Reading time #5!

Here we go again - The fifth instalment in the 'good reads'!

- "The software is processed by more than just the computer. It's also processed by a human sitting in front of the screen". Take the time to watch this: A Great lecture from Google IO about cognitive science and design.

- Having a great product might not just be enough. Check out this article "So you think you can go viral?", In order to find out the challenges behind the assumptions about viral products.

- With Flickr been rebuilt to a whopping 1TB of free image storage, Tumblr bought, and Hulu on sight, Yahoo's new strategy is marking the comeback of the all-mighty mega portals, spending billions of dollars basically on user acquisition. Yahoo aims high. We'll see how that evolves...

And, finally, check out my new pet project: The startup nation feed, bringing you great stories from the startup nation!



Previous reads:
#4

#3

#2

#1

Ah, the funnel

Ah, the wonderful funnel.
The science of users acquisition, retention, and conversion... The web has moved from pageviews, to clicks, to conversions.
And so should you!

Got your product up? Want millions of users to register and use it? Want to convert non paying users to paying users?
Some fun funnel basics.
- If your users register for free, make the initial registration almost transparent. email, that's it. (At least until you got enough viral buzz). Maybe not even by logging in and allowing an app to 'post to your facebook profile'. We just met.
- Be nice with mails. Linkedin has the habit of 'bombing' you. Twitter bombs you once you neglect them. Actually, everyone bombs you unless you learn the tedious process of disabling or throttling mail traffic. However, you're not LinkedIn, and every user pressing 'unsubscribe' would be lost.
- Try to personalize the mail message. Even if it's automated, a personal call for action is much better than a generic one.
- Always mention what value you give to your users. Real value, no slogans, especially for paying ones. You can also do that by giving value statistics to your user (250 people have looked at your profile...)
- Use analytics. If your registration has more than one step, see how many 'leaks' you've got, and improve. Try to find out which people opened a form, but never filled it. Those might need an extra push. You can automate that one as well.
- Remember what differentiates you from the competition, or from similar services. Remind that to your audience as well.

Happy hunting!

p.s. - If you're a startup, register here, and get featured!