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How to Promore and Sell online your Shareware software - Guide from A to Z

December 6, 2008 - 8:33pm — web admin

Dear Software developers,

www.24Hsoftware.com presents the compacted complete guide of
How to Promore and Sell online your Shareware software
covering all the steps that you need to take in order to promote your software, create affiliate partnerships, and sell online your software.

  1. Create a downloadable trial version of your software.

    Estimated duration: 1 week

    The trial version should either expire after a while or have reduced features.
    Test the trial version in different operating systems. There is an easy way to do this: Install Microsoft Virtual PC (free) and download from Microsoft the windows images (.vhd) of different windows 30-day trial versions. You can setup in this way a very good testing lab, using only one computer and free software from Microsoft.

  2. Prepare and put online the product's web pages.

    Estimated duration: 1 week

    The website pages should include:
    - Description
    - Virtual Box image
    - Features
    - Benetits of using your software
    - Screenshots
    - Minimum system requirements
    - Download Trial link
    - Link to buy online

  3. Create the PAD file of your software.

    Estimated duration: 1 day

    What is PAD?
    PAD is the Portable Application Description, and it helps authors provide product descriptions and specifications to online sources in a standard way, using a standard data format that will allow webmasters and program librarians to automate program listings. PAD saves time for both authors and webmasters.

    - Install PadGen (FREE).
    - Create the PAD file and upload it to your website.
    The email addresses you will enter in the PAD file will be seen by spam robots. Therefore, do not put your primary email addresses but an email address that has good anti-spam control. E.g. [email protected]

  4. Open a Vendor Account with RegNow

    1 week (with account and
    product approvals by RegNow)

    RegNow, a digital river company is the established industry leader specialized in the processing of payments for software downloadable products.
    RegNow has a big affiliate network that will start reselling your software.

    - Fill in your account and product information in the RegNow control panel.
    - Wait for your product to be approved and available for accepting online orders.
    - Put the BuyNow to your webpage.
    - Update your products' PAD file to contain your RegNow ID so that affiliates can resell your shareware from their websites.
    - Modify your trial version to contain the RegNow affiliate URL in the embeded order screen of the software. (Detailed instructions in RegNow's affiliate certification program)
    - Modify your trial version to look for the affiliate ID in the windows Registry and add it in the order screen of the software. (Detailed instructions in RegNow's affiliate certification program)
    - Apply to receive an affiliate-certification for your website and you software product. RegNow will test if your website and your trial software fulfill the requirements of the affiliate certification program.

  5. Use search sites (FREE) to submit your software to online software catalogues and shops

    Estimated duration: 2 days

    Write down the URL of your PAD file and the RegNowID. You will need this information, while submitting to the software sites.

    To gain time, start with the sites that accept PAD files and do not require to create a developer account and login to it.
    Search for a name of a competitor's software product, so you can see if your competitors are already inside these catalogues.

    Repeat the submission via SearchSites, one month later. You should now search using your own software name, to see if it was included after your first submission.

  6. Optimize your webpage for search engines

    Estimated duration: 2 days

    Use a tool like WebCeo to assist you in optimizing the keywords and text of your page to rank in the top results of the major search engines.

  7. Write and distribute a press release

    Estimated duration: 2 days

    Use online tools like prweb.com. Just like writing and submitting articles, this is a very simple and extremely effective way to get links pointed at your website. It is also a great way drive targeted traffic to your website.