|
||
|
|
DP Directory, Inc.
|
|
|
|
Subscribe Now to Al Harberg's Software Marketing Newsletter, the best way for software developers to get free, usable marketing information. We'll never use your email address for anything besides sending you this twice-monthly newsletter.
Software Marketing Ideas for Independent Developers
There are millions of people who make software buying decisions based upon what they read in magazines and newspapers. Here's how developers buy programs: Software developers determine that they need, say, a Windows clipboard extender. Some of them visit their favorite download site, select the proper category, read the descriptions, download five or six applications that sound promising, install them, and buy the one that they like best. Others start this process by visiting their favorite search engine. But that's not how most end-users buy software! - First, most end-users have no idea that they need a clipboard extender until somebody tells them that such things exist. They find out about hot new software when they read articles in computer magazines, business or other "vertical" magazines, or in their daily newspapers. - Second, they would never dream of using a search engine to look for software. Some weeks back, they used a search engine to look for information about cars. But when they typed the phrase "red Corvette" (without the quotes) and found 155,000 hits, they gave up. They certainly don't have time to visit dozens or hundreds of software sites to find an application or utility. - Third, a lot of them aren't comfortable visiting the download sites to find software that they need. They have no way of knowing which categories to search, or how to sift through the sales hype. And they've all heard horror stories about what happens when somebody loads the wrong software on their computer. - Fourth, the vast majority of users would never, in a million years, install and play with five or six programs in a given category, before choosing the one that they want to buy. They've heard too many tales about having to reinstall their operating systems, or having to pay somebody to rebuild their Windows Registry. Most end-users will play it safe. They'll wait for a respected editor in an established magazine or newspaper to recommend the right software. That's what they'll buy. With search engines and download sites, users see your software along with all of your competitors' offerings. With a magazine write-up, the editor tells your prospects about your application, and yours alone. There's little danger that end-users will be distracted by your competitors' claims. While "try before you buy" is the creed of many independent software developers, many users want to skip the "try" step, and simply buy software that has been recommended to them. This is very natural for most end-users. That's how the process works when they buy things in the computer superstores and office supply showrooms. And that's how they buy 99 percent of the other things in their lives. The software developers who are making serious income are the ones who make it easy for people to buy software without trying it first. Press releases are the tool for getting your message into the magazines and newspapers. The 200-word write-ups that you read in the computer magazines - they're your competitors' press releases. I've been writing press releases exclusively for software developers for 19 years now, full-time. In addition to emailing press releases to the editors, I subscribe to nearly 150 US computer magazines, and each month I see what the editors actually print. I get to observe both the input and the output of the press release process. And I apply this knowledge to my clients' press releases, increasing their chances of getting coverage in magazines and newspapers. Sending the editors your carefully crafted press release will result in more software sales. Please visit my web site - http://www.dpdirectory.com/ - to learn how you can get the editors to tell their readers about your software.
Now there's a place where you can get in-depth reviews of developers' tools, written by an experienced software developer. Dennis Baggott of Baggott & Sons has launched http://www.developerreviewed.com/. The web site will feature comprehensive reviews of software used by developers, as well as online and downloadable demonstration applications created during the review process. There's a discussion forum, and links of interest to software developers. Dennis won't be selling software from this site, so you won't have to worry about affiliate commissions clouding his judgment. And if you're marketing developers' tools, visit the site, and see if Dennis will review your software.
There's a new flame-free newsgroup where software developers can discuss programming and marketing issues. The folks at Shareware Junction have created news://news.sharewarejunction.com/swj.members.general Unlike the alt.software.shareware.authors newsgroup, where so much energy is turned into heat, Shareware Junction's newsgroup will focus on turning energy into light. Food-fight postings will simply be deleted. The newsgroup is on a private server, which makes it much less likely that the spammers will harvest our email addresses. Please join me there to discuss ideas raised in this newsletter, or anything of interest to independent software developers.
Selling More Software by Standing Out from the Herd
Purple Cow
by Seth Godin (published by Portfolio, a member of the Penguin Group) Cows are boring. Purple cows are remarkable. This book is all about making your business remarkable. The Big Picture - Godin believes that you have to be remarkable, or your business is going to fail. Remarkable marketing means building things worth noticing right into your products. You won't be remarkable if you create a me-too product, and attempt to sell it with an unusual marketing or sales campaign. What it Means for Software Developers - I think Godin would be appalled by the number of look-alike products that independent software developers are bringing to market. If he knew the software market, he would be screaming, "The world does not need another print screen program or anti-spam application." You have to put a purple cow into every application you develop. Start innovating. Don't think that you can compensate for a ho-hum program by buying adwords, banner ads, or popunders. The Bottom Line - Developers have to create remarkable products, and get them immediately into the hands of early adopters, and people who will use buzz to spread the word. Short development cycles, along with major changes, are the way to sell software. This is not a book about the computer industry. However, in one case study in our industry, Godin says that Logitech became the fastest-growing technology company in America by recognizing that they're in the fashion business. They may not make high-tech mice, but they make unusual ones that people want to buy. The book is a quick read. It's worth the hour or two you'll spend with it.
Selling More Software by Entertaining the Herd
A Field Guide to Cows
by John Pukite (published by Penguin Books) The premise of Seth Godin's book "Purple Cow" is that cows are boring. John Pukite points out all of the bovine subtleties that Godin glosses over. The Big Picture - Cows are fascinating. With this book, you can identify more than 50 breeds. And you'll learn cow facts that you just can't find anywhere else. For example, a cow stands up and sits down about 14 times a day. Proper cow etiquette demands that you not moo excessively at cows with calves. What it Means for Software Developers - While I'm not an expert on books about cows, you simply have to take seriously a book that includes a cow mask that you can cut out and wear while you observe cows in the field. As the back cover states, this is "a book that belongs in the glove compartment of every cow lover's car". The Bottom Line - I bought this book at my local Barnes & Noble store. In addition to stocking a lot of them in the Nature section, the store included "A Field Guide to Cows" on its best-seller table at the front of the store, where it sold a lot of copies. By the way, there weren't any VB or C++ books on the best-seller table. The author figured out how to make people happy, and he sold a bunch of books. There's a lesson here for software developers, too. If you can make entertainment software that people will enjoy, or buy as a gift, then you can make a comfortable living. To UNSUBSCRIBE from this newsletter, send me a note. I'll remove your name immediately and permanently. To SUBSCRIBE to the email version of this newsletter, send me your name and email address. I'll only use your name and email address for this newsletter. I'll never spam you, or let other people have your name or email address. al@dpdirectory.com To SELL MORE SOFTWARE, bookmark this web site, and visit often. There's a lot of free, useful software marketing information on http://www.dpdirectory.com/.
|
|||||||||||||||||||
