Sellers, You Are Losing Sales Because of Timed Demos

[Drakonadrgora Darkfold]

2 hours ago, Mortified Wanderer said:

If the timed demo means I get to actually see all of the outfit or item I want to buy, I'd be happy.   

It would give me a better idea of if it fits my general style without having to assume I'm getting what's being advertised, ads tend to use a lot of photoshop as a result you don't always get what you see.

If it wasn't going to add lag to the store, I wouldn't mind seeing demos on what would essentially be dummy.  There is a shop I knew of that did that with their products or they'd have it kinda hanging in place of where an ad would be.   They'd have all points of view filled or sealed to something to fill in where you'd have your body to prevent theft and left it unscripted.

I've seen several places that did that.  A few  had living dummies.. aka people who stayed there to model different outfits for different bodies. 

[Paul Hexem]

19 hours ago, AdoriModel said:

The reason why timed demos were created, was because of copybots; people ripping off other people's work. I understand completely why many stores have changed to timed demos. These creators work hard on building their mesh and texturing, they have a right to protect that work. I will not hold that against them.

The best part about that statement is that a timed demo makes it easier for copybotters, not harder. That gives them the good texture, instead of a texture covered with the word "demo".

[LittleMe Jewell]

19 hours ago, AdoriModel said:

The reason why timed demos were created, was because of copybots; people ripping off other people's work. I understand completely why many stores have changed to timed demos. These creators work hard on building their mesh and texturing, they have a right to protect that work. I will not hold that against them.

The short time frames might be because of that, but I think the timed demos originally started as a way of getting around having to attach things to the demo that then made it hard for people to truly see the outfit.  People were complaining about those rings and boxes and such making it hard to really see how an outfit looks and moves - not to mention that the CI of an outfit will often go up quite a bit by those wild Demo additions.

[Lillith Hapmouche]

... unless it's timed, demo textured and view obstructed.

[Silent Mistwalker]

57 minutes ago, Drakonadrgora Darkfold said:

I've seen several places that did that.  A few  had living dummies.. aka people who stayed there to model different outfits for different bodies. 

Some of them are hired models, some are (registered) bots. Or that's how it used to be. Now they maybe mostly (if not all) bots. There are those who don't register them as bots.

Just thought I'd mention that.

[Annalise Evergarden]

2 hours ago, Drakonadrgora Darkfold said:

I've seen several places that did that.  A few  had living dummies.. aka people who stayed there to model different outfits for different bodies. 

Yup!  But I think they prefer being called living models, i know a few years back there was a skin dev who had models in their shop that were able to awnser questions about the skins. (It was nice.  Something that I'd love to see brought back)

[Annalise Evergarden]

5 hours ago, Cinos Field said:

Oh, it's a great idea for stuff that isn't rigged. But for rigged clothes you do kinda have to see how it moves with the body.

As long as the creator was able to or had the time/power to, they could bring in either their alts with active AOs or hire people to.  

I miss the shops that had active models in them, I like having a chance to know more about what I'm buying even if it's just copy/paste responses given to them by the maker.

[SpiritSparrow Skydancer]

On 8/5/2020 at 2:15 PM, FairreLilette said:

I have run into 5-minute DEMOS but there is no need to name names here, me thinks that anyways.  

I choose to write DEMO on my stuff for the most part.  

For my furniture DEMOS, I just put my store name plus the word DEMO all around.  No one could take a picture but I think the potential buyer gets to see what they need.  

As far as making DEMOS, they all don't work the same.  Since my HUDS include all colors such as 100's of colors HUDS and could turn to black and erase the word DEMO I have written on there, I also alpha out bits on the AO so part of the actual item is missing in the back for instance.  Yeah, you don't get to see the whole thing, but what are sellers supposed to do?  I could have put a timer or alphaed out a bit on the AO itself to where part of the item on the demo is actually missing.  I chose no timer.  It's not easy to make these demos as you would think especially if you use the 100's of colors systems as I do.  

Sorry, I did not realize you were the forum admin... I guess naming names is only good if you are what, promoting your own store?

[FairreLilette]

1 hour ago, Tarina Sewell said:

Sorry, I did not realize you were the forum admin... I guess naming names is only good if you are what, promoting your own store?

It's okay if anyone in this thread talks about their demos, but not another store's demos, imo.

How would you like it if I named the name of your store that had the 5-minute demos the OP is speaking about?  If you yourself named the store with the 5-minute demos, that's different because it was you who made them.

If I could come up with a better way to have demos, I'd share it here too.  I can't think of any at this time.  They are all difficult not only to make but to decide how to do it.  

The ones I really don't like are the ones with rings around the face for hair.  One ring by the chin or neck would have been better than ones that cover the face.

Edited August 8, 2020 by FairreLilette

[AdminGirl]

49 minutes ago, FairreLilette said:

The ones I really don't like are the ones with rings around the face for hair.  One ring by the chin or neck would have been better than ones that cover the face.

Yeah I agree with this one too. Seeing how the hair fits with your face is usually important.

[Blush Bravin]

Good news, that creator I mentioned earlier as being one of my faves and recently switching to timed demos has gone back to using a prim floating around the head area once again. I never messaged her about it so have no idea if she just noticed a change in sales volume or if some of her customers messaged her about it. In any case, I am happy I don't have to deal with that timed demo that kept me from having enough time to try the demo with items of hers that I already own.

 

[Drayke Newall]

17 hours ago, Paul Hexem said:

The best part about that statement is that a timed demo makes it easier for copybotters, not harder. That gives them the good texture, instead of a texture covered with the word "demo".

Timed demo's were probably created by the same creators that believe charging $1L for a demo stops copybotting.

[AdminGirl]

Demos that charge are probably the worst type. But I wonder if most people get deterred by them.

[Alwin Alcott]

2 hours ago, Drayke Newall said:

Timed demo's were probably created by the same creators that believe charging $1L for a demo stops copybotting.

think also many asked 1 L$ at MP to make it possible to gift?

[Cinos Field]

Over 14 years of SL I've not once gifted a demo nor been gifted one, so I tend to assume the paid demos are just an excuse for the creators to earn some extra upload money. But maybe other people do it all the time?

[AdminGirl]

I once paid 10L for a demo (by accident.. I was multi tasking ugh).. I was so sad lol 😔

[FairreLilette]

4 hours ago, Cinos Field said:

Over 14 years of SL I've not once gifted a demo nor been gifted one, so I tend to assume the paid demos are just an excuse for the creators to earn some extra upload money. But maybe other people do it all the time?

The Linden's take 10%.  Since the 1 linden cannot be fractioned, I'm not even sure who it goes to?  I don't charge for demos nor have anything 1 linden, so I don't know.  

But, let's say something sells for 69 lindens, the Linden's don't take 6.9 lindens, they take 7.  In other words, they round it off to the higher number.  But, that's okay with me.  

Edited August 9, 2020 by FairreLilette

[LittleMe Jewell]

1 hour ago, FairreLilette said:

The Linden's take 10%.  Since the 1 linden cannot be fractioned, I'm not even sure who it goes to?  I don't charge for demos nor have anything 1 linden, so I don't know.  

LL doesn't take the commission on anything under L$10

[Drayke Newall]

On 8/9/2020 at 2:32 AM, Alwin Alcott said:

think also many asked 1 L$ at MP to make it possible to gift?

I don't mind people charging $1L for things on MP but, for demo's that to me sounds just like another excuse from creators to, as they say, stop copybotting. We all know its to get more cash.

You don't need to 'gift' a demo, its free anyway. Just send the person a link to the demo so they can get it free themselves.

Reminds me of those 'select' creators (same ones that believe it stops copybotting) that tell you "oh, don't worry about the $1L charge, Linden Lab refunds it back to you from the marketplace". 🙄

[Maryanne Solo]

Some vendor systems used to force the 1L charge then pay it back or summit. I forget now.

[Chic Aeon]

I have only read a few posts on this thread but see the beginnings as they scroll past.  Has anyone bothered to mention that SOME folks might actually like the timed demos? I mean you are seeing the actual product rather then the clothing in grayscale which only shows the fit or the clothing with an alternate texture so you have no idea what the texture  "might" look like OR the clothing with demo demo demo all over the texture.

 

I am not a fan of timed demos just because they frustrate me, but they do have some valid pluses. 

[Anna Nova]

Rule 1, No Demo, No sale.

Rule 2, Timed demo, No sale if it deletes before I have decided.

Rule 3, Demo with obstructors so I can see what I look like in it, No sale.

Rule 4, Demo with 'demo' written on the clothes themselves, No sale.

Rule 5, Rules 1 - 4 can be suspended whenever I want it Sooooo  Baaad!

[rasterscan]

" I had to search for ten minutes or so before I found the outfit "

This. I give up after 10 mins. Many a lost sale. All because of forced landing points rendering the slurl useless.

[rasterscan]

On 8/10/2020 at 3:22 AM, Chic Aeon said:

... Has anyone bothered to mention that SOME folks might actually like the timed demos? ...

I Love the 30 minute ones. It doesn't take me long.

Edited August 13, 2020 by rasterscan

[FairreLilette]

14 minutes ago, rasterscan said:

" I had to search for ten minutes or so before I found the outfit "

This. I give up after 10 mins. Many a lost sale. All because of forced landing points rendering the slurl useless.

I know, it's a bummer.

I started a thread about the possibility of being able to BUY directly from a DEMO but we cannot because basically we cannot pay an object we own and we become owner of free items such as DEMOS also.  However, a script could over-ride the fact we cannot pay an object we are owner of, but the script is considered nefarious the way the LSLanguage is.  In short, it would have to be one of those 'scary' scripts where you have to accept or deny and it would say it's trying to steal your lindens.  The reason certain objects say this is trying to steal your lindens is to make sure the person knows it was scripted by a professional and not a scammer.  The only objects we really own which might need that script which says it is trying to steal lindens from us are for split tipjars or for contest boards for example which need to deduct lindens from our balance upon the end of the contest.  So, the buying from a DEMO cannot be done at this time nor maybe forever in order to prevent scammers.  

Edited August 13, 2020 by FairreLilette