Forums » Suggestions
Affiliate program...
Hey, I don't know exactly how well the game is doing right now financially, or if it is expanding at the rate you expected, but as a professional internet marketer and SEO, I've got to ask: Why don't you put up an affiliate program? Make it so that 50% of each new signup goes to in game credit towards membership and let your die hard fans run in social media and other means?
I'd be willing to help out if you are interested in that.
I'd be willing to help out if you are interested in that.
From what I hear, the developers actually need all the money coming in to pay for things like servers, food and housing.
Right well the idea with the affiliate program is that you make your own fans work for you and bring in lots more members that they wouldn't be getting otherwise.
That's kind of already how VO works, just fans aren't formally used.
VO has almost no budget for advertising, which is why we're a small community. We spread by word of mouth already. Most user's primary concern is content, which requires that the Dev's have full access to all the funds they can get. Drawing away from this would limit the content development of the game.
(Remember, payroll at Guild Software is only really enough to cover the bills and 4 Developers. There's not a whole lot to be spent on other projects/programs at this time)
VO has almost no budget for advertising, which is why we're a small community. We spread by word of mouth already. Most user's primary concern is content, which requires that the Dev's have full access to all the funds they can get. Drawing away from this would limit the content development of the game.
(Remember, payroll at Guild Software is only really enough to cover the bills and 4 Developers. There's not a whole lot to be spent on other projects/programs at this time)
We've actually had this slated to be done for quite awhile, although not quite under the terms described. Even a system of free extended-trial keys to subscribers who have been around for awhile would be a big benefit. Something to smooth the path for people who want to bring in their friends.
Ya that's a good idea. Here's my thoughts on ways the Aff program could work without costing you guys a dime:
A. Tell a friend. After you get the person to sign up for the normal trial, make the offer that if they can get 1 or 3 of their friends to sign up, or just "suggest Vendetta Online to 3 of your friends," they get an extended 14 day free trial period.
Benefits: With each new person you get the opportunity to have 3 more people sign up. Those three then have the opportunity to suggest the game to 9, the 9 to 27, and so on. The game grows fast and virally. You loose nothing.
You also build up your email list of people who would be interested in Vendetta Online possibly in the future, so when you send out promotional emails, specials, cool updates, and such (which your doing already right... right...) you will see a wave of new subscribers each time. This will take minimal effort on your parts, an email a month, but it will grow on its own accord and you will have to do nothing else to make it work that way.
Drawbacks: None. The system can be worked, sure they could send the email to three of their own accounts and sign up under three different names. But then, at worst, you still have a single person who is willing to go through all that to play Vendetta Online longer. You get a person who will put 14 days into a character on this game, get emotionally vested in this universe, and become *far far* more likely to subscribe.
Personally, perhaps a 7-14 day trial in the first place would be a better option, and offer a full month or something to those who can refer 3 of their friends. The idea is: the more work a person puts into building up a character, the more likely he/she will be to want to stay on longer to reap the rewards (subscribe). Work for a month building up a bank account and getting the licenses to shoot fun weapons and you sure as heck are gonna want to stick around to blow some things up with them.
B. Suggest this game to three of your friends and get 100,000 credits added to your account. No big deal for anybody who's played the game for over a week, but for newbies this would be a very big deal. It wouldn't affect the game dynamic much at all, but it just might be enough to get them to grow your email list for you and increase your overall exposure just like with the last suggestion.
I don't know if you have tried this already, or what you have tried in the past, and maybe the current setup you have is the best one out there for converting trial period players into subscribing players, the only way to find out is to test it to see if it works. Forgive me if you have already tried this and ruled it out.
A. Tell a friend. After you get the person to sign up for the normal trial, make the offer that if they can get 1 or 3 of their friends to sign up, or just "suggest Vendetta Online to 3 of your friends," they get an extended 14 day free trial period.
Benefits: With each new person you get the opportunity to have 3 more people sign up. Those three then have the opportunity to suggest the game to 9, the 9 to 27, and so on. The game grows fast and virally. You loose nothing.
You also build up your email list of people who would be interested in Vendetta Online possibly in the future, so when you send out promotional emails, specials, cool updates, and such (which your doing already right... right...) you will see a wave of new subscribers each time. This will take minimal effort on your parts, an email a month, but it will grow on its own accord and you will have to do nothing else to make it work that way.
Drawbacks: None. The system can be worked, sure they could send the email to three of their own accounts and sign up under three different names. But then, at worst, you still have a single person who is willing to go through all that to play Vendetta Online longer. You get a person who will put 14 days into a character on this game, get emotionally vested in this universe, and become *far far* more likely to subscribe.
Personally, perhaps a 7-14 day trial in the first place would be a better option, and offer a full month or something to those who can refer 3 of their friends. The idea is: the more work a person puts into building up a character, the more likely he/she will be to want to stay on longer to reap the rewards (subscribe). Work for a month building up a bank account and getting the licenses to shoot fun weapons and you sure as heck are gonna want to stick around to blow some things up with them.
B. Suggest this game to three of your friends and get 100,000 credits added to your account. No big deal for anybody who's played the game for over a week, but for newbies this would be a very big deal. It wouldn't affect the game dynamic much at all, but it just might be enough to get them to grow your email list for you and increase your overall exposure just like with the last suggestion.
I don't know if you have tried this already, or what you have tried in the past, and maybe the current setup you have is the best one out there for converting trial period players into subscribing players, the only way to find out is to test it to see if it works. Forgive me if you have already tried this and ruled it out.