New homepage feedback
I’ve pivoted SongBox so that what WAS the primary offering (there was no free tier) is now the paid offering, and there IS a free tier.
I feel like my homepage is now just confusing. Perhaps I’m too close to it.
Can you look and tell me if you “get” what’s going on?
Thanks.
There are a lot of headlines and callouts competing for attention and I'm not sure which is the most important.
I was personally drawn to the top left and "The new home for your music" doesn't make sense.
I know I'm not your target market but I suspect that's not what they are looking for either.
From your other comments, it sounds like they want to get their demos heard and find out by whom so I'd lead with that value proposition.
I don't think you should mention free/premium in your main heading. Allow them to discount themselves as customers based on not being a premium customer further down the page.
"The smart way to share your music" implies that one of their biggest problems is a non-smart way of sharing their music. If this isn't their main problem and they aren't aware of their un-smartness, I don't think it's adding value here as it won't resonate.
Just noticed that the headlines switched — or maybe I'm going crazy — but same thoughts apply.
Hello @Primer.
You have 3 lines that are in and around the same area , and two of them are both H1's, those two being:
The new home for your music
The smart way to share your music
The third line is the H3: Share your music with the world for free, or go Pro and get granular data on who is listening.
All 3 lines need re-working so they each bring something new to the table, removing the overlap.
The next line can be reworded better as well. Learn how SongBox Pro differs from SoundCloud - Learn More. Drop the first Learn.
As for going with your difference with SoundCloud so early on, could be a viable tactic, although it comes across as being more focused on your competitor than your customers. Focus on them first, little dig at Soundcloud later on down-the-page. What's it to target audience in what way you differ at this stage?
They come to you to find out about you, and yet your asking customers to benchmark you against your competitors. Are you chained to them, are they your guiding light? No, so put them where they belong, worth noting, worth comparing, but not worth being above your reason to exist which is to serve your customers.
SongBox features box (the first one), why is it called Songbox? Call it basic, or whatever the bottom tier is, doesn't make sense to give it a name that means we are wondering how does this fit into the overall hierarchy of what SongBox offers.
When you say public songbox, one assumes this would be a way to showcase one's music.
SongBox Pro plans:
You need to utilise your value metrics better with the plans, unlimited demo's, unlimited tracks for each plan. There is no segmentation, few other things, but the bottom line is, you are leaving money on the table.
As @kevin_raetz mentioned, your most profitable users are getting value far beyond what they are paying for. Power Law, Pareto Principle (80-20); a core group of hardcore users will not only keep you in business but be the ones who will determine how profitable you become, yet lifetime, unlimited tracks, unlimited demo's means pricing plans are not structured in accordance with this.
I don't want this to read too harsh, so to balance what I have said (and to be fair), it will take time to figure out the tipping points, your tripwire, etc, etc. You are also taking into account what could appear by some segments as complicated pricing structure if you were to move away from duration based pricing.
Ultimately though, those that get more value need to pay for it, and it is justified.
You have mentioned granular data 4 times on the page, but I see no image, nothing that gives me an idea of how valuable this data will actually be. Furthermore, data on it's own, who cares, what are the benefits from the data?
Private section: fine.
Convenient: weak title. Also why don't they clog one's inbox? Why won't they get lost in spam filters. The private section is aimed at the uploaders, the musicians, and this section is how those musicians then interact with the outside world, so dig deeper into what these musicians want from your system to enable outside interaction.
If I were a musician, and I have worked day and night on a tune, have had the damn thing take me over in a love-hate relationship, then I don't want to hear convenient, for it does not recognise what this demo means to be, nor what I need this demo to do for me, and thus by extension, what the system will facilitate.
Secure: could be worded better. Although, private and secure I would actually have under one section, and create a new leading section, or sort out Convenient and let that take top billing. Or if a new section: plethora of hosting sites, for what reason do you exist?
Essential: fine.
Overall, the page is decent, can be improved. I would take into account one other thing. Creative types, musicians, artists, etc, vision might resonate more. There is one main reason why we create, at least in my book, because there is an innate need to express ourselves, and the way chosen resonates within us at a deep level. Then there is a split, I will ignore that layer, too many branches, but then there is another layer.
In that layer, some don't care if they get recognition, don't care about money, for to them it devalues the act of creation. But there is a segment that do care for whatever reason, and it does not devalue the creative act. Just as a musician is looking for an emotional response, maybe the same response from others that they were having themselves, when whatever was driving the creation of the music, so does the site need to seek to get some resonance on that level. Site doesn't need to get emotional, nor wishy-washy bs, but needs to show an appreciation of that level.
I would look to explore this aspect and mention it on the site, for the information is functional, cold, analytical. Benefits are fine, there is a rational appreciation, generates a bit of an emotional response, but there is more that can be explored due to the niche, the target audience, etc.
Cheers, Ace.
Ace - I'm pushing some changes right now but there is more to come. You gave a lot of great insights and I need to dwell on some of them a little bit longer.
Something you mentioned that I agree with, but I have rational.
"unlimited tracks, unlimited demo's" - I didn't want to put limits on things as I wanted to see what people would do. Once I learn what an average user will do with their limitations I can then structure premium and basic options around that.
as I said, more changes to come.
Comments noted mate; wanting to see how to segment things based on usage is a good move.
For the unlimited things, or to be more exact the current users:
Is this a controlled on-boarding, as in you are only permitting a certain amount to join?
Do they have any info that states the current unlimited things are temporary?
When this particular aspect of your platform is updated, are the original users going to keep the unlimited things, or will it be applicable to all?
Are there any evangelists / cheerleaders in amongst these original users?
Cheers, Ace.
Just one point to pick up on quickly - I’m actually not focusing on competition, in focusing on customer feedback.
My app was never intended to be a sound cloud competitor. It originally would have sat right alongside sound cloud as a different type of tool, for a different purpose.
However I got many emails from people who have signed up asking for this functionality (the open, public songbox page) so I listened to the market mind and have released this new feature.
Turns out a lot of people think soundcloud sucks these days and are looking for an alternative.
My most successful adwords campaign so far is based on the keyword search “soundcloud alternative”
Thanks a lot ace. This is a lot to take in but I will work through it tonight. Cheers!
You are welcome pertaining to the comments.
As a way to get traction, initial beach-head, directly placing yourself as an alternative to SoundCloud is certainly viable, easy wins in my book, could be a long easy win as well, they are big enough for such a method.
As for focusing on customer feedback, what the market is saying, viable stance, to a point. That point I ruminate on myself, and it is constantly moving, hahah.
Cheers, Ace.
Not sure that I understand what it is. Especially this part "get granular data on who is listening" - why do I need it?
G'luck.
Hi man thanks for the feedback. I think if you don’t know why you need it then you’re not a target customer. Those who are actively shipping demos and trying to succeed in the music industry will absolutely get it.
I don't know what the product is. Is it a soundcloud competitor? I have a idea for a project that may be a little similar. Maybe we can work on something together.
It didn’t start as a sound cloud competitor. If anything it started as something that would sit alongside sound cloud as a different type of tool.
However many people who signed up contacted me and asked about also having a publicly open page - which is where the soundcloud similarities come in.
Hey Mick,
I find your offer is described in a consistent way and easy to grasp until it get's to the pro features.
"Reporting Dashboards" in the free tier and the pro tier shouldn't it be in pro only?
"Send Unlimited Demos" - what are demos and who do i sent them to? (might be cause i'm not your target group but i just tell you what makes me wonder)
Unlimited Track Storage - how much track storage do you get in the free tier in comparison it doesn't tell the user?
Oh and you really should remove the lifetime offer. Every book and article I read is advising against it as your most profitable users, will take this plan making your overall profit less than it might be otherwise :)
Thanks man this is really valuable insight. I really appreciate it.
I’m assuming you don’t actually need to know the answers to the questions you’ve raised here, but rest assured they are good questions and i’ll address them in a new version of the homepage!