We're going to be officially launching version 3 today. Before the news goes public, I wanted to update our current F20 customers to make sure you're up to speed.
1) One of the most popular questions is bound to be "what does it cost", or in your case "will my cost change?" Both are import questions, and I'm happy to give the answers
We have changed the pricing on F20 for this version. However, for those of you who are currently customers your price will not change unless you want it to. I'm a big believer in not only honouring agreements but also that "you dance with the one that brought you." Thus our current F20 customers will continue to pay the $80 / month rate (even if your initial contract has expired). I just don't think it's right to raise the rates on our most loyal customers, unless I have to.
So, with that understanding, here are the new F20 packages:
So, if you want to upgrade to a Help Me or Just Do It you can, and your rate will change accordingly. If you are happy where you're at, there's no change.
2) Feature Changes
The change in the feature set reflects the change in philosophy for this version. We've put less emphasis on the ecommerce, and more on building a great site. Everybody has ecommerce, now, and everyone has a catalogue to look through. We are giving you tools to incorporate all kinds of content - text, images, videos, forms, Flash, surveys, slide shows, maps, comments ... in any combination, and wherever you want them to be.
All of this could be quite confusing, except for the inline editing offered by our new content management system. This means you can be working in your browser from any computer and literally watch the page develop as you build it. It's as easy as selecting a page layout, then adding the blocks that you want to use. You can even drag and drop items from one area of a page to another!
Since the change is so dramatic, we've had to re-evaluate some of the features from the old platform. Some are completely moved to the new platform, some are pending future development, and some are being retired. The most notable changes are:
Once you've had a look at V3 you can decide if you want to upgrade for the new features or stay on V2 for a while and use the old features.
3) Upgrade Schedule - "When Can I Have It!!"
I know a lot of you will be eager to upgrade as soon as possible, so here's the honest truth: this is a big transition, and it's not going to be cheap for us to upgrade sites. This means we can't just upgrade everyone right away - much as we'd like to. Instead, we'll be selecting sites to upgrade based on a number of factors including expressed interest from the florist, whether the appropriate POS integration is available and functioning well on the new platform, and how much you've been using and abusing your old site.
Cheers!
- Pricing
- Feature Changes
- Upgrade Schedule
1) One of the most popular questions is bound to be "what does it cost", or in your case "will my cost change?" Both are import questions, and I'm happy to give the answers
We have changed the pricing on F20 for this version. However, for those of you who are currently customers your price will not change unless you want it to. I'm a big believer in not only honouring agreements but also that "you dance with the one that brought you." Thus our current F20 customers will continue to pay the $80 / month rate (even if your initial contract has expired). I just don't think it's right to raise the rates on our most loyal customers, unless I have to.
So, with that understanding, here are the new F20 packages:
- Standard - essentially the same as our old $80 package, with a few changes. Rate is $100 / mo
- Help Me - the standard package + some active SEO like link building, local optimization, content writing. Rate is $300 / mo
- Just Do It - this is the hands-off package, for florists who don't want to be updating their site. All the joy of the Help Me package + usability testing, site maintenance and other perks. Rate: $500 / mo
- DIY - Just the software to install on your own site. No support / training / hosting included.
So, if you want to upgrade to a Help Me or Just Do It you can, and your rate will change accordingly. If you are happy where you're at, there's no change.
2) Feature Changes
The change in the feature set reflects the change in philosophy for this version. We've put less emphasis on the ecommerce, and more on building a great site. Everybody has ecommerce, now, and everyone has a catalogue to look through. We are giving you tools to incorporate all kinds of content - text, images, videos, forms, Flash, surveys, slide shows, maps, comments ... in any combination, and wherever you want them to be.
All of this could be quite confusing, except for the inline editing offered by our new content management system. This means you can be working in your browser from any computer and literally watch the page develop as you build it. It's as easy as selecting a page layout, then adding the blocks that you want to use. You can even drag and drop items from one area of a page to another!
Since the change is so dramatic, we've had to re-evaluate some of the features from the old platform. Some are completely moved to the new platform, some are pending future development, and some are being retired. The most notable changes are:
- No more registering to place an order
- No customer history (possibly to return later)
- Blog is now an optional add-on, and is fully integrated with the site
- Mailing list is now an optional add-on, and integrated with the site
- Delivery charge by zip code
- No more service level delivery (may return later)
Once you've had a look at V3 you can decide if you want to upgrade for the new features or stay on V2 for a while and use the old features.
3) Upgrade Schedule - "When Can I Have It!!"
I know a lot of you will be eager to upgrade as soon as possible, so here's the honest truth: this is a big transition, and it's not going to be cheap for us to upgrade sites. This means we can't just upgrade everyone right away - much as we'd like to. Instead, we'll be selecting sites to upgrade based on a number of factors including expressed interest from the florist, whether the appropriate POS integration is available and functioning well on the new platform, and how much you've been using and abusing your old site.
Cheers!