In this blog I try to teach in the best way I know how to make my readers of experienced programmers ( here there would be a good smile ). I try to encourage above to find the information in the network, the curiosity to know, because I find it very important for learning the theory, I ‘m only trying to show with my experience of these years of work, how to put the acquired knowledge into practice. But a good programmer knows not only how to develop applications, but also how to sell them, because, unless you are in a major corporation, can not live without earning from his grueling job. So, on this short article I want to convey to my experience of these days maybe I hope will be of help to others.
Anyone who follows this blog knows the story of one of my small application in Access for warehouse. For me to know, about 4 years ago, I thought of my deploy a small application created as an offshoot of the draft of my company’s flagship software. For convenience and speed drafts to my software I create them in Access and then I implement them on stand-alone desktop programs. The distribution of the program was fine, I had about 15 downloads a day, but the step that I was expecting did, at least 1 or 2 per cent, and that is to upgrade to the more professional program fee, proved to be a failure. Out of more than ten thousand downloads no one has bothered to upgrade to the paid version and it costs about 100 $.
Around the program I have seen a lot of interest, daily new users were entering the name of the application, this means that there is word of mouth. In the last two weeks I have tried to take advantage of this notoriety to gain something. I have updated the application by entering other features and offered for sale at the price of $ 6.50. Certainly did not think I could sell 15 copies a day, but 1 or 2 certainly, with what it costs! Now distribute the source code of version 1.5.0 and version 2.0.0 for free for a fee. Well, in two weeks of sales nobody bought it yet, it is not possible for so little people do not take it! Many downloading the previous version, then return to try the demo version and then come back again to try to take the final version, much more palatable because it does many more things. In recent days, the research that page to have become “the program name but 2.0.0 free”, “name RGPSoft program 2.0.0 free” and so on. The interest has since remained, but no one wants to spend that meager, it seems to me incredible! I understand if the program does not like it, even then I would purchase, but if you need it for work, then why not spend those few dollars? Simple, “I do not want to spend for the software!”, That’s all!
In these years I have learned from this experience and I understood better, that it is useless to lower the prices of management to increase sales, because even if it costs a penny, who does not want to spend on a corporate program will continue to look for free. Do not ever belittle their work, put the money you think the software is worth the cost and distribute it a that price, better to sell less much less than little.