I am nearing completion of version 2.0 and need feedback from users. Basically, I want to know what sort of limitations you think would be fair to impose on a free version of the software.
I want the software to be something users could get some benefit out of for free, especially with learning how different changes affect the length and skill level of their games. On the other hand, I don't want to give the whole thing away for free. I've put a lot of hard work into this and I'm selling it for very little cost, so I want to convert as many free users to paid users as possible.
In the past, I've set it up so that the setup functionality is complete, but the timer always would revert to 2 minutes per level, basically making the timer useless for real games. I don't think I want to do this again.
In version 1.6, the timer works with whatever duration(s) you set and you can play around with setting up any tournament structure, but the timer and other screens always revert back to the "Automatic" structure. It allows the software to be used free of charge with the "Automatic" structure. I think I might be giving away too much, and not providing enough incentive to purchase the full version.
Other ideas:
- Popup messages when user changes screens. Just an annoyance, really, but may be effective in converting free users to paid users.
- A watermark that shows up on the timer screen saying "Free Trial Version. Visit simpletourneymanager.com to purchase full version." Again, pretty much just an annoyance that people could pay to eliminate.
- Addition of a message similar to above that would automatically be mixed in with the other messages displayed on the timer screen.
- Limit the number of rounds, or total time the timer would work for.
- Build in an expiration date. I'm not sure if I can do this effectively in Excel. The methods I've investigated so far are too easy to crack.
Please let me know what you think...
Arnold Snyder's Poker Tournament Formula Website
