Go to http://www.tucows.com/ and look up free software called Spyware Doctor 3.2 for Windows. You can download it free, you along with the 500,000 other consumers who download it every week! OK, now go to http://www.download.com and check on the number of downloads for the AVG AntiVirus Free Edition. This title was downloaded 1,126,408 times last week and similar astounding quantities every week!
Now, think about this for a moment. If you had 500,000+ people looking at your product every week do you believe you could think of a way to make some money?
What do shareware developers know that most people don’t? Here are some ideas: 1. To achieve big download numbers try to develop an application that has mass market appeal. However, even niche market applications can do very well.
Second, you need to spend the money and time to create a product that out-performs everything else out there regardless of the cost. Most good shareware creates a “buzz” in the Internet community. People love passing on a good deal and if you can tell a friend about a five star rated program that is not only rated the best but is free to download you will have earned a whole pile of brownie points with your friends!
The good news is that shareware is a digital product. There are no delivery or manufacturing costs once bandwidth issues are handled. It costs you little or nothing to get your title into the hands of millions of users. Consider this an enormous source of free advertising.
Download.com shows that over ten million people have downloaded a copy of Spyware Doctor from their site, so far. These free download sites do all your promoting for you because they attract literally millions of visitors a week. Tucow’s Alexa traffic rating is 988 while Download.com’s traffic rating is a phenomenal 89! That means there are only 88 web sites in the software category (that has over 7 million competing web sites) that have more traffic on the Internet. You will want to have your software listed on every site that offers free software to the public.
Were you to search for free software, shareware or freeware on Google you’d no doubt see over a million sites listed. Simply by posting your shareware titles using a PAD file to numerous shareware sites you can get the benefit of free promotion.
Can You Get Rich With Shareware? Mr. Thomas Deedy, a developer and closet genius, revealed many ways that shareware developers make money giving away software.
There are several powerful income generators that you could employ. For example, if you create a complicated program that has many applications you may want to offer paid support services. Some developers know the answers to every possible complication in the installation, development or on-going operation of their software. So, they create a powerful trouble-shooting menu tree that any technical person can follow.
Then, they sell support packages at $50 to $150 an hour. The developer installs the trouble-shooting menu tree software on the computers of a support staff. He hires a programmer who may be constantly working to refine and improve the software to manage the support room. He provides the support when the trouble shooting menu doesn’t have all the answers.
As users call in with support issues they are added to the trouble shooting menu that is shared by all support personnel. Once the support tree has reached this stage the overhead cost of providing support drops very low. For example, you could charge $10 per issue to users. But, since all issues may only take a minute or less to locate and deliver from the support tree this is nearly pure profit.
Some support services even use 900 numbers and charge per call. Or, they precharge for X number of hours of support. It is like a reserve account and users use it if needed.
On an expensive program you could sell a support package that includes video and troubleshooting software. For a shareware program that might sell for $2500 at retail you could easily sell this package for $250.
Companies are more than happy to pay $250 for a support package like this. The numbers could get very exciting if your shareware was downloaded 250,000 times and only 2% purchased support.
Plug in the numbers and you wind up with over a million dollars in revenue!
If you outsource the production of the video and support software you have just developed an automated way to monetize your shareware that could make you a millionaire.
You may wish to visit www.elance.com or www.VWorker.com to see about posting a software project. There is no charge to post your project and you’ll be able to look at lots of bids within 24 hours or less.
Once your shareware has been created and tested you own the rights. That means you can license the program to other companies to collect royalties on all their sales or agree that you will provide support services and keep 100% of the revenues from support.
I think you’ll agree that this is a great way to become a multimillionaire yet you don’t have to be a coder to make this happen.
While you can make money providing support many simpler program make money in other ways.
Many programs are offered on a free trial basis. After 30 to 40 days the program requires you to register and pay the license fee or it expires. Or, you can set up a “DONATE BUTTON” and collect donations. As an incentive offer your users unlimited access to any upgrades plus some support for their modest donation.
————————————————————————————————————————– ” Please support my efforts to provide users with support and improve this software with a small donation. In return, you’ll receive a link to an extensive tutorial, help files and you’ll be advised when you can download the latest updated version of XYZ software. You’ll receive lifetime updates all for your small contribution of $10 or more.” ————————————————————————————————————————–
I would then include three pay links. To contribute $10 click here. To contribute $15 click here. To contribute $25 click here. I would add a bonus of some really nifty software worth several hundred dollars for those who donate $25.
Part of the value of using an upgrade or donate button is that you capture the emails of your users. You can build a wopping big subscriber list which may actually be worth more than the donation. A good opt-in list can generate hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue.
My Advice: Get started on this project right now but avoid creating software that has too narrow a market. You want the most universally needed application you can imagine. You want to create a title that nearly everyone on the Internet knows they need and really wants. You could look at the download numbers and identify a massively popular program and then improve upon it (if that’s possible) by making it more powerful, easier to use or with special features that no other software has.
Here’s a few more ways to earn money giving away software:
1. You’ll want to create a full version and a basic version from the start. Deliver the full version but make it function with an unlock code. Then, when users pay for the upgrade just send them the unlock code.
2. Offer users a newsletter and collect their emails.
3. I created lesson authoring software to make free lessons. You could download it free. But, I also made an upgrade version that permitted the teacher to make Super Lessons that could be sold on my site. So, I make money from people purchasing the Professional Lesson Authoring Software for $1995 and from sale of the Super Lessons. Of course I split the revenue for the Super Lessons with the authors of these lessons. See www.Tutorbug.com
I hope this has been helpful and that you realize that coders can do all the technical stuff for you. If so, you may just have found the perfect way to become a shareware millionaire.
Before you spend thousands creating killer software titles consider becoming a shareware distributor to earn a fee on every paid upgrade. Click on SHAREWARE DISTRIBUTOR for complete details. Unique version for reprint here: Source Code Millions.
Related posts:
- How Can I Recognize The Best Internet Business? – Is It Hard To Work With?
- Exploring The Opportunities For Starting A Franchise
- AshMax Review, Is It A Scam?
- Working With An Internet Based Business Mentor
- The Simple Keys To Franchising Success
- The Six Figure Mentors Provides Personal E Mentoring
- Stiforp mlm home business opportunity with best stiforp team
- Clever Strategies For Online Money Making Businesses And Ventures
- Evaluating Market America? In This Review, Find Out If It’s A Scam Or A Real Business
- Make Extra Money – Self Employment Ideas
0 Comments.