Here are some simple methods for potentially increasing your product’s sales through effective marketing to DLsite customers.
This is a collection of tips our product review and support staff have come up with after seeing many works that, with the use of certain features or services, could do even better! Check them out! (Perhaps there’s a neat feature that you are not aware of yet...?)
- Set a discount
- Set a work as “DLsite exclusive”
- Create in-browser sample audio / promotional videos
- Bundle smaller related works into a single release / ID.
- Register a trial version for games
- Register creator information, allowing works to be found via creator searches
- Register series information, so customers can easily find related works
- Enter genres and keywords to increase product discovery
- Choose cover and sample images that give users a feel for your product
- Be precise about the contents, volume, and specifications of your products
- Register your work as “upcoming” before release
- Encode and register video works in MP4 format
- Be mindful about registering too many packs or compilations
- Confirm game compatibility for a variety of operating systems and devices
Set a discount
Your work will show up in searches for [ discounted works ], which can greatly increase audience visibility. The discount marker will also help it stand out in product lists.
You can set discounts starting from product release, or anytime after. The choice of timing is yours.
Discounts can be set via Discount Settings: [ Manage / Request Discounts ]
You can also choose to participate in sitewide promotions run by DLsite. Information on upcoming or current promotions can be found under [ Promotion Information ].
Set a work as “DLsite exclusive”
Your work will show up in searches for [ exclusive works ], which can greatly increase audience visibility. The exclusive marker will also help it stand out in product lists.
As total download counts are displayed on site, and exclusive sales are not separated from non-exclusive works, the higher download count can also increase audience interest in your works.
Exclusivity settings can be changed via [ Manage Exclusive Products ].
Create in-browser sample audio / promotional videos
This feature allows you to display a special player in your product description where users can listen to your product sample in-browser. Giving users a zero-hassle way to listen to sample audio can increases sales potential.
You can get a sample player displayed in your product description via [ chobit ], our sample audio / promotional video upload site.
On some smartphone devices, downloaded samples / promos cannot be opened, but with chobit, they can easily be accessed right on the product page. As mobile users increase more and more, this accessibly can be a real advantage.
Bundle smaller related works into a single release / ID.
Typically, works with very few CG, or audio works with only 1 short track do not have great sales potential. On top of this, customers are reluctant to check circles with long lists of products with few sales. Rather than registering tiny works independently, bundling groups of these works into one product release is much more appealing for potential customers. (The same can be said for separately releasing manga chapters instead of volumes, or even volumes instead of the complete story.)
These are our recommendations for generally accepted product sizes of various formats:
Manga: 20+ pages
CG / Illustrations: 11-15+ base CG
Audio / Voice work: 30+ minutes of playback time
Register a trial version for games
Registering a trial version for your game is a great way to attract users to your product,
and alleviate any worries they might have about system requirements or device compatibility before purchase.
Register creator information, allowing works to be found via creator searches
Clicking creator names on the home page and product pages directs users to a search page including all product results registered with that creator information. Registering creator information gets your product on those search pages, increasing its visibility.
With CG and manga in particular, users tend to search by artist or author rather than circle name, so registering this information is extra important. The same can be said for audio works, and the voice actors / actresses involved.
Creator information can be registered via [ Creator Management ].
Register series information, so customers can easily find related works
Registering series information displays the series name on product pages, allowing users to click-through to easily find related works in the same series. Other works from the same series will also be displayed on the product page, along with a button that allows users to buy all works from that series at once. This feature encourages users to buy series works as a set.
Series information can be registered via [ Series Management ].
Enter genres and keywords to increase product discovery
You can set up to 8 genres and/or keywords for 1 product, which can allow that product to show up in searches for those words.
DLsite sometimes also runs promotions and features for certain genres, so setting up keywords for your product will allow your product to be part of these as well.
Set under Product Details: "Genre keyword setting" when you register the work, or when you edit the registration via the update button on the [ Manage Works on Sale ] screen
Choose cover and sample images that give users a feel for your product
The cover image for your product is likely to be the first point of contact between your product and a prospective customer. Covers and sample images should convey what the product is, and what’s good about it. Thoughtful covers and sample images can have a great effect on sales. Thumbnail images can also be used by affiliates.
Be precise about the contents, volume, and specifications of your products
Users are less likely to purchase a product if they do not know how much content they are getting. If your work is a manga, they should know how many pages it is. An audio or video work should display the playback time clearly, and the file format and quality / resolution specifications are desirable too.
Register your work as “upcoming” before release
Registering your work as “upcoming” allows you to set up a product page before its release, keeping your users informed and interested in your coming release. By adding the work to their favorites, users can get notifications when the product is released. A ranking is displayed for upcoming works based on favorites.
You can register your product as “upcoming” via [ Upcoming Product Registration ].
Encode and register video works in MP4 format
Registering a video work in MP4 format allows your work to be playable on smartphone via DLsitePlay, which can expand your list of potential users.
Be mindful about registering too many packs or compilations
Frequently registering compilations or packs (of works which you have already released on DLsite) can severely limit the sales of other compilations that contain overlapping works. We recommend a maximum of 1 product compilation per year.
Confirm game compatibility for a variety of operating systems and devices
If your product says it is compatible with certain operating systems and devices, but turns out not to be, users will be EXTREMELY critical of both YOU and your work. Always make sure to test your works on various devices and operating systems before declaring that they are compatible. MacOS and Android frequently run into compatibility issues, so they must be tested.