Generally, when do you think is the perfect time to release a lite version?
a. at the same time as the full version
b. 1 week after after the full version
c. a week BEFORE the full version
d. 2 weeks or more after the full version
I'd definitely go for A or B...maybe A simply have maximum exposure via the release dates?
I wouldn't think of doing it any time after the paid version is released. Why? Most app sales are impulse purchases. If a user decides, "hey, I like this, time to buy it" but can't find it on the app store that day, he'll lose interest and forget about it (unless it's something very good/offers a long term service).
Still, A or B are the best options. I'm almost tempted to say B because then you can compare sales numbers and see how well it does with/without the Lite version...
WOOPS read D incorrectly; that's also a possibility. I don't think any amount of time after release is different from any other amount...just adds a release date bump?
Yeah, B is the one we will be trying. we will submit the lite version, the day our paid one is on the store.
We were going with A to make the momentum reach its highest point all at the same time. but B is better since it will make for a more comparable result as uv stated and avoid any cannibalization if ever there is one.
Yeah, B is the one we will be trying. we will submit the lite version, the day our paid one is on the store.
We were going with A to make the momentum reach its highest point all at the same time. but B is better since it will make for a more comparable result as uv stated and avoid any cannibalization if ever there is one.
We released the full app and then after 2 weeks the lite version. The 2 weeks were just because apple rejected our lite version and we had to resubmit again.
The lite version was downloaded 700 times daily but we didn't see any increase in full game sells.
We sold our game 20 times a day before the lite and after the lite version.
A little increase in sell was made through updates. Our first update increased sells to 30 a day.
Our second app will be released with the lite version together. We will see, how it works.
Unfortunately we can't track, how many people were coming from the lite version. Maybe our first one would have dropped to null, if we have no lite version... who knows...
If you release a full version at the same time as a lite version, then a few things will happen. People will download the lite version first, decide they dont like it, low rate you, and then not buy the full version.
On the other hand, if you wait 2 weeks after the full version is on the store before releasing the lite version, people will have to pay to see what the app is like and you will be able to get some feedback and build up some ratings before the lite version comes out.
On the other hand, if you have no lite version, people will download your cracked game.
If you have no crack protection in your code, you will get even fewer customers.
That is the big problem with PC games too. People want to try and if they don't find a trial version, they download the warez version.
I was always for releasing full and trial together. Of course if your game/app is crap, and you know it too, then waiting to release a lite version may help to sell more copies. But then you need a crack protection.
We have a crack protection in our game and while the game is downloaded 20 times a day from itunes, the "cracked" version was downloaded over 5000 times within 2 days. It turns into a lite version after the fifth level, but we didn't see any increase in sells, which could be from the cracked versions not working "properly".
I think, if somebody wants to buy it, they will buy it anyway.
Last edited by Hunnenkoenig; 07-31-2009 at 03:33 AM.
@chaseacton - good advice there. I think we will pass the lite version 5 days after the paid one is out. That way we can incorporate any adjustments and new stuff into that build.
We also put ads in the lite version but added slightly more features in it than before so the lite one will have some revenue. not quite full but 3/5 of it.
Cracked users are never gonna buy your app so don't count them as lost sales. instead concentrate on visibility (the lite version is aimed square at this)
The truth is that about 99% of people that use cracked apps/ pirate software/ movies etc. were never going to buy the item in the first place. That's why I think it's wrong that companies say how they lose millions of dollars, when the product would never have been bought in the first place.
This is because you can put a link within the lite version directly to the full version... but you can't do that until you have a URL to the full version (has to be on the app store first).
I'm not sure if this actually helps full version sales... but it seems like maximizing visibility is the goal here and providing a button that links directly to the full version should help that.
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This is because you can put a link within the lite version directly to the full version... but you can't do that until you have a URL to the full version (has to be on the app store first).
I'm not sure if this actually helps full version sales... but it seems like maximizing visibility is the goal here and providing a button that links directly to the full version should help that.
Yeah, that's exactly what I'm planning on doing. Full version is in review at the moment and as soon as its approved I'm going to paste the App Store URL in to the Lite version and build & submit it.
Generally, when do you think is the perfect time to release a lite version?
a. at the same time as the full version
b. 1 week after after the full version
c. a week BEFORE the full version
d. 2 weeks or more after the full version
thanks!
I'd say B, if your app is good or had a good promotion it will definitely pick up in the 1st week, now for the 2nd week, the lite version will act like a second air and will help you even improve your app's performance.
Generally, when do you think is the perfect time to release a lite version?
a. at the same time as the full version
b. 1 week after after the full version
c. a week BEFORE the full version
d. 2 weeks or more after the full version
thanks!
option B
My lite version was available today, exactly one week after the release of the full version. I was able to add the link to the full version app and a bug fix!
I would definitely release the lite version some time after the full version has been released. I would give some time to see if sales were good for the full version. Should sales start to lag, I would then release a lite version as ultimately its main purpose would be to increase the full version's sales.
In my experience, I had released a game which was doing alright (40-60 sales per day) during the first week of its release. Within the second and third weeks, the sales had dwindled down to about 15-20 per day. I decided to then release a lite version, and what happened next completely floored me. Within 2 days, the lite version rocketed as high as number 3 on the top free lists. This then increased the sales of the paid version to about 600 per day! For as long as the free app was within the top 100, i was getting somewhere between 340-400 sales per day. When the popularity of the free app had died down, the paid version was back to normal levels of 25-30 sales per day. So as you can see, there is a direct effect between how a lite app can help sales.
I would then say go for either B,C, or D, depending on how well your paid app is doing. If it is doing great, then I would just hold off on the lite up until you need that extra push.
But how we can release lite version same day as full? I mean, lite must contain link to full in appstore, so we need first release full, then paste link to it in lite and only then send it to approve.
Or there is some way to release full and lite exactly same day?
But how we can release lite version same day as full? I mean, lite must contain link to full in appstore, so we need first release full, then paste link to it in lite and only then send it to approve.
Or there is some way to release full and lite exactly same day?
You can just create the app in itunes and get the app id from there and put it into the itunes link. The app doesn't need to be approved, just created.
The truth is that about 99% of people that use cracked apps/ pirate software/ movies etc. were never going to buy the item in the first place. That's why I think it's wrong that companies say how they lose millions of dollars, when the product would never have been bought in the first place.
A little bit off topic here but can i just say that I think that assumption is wrong. The true cost may only be a percentage of what companies quote, but have little doubt piracy costs significant amounts of money. And that indirectly affects everyone - producers and consumers.
When to release a lite version...
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