Show HN: Holiday project: Send thank you cards from the web
Put this together to make my own "thank you" cards easier to do. Got it done just in time for Christmas.
thankerin.com
thankerin.com
2. Don't ask for the email up front. Have people build the card first so they are emotionally invested in the process.
3. Test those bootstrap buttons.
Now, here is how I would do the purchase flow:
1. User lands. Clicks to get started. 2. User pick design and fills in card. 2a. Then user enters the address of the recepient, and then his address. 3. User clicks button that reads "Send Card Now." 4. You take the user to the payment page where his information is already filled in (because he already provided it before). Different address on the card? Offer them the option to do it, but don't show the huge form. Use an accordion or modal for this type of stuff. 4a. Give the user the option to use paypal. 5. When the payment is processed load another page where you will collect their email in order to give them notice of when the card shipped (important). 5a. Offer them an upsell to subscribe to a monthly "Love Letter" subscription service, where they can have a card with a love poem sent to their S.O. automatically. Charge them $3 a month, and be done with it.
"... we promise never to spam you or sell your email address to anyone."
Who is this "we"? I don't know you. I've never heard of you. Your promise is meaningless to me. It does not serve to make me feel better or get over the heebie-jeebies about giving up my email in any way whatsoever.
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So I went to Mailinator, got a DEA, and put it in - bam. Now I can at least check it out. Of course, 99.999% of users will not do this but anyway.
I'd think it's "four clicks" is the right number. At some point these users need to feel committed and want this enough to pay. You can't do that on the first page - you just can't. You need page views to build the commitment/excitement that makes someone want to pay:
1) User lands
2) User picks out card
3) User customizes card
4) User pays for card
You could move the email to the "User pays for card" step ("Would you like a receipt?"). You just have to decide on that yourself and go with whatever you select.