

Ask YC: What kind of Intro Page for your App? - DanielBMarkham

So I've developed a neat little app that manages Agile projects. Version 1.0 is simple as can possibly be to get the job done. Basic ASP.NET stuff, with ugly postbacks and all.<p>I've got users, and they're pretty much happy. We're reaching the point where the site is functional from the beginning to end of an Agile project. (BTW, not to toot my horn, but 4 weeks to alpha, 7 weeks to full beta, single developer coding after work)<p>Question is -- now that I'm thinking about moving from a private beta into a more public beta, how to go about it? Step 1 is replacing the main page with an introduction page. Anybody got hints/clues about that?<p>Step 2 starts getting into PR, and I can wait on that. I was just interested in examples of good home pages for something like this. Should I do a video tour of the app? Screenshots? Free accounts for anybody who happens by? Or maybe one of those serial-number invite deals? Big colorful flashing boxes with all-cap text (I'm thinking probably not)<p>Ideas? Suggestions?
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dominik
First: Congratulations on reaching this milestone!

Second:

No intro page.

Keep the front page as functional as possible, so people can immediately see
what the site is about it, what it does and why it is useful.

You should already have a "Join" or "Sign up" link on the front page. Keep it.
If necessary, make it more prominent.

Don't overemphasize that you're in Beta. While this is doubtless a milestone
for you, new users could care less. They want software that works well. Use
the front page to show them what your software does, why it works well and why
they should want to sign up. You can do this by highlighting what the software
does for existing users, perhaps providing live examples. Show, don't tell.

If you can, give people a way to play with your software without signing up.
Perhaps a sandbox, perhaps by not asking for login until they want to save
what they've made. You want people to start using your tool as quickly as
possible, with as few barriers between them and the tool as possible. Signing
up is a huge barrier. People won't sign up unless they want to use a service,
and if they can't use a service until after they sign up, how will they know
that they want to use the service? Again: Show, don't tell.

Best of luck :)

