4 ms·

Interesting that Scout isn't actually a freemium app by a strict definition though. At least, I can't see any free plans, only a 30-day trial. I'm also intrig

by sadiq 17y ago

Interesting that Scout isn't actually a freemium app by a strict definition though. At least, I can't see any free plans, only a 30-day trial. I'm also intrigued by the difference in subscriber rates between freemium webapps and freemium webgames. http://lsvp.wordpress.com/2008/06/09/successful-mmogs-can-see-1-2-in-monthly-arpu/ http://lsvp.wordpress.com/2008/06/09/successful-mmogs-can-se... The numbers from there vary from about 5% to 15%. What can freemium webapps learn from freemium games?

buugs 17y ago
It is really hard to notice but on this page: http://scoutapp.com/subscriptions http://scoutapp.com/subscriptions there is note of a 30 day free plan if you look (or search) but you don't get the same kind of information as you do on the other plans. We also offer a 30-day free plan: 1 server, 3 plugins, and a 30 minute reporting interval.
- ryanwaggoner 17y ago
  Ummm...what is a 30-day free plan? Isn't that just a free trial?
  - jd 17y ago
    I'm guessing it's actually a free plan, despite the "30 day trial" text. I'm guessing it's a humongous typo. When you sign up for the priced plans the sign up form asks for credit card info and promises 30 days free. The "Free" link goes to this sign up form: https://scoutapp.com/accounts/new?subscription_id=2 https://scoutapp.com/accounts/new?subscription_id=2 which doesn't ask for any contact details, and clearly shows the price as $0.00. Besides, I don't think the guys running Scout would refer to their service as freemium on their blog if they didn't have a free version. Their help link at the bottom of the website is also broken ( http://scoutapp.com/info/help http://scoutapp.com/info/help ), which means the the website probably hasn't been tested/proofread very carefully (understandably -- there's so much to do).
    - itsderek23 17y ago
      @jd - Thanks for pointing out the support link. We've fixed the link on the site.
scythe 17y ago
>What can freemium webapps learn from freemium games? Games have some advantages that can be hard for apps to replicate; games are, in general, more social than typical applications. Games are also somewhat more enviable. When I was 11, a few friends and I played RuneScape (remember runescape?). After one of us got a paid membership, everyone else suddenly got way more interested in having a paid RuneScape membership. That is to say, if one person gets a paid membership to a multiplayer online game, other people in their social circle will probably be more likely to subscribe as well. Taking advantage of this with a webapp would require that you provide something that someone either finds worthwhile showing off or something conspicuous enough that they don't have to. The second condition applied for Apple's iPod in the early part of the decade. It'd also probably be a good idea to offer benefits to groups of paid members as well as to individual paid members.
- dstorrs 17y ago
  I remember RuneScape, from ads in old Dragon magazines. But I always thought it was a pen and paper game. Was it originally a P&P before going online, or were the ads simply unclear?
  - scythe 17y ago
    I'm pretty sure it was always an online game played through a Java applet. It's had a few incarnations, but overall it's still pretty similar to when it started.
- jeremymcanally 17y ago
  Yes, and games are also far more linear. "Crap. I loved levels 1-10...but I can pay $10 for levels 10-20." or "This gun is great, but if I pay, I can get ones that are way more powerful." If you make an enjoyable product, typically you can convert interested casual users into paying customers fairly easily.
teej 17y ago
> What can freemium webapps learn from freemium games? People want to save time so that they can spend more of it -having fun-. If your app doesn't create happiness directly, save them as much time as you can so they can get that happiness somewhere else. People will pay for this.

by sadiq 17y ago

buugs 17y ago

It is really hard to notice but on this page: http://scoutapp.com/subscriptions http://scoutapp.com/subscriptions there is note of a 30 day free plan if you look (or search) but you don't get the same kind of information as you do on the other plans. We also offer a 30-day free plan: 1 server, 3 plugins, and a 30 minute reporting interval.

ryanwaggoner 17y ago
Ummm...what is a 30-day free plan? Isn't that just a free trial?
- jd 17y ago
  I'm guessing it's actually a free plan, despite the "30 day trial" text. I'm guessing it's a humongous typo. When you sign up for the priced plans the sign up form asks for credit card info and promises 30 days free. The "Free" link goes to this sign up form: https://scoutapp.com/accounts/new?subscription_id=2 https://scoutapp.com/accounts/new?subscription_id=2 which doesn't ask for any contact details, and clearly shows the price as $0.00. Besides, I don't think the guys running Scout would refer to their service as freemium on their blog if they didn't have a free version. Their help link at the bottom of the website is also broken ( http://scoutapp.com/info/help http://scoutapp.com/info/help ), which means the the website probably hasn't been tested/proofread very carefully (understandably -- there's so much to do).
  - itsderek23 17y ago
    @jd - Thanks for pointing out the support link. We've fixed the link on the site.

scythe 17y ago

>What can freemium webapps learn from freemium games? Games have some advantages that can be hard for apps to replicate; games are, in general, more social than typical applications. Games are also somewhat more enviable. When I was 11, a few friends and I played RuneScape (remember runescape?). After one of us got a paid membership, everyone else suddenly got way more interested in having a paid RuneScape membership. That is to say, if one person gets a paid membership to a multiplayer online game, other people in their social circle will probably be more likely to subscribe as well. Taking advantage of this with a webapp would require that you provide something that someone either finds worthwhile showing off or something conspicuous enough that they don't have to. The second condition applied for Apple's iPod in the early part of the decade. It'd also probably be a good idea to offer benefits to groups of paid members as well as to individual paid members.

dstorrs 17y ago
I remember RuneScape, from ads in old Dragon magazines. But I always thought it was a pen and paper game. Was it originally a P&P before going online, or were the ads simply unclear?
- scythe 17y ago
  I'm pretty sure it was always an online game played through a Java applet. It's had a few incarnations, but overall it's still pretty similar to when it started.
jeremymcanally 17y ago
Yes, and games are also far more linear. "Crap. I loved levels 1-10...but I can pay $10 for levels 10-20." or "This gun is great, but if I pay, I can get ones that are way more powerful." If you make an enjoyable product, typically you can convert interested casual users into paying customers fairly easily.

teej 17y ago

> What can freemium webapps learn from freemium games? People want to save time so that they can spend more of it -having fun-. If your app doesn't create happiness directly, save them as much time as you can so they can get that happiness somewhere else. People will pay for this.