| softBiz.eZine |
| Issue #1: May 24, 2001 | |
Table of Contents -Welcome Message |
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| Welcome! Welcome to the first issue of the softBiz.eZine. This eZine has been created to provide information, news, resources, and amusement to anyone related to software marketed as shareware/trialware. Whether you are new to the industry, or a veteran, I am confident their will be something in each issue that will be of interest to you. ZDNet Undergoes Changes As many of us found out several months ago, Ziff-Davis has been acquired by CNET for $1.6 billion. On May 15, ZDNet sent out an informational email to authors indicating that they would no longer reviewing titles and also would not be hosting the files on their server. Rather, they would adopt CNET's approach of linking directly to the author's site and use descriptions submitted by the author (subject to editing by their staff). The email also touted a simplified submission process for authors that would eliminate duplication of effort for submitting to the CNET/ZDNet sites. To ensure a listing in the "new" ZDNet database, authors were urged to search for an existing listing on CNET's download.com. If not listed their, they should submit their software ASAP, or it may not be listed. On May 22, ZDNet's new software database went live. Along with the database changes, they also apparently changed their searching mechanism. Since the transition, ZDNet has acknowledged in public forums that there are some problems with their searching, the previous download counts are wrong in many cases, and several files that have been around for months (or years) are now being categorized as new listings. Also, it was not mentioned in their earlier email that existing reviews and ratings would be completely stripped and replaced with the CNET descriptions as they have been. Forum moderators for ZDNet did state that the download count issue should be corrected shortly, however the existing ratings, etc. are gone for good, replaced by a user-rating system similar to the one download.com has been using for quite some time. As an author with a (previously) 5-star rated program, great review, and 35,000+ downloads, it is a bit disheartening to see it replaced with the standard description as used on every other site, a NR rather than 5 stars, and 14,400 downloads (out thin air). One small concession is that you are allowed to keep using the ZDNet rating graphics on your own web site. I would suggest that any author that has not already done so should check and verify their listings on ZDNet, as well as do manual searches by keyword just as your potential customers will do. I will try to remain optimistic about ZDNet, but it seems that CNET has stripped away the things that had always set it apart from the others.
Editorial: Gradual Success While there are the few overnight success stories in shareware, for the majority of us, it seems that we don't initially get the sales we had hoped for. Our "million dollar" ideas turn into the "couple hundred dollar" ideas out of the gate. It can be frustrating, especially to newcomers. BUT, just because the success does not come overnight, doesn't mean it won't come at all. Don't be discouraged. After all, how many other businesses strike it rich immediately after opening their first store? The key to succeeding is accumulate customers over time and KEEP THEM. Even though you sell a product, it has to be the overall experience of your software, your support, your professionalism, etc. that lets your customers know they have made the right decision in purchasing your software. As you update your software, it is your "happy" customers that will gladly pay for the upgrades, version after version, as long as you maintain their "happiness". The ability to keep your customers will make or break your own success story. Personally speaking, income from upgrades is the primary reason my software income has increase 30-50% year after year. I can also attribute MANY sales to the sometimes forgotten "word-of-mouth" advertising I get for free from these "happy" customers. In the News... Shareware gets some
good press… Microsoft Announces
that PocketPC Sales have reached over 1 million. Software Piracy on the
Rise
Recent Quotes... "Microsoft will
not ship support for a standard that they can't guarantee
a great user experience on." " We don't believe
we need to raise the price of AOL to meet the
numbers." |
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