Just Finish on Getting Real… 16

There are lots of things that I’ve learned from the last 15 chapters.

In everything we do, we have to give importance and passion to it. If we have passion and importance, in return it will give us success. Valuing our customer is the number one priority in the business, we always have to listen to them. But remember to analyze all the things that they say, and sometimes we can say NO to their suggestion as long as we as the developers know what is best for the application we are making. You have to know to listen and address all of their inquires with a honest answer. Remember that customers wants honest answer from us.

There are lots of things that you will learn in this book. The best thing here is you should know is when to throw ideas that is not important and use the only thing you should. It is important that we analyze everything before doing the program. And doing the design first is good than coding first. Every application that you are working on should be appreciated by your client. So value your client whenever they are asking you.

Just Start on Getting Real… 15

One Month Tuneup

In almost all applications and startups, surely there will be upgrades. When launching an update it is a good idea to be able to announce it ahead of time before the actual launch and as much as possible, the announcement should be at least 30 days before the launch. This is so that the customers will be informed ahead of time and at the same time it helps the company to focus on the core feature updates or those feature that are needed or the foundation for the update. In this case also, companies will be able to get early feedback from their customers about what they think about the update.

Keep the Posts Coming

Even after the product launch has been done, the company should still continue to blog about their product. Things that should be included in the blogs are faq, how-tos, tips and tricks, new features, updates, fixes, and the like. When blogging, always be friendly and polite. If done properly, it can make the company sound human which is good thing.

Better, Not Beta

Beta tests are good for the product to be able to check out the problems and bugs in the application. But sometimes, companies abuse the power of beta for them not to be responsible for the problems and bugs that happen to the application when launched to the public. This is a bad habit. In fact, companies that are doing these things shouldn’t even be developing applications. When you launch something to the market be sure to always be responsible of what the application will turn out to be in the market whether it is a good or a bad application. Companies must always have in mind to always launch good and even the best applications only into the market.

All Bugs Are Not Created Equal

It is pretty sure that when you create an application it will surely have a bug. An application cannot be perfect. Somehow or someway, there is a bug somewhere in the application. And if the bug has been seen be sure to carefully examine it and prioritize those bugs that are critical to the running application. Having a bug doesn’t mean that the application is a bad one and that the company should panic. The company just has to fix each bug as quickly as possible.

Ride Out the Storm

When there is a launch of a new feature, a new update, a change in policy, or any change at all, surely there will be negative reactions following it coming from people. More times than not, these negative reactions are just initial reactions from customers that are a little bit unfamiliar of the new change that has happened and still has not been able to adapt yet. At this situation, the companies must be calm and wait for a few days. By that time, most if not all those negative reaction will be gone. And even if there are still a few left then that is the time to hear them out because maybe, just maybe, the negative reaction is true.

Keep Up With the Joneses

Another good practice for the company to do is to listen and know what their competitor has. One way of doing this is through news feeds. Having news feed will be a good idea to quickly and efficiently transport information from the competitor to the company. Companies must subscribe to these news feed to be able to know up-to-date what is happening to the products and services of their competitor.

Beware the Bloat Monster

There is no reason to be adding more and more features to an already existing good application that has its own core features already. The reason for this is that people are paying for the product because the application does whatever the reason for it to be built. Having a simple product that does its job extremely well is the best product.

Go With the Flow

Always remember that the first release of an application won’t always be the same as to what it will be after some time. Always consider the change that has to be made for the product for it to become good. Companies should be able to adapt to whatever the change is and accept it.

Just Start on Getting Real… 14

Feel The Pain

It is important for both designers and programmers to be able to talk and communicate with their customer. It is important because when they don’t listen and hear what the customers want, problems will appear.

Zero Training

Training just means more expenses for the company and so the company must be able to avoid having trainings. Instead of having training putting up inline helps and faqs will greatly help. By doing so, there will be less people asking about the same question over and over again. At the same time, the company can also save cost.

Answer Quick

One of the hardest things to do for the company is to answer questions of the customers. There are too many questions by customers that have to be answered. Buy even so, these questions must be dealt with and answered quickly. Answering quickly to comments and question will is a good way to gain good customer relations with them. And when answering always be polite. The answer doesn’t have to be perfect but it has to be something that is true and honest.

Tough Love

There are then some customers who always requests for features even if these features are unnecessary. Even so, the company must be able to resist saying yes to these feature requests. Instead, they must be able to say no and think and focus to what is more important and what most of the customers want and have to say. Always remember that you cannot always please everybody but you can please most of them.

In Fine Forum

Another way of helping customers is to not help them at all. Companies can build forums so that customers can help their co-customers. In forums, customers are able to help one another and share their problems and their solutions to each other without even bothering the company. Forums help both customers and the company to solve their problems quickly and efficiently without any hassle.

Publicize Your Screwups

There are times when the company themselves will encounter problems regarding the products. At this case the company should be able to announce these problems to the public even if the public doesn’t know about these problems. It is a little bit a bad news for the company side but coming to think of it, saying the problems to the public will be good as well to at least lessen those questions and bug reports going in the company. It is better to inform customers of some problem then letting them experience it. And being honest also is a good way to build a good relation with them.

Just Start on Getting Real 13

Hollywood Launch

In this part, it is said that before launching a product, it is important to let people know about the product first. This is true since no matter how good the product is but if people don’t know about it then the product will be useless. There are three steps here before launching. The first is the teaser. This stage lets the people have a first impression on the product. You can do this by blogging it, setting up a website for it, having a logo for it etc… The next stage is the preview stage. This stage is done by letting users have access on some of the features of the product. This stage is a good way to start testing and having beta tests in your product. The last is of course the launch. In this stage, people will now be able to fully use the product. At the same time you should also start building a site to fully market the product.

A Powerful Promo Site

In having a promotional site, there are things that should be remembered for it to be successful in its purpose. The site should contain an overview which will explain briefly the product and its benefits. The site should also have a tour feature that will help guide the people through the key features of the product. The site should then have screen captures and videos for people to easily see how the product looks. The site should then have a manifesto that would explain the ideas and philosophy before during and after building the product. The site should then have a case study that will serve as examples to what possibly might happen in the product. The site should then have a buzz that would let people give reviews and testimonials about the product. The site should then have a forum that would let members have a place to help and talk to each other. The site should then have a pricing and sign up that will let people use the product quickly. And lastly, the site should then have a weblog in which you can get new news and tips.

Ride the Blog Wave

Having a blog is a better way of doing promotion compared to having an advertisement. This is because having an advertisement is much more expensive than just having a blog. A blog also has a much better feedback and has more use than an advertisement. A blog can serve as a forum for people to talk with each other.

Solicit Early

It is also a good idea to start having a site up early to get early feedbacks from people. This helps in building your product popularity up and it also helps in getting customer feedbacks easier which is very useful in developing the product.

Feature Food

Having buzz is a good way in promoting your product and one way to generate buzz quickly is by adding new and interesting features to the application. This would then be put up to a community in which people will be getting interested in the new features.

Track Your Logs

In blogs and community forums, you should be able to keep track of everything little detail of what your market has to say about your product may it be a positive comment or a negative comment. If it is a negative comment then there is much need to focus on it for it might be something in which you can develop your product better. In negative comments also remember to leave a reply but in a nice and humble way for it can build a good connection between you and the one who commented it.

Inline Upsell

There are many apps out in the market that are free but there is a deeper meaning behind it. Even if the software is free, it is still not full. The user will then be offered of availing an upgrade in which he or she will have to pay for it. This upgrade will somehow have added features compared to the free software. This is a good style for people to try and use the product first for them to have a feel at first of it.

Name Hook

The best way to promote the application is of course through it name. The name of the product basically gives it the identity for it to be distinguished in the market. Pick a name that would best describe the product and at the same time catchy and easily remembered by people.