I’m looking for some tips and/or opinions on implementing a nag screen? What’s the consensus on nagging frequency? Do you nag at a variable frequency? Is your nag screen also the license validation window? Do you use a countdown in your nag screen? Do you use timers within timers to make it a little less hackable?
Thanks
My application shows a nag screen when quitting with a timer. When the trial time is over the important features show a window with “this trial is expired”. The main window has a “please register” at the status bar. Screenshots for the windows are here: http://www.manual.mothsoftware.com/registration/registration.html
I believe in fully functional, unlimited apps that show a nag screen either periodically or before certain events like saving. I don’t like using time-limited demo apps because I may not get a chance to use it in a real-world scenario and I won’t commit to it if I know that my data could become inaccessible after a time. Instead, I want my app to become part of the users’ workflow, with some inconvenience, so they will eventually be encouraged to purchase.
The balance is to do something that encourages the user to purchase without being so annoying as to keep them from using the app.
Not sure you could classify what we do as a nag screen.
If a user downloads a demo of one of our applications, we allow them to use it for 30 days. Approximately 5 days before the demo expires, they will get a message whenever the application starts that it will expire in X days.
In our subscription based software, we take the same approach except we start to warn them about 30 days prior to the expiration date. When it gets down to 5 days, it’s a little more “baggy” if that’s a word.
Again, it’s only when the application starts.