Other Software > Developer's Corner

"competitive upgrade" - is it ethical?

<< < (6/12) > >>

Darwin:
vlastimil - I wouldn't bother with that kind of offer. On the surface, it shows confidence in your product. In reality it is a move that will simply be abused. If you're detemrined to "do something" (Do-ism isn't necessarily a good route to follow, but I digress), offer an extended money-back guarantee. Some developers offer 90 day no questions asked returns, for example. You might want to avoid "no questions asked" if you are offering the kind of product that could be purchased used extensively for a week and then won't be needed again for months or years as you leave yourself open to abuse... I'm rambling.

Bottom line: my gut tells me that you should NOT follow through with your idea to offer rebates to customers who purchase your product but then decide that someone else offers a similar product with a more attractive feature set/better price, etc.

40hz:
Funny thing about competitive discounts...they don't prevent you from using the original application. They only make the competing application cheaper.

If I already am a user of Product A and take advantage of the discount on Product B, then I will have both A and B and be able to use both for whatever they are best suited for.
-app103 (January 13, 2011, 11:11 AM)
--- End quote ---


Bingo!

In my case, that is exactly what a competitive "upgrade" would accomplish - put an application I might not be inclined to try (or otherwise be able to afford) onto my machine.

It will not get the old product off my machine unless it can demonstrate it is so clearly and obviously superior to what I am currently using, that it becomes a no-brainer.

And since I was already very picky when I selected what I currently use, that won't be an easy thing for a new product to do.

Best case scenario: price incentives may get you into the party. But it won't guarantee you an exclusive audience once you get there.

:Thmbsup: April absolutely nailed it when she said:

work on making your application the best it can be and service to your customers the best it can be, because in the end, that's what really counts.
--- End quote ---

40hz:

Ethical? Not in my view but then who said business is ethical - the definition and obligations of a US corporation is to be as unethical as it can get away with.

-Carol Haynes (January 13, 2011, 11:31 AM)
--- End quote ---

Interesting...

I've been operating a US corporation since the mid-80s.

I wasn't aware that "unethical as it can get away with" was both its definition and obligation.

 :)

vlastimil:
Trouble is where the big boys go the tiddlers follow (just look at activation methods for software).
-Carol Haynes (January 13, 2011, 11:31 AM)
--- End quote ---

Online activation sucks, I'll never follow that way. Sure, I am happy when a customer registers an account, but it is optional and only serves the customer if they forget the registration code and need to retrieve it (less support for me).

Loads of big companies use/have used this as an incentive to steal customer eg. Corel Word Perfect Suite X can be bought at upgrade price if you have owned Microsoft Office XP or later.

There are similar deals from leading graphics companies etc.

It isn't really surprising it happens as the dollar/euro/pound/yen or whatever is king in business. It shouldn't be but it is.
-Carol Haynes (January 13, 2011, 11:31 AM)
--- End quote ---

Direct money may not be the main motivation for these actions. Hell, I would give the license away for free to an active user of a competing product, but it is impossible to put an offer like this on the web, because it would annoy the "normal" customers. Each user brings value, he/she dedicates piece of their brain to learn to work with the software and would probably recommend it to their peers if they needed a software of that kind. Even pirates bring value.

The ethics should not be ignored, it is the part of how the customer perceives the product...

40hz:
@vlastimil - Maybe I'm a little (or very) dense, but what exactly is it about your competitor that has you the most annoyed right now?

Is it that they're offering what you feel is an 'unfair' cash incentive to try their product? Or that they're making arguably false claims about the capabilities of their product. Or that they're directly (or by strong inference) maligning your product?

Because right now, I'm getting a bit confused about what it is you feel the need to be doing something about.

I can't really suggest effectively until I know what you feel the real problem is.

 :)

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page