Welcome to the New Era of “Free”
The definition of “free” in this context is: not costing or charging anything.
It’s easy to fall into a trap that says – if it’s free, it must not be worth much. However, in technology today, there is a mammoth movement towards free stuff and it is catching on. Examples of this model include these famous ones –
- Google – free for customers, paid with advertising like commercial TV
- Facebook – same as Google
- LinkedIn – free for basic version, paid premium version with additional features
- WordPress – free for basic version, paid premium services and features
What this proves is that something can be free and worth a lot, so, don’t automatically dismiss it. Instead when you come across relevant software that is offered for free, spend some time to seriously examine the offer and look for the following –
- Is the value proposition real?
- Take a close look at the value proposition promised to see if the product can help you in new and useful ways. If you cannot say yes to at least one of these types of questions, you should move on.
Will it help you save money?
Will it help you increase reach?
Will it help you be more productive?
Will it help you create new income?
Will it help you have fun?
2. Is it simple to sign up for it?
- If sign-up is not automated and online, the product is already half-way towards failure. If it requires a page or two of information before you can sign up, that’s a bad omen.
- Finally, the clincher, if a credit-card is required for a free product, I would ask myself, what’s the catch?
3. Is it simple to use?
- Some of the most feature-rich products fail because they are too complex to use. So, even if it is free, it fails because of the extra overhead needed in order to utilize the potentially useful features of the software.
4. Does it provide the promised benefits?
- Can I tell fairly quickly after using it whether it is providing the promised value (or delivering an unexpected bonus)
:
Folks, welcome to the new era of promising technology and a worthy business model!
The benefits of something that is offered for free cannot be overlooked anymore. Organizations and businesses around the world are using free products to do real and productive work. This model allows customers to try out the software with no obligations, obtain value from it, and then decide if they want to get even more use or productivity or benefits.
In addition, many producers of technology wholeheartedly support this environment while also offering premium versions of their software for a cost. This premium version allows them to get revenue that can in turn be used to continue their investment in the software – both the free and premium versions of it.
It’s truly a win-win for everyone.
