Over the past couple of months I have spent some time browsing through various software packages for my new iMac, and I am amazed every time at how hard it is to actually find out how a certain piece of software works and what it looks like. This doesn't just apply to desktop software either, as I find it to be a large problem with many open-source web solutions too.

It's really simple: I will not buy or download your software unless I can see it in action. I want to play with the software, I want to know if it looks good, and I want to know that I am investing my time (and possibly money) into a solid program.

So as a plea to all software developers in the world, please start offering a demo or at least screenshots of your program prominently on your website. It is one of the first things your users will be looking for, and by omitting it you could be losing sales and a strong user base.