A brief look at the market shows that you have competitors. At the least, OI Shopping list appears to have a lot of downloads as well. Your app does show up in the side bar, and in the top free category.
This doesn't sound like a market problem so much as a business model issue. If one of the free apps does what people need, they won't pay for a $5.00 version, even if it's slightly prettier. Hell, a quick look at the Apple app store lists apps that range from free to $3.00. I'd suggest changing your business model.
Try in-app ads with a lower cost ad-free version (say $1). Or add features that are both extremely useful and hard to duplicate for a competitor that is working for free. Some ideas: GPS proximity alarm when passing a grocery store, or a tie in to a desktop client or website.
I understood those complaints and I'm not disagreeing with them. However, I don't necessarily agree that these issues are solely responsible for his lack of profits as he seems to be implying.
I think he meant that developers should provide a paid, ad-free version and/or a free, ad-supported version. An ad-supported version that also costs money (even if it's less money) kinda sucks.
Ah. The former model is what I suggested in my original post. I must have worded it poorly. I too, will not use ad-supported apps beyond testing functionality. It drives me crazy when there is no paid ad-free version.
Read what I was replying to: "Try in-app ads with a lower cost ad-free version (say $1). Or add features that are both extremely useful and hard to duplicate for a competitor that is working for free. Some ideas: GPS proximity alarm when passing a grocery store, or a tie in to a desktop client or website."
This doesn't sound like a market problem so much as a business model issue. If one of the free apps does what people need, they won't pay for a $5.00 version, even if it's slightly prettier. Hell, a quick look at the Apple app store lists apps that range from free to $3.00. I'd suggest changing your business model.
Try in-app ads with a lower cost ad-free version (say $1). Or add features that are both extremely useful and hard to duplicate for a competitor that is working for free. Some ideas: GPS proximity alarm when passing a grocery store, or a tie in to a desktop client or website.