Mockly Teardown Request

Discussions
#1

After talking with @patpohler last night about his successes with teardown requests from communities like this, I’d like to offer up Mockly’s site (specifically the homepage, but the whole site is fair game…) to criticism and ideas for increasing conversion.

Here it is, go nuts: http://mock.ly

I have mocks of a redesign of this under way (I’m aware of many of the current site’s shortcomings), but I’d love to hear anyone’s thoughts that might help validate my upcoming changes or come up with more ideas for making this better.

Mockly is a simple SaaS offering that allows web designers to share finished mocks (i.e. flat PNG/JPG files exported from a design program like Photoshop or Sketch) with their clients and get feedback. The key is that showing these mocks in a browser at actual size helps clients understand the context and avoids generic scaling/centering questions. Clients and designers can also add positionable comments, in an attempt to put an end to endless email chains of design feedback. This is not a mockup or prototype generation tool like Balsalmiq, etc—it’s for sharing “pixel perfect” designs in the final stages of feedback.

We have a couple dozen active users and under 5 paid users. I have done almost no marketing for this and want to ramp that up as well once I’ve got my landing page in a better place.

Thanks all for your time and interest!

#2

Over the past few weeks I’ve been trying out design feedback apps to use at my day job, so I’m somewhat familiar with this type of application.

Nice job on the demo video. It helped me to get a better understanding of the way your app works and if I would enjoy using it.

With that said, your messaging could use some improvement. None of your headings or subheadings made me think “Yes! I need this”. For example:

Share mockups with clients in the browser!

Why is that better than email, basecamp, sneakernet, etc? How is your app different from all the other design review apps out there? Which of my needs can you solve?

Your design is always shown exactly as you intended, and the client can leave feedback with context.

I don’t understand what “exactly as you intended” means. Sounds like a problem I wasn’t aware I had. Feedback sounds nice. I want to get client feedback.

Drag and drop mockups

Why would I want to drag and drop mockups? Again, that doesn’t sound like it solves one of my needs. Reading more, I see that what you’re describing is organization. That’s what I need.

Share a unique URL

(Feeling like a broken record) I have no need–or desire–to share ‘unique URLs’.

See mockups full scale

When am I not able to see mockups full scale? “Present true-to-size mockups that look and feel like a finished website” or “Let clients experience website designs as a user would” is something I could get behind.

Get feedback

YES! I want feedback! But, wait, don’t I already get feedback on my designs (albeit in hard-to-follow email chains, screenshots with notes in red, or some other form)? What I need is easy to review feedback with context.

To summarize: Tell me about my needs, not your features.

The value prop would have to be quite strong for me to justify using two different tools: one for finished designs only, and another for earlier design versions. It could prove difficult to get users if you market the app that way.

It looks like you have built a nice, useful product. Keep truckin’.

1 Like
#3

Thanks a ton for the detailed response, @sean! One of the goals in my redesign is to make the copy clearer and speak more directly to a need, rather than a list of features. The four little headers (drag and drop, share URL, etc.) were intended to define the “how it works” not the “why you need it”—but I definitely will focus on the “why you need it” going forward.

“Final stages of feedback” is in fact a bit misleading. What I really mean is the “past wireframes” stage.

I’ll keep everything you’ve said in mind as I move forward.

#4

On your pricing page, try flip flopping the pro and free sections (specifically, because when I go to the pricing page, I expect to see a big shiny “Buy Now” button).

This might also help you drive some more people into the pro offering. In tandem with this, make your headers something like “Here’s what you’ll get” and under the free features, “All accounts come with…”

Make your paid version the glamour hog and then make a little hook to the free account.

Keep us updated :slight_smile:

1 Like
#5

Hey @alexford! Good to see you on the forum!

Great feedback already. I love the video but the graphic is pushing the “Sign up Free” & “Learn More” CTA buttons waaay below the fold.

I think your big benefit statement “Your design is always shown as intended” could be above the fold as well. Along with any testimonials you can get from your existing users could help as well in conversions too.

Finally, how much could Mockly be tweaked to allow designers to share the designs as a public portfolio. I’m thinking of a mini-dribble like page that I can link to on my twitter profile, blog, website, etc. The page will also have a nice obvious "<Insert Name’s> Portfolio page provided by Mockly, share your designs with clients and the public today " which will take anyone viewing the designer’s page to the Mockly signup. Let your users do the advertising.

#6

Btw, it’s [quote=“alexford, post:1, topic:346”]
I’d like to offer up Mockly’s site (specifically the homepage, but the whole site is fair game…) to criticism and ideas for increasing conversion.
[/quote]

Btw man, nice job on stepping up, being fearless and opening up your baby to feedback. I’d love to see other people offer their landing pages for teardowns as well. The ROI on this type of stuff is incredible and a great use of this forum.

#7

I’m not a designer so I’m not your market but I think you’re underpricing this and I think you offer too much for your free plan and that maybe free should go away entirely. $39/year is practically free already. Why not start there and make another tier. Or better, start at 49 or 59 a year as a base tier.

The math to get to 100k on your current arrangement looks like this to me
$100,000 / $39 = 2,564 paying customers at your current ratio of a couple dozen free to under 5 paid you’re talking about 60,000+ customers before you’re seeing 100k.

What kind of traffic will you need to get 60,000+ customers free customers? What will your support/hosting etc costs look like at that level? Is that a business you want to have?

Do you want to support people who don’t think your service for a year is worth the cost of an entree or a round of martinis?

IMO a base price of $99 a year would be generous. If people are going to use this to make money, and they are - its a business tool - then they should pay.

Also if it must be sub $50/year I wouldn’t offer a monthly plan at all. I’d take the annual payment in full after a trial that requires a credit card.

You deserve to be compensated fairly for a good product. If they won’t pay then find out what to do so that they will and if they still won’t pay then you don’t want that “customer”.

Hope that’s not too strong. Product looks great.

#8

Thanks for the great feedback, everyone. I am still working on the homepage redesign and will post it here once I’ve made some changes.