I really do. I want to start off by saying I understand the motivations behind certain designers charging $1L for a demo item. I have asked around why anyone would, and I have gotten various answers. I completely understand that it is easier to track info regarding demo sales when the item is coming up as $1L in transaction history and not $0L. I get that it is important as doing so can easily show correlation between demos and sales of the actual item. I also understand that it takes a lot of time and effort to make something, and that your design is important to you. I understand that placing it for $1L is a small way of saying that effort was worth something. I also get the fact that in the grand scheme of things, it's less than 30c, really, and that you do not many money off that.
That said, I completely disagree with the above points. As a prolific consumer in Second Life, I strongly strongly urge designers not to charge anything for their demos. Not least because it's one of my pet peeves, but also because it's bad for business. I am still amazed, and slightly perplexed, when I see that $1L over your demo. Oh sure, in most cases I will buy it, but it always clouds my judgment regarding your products to do so, especially in the situations where I find, after trying it that I don't even like the demo item enough to buy the actual product, or in situations where you have more than 20 demo items and I can't find anything I actually like, or to keep trying until I do find something I like. Then I feel slightly cheated. So absolutely, in the case of paying for a demo I definitely feel that the negative outcomes for charging for demos certainly outweigh any good points they may have for your business.
First, let me explain what kind of consumer I am in Second Life. I'm a female, in my twenties, I have a job. It's a middle range job. I have a not-too-bad disposable income, but I am not rich. I have bills. Life is expensive. And I blow a lot of money in Second Life. I know ladies (well, their AVs are female anyway) that blow more money than I do -- than I can even imagine-- but I do pour anything between 10-100 USD a month on Second Life. My average is about 30, most months. I know women who easily drop 100 a month on Second Life. I kind of wonder where they get the money. I am not rich. At all. Even 30 dollars a month is $360 dollars a year. I also subscribe. That's an extra $72 a year. That's more than I pay for my favourite mmorpg, or even more than I spend on real life clothes, manga, or music a month. So, it adds up, fast. And, to be completely honest I can't afford everything I want in Second Life. $30L It gets me about 7k linden to play with and it goes really fast, even though I try to spend it wisely. I kind of boggle at people who buy every set of skins, eyes, blogging things that cost over $1k linden a week. I'm not sure how they achieve this, except that they either have more money than me, or like Second Life more than me (probably both). Would that I could buy everything I truly want-- all of Poetic Color's eye sets, all of Pink Fuel's skins-- (Ahh, one day!) things I wish I could get but cannot afford-- there are so many! I would say my situation is not unique. That most subscribed SL users are like me. I would say the average free user is a freebie-hopper that periodically converts small batches of real money here and there to spend on bargains, etc. Lastly, I buy on sale. The kind of things I buy in Second Life are directly related to my income (or lack thereof) and that subsequently affects what I buy and when I buy. One skin over the full 4k fatpack. A sale skin here and there. Make use of the weekly bargain lists like FLF, etc. And, I go for sales. A lot. If I'm undecided and it's on sale, well done deal. I rarely buy full price. I try not to shop on impulse, but do get swayed by the 'but it's on sale' feeling. I hunt bargains and freebies. I shop around. A lot. And I loathe paying full price, (well, doesn't everyone?) I will say I usually only ever fork up big bucks for things when I either absolutely adore the item, or when it's for charity.
So that's me. And I would say I'm fairly typical of most active, paying SL users. So, basically, my point is this. When you charge for your demos you make it harder to get my money, harder to promote your products, and harder to increase your business in the following ways.
It Adds Up
It does add up. Yes, it's easy to say that $1L is less than 30c US. However, what about your customers that don't use US currency? As an Australian, the AUD is much stronger than it used to be, and it is almost on par with the USD at the moment. However, it didn't used to be-- in 2006, when I joined Second Life, the AUD was almost half the value of the USD. This means that what Americans were paying 30c for, I was paying 60c for. You have to remember that the cost of living doesn't change, so for me at least, it definitely a big deal at the time-- I used to camp constantly to buy anything I liked because I simply couldn't justify paying $60AUD per approx 7k linden. Every linden counted. So, like I said, Those in countries with even weaker economies may be paying up to a dollar of their currency for your demo -- the privilege of trying a product you are trying to sell them.
Secondly, it adds up because one linden here, one linden there... and suddenly you've spent $100 linden of demos. This can mean the difference between actually affording your product or not. For example, I visited a hair store almost two years ago now that was having a sale on all their old hairs. It was more than 50 styles being discontinued and I tried them all. I only had $300 to spend at the time, and the demos cost me $50L to try them all. I found one I loved, and I wanted all the colors-- but one fatpack actually cost $300L I noticed. In trying ANY demos--I actually made myself unable to afford the actual product. So, in the end yes, the vendor had gotten $50L of my money, but they could have gotten the full $300L had their demos been free. And before you say, 'well Dunneh, if you only have $300L to spend then too bad for you,' well some people can only spend their stipend every week-- for some, their only money is their stipend. So, I mean essentially the seller screwed themselves out of my sale, and did their own business a disservice by charging for that demo. And yes, that incident is what has shaped my judgment regarding this issue.
Not only that but you're not the only store charging, so I find it odd when people feel it 'doesn't add up' or 'it's so cheap it's insignificant'-- I took a quick count of eight popular stores I like-- yes, I tp'd in and counted how much it would cost me if I bought every single demo in store. I got to my third store, and I was already on $119L worth of demos. By the end of all eight stores, I was up to $248 linden worth of demos. Now, these are just a small fraction of stores that I notice charge--but like I said-- it adds up. One of them had over 82 demos!
One store in particular that no longer charges (but used to a long time ago) used to charge about $1L per every four demos. Thus, each 'mini pack' had its own $1L demo so that each set of skin shade (for example if you wanted to try all the pale makeups) it would cost about $4-5L to try, and if you wanted to try all the skins colors in store it would cost you about 50L. Why they didn't just package them all up into one fatpack of demos per skin color (thereby making it cost about 10 instead of 50L,) I don't know, instead, each shade had something like 5 demos to go with the shade. Like I said, this store has stopped, so I didn't count it in the total above-- but I remember it was something that had always bothered me about the store, and it's something I am ecstatic about now that they don't.
It Gives The Impression You Are Greedy
It definitely does. You may think that, 'oh god, I don't get rich off my demos anyway!' As I've heard people say, but it definitely gives the impression that you wouldn't even give your own mother a cup of sugar without her giving you a dollar for it. And that's just the way it is. Even though I know designers who are the bees knees and still do this, it definitely clouds my judgment regarding their stores a little. I try to be impartial about it and not think badly of the store. But, to be honest, part of me does, and I can't help that. Whenever I tp to a store that charges, and I've forgotten, it's always a case of 'oh yeah, that's right... I have to pay for these' Some people will not think that, but when you get down to it, it can and will come across as money grabbing to most people. And it's like nobody wants to say anything about it, but you know, if it's not making you money anyway then why even bother charging? Obviously you seem to be getting something out of it, or you wouldn't even do it.
No, It is Not an Actual Product.
I've heard a someone say they put hard work into their product and therefore the person is getting something for nothing in buying the demo for free. I don't agree. I cannot use your demo. In most cases, I don't even keep your demo. Your product is your product, and your demo is your demo. I would rather pay one extra linden for said product than pay $1L for the demo of said product. People get paranoid that certain people will wear demo stuff around. I can tell you that in four years in Second Life I've never, ever seen anyone wandering around with demo hair or skin except in the store where they were trying it on or nearby. People with demo hair or skin on look like fucking norgs, and nobody really thinks otherwise, that's why nobody does it. Anybody that does do it gets ridiculed pretty much immediately.
Furthermore it's kind of like charging for trying clothes on, really. Like paying 10c per shirt when you get to the fitting room, etc. When someone pointed out that 'well it's not the same because you don't get to keep, say... part of the shirt like you keep a demo, and it's more like getting a free sample,' I would say, oh? So it's like paying for those flipping scraps of painted cardboard that paint companies give you so that you can hold it up to a wall like a douche to see if the color will suit? Oh my, it is my fancy scrap of cardboard, and you are getting something for nothing! No. It is not a free sample of anything usable. It's not like a cosmetics sample, it is not a freebie-- it's more like having to pay for a spray of the tester perfume at the fragrance counter because 'well, now the perfume is on you and you're getting something for nothing, therefore that'll be 10c to smell like that.'
It Takes Up Inventory Space.
You can argue that once you've bought them all you won't need to buy them again, but how many people keep their demos? I keep some of the demos (in order to remember which ones I liked of the product, and to remember which stores I adore) but the others I trash. If all my demos were pay then I wouldn't delete them because I wouldn't really want to pay for them again in case I . And well inventories take enough time to rez already.
You Will Lose Sales And Loyalty
Yeah, you will, because I can't tell you the amount of times I have decided not to try something on because I'm short this week and it costs one linden and I can go to _________ and try some for free instead and then buy their product instead. I'm not about to tell you every time this has occured but it HAS occured. Not only that, it clouds my perception of your store, and it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It is a pet peeve of mine-- and I may be the exception-- but you stand to gain more by not doing it then doing it, frankly.
Yes, it's your product and you can do whatever you like with it, but I'm telling you you're inadvertently doing yourself a disservice by doing it. Not everyone who went, 'pah I don't want to pay for that,' is going to tell you that you just lost a sale. Probably, no one will bother, they'll just leave without trying anything and you won't even know. Not everyone who sees your $1L hover is going to go 'Geebus, what a greedy bastard,' and decide not to visit your store again. Most won't even tell you. Most will just walk out. So my advice to people who do it: Reconsider. Please. And those thinking about doing it: Don't. Please.
I'm not in such a difficult financial position that I cannot afford your demos, no. And if I like your products, I will suck it up and buy the demo if I want to try your product. However, I do mind buying it, and if I can avoid buying it, I won't buy it at all. However, even though I may love your product, your store does (and will) have a different place in my heart to the places that do not charge. I will not rush to try your new items that are out knowing I need to pay a fee on the other end of the tp. I will not bother to even try styles I think I might not like. This narrows your possible sales towards me, and personally, I will always favor any other stores that don't charge over yours. Love them a little bit more, and be a little bit more loyal. I will always blog their stores over yours in most cases, and will always be more excited about their sales over any of yours.
Possible Counter Points:
Owning A Store Is Expensive, And Every Bit Helps
Nooo! Firstly, don't you even think about lost sales because the demo costs $1L? People who say this to me, I admonish you. If you cannot make money on the strength of your product alone, then no $1L demo is going to help your business. Not to mention you may be actually hurting your business due to lost sales, negative connotations regarding paying for demos, etc. And if your income is so poor that you sorely need the demo money to get by, well then you have bigger problems than any $1L demo can fix.
It Discourages Copybotters
Really? It might, but it also discourages customers. For example, TRUTH has hundreds of hairs. I love TRUTH but I wasn't that familiar with them last year, so I had actually never tried many TRUTH hairs prior to me returning to Second Life. So, when I noticed TRUTH, I tried their demos. Trying them all would cost a lot were they $1L each. Thankfully, they are not-- TRUTH's demos are free. Because they are free, I have been able to try them ALL, and also because of this, I sort them in order of how they suit and look on me in my inventory-- 'awesome,' 'good' and 'ok' -- with the last folder getting deleted. So, when TRUTH had a sale last month, you bet your sweet bibby I checked out all the hairs in my demo folder, hauled ass over to TRUTH and bought ALL the hairs I liked. I bought more because I was able to try more, and to be completely honest with you, only in trying certain demos did I notice how cute I looked-- I didn't love all the styles I looked at, but because the demo was free, I was like 'ehh what the heck,' and tried it anyway. It was instant love, it looked awesome on me. And yet, had the demo been paid I wouldn't have looked twice at it because I wasn't that keen. If that had happened, then it would have been a lost sale.
Well, I Need To Charge So I Can Track Demo Purchases On My Trans History, To See If People Buy The Actual Product Etc.
What about the people who buy neither because they don't want to pay for the demo in the first place? Do you have stats for missed sales? It used to be that Second Life didn't allow $0L transactions. It used to be that in order to try something, you had to pay $1L way back when. This is no longer the case. It used to be that it was easier to find things by searching for $1L in trans history than things for $0L because of false hits on things like event items or free gifts. But things have advanced now. I have been told you can actually use programs that can parse the XML, and can track items by various means, such as price -- $0L or by name in the item such as 'DEMO' -- and tell you how many people have bought a demo. So, frankly, the 'it's easier to search for $1L sales,' to me, is a poor excuse.
Well Hey, If You Don't Like It, Don't Buy It.
Don't worry. I won't. I don't. You charging for it means I either a) won't buy it at all, or b) try less than I normally would because of the money issue or c) leave me with a slight bitter taste in my mouth regarding your store. And truly, do you want that? And if you 'don't care'-- is that the right attitude to have as a designer towards your product and your customers? Really? Can you honestly tell me that you are representing your product the best way possible by going through Second Life alienating people like me? I'm not your enemy, truthfully.
Well It Weeds Out The Cheapskates Like You :P
I'm not a cheapskate. I'm just not rich. And I pour a lot of my hard-earned money into SL. I convert it. I don't own a store, and I don't camp for it, I work a shitty IRL job and I get onto SL and buy pretty things using that money. I don't have a lot of it, and I need to be slightly choosy in my purchases. And frankly, I actually do want to buy your shit. I want to try everything you have in your store, and decide whether I want to get the full version. Would that I could buy everything I love, and want. Don't make it harder for me by making me drop $1L on your demo because you feel you deserve it for your hard work. I personally feel I deserve better as a paying customer, but okay.
And... I have used 'you' a lot in this
I realize that nothing will change probably... because of this post. Probably no one will take this to heart at all. And that most people will get defensive regarding this, and say, 'hey Dunneh, STFU you stupid bint,' fair enough. It's just my opinion and in the grand scheme of things it is meaningless, but I ask that you listen to it because as a Second Life consumer, I feel it is valid. To me, it is obvious that the cons outweigh any possible pros in this matter, and yet... people still do it. But if one designer sees this and decides not to, then this
As a last note, if you DO charge for demos you should at least offer them free in your group or subscribo when the new items first come out-- some sellers don't even do that, they require you to tp in and pay. Or you could make them no copy/transfer so friends can get their friends to try it, but some designers are loathe to do even that, or pack them all up together and offer only one demo for $1L. Because if the point is to get people to try your product-- why on earth would you ever make it harder for them!?
I will tell you this before I go: All my favourite stores, all the stores I actively patronize and have spent thousands of lindens on-- the stores I am fiercely loyal to -- don't charge for demos.
