How to set an App Store link correctly?

Question

I fear that I must link to the App Store of the users country. How could I do that automatically?

For example, the link I've got from Apple is this:

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=99999999999&mt=8

It opens up iTunes but fails loading the app. They say it takes up to 24h until it's there. So that is the link I can give anyone, no matter if from US, India, Australia or Holland? I'm confused because sometimes Google throws me at URLs like this one:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id308928075?mt=8

These URLs show an app description in the web browser, and obviously they're localized. This one is for us, but you could enter any country code for /us/ to see the special description.

So it it intelligent to link to the first, very long URL (itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore...) or is it better to link to the US page of the app description online?

Answer 1

You're correct that the web links are localised. However, if you click 'View in iTunes' from that link or indeed launch any link that opens iTunes then the user is taken to the product on the correctly localised version of the store. I've just tested it with the web link you give above — clicking 'View in iTunes' took me to your product on the UK store, with UK pricing.

The direct to iTunes link you supply doesn't work, but you seem not to have substituted your product id for the 99999999999 placeholder.

I'm not sure which you'd consider better; Apple seem to be pushing the web preview URLs, based on the new behaviour of right clicking and selecting 'Copy Link' while in iTunes itself. Also, the type of link that you expect to open iTunes, with your product id substituted (ie, http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=308928075&mt=8) now appears to go to the web preview rather than to open iTunes. As a quick tip, this appears to be the 'international' version:

http://itunes.apple.com/app/id308928075?mt=8

i.e. just remove the 'us'. My browser still went to the US listing based on the price and reviews, but I'll bet it does something to at least get the display language correct.