Free Website Content
Software Development And Marketing Mistakes
The following are some of the more common
mistakes made by ISVs and software developers...
1. Lack Of A Plan
Many software developers start out simply
by writing an application to make their own lives easier,
and often don't really have a "plan" to turn that idea
into a business. But they later decide to do just that,
and like any other business, a plan is necessary in
order for a software company to succeed. Create a development
road-map, a marketing plan, and a business plan, all
of which lay out goals, feature priorities, and a time
frame for accomplishing specific parts of the plan.
2. Failure To Conduct Market Research
Market research should be conducted to
determine the feasibility of an idea or product before
you invest too much time in it. Failure to conduct adequate
research could result in the development of a product
for an already-saturated market, or the development
of a really great tool that simply has no market.
3. Designing For Beauty Rather Than
Functionality
An application should be designed with
both aesthetics and functionality in mind. There is
no doubt that first impressions matter, but functionality
should not be sacrificed at the expense of aesthetics.
4. Failure To Listen To Market
What a software developer considers as
important can often be very different from what the
market thinks is important. Software developers need
to listen to what features and functionality the users
of the software want and need. Failure to listen to
those market demands can often be the death knell of
an application.
5. Undervaluing Marketing
Marketing is critical to the success of
any software application. Simply believing that you
have developed a great application will not generate
sales or income. The application needs to be announced
to the world and marketed so that potential customers
are made aware of its existence. Do not make the mistake
of skimping on marketing!
6. Failure To Thoroughly Test
Beta testing is critical. Application
testing should not be rushed. There is nothing worse
than a "buggy" application. Take time to thoroughly
test your product -- releasing an application before
it's ready for prime time can do great damage to the
reputation of the product, as well as to the reputation
of the company behind it. And once you get a reputation
for releasing software that is unstable, it will be
very difficult to entice others to try your products.
7. Failure To Plan
Failing to plan for the future, and writing
the software in such a way that it can not be expanded
or localized, can damage the future of a software application.
Design the software for expansion, scalability, and
for the ability to be localized.
8. Failure To Spend On Hosting
Website and file hosting are a necessity,
and need to be reliable and stable. The speed of file
downloads can also influence sales. Services that offer
"Free" hosting may seem attractive on the surface, but
at the end of the day, you get what you pay for. Adequate,
stable, and dependable hosting is worth spending money
for.
About the Author:
Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll http://www.feedforall.com
software for creating, editing, publishing RSS feeds
and podcasts. In addition Sharon manages marketing for
RecordForAll http://www.recordforall.com
audio recording and editing software.
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