1. Register Domain
   • until you've secured a domain name, don't commit to a product name
   • don't expect to secure the perfect name
   • register the product name, not the company name
2. Reliable hosting
   • don't host it yourself -- pay for hosting
   • check that the host will allow hosting of executables and zips
   • allowed to have a professional site
   • more or less claims 'unlimited downloads'
3. website design
   • Quick and Clean
   • in an instant: should be able to find download and screenshots
   • for professional Look and feel: templates save a lot of time
   • even if you start with static html, work out what server-side techonology you'll use later and use the right file extension for that from the start (e.g. php, aspx) to avoid 404 errors later
4. Basic Website content
   • Plan all the pages you might want -- then cross some out
   • Write a shitty first draft -- get friends to help polish it
   • If you use a CMS then use a free one: but the simpler the better, less configuration
5. install traffic monitoring on your site
   • free package from your webhost -- or use google analystics, or install another one
   • How much traffic?
   • where from?
   • what search terms?
   • how many downloads?
   • ratio of free to professional?
   • conversion ratio: purchases from professional downloads
6. create forums, encourage feedback
   • free and high quality options like google groups or yahoo groups
   • downside: their branding, and advertisements, possibly from your competitors.
   • host a forum on your site -- e.g. community server, phpBB
   • You want it as open as possible, but without spam
   • Keep it alive
7. maintain a FAQ
   • no trick to it
   • avoid marketing faq
   • in the early days it is okay to put questions that haven't yet been asked 'frequently'
8. get the best screenshots you can
   • on windows, use the best theme you can, and the latest OS.
   • don't make people hunt for screenshots
   • put a thumbnail or two on the front page
   • have those thumbnails lead to more pictures
9. Configure email for domain
   • setup some email accounts -- e.g. support, sales, admin, webmaster
   • forward them to your regular email
10. get payment account
    • we use paypal -- it works for us.
11. allow payment from your website
    • don't build a shopping cart
    • don't read all of the developer documentation -- most of it is for more complicated situations
    • start by working out how to implement a donation button
    • for a single product -- it's only a few lines more complicated than that
12. create a PAD file -- portable application description
    • XML file describes your product:
    • name, description, version, where from, size, etc. http://www.asp-shareware.org/pad/ -- l8q
    • free tool for creating this http://www.padgen.org -- l8r
13. register at download sites
    • download.com etc.
    • tell them where your PAD file is.
14. strategy: separate "free" from "professional" products
    • Free version: compelling, worth downloading and using
    • Not nagware, not so feature starved as to be useless
    • Not adware, not lower quality just because it's free
    • Professional version: builds upon the free version -- a major step up
    • Product must be based on a deep enough idea.
15. get a suitable end user license agreement (EULA) -- infact get two!
    • Final check is with a lawyer -- but build the first drafts yourself
    • People buy a license to use the software -- not the software itself
    • Be specific! is it per user? per processor? per connection?
    • Talk about risks
    • Disclaim to the fullest extent
    • Consult web sources
    • Compare to others
    • Trial period versus post-payment -- explain this in your EULA
16. auto update strategy
    • simplest solution: a button that sends the user to a page that tell them the last version.
    • next step up -- a webservice that tells the application what version is the latest
    • next step up -- a shim that lets you download, unzip and run the new version
17. license activation webservice/website
    • enter a license key -- check it against a webservice
    • webservice looks in a database to ensure license is legitimate. marks it as used.
    • plus some secret magic stuff
18. get a license management database
    • a place to view, create, renew cancel and send licenses
    • we built a custom asp.net application for timesnapper -- can handle many more products
19. build a proper installer
    • this is a common difference between free and professional software: ease of install/uninstall
    • don't install into program files\company name\product name -- just go program files\product name
    • inno setup l8o, wix (l8p) and nullsoft scriptable install system NSIS -- l8n
    • LUA: any updated files go into Environment.SpecialFolder.ApplicationData --(which maps to C:\Documents and Settings\[userName]\Application Data\[Product Name] ) *NOT* just into program files\[Product Name]
20. obfuscate your assemblies
    • feel like a real bastard obfuscating the code. but .net has no protection on its own -- so without this it's just too easy to crack the licensing. lutz roeder's reflector
    • dotfuscator -- community or professional editions
    • salamander, xenocode,
    • http://shrinkster.com/l8v "How to select an obfusctor" -- guide from Mike Gunderloy and Xtras.com
21. automate your build+release strategy
    • procedure includes:
    • obfuscation
    • updating the online version check
    • uploading to the website
    • putting out release notes
    • complex task -- yet you want it as automatic as possible
    • SO start with a check list.
22. free up enough time/resources for dealing with support/feedback
    • treat customers of the free software as full cstomers
    • watch for recurrent problems: fix bugs asap, identify usability opportunities
    • and keep the FAQ updated
23. Shiny, Usable, Helpful
    • Aestethics -- purely to make it more pleasing to the eye -- is worthwhile
    • avoid visual clutter
    • choose the right control
    • the basics: consistency, repetition, alignment, proximity -- http://shrinkster.com/l8l
    • Usability: dogfood isn't enough
    • follow standards
    • Watch and listen to users/people
    • Units of delight
24. plan and enact your promotional strategy
    • better to be an article than an advertisement
    • featured on blogs, in magazines
    • strategic alignment -- what existing business do you complement?
25. Do it all again
    • don't stop at one product... you've got more ideas
    • revise and improve
    • share what you've learnt

Other things...

1. work/life balance
2. choose a price
3. incorporatize
4. icon/logo
5. private beta testing
6. bug reporting
7. platform choice
8. future release plans [vision]
9. choose your competitors
10. globalize and localize
11. focus
12. do you need a partner?
13. what idea do you choose?
14. anxiety, procrastination, self-doubt

 
http://timesnapper.com

http://shrinkster.com/l8c





http://secretGeek.net

http://shrinkster.com/l8d





http://www.ericsink.com/bos/Micro_ISV.html

http://shrinkster.com/l8e





http://www.amazon.com/Micro-ISV-Vision-Reality-Bob-Walsh/dp/1590596013

http://shrinkster.com/l8f





http://discuss.joelonsoftware.com/?biz

http://shrinkster.com/l8g





http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/CamelsandRubberDuckies.html

http://shrinkster.com/l8h





http://www.ericsink.com/bos/Product_Pricing.html

http://shrinkster.com/l8i





http://www.ericsink.com/laws/Immutable_Laws_Marketing.html

http://shrinkster.com/l8j





Be Careful Where You Build

http://www.ericsink.com/bos/Platforms.html

http://shrinkster.com/l8k





"the non designers design book"

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0321193857/qid=1092892051/sr=1-3?tag2=secretgeek-20

http://shrinkster.com/l8l





http://secretgeek.net/logo_rules.asp

http://shrinkster.com/l8m





nullsoft nsis

http://shrinkster.com/l8n





inno setup

http://www.jrsoftware.org/isinfo.php

http://shrinkster.com/l8o





wix installer system

http://shrinkster.com/l8p





Portable Application Description

http://www.asp-shareware.org/pad

http://shrinkster.com/l8q





PAD Gen<

http://www.padgen.org/

http://shrinkster.com/l8r





Rules to Better Google Rankings

http://www.ssw.com.au/SSW/Standards/Rules/RulesToBetterGoogleRankings.aspx

http://shrinkster.com/l8s





Rules to Better Websites

http://www.ssw.com.au/ssw/Standards/Rules/RulesToBetterWebsitesTuningAndMaintenance.aspx

http://shrinkster.com/l8t







Rules to Better Windows Forms

http://www.ssw.com.au/ssw/Standards/Rules/RulesToBetterWindowsForms.aspx

http://shrinkster.com/l8u