Re: re:Shareware
Thanks guys for the feedback.
I suspect we will release a timed 30day or x usages limited version thru the web.
Incidentally, we stumbled across QVC (Sky shopping channel) which sells software. Might talk to them as well!
- Visitors can check out the Forum FAQ by clicking this link. You have to register before you can post: click the REGISTER link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. View our Forum Privacy Policy.
- Want to receive the latest contracting news and advice straight to your inbox? Sign up to the ContractorUK newsletter here. Every sign up will also be entered into a draw to WIN £100 Amazon vouchers!
Reply to: Shareware Versus Retail
Collapse
You are not logged in or you do not have permission to access this page. This could be due to one of several reasons:
- You are not logged in. If you are already registered, fill in the form below to log in, or follow the "Sign Up" link to register a new account.
- You may not have sufficient privileges to access this page. Are you trying to edit someone else's post, access administrative features or some other privileged system?
- If you are trying to post, the administrator may have disabled your account, or it may be awaiting activation.
Logging in...
Previously on "Shareware Versus Retail"
Collapse
-
Guest replied
-
Guest repliedRe: re:Shareware
use guerilla marketing -- put your product on P2P networks, join pirates to post it on places like sharereactor as if it was stolen -- a lot of people will download to check it just beacuse they can - then you can come up with better version
Leave a comment:
-
Guest repliedre:Shareware
If you can get the contracts anyway then this would be a better route because word would be spread around the suit community rather than the mass-market - that are looking for freebies. You also have to look at the fact that a shareware is prone to be cracked
Leave a comment:
-
Guest repliedShareware doesn't work:-
Crippled it usually does enough to keep most people happy (so not paying). Time restricted its easy to workaround I've not seen a time restriction system that is not easily hackable (regardless of what the developers may say).
Your best bet is to have a crippled free version and a commercial version with additional features. This may be easy of use, automation..... but it should make the software significantly easier to use to justify the payment.
Leave a comment:
-
Guest repliedcrippleware is bad, but having 2 distintc versions of a product like zonealarm - free and commercial with a lot of good features helps a lot.
Leave a comment:
-
Guest repliedYour "software industry analyst" is talking out of his bottom.
Serif PagePlus, the biggest selling DTP package, is, in the basic version, given away free on magazine fronts etc.
PaintShop Pro, is a try before you buy, 30 days.
VMWare, trail license period of 30 days.
I have various pieces of quite specialist shareware out there and is licenced and used by companies like Rolls Royce amongst other.
I disagree with s2budd on one point, crippleware puts people off.
Leave a comment:
-
Guest repliedshareware is a good way to get your name out there and get people to use your product, even if they pirate it. After that you can sell proper commercial version with much better featuers. Thus a good forward planning on what you will and what you wont release in shareware version is essential. Once you are a known company you can do strictly commercial software.
Leave a comment:
-
Guest replied(unable to load pagetext)
Leave a comment:
-
Guest repliedI think that shareware is the best way of marketing the product are getting it out there.
The shareware version should perform some function very well
but be limited. Limited in that...
The funtionality is limited.. eg: process 10's of files instead of 100's, work for 30 days
Display advert banner and require mouse clicks.
The purchase version should have increased functionality, can be automated and have no advert and less mouse clicks. It should also retail for a minimum fee.
Once it is out there - because it's free. If it is any good and people start to use it then they will pay for the product if the increased functionality makes the product better.
For example:
I paid bought winzip because it was not expensive and I was fed up with the number of mouse clicks required to get it to do anything. I also bought adware because I wanted the functionality to be automatic.
I also bought a file splitter because I wanted to split files larger than X MB into smaller files whereas the free version was limited to smaller files.
Leave a comment:
-
Guest repliedShareware vs. retail
Three points spring to mind:
1. I agree with Mark that those shareware products that have been financially successful have been in relatively niche areas.
2. Successful shareware products take much longer to achieve any kind of payback. However, this could be offset by the long-term effect of having more people using your product, which itself acts as a catalyst for generating business (but, I repeat: this assumes that a) the shareware product is successful, and b) it takes a long time before enough people are using your product).
3. If you are serious about taking the retail route, invest in a decent dictionary first! I'm not saying this as a fully paid up member of the Nit-Picking Society; if your sales pitch is full of sloppy language, potential customers will assume your code is as unreliable as your spelling.
Leave a comment:
-
Guest repliedre: Shareware Versus Retail
Strange but true. Having spoken to many IT buyers there's a certain finger of thumb rule which they use. A complex application has to be more than a few meg in size. I'm not kidding when I say that you would be very reluctant to buy a corporate application if it came on a single floppy disk. I think it's human nature. There seems to be more value in bloatware at corporate level.
In the case of shareware vs retail, you would have a hard time selling something like winzip for 1k pounds if it can be downloaded and put on a floppy disk, regardless of the fact that it has become the de facto standard.
So if you go down the retail route (which I think you should because nobody I know, registers their shareware. They use one of those magic uninstallers and reinstall for another 30 days. People are cheap skates by nature.) make sure it looks impressive and fills at least one CD.
My opinions of course ... ask yourself, would you pay for full version of winzip, VNC, photoshop, etc. ?
Leave a comment:
-
Guest repliedshareware
there are products which have done this, I think it depends on the type of product and likelly cost / support cost.
winzip is distributed on a 30 day basis.....
most that I know of are niche products from small/unknown companies which offer a full product at a real price. clients get to try an unknown without massive cost.
Issue really is how you intend to position from a marketting point of view. how complex is the product what benefit does it deliver , how easy is it to demonstrate benefit to customers ?
Leave a comment:
-
Guest started a topic Shareware Versus RetailShareware Versus Retail
Hi,
I am one of three colleagues who have developed what we believe is a rather neat piece of business software.
We had planned to launch this as shareware (build in a 30 expiry clause etc).
We were fortunate through contacts to spend some free time with an software industry analyst who has adviced against going the shareware route but rather to go straight to retail and large corporates. His believe is no one ever makes real money through shareware and starting that route can actually damage the credibility of your product should your ever decide to try to sell it direct to businesses. We should go get funding, advertise properly and start trying to sell into large companies.
Question: Does anyone know of shareware companies that have been successful, or is it the backwater for neat, clever but finantially unsuccessful software tools!
Any thoughts/advice really welcomeTags: None
- Home
- News & Features
- First Timers
- IR35 / S660 / BN66
- Employee Benefit Trusts
- Agency Workers Regulations
- MSC Legislation
- Limited Companies
- Dividends
- Umbrella Company
- VAT / Flat Rate VAT
- Job News & Guides
- Money News & Guides
- Guide to Contracts
- Successful Contracting
- Contracting Overseas
- Contractor Calculators
- MVL
- Contractor Expenses
Advertisers
Contractor Services
CUK News
- Streamline Your Retirement with iSIPP: A Solution for Contractor Pensions Sep 1 09:13
- Making the most of pension lump sums: overview for contractors Sep 1 08:36
- Umbrella company tribunal cases are opening up; are your wages subject to unlawful deductions, too? Aug 31 08:38
- Contractors, relabelling 'labour' as 'services' to appear 'fully contracted out' won't dupe IR35 inspectors Aug 31 08:30
- How often does HMRC check tax returns? Aug 30 08:27
- Work-life balance as an IT contractor: 5 top tips from a tech recruiter Aug 30 08:20
- Autumn Statement 2023 tipped to prioritise mental health, in a boost for UK workplaces Aug 29 08:33
- Final reminder for contractors to respond to the umbrella consultation (closing today) Aug 29 08:09
- Top 5 most in demand cyber security contract roles Aug 25 08:38
- Changes to the right to request flexible working are incoming, but how will contractors be affected? Aug 24 08:25
Leave a comment: