Free is a dangerous game

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Free, is always the most destructive of a marketing tool. If it's not a free thing, how many people are going to pay for it? Everyone is aware of this truth, so when Qihoo 360 announced the release of free anti-virus software, other peers either send a hope that the product of Qihoo is too bad, or can only be dragged into the water.

Rising although very angry, but also active challenge, announced the "one year Free" plan. And the entire antivirus industry seems to be slipping fast to free.

A few years ago, there were similar events in the e-mail market. But, at that time is a vigorous "charge campaign." e-mail Service is free from the beginning, there have been many vendors have tried to pay services, but the end is no way, the mainstream market still return to the free mailbox. This process, in the opposite direction, illustrates how powerful the free mode of the Internet is.

As a manufacturer, who does not want to charge? But as long as one insists on free, other vendors will have to follow. And, once it's free, it's even harder to get back to the money. Taobao once by virtue of "free" trick, the ebay played a crushing defeat, just a charge last year, immediately caused the user's strong rebound, and eventually had to shrink back. See Taobao "3 years of free" commitment expires, to change the toll route I am afraid it is difficult. Ma Yun recently announced to Taobao additional 2 billion yuan input, according to my understanding, this is actually Taobao free period postponed again!

Free mode has become the industry's most basic survival rule. However, the free mode means huge investment, especially the initial stage of the accumulation of users, is simply a "burn money" game, not every manufacturer can hold down.

Profit, is a difficult to read. A lot of companies take the free mode of the road, the wishful thinking is nothing more than: basic services free, value-added services to collect money. However, the real like Tencent (Enterprise Library Forum) QQ as successfully survived the "winter", and found a profit-making value-added services manufacturers, there are several? Most of the manufacturers, crowded or a log bridge ——— advertising.

However, the fruit of advertising is not so good to pick, in addition to the industry in the leading position of manufacturers, a large number of users, not enough flow of manufacturers are not attracted to how many ads. Last week saw an analysis report, said the current domestic network advertising market about 10 billion yuan scale, by 2010 is expected to break through 20 billion yuan. Even so, the cake is still relatively small compared to traditional media such as television and newspapers. And the entire Internet, look forward to sharing the cake manufacturers and how many?

Or Qihoo chairman Zhou said, he said "have not thought how to make money." If Qihoo has enough capital accumulation, or can get enough venture capital, it is no harm to slowly look for a profit model. The problem is, now Zhou 祎 more by virtue of "Shede, La Shing" chutzpah in the ACT!