

Ask HN: Review my startup, LivingPlug - NatWilde

LivingPlug &#x2F; http:&#x2F;&#x2F;livingplug.com&#x2F;<p>The INLET is a device that you plug into the common electrical outlet, that will modify it in a variety of ways: Child safety (removes the receptacles from eyeline, and can be anchored securely to the wall), Added functionality (bonus receptacle, usb port), Energy efficiency (vampire charge kill switch), and incorporating interior design (customizable faceplates that can either match decor, or become a unique accent piece).<p>We officially launched the INLET in June at Dwell on Design. We experienced great succes at the three day conference, gathering numerous valuable contacts, receiving substantive feedback about the product, and actually selling every INLET that we brought.<p>After that initial spark of success, we were excited to really kick everything into gear, open up our online store for business and start selling. But sales haven&#x27;t gone as smoothly online as they did face to face. We are getting people to the site, via social media and email campaigns primarily, but are having a hard time converting that traffic into a purchase. Any advice is welcome.
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smt88
I have a lot of thoughts on this, but you should take my thoughts (and others
on HN) with a grain of salt. This is a very specific community, and we aren't
representative of your target market.

My recommendation would be to put together a focus group. Don't compensate
them, and don't run the focus group yourself. If you compensate them, they'll
feel like they can't criticize the product. Same situation if they think the
people running the focus group could have their feelings hurt.

My thoughts:

1\. The branding needs a lot of work. Is the product called Living Plug or
INLET? Why can't the company and the product be called the same thing? (I like
the name Living Plug a lot, by the way.)

Also, the content on the site is confusing. You're listing too many benefits,
and you're often doing it with too many smashed up bits of text with different
amounts of fading. It's hard to read and overwhelming.

Spend a few hundred bucks on a SEO expert (a real one, not a glorified
WordPress jockey) and turn your images into text and get the copy right.

2\. The price is way too high. The product is essentially a large splitter
with a USB port, which you can buy at Target for $3. True that yours has the
faceplate and "off" button (more on those later), but it's still a huge price
difference for something no one needs.

3\. The faceplates are good and, in my opinion, the biggest selling point.
Outlets are kind of ugly, when you think about it.

The "off" switch to avoid vampire charges is not useful. I'd call it an anti-
feature. No one is going to hit a switch whenever they want to use an outlet.
Outlets are often in hard-to-reach places (behind tables, near the ground,
etc.) Compared to, say, lowering A/C or heating bills, the benefit here is
tiny compared to the amount of extra annoyance.

If you think I'm wrong, give a few people free INLETs and ask them in 2 months
how much they care about each feature. If you can take a feature or two out
and decrease the price, you'll be in better shape.

4\. Don't pitch the child-safety angle unless you have proof that it works.
Even then, say "safer" rather than "safety". Otherwise, you're opening
yourself up to a lawsuit. Many children will not be stopped by the socket
facing another direction. The only safe socket for a child is one that is
completely inaccessible.

5\. Sell this on Amazon and other places where you'll get social exposure.
Ideally, you could sell it to Target, Best Buy, or some other such retailer. I
know it's expensive to put products on grocery store shelves, but I have no
idea about other retailers.

6\. If you aren't internet marketers, you may get to the point where you can't
make the business work for you. If that happens, you should be aware of sites
like Flippa.com that will allow you to sell the whole business.

