An update

[bernieh]

Hey gang at Cheers,

Just wanted to give you a general update on what's going on, what we've been discussing, and what I'm doing.

First of all, we (SN.com) had a conference call with SOM last week to kick off some important strategy discussion. We asked the hard questions, and tossed around some ideas about how to help the SOM Online franchise better reach its potential. Among the various ideas raised were more creative and aggressive new-customer promotions, free trials, more cost-effective and efficient marketing, and general pricing model considerations. We're scheduled to meet up again and compare notes next week.

This has always been clear to me, but talking to the higher-ups and being involved in the business meetings really drives the point home - there are very few easy answers. Every initiative has both a cost and a risk, whether it's in manpower, dollars, or in the case of lowering prices, lost revenue. The key, of course, is making the smarter investments and taking the smarter risks, and that's what we'll be striving to do.

On that front, one obvious initiative is to re-implement a [b:4006998eb2]free trial program[/b:4006998eb2], which will allow us to lower our current barrier to entry for new customers without a prohibitive cost or being too immediately jarring to our existing revenue model. We tried a free trial program for the 2003 season, but that was when each new card set was its own site, and it was too much work to keep replicating. It's silly that our central site which has been in place for 3+ years now doesn't have a free trial program.

Also currently in the works are:

[b:4006998eb2]A fix to the 7-game Semi-Finals schedule[/b:4006998eb2] where Games 5 & 6 are currently being played on the same night despite them being at 2 different ballparks.

An attempt to put [b:4006998eb2]salary cap support in our Live Draft.[/b:4006998eb2] I've been talking about this for a while, and I'm not entirely optimistic about succeeding, to be honest, but I'm going to be giving it the old college try.

Preparations for both the [b:4006998eb2]2011 Players' Championship[/b:4006998eb2] and [b:4006998eb2]ATG Barnstormers Tournament[/b:4006998eb2]! I'll be working with the respective commissioners to bring you another year of great organized competition.

And the usual small stuff that I tend to squeeze in every once in a while, as they present themselves.

Thanks for your time, and of course your patronage!

[KEVINEHLE]

Bernie, I just recently convinced a new guy (Bill Clark) to give this game a try (screen name: feb 1154) last week. Even though he has the money, the initial "sticker shock" is tough to overcome. Now that he has a team set up and playing, he thinks it's pretty cool.

I have at least one suggestion if that's OK:

**Offer incentives to current users to bring in brand new people (a finder's fee, if you will). As mentioned earlier, it's a tough sell.... even to our buddies to give it a try.... due to cost.

I think that your users (particularly guys like me who have been around since day 1) could be incented to drum up business for a fraction of the cost it would be to market this thing. The incentive certainly doesn't have to be anything big (i.e. free entry to the league the new person enters, etc.).

Kev

[HitmenTwins]

Good job as usual. I have one request I would like see happen. I would like the ability to change line-ups on a game to game basis, instead of setting your line-ups for the complete 3 game series. Would enable us to match up even more from hitter to pitcher. Thanks for listening.

[caimrisek]

[quote:2576266e6c="HitmenTwins"]Good job as usual. I have one request I would like see happen. I would like the ability to change line-ups on a game to game basis, instead of setting your line-ups for the complete 3 game series. Would enable us to match up even more from hitter to pitcher. Thanks for listening.[/quote:2576266e6c]

Maybe set up a way to at least pre-set 4 lineups instead of the current 2 to set up linueps like...

v LHSP with R balance (better against RHB)
v LHSP with L balance (better against LHB)
v RHSP with R balance (better against RHB)
v RHSP with L balance (better against LHB)

[chasenally]

I got started with the free trial of 21 games. I had played the board game as a kid and I had a pretty good understanding of the game. 21 games is not much time to figure out the game if you haven't played before. I would suggest a free full season. They could sign up against vets or start a free trial league. This would work IMHO. Once you get to checking out the box scores and watching the season unfold you will be hooked. Maybe you don't have to offer a free credits to the winners. This would give the new customers time to tinker and ask questions on the boards. They will enjoy the game and find out that many in the Strat community are very helpful and also want a bigger customer base to play against.

[KEVINEHLE]

How the heck did you get 21 free teams??? :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

Kev

[bernieh]

[quote:b4b939ddd6="ehlekev"]Offer incentives to current users to bring in brand new people (a finder's fee, if you will). ... I think that your users (particularly guys like me who have been around since day 1) could be incented to drum up business for a fraction of the cost it would be to market this thing.[/quote:b4b939ddd6]
Yup, we thought of that too! We'll see if we can work out a system that makes sense. Thanks.

[quote:b4b939ddd6="HitmenTwins"]I would like the ability to change line-ups on a game to game basis, instead of setting your line-ups for the complete 3 game series.[/quote:b4b939ddd6]
Greater lineup control is one of the next larger-scale projects I'd like to undertake, but I'm not sure when exactly it would fit in the schedule. I hear you, though.

[quote:b4b939ddd6="ehlekev"]How the heck did you get 21 free teams???[/quote:b4b939ddd6]
It was 1 free team that played 21 games for free (3 games/day for 7 days). :)

[toronto50]

new 24 team league playoff system?

[chasenally]

[quote="bernieh"][quote:79669e84fd="ehlekev"]Offer incentives to current users to bring in brand new people (a finder's fee, if you will). ... I think that your users (particularly guys like me who have been around since day 1) could be incented to drum up business for a fraction of the cost it would be to market this thing.[/quote:79669e84fd]
Yup, we thought of that too! We'll see if we can work out a system that makes sense. Thanks.

[quote:79669e84fd="HitmenTwins"]I would like the ability to change line-ups on a game to game basis, instead of setting your line-ups for the complete 3 game series.[/quote:79669e84fd]
Greater lineup control is one of the next larger-scale projects I'd like to undertake, but I'm not sure when exactly it would fit in the schedule. I hear you, though.

[quote:79669e84fd="ehlekev"][b:79669e84fd]How the heck did you get 21 free teams???[/[/b:79669e84fd]quote]
It was 1 free team that played 21 games for free (3 games/day for 7 days). :)[/quote:79669e84fd]

Nice answer Bernie. I would have told Kev my 21 free teams came from beating him for the credits but your answer is well much nicer. :lol:

[Roscodog]

It was the 2003 free trial that got me hooked. It's now been 8 years and several hundred $$$'s later, and I'm still hooked. 'nough said. 8-)