thoughts on free demos

[modifed09]

Just wondered whether anyone might like to share their thoughts/percentage figures on the viability of free demos/lite versions as a marketing device to boost sales?

Here's my current experience:

My SmartGrooves app has been for sale in the Nokia store for 30 days now and in that time 40% of the people who bought SmartGrooves, bought an add-on pack which
basically adds more sounds and vids to the app. Thus one assumes that nearly half of the people who buy the app like it enough to buy the add-on.

However, 7 days ago I released a free, fully functional demo that times out after 10 minutes and can only be played 5 times. It times out with a message saying where it can be bought.

In those 5 days it's been downloaded 11,000 times.

But sales have not increased at all.

Thoughts guys?

What am I doing wrong? (and if you say 'just release an app that people want - it must be crap', then please say it!)

I'd just like to hear the 'wisdom of crowds' view from my peers - so let me have it!!

BTW, my view is that I should withdraw it. whaddya all reckon??

thanks

[tamhanna]

Omg./ this is a hardone.

I know of a developer whose free demo has 600k dls, and he has but 200 sales.

the thing is this: many ppl play a game just for a few minutes, and then they tire of it (got these figures off the iPhone).So, if the demo allows the user to play the fukll game => youre fooked.

My upcoming jezzball port will allow the user to play 5 levels in trial only....

[jimgilmour1]

Just wondered whether anyone might like to share their thoughts/percentage figures on the viability of free demos/lite versions as a marketing device to boost sales?

Here's my current experience:

My SmartGrooves app has been for sale in the Nokia store for 30 days now and in that time 40% of the people who bought SmartGrooves, bought an add-on pack which
basically adds more sounds and vids to the app. Thus one assumes that nearly half of the people who buy the app like it enough to buy the add-on.

However, 7 days ago I released a free, fully functional demo that times out after 10 minutes and can only be played 5 times. It times out with a message saying where it can be bought.

In those 5 days it's been downloaded 11,000 times.

But sales have not increased at all.

Thoughts guys?

What am I doing wrong? (and if you say 'just release an app that people want - it must be crap', then please say it!)

I'd just like to hear the 'wisdom of crowds' view from my peers - so let me have it!!

BTW, my view is that I should withdraw it. whaddya all reckon??

thanks

Hi,
This is difficult something right something gone wrong but where.
My thinking is there is a free app which has sufficient usefulness to keep interest. That means getting the balance of amount of functionality in the free version to make people download the fully functional version. As people cannot imagine the missing functionality,you have to show them screen shots like a video run through.

In the past games had a selection of level which could be played level 1 level 5, level 10 easy,hard,impossible are free.
Levels 2,3,4 and 6,7,8,9 you have to buy

When selling Guitar/Rock Hero add-on you see that you have easy hard and extremely hard, add ons are available and these keep the interest at all levels.

The life time of interest is small and you need a lot of content to tempt different people.

The are just my thoughts. The video running of the app can be an advantage.

On the sample tune playing you only have 30 seconds to impress the listener to buy this tune based on this so you play the best bit.

Jim

[jimgilmour1]

Hi,
So I had a look at your website and found the following section

www.smartgrooves.com/news
It comprises 2 fully integrated components; instantly switchable:

Mixa: A 4 track mixing studio featuring 15 drum loops and 120 sound samples, with volume level and pan control.

Evolva: A full screen videographic loop player with generative 8-track audio playback with touch interactivity.

Mixes can be loaded from phone and SMS; and saved to phone and sent to other users by SMS.

Additional video and audio content is available as add-in downloads; currently comprising a library of 10 x 7MB add-in packs; representing a further
280 audio and 70 videographic loops. Via OVI web store, users have ongoing access to extended materials.

You are giving it all away. The mobile market need small amounts to load
> 7MB add-in packs
This is far too big this will cost me £7 GBP 12 euros to download in data charges.
The max in my opinion is 240k per pack.
I simply cant cope with 280 tracks in one go!
How about 10 tracks for 1 euro thats seems better, broken into musical genere
Rap,pop,etc..

Mixa: A 4 track mixing studio featuring 15 drum loops and 120 sound samples, with volume level and pan control.

surely this is to much could you not give a drum loop for each music genere,rock,pop etc and cut the sample to 10 really good sound samples.

after a good music album is more about taking 60 recordings and to pick the best.

Your just giving everything away.You could make more money by having more add-on packs that are cheaper.

How am I supposed to sort through 120 samples on a mobile phone!. Have you listen to all the tracks on an N97?. Are they *EASY* to skip through is there an auto 10 seconds play and skip to next track. Is the sample time adjustable to user settings

SmartGrooves comes with over 400,000 mix combinations onboard.

With SmartGrooves Add-in Pack 1 installed, users have access to over 3 million possible mix combinations

Just because you can put that many combinations on a mobile phone does not mean this is good idea.

What did those 11,000 people think perhaps they knew what they wanted was there but could not be bothered to find it, or perhaps had no imagination i.e. the just were swamped with information, perhaps they needed Google on the phone to find what they wanted!. Where is the search of saved tracks?.

Similar problem:- When a lunch the waiter brings up a 16 page menu with free glasses of wine, then I might just take the free wine and go!, because I cannot be bothered to look through the menu.

Less is more!

Finally where is the video of this application running, wheres the tutorial video, (repeated from the last post!).

Maybe you need three versions Just for Fun,Turning Serious,No better than Pro with each one getting more sound samples and extra functionality, and of course more costlier. Just for Fun being free

Well you wanted critical analysis. My opinion may be carp!
Jim