Comments on: Why Hammers Sell Better Than Your Software http://blog.avangate.com/hammers-sell-better-than-software/ Software Sales Tips | Software Business Blog Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:27:56 +0000 hourly 1 By: Johan http://blog.avangate.com/hammers-sell-better-than-software/comment-page-1/#comment-5134 Johan Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:35:14 +0000 http://blog.avangate.com/?p=1426#comment-5134 We also had ~1% buy rate on our software site until we added live chat. Users were more likely to buy when they knew they could reach us on the site if they had any issues, and the additional customer service made our relationship with them stronger. There's a bunch of these live chat modules out there, we've been happy with olark.com. We also had ~1% buy rate on our software site until we added live chat. Users were more likely to buy when they knew they could reach us on the site if they had any issues, and the additional customer service made our relationship with them stronger.

There’s a bunch of these live chat modules out there, we’ve been happy with olark.com.

]]> By: Manny http://blog.avangate.com/hammers-sell-better-than-software/comment-page-1/#comment-4286 Manny Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:41:13 +0000 http://blog.avangate.com/?p=1426#comment-4286 Magnifying Glass in Powerpoint - Another easy way to create the magnifying glass is in powerpoint. Perform a standard Print Screen, paste into power point, enlarge to the size you need, crop the image to the area you want, Whilst in croping mode select Picture Shape and select the circle. You know can play with shadow, Picture border or even Picture Effect. Have a look at http://www.nxgcrm.com Magnifying Glass in Powerpoint – Another easy way to create the magnifying
glass is in powerpoint. Perform a standard Print Screen, paste into power
point, enlarge to the size you need, crop the image to the area you want,
Whilst in croping mode select Picture Shape and select the circle. You know
can play with shadow, Picture border or even Picture Effect. Have a look at
http://www.nxgcrm.com

]]> By: Pretty sells - does it relate to screenshots? | Association of Shareware Professionals http://blog.avangate.com/hammers-sell-better-than-software/comment-page-1/#comment-3808 Pretty sells - does it relate to screenshots? | Association of Shareware Professionals Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:39:47 +0000 http://blog.avangate.com/?p=1426#comment-3808 [...] Walsh in his “Why Hammers Sell Better Than Your Software” article wrote “A really good screenshot… this one screenshot sold me on this [...] [...] Walsh in his “Why Hammers Sell Better Than Your Software” article wrote “A really good screenshot… this one screenshot sold me on this [...]

]]> By: Anne http://blog.avangate.com/hammers-sell-better-than-software/comment-page-1/#comment-3735 Anne Thu, 10 Sep 2009 08:59:48 +0000 http://blog.avangate.com/?p=1426#comment-3735 That's useful. A nice free tool for capturing print screens is gadwin printscreen (http://www.gadwin.com/printscreen/#What). I find it handy when grabbing lots of images for a document because you can do some basic editing as part of the capture. That’s useful. A nice free tool for capturing print screens is gadwin printscreen (http://www.gadwin.com/printscreen/#What). I find it handy when grabbing lots of images for a document because you can do some basic editing as part of the capture.

]]> By: Andrew Gibson http://blog.avangate.com/hammers-sell-better-than-software/comment-page-1/#comment-3730 Andrew Gibson Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:30:24 +0000 http://blog.avangate.com/?p=1426#comment-3730 If you want an easy way of creating the magnifying glass effect on your screen shot and don't want to use photoshop, then there is another way. 4neurons Software supply a free magnifying glass that you can run over your application. Once you've set it up correctly, just press the PrtScn Key and paste the image into your favourite image editing application: http://www.4neurons.com/other/Magnifying_Glass If you want an easy way of creating the magnifying glass effect on your screen shot and don’t want to use photoshop, then there is another way. 4neurons Software supply a free magnifying glass that you can run over your application. Once you’ve set it up correctly, just press the PrtScn Key and paste the image into your favourite image editing application:
http://www.4neurons.com/other/Magnifying_Glass

]]> By: Anne http://blog.avangate.com/hammers-sell-better-than-software/comment-page-1/#comment-3717 Anne Tue, 08 Sep 2009 08:57:04 +0000 http://blog.avangate.com/?p=1426#comment-3717 I run a Micro ISV with the similar 1% conversion rate. However, I probably think that's less terrible than you do. Before ISVing, I was Head of IT for a very successful online clothing retailer in the UK. The average conversion rate for a first time vistor to an online store of any kind across the UK is said to be ~2.5% (our retailing site did better, but we were very successful). The key point is "first time visitor" rather than "repeat customer". You generally double the conversion rate for a repeat customer. With ISVs, one problem is that customers often only buy once, because we don't have that many products when we start. Amazon apparently have one of the best conversion rates in the online business at closer to 20%, but they do have huge brand recognition and an enormous product range. Brand recognition really matters, but it's usually whoppingly expensive to get. Having said that, you make an excellent point about screenshots and the Mac numbers are fascinating. I will go back and look at our screenshots! I would be interested in knowing how length of trial affects conversion. I run a Micro ISV with the similar 1% conversion rate. However, I probably think that’s less terrible than you do. Before ISVing, I was Head of IT for a very successful online clothing retailer in the UK. The average conversion rate for a first time vistor to an online store of any kind across the UK is said to be ~2.5% (our retailing site did better, but we were very successful). The key point is “first time visitor” rather than “repeat customer”. You generally double the conversion rate for a repeat customer. With ISVs, one problem is that customers often only buy once, because we don’t have that many products when we start.

Amazon apparently have one of the best conversion rates in the online business at closer to 20%, but they do have huge brand recognition and an enormous product range. Brand recognition really matters, but it’s usually whoppingly expensive to get.

Having said that, you make an excellent point about screenshots and the Mac numbers are fascinating. I will go back and look at our screenshots!

I would be interested in knowing how length of trial affects conversion.

]]> By: Ian Ozsvald http://blog.avangate.com/hammers-sell-better-than-software/comment-page-1/#comment-3554 Ian Ozsvald Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:01:01 +0000 http://blog.avangate.com/?p=1426#comment-3554 Hi Bob, thanks for the lovely comment about our screencast for you. Worth mentioning also is that we're writing the book on the subject so MicroISVs (and everyone!) can create their own screencasts: http://TheScreencastingHandbook.com I'm discussing tools (like Camtasia, Jing and Screenflow), techniques and approaches along with guides and checklists so anyone can quickly get on with making whatever kind of screencast they need. Cheers, Ian. Hi Bob, thanks for the lovely comment about our screencast for you. Worth mentioning also is that we’re writing the book on the subject so MicroISVs (and everyone!) can create their own screencasts:
http://TheScreencastingHandbook.com

I’m discussing tools (like Camtasia, Jing and Screenflow), techniques and approaches along with guides and checklists so anyone can quickly get on with making whatever kind of screencast they need.

Cheers,
Ian.

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