e-Commerce: Complete. Configured. Connected.
Posts tagged plimus
Plimus Enables Frictionless e-Commerce with Buy Anyware™ API
Jun 30th
This week has been an exciting one for Plimus, as we announced the availability of our Buy Anyware™ e-Commerce application programming interface (API). We believe that our new API will be an industry-changer and for the first time will enable e-Commerce to be conducted from anywhere at any time unleashing the power of the web.
The Plimus Buy Anyware™ API allows for complete control of the customer experience, whether nested within a browser, plug-in or installed software title. The BuyAnyware API is not simply a streamlined checkout process that eliminates the requirement of a virtual storefront; it also empowers sellers to revolutionize the buying experience by offering new customer-driven processes and business models previously not possible. Online transactions can now happen when and where it makes sense for the buyer, which we are confident will lead to higher conversion rates and increased revenue by turning shopping browsers into buyers.
Buy Anyware™ is a true manifestation of the next generation of frictionless online purchasing and gaming. It provides end-users the ability to buy anything, anywhere, at any time; truly e-Commerce 3.0. Developed from the knowledge we gained over the past 10 years, in developing this e-Commerce 3.0 vision, we have had the pleasure of working with several innovative companies, including Yummy Interactive and Gigya. These companies and others we will announce in the future are doing some really cool things with the API that we think will help them reap the new monetization channels it enables.
You can read the entire release by clicking here and we have further information and application videos are available here. And, please, let me know if you want to learn more about Buy Anyware™ or our thoughts on e-Commerce 3.0, I’m happy to chat.
Charlie Born,
Head of Marketing
Highlights from E3 2010
Jun 23rd
I spent the past week at E3 as Plimus was exhibiting in the Game Connect hall. It was both a fun and busy time for the entire Plimus team. We met with dozens of current and potential customers and also got to cruise around the show floor. So much cool stuff in games and consoles, etc. that I could share with you. But, I’ve outlined my top 10 list below:
1.) Plimus and Yummy Interactive launched the In-Game Activation interface, which is helping limit the hassle of online, in-gaming transactions. Of course, I put us first, but for casual gamers this is big. Revenues are what drive innovation.
2.) Sony Corp. introduced a $49.99 motion-activated video-game controller, Playstation Move, in hopes of winning casual game players from Nintendo Co.’s Wii console.
3.) It was an all-out war on 3-D video game capabilities at the show. Sony demonstrated Playstation 3 games with 3-D capabilities and Nintendo introduced its 3DS handheld device that displays games in three dimensions without wearing 3-D glasses.
4.) Sporty Spice stopped outside the Plimus meeting room for an interview she had with the media. She’s surprisingly shorter than you’d think.
5.) We began to see the rise of Microsoft Kinect – new demos, new games and old favorites (Sonic the Hedgehog). There was a lot of chatter with people saying it’s going to overhaul the entire gaming industry. We shall see.
6.) Casual gaming was a key focal point at the show. I even noticed gamers checking on their Farmville crops and keeping their mind alert with a quick game of Bejeweled from their iPhones on the show floors.
7.) Oh, the things you see on the show floor. I can’t put it into words, so check out this photo spread from CNET.
8.) Did you know that Mickey Mouse has a long lost “half brother” named Oswald the Lucky Rabbit? Who knew?!? The soon-to-be-released Epic Mickey game from Disney Interactive Studios features this character along with Mickey and his magic paint brush.
9.) Richard Branson and Virgin Gaming are back after a decade. Branson turned up, in his traditionally exuberant manner, in an armored truck, $1 million in hand for the biggest prizes and most rewards his new website will offer. Every time I went by, there was not much action compared to the other booths – so we’ll need to see how this plays out.
10.) Underlying all the excitement and hype, were visible concerns about the future Supreme Court hearing on the legality of a California law regulating computer and video games.
Charlie Born,
Head of Marketing
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/55935853@N00/2302573414/
Plimus and Yummy Interactive
Jun 21st
I have exciting news to share with you. Last week, Plimus and Yummy Interactive together announced the development of an e-Commerce platform for casual game publishers. In-Game Activation interface enables not only a one-click purchase, but maintains the game experience throughout the transaction. So what does this mean for casual gamers?
Previously, all casual gaming and other online purchasing services were forced to deploy e-Commerce platforms that required users to leave the game environment in order to complete a transaction. To enhance their gaming experience, such as buying additional credits or purchasing the game after an initial free trial, users had to launch another Web browser page and were bombarded with a “friction-full” experience.
In-Game Activation interface is helping limit the hassle of online, in-gaming transactions. Using the Plimus e-Commerce application and its own GameShield™ licensing protection solution, Yummy Interactive has developed an e-Commerce interface that keeps the player immersed within the game environment during the transaction, which not only enriches the user experience but also increases conversion rates and revenue.
You can read the entire release here.
Charlie Born,
Head of Marketing
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/brewbooks/244365591/
The History of Casual Gaming
Jun 16th
I recently read a post from Gamasutra blogger David Wesley on “The Rise in Casual Gaming.” David was commissioned to author a chapter in the manuscript “Innovation and Marketing in the Video Game Industry,” and did a wonderful job sharing his insights. I downloaded the chapter via the website and found the read very interesting.
The casual gaming market is a big one for Plimus, and we’re working daily with game developers, publishers, and their affiliates. We find this industry to be extremely fascinating and are thrilled to be part of it and work with leading companies as we do.
Gaming has come a long way since the Solitaire and Minesweeper games we played on our old PCs. Since then, the Internet has prompted casual gaming to take off. The quick nature of casual gaming was extremely attractive to developers because its short form made it incredibly low-cost to make, which allowed developers to take greater creative risks. Casual gaming also allowed smaller development shops to enter the market.
Casual gaming also opened up new audiences, appealing to non-traditional players, such as stay-at-home mothers and business people on Wall Street. They were quick, simple to follow and typically light entertainment, not high intensity like first-person shooter games. Casual gaming found its sweet spot as time-fillers – games played on the bus to work or in between meetings.
According to the Casual Gaming Association, women make up 75 percent of the casual gaming audience and more than 72 percent of casual gamers are over the age of 35.
Now, 15 years after PC gaming caught on, casual gaming is big business. This week’s E3 show in LA, while historically very platform and device centered, has a large amount of buzz around PC and social gaming. Casual gaming is maturing. Today’s gamers include men, women, children and even senior citizens. These gamers simply enjoy playing, whether it be a puzzle game, sports game or an arcade game. Game on!
Charlie Born,
Head of Marketing
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/45688285@N00/82128314/
Dear Customer, Do You Want To Get Married? (Part 2 of 2)
Jun 11th
(Click here for part 1 of this article.)
Who is the Subscription Model Suitable For?
Despite the challenge in assimilating the subscription model, I am a sworn supporter of it and, in my opinion, the answer to the question of whether it is worth your while as a business to operate the model for your customers is simple: Can you do it? If the answer is yes, then you have answered yourself and the model is definitely appropriate. And when I ask if you can do it, I mean:
- Is the main value of the service expressed in the long term or is it awarded with the purchase? Undeniably for Microsoft Word, the use is provided in the long term and can be sold as a subscription. However, in fact, it is exposed entirely immediately following the sale. Therefore, services that wish to have regular subscribers need to distribute the value over time whether by software renewals, customer services, or content. A service without improvements and innovations is perceived as providing value for regular customers.
- Does the product have practical value for its owners? There are innumerable spontaneous, sentimental, and foolish purchases on the Internet. However, at the end of the day, common sense prevails and only services which award a practical value and answer a clear need will enjoy prolonged customer life. Dependence is the name of the game.
- Will the activation of the model endanger another growing business model of the company or will it cause the users to turn away? You can courageously opt to cleanse the user base by making a conscious decision to lose users used to a free service in the hope that the new users who will replace them recognize the service as bearing a price tag from the start and will not abandon it when they see the purchase screen.
If the answer to the first two questions is yes, and you have considered the third, all that remains is to get going and decide which subscription plans will you offer. Here, too, experimentation and continual optimization are part of the process. However, here are some original subscription plan ideas for overcoming consumer resistance:
- A monthly subscription for which the initial period is offered at a symbolic price or even for free (with the credit card details already taken at this point). Make sure not to offer a free period that is too long, as this enables the users to lose their “purchase momentum.” Let them have a taste, get excited, and upgrade immediately. Each month that passes decreases the chance of turning free users into paying subscribers by 50%.
- A gift period offered only after several months’ use. For instance, if you have found that on average the subscription on the site is for two months, promise a fourth month free. This is will attract the users to take the third month in order to receive the gift.
- A subscription for a reduced price. The longer the subscription continues, the more the price is reduced and is less “burdensome” for the subscribers, despite the decrease in use or benefit.
By way of conclusion, don’t forget to offer several subscription periods while giving an obvious advantage in pricing and visual prominence for the long periods and recommend to users the preferred options as far as you are concerned. A heading such as “the most popular plan” will attract the risk haters, and “the best value plan” will attract the more frugal of the bunch.
Eldad Ben Tora,
VP of Product Management
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/marlon-bunday-mmx/4484203465/
Dear Customer, Do You Want To Get Married? (Part 1 of 2)
Jun 9th
So you have launched a start up – congratulations! It’s a sure bet that you are going to make millions. There is just one small question left: how, exactly are you going to make all those millions? In recent years, we have been informed about business models which expand the ways that business owners on the Net can finance their activities – whether from sales of virtual products (Stardoll Habbo Hotel), remuneration from Google for clicks by their users; by financed searches (Incredimail, Conduit), affiliate commission fees on transactions and leads and more.
However, one model in particular refuses to disappear and is even enjoying an impressive period of renaissance, especially for business users: charges for services by a renewable subscription. This model is precisely suited for businesses that sell “software as a service” (SaaS) at a cost running from tens up to hundreds of dollars per month.
The number of companies in this segment has increased here at Plimus by tens of percent annually and, according to Gartner, the trend is expected to continue.
It is no secret that a business that bases its revenues on subscribers enjoys great advantages: built-in returning customers, the ability to forecast ongoing revenues; a database of users who can be restored to the service as paying customers and can even be encouraged to market it to others.
It is no surprise that this is the dream of many businesses. However, unfortunately for them, this is not the preferred model for the majority of users. As users, most of us have a natural distaste for a permanent arrangement of a continuing payment. It is plain as day that the charges will exceed the time we can make actual use of the service, and that we will find it difficult or forget to cancel the automatic renewal. (By the way, such concerns are justified as a significant percentage of all the automatic renewals for online services are derived from the customers’ forgetfulness or indifference. The business owners take the calculated risk of requests for credits and transaction denials in order to enjoy these repeat purchases. I have experienced very few transactions as a customer that sent me a reminder regarding a subscription that is coming up for renewal.)
It is a tough challenge for businesses to succeed with this model both for the initial purchase, changing the free user into a paying customer, and also in “prolonging the customer life span.” Of interest, as regards the prolonging of the customer life I remember well an amusing conflict during the years that I worked for the dating websites “Cupid” and “American Singles” – an industry that survives totally on subscriptions.
On dating websites, the objective of the service is to identify for the subscribers love and companionship then send them far away from the site for long-term relationships. That is to say, the better the work done by the site, the quicker the customers will leave the site. It’s absurd isn’t it?
Eldad Ben Tora,
VP of Product Management
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/benstephenson/276931142/
E-Commerce 3.0: A New Era of Online Retail
Jun 2nd
To reach 50 million users it took radio 38 years, TV 13 years, the Internet 4 years, and the iPod just 3 years. But Facebook added 100 million users in less than 9 months and iPhone applications hit 1 billion in just 9 months. Web 2.0 has blurred the boundaries between content and commerce. It has changed the way people engage with, produce, purchase, and consume content. As corporate brands give way to peer recommendations and lifestyle-oriented social media, consumers increasingly seek frictionless commerce – frictionless in that the transaction becomes part of the content experience.
This is e-Commerce 3.0 in action: simple to use frictionless interactions that leverage the power of a social network or from within an application, game, or content site – anywhere, anyplace, anytime. Yes, there could still be an online store front in this world (the first wave of online commerce didn’t kill bricks and mortar stores as many predicted) and e-Commerce 3.0 won’t necessarily kill the online retail storefront. However, it will change it dramatically and possibly render it obsolete or unnecessary in some markets.
Ultimately, the inevitable progression of e-Commerce is toward this distributed, e-Commerce 3.0 model. Social communities are beginning to dominate brand names and customers are already demanding comfortable and simple-to-use processes that match their true usage patterns. The vendors first to offer them will enjoy the benefits. Clearly, companies must rethink the way they engage with consumers in this new environment. And although the opportunities inherent in round-the-clock, round-the-world e-Commerce may seem tempting, the complexities of global payment processing, the marketing and sale of goods across diverse cultures, and support of a global customer base challenge even the most web-savvy companies. The emergence of commerce that is freed from the restrictions of domain and browser exclusivity will ultimately drive greater revenue volumes for all businesses and create new challenges for online merchants: the need to upgrade to e-Commerce 3.0, or risk being left behind. Friction full or Frictionless? I think the consumer is telling us the direction we need to take.
Charles Born,
Head of Marketing
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tracy_olson/872011539/
New Network Sales Model Changes the Online Sales Game
May 5th
Traditionally, online sellers have fit into one of two models. Either they are a pure retailer, selling other companies’ products at a mark-up. Or they are a ‘factory outlet store’, selling their own products and services direct to consumers.
The second – the factory outlet stores – are leaving literally millions of dollars on the table.
Do the math. A merchant that has one product to sell, at $40 a pop and a goal of selling fifty thousand units next year has put an artificial cap of $2 million in revenue on their business. And once a buyer has put their trust in the merchant, there is nothing more to sell them – that business relationship is valueless.
To understand how much profit is being left on the table, first cast your mind back to the last time you reached the check-out at a grocery store. You’ll recall that the space around the check-out is densely packed with impulse-buy items: packs of gum, gift cards for iTunes, magazines and more. Each of these items represents a high-margin opportunity to add to your eventual bill. And that space is actually bought for the most part by the products’ manufacturers – because they know that once you have your wallet open, you’re highly likely to add another item to your basket.
Now imagine an online buyer purchasing your $40 software package. They would be more than happy to add an impulse-buy item, if you offered them one. Maybe a casual game at $9.95, a support package for $14.95, even a PC Accelerator for $20. If you could take a 30% to 40% revenue share on selling these items, your business’ revenue could increase by as much as 20% – without the need to invest in building new software.
And now imagine running a monthly newsletter to each of your buyers offering a ‘special deal’ on another partner’s product with another 40% revenue share on, let’s say, a $40 item. Assume you have a user base of fifty thousand, and a conversion ratio of just 1% – that would mean you could look forward to 500 sales per month, or six thousand per year at $16 revenue each. Combined with the promotions you offered in the purchase process, you’ve now increased your revenue potential by a full 25%.
The really good news is that you can do this right now, without any financial investment, by using the Plimus e-Business platform. With your own account in place to take care of the e-commerce for your own products, you can swiftly agree to re-sale deals with companies like Namco, Avanquest, Surf Secret and literally thousands more. And of course, you can seek partners who will re-sell your products on a revenue share basis, increasing your audience size.
Plimus merchants are seeing initial invoice sizes as much as 43% higher using Network Sales, increasing their revenues and helping them build a sustainable business for the future.
Simon Jones
VP of Strategic Solutions
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/elvissa/823054325/
Where to Promote Your Affiliate Offers
Apr 28th
[First part, Five Tips To Get Started In Affiliate Sales, here.]
Now that you’ve selected several programs and offers to promote from the Plimus catalog, you’re probably wondering how to lure prospective buyers to take a bite. Here are a few methods which have succeeded for thousands of affiliates and should succeed for you.
1. Google, Google, and more Google. Search really does work! If you have a Spyware Utility blog, Google something like “spyware utility” and look at the results. Tighten your search results by inserting your main keywords into that search query and you may find products that are more relevant to your niche.
2. Look at the Competition. What products are others promoting? Quite often, checking out the sidebar of another successful blog in your niche to see what products and services they are promoting will reveal affiliate products and offers you should promote. There may be a big interest in these products and promoting them yourself will potentially bring you a good part of that audience.
3. Watch AdSense. This is similar to the previous point. Many of the AdSense ads appearing besides Google search results, on other blogs, and websites, are very likely to be affiliated products. Checking out what the ads promote will reveal all sorts of potential affiliate offers.
4. Generate Leads from your Opt-In Email List. You can always buy email lists, but are those people interested in the kinds of products you are selling? Probably not. Create an opt-in mailing list by allowing prospects who come to your website to choose to receive a free newsletter. This gives you the opportunity to include information in the newsletter about your products.
5. Create Your Own Affiliate Marketing Materials. Plimus provides Buy, Try, and Product Information links. Unique content is KEY when looking for top placement in search engines. Build your own landing pages or micro sites and watch your organic listings soar.
6. Use Blogs and Social Networks to Promote Your Offers. If you’re ready to go big, set up a blog. Blogs have become a very flexible and powerful tool to promote offers. A blog not only gives you a place to write about the products you are promoting, it also gives potential buyers a central place to go to. Think of it as your own mall of sorts.
Once you’ve created the right audience, you’d be crazy not to post your offers on your own Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and any other social media accounts you may have. Just be careful to not spam people, especially those who aren’t interested in your products.
These tips will help you successfully promote your affiliate offers. There are many other ways to promote offers, but these are just a handful of ways to get your programs get the necessary exposure needed to build momentum and eventually succeed.
Jason Kiwaluk
Affiliate Marketing Manager
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31216636@N00/3253842434/
Five Tips to Get You Started In Affiliate Sales
Apr 13th
What’s the best way to find quality products and services to resell as an affiliate on my blog or website? Many affiliates new to internet marketing find it hard to find the right product to promote, and which merchants or vendors to go with.
Here are 5 tips on selecting great affiliate products to promote on Plimus:
1) Compare and Contrast. Go to the Plimus product catalog and search by keyword, product name, brand, or company name. Focus on a niche. Compare price, shipping policy, return policy, and shopping cart checkout pages. It is very important that you visit each checkout page to evaluate its overall usability. Most completed online purchases are made via purchase convenience, speed and ease-of-use, not price.
2. Focus, Focus, Focus. Selecting products to promote is one of the most difficult things when you decide to become an affiliate marketer. Most rookies tend to go with a shotgun approach and stretch themselves too thin by casting too wide a net. Focus on only a few niches.
Also, focus on building your own reliable web site. Too many affiliates focus on the products before really establishing good content on their sites and landing pages that will help with SEO and ultimately improve their sales.
3. Use Existing Resources. Plimus provides you with 3 links you can promote with:
- BuyNow Link – pushes directly to a shopping cart check out page
- Trial Link – initiates a download
- Product Information Link – pushes to product page or landing page
Firstly, look at the Product Information link if one is provided. Use this link if you want to direct an end user to a page with more information on the product or service. This will be your conversion page. Think you can do it better? Build your own killer purchase funnel and place the BuyNow and Trial links on that landing page.
4. Look For Special Offers. Featured offers can be found just beneath the search on the homepage of the product catalog. Look here for top performing titles in software, games, and SaaS. Plimus sends out fresh offers twice a week via email newsletter, Twitter, the offers area in the Plimus community site, and via the Plimus Affiliate toolbar.
The toolbar is Plimus affiliate power users and can be downloaded here. It’s contains shortcuts to the login page of your control panel, access to weekly affiliates offers, system updates, and quick links to the community, and this informative blog .
5. Do the math! Depending on the type of promotion you’ll be doing, ensure the commission is $20 or higher. (For example: paid search). Speedy ROI is crucial and spinning your wheels and will not make you any money as an affiliate marketer.
If you continually educate yourself on marketing and marketing techniques, keep on top of trends and product releases, as well as keeping a close eye on what your competitors and contemporaries are doing, YOU WILL MAKE MONEY as an affiliate marketer.
Jason Kiwaluk
Affiliate Marketing Manager
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/timparkinson/930660427/
