Consumer Software Buying Trends: Ecommerce Research Paper

The "Consumer Software Buying Trends" survey was developed to examine the factors that influence consumer purchase decisions towards software and the consumer experience when purchasing, upgrading, and renewing software.

The maturity of open source software and the widespread availability of free smartphone applications have created choice for consumers who traditionally have paid for software. In fact, 46% of software owners switched to a free version that they consider as good as their existing paid software when they were due to renew their subscription or pay for an upgrade. For software publishers this competition is making it more and more difficult to sell to new consumers and retain existing customers. Software publishers must improve their tactics for selling online and ensure that they are offering an online experience that parallels the high expectations of today's savvy online shoppers. They face the same threats that the music and media industry have been forced to accept: consumers value their products but are no longer prepared to pay for them. Software publishers and retailers alike must find new ways of licensing their products that resonate with their consumers.