You need a better website with a better explanation of what it is that you do. Get a cheap template from one of the big providers, and ditch bootstrap.
Then (drum roll), email people about it.
Ask HN: How do I get people to try my (free) service?
11–16 of 16 posts
Re: Ask HN: How do I get people to try my (free) service?
#12I like your initiative on the product. You need to improve the design of your homepage. I am not affiliated with Simplicant (http://www.simplicant.com/ ), but I think they have a good homepage design that could serve as a starting point for your redesign.
Re: Ask HN: How do I get people to try my (free) service?
#13Thanks for all the responses. A common theme in the responses seems to be 1) design of the site/homepage, images, videos; 2) landing page copy / unclear proposition.
I'm not sure how critical 1) is and am hesitant to invest more resources into it having not gotten any traction so far.
I'm struggling with 2) and not quite sure how to better pitch the service and its benefits... needs a lot more thought on my part perhaps. I'm currently thinking if I can create some sort of flowchart graphics that shows at a glance what it does...
Re: Ask HN: How do I get people to try my (free) service?
#14changing news letter providers is a high hurdle for people. The fact that it is "free" doesn't matter, since its such a pain to setup and run campaigns. I would buy google ads on newsletter related keywords so you know you are getting people looking for a solution to try. Also your copy is bad and your proposition is unclear.
Yes this currently only integrates with Mailchimp. Although it should be simple enough to make it such that it generates an email that is sent to your 'broadcast address' which should work across newsletter providers.
Re: Ask HN: How do I get people to try my (free) service?
#15I'd try explaining what you do in a clear and concise sentence which should headline your landing page. A good indicator is whether or not a young child can understand it. Basically if users are confused, they won't stay and obviously won't sign up (even if it's free). Good luck!
Re: Ask HN: How do I get people to try my (free) service?
#16One of things I think you need to answer is why I would use/switch to this service if I'm already using some WP Plugins that handle this social media sharing.