Got an idea, made a product, found customers, but now I'm stuck
Hey indie hackers,
I'm the solo founder of Clippulse, a browser-based tool that helps you create eye-catching promotional videos without any video editing skills. It empowers everyone to create high-definition videos easily, from small announcements to full-fledged ads and product launches.
When I started, I managed to validate the idea with pre-sales, making $230 in just two weeks before the product was even built. That initial success gave me a lot of hope and motivation. It seemed like people were genuinely interested in an easy, fast way to create great promo videos.
The product was launched to the public on 16 June (about a week ago). Since then, I've been trying to spread the word, tweeting about updates, posting on Reddit, HackerNews, and submitting to startup directories. While these efforts generated some traffic (approximately ~500 unique visitors) and lead to 45 sign-ups, I'm finding it tough to convert these users into paying customers.
Clippulse operates on a credit-based system. Each 'Render Pass' allows a user to export one video, and users only need to pay if they're happy with the result. But even with this risk-free approach, conversions are proving to be a challenge.
The feedback I've received so far from early adopters has been positive, especially about the user-friendly interface and simplicity. I've also had some great suggestions for improvements, which I'm actively working on.
I'd appreciate any insights or experiences you could share on:
- Ways to improve the conversion rate.
- Strategies for targeting potential customers who might benefit the most from Clippulse.
- Or any other general advice you might have!
Thanks in advance for your time and thoughts!
Maybe a small survey to find the pain points. Then you can add new features to attract more groups of audience. Ultimately this can help you spread the story wide and wide...
Awesome idea! I'll start working on that right away! Thanks!
Did you try SEO? If done well, it can help you get constant traffic without much efforts, you won't see increase in traffic right away, but long term it will be very beneficial.
Here's a post from danny postma giving simple tips about how to get started with SEO:
I have already started working on SEO, but it takes a bit of time to see the results kicking in. But yes, SEO is definitely one of the best marketing channels out there and I'll be giving it a special focus. Thank you!
Is it technical SEO or Only Off Page / On Page SEO ?
It should be a combination of all SEO strategies.
Just try to follow the Twitter thread I posted on the earlier comment and it should work fine.
I started implementing that strategy a couple of weeks ago, without even using a single backlink and I'm starting to see some encouraging results.
In addition to that thread, I also learned a lot from this course https://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-seo
Hey let's talk. I'd be willing to pay $7 even if the video ultimately isn't 100%. I really like your idea.
Thank you! This means a lot!
You can send me an email any time at [email protected] or a Twitter DM at andrei_terteci, whichever suits you better!
I think you should reevaluate your value proposition. The value is in the features of the product you're offering not the marketing message, "You will only pay if you are satisfied with the result." which walks the potential subscriber back from the deal. I get it's a conversion tactic but it negates what your product (value) does by instilling a lack of confidence subliminally. Your product/service saves time and offers minimum input and maximum output, less effort for content creation, etc.
You are also offering "Free to get started" which allows the potential sub to see if they like it.
I would put more thought into all the aforementioned, and do some more testing with it.
To add to that, try a 60-day money back guarantee to see how that compares / converts. Make the refund easy and use it as a feedback opportunity, if there are any requests.
Great idea! I was already OK with doing refunds if people were not satisfied, but perhaps I should make it clear on the landing page as well. Thank you!
That's a very good point there! I completely agree with everything you said. I'm going to start experimenting some more with it. Thank you!
Nice job man! This is a really cool idea, I will take it:)
Wow, thank you! I'm really glad that you like it!
Your site and app look really great and fresh! Just want to say that I am on iPhone, and when I load the site all I see is a white box, and I can’t actually see an example of the video produced by the software. I see screenshots of the application itself, but I don’t see the end product, and if I were a customer evaluating the service this would be a big turn off. I actually tried to find an example on the homepage, and I couldn’t find one. I’m on safari with iOS 16.3
Thank you so much! Some people told me before about the hero video not playing for them, but it was weird because for some people (myself included) it was working. I did some research and it looks like it was an iOS issue (> 15) for mobile devices. Just did a quick fix, I think it should be working now! Thank you!
You can be more patient, after all, it is only released for a week
I completely agree, but at the same time I feel like I need to take some actions as well 😅
cool, keep moving!
What I'd do ... I'd try to reach out to users who showed interest but didn't purchase Clippulse and suggest a Zoom call. Next, I'd ask them:
– How they discovered Clippulse. What made them decide to invest their time and energy into exploring your service? // This will help you understand their background, experience, goals and (in ads purpose) what places where they are hanging out..
– What they expected to find on your website. // This will assist in adjusting your roadmap and value proposition.
– After the prev point, I would inquire about how they currently address these tasks and how much time and money they allocate to them. // This will enable us to refine sales strategy.
– (And most importantly) If your currently offer the desired features, I would propose that they make a purchase right during the conference. // This will allow you to hear genuine counter arguments that your need to resolve in order to improve your service.
This is awesome! Thank you, Andrew!
Design looks great, did you do it yourself?
Thank you! It's built with tailwind, but yep, everything in there is done by myself.
This seems like something businesses would buy. Make a demo video (maybe it’s there and I can’t see it), make this a monthly subscription with an annual discount, increase your price to $49 plus add $99 and $249 tiers, give at least 7 exports on the lowest tier, and offer a 60-day money back guarantee. That’s strait out of the John Cohen playbook.
I still like the idea of using a credit-based system because it doesn't feel like an app that you would use on a daily basis, but this is actually a solid strategy right there. I might be able to use a few things from it. Thank you!
@andreiterteci -- The main video of your site doesn't load on mobile (iOS) this takes away a lot of the selling power, with a product like this people want to see not read.
I loaded it on desktop and the video gives a good overview but moves way too fast. You have to slow it down and expect that the user doesn't know anything about your product.
You've also jumped right to what (it does) and how (it works), you've skipped over why (I should care).
What are the business benefits? How is this going to help me save time, make money, etc?
This is great advice, thank you! You are right about everything you said there - I have to adjust my landing page and hero video accordingly.
Regarding the video not loading, I did some research and it seems to be an iOS issue (for >15 versions), but I just shipped a fix for it, so it should be working now.
Congrats on Clippulse! To improve conversions, offer limited-time discounts and showcase success stories. Target small businesses, entrepreneurs, and content creators who need high-quality videos. Engage in relevant communities and gather feedback to enhance your product. Stay persistent and customer-centric for success. Good luck!
Thank you, great advice!
Contact your paying customers and interview them. Let them walk you thru on why they bought the product. Find commonality for the most painful why. Double down on that messaging.
I am in touch with all of my paying customers and I'm receiving a lot of feedback - most of it positive - but I never thought about asking them WHY they bought the product. This is a great point, thank you!
Hey, some ideas from my side:
1.Make a list of site where people share their new project/startup like Product Hunt, NCF, Indie Hacker etc. Check if they have video on their site or if this video is good and present them your solution and show how this video can help them growth their business.
2.If you have some cash to spend find creators wich create content about lunching products, startups, online business etc and see if their audience is interested in your product
3.Partner with marketing agency that could create this type of video for their clients - try to sell them or create agency/business option for them
4.Lunch your app on AppSumo
Good luck!
Those are some really good suggestions! Thank you!