Use Software Bundling to Increase Revenue and Distribution

Software bundling is a way to increase money from your downloads -- software, games, widgets -- or any other popular application that has a sizable number of installations. By bundling relevant software you offer the user a bonus while increasing your revenue. Software bundling, done right, is a benefit to the user.

Bundling is a marketing tactic whereby several products are combined in one installation or sale increasing distribution and maximizing profit.

Back in the early PC days, most new users first heard about new software because it was pre-installed with their PC. Overtime, users started complaining because the software became less relevant to them. Today users can learn about new software through digital software bundles offered with their favorite downloads. Unlike the early PC days, digital software bundling has the opportunity to create much greater relevancy for the user by taking advantage of more sophisticated targeting techniques.

Software bundling was used as a marketing tool since the late 1800s when Herman Hollerith, the father of automatic computation, used it to sell his punch-card tabulating machine. It has continued to be used by Internet leaders, Microsoft, Google, Yahoo!, Apple and nearly every major software brand in their quest for users promoting their toolbars, instant messenger applications, and other product du jour.

When done right, software bundling has some great advantages:

--  Increases revenue from your download
--  Rapidly increases the distribution of your product
--  Reduces the cost of directly marketing to the consumer
--  Becomes a value-add for your user
    

There are also some obstacles:

--  Difficult to find companies that will pay you for bundling their
    software
--  Time-consuming to negotiate contracts
--  Testing and monitoring to determine the quality of the bundled
    software
--  Complexity of ensuring that you are following industry best practices,
    including Disclosure, Consent, User Choice and User Control
--  Development time finding the best installer featuring the flexibility
    needed during the installation process and setting up the installations
    properly
    

If bundling downloads in house, here are a few pointers:

--  Find relevant bundle partners
--  Negotiate terms
--  Review the terms of the agreement, tracking and payment
--  Prepare and optimize creative images
--  Optimize the file size
--  Review the download to ensure that it is compliant and trustworthy and
    only performs functions disclosed and acceptable to the user
--  Be sure the download is easy to uninstall, using the Windows
    Add/Remove program functionality. The uninstall process should be complete
    and not leave behind components that affect the functionality of the user's
    computer.
--  Review it from the end-user's perspective.  Is this an acceptable user
    experience?
    

Sound complicated? You can also find an out-sourced solution available through W3i. W3i has installed over 200 million installs since it started in 2000, and is now installing over 4.5 million downloads each month bringing companies and products together with a turnkey solution, the W3i Download Network (WDN). WDN utilizes proprietary Install IQ technology, which makes software bundling a whiz. Install IQ is the first Windows installer to be certified in the TRUSTe Trusted Download Program. W3i has built a network of partners and an expertise in software bundling.

Join the respected Internet leaders, Microsoft, Google, Yahoo! and Apple -- increase the distribution and revenue from your downloads by using software bundling.

About W3i:

W3i, owner of Freeze.com, delivers proven, integrated desktop marketing solutions. With solutions tested and optimized on over 200 million installs -- currently 4.5 million installs monthly, W3i can increase your revenue and traffic from digital content or provide a receptive consumer base for customized, targeted distribution programs. Install IQ, a proprietary Windows installation system developed by W3i, is the first and only Windows installation system to be certified in the TRUSTe Trusted Download Program. To learn more about W3i, visit www.W3i.com.