source:. http://habrahabr. ru/blogs/my_business/86818 /.
author:. sunnybear.
This is the second article about the formation of the software (Internet ) business in Russia (. first there. ). In it, I 'm going to reveal some key aspects of adapting a product for the market (under the requirements of users), the overcoming of tenologicheskoy abyss, and a little about the realities of Russian business.
This topic I want to time to ensure that a year ago ( maybe. just before. or slightly. later. ) Appeared Product. WEBO Site SpeedUp. (formerly Web Optimizer). Thinking a bit messy, but, apparently, for each direction all the very specific, so the securities are only general ideas, trends and approaches to solving problems (which I sincerely hope:). Here and below, it is about creating packaged solutions (as opposed to software outsourcing ).
To begin with some quick answers and rebuttals.
a. Why do I need jur. person for the business?.
As it turned out ( I personally have no doubt, but the comments were different opinions) to sell the software is much more comfortable having jur. face. This is fewer taxes (collectively, now 6% to 9% of the shaft with the net profits / dividends to 27 % for individuals or even 45% VAT ). This and more trust from potential customers (yes, enter the contract with the entrepreneur still more dumb than a company with a jur. address), and the contract was (but here it is necessary to go on the volume of sales). This is normal, and the opportunity to work with foreign money. However, if you are not going to rise above the turnover of 100k rubles a month, the jur. the person will definitely be a burden.
2. Why is a ... address?.
Its main advantage - in savings. For example, six months rent under the scheme cost 7-10 thousand. rubles. If you register all rank in the order of ( at least one workstation anywhere in the co-working center), then it will cost about 4 * 6 15 000, t. e. 4-5 times more expensive ( maybe you know a cheaper alternative - welcome in the comments ). But if you reduce the costs, then the normal office to shoot better to wait until such time as you will not be in the state 2.5 employees.
The only (more precisely, two of them ) less from such a situation - do not open an account in ... b. Raiffeisen and others like them, VTB opens with a bang ). There are some costs of correspondence, but if you do not work with the world of contracts, it is not about you.
3. Why do I need a normal merchant account?.
(In this context, it is the processing center payments for your products, in fact, the keys to software ). Why not just ... And second ( with high probability), every second person will be the buyer you have (of course, the whole process can be automated, but you count the cost of automation, and understand that under the slightly higher speeds is much more economical, ... This time, time and time again. If you are, of course, are not selling technical support along with the product itself, the business here is very prosyadet.
A few words about the Softkey, Allsoft and some other options. Softkey better ( less commission ) has an opportunity to work with foreign buyers (through Softkey. net). Derivation of the money goes directly to the account (without additional checks, commissions, etc.. ). Allsoft his background seems a sharashka (all entreaties to come personally to the office and sign the treaty were rejected - the paper by mail ), the commission they have, on average, higher. But ( IMHO) a more powerful marketing. What is and should be used. Ideally, of course, is most advantageous to have its own processing (eg, based on the same insales. ru), and through these stores to attract additional. customers ( and, perhaps, to an affiliate network). More specific information yet. Maybe in six months will have the calculations with real numbers.
Personally, I have a request to the Skype ' I let you translate 500 30 WMR WMZ toss money on your phone - you sell me a product, but at the same time explain how to configure it ...
Yes, a little side note: here and we are talking about building the most ...
From poetry - to the point.
Some of the issues highlighted, now go to the most interesting part - what will work for the establishment of business (or product - as someone more like the software business with no product - still, that on March 8 without flowers and chocolates ), but that does not work. In principle, something new in the facts set out below are unlikely to meet (all of which have sounded more than once or twice ), but may be aggregated experience will help someone.
Placement in specialized directories.
First, if you go on the needs of users, you need to go to the target group and communicate with them ( to offer the product, evaluate responses, opinions, make improvements ). For web -based products ( consumer level ) options are not very many - is the most common community CMS - WordPress, Joomla!, Drupal ( and the smaller / local).
Will focus on experiences with four directories - is. expansion WordPress. ,. Joomla! . ,. Drupal. and. Bitrix partner modules. Oddly enough, but most turned out to be a tight place Drupal - moderators strongly rejected all attempts to add ... Due to the small number of Drupal- community attempts to be added there had been temporarily suspended.
WordPress was the most pleasant place to build extensions. An extensive API, the lack of complete freedom of moderation (only reviews from users ). As a result, dating from before the publication of the API extensions took around 3 days (for example for the Joomla! Was 2.5 months for Bitrix - about a month). When designing for WordPress you get access to a shared SVN, with all the updates are synchronized with the site, readme- file is translated into a set of web pages, and all users receive the update notification extensions. Lepota, and only.
For Joomla! .
For more intricate Bitrix API (probably because of serviceability of the system and the lack of a sufficient number of ready-made extensions for review ), but the problem is also solved.
As a result of traffic WordPress with Joomla! . It says, rather, about the volume and popularity of community (as well as the feasibility of developing for them ).
It is also quite strong (in the wide world) MODx community and Magento. If you like something to develop - and be guided by them, too.
The technological gap.
Can be mistaken in the exact term (if anyone will correct in the comments - I would appreciate ), but here we have in mind a substantial gap between the innovative product ( for geeks ) and mass of products ( for normal users). These two categories are significantly different, and if you work for the mass market (and starting with the creation of a new product ), you will inevitably run into this abyss.
It should be noted that the same ... Geeks will appreciate the amount of features, capacities, uniqueness. The residents are likely to be involved in brand recognition, convenience, reliability,. T. e. if you can attract geeks roll crude version, which will be regularly bazhit, to break, but will be ... So, actually, you need to ...
In bridging this gap should not lose sight of the main purpose of the product and make it a mass, not losing appeal to the most advanced part of the society. This is the only way to be the first: after all, geeks may be disappointed otherwise, or someone else will release a more ... In any case, recognition of the geek community should be the starting place for a normal, high-quality (in terms the layman, of course ) of the product.
Achieved this task is relatively simple (not in terms of time and man hours, but in terms of trends and ideas ) you will need to continuously collect user feedback, iteratively refine the product and not lose sight of the main idea ( one that was in the early - . And sooner or later it will happen - you get a product, a recognized market leader and is a.
The time and limited.
If you are developing a prototype of the product may take a week or two (or, as is now fashionable to practice - one weekend ), we conclude it at least until the RTM- version (Ready To Market, to market ready-made ) - is at least a couple of months of hard . At the same time to overcome the above-mentioned technological divide may take years, even. Therefore, beginning to create something, be prepared for a very large investment of time and patience before you begin to get something really worthwhile. And the seemingly ...
In view of the very limited time and resources to adapt to the market only working rule - the law of Pareto's 20/80. Each time, faced the task of formulating or, evaluate its priority. And remember that the solution is just only 20% of high priority by 80% will propel you to your goal, so do not spray on stuff (yes, there is still important to learn how to evaluate that stuff and what not, but it comes with experience:).
Sometimes it may seem that the days and months go by and nothing happens - this is normal. Usually the changes are accumulated, and only then is a quantum leap: you show on television, they write about you on digg, or you are shaking hands with President. But in any situation, systematic work is necessary, adapting to the market and solving problems on the list.
A little on the limited: the creation of the mass of the product has its pluses. You can collect a sufficiently large number of similar observations and their cluster, forming the basis for their documentation, FAQs, manuals, etc.. Naturally, this will cover only the bulk of users ( those who ask the same questions ), but spending a little time, you will be able to satisfy all.
It can help the next orientation, every time, putting the next task, hesitate, what percentage of users will be happy after the decision. Quite a lot? . One or two? .
Business Model.
On this subject there is nothing specific. If 10 years ago worked just selling software ... At the moment, we have changed the concept of monetization ideas 2 (T. e. now in the process of testing is the third). Maybe in the next topic will be more information.
But just now we can say one thing for niche products (not the kernel Linux, no database or web server ) model of open source software fundraiser works worse than the sale of commercial licenses: insufficient coverage of users. Although all need some kind of line features: this functionality is available free of charge, and advanced - for a price.
It is also clear that the advertising model is applicable for software is very limited (m. e. browser or a content management system still all right, but for most extensions to this system, browser, or no longer exists, but would appreciate it if someone gave a link in the comments on the transfer of monetization models ).
Some statistics.
I do not know how specific figures will be interesting, but for the overall assessment of the effectiveness of development can help someone and. So, over the past year.
50k downloads. product.
Each month, an increase in downloads by 20-50%.
1000 sites running on it.
At the same time every day.
100k Internet users download web sites fast (sometimes not even knowing it ).
while saving about one million seconds.
The formula is pretty simple: download the site takes about 5-10 seconds, average speed: 2-3. Each user is viewing an average of three pages on the site (already taking into account the positive effect of rapid download).
P. S. Yes, in the next issue will try to illuminate the deeper problems of office, payroll, and some financial intricacies.
P. P. S. site.
www. webogroup. com. located on the.
GAE. (do not think for advertising, just comfortable enough and, most importantly, free), so that the Habr -effect, we now worry:).