Make It Easy to Order

This seems like an obvious item, but you'd be surprised how many developers make it difficult for people to order their games.

Start by allowing your player to order the full version directly from within the game. At the start and/or end of the game you should display a teaser for the full version, and hyperlink that page to the ordering page on your Web site.

In addition, make sure that customers have options regarding how to order. You should accept major credit cards, as well as checks and money orders mailed to a well-publicized address. Setting up a merchant account for credit card processing takes some investment, but if you can't afford it, there are companies out there who will provide this service to you for a percentage of your sales. Do a search or ask around for names of reputable registration companies.

One way to measure how easy it is for people to order your game is to count the number of clicks that must occur before they get their game. You want to keep this click count as low as possible, ideally requiring just one or two clicks.

In addition, spot check your ordering system, especially if you're using a third-party vendor to handle your credit card validation. Buy software that periodically checks to see if your server is working, and alerts you if it is not. Also check your order pipeline from different systems to make sure that it works equally well in all cases. There's nothing worse than having a whole bunch of people who want to buy your game but can't because they don't have a specific browser or operating system.