Tips for increasing software conversions, parts 1 & 2

I've been guest-posting over at the Avangate blog on the subject of increasing sales conversions for software sold over the web.

This five-part series covers downloading, installers, follow-up, and user interface design.

The first two posts are up now:

Losing Trials at the Installer — why a huge percentage of people who download never get a trial started, and some tips for improving the conversion.

Collecting Data from the Download — why collecting a tiny amount of data at the point of download is better than none (contrary to popular wisdom), how to make a form that isn't a barrier to download, what hidden information to collect, and what you can do with that data.

I'll let you know when new posts are up, but consider subscribing to their blog if you're interested in tips for selling software online like affiliate marketing, online payments, pricing, and guest posts from folks like Bob Walsh and Neil Davidson.  And me.  :-)