This looks like it could be quite useful. I do think the site would benefit from the addition of case studies. If you don't want to publicly share any on a blog, you could set up an email opt-in to receive them.
You're welcome. Have you tried seeing if any of the editors of your target publications are active on Twitter or Facebook? Both can be a good starting point for building relationships.
While there are quite a few companies in the textbook rental and marketplace space, this seems to be the only one doing flat-fee swaps: http://edubookswap.com/
Nice work! I'm generally pretty immune to copy, but that would definitely get my attention.
Also, good job eliminating the extra page in between clicking the button and the contact page.
The only thing I'm not 100% sure about is the character on the contact page. It's a high quality illustration, but his expression might cause an upset/worried feeling when someone hits that page. Now that your copy is so good, I would consider removing him and just centering the copy & contact form.
Any plans to start a blog about your tests and subsequent product development? I know I'd be very interested in reading it, and I think a lot of other people here would as well.
This looks like a great start. The first suggestion I would make is listing the features down the page instead of across. I think that will make it significantly easier for visitors to see what your platform has to offer.
Also, I would expand some of the sections. For example, under Listings Distribution Network -
Landlords and Managers: List your properties for free
Agents and Brokers: Save time by quickly searching for quality properties that match your desired criteria
Although it's a cheesy title, check out the "Letters That Produced Miraculous Results" chapter in Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People". It will give you some great ideas about how to get a response from the initial email you send.
I think the real value of this type of testing would come from actually talking to people who are interested in your product.
With that goal in mind, I would change the "I'm Interested" button to a single email submission field with a call to action like "Get Started".
Once somebody submits the field, give them a confirmation message to check their inbox. Then in that email, explain that the product is under development and their feedback would be valuable.
Do you have some specific questions in mind that you want these leads to answer for you?
This seems like a cool concept. I think it would be useful to add some theme screenshots to the homepage. From what's currently there, I couldn't tell what kind of theme I would end up with.
Your landing page images look great. However, instead of the slider, I think a static version with all of them on the page would be provide a better user experience.
Congrats on everything you've accomplished over the last two years. I'd love to read a blog post (or more) dedicated to this topic:
"Through our members' generous feedback and often tyrannical suggestions for improvements they gave us the ability to see the software we embarked on through their critical eyes. Boy, they kept pushing the boundaries by redefining our quest for simplicity and user empowerment but it’s a relationship that continues to work and we value it immensely."
Thanks for elaborating, that makes sense. Since I noticed in another one of your other comments that you're planning on a freemium model, I think Option A is a good enough starting point. Once you get the ball rolling, it would be interesting to test both options to see which actually converts better.
I may be the only person with this question, but if I use Twitter to sign up, will it have any impact on my timeline (like an automatic "I just signed up for Infogr.am" tweet)?
The site looks great. However, I agree with apsurd. If you first let users play around, it shouldn't take long until they're hooked and much more eager to sign up.