Appbistro Simplifies App Finding (and Buying) for Facebook Pages

Small businesses seeking to pick, choose and install Web applications for their Facebook Pages and Places can now easily do so with Appbistro, a new site that provides app makers an iTunes Store-like model (right down to the 70/30 revenue split).

The site, which soft launched at the end of May, now has 100 apps, with 43 more coming on in the next couple of weeks. It is already attracting about 70,000 users a month. A key advantage is that it provides more discoverability, especially for niche Web sites.

To be approved, each of the apps is tested for a few days. The site puts each site through heavy-duty testing before giving an app the green light of inclusion.

In addition to offering apps for download, the site also includes reviews and ratings. A typical app might be a menu app for a restaurant, or a billing app for an auto mechanic. Fees for posted apps currently range from free to $375 per month for separate apps that manage sweepstakes and virtual gifts. Some sites are available for free on a trial basis. In the near future, Appbistro is set to also begin listing featured apps on a vertical-by-vertical basis.

Appbistro is angel-funded and has eight employees, with three more coming on board in the near future. Its founders are CEO Ryan Merket, who has built 30 Facebook apps himself, and CTO Nalin Mittal, who had previously worked on the Zappos site.