

I don't want to register before downloading - ossreleasefeed
http://blog.jasha.eu/2009/05/i-dont-want-to-register-before.html

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redsymbol
I'm speaking as an entrepreneur and business owner here - not an end consumer
of the download who will, quite reasonably, take something they want for free,
if given the choice not to pay for it.

If the goal is to be _financially successful_ , it's really important to ask
what the purpose of the business communication is - including an offer of
something for "free".

In reality, if the management of the business is honest, they'll recognize
that they will nearly never give something away truly for free. There are
strings attached that at least potentially can be used to increase revenue and
profit. Otherwise why do it. That is why I put the word free in quotation
marks above.

(Exception, sometimes: doing something for public relations reasons. That's
uncommon compared to what we're talking about here.)

If a website requires you to give them an email address before being able to
download, I think most people here will recognize that the download is not
truly free, despite you not being required to give them any money. You have
given them your contact info, raised your hand (identified yourself) as a
potential customer, and given them the right to email you in the future (until
you opt out).

Another idea, which I've implemented recently in my own business, is to
structure things so that the "free" offer is structured in a series of emails
delivered over time (so 10-minute spam email boxes won't work). Each email has
sales copy encouraging the recipient to buy the for-pay product. The email
sequence has continued value, so they mostly choose to stay subscribed.

Some people won't do this. Guess what: _they unlikely to give you money
anyway_. If you read the comments of the original post, some poster calling
himself "Heavy Battle Wombat" explains how basically he'll do everything he
can to get around the strings being attached to the free offer. And if he
can't he will go somewhere else instead.

So my uncircumventable mailing list will repel him. Excellent. He is very
unlikely to ever want to pay for anything to begin with. Now I don't have to
waste time and other resources trying to sell to him, and can focus more on
serving those who have identified themselves as more willing to pay for goods
of value.

Let me be clear, I don't mean to cast HBW as spoiled or "bad" in any way. He
just has a certain value and belief system with regards to free-as-in-beer
software downloads, and IMO there is nothing wrong with how he's choosing to
move through life. Really. At the same time, it implies he is less likely to
be a profitable customer for certain kinds of businesses. So I'm sure not
going to bend over backwards trying to get him as a customer.

I'm being a little more pointed and blunt here than usual, because frankly
this is important. It's obvious some people are thinking with their emotions
rather than their heads, enchanted by a romantic notion that it'd be wonderful
if everything would be free. (It would, and I'm working towards that world of
great abundance-for-all myself. But the notion is not realistic yet.)

If you disagree, I welcome your comments, but please don't expect me to reply
if you have not actually done it and can clearly support what you're saying
with _successful_ experience. (To edw519, who said "Make something so
compelling that you won't need to collect emails" below: My friend, I am
talking to you :)

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teej
One thing that I'm surprised I don't see more often is an un-required mailing
list sign-up integrated into the download. iTunes does this
(<http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/>) and it makes sense. You're asking
something simple of the downloader, not getting in their way, and you have the
chance of getting another email on your mailing list. Mailing lists are
valuable, so it's a great way to monetize a free user without being an ass.

~~~
akirk
Well, most people don't get that it's optional, and this is also in part
because they don't make it obvious that it is in fact optional.

Clever in some way but I still consider it as tricking people into signing up.

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Hexstream
It seems clueless website designers think their visitors will go: " _Ok, I've
already invested time going through the grueling registration process so I
might as well try to use the service as much as I can to have good return on
investment_ ", but it's more like " _There's no way I'm wasting time going
through a stupid registration process like that for something that might not
even be worth shit_ ".

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nfriedly
_cough_ <http://www.bugmenot.com/> _cough_

That one gets me past 90% of the "Register because we want you to" sites. I
try to add a bugmenot entry for the other few, so I can at least save some
time for the guy after me.

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xiaoma
Just use bugmenot.

<https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/6349>

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edw519
How about this approach...

Make something so compelling that you won't need to collect emails for follow-
up; they'll be back.

