tangent: it's my belief that if you build a coherent product tailored to a particular need that you yourself have had in the past, and have made careful, correct assertions (based on feedback and testing) about other users, it will seldom be the case that no one out there will find a use for your app, so long as it is well designed and implemented. But let's just say things went sour:

For example, the app mentioned (again, according to the application's Store page) is an aggregator of favorites across multiple social networks. It will take mentions, favorites, likes, etc. and aggregate them in a list so you have your social favorites all in one place. That is the point of the app according to the developer. Simple enough.

However, reviews are coming in criticizing the app for things it doesn't do that it was never intended to do (again, according to the information provided). For example:

One user writes that the application does not permit "2-way communication" meaning if something is favorited in their Twitter account and they read the Tweet in this application, they cannot "unfavorite" it after reading. I think this user is missing the point that this is not supposed to be a social network manipulator, but rather a passive aggregator of information that constantly reflects your favorite, like, mention, etc. situation across social networks at any given point.
Another user gives his or her suggestion: "the app sucks, but [this] would make it cool; unfortunately the app only does [exactly what it is intended to do] and nothing else. do not buy."

What is a developer to do? Is this core functionality that is missing? This user thinks so, but the developer might not. Would adding it in ride on the edge of feature bloat? Maybe not, but if this becomes a trend with future feature requests, apparently your vision was or is no longer well-defined. Users have to have the final say (the product is for them), but how do you shape as best you can the evolution of your product in the shadow of these negative comments? Where do you draw the line? How many requests does it take until you're forced to implement functionality you never saw as being important to the nature of your product? Do you cater to them? Or say no and let them find something else that does what they want?

I often wonder what the 37signals guys would say, being a staunch follower of the Church of DHH. I've read Getting Real, which are really great reads. I don't think there can be a clear-cut answer all of the time when your livelihood is on the line, but it's likely found in shades of gray. Maybe it's all about testing, compromise, and executive decisions?

Ultimately this is an exercise for all of us (and for the comments), but I think some of these points are safe bets:

Get feedback early and often.
Test your design (A/B).
Gauge interest in your app by making a little experimental landing page being clear about what your app will do.
Make people get the gist of the app early and often. Marketing efforts, copy, all that stuff is important. Do it earlier rather than later. Figure out your message, core, meat, bottom line (or whatever)-- Convey it in language that your target audience will easily comprehend.
Make what features the app does have (and the overall goal of the app) compelling. If your users are lambasting your offering, it might in fact be because it sucks, despite your hopes, wishes, and earnest development efforts. Maybe it is only you who finds it useful? You could legitimately be the only one who finds useful an app that shows you what you look like in a yellow bird suit.
Be friendly, but be professional when talking to your audience. You don't want anything coming back to bite you in the tush.

Still, don't:

Do features for the sake of pleasing the masses. Implement what makes sense in your app to the spirit of the app and the majority of your users. Just take the time and energy to test things out and make good choices.
Expect to get it right the first time. It's a long process, be in it for the long haul. Twitter is still figuring out how to make money-- if it's not one part of your business/product that sucks, it's the other. Work on it, long and hard, day-in and day-out. Set your mind to how you can improve your offering at every step of the way. There is a market for almost everything. People sell me cold Churros (Xurros) in the dead of winter in the subway. Why are they selling? Because someone is buying. Get real and figure it out! Closing up shop after your MVP falls short of phenomenal is a failure, but not because your product failed. Because you failed to see it through. Iterate, iterate, f'ing iterate!
Think that negative reviews of your app are invalid to save your pride. They are all valid, but you need to find out the reason why they are valid-- that might not be so easy to come by, as evidenced by the example given above. They might seem invalid at first, but there's always a diamond in the rough.

Most of all: enjoy the ride. This will help you keep at it-- if you do, I'm confident you will succeed. If not in the way you intended to, through some other door that Mr. Opportunity opened. I'm banking off it anyway, and you probably are too.