Landing page review

Hi Chad,

I've been wanting to visit Tokyo for years so this is of interest to me.

Key Takeaways of the World's Best Articles on Tokyo.

This is vague. What kinds of articles? News? Business? Politics? And why do I need to know the key takeaways?

In other words, it does not tell me what the site is about or how it can help me. Be specific and direct. I signed up because the sub header is a bit more clear but honestly I have no idea what I'm going to get in my inbox every Wednesday.

I scour for articles on enjoying Tokyo.

I'm not interested in how you find the best sites, things to do, etc. I'm interested in not having to do the work myself.

You've lived in Tokyo for 22 years. That's you're unique advantage that someone like me wants to leverage to their benefit. I want to know your insights and unique perspective vs. the filtering of those from another website.

Don’t trust an algorithm with your information

I think you're on the right track here but I'd keep the focus on your unique perspective vs. what you're not.

Learn “Enough” Japanese

I think you're on the right track here. When I travel abroad I want to learn enough to ensure I understand my surroundings and am able to get as much as possible out of my experience.

My favorite thing to do when traveling is trying as many restaurants as possible. So I try to learn a language within the context of dining out. Learning the phrases for ordering food and common items on a menu makes the experience enjoyable.

Your onboarding message is one of the best I've read. Direct and clear with the right amount of clever quirkiness. Well done!

I hope this helps.

I like the page and I live in Japan but I would not sign up for this. Part of me perhaps even subconsciously doubts your authority. Okay, you have lived in Tokyo for a long time but what makes your picks good? Why should I trust you for best eats or sights - what if my tastes don't align with yours.

I'm not sure how you'd fix this, or if you even need to (maybe I'm just not your audience).

What if the subscriber could indicate some preferences for the types of activities / food joints they like? I'm thinking this would be a bit more personalized and relevant. Just a thought. I am not planning on visiting Tokyo any time soon though :)

Nice landing page. I was wandering where did you launch it, other than here in indiehackers.

Its a bit wordy... maybe you can refine it? I feel like the 2nd sentence is a better selling point than the first, its the "key takeaways" that i dont like, but "hand picked" sounds much more appealing. Also, you shouldnt have the word "Tokyo" on its own on a new line, try to have at least 2 words per line. Right now, Tokyo is a widow.

"Works", in the sense that it's interesting, visually pleasing, and reads well. I wouldn't sign up because my current life goals/priorities aren't related to Tokyo.

If you had written about the place(s) I'm interested in, I would've signed up. With your mention of 22 years in Tokyo, and honestly just great overall design/experience, I would accept your position as a reasonably good authority on the subject (to read personal opinions/recommendations, not from a science perspective).

Personal opinion: Under your title "Don’t trust an algorithm with your information", I would've preferred to see you first talk about the fact that an algorithm doesn't optimize for what is real, most authentic, the most pleasurable experience, ... but just what's popular. And what's popular feels superficial and empty because it's not personal.

The "controlled by a multi-billion dollar tech company" is an overplayed narrative - I don't think many people really care that a billion-dollar company earns a billion dollars: most people don't even know how to visualize a sum that large. In fact, without so many people actively using and supporting them, they wouldn't be worth a billion dollars.

So the "controlled" narrative doesn't click. But the "personal" narrative does, because that would be exactly why I'd personally sign up to your website instead of anything mainstream: To hear it from you personally.

Nice personal touch. Unusual in our age

"Plus everything is posted in a tagged, cataloged, fully-searchable database for subscribers to search for their specific wants."

Might be a nice addition to the landing page.

Your comments on authority are also a bit more convincing now that you said it. Maybe a variation of this can be directly on the home page somewhere below the important stuff for those who keep scrolling? I did not read the about page, guilty as charged.