Requirements Needed To Sell Software

[abazabam]

What requirements are there for someone to start selling some software? My main concern is the copyright stuff.

[gigemboy]

Do you mean sell programs you create? Or just re-selling?

[abazabam]

Programs that I create

[RobDog888]

You would want to protect your code if using .NET to write it by using a obfusicator utility/program to keep the code from dissambly. then also, you will want to write up a terms of use or license agreement, Trademark your software's name, and add code to create a program registration scheme so it cant just be distributed without a serial number and activation etc.

[abazabam]

Can you please explain to me more about the copyrighting stuff? Such as where to go, what to send, etc. I also am trying to figure out how to get my program's website near the tope of the list on a specific keyword Google search. Thanks

[RobDog888]

Depends on the country where your at. Google copyright and you should find the site. this is the one for the USA - http://www.copyright.gov

[abazabam]

Does anyone know how to get a program's website on the top of the list of a specific keyword Google search? Also, what's your opinion on the best website hoster? I'm thinking about GoDaddy or Yahoo.

[Al42]

Does anyone know how to get a program's website on the top of the list of a specific keyword Google search?

Look for someone who's richer than Bill Gates. Having that knowledge is an easier way of getting fabulously wealthy than having governmernt permission to print money (printing is actual work).

Also, what's your opinion on the best website hoster? I'm thinking about GoDaddy or Yahoo.

I've been using GoDaddy for years, and I'm still with them. Enough of an answer for you?

[si_the_geek]

Does anyone know how to get a program's website on the top of the list of a specific keyword Google search?

The same way we did here (for "vb forums"/"forums vb" we are the top results out of about 200 million), make a good site that people want to go to.

Search engines have got to the point where they look for the same things that we would look for, rather than just matching keywords. Despite what some people claim, there are no worthwhile short-cuts or cheats - as they will just have the opposite effect after a week or two (once the search engines notice the trick, and "blacklist" the sites using them).

I have helped a friend get his site from about rank 30000 in the results (for his preferred keyword), to within the top 200 and still rising. At no point was anything noticable done to aid search engines specifically - we just improved the site from a useability point of view, such as removing Flash banners (which several people cant use), and fixing all HTML errors (which cause issues for alternative browsers), etc.

[abazabam]

But isn't there a way to pay my way to the top of a Google search?

[abazabam]

Al42, I'm not trying to become fabulously wealthy. I just want to sell software as, sort of, a second career. I already know I can't become fabulously wealthy but I'll be happy just making a small amount.

[si_the_geek]

But isn't there a way to pay my way to the top of a Google search?

Nope. The only way to do something like that is to buy a "Sponsored Link" that is shown above/beside results.

This (for Google at least) is done in an auction style, so for each keyword you want you can set a maximum bid per time it is displayed, and a maximum number of times to be displayed in a certain time period.

Depending on the popularity of the keyword, you may find that you have to pay a (relatively) huge amount just for your "advert" to be shown once... and there are no guarantees that anyone will actually click on them (or even if they do, that they will buy your software).


What you can do is submit to download sites (like our sister site www.jumbo.com ), which can host your software/link to your site. Each of these has their own style, so some can just be a link to your site, and others must host the software, and some will do both.. the costs vary per site.

[Al42]

Al42, I'm not trying to become fabulously wealthy. I just want to sell software as, sort of, a second career. I already know I can't become fabulously wealthy but I'll be happy just making a small amount.

You misunderstood me. If anyone had the secret of pushing a web page to the top of search engines' lists, he'd be fabulously wealthy.

As far as your situation, write software that people need, for a price they can't resist, and word of mouth will make it popular.

[abazabam]

Has anyone ever tried to advertise using one of Google's sponsored links/ads? I'm curious how much it could cost. Also, does everyone's website adding start with http://www.google.com/addurl/?

[abazabam]

Would this be the forms/information? http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ61.html

[penagate]

But isn't there a way to pay my way to the top of a Google search?

That would make a mockery of the entire Google indexing process.

Search for "SEO" if you're really concerned about it. Some key points that help:

• Short, clear, relevant domain name.
• Sematic URLs.
• Tidy, well structured, valid code. No mixing of semantic and presentational elements.
• Content first, navigation links second.
• Links to your site from other well-ranked sites.

As for copyright, it depends what country you're in. All countries have their own copyright law (if they have one ). There is no universal agreement on copyright specifics.

For a proprietary product you will need a well written EULA as well. Look at licence agreements for other commercial products to get an idea of what you need to include, and then tailor it to your product. It is also worth getting a lawyer to assess it once you are done, to ensure that there are no loopholes and that it will stand up if challenged in a court.

[abazabam]

Yeah, I talked to someone else who told me to see a lawyer about the copyright stuff. I just don't really want this to be all serious and complicated enough to have to see a lawyer. Lawyers make me nervous because they're involved in crime stuff and court cases.

[penagate]

Copyright lawyers don't do murder trials