A question to add-on developers

Malsomnus · 07-11-13, 03:55 PM

I'm curious, how do you other people advertise their add-ons? The only thing I have to go by is the recently-updated list on this site, and that's pretty hard to stay on even with several new versions every week. I don't really like marketing, and it would feel pretty childish to go "Hey, look at this thing I made!" at people.
... and yet, I'm pretty sure there are many people out there who would find my add-ons useful if only they knew about them.
So how do you guys let the masses know about your add-ons?

Dridzt · 07-11-13, 06:58 PM

I don't.

Very rarely I might put some keywords in the description to help the google bots along (I think maybe I've done it for a couple addons?)

Other than that I don't go looking for users, I try to make my description to the point and let users find them.

I'm actually pretty happy when I see some downloads and no comments, means I don't have to fix anything

Plus my overall disposition is that I make addons for myself and my guild, others using them is a fortunate by-product.
I do try to respond to reasonable feature requests even if it's not something directly useful to me.

Fizzlemizz · 07-11-13, 07:09 PM

I'm with Dridzt.
I don't know if the fact that the addons I'm minding were popular back in the vanilla/TBC days but there's rarely a day goes by without a couple of downloads and I don't have any keywords other than the titles and I only host here.

If your addon is uber cool, word of mouth seems get things going pretty quickly.

Tonyleila · 07-11-13, 07:29 PM

Ya many downloads come from word-of-mouth recommendation.
Also if you often update your addon (if needed) it gets more downloads.
You are right by linking to your other addons on the bottom of every addon page = if you like this addon you like this addon to maybe.

When I look at your addon page a problem is mabye the names of your addons.
Try to avoide words that stick together and discribe as much of the the addon as possible in the addon titel (thats not looking super cool but it will help ppl find your addons on wow UI and other sides the titel of the addon is

SanityCheck
=> Rename to:
Sanity Check (wrong gear & missing buff checker)
=> just an idea

Now if someone searches in search addons for wrong buff check your addon will popup
Currently there is no way to finde your addon noone woud search for SanityCheck (though its a cool name). Test this by yourself if you can find your addons on wow UI by the things they do and if not rename them.

"Intoxicated" is also one of the names I woud discribe more - as a german I had to google this word

You coud search in the forums for ppl who have problems that you solve with your addons and give them the link to your addons

Also a very effective but reluctantly used methode is to name your addon similar to other well known addons that do similar things as your addon

Fizzlemizz · 07-11-13, 08:09 PM

And there's always Tonyleila's added approach, if you'll be posting in the forums, to add links to your addons in your signature. Nice one

.

Tonyleila · 07-11-13, 08:16 PM

Originally Posted by Fizzlemizz

And there's always Tonyleila's added approach, if you'll be posting in the forums, to add links to your addons in your signature. Nice one

.

Do it right with a huge animated blinking gif in your signature that links to your addons! IT WILL HELP!

zork · 07-12-13, 12:46 AM

It really depends on your intentions.

I write addons for myself in first place. I need to be interested in them and it is my free time going into that.
Since my intention is personal I get satified by just writing stuff and bringing ideas to life.

It can feel rewarding if many people download your stuff too but I think it should be driven by your self motivation in first place.

Regarding advertising...post some screenshots of your UI or addons on MMO or Reddit. If people like what they see they might use it.
Not sure if it really got me sth but I have links in my sig to my UI.

Addionally don't be to disappointed if the downloads are low. WoW subscriber rate is dwindeling and most people have settled on their addons.

Patches can make room many new addons since there is new API stuff.

Malsomnus · 07-12-13, 04:07 AM

I'm not really chasing fame and fortune, if that's what it came out as

I make all my add-ons because I need them (yes, damnit, I need those dancing bears!). And, of course, being the weirdo that I am, I enjoy writing them.
But I always see situations where other people would benefit from having stuff I've written so I imagine there must be many more people out there who could find it useful if only they knew. And frankly, it's really fun to get feature requests for something I've written!

I'll probably use at least some of Tonyleila's advice... but I'm not sure many people would search for "Dancing Bears When You Kill Lei Shen" either, so I will just rename that one to "Deadly Bear Mods"