Software Development Mastery

Dwane Mood

• Publisher: Bibliomundi
• Year: 2021
• eBook ISBN: 9781526035233
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Software Development
• Index: Computer Science

Once upon a time, building your own software empire meant becoming another Microsoft or Bill Gates. And that took plenty of time, plenty of money, and plenty of resources.Nowadays, it's as simple as turning on your computer.Well, maybe not THAT simple. But having a computer is really all it takes to own, operate, and develop a software business.Just having access to the Internet…You can brainstorm and come up with ideas.You can find out what type of products do or don't already exist.You can determine exactly what people want and need.You can locate and hire a programmer.You can create software graphics (or have them created).You can promote and sell your finished products.And when you think about the fact that you can do all those things without leaving the comfort of your home, it's pretty amazing. Plus, the cost of creating and developing software is no where near what it used to be.Instead of having to travel long distances or settle for whatever programmer is located within a reasonable distance from you (and whatever price they happen to charge), you can easily choose from any number of qualified programmers throughout the world.For each project you put out there, you'll have numerous professionals vying for your business, each one trying to outbid the other. And in most instances, that means coming up with a bid that is lower than the next guy.Not that you should pick the lowest bid. That should never be your main consideration when choosinga programmer. But the fact that programmers will be competing in that manner means you can ultimately get the best possible job done for the best possible price.Another advantage is the income potential. Although there are several ways you can make money online, none of them comes close when you calculate the amount of money that can be generated through the sale of software products.And the true benefit of dealing in software products is the fact that you don't have to talk someone into buying it. The product either fulfills the needs or wants of a prospective buyer or it doesn't.With an ebook, for example, you generally have to come up with all sorts of ingenious sales copy just to convince people why they should buy it. With software, it's as simple as listing all the features and benefits.And, when it comes right down to it, people who purchase software products aren't really interested in hearing some sales pitch. They simply want the facts and nothing but the facts…

Customer and Technical Support

The main difficulty with software is the fact that it will always require some level of customer or technical support.

No matter how much you prepare for, no matter how many questions and answers you publish or how extensive a knowledgebase or documentation you provide, there will always be someone who needs help in one form or another.

I know…

You’re probably thinking you won’t need anything heavy or elaborate until after your software business gets cranked up. You’re confident that you alone (at least, in the beginning) should be able to handle a few email inquiries.

Well, think again.

Even one product can result in dozens, if not hundreds, of weekly communication from customers, prospective customers, browsers, and people who have “general” questions or are simply curious about this, that, or the other thing.

And although many inquires might only require a brief yes or no, one or two sentences type of answer, many will not.

In most instances, you’ll need to provide qualified answers or information. That is, something much more involved than responses like, “Yes, we do provide free lifetime upgrades” or “for more information, please refer to our frequently asked questions”.

I don’t care how prepared you THINK you might be, there will always be questions and inquiries that were not anticipated or imagined. After all, you can’t possibly think of everything.

And believe me, when it comes to software products, there’s no possible way you can anticipate each and every conceivable question or inquiry.

But we’ll deal with that problem in a moment. Right now, let’s talk about basic methods you can provide in order to cut down the amount of work involved in customer and technical support.

First and foremost, you need to include adequate documentation with your software product. Although every instance would be different, there are three basic items that generally apply.

ReadMe file – This could include any number of things such as providing the user with a welcome or thank you message, a brief description of the product, how to proceed, installation instructions, terms of use, mention of any support forum or website, and contact information.

Installation instructions – Assuming you haven’t already included this information in the ReadMe file, you would provide clear and concise instructions that lead the user step by step through the entire installation process.

User instructions – Even if you have help files built into your software product, it’s always a good idea to provide independent instructions. That could be accomplished through an ebook or web pages, or both.

Naturally, you’ll want users to have access to all this information after they purchase but prior to actually installing the software.

The best way to handle this is to simply “bundle” everything in a zip file (the software product, instructions, etc.). That way, the user will have convenient access to everything related to the software. Plus, they’ll know exactly how to proceed.

The next thing you’ll want to provide is a set of frequently asked questions. For the most part, that should include three different areas of interest…

• pre-sales questions
• general questions
• product questions

Try to come up with as many questions and answers as possible. A good way to do that is to simply navigate to other software product websites and view their FAQ’s.

That should provide you with most of what you’ll need.

And however you make these questions and answers available, make certain you have it set up in such a way that you can easily make changes. You see… No matter how many questions you initially come up with, others will always surface.

In fact, each time someone contacts you with a new or unique inquiry, you’ll want to add that to your FAQ’s.

The best method is to install a script that will allow you to manage all of your frequently asked questions on the fly. These are web based so you can log in to a private administration page and then make any additions or changes from there.

Aside from the convenience, this gives you the opportunity to have other people manage and contribute to your frequently asked questions as well. For example, someone on your support staff or even a friend or family member that helps out now and then.

Just go to HotScripts and type “frequently asked questions script” in their main search field. You’ll find around a dozen scripts. And the good news is, some of the best ones are actually free.

Ok. That takes care of providing viewers with comprehensive questions and answers.

Next comes the knowledgebase, which is basically a more advanced and searchable version of frequently asked questions.

For most software products, this type of area isn’t really necessary. But it’s something you should keep in mind for the future, especially if you create and develop products that are rather involved or complicated such as paint/draw programs or website builders.

Depending on the type of product, you might also provide tutorials, either on your website or in downloadable ebooks.

For the ebooks, PDF is a good choice because you can simply create your tutorial in a Word document and then convert it to PDF. Plus, users can easily print out any or all of the pages.

A really good software product for creating ebooks is the one located at http://www.pdf995.com. It’s totally free to download and use. However, in order to eliminate the ads that are displayed whenever you open the program, you’ll need to pay a small “upgrade” fee.

Last but not least, there’s the forum. This is where you set up a discussion board for your products and then users contribute to the information and content on an ongoing basis.

Although discussions boards are the perfect answer to self help, they also present distinct problems. The most glaring one is the fact that they don’t flourish on their own. Without some sort of guidance, the board will wither and die.

Also, boards almost always require one or more “authority” figures, people who can properly monitor posts as well as jump in and provide answers and information whenever necessary.

If you can eliminate the drawbacks, however, a forum can be the perfect solution to providing both customer and technical support. But that still might not be enough.

A more advanced method is to use a help desk system. That’s where users have the ability to submit tickets and then receive timely responses from a support staff.

One of the most advanced systems is Kayako (http://www.kayako.com). Among other things, it allows you to manage your support emails and you can easily chat with users in real time to resolve issues quickly. Plus, it also includes a knowledgebase, troubleshooter, and a download area for all necessary manuals, software, etc.

Naturally, you might not need anythin...

Table of contents

• Getting Your Feet Wet
• Brainstorming
• Researching The Market
• Establishing Features
• Loose Lips Sink Ships
• Defining The Details
• Programming Language
• Customer and Technical Support
• To Partner Or Not To Partner
• Finding The Right Programmer
• How It Works
• Using The Service
• Choosing A Programmer
• Paying For Your Project
• Using Rent A Coder
• Quick Tips and Advice
• Project Example
• Your Product Website
• Sales Copy
• System Requirements
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Installation Instructions
• Product Manuals
• Tutorials
• Contact Information
• The Purchase Process
• Promoting Your Products
• In Closing