How To Sell Software Development Services

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In-depth guide for selling software with a strong plan

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Whether you're selling software you've made yourself, a software product for a major corporation, or Software equally a Service (Saas), you'll need to follow a few basic principles in social club to get your product into the hands of customers. Create a web presence and a marketing programme, and spread the give-and-take about your software package through blogs, forum posts, and online targeted advertisement.

1. 1

   Ascertain what makes your software worth ownership. For new software to be competitively marketed and sold, information technology should solve a specific problem or fill a gap in the existing gamut of software. So, take a expect at your product and figure out what makes it necessary and unique. This cognition volition aid you market place the software by focusing in on how it differs from or improves upon similar software or apps in the field.

   • For example, say you're selling an RPG (Role Playing Game) for a smartphone. What does your RPG offer that others don't?
   • Or, say y'all're selling a simple spreadsheet program without all the popular bells and whistles. Why should clients employ your spreadsheet rather than whatever of the existing options?

2. 2

   Figure out the audience that you'll exist selling your software to. Dialing in on a specific audience for your software will make the rest of the steps that much easier. Think about who your software volition help out, what kind of people will use it, and how they'll want to admission or download the software.^[1]

   • For example, a gamer with a smartphone might like a mobile RPG. On the other mitt, a small business owner who only wants to keep track of earnings might prefer a simple spreadsheet without all the bells and whistles that tin can bog down mainstream spreadsheet programs.

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3. iii

   Host software files in the cloud to avoid taking up personal bandwidth. Hosting your software package in the cloud will permit y'all to avoid taking up too much personal bandwidth with large file sizes. You tin can also develop your software in the host website's information heart, and employ the site to help deploy your finished software. Cheque out and compare a diversity of unlike cloud hosting sites including:^[2]

   • SiteGround
   • LiquidWeb
   • HostGator
   • LevelCloud

4. 4

   Beta test your software before showing it to customers. Whether you're edifice a simple budget-computing app or a complex mapping software bundle, in that location are e'er going to be bugs in the code or problems with the user interface. Run through every element of the software before you upload it to your company'due south website, and set whatsoever problems before you outset selling the software.^[iii]

   • If you're selling cocky-made software, transport the beta to any programmer friends. Ask them to effort it out and allow you know if they find any problems.

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1. i

   Build a marketing plan that targets your intended audition. There are countless means to market place your software to clients. For example, consider which websites your intended audience frequents and request that the sites let y'all blazon up a guest mail. Or, look through online forums dedicated to your blazon of software (e.g., mobile RPG games) and write a mail service or ii describing your software in the forum.^[4] Other ways to marketplace software include:

   • Building a blog and paying websites to link to your weblog
   • Advertizing your software on social media sites
   • Looking into digital advertising to create ads on websites other than social media pages

2. 2

   Invite independent reviewers to utilize and review your software. Third-political party reviews can be a nifty assistance in proving your software's legitimacy and usefulness. One time you've had a few beta testers and/or early on customers use your product, invite them to write upward reviews. And then, one time you've gotten nearly half a dozen positive reviews, post them on your social media sites or send them out in an email smash to website subscribers.^[five]

   • The tertiary-political party reviewers that y'all solicit should accept no personal or professional connection with the software. For example, neither your personal friends nor employees of the company developing the software are independent reviewers.

3. 3

   Create a social media and internet presence for your software. It's likely that anybody who will use your software is online and has multiple social media accounts. So, brand a Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram account for your software, and fill the pages with information describing the software and its uses.^[6]

   • Depending on the size of your company, you tin can mention the new software product on a company web page.
   • Or, effort posting the software on your personal Facebook and LinkedIn pages to spread the word and generate interest.

4. 4

   Cost your software competitively to undersell the contest. Wait through app stores and software websites to find other software products like to your own. Know how much contest is out in that location for your software and acquire what the competition charges. For case, if your programme is finer a simplified version of another program, price your product so it's cheaper than the more advanced choice.^[7]

   • If there is no competition on your chosen platform, evaluate how much comparable software costs on whatever platform, if it exists.

5. five

   Create a freemium version of the software for customers to try. Freemium software packages let users to access and use basic parts of the software for free for a limited time earlier the commit to buying the premium version of the software. Offering a freemium version of software is a great marketing strategy if you're concerned that customers may be turned away by the software'south price tag, or if yous want users to become familiar with your software before purchasing it.^[8]

   • Then, when your customers decide they want access to the full ("premium") array of software features, they'll be willing to pay full price.

6. 6

   Write keywords in your website copy to bring in more web traffic. To bring in potential clients from online search engines, try filling your website text with keywords that volition direct people to your site. The keywords should exist specific to your software, but general enough that people who aren't looking for your specific product volition blazon them into search engines.^[9]

   • For example, in website re-create, effort using a few words similar "freemium" and "software" too every bit more specific terms that depict your software'south functions, like "RPG" or "budgeting spreadsheet."

7. 7

   Offer a gratuitous trial so users can familiarize themselves with your software. Skeptical—or curious—users may desire to put your software through its paces before they commit to purchasing information technology. Set up a link on your website that allows users to download and use a trial version of the software for complimentary for 30 days. Allowing customers to try your product for free volition also testify them that your software isn't a scam or a rip-off.^[ten]

   • Unlike freemium deals, a free trial allows users to access the full range of your software's abilities. Just, the trial version will expire unless users pay for the software.

8. 8

   Accommodate your marketing strategy after reviewing software sale metrics. Whatever good marketing strategy will evolve over fourth dimension, and plans for selling software are no different. Analytic metrics will allow you to better understand where your customers come from online. Besides try testing out different marketing campaigns to find out which work the best and bring in the about revenue. And so y'all can modify your overall marketing strategy based on which marketing campaigns are more than or less effective.^[11]

   • For case, if y'all find out that ninety% of people who purchase your software are redirected from your Twitter account, you lot'll exist able to focus more heavily on social-media advertising.

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1. 1

   Create an online shop to sell and support your software. Gear up upwardly a website for your software. Make sure that the site has a "Shopping cart" tab and then that customers tin purchase and download your software. If you lot're new to software sales and website development, you tin start out using a free website platform similar WordPress to host your site.^[12]

   • If y'all're working for a big software company, the product will virtually likely be sold through a new page on an already-existing company website.

2. 2

   Upload a 1–2 minute video describing the function of your software. Upload a friendly video that describes your software, its function, and the gap it fills amongst current software options. This volition aid potential customers feel informed and welcomed by your product. Or, if you feel that your software is pretty self-explanatory, upload a 2-infinitesimal long tutorial instead.^[13]

   • For example, say that you've designed a mobile-phone upkeep-tracking app. Make a friendly, informative video showing how to use the app, so that prospective clients won't be put off or confused by potentially complex parts of the software.

3. 3

   Make up one's mind whether to make your software open up source or proprietary. Open source software can be accessed and shared for free by whatsoever of its users, since its source lawmaking is made available online.^[14] Source code for proprietary software, on the other manus, has restricted access to preclude users from making like software on their own. Most business organization owners who intend to make a turn a profit off of their software continue information technology proprietary, so that users can't generate their own versions of the software.

   • Consider making the software open source, though, if yous feel that it fulfills some ethical purpose that's more important than turning a profit.

4. 4

   Offering reliable customer service to back up your software. Regardless of how user-friendly your software is, customers will come upwardly with questions about the product. Offer friendly client service will also build trust with your clients. If you work for a large company, offer 24/7 client service and support for the software. If y'all're a smaller operation, promise prompt client service during business organisation hours.^[15]

   • Aid your customers feel equally though their questions are valued by including a phone number on the "Contact Us" department of your website. This will experience more personal than just an email address.

5. 5

   Promise a refund to any unsatisfied customers. Ideally, your software will work perfectly and no customers will request a refund because they aren't satisfied with the software. But, offering a no-questions-asked, 100% refund to whatsoever dissatisfied customers volition generate trust in your company. It'll also motivate skeptical customers (who wouldn't otherwise use your software) to try it out, since they have nothing to lose.^[16]

   • Feature a argument somewhere on the website like: "100% money dorsum if you're not satisfied with our production."

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Add together New Question

• Question

  Can a software program be sold in detailed storyboard format, uncoded?

  

  It depends on the buyer. A concept, of course, will non sell as much equally the finished program. On the other hand, you must exist vigilant when finding buyers. If you have no patent on the concept, it's not owned by anyone. Thus, anyone tin make information technology without your permission.

• Question

  If I accept created an Bone, how can I sell it?

  

  Brand sure information technology's actually a competent arrangement that people would utilize. If information technology is, and then copyright information technology like whatsoever other software, so brand an installer and sell disks and ISOs/Product Keys.

• Question

  How do I sell my Windows application in an app shop?

  

  Try quantum-primal.net if your software is coded in a .Net language such as C# or VB.Net. Information technology automates the licence key system and automatically creates a download/sales page on its website; it'south gratis to use.

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• Employ your competitors' prices equally a guideline, not an stop-all. Likewise consider how they compare in appearance and quality. Every market has its inexpensive, mid-range, and loftier-terminate programs. Free Open Source versions exist for many types of software, but companies withal brand money selling their versions.

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

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• Always read the Terms of Service for anything you apply in connection with selling your software. That includes the rights taken by a weblog that lets you guest post, and the details of your agreement with your shopping cart software.

• Some companies' Terms of Service include clauses that have all rights to whatever you submit through them, making it illegal for you to switch what companies you lot use for that service, while letting the visitor resell your product without paying yous.

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