tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37433014141590363442024-03-13T07:37:13.773-07:00BitsDuJour Blogfor People who Love SoftwareAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00071717727308764848noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743301414159036344.post-49891374791174524182014-07-31T08:36:00.002-07:002014-07-31T08:36:45.217-07:00BitsDuJour Coffee Mug GiveawayWho doesn't like free stuff?<br />
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We certainly do!<br />
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That's why we're giving away 100 of these limited edition BitsDuJour mugs, perfect for late-night coffee.<br />
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If you want one all you have to do is click to enter your address and the lucky winners will get one wisked to them.<br />
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Enter now!<br />
<a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/mug-giveaway">http://www.bitsdujour.com/mug-giveaway</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/mug-giveaway"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RhT2YNf0NSU/U9ph14SRYsI/AAAAAAAAAiw/LuKBOkLqtds/s1600/bdj-mugs.png" height="512" width="640" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00071717727308764848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743301414159036344.post-41608600288439159712014-05-08T09:58:00.000-07:002014-05-08T10:21:47.915-07:0010,000 Reasons to Give Away Your Product for Free
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<td align="right" style="font:bold 42px/43px Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; color:#fff;">10,000</td>
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<td align="right" style="padding:0 0 2px; font:43px/44px Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; color:#fff;">REASONS</td>
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<td align="right" style="font:12px/14px Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; color:#fff;">To give away your product for free </td>
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<td style="font:16px/21px Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; color:#fff;">That’s the number of new customers a BitsDuJour Giveaway can attract.</td>
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<td style="font:bold 16px/20px Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; color:#fff;">With us, they can be yours</td>
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<td align="center" style="padding:0 0 28px; font:12px/14px Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; color:#fff;">Here are some numbers, pulled from several of our latest, greatest BitsDuJour Giveaways</td>
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<td valign="top" width="144" height="143"><a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/promotions/giveaway-software-marketing"><img src="http://download.bitsdujour.com/bdj/oneOffEmails/img-01.png" style="vertical-align:top;" width="144" height="143" alt="10,000 Double Opt-in Email Addresses" /></a></td>
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<td valign="top" width="144" height="143"><a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/promotions/giveaway-software-marketing"><img src="http://download.bitsdujour.com/bdj/oneOffEmails/img-02.png" style="vertical-align:top;" width="144" height="143" alt="6,500 facebook likes" /></a></td>
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<td valign="top" width="144" height="143"><a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/promotions/giveaway-software-marketing"><img src="http://download.bitsdujour.com/bdj/oneOffEmails/img-03.png" style="vertical-align:top;" width="144" height="143" alt="100+ simultaneious Upsells" /></a></td>
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<td style="padding:0 0 2px; font:bold 30px/32px Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; color:#fff;">The BitsDuJour Giveaway</td>
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<td style="padding:0 0 27px; font:16px/22px Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; color:#fff;">Imagine an immediate social media presence if you don’t already have one, and a dramatic boost if you do. Plus, a massive increase to your mailing list, and even potential coverage from high-profile media outlets. It’s all possible with BitsDuJour Giveaways.</td>
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<td style="font:bold 13px/16px Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; color:#fff;">250,000 More Reasons</td>
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<td style="padding:0 0 25px; font:12px/15px Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; color:#fff;">BitsDuJour welcomes an average of 10,000 unique visitors to each promotion. They come via our 200,000 person mailing list and our 50,000 Facebook fans,and are eagerly awaiting your product.</td>
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<td style="font:bold 13px/16px Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; color:#fff;">An Easy Setup</td>
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<td style="font:12px/15px Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; color:#fff;">Getting set up is simple. The requirements for participation are flexible, and best of all, our service won’t cost you a penny.</td>
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<td style="font:bold 13px/16px Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; color:#fff;">Simultaneous Upsell</td>
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<td style="font:12px/15px Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; color:#fff;">By offering a simultaneous upsell with a discounted Professional version (e.g., Enterprise, Multi-Year, etc.), we’ve figured out how to monetize on our BitsDuJour Promotions and create instant, paying customers.
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<a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/promotions/giveaway-software-marketing"
style="background-color:#5491e3;border-radius:4px;color:#ffffff;display:inline-block;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;font-weight:bold;line-height:44px;text-align:center;text-decoration:none;width:200px;-webkit-text-size-adjust:none;">Yes Let's do This!</a>
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<td style="padding:0 0 2px; font:bold 36px/38px Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; color:#fff;">FAQ</td>
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<td style="padding:0 0 19px; font:16px/22px Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; color:#fff;">You have questions, we have answers.</td>
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<td style="font:bold 14px/16px Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; color:#fafbfb;">Do I have to provide support to all those thousands of new customers?</td>
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<td style="padding:0 0 17px; font:13px/16px Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; color:#fafbfb;">Up to you! In general we ask that the product you’re giving away be as similar as possible to the paid version, but we think that support is an allowable exception.</td>
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<td style="font:bold 14px/16px Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; color:#fafbfb;">Who handles code delivery?</td>
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<td style="padding:0 0 17px; font:13px/16px Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; color:#fafbfb;">We do! All we need from you are a list of license codes (5,000 to start, then more as necessary). We take care of the nitty gritty details and handle setup. We even host the installer on our servers for you.</td>
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<td style="font:bold 14px/16px Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; color:#fafbfb;">Which version should I give away?</td>
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<td style="padding:0 0 17px; font:13px/16px Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; color:#fafbfb;">That depends on your goals. If you’re looking for a bit of revenue, we’d definitely recommend giving away the lowest price point version while upselling the better version. However, if you want to maximize Facebook likes and emails, ‘better’ versions = better results!</td>
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<td style="font:bold 14px/16px Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; color:#fafbfb;">What if my software is subscription based?</td>
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<td style="padding:0 0 17px; font:13px/16px Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; color:#fafbfb;">Great! In some ways this is even easier. We’ll give away a bundle consisting of 6–12 months, and offer a discounted upsell for a bundle with even more months.</td>
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<td style="font:bold 14px/16px Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; color:#fafbfb;">Wait a second, what’s in it for you?</td>
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<td style="padding:0 0 17px; font:13px/16px Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; color:#fafbfb;">Easy, the same as you :) A customer needs to like both your Facebook fan page and the BDJ Facebook fan page in order to get the deal, and by downloading the deal, the customer gives us both permission to email. The same goes for the upsells > we split the profits 50/50. It’s all a shared endeavor.</td>
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<td style="font:bold 14px/16px Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; color:#fafbfb;">Are these ‘good’ email addresses?</td>
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<td style="padding:0 0 17px; font:13px/16px Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; color:#fafbfb;">Yes, we checked with our lawyers to ensure that the system complies with CANSPAM regulations. The email addresses are all double opt-in, and we do our best to filter out junk/disposable email addresses (several hundred domains in the filter and counting) from the getgo.
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</table>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00071717727308764848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743301414159036344.post-34361784459478716712014-03-31T15:40:00.001-07:002014-03-31T15:43:32.841-07:00Want to Write an Article for BitsDuJour's Tech News?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1C6MAkURmDI/UziXBUCHJQI/AAAAAAAAAfA/HQgz3q70NbM/s1600/got-an-idea-for-an-article-.png" /></div>
Got an idea for an article for our Tech News section? We love to hear what you have to say here at BitsDuJour. Below are a few guidelines for what to write and how to write it, so pencils at the ready... we'll begin.<br />
<br />
First a bit of history. BitsDuJour is all about it's community of software developers and software enthusiasts. We love that the comments on our deals put developers in direct contact with buyers, and that's why we call it "The Conversation". We have tens of thousands of comments, and add to that forum posts where you can chat about whatever you feel like.<br />
<br />
We realized recently that people had a lot more to say than just comments and posts. Some of our comments get really long, full software reviews and information that's about much larger subjects. So we created a new section of the website, open to everyone, but vetted. That's the new "Tech News" section.<br />
<br />
Tech News articles are special. We feature them on the site in category pages, the homepage, and the Daily Bits email that goes out to hundreds of thousands of people. That's why we have to make sure that the subject matter and writing meets a certain standard, and that means a couple guidelines to follow.<br />
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Tech News articles all live in a category. First step is to select a category from the list and think of a subject.<br />
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<a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/pc-download/audio-software" style="color: #0086f1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Audio</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/pc-download/business-finance-software" style="color: #0086f1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Business & Finance</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/pc-download/design-photo-and-graphics-software" style="color: #0086f1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Design, Photo & Graphics</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/pc-download/desktop-customization-software" style="color: #0086f1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Desktop Customization</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/pc-download/development-software" style="color: #0086f1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Development</a></div>
<div class="leftMenuItem " style="background-color: #f0f3f9; border-bottom-color: rgb(195, 217, 245); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeueRoman, HelveticaNeue-Roman, 'Helvetica Neue Roman', Helvetica, 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Geneva, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; padding: 8px;">
<a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/pc-download/hobby-educational-and-fun-software" style="color: #0086f1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Hobby, Educational & Fun</a></div>
<div class="leftMenuItem " style="background-color: #f0f3f9; border-bottom-color: rgb(195, 217, 245); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeueRoman, HelveticaNeue-Roman, 'Helvetica Neue Roman', Helvetica, 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Geneva, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; padding: 8px;">
<a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/pc-download/internet-software" style="color: #0086f1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Internet</a></div>
<div class="leftMenuItem " style="background-color: #f0f3f9; border-bottom-color: rgb(195, 217, 245); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeueRoman, HelveticaNeue-Roman, 'Helvetica Neue Roman', Helvetica, 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Geneva, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; padding: 8px;">
<a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/pc-download/productivity-software" style="color: #0086f1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Productivity</a></div>
<div class="leftMenuItem " style="background-color: #f0f3f9; border-bottom-color: rgb(195, 217, 245); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeueRoman, HelveticaNeue-Roman, 'Helvetica Neue Roman', Helvetica, 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Geneva, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; padding: 8px;">
<a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/pc-download/security-software" style="color: #0086f1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Security</a></div>
<div class="leftMenuItem " style="background-color: #f0f3f9; border-bottom-color: rgb(195, 217, 245); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeueRoman, HelveticaNeue-Roman, 'Helvetica Neue Roman', Helvetica, 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Geneva, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; padding: 8px;">
<a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/pc-download/software-utilities" style="color: #0086f1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Utilities</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/pc-download/video-software" style="color: #0086f1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Video</a></div>
<br />
The best subjects are topics that relate to software, but are not just straight up product reviews. We won't accept any blatant advertorials for software products, but you can put in a mention of a product. Your subject should always be bigger than any products. Let's give a few examples...<br />
<br />
Productivity: "How to organize your online life"<br />
Development: "The easiest way to start out developing an application"<br />
Security: "Are anti-virus programs enough to keep your computer safe?"<br />
<br />
Good subjects answer a direct question, and give information around that. Bad subjects are simply descriptions of a topic that read like a dictionary. Don't feel shy in expressing an opinion, either positive or negative, just be sure to fact check your sources.<br />
<br />
We prefer HTML format, and images are encouraged, as are links and videos. Articles should be at least 350 words, and feel free to go longer.<br />
<br />
To get started writing please <a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/contact" target="_blank">Contact Us</a> and tell us what you're thinking of writing so we can make sure that it's a good subject.<br />
<br />
We really look forward to seeing more submissions from the ever-growing BitsDuJour community!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00071717727308764848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743301414159036344.post-9984108300565623242014-03-19T13:19:00.000-07:002014-03-19T13:19:51.042-07:00iOS App Discounts at BitsDuJouriOS App Discounts have never been so popular, so we've taken a big step in bringing you the best iPhone, iPad and iPod deals we can find!<br />
<br />
If you've been following our daily deals then you'll know that we've always excelled in bringing you the best Mac and PC apps, well now we have iOS apps too! So if you've got an iPhone, iPad, iPod or any Apple device come check out what we have on offer in the new section.<br />
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We'll be showing apps that have dropped prices in the Apple iOS Store, so you can easily see what deals are available and you can download them straight to your iOS device in the usual way.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/ios" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="iOS Apps" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-STHusewzT-k/Uynyx9ZSjEI/AAAAAAAAAc0/P96aJWkFTw8/s1600/ios-apps.JPG" height="360" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/ios">iOS App Discounts</a> from BitsDuJour</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This is our first step in bringing you iOS deals, so expect a lot more features coming in the following weeks.<br />
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All these changes mean a new header on the website. We've split our Mac and PC deals across two easy to navigate sections using our new header control.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mac, PC and iOS Apps" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y6te3oizv0w/UynzXPzELeI/AAAAAAAAAc8/9wtpRzW88ZA/s1600/Mac-PC-iOS.JPG" height="38" width="320" /></a></div>
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So swing by every week (or every day) to see the latest apps for all your devices!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00071717727308764848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743301414159036344.post-36395110398943596532014-03-13T18:50:00.005-07:002014-03-13T18:51:32.811-07:00New Tech News on BitsDuJourWe're very happy to announce the start of our Tech News section on BitsDuJour!
<br><br>
Check out the first <a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/tech-news/top-5-free-voice-recorder-apps-for-android">article</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00071717727308764848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743301414159036344.post-84591055944145800902014-03-06T14:02:00.003-08:002014-03-06T14:07:23.327-08:00What's your Favorite Software Category Icon?So we've spiced things up over here at BitsDuJour, and added this cute little guy to all our software categories! As you browse through the site you'll see him in a variety of places, holding a paintbrush for the art page, and a briefcase for the business page. He's a sharp developer too and knows how to code and all about technology. He's also clearly been doing some push-ups in the Security section!<br />
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We haven't decided on a name yet, maybe he's called Bitsy?<br />
<div style="float: left; margin: 10px 20px 10px 0px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/category/audio-software"><img alt="Audio Software" border="0" src="http://download.bitsdujour.com/bdj/category/audio-software-discounts.png" height="140" width="140" /><br />Audio</a></div>
<div style="float: left; margin: 10px 20px 10px 0px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/category/business-finance-software"><img alt="Business & Finance Software" border="0" src="http://download.bitsdujour.com/bdj/category/business-finance-software-discounts.png" height="140" width="140" /><br />Business & Finance</a></div>
<div style="float: left; margin: 10px 20px 10px 0px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/category/design-photo-and-graphics-software"><img alt="Design, Photo & Graphics Software" border="0" src="http://download.bitsdujour.com/bdj/category/design-photo-and-graphics-software-discounts.png" height="140" width="140" /><br />Design, Photo & Graphics</a></div>
<div style="float: left; margin: 10px 20px 10px 0px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/category/desktop-customization-software"><img alt="Desktop Customization Software" border="0" src="http://download.bitsdujour.com/bdj/category/desktop-customization-software-discounts.png" height="140" width="140" /><br />Desktop Customization</a></div>
<div style="float: left; margin: 10px 20px 10px 0px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/category/development-software"><img alt="Development Software" border="0" src="http://download.bitsdujour.com/bdj/category/development-software-discounts.png" height="140" width="140" /><br />Development</a></div>
<div style="float: left; margin: 10px 20px 10px 0px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/category/hobby-educational-and-fun-software"><img alt="Hobby, Educational & Fun Software" border="0" src="http://download.bitsdujour.com/bdj/category/hobby-educational-and-fun-software-discounts.png" height="140" width="140" /><br />Hobby, Educational & Fun</a></div>
<div style="float: left; margin: 10px 20px 10px 0px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/category/internet-software"><img alt="Internet Software" border="0" src="http://download.bitsdujour.com/bdj/category/internet-software-discounts.png" height="140" width="140" /><br />Internet</a></div>
<div style="float: left; margin: 10px 20px 10px 0px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/category/productivity-software"><img alt="Productivity Software" border="0" src="http://download.bitsdujour.com/bdj/category/productivity-software-discounts.png" height="140" width="140" /><br />Productivity</a></div>
<div style="float: left; margin: 10px 20px 10px 0px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/category/security-software"><img alt="Security Software" border="0" src="http://download.bitsdujour.com/bdj/category/security-software-discounts.png" height="140" width="140" /><br />Security</a></div>
<div style="float: left; margin: 10px 20px 10px 0px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/category/software-utilities"><img alt="Utilities Software" border="0" src="http://download.bitsdujour.com/bdj/category/software-utilities-discounts.png" height="140" width="140" /><br />Utilities</a></div>
<div style="float: left; margin: 10px 20px 10px 0px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/category/video-software"><img alt="Video Software" border="0" src="http://download.bitsdujour.com/bdj/category/video-software-discounts.png" height="140" width="140" /><br />Video</a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00071717727308764848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743301414159036344.post-25752223770858205212014-01-30T09:34:00.001-08:002014-01-30T09:50:17.432-08:00BitsDuJour has given away over a Million pieces of free softwareHere at BitsDuJour we spend a lot of time analyzing our data. We're neck deep in custom reports and SQL queries. Imagine our surprise this morning when we discovered that we've given away over a million pieces of free software over the last few years!<br />
<br />
We're not talking about any feature-crippled versions, or "Lite" versions either, we're talking about the real thing. Fully functioning software, without any gotchas. That's great news for anyone searching for a fantastic deal - it doesn't get much better than 100% off.<br />
<br />
Oh and there's more to come, check out what we have on offer <a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/software/free-giveawayoftheday">today</a>!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00071717727308764848noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743301414159036344.post-9684349977960601132014-01-13T10:22:00.003-08:002014-01-13T10:22:47.458-08:00BitsDuJour Surface 2 Competition Winner!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e1eFaAFSJpo/UtQuv99c1SI/AAAAAAAAAcg/ayNA4Tx2DvU/s1600/winner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e1eFaAFSJpo/UtQuv99c1SI/AAAAAAAAAcg/ayNA4Tx2DvU/s320/winner.jpg" width="192" /></a></div>
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->The BitsDuJour
family is happy to announce THERESA PIERSON as the winner of the grand prize in
our latest Christmas promotion! Theresa
now joins the ranks of proud owners of the Microsoft Surface 2 tablet, the latest
portable computing device from the masterminds in Redmond, complete with Office
2013 RT and Outlook for the ultimate in mobile road warrior-ing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The results of this contest really did result in a perfect
match. Limited mobility due to
disability means Theresa’s computer provides her with invaluable access to the
rest of the world, but until now she has been restricted to her desktop
computer. More savvy and creative than
the rest of us, Theresa has taken full advantage of her hardware, using it as a
learning device, for creating art, writing, and for gaining insight into the
lives and perspectives of people from around the world. But she’s been scheduled to visit her
daughter soon for a month-long visit!
The catch? Her daughter has no
computer.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Imagine being so connected with your computer, but having to
go without it for an entire month! Well,
thanks to her new Microsoft Surface 2, Theresa won’t have to worry about this –
in fact, she may even develop a preference for her new tablet over her desktop
during her trip. Bon voyage, Theresa,
and keep us updated on your new life with the Surface 2!<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00071717727308764848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743301414159036344.post-35020072530158945352013-10-27T13:20:00.002-07:002013-10-27T13:21:25.616-07:00BitsDuJour at Business of SoftwareBitsDuJour will be attending Business of Software this week in Boston. This specialist conference is everything we like about the software industry. It doesn't reply on sponsors so everyone who attends is really there because they are putting their software business first. We're looking forward to seeing you there!
<br>
<br>
<a href="http://businessofsoftware.org/"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v52dWyuF7E0/Um11ZJq8gSI/AAAAAAAAAa4/dxFtPCSIP1A/s1600/mainLogo2.png" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00071717727308764848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743301414159036344.post-69575413325293757722013-10-21T08:27:00.001-07:002013-10-21T08:28:30.582-07:00When you think Software Deals... Think BitsDuJour<img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-onLtBZhcydA/UmVHueu7OVI/AAAAAAAAAas/hjurtdXJT7A/s1600/BitsDuJour.PNG" width="600" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00071717727308764848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743301414159036344.post-42116427982131951582013-09-27T07:29:00.001-07:002014-03-31T20:33:35.586-07:00How to Sell Software on FacebookOver 50% of the US population has a Facebook account, but are they all posting pictures of their cats? Or can ISVs to actually make money selling software on Facebook?<br />
<br />
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/YfJ3L3_YFY8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<br />
<br />
In this slideshow we’ll be looking at real ways to build your Facebook fanbase on a shoestring budget, seeing what posts generate traffic and de-bunking a few Facebook myths.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="486" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/26618348?rel=0" width="597"></iframe><br />
<br />
<a href="http://bitsdujourblob.blob.core.windows.net/bdj/screencasts/Presentations/Selling-Software-on-Facebook.ppt">Download PowerPoint</a><br />
The downloadable PowerPoint file contains extensive notes and links to articles and features highlighted in the slides.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00071717727308764848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743301414159036344.post-58692577248663011282013-08-23T13:15:00.000-07:002013-08-23T13:15:30.168-07:00New Mail Server Up and RunningWe send a lot of email at BitsDuJour - and when I say a lot I'm talking millions of email messages a month. It's a big task, fraught with problems, and we're happy to say we've just completed taking a huge leap forward in switching to a new hosted solution.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We know some of our fans had problems unsubscribing from the old system - and that was to do with the way we had one list on our site, and one list in our email service providers. These lists needed constant syncing, and sometimes requests to unsubscribe would get lost.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Now with the new system we have one list on our site and unsubscribe requests are processed instantly!<br />
<br />
Not only that - take a look at this screenshot from our new admin control panel:</div>
<img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z6FogyidDTI/UhfAVr1v_zI/AAAAAAAAAaE/hHmGOVHYfKY/s320/Capture.PNG" />
<br />
It's rare that sites that send the volume of email that we do get a spam complaint rate of 0.00%. The bounce rate, meaning the number of times an email is sent to a bad email address, is almost never 0.00% either.<br />
<br />
We're really happy that means we're continuing to send the email that people want to receive!<br />
<br />
While we're talking about green lights BitsDuJour also scores a green ranking on the <a href="http://www.mywot.com/en/scorecard/bitsdujour.com" target="_blank">Web of Trust</a>. If you like what we do then please cast your vote and add a comment.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00071717727308764848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743301414159036344.post-6272955356692932942013-03-06T08:04:00.000-08:002013-03-21T07:56:59.899-07:00Why Plimus is Really Changing its Name to BlueSnap<div class="tr_bq">
E-commerce companies are all alike, right?</div>
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jbPIKNv356k/UTdouyi8HHI/AAAAAAAAAYs/28-WR6v07Bw/s1600/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="44" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jbPIKNv356k/UTdouyi8HHI/AAAAAAAAAYs/28-WR6v07Bw/s200/Capture.PNG" width="200" /></a>Well maybe not! One of the first e-commerce companies to hit it big in the Software space was Plimus, founded back in 2001. For years Plimus was a developer favorite, with a control panel that, at the time, was ahead of it's time, and solid customer service. Things were all good, ISVs were selling software, and money was being made. What could go wrong?<br />
<br />
Plimus was even fending off the big Digital River as DR slowly started acquiring, RegNow, SWReg, ShareIT, and then, finally, unthinkably, eSellerate sold to Digital River in 2006. Plimus was the last holdout, the underdog but the developer's favorite - David taking on Goliath... and winning!<br />
<br />
<br />
What really set Plimus apart was it's affiliate network, which allowed bloggers and website owners to sell software on the Plimus network. At the time only RegNow had an affiliate network and as Google had yet to crack down on affiliates there was a lot of money to be made quickly and easily.<br />
<br />
Affiliates would put up page after page of content featuring products on the Plimus network, which had now expanded to sell not just software but e-books and any electronic merchandise.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Needless to say the affiliates loved the system, loved the products, and unfortunately some of them took advantage of it. Affiliates started selling products themselves, and some of the affiliate websites started using excessive marketing tactics to make the sale.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bKSEv9HNsg4/UTdnXelsZ6I/AAAAAAAAAYU/THlbcfKp_v0/s1600/plimus2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="64" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bKSEv9HNsg4/UTdnXelsZ6I/AAAAAAAAAYU/THlbcfKp_v0/s200/plimus2.gif" width="200" /></a></div>
In August of 2011 Plimus finally did sell to Great Hill Partners for a whopping $115 million, but the honeymoon didn't last too long.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Now Plimus, like most e-commerce systems, accepts PayPal as a means of checkout. All of a sudden vendors started to receive emails like this from Plimus.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<blockquote>
Dear Vendor, </blockquote>
<blockquote>
As we continue our efforts to improve and upgrade the Plimus service, we must unfortunately advise you that PayPal will be temporarily unavailable for purchases made through your account, effective immediately. Your customers will, of course, be able to make purchases using any of our other payment methods. PayPal availability will return, better than before, in the coming months. More information on our PayPal strategy will be made available in the very near future. </blockquote>
<blockquote>
We are taking this step based on our evaluation of your products as being higher-risk than the majority of our clients’ offerings. Examples of products that fit into this category include: </blockquote>
<blockquote>
· Forex Signals / Advice<br />
· Cell Tracking<br />
· Unlocks<br />
· Media (e.g. Music, / Movie downloads)<br />
· Bids / Auctions<br />
· VPN / Proxy Services </blockquote>
<blockquote>
If you believe your product type was incorrectly included in this high-risk category, please contact us with your product description(s) and link(s). </blockquote>
<blockquote>
We appreciate your continued business, and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. </blockquote>
<blockquote>
The Plimus Team<br />
- November 14, 2011</blockquote>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z8Je7pWODuM/UTdnnjXicCI/AAAAAAAAAYc/XFENheqC-b4/s1600/plimus-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z8Je7pWODuM/UTdnnjXicCI/AAAAAAAAAYc/XFENheqC-b4/s200/plimus-logo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
We can only speculate at the exact reason here, but after reading the <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=plimus+paypal" target="_blank">posts</a> on the web, and yes there are plenty, the consensus seems to be that PayPal probably got unhappy at the large amount of chargebacks coming from Plimus and something had to be done.<br />
<br />
Chargebacks, if you don't know, are when disgruntled customers refund their payment through the payment provider directly, instead of through the merchant, as they're unhappy with the service. This usually entails some fees, and someone is always left holding the bag.<br />
<br />
Plimus then took the step of disallowing affiliate sales through PayPal to curb these chargebacks, and has kept these limitations in place to date.<br />
<br />
Then from bad, to worse.<br />
<br />
In January of 2012 Plimus got hit with a <a href="http://www.topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/lawsuit-news/1586-plimus-scam-class-action-lawsuit" target="_blank">class action law suit</a>. The lawsuit claimed that:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Defendants, in conjunction with third parties, actively promote and profit from an array of websites that purport to offer unlimited access to downloadable digital goods, such as eBooks, movies, TV shows, and video games, all for a low one-time fee,” the Plimus class action lawsuit states. “For this one-time fee, Plimus represents that consumers will receive lifetime access to thousands of digital goods, including bestselling books, newly released movies, current TV shows, and brand new video in games. In reality, these websites do not, in any manner, offer products in the manner advertised.”</blockquote>
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Now that's a pretty tough case to have leveled, and all this bad press out there on the web adds up. It adds up so much that when you Google "Plimus" you now get these suggestions:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HMpdABiMM6Q/UTdgU_0R2fI/AAAAAAAAAX0/TsnxWtzVTVI/s1600/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HMpdABiMM6Q/UTdgU_0R2fI/AAAAAAAAAX0/TsnxWtzVTVI/s1600/Capture.PNG" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So it it really a surprise that we started to see a new little tagline under the Plimus logo... introducing BlueSnap.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yvmiMgFNDcY/UTdoDRihLuI/AAAAAAAAAYk/ZcsoVYTY3BU/s1600/logo-plimus.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yvmiMgFNDcY/UTdoDRihLuI/AAAAAAAAAYk/ZcsoVYTY3BU/s1600/logo-plimus.gif" /></a></div>
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Now don't get us wrong, we personally know a lot of great people over at Plimus/BlueSnap, and we know a lot of great software that is still sold on the Plimus system, as yes we still sell it too!<br />
<br />
So as of today Plimus's website no longer mentions the Plimus name and redirects over to BlueSnap. Gone are the odd cyan colors and questionably pronounceable brand in favor of something more palatable.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YvjNQad6DFw/UTdmznRekLI/AAAAAAAAAYE/4zrzHgm-0ps/s1600/plim.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YvjNQad6DFw/UTdmznRekLI/AAAAAAAAAYE/4zrzHgm-0ps/s320/plim.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
It's sad to see it go, but it just goes to show how too much bad press can really hurt a brand name. We hope that BlueSnap will continue with all the great software vendors that we know and love for years to come!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00071717727308764848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743301414159036344.post-64935558073217335942013-03-05T06:47:00.002-08:002013-03-05T06:50:18.765-08:00Why is Performance Marketing is the New Affiliate Marketing?Next week BitsDuJour will be at the <a href="http://performancemarketinginsights.com/" target="_new">Performance Marketing Insights</a> Conference in New York, March 12-13th.
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<br />
<img align="left" border="0" hspace="10" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FF4eVj_qOoo/UTYFTc-nh3I/AAAAAAAAAXk/OQyAcJSJz0w/s1600/Capture.PNG" />
"Performance Marketing" is a new term that is quickly replacing "Affiliate Marketing", so why the need for a new term? Well affiliate marketing covers a huge range of terms, from sites like us at BitsDuJour where we are paid by vendors as a percentage of a sale that we refer. Affiliate marketing is now huge, with companies like Amazon and eBay making huge sums, and spreading the wealth to their affiliates. Affiliate marketing covers anything from those long long website pages that keep on selling and selling, until exhausted you either purchase or simply give up. Performance Marketing is aimed at more established sellers. Companies that have heir own customer support, send their own emails, and run full advertising and marketing campaigns, not to mention social media campaigns.
<br />
<br />
Since the changes in the Google algorithm last year, a lot of the traditional affiliate marketers in the software space have suffered. Gone are the days that affiliate marketers could simply put up a download site with content from the <a href="http://pad.asp-software.org/" target="_new">PAD</a> directory. These sites all had the same content, the same screenshots, the same apps, and at last Google has pushed them down in the search rankings so that the software seeking public no longer has hundreds of the same listing repeated over and over again.
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<br />
Regardless of your views on the new term, we hope to see you in New York next week. A big thanks to our friends at <a href="http://www.iaffiliatemanagement.com/">iAffiliateManagement</a> for the invite!
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00071717727308764848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743301414159036344.post-35414474923155887492013-02-24T14:54:00.001-08:002013-02-24T14:54:30.734-08:00We've Virus Scanned You!Wouldn't it be cool if there was some free service out there that would run a virus scan on all your software AND your website?
<br />
<br />
Oh wait, we just did that for you!
<br />
<br />
We've released a cool new feature on BitsDuJour that shows a <a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/vendors/vendor-account" style="color: #1e67ee;">full virus scan report</a> for every download that shows you if any of the virus companies are reporting your software as suspicious.
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/vendors/vendor-account"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://bitsdujourblob.blob.core.windows.net/bdj/img/Virus-Scan.png" width="360" /></a>
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<br />
And that's not all, we've made a whole bunch of badges for your website, so you can let your visitors know that you're virus clean too. False positives really hurt sales, so use this to stay on top of them!
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/vendors/vendor-account"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://bitsdujourblob.blob.core.windows.net/bdj/img/Virus-Badge.png" width="360" /></a>
<br />
<br />
Just click the "Virus Scan" link from your account page, or find the "Virus Scan" links next to the download link on your promotions. <a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/vendors/vendor-account" style="color: #1e67ee;">Check it out</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00071717727308764848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743301414159036344.post-83055944490052760212013-01-31T14:56:00.000-08:002013-02-24T14:56:44.692-08:00New Vendor AreaHappy New Year from BitsDuJour - and to celebrate we've got something new just for you, our software vendors!
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<br />
That's right, a brand new <a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/promotions/software-marketing-services">Vendor Area</a>!
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<br />
We've made it super easy to see all your promotions, and set up new ones, and we've now got "Take a Tour" clickthroughs that will show you exactly how all our promotions work.
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/promotions/software-marketing-services"><img border="0" height="315" src="http://bitsdujourblob.blob.core.windows.net/bdj/img/VendorArea.png" width="360" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00071717727308764848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743301414159036344.post-6254188382977077162013-01-01T14:57:00.000-08:002013-02-24T14:57:52.755-08:00Kickstart your New-YearAs 2013 rolls in now's the time to plan your year's marketing campaigns.<br />
<br />
Here's a tip - plan out rough release dates for your new products and product upgrades now, and fit in your marketing and promotions around those dates.<br />
<br />
A month before you release a new product you can run a <a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/promotions/giveaway-software-marketing">100% Off promotion</a> with us to get email addresses for prospective customers.<br />
<br />
Or you can run a <a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/promotions/facebook-software-marketing">Facebook promotion</a> with us and get potential customers to Like your Facebook page.<br />
<br />
Then, just after a new release, you can run a <a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/promotions/daily-deal-software-marketing">24 Hour promotion</a>, and you can convert all those prospective customers on your facebook page and email list into real paying customers.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/promotions/software-marketing-services"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://www.bitsdujour.com/img/guys-everyday.png" width="135" /></a><br />
Here's wishing you a Happy and Profitable 2013!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00071717727308764848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743301414159036344.post-35919493555856341352012-05-14T13:23:00.000-07:002013-02-24T14:26:15.891-08:00BitsDuJour 100% Off DiscountsBitsDuJour is known for it's 50% to 90% off exclusive software discounts, we have lots of<br />
<a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/partnerInfo/">vendor information</a> on all that if you're interested. But what about discounting your software 100%? Well we've constructed a way to actually make it profitable.<br />
<br />
The concept is simple. You provide us with a list of registration codes, we hand them out to our customers<br />
- free of charge - for a 24 hour period. In return you get the email address of the customer. Add them to your list, offer them upgrades, cross-grades, and whatever else you've got to sell. It's that simple.<br />
<br />
Check out this short clickthrough, it'll show you exactly what to expect...<br />
<div id="__ss_12909686" style="width: 425px;">
<strong style="display: block; margin: 12px 0 4px;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/nicowesterdale/bitsdujour-100-off-promotions" target="_blank" title="BitsDuJour 100% Off promotions">BitsDuJour 100% Off promotions</a></strong> <iframe frameborder="0" height="355" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/12909686" width="425"></iframe> <br />
<br /></div>
<br />
No, neither of us make any money up front. But we went ahead and did the math for ourselves.<br />
Our conclusions? Sacrificing one of our promotional slots for an influx of new customers is absolutely worth it. And we think it will be for you, too. We've already done some testing and found that quadruple-digit registrations are a reasonable expectation. That's potentially thousands of pinpoint-targeted customers. Not to mention a whole bunch of free PR!<br />
<br />
Interested in participating? <a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/partnerISVSignup/">Sign Up</a> and we'll get you on the 100%<br />
schedule as soon as possible. Setup is quick and easy, and comes with the same professional attitude, whiz-bang copywriting services, and attentive comment moderation that you've come to expect from Bits. That part is on us :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00071717727308764848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743301414159036344.post-80329566274301890212010-12-13T07:24:00.000-08:002013-02-24T14:26:32.512-08:00The BitsDuJour Bundle of "10 Great PC & Mac Apps" at 87% off ($49.95)<a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/software/the-bitsdujour-bundle/"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550189532069250946" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3uomXQRHOSE/TQY7-ScUR4I/AAAAAAAAASQ/X0HT6QRlDbE/s400/bundle_basket_icon_140.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 140px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 140px;" /></a><br />
Ladies and Gentlemen, Jewels and Germs, Mac and PC users, it is our great pleasure to introduce to you the first ever...<br />
<br />
(Drumroll please)<br />
<br />
...<a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/software/the-bitsdujour-bundle/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bits du Jour Big Bundle!</span></a><br />
<br />
<br />
That's nearly $400 worth of software for only $49.95, a huge 87% Off the retail price.<br />
<br />
Whether you're a Mac Maven or a Windows Wizard you'll be sure to find diamonds among this treasure trove of top-shelf software titles.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/software/the-bitsdujour-bundle/"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550189300961402194" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3uomXQRHOSE/TQY7w1f6XVI/AAAAAAAAASI/HBKDHeSqE-Y/s400/Capture.PNG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 377px; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<br />
The BitsDuJour Bundle Includes:<br />
<br />
* <span style="font-weight: bold;">BitDefender Antivirus 2011</span>: With one of the most powerful (and most licensed) antivirus engines out there, BitDefender Antivirus 2011 means good riddance to bad rubbish.<br />
<br />
* <span style="font-weight: bold;">TuneUp Gold</span>: Get more out of your music. Much more. TuneUp Gold will make iTunes and Windows Media Player users wonder how they ever got along without it.<br />
<br />
* <span style="font-weight: bold;">NTI Shadow</span>: It's never too soon to implement an effective data backup solution. And what luck! NTI Shadow just happens to be one of the best backup utilities on the market. Save money and sleep better tonight.<br />
<br />
* <span style="font-weight: bold;">Screen Calipers</span>: Measure just about anything on your computer screen with these handy virtual calipers. Intuitive, resource-friendly, and fully skinnable. And best of all, you can define your own units!<br />
<br />
* <span style="font-weight: bold;">LastPass </span>(1 year subscription): Got more passwords than you know what to do with? LastPass the most intuitive, most powerful, and most excellent password manager out there. And it's browser-based for your convenience.<br />
<br />
* <span style="font-weight: bold;">Postworkshop Artists Edition</span>: Love visual art? Hate cleaning brushes? Postworkshop is a powerful tool that will give new life photos and digital images in ways you never imagined.<br />
<br />
* <span style="font-weight: bold;">Aurora</span>: Histograms, color channels, contrast, hue, saturation... let's face it -- editing digital photos is pretty complex. Or at least, it was. Aurora gives your photos the professional touch. Automatically!<br />
<br />
* <span style="font-weight: bold;">38 Handwriting Fonts</span>: Show how much you care and give your next document or correspondence that personal, handwritten touch. Especially useful for those of us with less-than-adequate penmanship.<br />
<br />
* <span style="font-weight: bold;">EarthDesk</span>: Anybody can put a map on their desktop. But only EarthDesk makes it spectacular. Dynamic light and weather conditions, gorgeous cloud rendering, and more customization options that you can imagine.<br />
<br />
* <span style="font-weight: bold;">Movavi Video Converter</span>: Like watching movies? Hate trying to convert them to the correct format? Movavi Video Converter is a veritable powerhouse that'll make short work of all your video conversion needs. And it couldn't be simpler.<br />
<br />
Purchase this week and BitsDuJour will throw in <span style="font-weight: bold;">Screen Protractor</span> too. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.bitsdujour.com/software/the-bitsdujour-bundle/">See The BitsDuJour Bundle</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00071717727308764848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743301414159036344.post-8199455489452716082010-08-12T10:18:00.000-07:002013-02-23T10:27:35.928-08:00Join us at the Affiliate Summit<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://blog.avangate.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/affiliatesummit-300x181.png"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 216px; height: 130px;" src="http://blog.avangate.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/affiliatesummit-300x181.png" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Summer is conference season, which means a lot of travel. We're happy that next week is the Affiliate Summit, and even happier that it's on our home turf in New York City. The <strong><a href="http://www.avangate.com/lp/affiliate-summit-east-2010.html">Affiliate Summit East 2010</a></strong> runs from August 15th to 17th and is a major event of the affiliate industry, in fact, it's huge<strong>. </strong>So if you want to escape the crowd this is your chance to meet me us in person. <p>So if you're making the trip please drop us a note and we'll be happy to meet up and show you our home town.<br /></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00071717727308764848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743301414159036344.post-88142871727329252332010-07-26T10:20:00.000-07:002013-02-24T10:21:59.929-08:00The Essentials in Successful Software Promotions - Video<div class="MsoNormal">
The following presentation was part of the <a href="http://sic.org/">Software Industry Conference</a> on Friday July 16th 2010. The sound is recorded at a very quiet level so please turn up your volume.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: bold;">
<a href="http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/downloads/Do-The-Math.pptm">Download Powerpoint Presentation</a></div>
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Part 1:<br />
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Part 2:<br />
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<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XEP4ZlDyUB4&hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XEP4ZlDyUB4&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br />
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Part 3:<br />
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<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/m3V-zIns7xo&hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/m3V-zIns7xo&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00071717727308764848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743301414159036344.post-27095057475661582262010-07-20T13:10:00.000-07:002013-02-24T20:10:33.661-08:00BitsDuJour wins SIAF Best Independent Software Vendor AwardOn Saturday Bits Du Jour won the Best Independent Software Vendor Award at the 2010 <a href="http://www.sic.org/">Software Industry Conference</a>. Thanks to everyone at the conference and the SIAF. Photos by <a href="http://tinyurl.com/2010sic">Ryan Smith</a>.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00071717727308764848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743301414159036344.post-12816955404418543552010-07-11T10:24:00.000-07:002013-02-24T10:25:07.643-08:00Do The Math – The Essentials in Successful Software Promotions<a href="http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/downloads/Do-The-Math.pptm"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3uomXQRHOSE/TDpeU_PuZEI/AAAAAAAAARo/7Nw5WLy6IeE/s320/math.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492806410199524418" border="0" /></a><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> 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Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">This article will be presented as part of the <a href="http://sic.org/">Software Industry Conference</a> on Friday July 16th <a href="http://sic.org/showsession.asp?id=124">at 10:15am</a>.<br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/downloads/Do-The-Math.pptm"><br /></a></p><p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/downloads/Do-The-Math.pptm">Download Powerpoint Presentation</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Your inbox, letterbox and perhaps half the planet is flooded by promotional discounts. We’ve all seen the flyers, discounts, coupons and advertizing in all forms of media that give discount after discount, money off and money back, free giveaways and free products if you buy now.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Coupon clipping is back. After dipping in the boom years of the 90s retail stores like Wal-Mart are reporting 11% rises in coupon use since 2007. New websites like RetailMeNot.com and Groupon.com are making it easier to find and redeem promotional coupons as the shift from paper cutouts in magazines goes to digital copy and paste. It’s easy to see why, with a global recession consumers are looking to any cost-cutting measure that they can find.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">So why is it that small independent software houses seem reticent to run promotions? Often when developers turn to marketing their products it’s hard, emotionally, to slash the price of something you’ve toiled over. Running a promotion is often perceived by software developers as somehow cheapening the product. There’s also the commonly held view that “I simply can’t afford to discount my software.” Profit margins in small software houses can be slim, so it’s understandable, but do the numbers back up these gut reactions?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The answer to this question has to stem from looking at the numbers, or “Doing the Math”. An independent software developer might have a yearly profit margin of 10%. They might reason that if their product retails for $30, and they drop the price to $15 then there is no way that they can make any real profit as their yearly profit margin is so slim, and the most they could ever discount their product would be $3, or that 10% of profit margin that we have to play with.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Let’s run the numbers another way on this same scenario. Let’s take the yearly expenditure of the software vendor and divide it into some manageable chunks.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Website Hosting and Hardware</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Supplies, Travel, Entertainment</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Advertising, Online and Off</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Marketing and Networking</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Research and Development</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Bug Fixing</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Licensing and Legal</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Customer Support</p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></p><p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/downloads/Do-The-Math.pptm">Download Powerpoint Presentation</a></p><p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/downloads/Do-The-Math.pptm"><br /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal">We might determine that Research and Development is where the most time is spent, whereas the most money is spent on Supplies, Travel and Entertainment and Website Hosting and Hardware.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">It’s also important to consider that time equals money; yes you <i style="">can</i> put a price on your time! It shouldn’t be too hard to determine a reasonable hourly rate for your work within your company, just subtract the yearly fixed costs and yearly profit from your yearly revenue and that money is payroll. You can even work out a realistic hourly rate that you make, a useful project in itself.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">So after a little back-of-an-envelope math you might determine some rough percentages as to where the time/money in your company is going. It might look something like this:</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->10% - Website Hosting and Hardware</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->15% - Supplies, Travel, Entertainment</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->7% - Advertising, Online and Off</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->5%<span style=""> </span>- Marketing and Networking</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->40% - Research and Development</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->5 %<span style=""> </span>- Bug Fixing</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->3 %<span style=""> </span>- Licensing and Legal</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->15% - Customer Support</p> <p class="MsoNormal">What we now need to do is determine where our fixed costs in our company lie, and where the variable costs are. Another way of phrasing this same question would be: If, starting tomorrow, we were to magically start selling ten times the amount that we are today which of these percentages would increase and which would stay the same. So let’s take a look.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">In our dream scenario where we’re getting ten times the sales starting tomorrow by doing nothing at all we’re going to get ten times the traffic to our website. Taking a look at our hosting plan we’re in pretty good shape, we don’t need to spring for any new hardware, but as we’re good technologists we’ve planned for these kind of spikes. Now if this traffic continues we may want to get some faster boxes in there, but that’s all nice to have, we’ll consider Website Hosting and Hardware a fixed cost.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Supplies, Entertainment and Travel is even easier to determine as fixed cost. We might need a few more pens to keep track of all those sales coming in, but noting extravagant.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">In our small company we have some long standing Google Ad-Word campaigns that bring in traffic, and we occasionally run a print ad in ASPects and a few specialist magazines. Again these costs are fixed, we’re simply paying for website traffic and in our magical mythical scenario these costs won’t increase.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Marketing and Networking at events such as the Software Industry Conference is undoubtedly important, but again it’s not linked in any way to sales. We’re not going to have to spend more, although we might be getting some more interesting leads from the increased traffic we don’t actually have to pursue them, so let’s assume this is fixed too.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Research and Development (R&D) is where the bulk of our time is spent working on new versions of the software, beta testing, creating new products, and essentially writing the code. It’s crucially important to realize that the bulk of this time does not relate to sales. Yes it relates to having better products that will sell more, but it does not in any way relate to how the existing product sells in the marketplace today. R&D is about tomorrow’s sales, not today’s.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">When it comes to Bug Fixing as much as we want to pretend that our application is bug free we know it isn’t. More sales is going to mean more bugs coming in. Probably not by a factor of ten, but there will be some. We’ll put this as a variable cost.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Licensing and Legal is a small percentage, but for our application we use a few software components that we need to pay for, and as we’re selling more these licenses will go up, so that’s a variable cost too.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Last of all is Customer Support. It should be pretty easy to see that there’s a one-to-one relationship from sales to customer support. If our sales are going up ten times, then customer support time and costs are going up by ten as we get a slew of lost serial numbers and confused customers who don’t know how to download a zip file.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So after we’ve taken a look at our company we can determine that Bug Fixing, Licensing and Legal and Customer Support are the variable costs, and pretty much everything else is fixed. Adding up our estimates, we can determine that 23% of the costs are per-unit. If we step back for a moment and take a look at other industries we can appreciate how small this number really is. Software has zero manufacturing costs compared to physical good. We don’t have to deal with distribution costs either. By the mere fact that we’re digital means that our per-unit costs are vastly lower than most other industries.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">When it comes to promotions what we’re doing is adding to our existing sales by promoting to people who might not normally purchase. We’re going to assume that we’re doing a limited time promotion and it won’t affect our baseline of yearly sales. We’re also going to be promoting to a different set of users, the impulse buyers and bargain hunters, rather than the more considered product seekers that purchase today. Because we’ve done the math on our company we know that these additional sales can actually be at 23% of the standard price in order to break even. We’ve decided to be really aggressive and offer a 75% discount giving us a slim 2% profit margin. This thinking is vastly different from the thinking that lead us to believe that we could only discount by 10% earlier.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The mechanics of running the promotion is going to take longer than this article allows however there are several key points to hit when creating an impulse buy promotion.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Have an Awesome product - well hopefully we have that covered already!</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Make it easy – there’s nothing like an elaborate shopping cart process to lose an impulse buy.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Have an ‘Act Now’ price – at 75% off we sure do have it.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Time Limited or Never Again – Force the issue with a countdown. If they don’t act now they won’t ever get the chance.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Make them Trust the Promotion – Partner with a reputable company, make it professional and be transparent, a phone number goes a long way.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Get the word out – Email your current customers and ask them to pass on the sweet deal, and utilize every social network and forum site out there.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Make it Fun – People enjoy a cute promotion so get creative and get people talking about it.</p><br /><br /><a href="http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/downloads/Do-The-Math.pptm"><b>Download Powerpoint Presentation</b><br /><br /><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 277px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3uomXQRHOSE/TDqQAqQUUgI/AAAAAAAAARw/Ho61VSLteQw/s400/Presentaiton.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492861036548870658" border="0" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00071717727308764848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743301414159036344.post-43951927223382695992010-06-11T07:14:00.000-07:002013-02-24T14:26:50.281-08:00Software Industry Conference in Dallas in July, 2010<p>The 20th Annual <a href="http://www.sic.org/">Software Industry Conference</a> (SIC) will be held on July 15 - 17, 2010 in Dallas, Texas at the Hyatt Regency DFW Hotel. </p> <p>The Software Industry Conference is a three day event that culminates with a Networking Gala Dinner that gives software developers and publishers an opportunity to form partnerships and alliances. The conference also includes dozens of informative, educational breakout sessions covering a wide variety of topics that are critical to the success of Independent Software Developers (ISVs).<br /></p> <p>What's more, Nico Westerdale from Iconico/BitsDuJour will be speaking on "<strong>Do The Math – The Essentials in Successful Software Promotions"</strong> on Friday July 16th at 10.15 as part of the conference. You're welcome to peruse the <a href="http://www.sic.org/fullsched.asp">full schedule</a> and attend any of the seesions.<br /></p> <p>The conference includes more than forty educational seminars and presentations that are designed to help developers sell more software. Presentations by industry experts include topics such as profiting from Google Adwords, marketing more effectively, providing income-producing customer support, working with translation and localization services, sending press releases, developing Software as a Service (SaaS) applications, avoiding legal pitfalls, reducing chargebacks, and creating affiliate networks. </p> <p>The conference allows plenty of time to network with other software developers and software industry service providers. The conveniently-located daily breakfasts in the Hyatt Regency DFW Hotel make it easy for conference attendees to meet and socialize with fellow industry members. You can even attend the annual meetings and luncheons of two industry trade associations, ESC and ASP. </p> <p>The casual SIC conferences are known for their family-friendly atmosphere. Many software developers turn their trips to SIC into mini-vacations. </p> <p>As always, the conference will present awards to honor developers in several key software categories. SIC's Exhibit Night features the best software development products and services from leading industry vendors. </p> <p>Registration at the door costs $299(US), or costs $249 if you register online http://www.sic.org/register.asp by July 13. Deeply discounted hotel rooms at the Hyatt Regency DFW are available to all conference attendees. </p> <p>For more information about SIC 2010, visit <a href="http://www.sic.org/">http://www.sic.org </a> </p> <p># # # </p> <p>Members of the press are invited to request free conference passes. </p> <p>About SIC </p> <p>The annual Software Industry Conference has been presented continuously since 1991. Each year, the conference focuses attention on the try-before-you-buy software development industry, its people, and the many fine applications that come from it. </p> <p>The conference has grown dramatically since in recent years. In addition, the conference honors software developers with a series of annual awards, recognizing new and innovative software products created and marketed by smaller development companies. </p> <p>Current sponsors for the 2010 SIC include Alta Web Works, asknet AG, Association of Shareware Professionals, Avangate, Inc., cleverbridge, Digital River, DP Directory, Inc., Elfring Fonts, Inc., Emurasoft, Inc., K Software, Lincoln Beach Software, NotePage, Inc., Paypro Global, Inc., Plimus, SoftCity, Software Promotions Ltd., The Utility Factory, and TRIUS, Inc. </p> <p>For more information about SIC, visit http://www.sic.org/. To schedule interviews with Sue Pichotta or other conference directors, contact Sue on suep@siaf.org </p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00071717727308764848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743301414159036344.post-10840578105900828572010-05-25T10:17:00.000-07:002013-02-24T14:36:53.670-08:00BitsDuJour ranked #7 Deal of the Day site!<div>
The results are in, BDJ is ranked #7 in the world's deal of the day sites!</div>
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"Bits du Jour includes many features to evaluate, purchase and provide support for the Windows software deal of the day. A multitude of alerts and support options insure that deals and support are provided in the format preferred by many customers. The customer reviews and great product descriptions contribute to an already exceptional site. Bits du Jour is the perfect place to try out new Windows software and if it meets your needs, get a great deal."</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00071717727308764848noreply@blogger.com0