Suggestion: A Free Month Of Premium Membership

[+laxxe]

Why not offer a free month of premium membership, so all users can see what it's like? I know $3 isn't alot of money - but if the premium membership is great, I'm sure this will give alot of new subscribers - because they can't live without it, when they've tried it :-)

 

Maybe this can be given automatically when the user has created 10 new caches, or have been a member for a year or something like that :-)

Edited March 22, 2006 by laxxe

[+The Leprechauns]

1. Create a new account once a month on the first day of the month.

2. After a year, the first account becomes eligible for a free one month premium membership.

3. Order a ton of pocket queries. Find caches and log them under your main account.

4. After a month, your first premium trial expires. Activate the second sock puppet's free trial.

5. Lather, rinse, repeat.

 

Oh, and once the first account gets its free premium trial, you have unlimited and permanent access to the Off Topic forums without needing to renew.

[+laxxe]

It's almost always possible to cheat, if you want to...

 

I knew some would write like you did, and that's why I suggested, that you would get the free month when you have created 10 caches or something like that.

[+The Leprechauns]

1. Toss 10 film canisters at the first ten guardrails you see on your way to work.

2. Get your free premium membership.

3. Use the premium "ignore" feature to ignore all the guardrail micros in your area.

4. Have fun!

 

I would be opposed to any membership benefit predicated upon having to hide a certain number of caches. The only reason to hide a cache is because there is a spot that deserves one.

[DiverMan]

You know what, it's not a bad idea. I haven't become a "premium member" because of the frequency in which I cache, so does that make of a lesser cacher? No. It would be nice to be able to see what the "upper cream" gets. You know "give it a try, hey this is nice, yeah it's worth the money".

 

I am assuming that (not being a DBA but) it's just a column in the database of type "boolean". I'm sure that the code junkies could figure something out that would prevent abuse When there is a will there is a way!!! In this case, I would call it "Marketing". You never know, you might get an increase in "Premium" accounts.

[+Ziggy Crew]

I don't think that a free membership trail is a good idea for all the reasons stated above. Besides its only $3.00 a month. Who can't afford that? But I do know a good way to make the $3.00.

 

1. Go out and do some caches all month long.

2. Along the way, pick up those empty bottles and cans. (Thats called CITO).

3. Take them to the store for the nickle. (or dimes depending on where you live)

4. Put your nickles away until you have enough.

5. Pay for another month of membership.

6. Repete from step 1.

 

You get to go do some caches. Help clean up the envionment. And you get a membership. What more could you ask for.

[DiverMan]

Good Point, Seperation still exists

[+BlueDeuce]

The Plain-Belly Sneetches longed for the day,

 

When they wouldn't have to work for their pay.

[+kelly@9]

Another site I'm on gives away a free month of their premium membership based on a combination of how long you've been a member and how active you are on the site, and doesn't publicize the fact that they do so nor any of the specifics. It seems to work well for them, and doesn't really let people game the system to abuse it.

 

If Groundspeak was going to do something like this, I'd suggest they follow a similar routine.

[CoyoteRed]

The free trial can be limited to:

 

...just the odd numbered caches.

 

...just the traditionals.

 

...just the 1/1s.

 

...etc.

 

That's just off the top of my head. If they really wanted to provide free trials and not give everything away, there are ways to limit the data. It's been brought up plenty of times without it going anywhere.

[+budd-rdc]

I enjoyed Geocaching for a few months without Premium Membership. Having a "free trial period" wouldn't have changed that. I signed up on my own later based on merits of its added features, not because the site was peddling it like a free sample to get you addicted.

 

I suppose Groundspeak can follow the example of AOL by offering free membership, get your credit card #, then make it difficult to opt out later. They can make $ from potential abusers who's likely to use a stolen credit card # anyway.

 

The intent of the idea is nice, but as people have noted above, it's going to get abused.

[+tozainamboku]

I think the OP is saying that just hearing from all the satisfied premium members isn't enough information to decide on whether its worth a premium memebership. The premium membership page doesn't really give a lot of detail. For example, until you get a premium membership you have no idea of what you can ask for in a pocket query. Perhaps allowing non-premium members to see the PQ page and maybe run a PQ in preview mode to see the results would help. Premium members are more than willing to answer specific questions someone may have here in the forums. There are ways to find out if a premium membership is worth it without getting a free sample.

[Jeremy]

We've been admittedly poor marketers. I guess we're just satisified with the soft sell for a premium membership. I don't object to selectively offering a month free to non premium members but if we do we definitely won't tell you how we decided to do it.

 

Thanks for the suggestion. It has come up before but not in a while. We'll talk around the office and see what we can come up with.

[+Team Oodi]

... I know $3 isn't alot of money ...

 

So what's wrong with paying $3 to try Premium Membership for a month? That's what I thought and did, never cancelled the subscription. If someone is enjoying the site so much they're considering Premium Membership it certainly isn't much to ask. And if Premium Membership doesn't feel right after a month it is a $3 donation to a good cause.

[+Tervas]

How about two fixed weeks with premium rights for all once a year.

 

Edit:

PQ server might be under some pressure that time...

Edited March 24, 2006 by Erwast

[+JohnAengus]

I like the soft sell approach. I get really sick of people trying to sell me stuff all the time. I have been a Charter Member since Wednesday, July 17, 2002. I have not been all that active since I was a college student and had family issues last summer, but I will get out there when summer gets here.

 

Even when I was not Geocaching, I thought about it all the time. I still paid my membership. I felt it was for a good cause and if I can help someone that provides such a terrific service, I'm more than willing. It's the best $3 I spend each month.

 

BTW, last night I figured out how to do paperless caching with my Palm. Fantastic premium feature, thos pocke queries!!!!!!

 

John

[+5winters]

I think the OP is saying that just hearing from all the satisfied premium members isn't enough information to decide on whether its worth a premium memebership. The premium membership page doesn't really give a lot of detail. For example, until you get a premium membership you have no idea of what you can ask for in a pocket query. Perhaps allowing non-premium members to see the PQ page and maybe run a PQ in preview mode to see the results would help. Premium members are more than willing to answer specific questions someone may have here in the forums. There are ways to find out if a premium membership is worth it without getting a free sample.

 

If I would have been able to run a one time only sample PQ with limited data say 10-20 caches before getting my Premium Membership, would have speed up my purchase. But I’m a hands on type of guy and being able to look at the data and see the type of results would have let me know what I like and not. IE I downloaded the demo of Cachemate and knew I didn’t like the results compared to what I get from Spinner. I was able to make an informed descision and I am happy with my descision. Same with the option for getting a premium membership.

[+Team Snorkasaurus]

Personally, I DON'T like the idea of a free trial... If you want to check out Premium Membership for a month why not simply pay the three bucks? It is a paltry sum and it helps support Geocaching. If you don't like or need it then simply don't renew after the first month, but why ask for free when the price is so small and the money supports an activity you enjoy and benefit from?

 

[+Vinny & Sue Team]

... I know $3 isn't alot of money ...

 

So what's wrong with paying $3 to try Premium Membership for a month? That's what I thought and did, never cancelled the subscription. If someone is enjoying the site so much they're considering Premium Membership it certainly isn't much to ask. And if Premium Membership doesn't feel right after a month it is a $3 donation to a good cause.

 

Exactly! Three bucks is a very tiny amount of money. And, I personally like the soft-sell approach of this organization/site to which Jeremy referred.

[+Woodbutcher68]

A woodworking group I belong to extends your membership by one month for every new member you refer. They don't offer monthly renewals, so you pay for a year and the coffers grow. Maybe that type of program could work here. You would have to add the stipulation that the new member would have to pay for a year in order for the current member to get the free month.

[+laxxe]

Please don't start this "refer thing", I'm tired of people spamming other places, where this is used.

 

People, please read what I wrote! I don't think $3 is alot of money, and I don't mind paying $3!. This topic was meant to be an idea how to get new customers/paying users! This would be great for all of us!

 

I'm pretty sure, that free membership tryouts will give more new customers/paying users in the end - and that's what this is about!

[+sTeamTraen]

In order to work, most "free trial" offers are not totally free - they normally require you to sign up for a longer period and don't bill you for the first month, but you still have the hassle of cancelling. The marketing people rely, to some extent, on your laziness, and also on the patter of their call centre staff. Try cancelling AOL after a month's free trial and you'll find out what I mean.

[+laxxe]

I fell lucky, we don't have AOL here in Denmark.

 

Shouldn't we stick to the topic? Of course it's 100 % up to Groundspeak, if they want to give free tryouts or not - but I'm pretty sure it will end up with more customers/paying users - when they find out how great it is, they can't live without it ;-)

[+BlueDeuce]

Ah! the old "the first one's free and get'em hooked" technique.

 

Very tricky!

[+ByrnedFish]

going with the selective availabilty theory, you could give free trials, (especially with the PQs) but not show the coords, like when you are nto logged in. Then when u buy the premium you already know waht its about, but you havent actually been able to use it.

[+JohnnyVegas]

Maybe this can be given automatically when the user has created 10 new caches

Not a good idea, we do not need a flood af crapy caches being hidden so that a person can get a free month

premium membership. Like you said, $3.00 is not a lot of money

[+JohnnyVegas]

We've been admittedly poor marketers. I guess we're just satisified with the soft sell for a premium membership. I don't object to selectively offering a month free to non premium members but if we do we definitely won't tell you how we decided to do it.

 

Thanks for the suggestion. It has come up before but not in a while. We'll talk around the office and see what we can come up with.

 

Maybe after 50 finds they get a month for free.

[+SgtSue]

Sounds like good marketing. Maybe not a full month, maybe just the PQs. How about 3 free PQs of up to 100 caches after 25 caches found? Or the abilty to zoom in and out on the gc maps for 15 days after joining. Something along those lines. People don't miss what they never had, give them a taste.