Abstract
To maximize short-term profits you try to squeeze as much money out of sales of the product as possible, even though fewer customers may make a purchase. Your strategy may be to charge premium prices for website design services. You end up with less customers, but then dealing with a lot of customers multiplies your problems. And you can make more profit off each customer. Or you may need to maximize profits in order to satisfy an impatient boss or investor. The other main strategy is to price your service lower to gain marketshare. You may want to maximize the number of subscribers to your online Internet access business, even though you don't make as much on each customer. But you know that later you'll be able to sell these subscribers other services such as web hosting, e-commerce, website design, DSL, and a host of others once they get comfortable with you. You don't make as much early, but you plan to make money later with "back end" sales.
