Opencandy Provides A More Efficient Way To Get Your Software Noticed
One of the biggest challenges facing desktop software publishers today is “drop off,” a term that refers to users who download a piece of software but never (or rarely) use it. Some studies show that as much as 40% of software downloaded is never installed, which clearly presents a huge problem for developers. If you’re a developer, what can you do to reduce drop off?
The first step is to make sure that you have an easily accessible download. Offer your software through your website, of course, but also syndicate to third-party distribution sites or networks that are trusted, safe and popular. Consider OpenCandy, for instance, a popular global advertising network that helps publishers distribute millions and millions of software applications.
Another cause of drop off comes from users not understanding what to do once they’ve downloaded your product, even how to install it. One way to address this issue is to create browser landing pages or OS landing pages that clearly explain to your customers what they are supposed to do. Never assume anything – if users already know what to do, they simply don’t have to read the information you give them.
The next step is to guide your user through the installation process. This is more complicated because there are a number of disclosures that your customers have to read and sign. Concentrate on making this part of the process as easy and fun for the user as possible. Create a pop up, for example, that tells users exactly what to do in simple language. Ideally, combine your user and license agreements within a box, killing two birds with one stone.
Make sure you allow people to choose their installation method as well. Some tech savvy users prefer custom or advanced methods, rather than quick or default.
Next, people often forget that not everybody has huge amounts of software already installed. Make sure that you make it easy for your downloader to identify whether people have the right software, prompting them about where to get it through OpenCandy if they don’t have it yet.
So, let’s presume for a minute that everything went right – which it should if you’re using OpenCandy. Now what? Now, you need to make sure your users are immediately able to see how your software will value them. Give them some screenshots, some videos and – most important of all – the option to close all of that down immediately.
Andy is a software developer. Since using Opencandy, he has found that he has much less drop off issues as before.
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