Revenue Journal®

I've mentioned before that I buy a lot of software online. Recently I undertook an extensive search for software I could use to efficiently build outlines for books and other large, complex documents, because the outlining function in Word is pitiful and slows...the...creative...flow...to...a...crawl, and has a klutzy expand/contract outline function.

I must have looked at 25 programs, and trialed at least 10. For all of you out there selling software online, I have some very specific advice for you, from a buyer's point of view.

1) Show a screen shot! A screen shot is worth thousands of words of useless, anyone-can-say-it copy and is often much more instructional than a fancy but boring "flash" demo, some of which start with "how to open a document." If you're going to provide a flash demo, break it into sections, so someone can go directly to the function set they're interested in.

The more screen shots, the better, but you must show at least one. So much of the buying decision involves the look and feel of the tool. Give your buyer a chance to decide if he or she likes your screens.

2) Match you your selling process to their buying process. First answer their questions - what is this, what does it do, how does it do it. But don't do what one screen did - ask for the order before answering any questions. The second sentence on the page was "Buy this product now!"

The usual buying process for software is not a mystery. It goes like this:

• Buyer enters search terms into Google.

• Starts looking at the products listed, both in the paid and non-paid listings, starting at the top.

• Goes to the product page. Reads the basic description. Looks at the screen shot(s).

• If it looks good, downloads a 30-day trial. It should be a fully-functional trial.
  

That's the buyer's sequence of events. Now it's your turn.

• Each time the person uses the program, tell them how many days they have left, and make sure the popup window with this information also gives them a one-click way to purchase the program. There should also be a "purchase now" option in the Help section on the top toolbar.

• When they click on "Purchase now," take them directly to the purchase page - where they can enter their credit card info. Don't take them to a product description page or a download page! They're already past that point in their buying process.

• Give them an activation code via email and display that same activation code on their on-screen receipt. That way, they can swipe the code and put it in the registration screen, on their desktop, without waiting for the email. Plus, some people receive their email on a different computer (or device) than their "working desktop." I'm one of those people - almost all my email is done via an email client program on my laptop, whereas all my "work" is done on my two-screen desktop system. The receipt with the code in it has another advantage: the person can print it out and save it for future reference, right when they make the purchase.
  

That's the right way to make it easy for your buyer. Here's the wrong way.

I finally decided to buy the LexisNexis outlining program called NoteMap. It's not perfect, but it's the closest I could find to what I really wanted. I tried the program for several weeks, after continuing to search for alternatives.

When I was ready to buy, I wasn't able to, which is what prompted the title of this article. It was literally impossible to give LexisNexis my money!

Here's the broken sequence:

The desktop popup, which came up when I started the trial, said I had one day left in the trial, and the option to either run the program or "activate" it. So far, so good, although "Purchase NoteMap" would have been a more straightforward term. I selected "Activate NoteMap."

The next screen is contradictory, confusing, and rude. First it asks if I'm evaluating a trial copy. Yep. Then it says, "Sorry, Activation is only for licensed users." Hmmmm. Then why did you send me here from a trial copy screen? I'm told I am not allowed to activate, although that was the only option I was given. I am told to call the company. But I don't want to call the company right now. I want to purchase online, and besides, it's 9PM. I'm sure no one will be there to take my order.

This time, I decide to click on the URL they show there, which takes me to...

Yep, a generic screen - the home page for the full suite of LexisNexis products. It is not specific to NotePad. That's bad enough, but what's worse is there is no "purchase" option. Even if you click on Products, Download, or Support, or the NoteMap link on the right, you still have no way to make a purchase. For example, this is the screen you get when you click on Products>>NoteMap:

Note that the options in grey under "Download NoteMap" do not describe my situation (as in, "I have downloaded the trial version and now I WANT TO BUY IT").

I literally could not give LexisNexis my money. So I sent them an email and asked them how on earth I was supposed to buy their product. But by not offering a smooth buying process, LexisNexis is slamming the door in the face of a prospective buyer. And anyone on the fence would have given up long ago. I kept coming back to LexisNexis after deciding they really had the best outlining option for my needs.

There's a little more to this story. After I first downloaded the product - weeks before - I got a phone call from a sales rep, asking if I was ready to buy.

And, after I sent the email, I got a call the next morning from the rep, ready to take my money. When I asked him why I couldn't purchase online, he said they just weren't set up for it. It was obvious he had gotten the question before. The email he sent said it would take them 24 to 48 hours to process my order. What's their backoffice technology...clay tablets?

LexisNexis needs to map out the buying process and fix the trial-to-purchase part. They need to meet the expectations of their buyers, who are perfectly accustomed to buying things online.

How's your purchase path? It is a no-brainer or a torture chamber?