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Ask: Webapp related - Free and Paid seperate sites

4 pointsby infocaptoralmost 14 years ago
Hi, I have a web application that is very easy to deploy (php+mysql). It is easy for me to run couple of live sites using this application.<p>currently I provide free access on my main site. When I have all the stuff ready to collect payments, is it a good idea to direct users to a different domain for paid access.<p>for e.g Free access remains at mockuptiger.com<p>and when users want paid access they go to someothersite.com<p>Users can easily export and import their data from the free version.<p>Most of the paid sites do offer the free access on the same domain and as part of the same instance.<p>I want to discuss the pros and cons.<p>Pros: I can focus on paid users to provide better site performance and support<p>What are the cons of this approach?<p>Has anyone done this before?<p>Thank you Nilesh

1 comment

decadentcactusalmost 14 years ago
There doesn't seem to be any advantage really to having it on separate domains. Is there any reason you'd think it's easier to focus on paid users if it's on a separate domain?<p>There's other options, a private support forum (or forum section) for paid users, priority support (just highlight tickets or emails from paid users).<p>While it might be "easy" to export and import your data from free to paid, it's still an extra step, and much more annoying than just automatically having the new version available.