Get twice as many users for your service
In my experience, signing up for an online service could obstruct what users came for. In October 2010, I explained how we’d changed the sequence on Amino Freelancer so customers could begin their job posting before creating an account.
Signing up for an online service at the right time
Previously, the account creation page came before the page where customers described the task. I thought that put up a barrier before users could try what they’d expected.
We swapped the two screens. Customers could describe their task first, then create an account or log in. An account was still necessary to return to the posting.
The first numbers looked promising
I said we normally received around three or four new job postings a day, while the first day after the change brought 13. That was my early observation from our own service.
I also said it was too early to say precisely how things would go. The short period didn’t in itself show a lasting effect or a result other services could expect.
Let users see the value first
I compared it to a shop where customers wanted to see the products before providing information. My advice was to examine what users wanted on the site and make the first part easier. Also read E-pusher about my experiences with online sales and user experiences.
When an account became necessary, I’d briefly explain why. The example is from Amino in 2010, in which I had an interest myself. It’s a concrete experience with the sequence in a flow, not a promise of twice as many users.
Also read about improving the flow in an online shop.
5,000 freelancers, but too few tasks
I can’t remember whether I’ve blogged about this before, but I think it’s worth repeating. The example is Amino Freelancer, which we’ve had for around a year at the time of the video. I don’t quite remember the exact start date.
We’ve reached more than 5,000 freelancers with all sorts of skills. That’s great, and businesses can hire them. But the number of job postings has disappointed me. We’ve had three, four or five new tasks a day. With 5,000 freelancers sharing so few new tasks, I can easily understand some being disappointed.
I’ve long known where the problem was but haven’t had time to act. My first priority was making the service work properly for freelancers and those already posting tasks. Now I think it’s beginning to help. It isn’t perfect, but at least tolerable.
The customer came for a writer and got a login form
Imagine a business wanting a good, inexpensive writer for a press release but not already using Amino. First, it needs to find Amino Freelancer. That isn’t very difficult; as I remember in the video, we rank second for a search for freelancer.
The visitor clicks the button to create a new job posting. Then comes some good reasoning for using the service. So far, so good.
But the next step is creating an account with a username and password. Only afterwards can the customer describe the job. It’s logical that we need an account so customers can return to their posting. Nor is it that people can’t understand the process at all. But encountering a barrier before being allowed to see the shop’s goods isn’t fun.
Two screens swapped places
What I’ve changed is actually very simple. We have the same process but swapped two screens. After the button and explanation, customers now get the page to create the job posting itself before we ask for an account.
Here, customers can explain the task and their maximum budget. That’s exactly the page they expected. We’re giving people what they came for a little sooner.
Once they’ve completed the page, we ask them to create an account or log in with their Amino username. Perhaps they still think: I don’t want to join yet another place; they’ll probably send lots of stupid spam. Incidentally, we don’t unless people ask for it.
But now customers have invested five minutes writing everything. So perhaps they react: I’ve already written what I wanted. Never mind, I’ll create an account anyway. That’s the difference I’m trying to use by changing the order.
13 tasks on the first day
It’s early to say precisely how the change has gone. But from the normal three or four tasks a day, we reached 13 on the first day after the change.
On the day I record the video, there have most recently been nine tasks, with time still left. I hope it ends at 11 or 12. I don’t yet know as I tell you.
I describe it as roughly tripling new job postings, even during the autumn holidays. Perhaps it’ll level off, although I don’t think so at that point. I also remember reversing the process in a game from the Jubii days and seeing a huge effect. In the video, I call it a tenfold increase.
A supermarket with a bouncer at the door
A supermarket can illustrate the logic. Imagine a bouncer at the door before you’re allowed to see products. He wants your age and postcode and asks you to choose a password. He also wants your credit card to make sure you can pay.
You say: I really just want to see whether there are products I’d like to buy. Can’t I look at whether the fruit is ripe and the prices are reasonable?
No, first provide information and choose a password. A supermarket like that probably wouldn’t do very well. But that’s actually how many online services work. Online shops have challenges too, but we’ll cover those another day.
I call it a ridiculous beginner’s mistake, and I’ve repeated it myself. There’s a story behind that, but you won’t get it here or we’ll all fall asleep. At least we’ve changed it now. We’ve changed it on Amino Virksomhedsbørs too, and I already think the effect there looks strong.
What does the visitor actually want?
If you’re making a discussion forum or another online service, think about what’s in people’s minds when they arrive. They want something specific.
If it’s a porn site, they expect breasts or something of that sort. If they come to chat, let them look at the chat. If they want a social community, let them see a little of the goods first.
Once they’ve looked and want to ask something or participate, you can request a username and password. Briefly explain why you need it.
The same advertising can deliver more
With that change, I assess in the video that I could cut 50 per cent or more from Amino Freelancer’s AdWords budget and still maintain full momentum. That’s my assessment from the initial results, not something measured over a long period.
Instead, I choose to keep the pressure on and go full throttle. I hope you can use the experience: Give people what they came for before putting something in their way.
Have a really good weekend. Best wishes, Martin
Super fantastisk video. Lige præsis sådan noget man ikke lige tænker over. Og mega fed supermarkeds metafor ting 😀
Skal helt sikkert gøre sådan noget på mine fremtidige services.