My latest app was approved a few days ago. It's called 'The Text This Week' and is a mobile version of a popular webpage for pastors. You can find it at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-text-this-week/id573002125?ls=1&mt=8 However, I've had some negative reviews (and no positive ones) so far. They focus on two issues. One is content related that I should be able to do with some good ol' fashioned elbow-grease. The other issue, though, is one that I could use some help on. Basically, the app consists of Menu Image screens linking to mobile-friendly html pages (using custom url screens). I have a back button on the top navbar that works great for going back on menu screens, and a back button on the bottom bar that works to go back on custom url screens. The problem is, that introduces confusion. The negative review I received regarding this was from someone who obviously didn't see the bottom toolbar with back button, and was frustrated to find that hitting the top back button moved him back "several pages". Really, it went from content back to menu, but to the user they look the same and so it seemed to be a bug in the app. So my question is, how can I combine the two back buttons into one? Is that possible? Or is there a way to reduce the confusion other than just putting a line of instruction in the app-store description? One possibility I thought of was to create one of those instruction screens that you swipe through the first time you open the app, but I would have no idea how to do that. (That would be a great plugin for someone to make though!) Obviously, though, the cleanest approach would be to have one back button if that is possible. Thanks! Chris http://www.churchphoneapps.com

No suggestions on navigation....it all seemed clear to me. I didn't dig too deeply into the web view. Maybe that is where they get lost. Do the users understand they need to have wifi? Maybe setting expectations would help. It loaded fairly quickly for me on wifi, but there was a second or two of loading time. I am surprised by the negative reaction. You have done a lot of research work for the pastors, and you would think they would recognize that and appreciate it.

P.S. I put in a positive review. I truly appreciate what your mission is.

Thanks Susan. By the way, the research was done by the administrator for textweek.com - I just put it in a app-friendly format (with her permission, of course). Still, I was surprised by the negative reviews as well.

Was gonna check your app out but you require ios 4.3, so can't load it on my old school 3G running 4.2. This must mean you're Xcode 4.5 which apparently requires this. OFF TRACK *** This is yet another reason I don't want to upgrade Xcode from 4.2 yet, because that means I can still build apps for folks using older phones. Boo for Apple and removing that deployment target. Yay for being able to close and swap drives when you build your own stuff to cope with this.... Don't be surprised at the negative stuff. People generally don't leave reviews unless they have issues. The General Public is the worst critic, faceless and always unappreciative. Positive reviews are not the norm IMO on the app store. Use that app rater plugin and maybe make an instruction page in your app to explain how to work it? Great to see you building up that business, good luck, great market!

I have an idea for a plugin. I have a non Buzztouch app called Bible Drama Exercises. (It's free.) I have some extra navigation for the webview in the app. If you go to the Study Guides in the app, you will see what I did. I think I could make a custom plugin for your app if you like this approach. Then I could put it on then plugin market. All it is is extra navigation beyond the back button. Let me know what you think.

Susan - I think that's definitely an improvement. The bottom nav-bar stands out, making it easy to identify. It's not as great as having an all-in-one back button, but I would definitely buy the plugin and add it to my app! If we can add custom images and text through that, I think you'd find a good market on BT as we could create some really nice looking navbars!

ATRAIN53 - that's too bad about the backward compatability. I had no idea my apps couldn't run on iOS lower than 4.3 - I thought I had set it lower, but I guess XCode overrides that to make sure as many people conform as possible. Go figure.