I use MailChimp for free right now but I can't wait until my list is big enough for me to start having to pay them. It'll mean that I have enough subscribers to actually monetize the list. At that point, I'll be more than happy to give them my credit card.
This is in contrast with Evernote and Dropbox, both of which I use for free but neither of which I plan of paying for in the future. They work well enough for my needs, and if I grow out of them, I'll probably just either cut back on my use or try to find another solution. Maybe that makes me a freeloader or cheapskate, but I imagine I'm not alone.
So, at least in my case, Freemium works best for products that either directly or indirectly contribute to making money.
I'd argue that freemium works best when the "premium" part has value for the user. But, making money (i.e. directly contributing to revenue/profit) is just one way to have value. Saving time is another.
So, I pay DropBox not because it helps me make money, but because it's worth the savings in time and frustration trying to come up with an alternative.
Many of the most popular freemium products have a price point that is low enough that large numbers of people can easily justify the price, if they actually use the product.
Same here. I don't think I would of started my Hacker Newsletter if Mailchimp didn't have their free account, but will be happy to pay as it continues to grow.
Comments
I use MailChimp for free right now but I can't wait until my list is big enough for me to start having to pay them. It'll mean that I have enough subscribers to actually monetize the list. At that point, I'll be more than happy to give them my credit card.
This is in contrast with Evernote and Dropbox, both of which I use for free but neither of which I plan of paying for in the future. They work well enough for my needs, and if I grow out of them, I'll probably just either cut back on my use or try to find another solution. Maybe that makes me a freeloader or cheapskate, but I imagine I'm not alone.
So, at least in my case, Freemium works best for products that either directly or indirectly contribute to making money.
I'd argue that freemium works best when the "premium" part has value for the user. But, making money (i.e. directly contributing to revenue/profit) is just one way to have value. Saving time is another.
So, I pay DropBox not because it helps me make money, but because it's worth the savings in time and frustration trying to come up with an alternative.
Many of the most popular freemium products have a price point that is low enough that large numbers of people can easily justify the price, if they actually use the product.
Same here. I don't think I would of started my Hacker Newsletter if Mailchimp didn't have their free account, but will be happy to pay as it continues to grow.