Reboot 2006

With the new year 2006 I am resolving to make some significant changes to the business.  I have been doing the same thing for 10 years now, and when you have been doing something for 10 years there is a tendency to do things a certain way because that is the way you have been doing it for 10 years.

This year, I'm going to look at every aspect of the business and review it and determine whether it can be improved.  For each thing I'll look and determine whether the way we are doing it now is the best way or simply the way we have been doing it for 10 years.  This will be a year-long process and will affect everything.  My goal is to have everything complete by Thanksgiving 2006.  I'm calling it "Reboot 2006".

One of the first changes has already happened.  The new computer I got a few weeks ago has changed a lot of processes involving email support and how I handle the logistics of the email newsletters (the most recent newsletter was the first to go out using this new process and it went very well, it was much easier than before).  I may increase the frequency of newsletters to every 2 weeks from every 3 weeks because of this.

Among the things that I will be redesigning are all my websites, the marketing screens in the games, the way the trial period is handled in the games, and many other things.  Some of these are already in progress and I'll blog about them when it gets near the time to make the change.

I'm also going to be looking at our ecommerce system and how we can improve it.  We have been using RegNow since 1998 and a lot has changed since then.  RegNow had premium service then, but they don't now.  It doesn't make sense to pay premium rates for non-premium service, so I am looking at whether we can get the same or better service for a lower price with some other ecommerce provider.  I've been looking at other ecommerce providers such as Plimus, Kagi, and so forth to see if they could work better.  I looked at switching to eSellerate a couple of years ago, but eSellerate has some serious problems (a really bad vendor web site, a stupid rate structure, and it's really difficult to get them to do key generation).  So I'm looking for a new ecommerce system that is not Digital River or eSellerate.

The biggest issue with changing ecommerce systems will be affiliates.  However, affiliates represent only a tiny amount of sales and only a few of them sell anything significant, so all I really need to do is to get the handful of the affiliates that matter to switch and the rest can be ignored. 

In addition to changes in the processes of the business, there will be some big changes in products in 2006 as well.  Again, I'll blog about this when they are ready.

It promises to be an interesting new year.

Comments

[David Michael]

Ah, payment processors...

Since 1996 I've used simple mail-it-to-me processing, Kagi, MoneyPump (defunct), DigiBuy, RegSoft, and Plimus. I'm setup with RegNow but only to get the "buy now" link from Download.com back in the late 1990's and early 2K's.

RegSoft was my primary processor for several years because I liked their flat 10% fee. Then last January I went through my payment records for 2004, comparing what I had paid RegSoft vs what I would've paid Plimus (their rate starts at 10% and reduces for larger orders). I discovered I would've paid a couple thousand less in fees had I been using Plimus. I was switched over (along with my few useful affiliates) within a couple weeks. I haven't estimated what I saved in 2005 from the switchover, but I'm confident it's at least 2X what I had calculated for 2004.

My own indie endeavors (game and otherwise) turn 10 years old this summer.

-David

[david doull]

hi, I also use plimus and the best thing about them is the fast and helpfull customer support.

dd

[kz]

I have not heard of Plimus before today, looks like good rates. BMTMicro has excellent support but so-so on the rates, at least they're not a DR company. PayPal has some interesting advanced ecommerce features and low rates at 2%. They might be worth a try.

[Allen Varney]

It interests me that you're undertaking a systematic overhaul of a business that, to me, appears spectacularly successful already. Do you have a specific business goal beyond maximizing profits?

[cliffski]

Another vote for plimus here, unless you need paypal support, which they dont have yet.
Good plan on the reboot. Always good to see someone not content to rest on their laurels.

[Juuso - Game Producer]

"I looked at switching to eSellerate a couple of years ago, but eSellerate has some serious problems (a really bad vendor web site, a stupid rate structure, and it's really difficult to get them to do key generation)"

I don't want this to get into any 'ecommerce provider war' but I had to comment. We have been using esellerate from year 2004 (at Indiepath) and now I'm using it (at Polycount Productions) and I don't think it has a really bad vendor site. I find it pretty nice. key generation was easy using armadillo... don't know what's the system for other ways. they also accept paypal (which is good).

But yes - the rate structure is not good. I agree on that.

Anyway - Plimus is good as well, so I've heard.

Good luck with the reboot. Sounds good.