W3i’s Download Network featuring Install IQ is a Finalist in Most Innovative Service/Business Model category.

St. Cloud, Minnesota – June 2, 2009 – W3i, LLC, provider of marketing solutions that increase revenue, distribution, and engagement for Windows applications and plug-ins, was named a Finalist today in the Most Innovative Service/Business Model category for the 2009 Comp TIA SoftwareCEO Software Innovation Awards.

The finalist designation was presented for W3i’s Download Network, a leading consumer software platform. Using a network approach, W3i’s Download Network pays partners to generate traffic, installs interactive consumer applications, and delivers active users to W3i’s clients.

The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is the leading trade association for the world’s information technology (IT) industry. The SoftwareCEO Software Innovation Awards recognize innovative software products and new business models in eight different categories. Award winners will be announced at the CompTIA special online award ceremony on June 18, 2009.

SoftwareCEO Software Innovation Awards finalists by category are judged for:

Scope – What business problem or opportunity does the software innovation address? What is the size of the problem/opportunity?

Impact – What practical results, such as sales, users or profits, has the innovation had on a software product or on the software industry? The innovation must be new and have both a current and future impact.

Novel – How does the innovation break with traditional ideas or processes?

“W3i is honored to become a Finalist especially in the area of innovation. We know W3i’s Download Network can be a key distribution and monetization strategy for publishers and advertisers of Windows and browser applications. To date, we have installed over 250 million applications, and we are just getting started,” comments Andy Johnson, CEO of W3i. “Congratulations to the W3i team for becoming a finalist in the 2009 SoftwareCEO Software Innovation Awards.”

Entries are judged by a select panel of industry experts, including analysts, consultants, writers and trade press, and subject-matter experts. A list of the esteemed panel can be found here: http://www.softwareceo.com/leadership/awards_judging.aspx.

Details about the 2009 SoftwareCEO Software Innovation Awards and the list of Finalists in all categories are available at http://www.softwareceo.com/leadership/2009/awards_finalists.aspx.

“Software innovation is more than just ideas; it’s the ability to develop those ideas and make them work in the market,” said Mark Fogle, publisher of SoftwareCEO. “The annual SoftwareCEO Innovation Awards recognize products, ideas and business models that break with conventional software ideas and processes to introduce product offerings and business models that are key to our industry’s future growth and vitality.

About W3i:
W3i increases revenue, distribution and engagement for Windows applications and plug-ins. W3i uses a network approach combining the demand for free and trial downloads monetized by the distribution of useful downloads when the consumer is in the download mindset. W3i’s Download Network uses Install IQ, W3i’s proprietary Windows installer, the first installer to be certified in the TRUSTe Trusted Download Program. Tested and optimized on over 250 million installs–currently 7.1 million installs monthly and growing, W3i will prove to be a valued distribution partner in growing your application business. To learn more, visit W3i’s Download Network.

W3i Contact:
Deborah Manthei
Director of Marketing Communications
W3i
320-257-7571
deborah.manthei@W3i.com
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About SoftwareCEO.com
SoftwareCEO is a resource-packed electronic newsletter and web portal built by software executives for software executives. It is Page One for software industry information and education on topics such as software marketing, sales, business, financing, and services. For more information, visit http://www.softwareceo.com/.

About CompTIA
CompTIA is the voice of the world’s information technology (IT) industry. Its members are the companies at the forefront of innovation; and the professionals responsible for maximizing the benefits organizations receive from their investments in technology. CompTIA is dedicated to advancing industry growth through its educational programs, market research, networking events, professional certifications, and public policy advocacy. For more information, please visit www.comptia.org.

CompTIA Contact:
Steven Ostrowski
Director, Corporate Communications
CompTIA
Phone: 630-678-8468
Email: sostrowski@comptia.org

7th annual Stevie® Awards will be presented on June 22 in New York City

St. Cloud, Minnesota – May 20, 2009 – W3i, LLC, provider of marketing solutions that increase revenue, distribution, and engagement for Windows applications and plug-ins, was named a finalist today in the New Product or Services of the Year – Computer Services category in The 2009 American Business Awards.

The finalist designation was presented for W3i’s Download Network, a leading consumer software platform.  Using a network approach, W3i’s Download Network pays partners to generate traffic, installs interactive consumer applications, and delivers active users to W3i’s clients. 

The American Business Awards is the nation’s premier business awards program. All organizations operating in the U.S.A. are eligible to submit entries to the ABAs – public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small. 

Stevie Award winners will be announced during the annual gala on Monday, June 22 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.  Six hundred executives from across the U.S.A. are expected to attend.  The ceremonies will be broadcast on radio nationwide by the Business TalkRadio Network and hosted by Cheryl Casone of Fox Business Network.

More than 2,600 entries from companies of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted for consideration in more than 40 categories, including Most Innovative Company, Best Management Team, Best New Product or Service, Best Corporate Social Responsibility Program, Best Corporate Environmental Responsibility Program.  W3i will be competing in the New Product or Services of the Year – Computer Services category for Interactive Marketing.

“It took years for W3i’s team to fine-tune the proprietary technology for Install IQ, the installer that drives the success of W3i’s Download Network.  To date we have installed over 250 million applications.  My congratulations to the team for becoming a finalist in the 2009 ABAs,” comments Andy Johnson, CEO, W3i. 

Members of the Awards’ Board of Distinguished Judges & Advisors and their staffs will select Stevie Award winners from among finalists in final judging that will continue through June 3.   Finalists were chosen by business professionals nationwide during preliminary judging in April through early May.

“Despite very tough economic conditions, many organizations and individuals continue to perform well,” said Michael Gallagher, founder and president of The Stevie Awards.  “The results of the 2009 ABAs thus far are a testament to the resilience, creativity, and hard work of American organizations, executives, and workers.”

Details about The American Business Awards and the list of finalists in all categories are available at www.stevieawards.com/aba. 

About W3i
W3i increases revenue, distribution, and engagement for Windows applications and plug-ins. W3i uses a network approach combining the demand for free and trial downloads monetized by the distribution of useful downloads when the consumer is in the download mindset.  W3i’s Download Network uses Install IQ, W3i’s proprietary Windows installer, the first installer to be certified in the TRUSTe Trusted Download Program.  Tested and optimized on over 250 million installs–currently 7.1 million installs monthly and growing, W3i will prove to be a valued distribution partner in growing your application business. To learn more, visit W3i’s Download Network.

About The Stevie Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in four programs: The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, The Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.  Honoring companies of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide.  Learn more about The Stevie Awards at www.stevieawards.com.

Supporting sponsors of The 2009 American Business Awards include High Performance Technologies Inc., John Hancock, Lifelock, RCN Corporation, Softpro, and Ultimate Software.  Media sponsor is the Business TalkRadio Network.  Localization partner of the 2009 Stevie Awards is Lionbridge.

Contact:
Deborah Manthei
320-257-7571
deborah.manthei@W3i.com

During a leading casual game publisher’s recent earnings call, the CFO cited that one of the primary reasons their quarterly revenue fell (Q1 2009 versus Q1 2008) was that they were generating less revenue from distributing the Google Toolbar offer with their downloads.

This is precisely the problem game publishers are faced with when having only a single offer to leverage with software recommendations from their installer, versus a marketplace of third party offers such as those provided by W3i’s Install IQ process. Had this game provider been a client of W3i’s Install IQ platform, they would have been able to recommend other offers with their downloads instead of relying solely on a Google Toolbar, and therefore closed the gap on their lost revenue from users which had now already all received the Google Toolbar offer in the prior year’s downloads.

Other companies with Windows applications should take note of this provider’s challenges, and proactively integrate with W3i before these revenue decreases show up in their quarterly financial numbers.

Today, I attempted to download from this provider to see what business models they were leveraging.

1. $9.99 Monthly Recurring Subscription – The most prominent business model is to get you to register with your credit card for a free trial to their paid membership. You have 30 days to try the membership, after which time you will be auto-billed monthly at $9.99.
   
   To cancel the trial membership, I was instructed to call their 800 number and provide my account number. I wasn’t too enthused that I could register online but was required to make a phone call to cancel. However, the customer support rep was immediately available and didn’t make life too difficult. Overall, I was pleased with their customer support.
2. Display Ads On Website – After subscribing to the free trial credit card subscription, you can then browse their catalog of online and downloadable games. The website has numerous banner ads on display which help them in generating revenues.
3. 60 Minute Try Before You Buy Downloads – Even with a membership I was still encouraged to download 60 minute trials of various game titles.
4. Toolbar and Other Software Recommendations – The first downloadable trial game came with Google offers including a Toolbar and Desktop Search option.

The Google Toolbar, when first opened, spawned an alert offering to change my default search as well as enable PageRank, further driving value to Google.

I tried downloading additional trial games and only one additional software recommendation, for Google’s Chrome Browser, was offered.

This demonstrates that even today the company has not yet diversified its dependence on Google’s very limited number of offers to be leveraged by their software recommendations.

Ryan Weber, Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Co-Founder, W3i, LLC
Entrepreneur and pioneer of Internet marketing focusing on increasing revenue and distribution for digital downloads.

St. Cloud, Minnesota, May 7, 2009 – W3i, provider of marketing solutions that increase distribution, revenue, and engagement for Windows applications, announced today that VoloMedia is now part of W3i’s Download Network (WDN).  VoloMedia, provider of advertising and reporting solutions for portable media, is using W3i’s Download Network to broaden its user base for its iTunes plug-in to grow its panel of users for more effective advertising.

“W3i’s Download Network can be a significant source of new users for growth companies with Windows applications and various types of plug-ins,” said Rob Weber, VP of Business Development at W3i.  “VoloMedia joins a network of application companies in their efforts to ramp up user acquisition at a known ROI.  During the installation process, WDN leverages the demand for popular free or trial downloads by matching them with other download companies seeking distribution, like VoloMedia, giving the user a value-add.”

“W3i’s distribution capabilities are helping us reach our target users,” notes Jeff Karnes, VP of Marketing and Products for VoloMedia. “Their installation and download process is a great way for us to promote our unique iTunes plug-in.” 

W3i used its consultative services to optimize this distribution channel for VoloMedia, demonstrating how using proven techniques to engage the user can increase lifetime value and make their marketing spend more effective.

About W3:
W3i increases revenue, distribution and engagement for Windows applications and plug-ins. W3i uses a network approach combining the demand for free and trial downloads monetized by the distribution of useful downloads when the consumer is in the download mindset.  W3i’s Download Network uses Install IQ, W3i’s proprietary Windows installer, the first installer to be certified in the TRUSTe Trusted Download Program.  Tested and optimized on over 250 million installs–currently 15 million installs monthly and growing, W3i will prove to be a valued distribution partner in growing your application business. To learn more, visit W3i’s Download Network.

About  VoloMedia:
VoloMedia provides a unique combination of products with a nationwide ad sales team to deliver advertising and reporting solutions for portable media, extending the reach and monetization of video and audio podcasts. The company’s products and services are utilized by some of the largest and most well known media companies, including ABC News, FOX News, MSNBC, Washington Post/Newsweek, and Public Radio International in its Business, News, and Politics podcast verticals.  Other VoloMedia content verticals include Entertainment, Health, Music, Sports, Technology, Video Games, and Women. http://www.volomedia.com.

Contact:
Deborah Manthei
Director of Marketing Communications
320-257-7571
deborah.manthei@W3i.com

Jocelyn Johnson
212-924-9500
PR Contact for VoloMedia
jjohnson@gravitas-pr.com

It is always great when you can talk to Internet marketers face-to-face and learn some of their insights first hand.  I attended ad:tech San Francisco this week,  meeting with a handful of top marketers in charge of various types of Windows applications.

Their Windows applications include:  a cutting edge Outlook plug-in, security applications primarily geared for consumer use, various types of utility applications for helping users to get their PC to operate at the best possible level, and a top video player application. Each of the marketers talked to me about their various marketing campaigns, and all of them stressed how important it is to meet ROI goals, especially in light of the current economic condition.

• Paid search is working for many… The marketer from the cutting edge Outlook plug-in stated that since their app is so new to the world, most users haven’t discovered a need for the product category yet and, therefore, there isn’t much search traffic available to market this new application.
• Radio is not worth it… The marketer at the utility application company stated that if he had to do it all over again, he would have never invested into getting a radio advertising campaign off the ground. He said measuring the ROI has proven challenging, and way too much effort for what he gets out of it.
• Co-promotion has some legs… The security application company was working to white label their technology to a handful of very large security companies to ramp up their growth.
• Social marketing is helpful, but too unpredictable… The utility application company has a Windows application with a social marketing strategy, and was in the process of winding down the product because it never got any traction. The cutting edge Outlook plug-in company was quite pleased with the social traction he was getting, but wanted to ramp up faster, and in a more controlled manner. Even successful social marketing campaigns need a spark to light the fire.
• Bundling works… All four of the marketers at these Windows application companies stated that bundling was an area they were going to invest more energy and budget into because the ROI was very measurable and the volume of distribution was very meaningful.

If you have a Windows application, and haven’t figured out how to generate a meaningful ROI by participating in bundling, we should talk.  Contact W3i to learn more. 

About the Author:
Rob Weber is the VP of Business Development and Co-Founder of W3i Holdings.  Rob has over nine years experience developing innovative ways to increase revenue and distribution for Windows applications.

One of the weaknesses of desktop software installers is usability.  They interrupt what should be a consistent, user-friendly web-site or application design.  Software installation is also a great place to recommend other valued software to your users while users are in the download mode allowing you to make additional money.  Learn about challenges, opportunities, and tools so that you can get the most out of your Windows installer.

Most Windows installers add nothing to the user experience.  The boring design doesn’t match the web-site of the provider and has no resemblance to the software that is being installed.  When testing, W3i sees double-digit increases in conversions when keeping an integrated design look between the landing page and the Windows installer.   

For Windows installers, success is measured solely by the technical utility of whether or not the install can complete the software installation process.  User abandonment, user satisfaction, and user discovery (if tracked at all) are not a priority.  Other than a possible “Read Me” file, users are not offered any way to customize their settings or review recommendations for additional software, both common practices for web applications. 

Working with Windows installers for over nine years, I have experience getting users to install software, as W3i has installed over 200 million desktop software applications from hundreds of software providers.  I hope to provide you insight into challenges, opportunities, and tools available so that you have the knowledge to make your installer more productive.

Installer Challenges

Windows desktop installation is typically a specialized skill that few developers have experience with, other than configuring one of the big installation packages.

Developers can face a great deal of complexity with their installer in areas such as packaging, deployment, testing, and management.  These are very important aspects of the installer and have become the dominant focus of available software tools.  This, however, ignores the very important user experience as well. 

As desktop software distribution is increasingly moving from the CD to the Internet, most software tools are retrofitting their solutions instead of building web-based capabilities for optimizing installer design and interacting with the user.  Installers built with the standard tools have the same stale look and feel as software installed on your first Windows 95 computer from CD.

Installer Opportunities

A big shift from CD to Web-based installation is where the user abandons the process.  With a CD, once the user makes the purchase and opens the package, the installation process will not deter her.  In contrast, if the Web installation looks confusing, daunting, guilty of delivering malware, or even not that cool, a user simply clicks out. 

Designers frequently help design the website and software interface, but the installation is usually off limits, making this non-integration feel even more pronounced.  Building an installer that mimics the look and feel of your website can provide a significant boost in completed installations.  See the article W3i posted called, “Creating Consistency To Increase Conversions” (http://blog.w3i.com/index.php/2009/03/06/creating-consistency-to-increase-conversions/).

Utilizing the installation to recommend other software has also become big business.  Apple, Sun, Adobe, McAfee, Symantec, Google, Yahoo, W3i, and many others are all participating.  The simplest example is recommending a toolbar that matches your user interests.  The key is making it relevant to the user.  It is estimated that toolbars generate more than $1 billion of annual revenue, a nice piece of additional business. 

Questions To Ask About Recommending Software Within Your Installer

1. What if the user already has the software you are recommending? 
2. What if you have a variety of software which you’d like to recommend?  How do you pick the right software? 
3. How will adding additional software recommendations in the installer impact the funnel? 
4. How can you track the activity that occurs during or after installation to understand the results of these recommendations? 
5. How can you ensure your software is following industry best practices? 
6. How can multiple software applications be downloaded and installed with a consistent, understandable, process flow for the user?

Installer Tools

There are numerous open source and commercial tools for creating Windows installers (MSI packages) including: InstallShield (http://www.acresso.com/), NSIS (http://nsis.sourceforge.net/Main_Page), and Wise (http://www.symantec.com/business/package-studio).  Tools range in cost from nothing to thousands of dollars.  The commercial solutions are typically sold on a paid-license model.

You can easily spend hours researching software tools available for creating your installer, but it only takes a quick visit to their websites to know how big a business it has become and how complicated it is to license their software tools just for installing–not improving on the user experience.

Most of the simpler tools provide almost no configuration of the navigation, look and feel, or ability to capture response input from the installation experience; and focus on simply solving the technical task of creating an MSI package with appropriate system integration.

The more sophisticated tools typically provide access to an editor which allows you some control over the background image, navigation, and inputs; but not at the level required to reach the optimal level of performance.

W3i used Wise extensively in its past, so prior to writing this article, I spent considerable time researching the most popular tools.  My hope was to uncover some great solutions to enhance design and advertising within the installer.  I really struggled and found my quest led to more questions than answers.  I began to appreciate the value that these tools provide for the technical aspects of building your installer, but they still fall short on providing for those interested in design or advertising. 

W3i built a proprietary Windows installer, InstallIQ, after the frustration we had using Wise, to implement our installers need for design and advertising.  Wise, I believe, is characteristic of all the software tools currently available.  They do not cater to those with a significant appetite for design and advertising.  Only through extensive investment in tweaking their code can you develop something that is functional.

With InstallIQ, our installation is as sophisticated as many websites.  We have total creative control and also a rich set of decision-making data that you would expect from a website.  The software tools typically allow you to turn them silent, which essentially means you can disable any dialogues/messages to the end user and rely instead on something else to manage this.  At W3i, we found it very effective for our system to manage the user experience, including advertising through software recommendations, and continue to leverage the best available software tools to manage the other aspects of the software installation. 

InstallIQ is available to software publishers.  Because of the ad-supported focus, W3i’s clients are paid based on the performance of the software recommendations made through their distribution.  This focus on performance is what aligns W3i’s interest with its clients.  For more information, contact W3i.

Ryan Weber, Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Co-Founder, W3i, LLC
Entrepreneur and pioneer of Internet marketing focusing on increasing revenue and distribution for digital downloads.

St. Cloud, Minnesota, February 13, 2009 – The freemium business model can increase your bottom line.  In 1865 when King Gillette started giving his safety razor away for free, creating demand for his high-margin, disposable blades, the freemium business model was born.  Without using the freemium business model, Gillette would not have built his empire, and it is now a commonly used business model especially in the marketing of digital content. 

The freemium business model has many names—try-before-you-buy, shareware, tiered service, trial—to name a few.  Basically, it means giving something of value away for free, supported by revenue earned from the sale of an upgrade or complimentary product.  This is a very common business model in the software industry.  Software marketers promote a free version of their software supported by the premium, paid version.  The trick is to create the right mix of features, offering enough utility to the free user to create credibility, and promoting highly attractive features that will persuade the free user to become a paid subscriber.  

To create profit, the financial model looks like this:  the lifetime value of paying customers must be greater than the cost of acquiring and supporting both free and paying customers.  Reported conversion rates to the premium version vary by product, but range from .05 and 5%; the average being 2%.

There are several reasons why you should consider a freemium business model.  Here are some of them:

1. When done right, quality trials build loyalty and trust.
2. Reduces risk by giving the user a chance to experience the value of the software.
3. Expedites a large customer base, increasing network effects and efficiencies resulting in:
   • more brand awareness
   • collective intelligence
   • faster product adoption
   • a more defensible business model, and
   • more efficient marketing, as costs are spread out over a larger base.
4. The cost of distribution and the support of digital content are never lower, allowing this model to increase in popularity.

There are also several reasons why this model has its limitations:

1. People value what they pay for and will make more effort to discover how it will benefit them.
2. It is difficult to cover the acquisition and support costs if only 2% of those installing your software are actually paying for the product.

There are other “free” models that you might consider:

1. Give a “desired” product away for free when a customer commits to a long-term subscription with you.  The mobile business uses this extensively when they give a cell phone away for free if a user signs up for a long-term contract.
2. Ad-supported free – Many magazines are free or highly discounted because of the revenue-generated from their ads.
3. Giving a product away for free while charging for a complimentary, high-margin product.  King Gillette had this down to a science.  Also consider that every time you go into a theater the cost of the ticket is subsidized by the profit the theater makes when you purchase popcorn and other high-margin snack items.

Whichever business model you choose to pursue, W3i can piggyback with your offer to layer on an additional revenue or distribution stream.  Through W3i’s Download Network you have the ability to increase distribution and revenue for your downloadable content.  By using W3i’s proprietary Windows Installation System, Install IQ, you can increase distribution for your download by being one of the value-added software offered during the installation process.  Or you can increase your revenue by using the demand for your download to be combined with other value-added software offers during the installation; and you are monetized when the user selects your software as well as the additional software.  You can then earn money on 98% of users that would otherwise get away.  Software offered through Install IQ converted by as much as 60%.  Contact W3i to learn more. 

Josh Fiedler is the Business Development Lead at W3i Holdings.  As a leader in innovative ways to increase revenue and traffic for downloads, he focuses mainly on downloadable games and utility software.

About W3i:
W3i delivers proven, integrated desktop and browser marketing solutions.  With solutions tested and optimized on over 200 million installs–currently 4.2 million installs monthly, W3i can increase revenue and traffic for downloadable software, applications and digital content or provide a receptive consumer base for customized, targeted distribution programs.  W3i’s solutions utilize Install IQ, a proprietary Windows installation system and download manager developed by W3i.  Install IQ is the first installation system to be certified in the TRUSTe Trusted Download Program.  To learn more about W3i, visit www.W3i.com. 

Press Contact:
Deborah Manthei
W3i Holdings, LLC
deborah.manthei@W3i.com
320-257-7571