Comments on: Level up for features instead of freemium? http://andrewchenblog.com/2007/05/08/level-up-for-features-instead-of-freemium/ Essays on viral marketing, freemium, and social gaming Sun, 30 Oct 2011 02:46:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Rebecca http://andrewchenblog.com/2007/05/08/level-up-for-features-instead-of-freemium/comment-page-1/#comment-698 Rebecca Sat, 12 May 2007 19:32:52 +0000 http://andrewchenblog.com/2007/05/08/level-up-for-features-instead-of-freemium/#comment-698 <p>Hmmm. This model [gradually exposing functionality] would be great for learning new software or interactions for beginners. Although it would have to be done very, very carefully or else it could be inCREDibly annoying!! </p> <p>You'd want to do this when, like a game, you have a known beginner in a new "environment." Again, like a game, the user would need to be someone actively interested in learning about the new "environment". An example might be teaching a beginner to program in a simple IDE. Then you have guided discovery! Cool. </p> <p>You could even have levels, easy medium hard, that guide the pace, sophistication, and extent of the guided discovery.</p> <p>So it's not about "locking out" users, it's gradually revealing information in a way that helps learning, for a user that is looking to engage in an experience and learn something new.</p> Hmmm. This model [gradually exposing functionality] would be great for learning new software or interactions for beginners. Although it would have to be done very, very carefully or else it could be inCREDibly annoying!!

You’d want to do this when, like a game, you have a known beginner in a new “environment.” Again, like a game, the user would need to be someone actively interested in learning about the new “environment”. An example might be teaching a beginner to program in a simple IDE. Then you have guided discovery! Cool.

You could even have levels, easy medium hard, that guide the pace, sophistication, and extent of the guided discovery.

So it’s not about “locking out” users, it’s gradually revealing information in a way that helps learning, for a user that is looking to engage in an experience and learn something new.

]]> By: rob http://andrewchenblog.com/2007/05/08/level-up-for-features-instead-of-freemium/comment-page-1/#comment-697 rob Wed, 09 May 2007 16:08:01 +0000 http://andrewchenblog.com/2007/05/08/level-up-for-features-instead-of-freemium/#comment-697 <p>But how do you make up for the revenue? The free plan with a premium subscription upgrade seems like the best way to monetize a site in the face of dropping CPMs. </p> <p>I suppose if you gear it to goals based on content creation, you could end up with more pages to advertise on, but would it be worth the tradeoff? </p> <p>Maybe some combo of the two would be best.<br /> </p> But how do you make up for the revenue? The free plan with a premium subscription upgrade seems like the best way to monetize a site in the face of dropping CPMs.

I suppose if you gear it to goals based on content creation, you could end up with more pages to advertise on, but would it be worth the tradeoff?

Maybe some combo of the two would be best.

]]> By: Dan Ogles http://andrewchenblog.com/2007/05/08/level-up-for-features-instead-of-freemium/comment-page-1/#comment-696 Dan Ogles Wed, 09 May 2007 02:14:36 +0000 http://andrewchenblog.com/2007/05/08/level-up-for-features-instead-of-freemium/#comment-696 <p>Slashdot's karma/moderation system is one example that comes to mind. I think a carefully designed site could exploit this well - but it's easy to get wrong. In the same way that a game can gets frustrating if you aren't rewarded with new abilities at a regular basis, a site could have the same problem. You don't want to make people "grind" in order to access the features of your site.</p> Slashdot’s karma/moderation system is one example that comes to mind. I think a carefully designed site could exploit this well – but it’s easy to get wrong. In the same way that a game can gets frustrating if you aren’t rewarded with new abilities at a regular basis, a site could have the same problem. You don’t want to make people “grind” in order to access the features of your site.

]]> By: AdamD http://andrewchenblog.com/2007/05/08/level-up-for-features-instead-of-freemium/comment-page-1/#comment-695 AdamD Tue, 08 May 2007 18:42:57 +0000 http://andrewchenblog.com/2007/05/08/level-up-for-features-instead-of-freemium/#comment-695 <p>Letting users "unlock" features is a great idea. If a site is more like a game, it's more fun to explore.</p> <p>The trouble here is users viewing this the opposite way: that you are locking them out of something. Then there's the usability problem of trying to find your way back to something that has changed (or trying to help someone else get to where you are).</p> <p>Overall, I agree. But like anything, it could be done quite poorly.</p> Letting users “unlock” features is a great idea. If a site is more like a game, it’s more fun to explore.

The trouble here is users viewing this the opposite way: that you are locking them out of something. Then there’s the usability problem of trying to find your way back to something that has changed (or trying to help someone else get to where you are).

Overall, I agree. But like anything, it could be done quite poorly.

]]> By: Voice Guy http://andrewchenblog.com/2007/05/08/level-up-for-features-instead-of-freemium/comment-page-1/#comment-694 Voice Guy Tue, 08 May 2007 17:40:02 +0000 http://andrewchenblog.com/2007/05/08/level-up-for-features-instead-of-freemium/#comment-694 <p>As low-tech as it is, many forums already incorporate this model by giving publicly displayed titles dependent on the number of posts you make.</p> <p>Some forums even restrict signatures or links in your post until you've made at least 10 or 25 posts, as a sign that you are willing to participate in the community.</p> <p>I too would like to learn how we can apply this same concept to web-services.</p> <p>David</p> As low-tech as it is, many forums already incorporate this model by giving publicly displayed titles dependent on the number of posts you make.

Some forums even restrict signatures or links in your post until you’ve made at least 10 or 25 posts, as a sign that you are willing to participate in the community.

I too would like to learn how we can apply this same concept to web-services.

David

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