I almost think it’s a death wish to be on any of those AppSumo or wannabe AppSumo sites.
Best case scenario, you actually make fast money to develop (or finish developing) the product and build some hype for your unknown brand.
But more often than not, it just devalues your product.
- Consumers are used to seeing you as a brand that gives discounts.
- That you’re just a small wannabe brand, not on the same level as existing big name brands.
- You’re promoted by people who never used your product. (And trust me, they’ll never be as impassionate as the ones who have.)
- And just follow the logic…who the hell sells for less, when they can sell for more???????
I just hate the idea of it all around. It’s great to have platforms giving starting companies a chance to expose themselves. But not in a way that devalues the product. Let the product promote itself on merit, not price.
*GET THE NEW XYZ PLUGIN for 97% OFF!!*
Really?
You think that is gonna rocket launch your brand off the ground?
And suppose it DID make tons of sales and get you lots of hype. How is that a guarantee for the long-run? How does that translate into finding customers that appreciate and pay true market value for your product? (I assume that’s what you want, right?)
The truth is it doesn’t translate. I see many businesses that after they do those ridiculous lifetime deals…then spend the next 1-2 years trying to shed the tainted AppSumo image. Nobody wants to buy their product anymore unless they get the same price as before. PRICE rather than feature-benefits become the primary purchase reason now.
And now what do you do? Sure…good luck trying to go from $50 LTD to $50/month service. Ain’t gonna happen. You’re forced to maintain a 60-80% sale long after or else your business doesn’t make any money for the first 5 years. Oh and to the people thinking “but affiliates will grow the brand exposure overall”. Careful on that now! Are these affiliates reminding the world how great your product is?…or how cheap it used to be?
Personally….I woulda just held steady and grew clients a trickle at a time. Sucks at first to bootstrap in the beginning but you make so much more in the end. And and annnnnnnnddd….your brand actually carries respect.
The bottom line is:
- Big brands like Apple don’t launch their new products at the flea market. And neither should you.
- Small brands are either IN a community or build their community first before launching. They don’t need a cardboard sign under the freeway to promote.
- Oh and FYI…if I see your product on there, I will 100% assume you ain’t doing well. That you don’t have money to develop the product thoroughly, let alone stay in business. And won’t even consider trying your product until at least 2 years after. But that’s just me.
So pick any of those. But for god sakes, don’t launch your product on AppSumo if you want it to be respected.
And speaking of which…isn’t it time somebody made a hype site that actually focuses on actual brand hype and not discounts? (Like an AppSumo but highlighting the newest companies to threaten their markets, not undersell their market.) 🙂
Hey Johnny!
Love your website and posts. Found this recently and you’ve become one of my go-to resources already. I’ve bought a lot of stuff from Appsumo I have to admit. Probably about half of them are junk. But some are seriously amazing. Some have helped me generate a lot of business. One in particular does seem to have taken off outside of Appsumo but I agree that most don’t see to. Personally I don’t hold quite as strong a viewpoint on it as you. I don’t think I would ever leverage that kind of platform myself personally because I really don’t think it’s the best strategy, but I can see how some apps have benefitted from it. Also I know someone who sells on there every year and gets half his business from it. He only sells for half price (I think it’s something like $500) and many sumolings wine about it that it’s not a real steal (I mean deal), but a ton still buy. Works out quite well for him and has grown his business a lot.
PS: I’ve tried out a lot of your suggestions on themes and Gutenberg, etc. Really great content. Keep it coming!
Hey thanks for stopping by, Matthew. There’s no doubt that AppSumo helps businesses make money and gain exposure. But I do question whether those successful businesses could’ve made much more without it. I think if you sell at lower prices, you find more low-cost buyers referring you to other low-cost buyers. And likewise if you sell at higher prices, you find more high-cost buyers who refer you to other high-cost buyers.
If it was up to me…I’d use it only for brand exposure and pitch a low-cost product which then upsells to a higher cost product that’s only available from my site directly. But it kills me to see hardworking developers selling their soul for a couple easy bucks upfront.
Sellers on AppSumo need to be aware that the platform is quickly becoming known as a place to get free apps and products. This is because AppSumo offers a no-questions-asked SIXTY-DAY refund policy. So buyers are purchasing apps, using them and then asking for refunds. Many buyers continue to use the software/apps after they get their refund. Out of ten sales we made on AppSumo, four buyers quickly submitted refund requests. Our code shows that all four of the buyers are still using the software. Not a great platform to sell digital.
Ouch! I’m very sorry to hear that and not surprised at all. Sometimes when you sell at the lowest price, you get the lowest customer.