Actually, rather than "Feature updates for Norton customers, which means absolutely nothing in my humble opinion, why not change the wording just that tiny bit and offer "Version updates for Norton Customers." That might be something the average human can relate to. In the same way, call it "Product upgrades," which is a more semantically accurate description of what is being offered.
Of course "A rose by any other name.........."
Then you have to know what a version is ......
Many people jump at getting updated features, whether by installation or even by plastic surgery ....
huwyngr wrote:Then you have to know what a version is ......
Many people jump at getting updated features, whether by installation or even by plastic surgery ....
You dog, you.
The vast majority of Internet users give up after too much searching and too many clicks and 'never' come back.
What about this; minor change to the wording (=KISS) :
- Free updates for your product
- Buy an upgrade
Grtz. Hugo
delphinium wrote:Actually, rather than "Feature updates for Norton customers, which means absolutely nothing in my humble opinion, why not change the wording just that tiny bit and offer "Version updates for Norton Customers." That might be something the average human can relate to. In the same way, call it "Product upgrades," which is a more semantically accurate description of what is being offered.
Of course "A rose by any other name.........."
The point is, tucking it away, using a non-standard name, using anything at all that might MISLEAD the user is not proper.
My suggestion was simple and something that skips using update or upgrade as the eye-catcher. Instead it asks the only thing that matters: Are you a current user of a Symantec (or perhaps Norton would be better) product?
Only then is it followed with that always great lead-in: FREE
You might be entitled to a free upgrade to a new version.
At this point, the visitors eye has been caught, we have his attention, and we can lead him in the right direction.
Isn't that what we want to do? Help people? I do -- that's why I'm here.
Hi all,
For me, I always opt of the latest version of AV products. Last year, I was using NIS2009 and I could have continue using it…I still have valid subscription (hoping that Symantec will continue to support NIS2009), but I doubt it very much. This is the norm for all softwares.
So, I purchased the upgrade to NIS2010 renewing the subscription, because I feel more secure having latest version of AV products.
Yes, there are always vague lines between UPDATES & UPGRADES. Specially, products that gives FREE UPDATES and DISCOUNTED UPGRADES. Sometimes, I believed that some vendors purposely wants to make it vague for consumers. Don’t know if having different meanings to the words UPDATES & UPGRADES helps, since the purposed is to make them as VAGUE as possible.
For what it is worth…
Hi -
Something to consider:
Registered users of NIS (and others) can UPDATE their software, at no charge to the next release.
There are many companies out there that would gladly make you pay for that - we should consider ourselves quite fortunate.
A public service message from Plankton. 
Well said......
Plankton wrote:Hi -
Something to consider:
Registered users of NIS (and others) can UPDATE their software, at no charge to the next release.
There are many companies out there that would gladly make you pay for that - we should consider ourselves quite fortunate.
A public service message from Plankton.
Message Edited by Plankton on 11-18-2009 10:15 PM
I cant see that any changes are really warranted to the website if we simply go back to the fact that if we are talking about an existing Symantec user then that user ipso facto has got to have a Symantec product loaded. So if we just ensure that all existing Symantec products include an update facility like “check for new version” then the user is not required to trawl any webpages. I believe this is exactly what Symantec intend.
I stumble through that mess every year,Keep the wording plain and have a guru on your side who knows the way!
But as you state Mij,the average user out in the world does not know any of this unless word of mouth or by chance?? This forum did help me...But I found the forum by researching the product and have been here ever since. I think I will get it one day where I will know for sure do this to obtain that from the website.
Only way to help the average user...as you do so well state their needs.
Education,advertising especially the free upgrade for all those on earlier versions because they don't know about the FREE upgrade and is there a Norton how to for dummies....
cgoldman wrote:
I cant see that any changes are really warranted to the website if we simply go back to the fact that if we are talking about an existing Symantec user then that user ipso facto has got to have a Symantec product loaded. So if we just ensure that all existing Symantec products include an update facility like "check for new version" then the user is not required to trawl any webpages. I believe this is exactly what Symantec intend.
The thing is, what all of you are talking about are "workarounds", not "fixes". The workaround is that there is some way to get there if you only know about it. That's well and good for those who do -- many do not. I work with them, so I am not making this up. There are some who would never open their console at all for the entire year, who would never even think to "check for a new version" because they aren't sure what they are letting themselves in for.
Now we can't solve all problems for all people.
But I do have a fix. And what is nice is that not only is it a fix, but it actually makes Symantec look good.
Look, the way it is now, Symantec's home page is a dump. It is cluttered with links that scare people, even business people (and again I know what I am talking about). A master's in math, a minor in English, and secondary minors in psychology and sociology -- I hope I know what I am talking about (and I should be getting paid for it).
Here it is, simple as possible:
Less clutter.
I mean, why are you reading this durn thing? It's long, so why waste your time?
Because it's not cluttered. Because there are no spelling mistakes or grammatical mistakes to confuse your understanding.
And because the sentences are simple. <==== see.
And before we all get lost, let me remind you of what I am suggesting.
A simple home-page.
At the top, a banner: Welcome to Symantec!
Below that, something that will catch everyone's eye:
If you already using a Norton product, you may be entitled to a free, easy upgrade. Click Here.
Now think about that. Not only will Norton users immediately get off on the right track, but newcomers will see that there is something special for people who buy Norton.
Below that, there can be three big buttons:
HOME USERS SMALL BUSINESS LARGE BUSINESS
or whatever it is that Symantec wants there.
And although I think it is a bad idea because it creates a confusion of choices, you could have another row something like
new products support contact us norton help community and whatever else is needed
My preference would be that something like that be the same size but toward the bottom of the screen.
Now, that is simple.
Let's get back to that link from a free upgrade.
It should take you to a new page with a quick questionaire and resolution,
just like it currently has:
You either get delivered to the free upgrade page or you get a pleasant message:
We're sorry, but you don't qualify for a free upgrade at this time.
There are some other options for you; please click on the one you would like:
***extend the length of my present subscription
***buy a brand new subscription (what is the difference? click here)
***look at other symantec products and services
Now this is user friendly. And will bring people back.
The simplest way to upgrade is to click on the 'Norton Account' link on the NIS 2010 main menu and sign in to your Norton Account. On the right hand side of the screen, there is a large link that reads:
Update
Do you have the latest product version? Check Norton Update Center
This link will take the user directly to the Welcome page of the Norton Update Center when the user can choose to have Norton automatically update the software to the latest version for them or let them choose their product manually, should they wish to.
I'd have to also agree w/mij's main point. I have three, 3-PC licenses, all expiring at different times of the year, and (until NIS 2010), had to come to Symantec.com, and root around for what seemed like forever until I found the update/upgrade/acension-to-heaven option. I'm in no way a newbie to any of this, and yet having to spend so much time looking for something that should be so simple was a major PITA.
Now, I notice on NIS 2010's "Help and Support" menu that there is a "Check for New Version" option, so that is at least an improvement, but why do we even have to do this? Let me reference: LIVEUPDATE. And yes, I'm yelling a bit. Even tho I've use various Symantec products for more than a decade, NIS 2009 was the first time I ever gave a (mostly) unqualified thumbs-up. Before that, it was generally a case of choosing the devil you know.
Again: LIVEUPDATE. Why do I keep yelling about that? Well, when I was using my NIS2009 on NINE computers, and running LU all the time, NEVER ONCE did it pop up a window and say, "A new version of NIS is available--version 2010... Would you like to upgrade?"
It had to eventually occur to me that, oh yeah, it was just about the time for a new version of NIS, so better start the hunt thru the gawdawful Symantec website for it. Yes, I eventually found it, but I don't retain the download link in my memory--and I shouldn't have to.
There should be multiple ways to get the new version, and Symantec splitting hairs over what is an update versus an upgrade is just corporate b.s. IMO, and one of the reasons I have been a loud and vociferous critic of Symantec over the years.
But multiple ways to get the new version--and NONE of them involving trying to track down the elusive little bugger on Symantec's M.C. Escher of a website. To whit: (1) LiveUpdate offers to upgrade for you. (2) A setting in the options to alert the user that a new version is available. (3) Check for updates--which I will give them is now on the NIS 2010 menu, but you still have to manually check.
This ain't rocket science, tho Sym is doing their best to make it so. As a PAYING user of this product, I should always, always, always be apprised if a newer version is available, and given the option to download and install. So there.
BTW, this rant is aimed at Symantec, not at anyone on this thread.
elsewhere wrote:The simplest way to upgrade is to click on the 'Norton Account' link on the NIS 2010 main menu and sign in to your Norton Account. On the right hand side of the screen, there is a large link that reads:
Update
Do you have the latest product version? Check Norton Update Center
This link will take the user directly to the Welcome page of the Norton Update Center when the user can choose to have Norton automatically update the software to the latest version for them or let them choose their product manually, should they wish to.
I don't disagree with you that is a good thing, a very good thing.
But there are still a lot of users out there with NIS2009, NIS2008, and so on. What prompted this was working with a client who had a product a year-and-a-half-old, who had just paid to renew her subscription; and who had no idea that she was entitled to the latest edition of 360.
The only reason I was called in and noticed this was because she was looking for ways to speed up her computer; and I realized that her old edition of 360 was more of a resource hog than the latest one. So I told her about the free upgrade (not update - I refuse to compromise my English skills to meet the revisonism of Symantec's non-English speakers). And she was of course stunned! An upgrade? For free!
It made her like Symantec even better. Up to then, Symantec was almost an accidental choice as a source of security. Now the name started to have meaning to her.
Or course, if I hadn't been there ...
evenkeel wrote:
As a PAYING user of this product, I should always, always, always be apprised if a newer version is available, and given the option to download and install. So there.
On September 22, I received an email from Symantec entitled "Free Update to Norton Internet Security 2010." It had all the relevant information and links to get the download. I assume this went out to everyone with an email address on file in a Norton Account. Just curious if you also got this. I am in total agreement that finding what you are looking for on the Symantec website is sometimes completely impossible. However that is really a separate issue from making users aware of the availability of a free product update. Some earlier versions of Norton included LiveUpdate Notice, an application that did exactly as you describe: It notified users when new product and feature updates were available and offered to download and install them. I do not know why this function has been discontinued in later versions.
Hi all:
Perhaps Symantec should create a distinct website that deals *only* with Upgrades and Updates for their entire consumer product line.
At least some of the traffic could be focused there and addressed in a more user friendly way.
Just an idea...
Hi folks:
Question - "How Do We Get To the Right Upgrade on Symantec.com?"
Answer - Devine Intervention.
Plankton wrote:Hi folks:
Question - "How Do We Get To the Right Upgrade on Symantec.com?"
Answer - Devine Intervention.
Might sound heavenly to the right person, depending on his or her interest.
I, myself, will settle for Divine Intervention. In this case I will go with the less interesting.
Wait a minute! Isn't he dead?
I have to agree SendOfJive: Why was Norton LiveUpdate Notice dis-continued? This would Solve this who issue and might not even lead to how can symantec improve their Web Site to get to the Norton Update Center. Although, I never once had the Norton LiveUpdate Notice Notification...
Okay, so the Norton Update Center Web Link is in the "Popular Links"; if this wasn't a "Popular Link", then that Web Link would not be in there, and then where would we be?
I think symantec should either:
a) Put a message on the U.I. of all Norton Products with something along the lines of: Latest Version Release: Free Upgrade. Or maybe even on the Norton Tool Bar if using N.I.S. or Norton 360...
b) Follow racjim's idea of the big welcoming, which should still be displayed in the symantec Norton Online Store.
c) Put the Norton LiveUpdate Notice back in because half of the customers of Security Products won't even Open their Norton Product, and will just continue to Re-New when the pop-up notification comes up about having Thirty Days and Less of Subscription.
And the "Check For New Version" should not be hidden away in the "Help & Support", it should be on, at the very least, the U.I. of Norton Products.
Version Four is going to be released in a few months; just giving you advanced warning...
Hello,
I am going to upgrade to NIS 2010 3-PC Licence from NIS 2009 3-PC Licence and my brother will be paying for my upgrade.
I am concerned that the upgrade will not go through successfully because my brother will be paying for my NIS upgrade and he lives 1,000 miles from me.
I had language barrier problems as well before when I talked with an agent when I first ran into problems with internet security. Even in emails I sent, I did not give me answers I needed to help solve my internet security problems. So I got very upset. I have not talked with anyone in Tech Support again. I went through other forums to find answers.
I have also read through some of the posts about communication problems with the 1-800 number agent(s).
A concerned customer