I have been working for a while a new web app that I believe will appeal many as a useful tool. I am almost finished working on a beta release and I am trying to come up with a business model. I know there are a number of options and I wanted to know what you think is a good option to start with.
The right business model for your web app depends on what your competitors or the people you are replacing are already doing. Inertia will cause people to evaluate your web app versus how they are already solving the problem. So if what you are replacing does monthly saas billing, then you too should to monthly saas billing. Of course, going free or super reduced price can cause people to rush over to your web app though they will do so with a grain of salt because they will have already been used to another system.
Can the web app be used on a smart phone? If so, port it over. You will be able to charge for it once you build an audience. Starting free and getting these 1st users to chat about it then later initiate a fee. Or set a decent price for it and go all out with targeted marketing.
Free is a good option to start with. It will give your potential customers a reason to test your app - people rarely buy software nowadays without testing it. Also, it's a good way to get people to sign up for a newsletter.