Promote Your Software Product. It is Easy !

[Fazi]

I saw number of question asking " I have finished My project. What is next " . I though to share my little experience with you. Hope it might help you a little at least. Please contribute to this thread by putting your experiences as well.

Methods to Promote your Software Product around the world..

Method 1.

Buy a 3rd party Software Submission Program which automatically uploads your app information to hundreds of software download directories. But 75% of the directories are not that good ones. Some don't even exist.

The best way is to make a PAD (http://www.asp-shareware.org/pad/) file for your application using a PAD generator software. One is available here for free at http://www.padcreator.com/ . Very easy. PAD creators generate an XML file which contain your product information required by the software download directories. You put that file in your website and whenever you require, you just use it’s url. Please remember, some of the directories i.e. Upload.com require to fill there own submission form.

Last 5 years I am maintaining a top list of download directories from 250+ directories available online. you can go to each of them an upload your pad using there pad submission form. it is very simple.

Please remember, You need to create a “Partners” page in your website before you visit these pages. Some download directories ask a link back to there site.


:thumb: Top Software Download directories :thumb:

http://www.upload.com - Probably the number #1 site. Free submissions available. But a prepaid package gives more exposure. You can also participate in there button partner program. But Seems not much there.
www.twocows.com – Download.com competitor. Packages seems very expensive. Free submissions take months to process.
www.snapfiles.com –A Free submissions will give you a large number of downloads. But a paid one will generate downloads even more.
http://fileforum.betanews.com/ - Excellent site.
www.vnunet.com/resource/submissions - UK Computer active magazine's Software site.
www.freewarefiles.com - Excellent site.
www.majorgeeks.com – It seems they add products submitted to snapfiles. But still they have a subimission box. Excellent site.
www.simtel.com – Here, In addition to submissions, Direct your downloads to there mirror and get paid.
www.softpedia.com - Excellent site.
www.scanwith.com – Only security related software’s can be submitted. Excellent site.
www.pcworld.com – Probably one of the best. Very hard to get a place. Free submission available.
www.freedownloadcenter.com - Excellent Site. You should get a large number of downloads.
www.soft32.com - Excellent site. A submission is really worth.
http://en.softonic.com/ - Excellent Site.
www.download3k.com – A Very Good one.
http://www.download3000.com/ - A very Good one.
http://www.pcanswers.co.uk/downloads/ - No experience with this directory.
http://www.vistafiles.com/ - Recently launched one.
http://www.filehippo.com/ - Becoming very popular.
www.sofotex.com - Very Good One. Also an old player in the industry.
http://www.freebyte.com – They will send you a reasonable amount of downloads.
http://www.filedudes.com/ - A Very Good One.
www.onekit.com - A Very Good One.
www.freewarehome.com - A Very Good One.
http://www.download3000.com/ - A Very Good One.

www.topshareware.com
www.freewareweb.com
http://www.sharewareplaza.com/
www.brothersoft.com
http://www.myzips.com/
www.download2you.com
http://www.download.com.ph
http://www.bestsoftware4download.com/
www.soft-go.com
www.freewarepro.com
http://www.freedownloadmanager.org/downloads
http://www.downloadsofts.com/
http://www.filecluster.com/
http://www.downloadatoz.com/
http://www.topdownloads.net/
http://www.soft-go.com/submitapps/
http://submit.winpcware.com
http://www.filetransit.com
http://www.10001downloads.com/
http://www.eurodownload.com/
http://www.hotlib.com/
http://www.downloadready.com/
http://en.download.hr/index.php
http://freewarelist.net/

You can suggests more good ones.


Method 2.

Register for a Google Adwords account here (http://adwords.google.com). The registration fee is 5USD. Then you can spend another 5 or 10 USD. They will send you clicks to your product Home page. In additions to clicks, they will generate a large amount of page impressions for your add. So a banner add give more exposure.

Don't just go an put a $ 0.25 bid for each click. There are lots of articles available on the net related to Google Adwords campain. for example, you can search on Google or Yahoo for "Tips for Managing Your Google AdWords Campaign", "Google AdWords Tips and Tricks" etc.

If you get things right, AdWords works brilliantly. If you get things wrong,
you can lose lots of money fast.

Method 3

Using your forum signature. Before adding it, read the forum FAQ section weather your allowed to put external links.

Also, place a link in your profile page in those Social Networking Sites. i.e. facebook, myspace, Orkut etc.

Method 4

Send the product link to your address book contacts. No spam :wave:

Method 5 :
Most of the services are now available though a web browser. i.e. Spread sheets, word processors, IM etc. So try to make a Web Version of your product. Put a link to your software bundle for download there as a Desktop Version. For example, assume you made a calculator. You can
create a web version of that using a script like JS. so people can use your service in either way.


Method 6. Making A YouTube Video with your website URL That contain the Software Product.

Any other methods if you have, please suggest.

[abcat]

Thanks for this great tips :) It will be very handy.

[Fazi]

Thanks abcat for the comment :thumb:

[smartcanix]

You don't clarify this thread as promote our product online, did you? :bigyello: I would appreciated if you can add more tips for promoting our product offline.

BTW they're great tips ;)

[Fazi]

Thank You smartcanix.
Yes the topic includes tips for promoting online. Your absolutely correct. Offiline campaigns may include Roadshows & TV Shows etc :D So as you sad, the title should include "Online" is it. :thumb:

I have no experience on offline campains :wave:

[Hack]

Moved

[Kasracer]

Moved
Wouldn't this be more appropriate in the CodeBank?

[Hack]

No, not really....it isn't actual code.

[RobDog888]

Probably better as a FAQ item. Si should take a look at this to see where best it may fit into the FAQs.

Good work Fazi :thumb:

[Fazi]

I pm'd si_the_geek few days ago. But at that time Hack has moved it to here. So he was ok with the new location. BTW, Thanks Rob :)

[RobDog888]

Do you have any other tips on promoting your software without having to distribute it to all those download sites? Something like if you had your own site?

[Fazi]

Hack,

Then you have to be good in SEO (search engine optimization) i guess. I am also working on these subjects. This document http://www.associateprograms.com/free-downloads/77ways.pdf has some good tips for SEO's .

If i found any other methods, ill post them.

But Google Adwords is good for any type of campain :thumb:

[RobDog888]

But it can cost alot if you get alot of clicks.

[Fazi]

Rob, did you find any usufull tips in that pdf document ?

[RobDog888]

Yes, its a great document, still reading it too as its looooong :D :thumb:

[Fazi]

OK Rob, I just wanted to check weather you got anything from this doc relevant to your post #11 :D.

[RobDog888]

Yes, the doc deals mostly with getting your site more visibility and higher search rankings etc which will help alot.

I'm doing #23 :D

[Fazi]

Oh yes #23 :thumb:

[Fazi]

Since that document is a little older one, it does not have anything about "Google Webmasters" . An excellent tool to estimate your sites performance with Google Searches. http://www.google.com/webmasters/

[akhileshbc]

How can we make income by just displaying other online GIF ads in our program.(Just like Download Accelearator's Free Version)..:)

Thanks for the tutorial..:)

[Fazi]

How can we make income by just displaying other online GIF ads in our program.(Just like Download Accelearator's Free Version)..:)

Thanks for the tutorial..:)

Hai Akileshbc,

Most of the webmasters are earn most of there money online today i belive is using Google Adsense. Register an account at Google Adsense. once your site approved, you can put ad code in your site which will display animated banners you mentioned.

https://www.google.com/adsense/

:wave:

[akhileshbc]

I am asking Not about site, on softwares:)

[Fazi]

oh sorry :D

hm, i have not implimented that yet in softwares.
but you better consult cpx interactive like company and ask weather it is posible to use there banners in the softwares. if they sad ok, then you can use a webbrowser control and show the ads. for example, cpx will deliver ads like screen servers form screenscervers.com like sites.
if a user instell that though your software, they will pay you.

[akhileshbc]

Thats nice. But what actually i am asking is:
when a software is runned, it will check 4 any gif files in net. Then downloads it and will be displayed in the software. When i searched the forum, i got almost everything needed.
Thanx 4 replying:)

[park[1]]

Good information..you really did a good gob congrats..your tips a really useful and i owe you to that . cheers...

[Nightwalker83]

But it can cost alot if you get alot of clicks.

I misread clicks as chicks. I wish that were true. :D

I saw number of question asking " I have finished My project. What is next " .

Great FAQ Fazi! It seems like our own moti barski (http://www.vbforums.com/member.php?u=114298) has followed some of your suggestions. You see what I am referring to by googling his username. :lol: