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[Critique Request] Merchoo - The Free Brand Awareness Plugin

by The Stardust Traveler
19 replies
Hi Warriors,

I've been a member for a couple years now and always value the critique I get.

I recently launched my startup, Merchoo.com and have since totally revamped my landing page design and copy.

I was hoping to get some feedback on the copy as my conversion rates are not where I want them. I'm an analytical guy by nature, so conveying emotion rather than technical explanation is my weakness.

To aid in any critique, I'd like to give you my elevator pitch:

"Merchoo is a branding plugin that lets you sell customized merchandise right on your website. You provide the designs and we take care of product creation, payment processing, shipping & handling and customer service. We've built this in a way so it works with your existing layout and takes just minutes to start selling. Most importantly, we created Merchoo to be free so that everyone can start building their brand without having to spend a dime."

There are 3 headlines I'm currently A/B testing:
1. Instantly add a new revenue stream to your website. Sell customized merchandise.
2. Sell customized T-shirts, hoodies, tanks on your website.
3. Earn money and build your brand. Sell customized merchandise for no cost.

Thanks everyone!
#awareness #brand #critique #feedback #free #merchoo #plugin #request
  • Profile picture of the author Chriswrighto
    Stardust,

    WHO is your target market?

    And are they aware of this solution?

    Chris
    Signature

    Wealthcopywriter.com :)

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    • Profile picture of the author The Stardust Traveler
      Originally Posted by Chriswrighto View Post

      Stardust,

      WHO is your target market?

      And are they aware of this solution?

      Chris
      My target market is business owners with a web presence. This can be a rather wide range of clients from bands to blog owners to corporations. If you care about building your brand, Merchoo can help and it's very simple.

      As of right now, not many people know of this solution. I get small amounts of traffic from twitter and reddit but I'm planning some email campaigns to numerous industry blogs and news sites.
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      • Profile picture of the author Chriswrighto
        Originally Posted by The Stardust Traveler View Post

        My target market is business owners with a web presence. This can be a rather wide range of clients from bands to blog owners to corporations. If you care about building your brand, Merchoo can help and it's very simple.

        As of right now, not many people know of this solution. I get small amounts of traffic from twitter and reddit but I'm planning some email campaigns to numerous industry blogs and news sites.
        That's a pretty broad range of people. Especially for something you say is fairly unknown.

        You'd be better off focusing on one market in this sales copy. As a blog owner, I would think my only options to make money from my content is to put up advertising space. I may never think of selling merchandise.

        If I saw something which called me out ("Blog owners:") and then presented an opportunity to make money from my site I may not have heard of before, then that would grab my attention.

        Chris
        Signature

        Wealthcopywriter.com :)

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  • Profile picture of the author franchiseguy
    Great look overall and cool service!! I would say once you feed the right demographic you will certainly convert. Minor suggestions -- I would change the main title to Caps first letter each word. sounds small but our minds tend to equate Capitalized Title Headings with greater Importance :-)

    Instantly Add a New Revenue Stream to Your Website!
    Sell Customized Merchandise......

    Second line maybe capitalize FREE....

    Other than that 5 stars IMHO!
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    • Profile picture of the author The Stardust Traveler
      Originally Posted by franchiseguy View Post

      Great look overall and cool service!! I would say once you feed the right demographic you will certainly convert. Minor suggestions -- I would change the main title to Caps first letter each word. sounds small but our minds tend to equate Capitalized Title Headings with greater Importance :-)

      Instantly Add a New Revenue Stream to Your Website!
      Sell Customized Merchandise......

      Second line maybe capitalize FREE....

      Other than that 5 stars IMHO!
      Thanks, I fixed the capitalization. Happy that you think I'm on the right track.
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      • Profile picture of the author The Copy Nazi
        Banned
        Originally Posted by The Stardust Traveler View Post

        Thanks, I fixed the capitalization. Happy that you think I'm on the right track.
        Nope. The caps thing is rubbish. These days we use lower case - much easier to read and in my view, looks friendlier.

        But that headline is a dead dog. Charge it up.

        Dude... now you can easily sell your own Custom T's, Hoodies, Tanks - whatever - on your site or your bloggie.

        And the best part? We take care of all the boring stuff. Check this out...


        (btw.... never use a period/fullstop at the end of the head. Interrupts the flow into the deck and body copy)
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  • Profile picture of the author Oziboomer
    It's a pretty narrow band of products.

    The site is modern but the slide out was on the slow side to load for me.

    If you have other customised product available I'd add it quick because if it is just a T shirt, Hoodie or Bag, there isn't much that couldn't be got elsewhere and is already part of many supply chains.

    What would compel me to choose your offer over a full blown cart?
    Signature
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    • Profile picture of the author The Stardust Traveler
      Originally Posted by Oziboomer View Post

      It's a pretty narrow band of products.

      The site is modern but the slide out was on the slow side to load for me.

      If you have other customised product available I'd add it quick because if it is just a T shirt, Hoodie or Bag, there isn't much that couldn't be got elsewhere and is already part of many supply chains.
      Product images need to be optimized for web. I agree, they load very slow.

      Expanding the product line is in the works. Hats, mugs, towels, shower curtains, blankets, usb sticks will be offered soon. Just trying to prioritize what the next moves will be.

      Originally Posted by Oziboomer View Post

      It's a pretty narrow band of products.
      What would compel me to choose your offer over a full blown cart?
      My favorite part of Merchoo is the ease of use. With a traditional shopping cart, you still have to source the products, handle inventory, process payments, etc. Instead of spending money up front on a bulk amount of t-shirts that you're not sure you'll sell, you can now offer unlimited designs on our entire product line without any money out of your product. We handle all of that at Merchoo so that you can focus on your business.
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  • Profile picture of the author The Copy Nazi
    Banned
    See this? Somebody posted this today. caps'R'us.

    ATTENTION: Getting Auto Insurance Companies to Pay YOU the Full CASH Value of Your Total Loss Vehicle is Like Getting Blood From a Stone... Until Now

    Finally, The Exact System a Retired Widow Used to Crush the Auto Insurance Adjuster's Cash Value Appraisal Forcing Them to Pay an EXTRA $3,000 on Her Totally Wrecked Car

    Is this easier to read? -

    ATTENTION: getting auto insurance companies to pay you the full cash value of your total loss vehicle is like getting blood from a stone... until now.

    Finally, the exact system a retired widow used to crush the auto insurance adjuster's cash value appraisal forcing them to pay an EXTRA $3,000 on her totally wrecked car.
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    • Profile picture of the author The Stardust Traveler
      Originally Posted by The Copy Nazi View Post

      See this? Somebody posted this today. caps'R'us.

      ATTENTION: Getting Auto Insurance Companies to Pay YOU the Full CASH Value of Your Total Loss Vehicle is Like Getting Blood From a Stone... Until Now

      Finally, The Exact System a Retired Widow Used to Crush the Auto Insurance Adjuster's Cash Value Appraisal Forcing Them to Pay an EXTRA $3,000 on Her Totally Wrecked Car

      Is this easier to read? -

      ATTENTION: getting auto insurance companies to pay you the full cash value of your total loss vehicle is like getting blood from a stone... until now.

      Finally, the exact system a retired widow used to crush the auto insurance adjuster's cash value appraisal forcing them to pay an EXTRA $3,000 on her totally wrecked car.
      To me, the first way comes off as "overly salesy".

      I feel calmer when reading the second version. I think that's the vibe I'd like to give off.
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      • Profile picture of the author marciayudkin
        The Brand Awareness Plugin
        I'm lost about why you are plugging your merchandise-selling solution as a brand awareness project rather than a way to make extra money with no investment.

        Marcia Yudkin
        Signature
        Check out Marcia Yudkin's No-Hype Marketing Academy for courses on copywriting, publicity, infomarketing, marketing plans, naming, and branding - not to mention the popular "Marketing for Introverts" course.
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        • Profile picture of the author The Stardust Traveler
          Originally Posted by marciayudkin View Post

          I'm lost about why you are plugging your merchandise-selling solution as a brand awareness project rather than a way to make extra money with no investment.

          Marcia Yudkin
          Initially, that's exactly what I wanted to do, and it can be used for that.

          I guess I just want to create a brand that helps people more than just makes them money.

          I want to position Merchoo as something complimentary to your current business model, not just an additional revenue stream. If someone pitched me a product to add a revenue stream to Merchoo, I'd be hesitant right out of the gate. I'm trying to focus my energy on growing Merchoo, not a side revenue stream. But if someone pitched me a product that would help my brand image (which is where my head is at) and at the same time its free and earns money, I'd just feel a lot more open and excited towards it.
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          • Profile picture of the author Complex
            [DELETED]
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            • Profile picture of the author The Stardust Traveler
              Originally Posted by Complex View Post

              That's all YOU. Outside of folks who get giddy at the "fame" of having other people wear their brand name on their t-shirt or have it on their coffee mug or whatever ...

              No one gives a shit about branding.

              They only give a shit when they think that branding is going to make them more money.

              It's really that simple.

              Your targets are probably going to be small fish. Big fish already know to put their name on swag and have a way to do that.

              Why did small fish on here even ever talk about branding in the first place?

              When it was implied that branding was the magic bullet for more money.
              I definitely agree with you that big fish have this under control all ready and small fish don't generally think about this kind of stuff. But I dont think that means they wouldn't care about it if a unique solution (that also made money) was available.

              I see that you don't like the route of branding Merchoo as a branding company. What are you thinking then?
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  • Profile picture of the author max5ty
    Couple things I noticed about your site...

    I love the concept.

    Had a hard time finding the scroll bar on the demo. Maybe it was the website I used for the demo, but couldn't find the bar to scroll.

    Thought you failed to make good use of your images. I would suggest images of people. People in action. Images of people capture attention. Images that show excitement, happiness and satisfaction. Images of people cause the reader to want to feel a part of the pack. Use bright and happy images.

    Your site was too feature heavy...you mentioned a feature, then overlooked the benefit. Benefits are what drive sales. A feature only statement forces the potential client to form their own benefit. Mention the biggest benefit for them and build excitement.

    Your testimonials are weak. Anytime you use a testimonial I'd suggest using a headline for the testimonial that builds excitement. I also thought they were too feature heavy. A testimonial should focus on benefits. We know the features, tell us the benefits the user got...expand on the excitement. Force the reader to put themselves in the shoes of the person giving the testimonial.

    You don't have anything that tells me your idea is being widely accepted. "Fastest growing solution", "As seen in New York Post", etc. Did a post somewhere on here once about dirt cheap ways to instantly give your product a killer reputation.

    Overall, your site just felt blah.

    I could tell you're serious about what you're doing and thought you put a lot of time and effort into things...hopefully you consider some of my suggestions.

    Best wishes.
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    • Profile picture of the author The Stardust Traveler
      Originally Posted by max5ty View Post

      Couple things I noticed about your site...

      I love the concept.

      Had a hard time finding the scroll bar on the demo. Maybe it was the website I used for the demo, but couldn't find the bar to scroll.

      Thought you failed to make good use of your images. I would suggest images of people. People in action. Images of people capture attention. Images that show excitement, happiness and satisfaction. Images of people cause the reader to want to feel a part of the pack. Use bright and happy images.

      Your site was too feature heavy...you mentioned a feature, then overlooked the benefit. Benefits are what drive sales. A feature only statement forces the potential client to form their own benefit. Mention the biggest benefit for them and build excitement.

      Your testimonials are weak. Anytime you use a testimonial I'd suggest using a headline for the testimonial that builds excitement. I also thought they were too feature heavy. A testimonial should focus on benefits. We know the features, tell us the benefits the user got...expand on the excitement. Force the reader to put themselves in the shoes of the person giving the testimonial.

      You don't have anything that tells me your idea is being widely accepted. "Fastest growing solution", "As seen in New York Post", etc. Did a post somewhere on here once about dirt cheap ways to instantly give your product a killer reputation.

      Overall, your site just felt blah.

      I could tell you're serious about what you're doing and thought you put a lot of time and effort into things...hopefully you consider some of my suggestions.

      Best wishes.
      Love your recommendations. I always fall into the feature > benefit trap. I'll be sure to keep this in mind. Thanks for the critique!
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  • Profile picture of the author joe golfer
    Maybe I'm not your demo, but I didn't feel any Unique Value Proposition. What is the ONE problem I can solve with this service. Here is my gut reaction as a small business owner to some of your copy:

    A Free plugin that lets you sell customized merchandise on your website.

    I don't care if a plug is free or not. I already sell a ton of customized merch on my site.

    Instantly add a new revenue stream to your website. Sell customized merchandise.

    I already have revenue streams on my site. What's the BIG benefit of your new stream. Customized product? Got that.

    Sell customized T-shirts, hoodies, tanks on your website.

    Already do this.

    Earn money and build your brand. Sell customized merchandise for no cost.

    Already selling customized merch for lots of bucks. How would this build my brand?

    These are just random feelings I had when looking at your service. I would find one big honkin' benefit the major players in this space do not have.

    For example, I've never heard anyone say "slide out store." That might be a unique benefit.

    Maybe your market is people that don't have any customized products yet. So figure out the main reason they don't and go from there.

    I don't know the USP, but there is one in there. Find that and dimensionalize it, otherwise it just looks like another CafePress or Zazzle.

    You say, "My target market is business owners with a web presence. This can be a rather wide range of clients from bands to blog owners to corporations. If you care about building your brand, Merchoo can help and it's very simple."

    You've got to get deeper into the heads of a specific market. What problem do you solve? What are they thinking about, concerned about, worrying about? If they are worried about building their brand, you might have a solution, but there are 100 other businesses offering customized products. So what one thing does your service do that other don't and helps me build my brand. As Max says, "Mention the biggest benefit for them and build excitement."
    Signature
    Marketing is not a battle of products. It is a battle of perceptions.
    - Jack Trout
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    • Profile picture of the author The Stardust Traveler
      Originally Posted by joe golfer View Post

      Maybe I'm not your demo, but I didn't feel any Unique Value Proposition. What is the ONE problem I can solve with this service. Here is my gut reaction as a small business owner to some of your copy:

      A Free plugin that lets you sell customized merchandise on your website.

      I don't care if a plug is free or not. I already sell a ton of customized merch on my site.

      Instantly add a new revenue stream to your website. Sell customized merchandise.

      I already have revenue streams on my site. What's the BIG benefit of your new stream. Customized product? Got that.

      Sell customized T-shirts, hoodies, tanks on your website.

      Already do this.

      Earn money and build your brand. Sell customized merchandise for no cost.

      Already selling customized merch for lots of bucks. How would this build my brand?

      These are just random feelings I had when looking at your service. I would find one big honkin' benefit the major players in this space do not have.

      For example, I've never heard anyone say "slide out store." That might be a unique benefit.

      Maybe your market is people that don't have any customized products yet. So figure out the main reason they don't and go from there.

      I don't know the USP, but there is one in there. Find that and dimensionalize it, otherwise it just looks like another CafePress or Zazzle.

      You say, "My target market is business owners with a web presence. This can be a rather wide range of clients from bands to blog owners to corporations. If you care about building your brand, Merchoo can help and it's very simple."

      You've got to get deeper into the heads of a specific market. What problem do you solve? What are they thinking about, concerned about, worrying about? If they are worried about building their brand, you might have a solution, but there are 100 other businesses offering customized products. So what one thing does your service do that other don't and helps me build my brand. As Max says, "Mention the biggest benefit for them and build excitement."
      Hi Joe, thanks for the in depth review and critique, this will help me immensely. Can I ask what your domain is where you sell customized merch? I'd love to see how you're doing it.

      As far as a UVP, when comparing to cafepress and zazzle, Merchoo is more of a native shopping experience for your visitors. They remain on your site while browsing your store and only leave when going to our secure checkout page. This is achieved with the slide out store. I wanted to make it a "built in store" feel while keeping it as easy as possible, ie. we handle all the backend stuff and you simply create designs. As far as I know, all cafepress and zazzle plugins will show images of your products on your site and then take you to their stores upon clicking. Also, you aren't limited to wordpress with Merchoo. If you can put javascript on your site, then Merchoo is just as easy as putting google analytics code on your site.

      Thoughts on this?

      Thanks!
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  • Profile picture of the author max5ty
    Originally Posted by The Stardust Traveler View Post

    Initially, that's exactly what I wanted to do, and it can be used for that.

    I guess I just want to create a brand that helps people more than just makes them money.

    I want to position Merchoo as something complimentary to your current business model, not just an additional revenue stream. If someone pitched me a product to add a revenue stream to Merchoo, I'd be hesitant right out of the gate. I'm trying to focus my energy on growing Merchoo, not a side revenue stream. But if someone pitched me a product that would help my brand image (which is where my head is at) and at the same time its free and earns money, I'd just feel a lot more open and excited towards it.
    "Earn Money And Build Your Brand. Sell Customized Merchandise For No Cost"

    I'm not convinced the first idea someone has when they first learn of your product is brand awareness...they want to sell their merchandise. Although selling merchandise can increase brand awareness...it's more often than not established brand awareness that leads to the sale of the merchandise.

    After looking at your site again...after my initial response...I think you're missing the boat on the way you advertise your product.

    Other than the suggestions I made in my first response...

    when I land on your site, I want to be sold within 3 seconds.

    As someone else posted, there's a lot of products out there that allow the user to sell their merch.

    Your opening doesn't set yourself apart from any other product like yours.

    I want to read something like...

    The Easiest, Simplest Way Ever Invented To Sell Merchandise On Your Website
    Start Selling In 10 Minutes

    1 - Sign Up For Free 2 - Add Products 3 - Start Selling

    I did this quickly but hopefully you understand the point I'm trying to make. More time and thought and I'm sure you could tweek it better. Hit me hard from the get go and get me excited.

    Have killer testimonials and a demo.

    Most people want to know the basics, but they want to see a demo immediately. They want to know the pricing and also want to know how others are using your product and their satisfaction with it.

    Have lots of ideas but I'll stop at this.

    Hope you do well with your idea.
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    • Profile picture of the author The Stardust Traveler
      Originally Posted by max5ty View Post

      "Earn Money And Build Your Brand. Sell Customized Merchandise For No Cost"

      I'm not convinced the first idea someone has when they first learn of your product is brand awareness...they want to sell their merchandise. Although selling merchandise can increase brand awareness...it's more often than not established brand awareness that leads to the sale of the merchandise.

      After looking at your site again...after my initial response...I think you're missing the boat on the way you advertise your product.

      Other than the suggestions I made in my first response...

      when I land on your site, I want to be sold within 3 seconds.

      As someone else posted, there's a lot of products out there that allow the user to sell their merch.

      Your opening doesn't set yourself apart from any other product like yours.

      I want to read something like...

      The Easiest, Simplest Way Ever Invented To Sell Merchandise On Your Website
      Start Selling In 10 Minutes

      1 - Sign Up For Free 2 - Add Products 3 - Start Selling

      I did this quickly but hopefully you understand the point I'm trying to make. More time and thought and I'm sure you could tweek it better. Hit me hard from the get go and get me excited.

      Have killer testimonials and a demo.

      Most people want to know the basics, but they want to see a demo immediately. They want to know the pricing and also want to know how others are using your product and their satisfaction with it.

      Have lots of ideas but I'll stop at this.

      Hope you do well with your idea.
      I've just been letting this marinate in my head for a while but it's all coming together. You're right, after really thinking hard about why Merchoo is unique and why people use it, it's starting to come together for me.

      Joe asked what my UVP was and I gave a round about technical answer. The fact is, Zazzle and CafePress are two of my most direct competitors.

      What we all do: Allow the user to sell customized apparel for free.
      What Merchoo uniquely offers: An easy to use, native shopping cart to sell your merchandise. We keep your visitors on your site through the entire shopping experience and then take them to our secure checkout page for the final step.

      So, I'm going to continue to fine tune my UVP with the goal of the 3 sec sell.

      "Brand Awareness" was what I thought would separate me apart, but now I'm starting to see it wasn't based on an actual problem. The problem Merchoo solves is the process of selling merch on your website. Brand awareness is just a small benefit.

      Thanks!
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