I have a friend who runs a software company that caters to collectors. It's a great little outfit and they have a decent product. In a nutshell, the software allows collectors to categorize and organize their inventory. It's fairly robust and offers all kinds of reporting features. They have sold thousands of installs via CD-ROM and downloads from their website.
That's the good news.
The bad news is that the software only runs locally on a PC. Meaning, there is no Web connectivity at all. None. Zero. Zilch. Now, we all know I am a Web guy and that I believe in the power of the Internet. I know I am not alone. The only "installed" programs I use are from Adobe and Microsoft. These days, most programs with databases and interactivity should be online. It is what users expect. There is so much more that my friend's software could offer if it were online. Right now, it is restricted and this leaves the users are restricted.
It all seems so obvious to me, but maybe I need to explain it better. If the application were put on the Web:
- Users could access their information from anywhere - Web and mobile.
- If it were mobile, users could be in a specialty store and look things up and see what they need and buy it!
- The site could offer features, a la Amazon, by making recommendations and offering gift options.
- Users could share data and "network" with each other
- By storing users, data my friend could literally learn about users' habits, collections, etc., and use that data to offer more services - and possibly sell that data to other companies
- AD REVENUE! Need I say more?
And, of course, by being online the site would stay fresh and up-to-date. Offer new features, content, etc.
Right now the product is in Filemaker Pro. I am not knocking Filemaker - it has its uses - but one of them is not as an online database. Taking the database and migrating it to SQL or MySQL will allow my friend to crunch the data better, run reports, etc. It will allow him to expand the features and functionality of the program and create a user interface that users expect and are used to.
The bottom line is that by putting his software online, he can expand it for the user, mine data, and generate revenue from advertising and e-commerce referrals.
There are thousands of users. What if they all knew about each other? What if they could share information? What if they could easily invite others to join? What if he made enough money through advertising that he could offer the use of the site for free?
It's 2010 and people expect more. It's time to bring it online!
