Marketing Ideas For Online Games

Q:I developed & run an online game at http://www.paradox-online.net, the players are very loyal and the few I have have generated a lot of revenue. For example, the most from single player is 430-440 euros in a 5 month timespan. Current "round" statistic is that around 30-32cents per player in revenues. Not sure if that's high? It might be, sounds high to be for a "set of web pages" oO; well, anyways, it is a game. The total per player revenue is around 1.5euros per player I think, no real statistic about that one.

A:I'm counting 4 frownies within 2 paragraphs.. :(. I could share some great web marketing techniques...but I won't. Rather than seek a few more marketing outlets, I encourage you to step back and revamp your marketing mindset. Basically you are currently trying to figure how to get more slot tokens at Ceasars' Palace instead of analysing how the house games work. Maybe some others can tell you how to get deeper into ceasars palace... But I'm going to tell you about the palace itself. I have taken a little time to go look at your webpage and peek at the game registries, rankings, competitors etc. I can see that a lot of thought, hard work and LONG work went into your game. From a product standpoint it "deserves" to work. I even like the concept of "energy" behind your game ;). But I'd like to say as gently as possible that your conundrum and predicament is due to the fact that you have comitted two of the most classic small business marketing mistakes today... Problem one I call the Field Of Dreams marketing mindset. That is where you list a few marketing outlets to try and then focus on the product development/ vending processes figuring that "IF I BUILD IT, SURELY THEY WILL COME". This is a very seductive mindset because as we hear inner promptings driving our creativity we tend to vest our self-worth into our products, as in the classic movie "Field of Dreams". 1) You have "no business" without a business plan. Many people consider them a pain--which is exactly the advantage of developing a business plan... the painful process of having to think through a comprehensive maze of marketing, financial, administrative, personnel, and product production issues forces the conflicts and shortcommings of your plans to emerge. This gives you the oppotunity to solve them on paper rather than having to battle them under the stress and vertigo of product launch. Just like each space mission is rehearsed/ simulated in detail ahead of time, your business plan helps you to work to the goals in a comprehensive way and allow others to 'check your math' or access your plan making it potentially stronger and helping you to avoid costly mistakes. Don't fuss over making the thing pretty at first. I don't care if you buy a napkin holder and a stack of napkins. Get the plan. 2) If you Have a business plan, it should have a marketing section (and that marketing section should be a "Removeable" folder. This is so that it can be near you at all possible times. Keeping this segment near and frequently adding to it's development will force you from a passive maketing standpoint). 3) Within your marketing plan you should have the business card of your marketing guru...some one who is good at marketing and likes it. Every company needs one, unless you are from a marketing background or unless growth is not your aim. Use this card and often. 4) Within your marketing plan you should have contingency provisions for solving "local" marketing issues (those related to outlets and sales... the type you are seeking answers to today) and "Universal" marketing issues... those related to how the CORE product can be converted to a number of other products or by-products by a) Market definition and repositioning and b) Innovative transformation of the core product 5) If at all possible, always try to develop a product or by-product opportunity around a continuing PROBLEM within your arena of knowledge. Don't build on wants so much as on needs... and don't cater to features so much as CORE benefits. Use market "wants" and "features" (as opposed to meeds and benefits) to ADD ON value only after the CORE needs are accessed/ captured. 6) Leverage the power of OPM. (Other Peoples Money). If you are not in postion to get financial support, then set goals and work through the processes of getting into such a position with a good sharp compedium presenting the business opportunity etc. You've got a good looking prototype up and running. You should not have to try to make the reciepts from the game itself initally be the fueling source from the game company (ie. you.). That is a recipe for failure, my friend, because your gambling on your break-even point and leaving yourself no adjustment margin let alone dreamspace/ thinkspace. There are many types of investors. One of the most important questions to ask an investor is: HOW COULD I CHANGE OR TRANSFORM MY PRODUCT TO MAKE YOU WANT TO INVEST IN IT?. Another key question is WOULD YOU CONSIDER A SILENT PARTNERSHIP IN THE FORM OF RENDERING SERVICES TO MY COMPANY?