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I've Noticed a Major Flaw with Viral Coming Soon Pages

takara.posterous.com

11–20 of 29 posts

Re: I've Noticed a Major Flaw with Viral Coming Soon Pages

#11
post #7
post #2

Thanks for the article. I do agree that these viral launch pages may only work if there's a special set of conditions met. I am actually right now writing a comprehensive article about it (I hope it will be at least). So, thanks for the opinion.

Sure, send me a link when you're finished. I'd love to hear more about this.

Yeah sure.

Re: I've Noticed a Major Flaw with Viral Coming Soon Pages

#12
post #8
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure, send me a link when you're finished. I'd love to hear more about this.

My idea is beyond this, but the basic gist is to create several stages. 'Alpha' 'Beta' 'Live' '10' '#'. So if a person is very interested or wants the finished product, etc, then there's a variety of matching options. However it'd really depends on what the offer is. This is an indirect suggestion to do some marketing 101 ;)

I recently blogged an interesting approach by an app (called livepath) which let people buy into a beta account. Whenever the beta was a bit further developped he dropped the pricing a bit. Here's the link: http://blog.thegodfounder.com/post/5894377639/lifepaths-sign...

Re: I've Noticed a Major Flaw with Viral Coming Soon Pages

#13

So here's one theory I believe: Facebook and other large social media companies today will evolve into universal login systems eventually. We've already seen it with "Connect with Facebook" or "Connect with Twitter" buttons, but I believe this will become more and more prominent as the year progresses. Why? Like the article states, people don't like giving out their email address. Why reinvent the login interface mil…

What is it about sign up forms that are too annoying? Just the email to put in?

Re: I've Noticed a Major Flaw with Viral Coming Soon Pages

#14
post #12
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My idea is beyond this, but the basic gist is to create several stages. 'Alpha' 'Beta' 'Live' '10' '#'. So if a person is very interested or wants the finished product, etc, then there's a variety of matching options. However it'd really depends on what the offer is. This is an indirect suggestion to do some marketing 101 ;)

I recently blogged an interesting approach by an app (called livepath) which let people buy into a beta account. Whenever the beta was a bit further developped he dropped the pricing a bit. Here's the link: http://blog.thegodfounder.com/post/5894377639/lifepaths-sign...

Minecraft creator took the inverse, charge more as software entered alpha to beta to gold. I suppose the high initial cost until normal cost makes sense in a reverse dutch auction if you got the hype.

Re: I've Noticed a Major Flaw with Viral Coming Soon Pages

#15
post #14
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I recently blogged an interesting approach by an app (called livepath) which let people buy into a beta account. Whenever the beta was a bit further developped he dropped the pricing a bit. Here's the link: http://blog.thegodfounder.com/post/5894377639/lifepaths-sign...

Minecraft creator took the inverse, charge more as software entered alpha to beta to gold. I suppose the high initial cost until normal cost makes sense in a reverse dutch auction if you got the hype.

Oh yeah, did not know that. Thanks for the info.

Re: I've Noticed a Major Flaw with Viral Coming Soon Pages

#16

So here's one theory I believe: Facebook and other large social media companies today will evolve into universal login systems eventually. We've already seen it with "Connect with Facebook" or "Connect with Twitter" buttons, but I believe this will become more and more prominent as the year progresses. Why? Like the article states, people don't like giving out their email address. Why reinvent the login interface mil…

I don't think there is any point in asking users to connect their FB/Twitter accounts at the pre-launch stage because it will make users uncomfortable in sharing their social media details with a site that they have not tested and know little about.

Re: I've Noticed a Major Flaw with Viral Coming Soon Pages

#17

> If there's a long line of people waiting to get in already. A long visible line coming out of the door, makes more people want to know about it and in some cases stand in line for it. I think this is the main point, if you have a way to let people know how long the queue is and where is your position in the queue, it might actually work.

I doubt a simple number will be effective, because you lose the human element. The physical presence turns a waiting list into a social event. Maybe if you could somehow interact with the people already in line.

Re: I've Noticed a Major Flaw with Viral Coming Soon Pages

#18

> If there's a long line of people waiting to get in already. A long visible line coming out of the door, makes more people want to know about it and in some cases stand in line for it. I think this is the main point, if you have a way to let people know how long the queue is and where is your position in the queue, it might actually work.

I doubt a simple number will be effective, because you lose the human element. The physical presence turns a waiting list into a social event. Maybe if you could somehow interact with the people already in line.

So, a mini-forum on the page?

Re: I've Noticed a Major Flaw with Viral Coming Soon Pages

#19
This is a great post with great comments as well. Currently, we are using launchrock as well and we've stagnated at 36 sign ups as we are trying to get to 100. We haven't spent a penny on marketing but I feel we have hit a wall. I know that the soft launch is supposed to test and validate our business idea but I feel it isn't doing it justice, not by far. Especially with the limited amount of words you have to use. On the otherhand, I also understand the overall goal, it's to test without spending too much on programmers and developers and build something that no one wants to use. We are conducting surveys as well, which I feel are a better means of gauging if you have the right audience and validating your assumptions. However, I'm torn. I can see both sides of the argument. We started the soft launch march and it's about 5 months and running. They say the idea validation phase typically is about 5 to 7 months. But I feel strongly that even though we have stagnated in signups it doesn't mean that our startup idea is going to flop. In fact I feel very strongly in it's success. Half because entrepreneurs are just optimistic and half because the data proves it on our surveys. Any suggestions? Thanks!

Re: I've Noticed a Major Flaw with Viral Coming Soon Pages

#20
post #13

So here's one theory I believe: Facebook and other large social media companies today will evolve into universal login systems eventually. We've already seen it with "Connect with Facebook" or "Connect with Twitter" buttons, but I believe this will become more and more prominent as the year progresses. Why? Like the article states, people don't like giving out their email address. Why reinvent the login interface mil…

What is it about sign up forms that are too annoying? Just the email to put in?

Pressing a button feels easy. I do not know if this is a big difference; may be. Time will show.
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