What kind of Sales can you expect from PDF?

[Sir Whiskers]

James,

I downloaded your zip file (what's new webpage) and I think you're initial response to the catalog idea is accurate - it's not much easier than shopping online. Now that I know how to get to the new products page on your website, I can do much of my shopping there. A couple suggestions:

1) If it's no extra work, including a zip file like the one you posted of your top 100 products on every cd can't hurt. I ordered several items on cd a while back (I don't have a cd-burner, so it is my backup) and was pleasantly surprised at the number of freebies and demos you included. Having this file on there is just another chance for your customers to decide on another purchase. If it entails considerable cost in time or money, though, I'm not convinced it would make a significant difference in overall sales.

2) Any chance of adding the links to publisher homepage/demo/etc. to the "what's new" page? It would be convenient to find an item on this page and pop straight to the publisher if I need more info to make my decision.

BTW, thanks for all your work in integrating what others have suggested in this thread. I'm truly impressed.

 

[rpghost]

1) If it's no extra work, including a zip file like the one you posted of your top 100 products on every cd can't hurt.

I'm working on a full HTML version of the website that can run off a CD. Basically a complete catalog with active links to allow you to buy or view demos. Not sure if I can get search to work. The concept is that I can include this on other DEMO cd's or on Campaign Suite or things like that.

Problem is, I need to figure out a way to get the database drive HTML pages to actually store as HTML that is locally navigated. If I use a program to spider the whole site I'm afraid it may spider a lot of places I don't want... anyone know a tool to do this sort of thing? I want the output in HTML not PDF.

As for teh publisher info on the NEW PRODUCTS page, I'll look into that... might not be that simple though.

Oh, I also just implmented a button exchange for the vendors of the site to use to help draw attention to their products while you surf. I hope it's not too intrusive or annoying.

James

 

[James Heard]

Just curious...Why the aversion to doing it as pdf? Pdf files are just as linkable and versatile as html if you're not concerned with the rather large load-in time for the reader, right? And since you're selling pdf's you can be reasonable certain that everyone interested has Acrobat Reader...

 

[rpghost]

Just curious...Why the aversion to doing it as pdf? Pdf files are just as linkable and versatile as html if you're not concerned with the rather large load-in time for the reader, right? And since you're selling pdf's you can be reasonable certain that everyone interested has Acrobat Reader...

Because large Acrobat files are slow to page around in. Plus I don't want to have to REQUIRE someone to install Acrobat just to see a catalog - even though it's simple and most probably have it. Also, I don't think it's going to be that simple to covert the site into a cross-linking index set of files in PDF as it would be to just get a program to spider it into HTML.

I could be wrong. I'm open for suggestions as usual.

James

 

[Alzrius]

RP Ghost is right. If the catalogue were only available as a PDF, it would be prohibitively slow to page through, enough to the point where I know I wouldn't give it the full run-through I would do a faster-moving HTML file. My suggestion is to go with the HTML idea, it sounds like the best one.

 

[James Heard]

Large for-print and print capable pdf files page slow, but I've just never seen much of a difference with properly designed "screen" pdfs I suppose unless you're imbedding movies or sounds. If it helps any, setting up your pdf files for smaller pages makes a big difference too - squarish formats that don't require scrolling to move on the same page for instance IME move really fast except for load-up unless you set them up to try to show more than one page at a time. Load-up is an issue with any pdf, adobe programs just start slow. Of course, if you suspect that everyone will fuss about having to install acrobat then the whole issue is moot. I wonder what folks expect to read their pdf's with though.

 

[rpghost]

... IME move really fast except for load-up unless you set them up to try to show more than one page at a time. Load-up is an issue with any pdf, adobe programs just start slow. Of course, if you suspect that everyone will fuss about having to install acrobat then the whole issue is moot. I wonder what folks expect to read their pdf's with though.

Well when you have a PDF that's over 5mb is size try paging around in it. Try one at 10mb. Ok, if it's 100 little ones is that any better? Now think about it on a slower computer with less memory then yours?

As for the Acrobat comment... when it comes to advertising - the road to least resistance is always best. The goal of our new marketing is going to be to draw in the regular book readers- people that might not even know what the hell a PDF or acrobat is. If you're promoting a product to them - why would you create it in a media they are not sure about?

James

 

[tensen]

Plus I don't want to have to REQUIRE someone to install Acrobat just to see a catalog - even though it's simple and most probably have it.

Um, if they aren't bothering to have Acrobat Reader on their PC. Why would they have it to be able to read most of the downloads from rpgnow?

 

[DanMcAllister]

Sales Figures

As a person working on my first product for sale, I think it would be useful to me and others here if we could have the top 20/40/whatever lists for both units sold and cash generated .

It would be informative to see what difference if any it made to the list. It should show if the product cost does indeed impact sales and help me (and other "newcomers") set the best guess at a price.

Would it be possible to do this for us?

Thanks,

Dan

 

[James Heard]

I run a 700 Mhz PC with 128 RAM at home and I never had any troubles with paging around in my 120-ish meg CD-case size pages pdf files that I've made. I admit that most rpg product pdfs seem inordinately slow, but they also have awful bookmarking and linking in common too. That's something that most of the for-print and from-print pdfs seem to have though. Maybe if I have time after I get everything done for the holiday season I'll see if I can take apart one and see if I could get it to page faster without killing myself in the formatting. It makes no sense why rpg pdfs are slower than some of the ones I've put together with the same or larger file sizes except as a relation to my working in different page sizes? Maybe someone should start thinking about producing pdfs in the old Traveller black book format?