

Xobni Goes Back In Time With Boxed Software - latif
http://techcrunch.com/2010/06/16/xobni-goes-back-in-time-with-boxed-software/

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patio11
I would be amazed if this works out well, but I wish them the best.

My guess is that customers may _say_ they are more likely to purchase software
online if they see it offline first, but very few actually _do_ that. "Sure,
that sounds like reasonable behavior, and I'm a reasonable person." You'll
also get people to say things in surveys like "Yeah, I read privacy policies
before signing up to websites". A full 78% of the population told the BBB they
actively read those things, and 26% said they read every word. Those results
should provoke _gales of laughter_ from anyone here who actually checks their
stats.

While the type of person who shops for software offline might pay more for it
relative to an early adopting twenty-something who would prefer to pirate it
anyhow, they do not pay so much more that it covers the retail markup.

Plus, selling software offline robs you of all the numerous ways you can play
the retail game yourself, such as offering discounts, seasonal promotions,
upsells. Not to mention opportunities to use analytics / email / etc etc.

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derefr
When asking this sort of question, you have to get people thinking in near
mode. "Would you be willing to have $X less available to spend on groceries,
in order to [some advantage Xobni gives]?" would be much less ideal-invoking.

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ajg1977
I think it's smart.

If your product is a compliment to another then sharing a point of sale is
your earliest and best opportunity to make a sale. The type of people buying
software at these stores, as opposed to Amazon/newegg etc, are generally the
type least likely to discover/try/buy software such as Xobni online.

Also, Xobni Plus is a subscription product, so even if they make less on boxed
sales it can lead to additional revenue in the future.

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robryan
Even better if they can get the customer service people suggesting it to
people who are buying office, like how they always try to sell hdmi cables
with tv's.

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thunk
Now _that's_ thinking outside the ... oh, wait.

