You wrote that you were afraid about what can happen in the future. Well, probably the simplest answer is to purchase the Gold version - you will have all features, without any limitation and for the lifetime.
No offense, but my point is exactly that I had already all that in version 1.2
Keyword here is
added-value, something I don't find (yet) in the Gold version.
The fact that you
could not just wait for new features
and remove old ones from a free version is not a business argument sufficient enough, IMHO, to convice people to suddenly register. I can understand your motives, but I just want to share the other side of this issue, from the point of users. It might help you to better focus your commercial efforts. It's a bit like you said "well, I told you it's was free, now it's not anymore, I changed my mind, because I need now money to cover unexpected costs of
past development (opposed to future development)". More or less.
It's not like you adviced users long ago that the free versions were beta only but the final would be shareware (one possible business model), or that you wanted to introduce so many new cool features that you would freeze development of a free version at one point and
let it as it was, and focus on a new enhanced and commercial version (another common business model), or that you wanted to add licenced plugin or code that were required by advanced users in an enhanced version and use that lever to rentabilize your operations (yet another business model).
Strictly on a business point of view, I doubt that removing features from a free version and repackage them in a "Gold version" that is more-or-less the same thing the free version was before (minus minor fixes and marginal features), will be enough to suddently convert all previous users that weren't cool enough to send you a donation. Most dot.coms crashes happened exactly like that. I just hope, for you and for Songs-DB future, that I'm totally wrong, especially because I like Songs-Db and because the worrying message I understand from your side is that without fast and new money income, Songs-DB could turn to be a sitting duck (since you "couldn't wait", the implementation of the new business model has to be pretty urgent, isn't it ?)
And if the users of the free version should be scared? No, I don't think so. There can happen some changes in the future, but nothing that would seriously affect them.
It is not a matter of being scared or not. Using a freeware is a free choice and people can switch software or versions whenever they want to. That's one critical point I try to convey to you. Because as for now, even if not further
downgrade happen in the future, they still have a better choice with the old and still available free version 1.2. If you want them to move from an old but free version to a newer but commercial version, you need more concrete incentives than good faith.
Again, I would like to stress that switching to the new business model make only sense, IMHO, if addition of new incentives and features is a top priority. You might stress that development will only happen if there are lot of registrations of the Gold version, but that's would be a catch-22. Perhaps only time and effort will further differentiate the free and the gold version.
As for me, I
officially promise to register as soon new valuable features are implemented.
Good luck, and no hard feelings, as my comments were only business oriented.
[quote]You wrote that you were afraid about what can happen in the future. Well, probably the simplest answer is to purchase the Gold version - you will have all features, without any limitation and for the lifetime.[/quote]
No offense, but my point is exactly that I had already all that in version 1.2 :wink:
Keyword here is [b]added-value[/b], something I don't find (yet) in the Gold version.
The fact that you [quote]could not just wait for new features[/quote] and remove old ones from a free version is not a business argument sufficient enough, IMHO, to convice people to suddenly register. I can understand your motives, but I just want to share the other side of this issue, from the point of users. It might help you to better focus your commercial efforts. It's a bit like you said "well, I told you it's was free, now it's not anymore, I changed my mind, because I need now money to cover unexpected costs of [b]past[/b] development (opposed to future development)". More or less. :wink:
It's not like you adviced users long ago that the free versions were beta only but the final would be shareware (one possible business model), or that you wanted to introduce so many new cool features that you would freeze development of a free version at one point and [i]let it as it was[/i], and focus on a new enhanced and commercial version (another common business model), or that you wanted to add licenced plugin or code that were required by advanced users in an enhanced version and use that lever to rentabilize your operations (yet another business model).
Strictly on a business point of view, I doubt that removing features from a free version and repackage them in a "Gold version" that is more-or-less the same thing the free version was before (minus minor fixes and marginal features), will be enough to suddently convert all previous users that weren't cool enough to send you a donation. Most dot.coms crashes happened exactly like that. I just hope, for you and for Songs-DB future, that I'm totally wrong, especially because I like Songs-Db and because the worrying message I understand from your side is that without fast and new money income, Songs-DB could turn to be a sitting duck (since you "couldn't wait", the implementation of the new business model has to be pretty urgent, isn't it ?)
[quote]And if the users of the free version should be scared? No, I don't think so. There can happen some changes in the future, but nothing that would seriously affect them. [/quote]
It is not a matter of being scared or not. Using a freeware is a free choice and people can switch software or versions whenever they want to. That's one critical point I try to convey to you. Because as for now, even if not further [u]downgrade[/u] happen in the future, they still have a better choice with the old and still available free version 1.2. If you want them to move from an old but free version to a newer but commercial version, you need more concrete incentives than good faith.
Again, I would like to stress that switching to the new business model make only sense, IMHO, if addition of new incentives and features is a top priority. You might stress that development will only happen if there are lot of registrations of the Gold version, but that's would be a catch-22. Perhaps only time and effort will further differentiate the free and the gold version.
As for me, I [b]officially [/b]promise to register as soon new valuable features are implemented. :D
Good luck, and no hard feelings, as my comments were only business oriented.