Shareware Registration Incentives
Gedco
I am looking for info from other more experienced authors on the best ways
to encourage registrations. Currently we have some shareware posted (it
is technical, engineering applications) and have had a good download rate
(from just aol alone), but a low registration rate. We originally posted
it as S=R, assuming that professionals would use the honor system. Has
the internet changed the shareware business in the registration aspect?
What are the best ways to encourage registration, limiting functionality,
expireware, other? Any info would be appreciated. Thank You.
Carl E Gundel
Gedco (ge...@aol.com) wrote:
: I am looking for info from other more experienced authors on the best ways
I provide those who register my shareware (Liberty BASIC) with a runtime
engine, a printed manual (a real perfect-bound book, not a cheap stapled
manual), free bugfix upgrades, etc... Give them a good incentive to
register. The shareware version of my product does essentially the same
things as the registered version (not crippleware) and has no time-limiting.
Always keep on improving your product. Try to add whatever features are
most asked for. Make sure you have a strong Internet presence so that
your market will find you. Don't quit!
Carl Gundel
--
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Carl Gundel ca...@world.std.com Shoptalk Systems 508-872-5315
author of Liberty BASIC, a 1996 PC Magazine Awards Finalist!
http://world.std.com/~carlg/basic.html
Chris Marriott
In article <4p9ftg$4...@newsbf02.news.aol.com>, Gedco <ge...@aol.com>
writes
>I am looking for info from other more experienced authors on the best ways
>to encourage registrations. Currently we have some shareware posted (it
>is technical, engineering applications) and have had a good download rate
>(from just aol alone), but a low registration rate. We originally posted
>it as S=R, assuming that professionals would use the honor system. Has
>the internet changed the shareware business in the registration aspect?
>What are the best ways to encourage registration, limiting functionality,
>expireware, other? Any info would be appreciated. Thank You.
Unfortuntely you'll NEVER be successful with "S==R" shareware. Like it
or not, the simple fact is that the vast majority of users out there are
thieving bastards who will NOT pay for a product if they don't have to.
The business/professional community is probably the biggest culpret in
this respect.
One popular trend which has worked very well for a lot of people,
including me, is time limiting. ie the program works fully for a limited
period of time and/or a limited number of uses, after which it becomes
"crippled" in some way. This is relatively easy to implement (especially
for Windows apps).
If you want a "real world" example, my shareware income DOUBLED when I
added time limiting to my product (a Windows astronomy program).
Chris
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chris Marriott, Warrington, UK | Author of SkyMap v3 award-winning
ch...@chrism.demon.co.uk | shareware Win31/Win95 planetarium.
For full info, see http://www.execpc.com/~skymap
Author member of Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ian Firth
Gedco wrote:
>
> I am looking for info from other more experienced authors on the best ways
> to encourage registrations. Currently we have some shareware posted (it
> is technical, engineering applications) and have had a good download rate
> (from just aol alone), but a low registration rate. We originally posted
> it as S=R, assuming that professionals would use the honor system. Has
> the internet changed the shareware business in the registration aspect?
> What are the best ways to encourage registration, limiting functionality,
> expireware, other? Any info would be appreciated. Thank You.
The world is a very dishonest place.
For an engineering app, I suggest time limiting it, or nagging it... as you can't offer additional levels
of things to blow up :-)
--
Regards,
Ian Firth
-------------------
Diversions Software
Multimedia Software Development
Michael S. Moulton
Chris Marriott <ch...@chrism.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>In article <4p9ftg$4...@newsbf02.news.aol.com>, Gedco <ge...@aol.com>
>writes
>>I am looking for info from other more experienced authors on the best ways
>>to encourage registrations. Currently we have some shareware posted (it
>>is technical, engineering applications) and have had a good download rate
>>(from just aol alone), but a low registration rate. We originally posted
>>it as S=R, assuming that professionals would use the honor system. Has
>>the internet changed the shareware business in the registration aspect?
>>What are the best ways to encourage registration, limiting functionality,
>>expireware, other? Any info would be appreciated. Thank You.
>Unfortuntely you'll NEVER be successful with "S==R" shareware. Like it
>or not, the simple fact is that the vast majority of users out there are
>thieving bastards who will NOT pay for a product if they don't have to.
>The business/professional community is probably the biggest culpret in
>this respect.
>One popular trend which has worked very well for a lot of people,
>including me, is time limiting. ie the program works fully for a limited
>period of time and/or a limited number of uses, after which it becomes
>"crippled" in some way. This is relatively easy to implement (especially
>for Windows apps).
>If you want a "real world" example, my shareware income DOUBLED when I
>added time limiting to my product (a Windows astronomy program).
Personally, I feel that this is annoying and discourages use of the
program. I feel that the best system is to release a usable version
of the software with some sort of limit. Then create a registered
version which has these features enabled. OR, create a registered
version with a better interface (ie, a Windows version of a DOS
program), and include a non-functional demo of this with the shareware
version.
---
Michael S. Moulton
msmo...@usa.pipeline.com
http://users.aol.com/MSMoulton
Let's go Admirals!
Chris Marriott
In article <4pfhr8$n...@news2.h1.usa.pipeline.com>, "Michael S. Moulton"
<msmo...@usa.pipeline.com> writes
>Personally, I feel that this is annoying and discourages use of the
>program. I feel that the best system is to release a usable version
>of the software with some sort of limit. Then create a registered
>version which has these features enabled. OR, create a registered
>version with a better interface (ie, a Windows version of a DOS
>program), and include a non-functional demo of this with the shareware
>version.
Why do you feel that time limiting is annoying? The whole point of it is
that the program is NOT in any way "crippled", but works fully and
completely, but for a limited period of time. This is surely better for
the user than attempting to evaluate the product from a cripplid version
of it.
What specifically do you see as the "downside" of time limiting?
Jo...@mtx.com
Chris Marriott <ch...@chrism.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>In article <4pfhr8$n...@news2.h1.usa.pipeline.com>, "Michael S. Moulton"
><msmo...@usa.pipeline.com> writes
>>Personally, I feel that this is annoying and discourages use of the
>>program. I feel that the best system is to release a usable version
>>of the software with some sort of limit. Then create a registered
>>version which has these features enabled. OR, create a registered
>>version with a better interface (ie, a Windows version of a DOS
>>program), and include a non-functional demo of this with the shareware
>>version.
>Why do you feel that time limiting is annoying? The whole point of it is
>that the program is NOT in any way "crippled", but works fully and
>completely, but for a limited period of time. This is surely better for
>the user than attempting to evaluate the product from a cripplid version
>of it.
>What specifically do you see as the "downside" of time limiting?
Time limiting works very well for many products: Sidekick ( a PIM )
uses time limiting, for example. But I bought Sidekick because it
works well, not because of time limiting.
Time limiting won't work at all for many products. I spent $40 for a
Quicken State Tax package and used it for no more than 10 minutes: my
job got done and I never touched the software again. Intuit (the
publisher of this software), had they released the software as
shareware and used time-limiting, would have had to limit the trial
period to 30 seconds or less. :-)
I can think of some software that time limiting is not quite suitable:
birthday planner, baby naming, etc.
This is not to discourage the use of time limiting. You write the
software, you know what works best, one scheme doesn't fit all. If you
can't even figure that out, I doubt that you'll be able to figure out
how to write marketable software.
Grace Sylvan
What I see as a disadvantage of time-limiting is if the software
simply uses dates, or disables itself totally when 'expired'. While
that is legit, in say, a child's game, it is still incredibly annoying,
and I might not have been able to determine if my child really likes
the program and will use it *repeatedly*. If they don't go back to it
for a few weeks, then I guess it is a no-go. But what if they do, and
then keep going back? THEN I register.
On the other hand, programs that increase a wait in the beginning after
the time has expired, or nag in various other ways to remind me that I
still haven't paid, those I appreciate more. While I might not have
been absolutely timely, I have registered all of those programs that I
have used regularly - that became valuable to me.
--
Tigger (Grace Sylvan) Mom of Katherine Yelena, 6.5,
tig...@satyr.sylvan.com Robin Gregory, 4
Children's Shareware Pages: http://www.sylvan.com/
Brad Clarke
Grace Sylvan <tig...@sylvan.com> wrote:
>What I see as a disadvantage of time-limiting is if the software
>simply uses dates, or disables itself totally when 'expired'. While
>that is legit, in say, a child's game, it is still incredibly annoying,
>and I might not have been able to determine if my child really likes
>the program and will use it *repeatedly*. If they don't go back to it
>for a few weeks, then I guess it is a no-go. But what if they do, and
>then keep going back? THEN I register.
>
>On the other hand, programs that increase a wait in the beginning after
>the time has expired, or nag in various other ways to remind me that I
>still haven't paid, those I appreciate more. While I might not have
>been absolutely timely, I have registered all of those programs that I
>have used regularly - that became valuable to me.
>--
If an author implements time-limiting, "I" think the time limit should
be based on x different days, not consecutive days.
This way a casual user or a person who is simply too busy to use it
right away gets the opportunity to truly evaluate the program.
--
Brad Clarke - bcl...@cyberus.ca, aw...@freenet.carleton.ca
--
File Navigator For Windows 1.1 now available for download.
HTTP://www.cyberus.ca/~bclarke/filenavw.html for more info.
David Webber
In article <4pni2u$u...@sylvan.com>, Grace Sylvan <tig...@sylvan.com>
writes
>What I see as a disadvantage of time-limiting is if the software
>simply uses dates, or disables itself totally when 'expired'. While
>that is legit, in say, a child's game, it is still incredibly annoying,
>and I might not have been able to determine if my child really likes
>the program and will use it *repeatedly*. If they don't go back to it
>for a few weeks, then I guess it is a no-go. But what if they do, and
>then keep going back? THEN I register.
>
>On the other hand, programs that increase a wait in the beginning after
>the time has expired, or nag in various other ways to remind me that I
>still haven't paid, those I appreciate more. While I might not have
>been absolutely timely, I have registered all of those programs that I
>have used regularly - that became valuable to me.
I agree with Grace entirely. My music shareware tells you you have 30
days. After 30 days it tells you you have "only a short while longer"
and only "expires" after 60 days, and even then not until you have used
it a certain number of times (20 I think).
When it expires, it simply disables one or two key commands including
Print, and Play-back. You can go on using the program but cannot do
much with the fruits of your labour.
It should be straightforward to tune such behaviour to the application
in question.
(Some applications lend themselves to cleverer limitations: like the
shareware installation package whose evaluation copy can only be used to
install software on the machine from which you created the installation
program.)
Dave
+---------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Dave Webber da...@musical.demon.co.uk |
| Author of MOZART, the Windows 3.1 shareware Music Processor |
| For details see http://www.execpc.com/~mozart |
| Member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP) |
+---------------------------+-----------------------------------+
Chris Marriott
In article <31c014a8...@ottnews.shl.com>, Brad Clarke
<bcl...@cyberus.ca> writes
>If an author implements time-limiting, "I" think the time limit should
>be based on x different days, not consecutive days.
>
>This way a casual user or a person who is simply too busy to use it
>right away gets the opportunity to truly evaluate the program.
Yes, I completely agree. One useful thing to do additionally is to
maintain a count of the number one times the program has been run on a
specific day. Some people attempt to get around time limiting by always
resetting their computer's clock to a specific date before running a
program - you know there's something suspicious if the program is run
100 times on the same day!
Chris
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chris Marriott, Warrington, UK | Author of SkyMap v3 award-winning
ch...@chrism.demon.co.uk | shareware Win31/Win95 planetarium.
For full info, see http://www.execpc.com/~skymap
Author member of Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jean-Claude Wippler
Grace Sylvan wrote:
>
> What I see as a disadvantage of time-limiting is if the software
> simply uses dates, or disables itself totally when 'expired'. While
> that is legit, in say, a child's game, it is still incredibly annoying,
> and I might not have been able to determine if my child really likes
> the program and will use it *repeatedly*. If they don't go back to it
> for a few weeks, then I guess it is a no-go. But what if they do, and
> then keep going back? THEN I register.
There's a much friendlier way to add time-limiting: limit the number of
*different* days on which a shareware package may be used. The first
time I saw this approach, I was so delighted with the concept that I
immediately registered the package...
By the way, I don't think authors should be in a hurry. Try out on 30
different days may take months. But if used sufficiently often, people
will run into the limit. Also if used within a company setting.
Regards, Jean-Claude
______________________________________________________________________
Jean-Claude Wippler http://purl.net/meta4
Meta Four Software CatFish - A freeware disk catalog browser
j...@meta4.nl MetaKit - C++ library for persistent data
Lee Evans
Gedco wrote:
>
> I am looking for info from other more experienced authors on the best ways
> to encourage registrations. Currently we have some shareware posted (it
> is technical, engineering applications) and have had a good download rate
> (from just aol alone), but a low registration rate. We originally posted
> it as S=R, assuming that professionals would use the honor system. Has
> the internet changed the shareware business in the registration aspect?
> What are the best ways to encourage registration, limiting functionality,
> expireware, other? Any info would be appreciated. Thank You.
One of the things I did in making shareware available was I created a
fully functional version of the application but I added a a Legal screen
which requires a Secure Key # each time the user wishes to use the
program. If this number is not entered then the program won't work. If
the code is entered incorrectly then it won't work.
I feel that is is a effective way to protect software. This is not a fool
proof way of making people pay for things. But I do have the satifaction
of knowing that this person has to entered this 20 digit code each time
they would like to use the program.
Lee Evans, Systems Engineer
LeeWare Development http://www.wwz.com/LeeWare
Stephen Wolstenholme
On Thu, 13 Jun 1996 09:59:04 GMT, Jean-Claude Wippler <j...@meta4.nl>
wrote:
>There's a much friendlier way to add time-limiting: limit the number of
>*different* days on which a shareware package may be used. The first
>time I saw this approach, I was so delighted with the concept that I
>immediately registered the package...
>
>By the way, I don't think authors should be in a hurry. Try out on 30
>different days may take months. But if used sufficiently often, people
>will run into the limit. Also if used within a company setting.
>
That's the approach I've taken with my shareware. Some people have
registered Neural Planner after evaluating it for months but they may
have only used it about 20 days in total. I think this is the only way
to time-limit shareware packages that will only be occasionally used.
Even after the total day count expires the package is still usable -
it's just can't be used for new networks.
Steve
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stephen Wolstenholme, Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire, UK
st...@tropheus.demon.co.uk
Author of Neural Planner, Windows neural network system
ftp.demon.co.uk/pub/ibmpc/win3/apps/ai/np410.zip
http://www.winsite.com/pc/win3/programr/np410.zip
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