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Beware the Software Siren
...... writers to create an effective help system. I'm being kind, so let me emphasize this point without getting nasty: Don't let your programmer touch your documentation. Period. Never. Ever.
Help, oh I need somebody'
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You may be tempted to skimp on your help system.. Trust me, that is not a good idea. For one thing, in the minds of today's consumers a reasonably good help system is considered a bare necessity. For another thing, a good help system will lower your return rate. It is a worthwhile investment.
A help system also lowers your ongoing technical support costs. What tech support costs you say' Well, here's a statistic that will blow your mind: Most software companies allocate a minimum of 30-40% of a product's purchase price to technical support. The reason is simple: It's cheaper than refunds. Now you may not have created a Microsoft Office clone, but I guarantee you that some inexperienced users are going to need handholding. In my opinion, even in the world of niche products you must at least offer same-day e-mail support.
Xena is cool. Xenophobia is not.
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Now before you think I'm just an American developer dissing the folks from other lands over on E-lance and RentACoder, think again. I use both services and love them. And I have developed some excellent working relationships with individuals at both sites. My purpose here is to fire a warning shot across the bow of wannabe software publisher's boats: Software development is a mind-bogglingly labor intensive task whether you do it yourself or pay someone else to do it for you. Web sites like E-lance and RentACoder have lowered the cost of software development to the point that a middle-class American can think about becoming a publisher without having to sell the house.
But you can still get burned, and it is worth counting the total cost of publishing before you get started.
-- Ross W. Lambert, The Midnight Marketer
Ask Mr. DDear Mr. D I have heard that to make it on the Internet, a business must have a high ranking on the search engines. I have .....
About the Author Ross Lambert is co-founder of TheVentureForge.com, a mentoring, hosting, tooling, and e-commerce incubating membership site. He is also a Senior Software Engineer for a fast-growing telecomm in Kirkland, WA and a happy husband and father.
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