Where do I begin?

billsteersnose

Hi everyone!

I was wondering how to go about marketing a software application I've written?
I havent a clue where to start/who to talk to/whether to market it myself (and how to even to do that?). Is there someone I can talk to about marketing and selling my software? The software would be very useful for anyone buying a house or redecorating a house... Any suggestions would be very welcome...

leftofcentre

Do you have a site for the program? Whats the URL?

paulocon

Ok,

Just following on from what leftofcentre said.

Some of the things you'll need to do.

Register your business name at www.cro.ie (think the process takes a couple of weeks and costs around 20 Euro).

Register a domain name (you'll need you Registered Business Number for a .ie).

This will leave you in a position to setup a website for your business. In addition, you'll be able to get a proper email address setup (info@yourbusinessname.ie). Looks far better than yourname@hotmail.com...

Get yourself a professional-looking website. If you can't do this yourself, pay someone else to do it. There is nothing more off-putting that an amateur website. For many people, it is the first experience they'll have of your product...

Until that is done, there's no point even talking about marketing although I'm sure some of the other posters on here can fill you in on that side of things..

growler

And if you have an application that can be patented / trademarked in any market you are looking at , do it before you talk to anyone , just in case. Get as much legl protection as you possibly can, this will help protect you, make it easier to sell / license the application or business.

Then look at talking to your local Enterprise Board they may have grants available to help you get started. Maybe talk to your local university, I know UL have an "entrepreneurship" module that often looks at developing business plans for similar scenarios... worth looking into.

Is there a significant market for your application ? why did you build it ? Is it easily copied / reproduced ?

If you have a good product you'll make more money from developing a business around it yourself, if you have the cash to do so (and believe that it will make you money) I'd suggest doing it yourself. Either look for a private investor to help you (if you know anyone with the resources) or look to develop a business plan you can take to a bank for a start up loan.

So, get your ass covered legally, set up a company, look for investment , start selling, then re-evalute and decide what the best next steps would be.

mox54

The other posters make it all seem so simple and in theory it is and they're not wrong, you're first step should be to establish if you have a viable and profitable market for this new software and if you do, have you competition and what are they doing...do/can you do it better/cheaper etc etc, once you've eatablished you have a great product and a strong market to show it to then the rest is simple as the others have been saying...i.e. getting investment, setting up a company, marketing etc etc......you need to esatblish your market, it's size, accesabilty etc etc first.:eek:

Buglim

I don't think Mox54 is correct. I've worked for some of the biggest advertising companies in the world and still work for the largest in Ireland and you can bring a product to the market without any viable need and convince the market other wise.
If you believe your product will be a beneficial tool to the market and you have the correct support and business plan you will make it a success.

mox54

Selling sand to the Arabs is always going to work if you throw enuf money at it however I don't think our friend is going to employ McConnells to launch his new software perhaps he has other ideas like starting small and building it up through building market share, it's here you need to think about your market etc etc etc and besides I don't think we're helping with a debate about who's right and who's wrong.:o

Buglim

Hi Mox

I didn't say anything about employing MCM to market his product. What I would say is that if he even brought it around to relevant companies on his own and presented it as a must have product he will get a response.
Support can come from a number of fine government bodies and a business plan can be put together by any competent individual with a little help

mox54

Buglim wrote:

you can bring a product to the market without any viable need and convince the market other wise.

Hi,

I am saying that the starting point for any product/service is to assess if it has a market, i.e. customers who will pay for it and make you a profit, certainly you can promote till you're blue in the face but if people don't want it, they don't want it but if you're promotion is big and bold and brassy then people will buy it, they don't need it but they'll buy it - that situation will not be viable and will eventually fail - good basic honest to goodness market research can't be beaten-as for forming companies and all that stuff - that will take care of itself if the product is a success and money will flow in once you have identified a market.