Why people don't want to pay for software

There is a question I have always cared about:

Why are many people unwilling to pay for knowledge (technical support, advice, guidance) compared to tangible goods?

I think its answer can also be used to answer the question "Why people don't want to pay for software." The answer comes from Liukeiro, the author himself authorized to reprint to Lei Feng net.

The split line —————— answer ——————

First of all, the concept of price fairness is fairness, meaning that the consumer's perception of the price of goods or services is fair and just worth buying.

In general, the perceived price equity of consumers is determined by three factors:

Past Price: Refer to the consumer price of similar products

Competitor Price: Reference to competitive brand price

Perceived cost: perception of product costs

For the main question, "Why are we not willing to pay for the knowledge (technical support, advice, guidance)?" "I think it is because such products have a natural disadvantage in the perception of price fairness.

Past prices: China's rampant piracy, many people have never spent money to buy e-books, software and other goods, such goods form a "free" false impression. As for services, consulting products, the frequency of people buying is very low, past experience is often very little, such as a person's life is often only a swimming training course, so if suddenly see the higher prices of swimming classes, no past experience reference, will feel unfair. But if a fitness-loving person, all the year round in the city's major gyms, the price of the guidance of the fitness coach is very much in mind, will not be a seemingly high price fuss.

Competitor's Price: When the consumer sees a high price, if see other similar goods on the shelf is this price, will not form the impression that the certain goods feel unfair, but would think "this kind of goods really very expensive". But unfortunately, the supermarket shelves can be easily compared, service products are difficult to produce this contrast. For example, consumers are more difficult to find an information integration platform, the city's swimming courses prices are listed together, more often, make a phone call, or to the site to inquire about the price of individual goods. At this point, if the swimming training staff to tell consumers the price of other competitors in the city, may help eliminate the price of injustice.

Perceived costs: This, I think, is the biggest mishap of knowledge and service goods. The cost of physical goods is more easily perceived (such as table-chair bubble face mobile phone), enterprises can easily around the physical characteristics of the product packaging a variety of new concepts to improve the cost perception (XXX austenitic stainless steel ...) But the cost of the service goods is mainly embodied in the human cost, the human cost is mainly embodied in the education cost of learning skills, and the cost of education is difficult to be perceived by consumers. Imagine going to a doctor and crying out for a decade of medical school. It's not always possible. But some companies can also let this cost to some extent to be perceived by customers, such as management consulting companies recruit elite graduates, and in front of customers deliberately to disclose the educational background.