#1 Product of The Day, but 0 sales revenue
Simona O'Neill
41 replies
Has it ever happen, I wonder? I'd like to know what percentage of the people who upvote your product actually go ahead and make a purchase?
Imagine you became a #1 Product with 1000 upvotes, but no one actually converted. Would that make you a failure and overshadow the joy of winning on the day? Or is that an expected outcome, and all you care about is getting the upvotes and being able to feature that badge on your website?
From the previous experience I can say that I saw 7% conversion rate on the launch day. Does anyone else have a figure they want to share?
Replies
Sjoerd Handgraaf@sjoerdhandgraaf
Sharetribe
I've heard and read similar stories & numbers from more than one top 3 product.
Rather depressing actually, as, if you follow all the steps in the guides, you could end up spending a LOT of time on this.
I'm not entirely surprised, as
a) PH is very different from what it used to be
b) a lot of the interaction on the community is very very transactional, and does not feel genuine
c) THE BOTS MY GOD SO MANY BOTS
So, you need more votes to get #1 than ever before, but the amount of people that hang around here that will actually try a new product seems to be considerably lower than what PH and many guides want you to believe.
And, to be clear, ❗️I'm not even talking about conversion/revenue. I'm talking about visits to site/downloads.
Share
@sjoerdhandgraaf great insight! And I 100% agree. By the way we haven’t launched our newest product yet so it’s not me who got to #1 of the day with no sales 😊I was just wondering if anyone has experienced that.
Sheet API
From my previous launch experiences, launch day may be the hype day, but does not necessarily convert into high revenue at that specific date.
Many people will get to know your product on this day, but it may take some time until it converts into revenue, so patience is key. Some products took almost a year until they made real revenue.
You can get excited about launch day, but don't let the revenue expectations get too high, real revenue usually will come in the long term.
Sheet API
@simona_o_neill3 That is a good point. Making months without any real revenue may be bad, probably a sign that the product adds little value to their users, or maybe not enough for them to pay.
It could also be a good idea to try to experiment with prices to see if you get the user to buy the product.
FlowFinitee
No, but as I mentioned in a previous discussion, not every upvote translates to a conversion and vice versa! This is why goals need to be clear from the beginning: Are you going after top 5 products of the day or a certain conversion rate because going after will not always work as you can end up ranking low but with good conversion etc else I think you guys did great achieving 7% conversion rate:)
I believe that this amount is very little nowadays
probably is was much much better in the past
Yep, I think that it's great but only if you manage to get many upvotes. Otherwise it only means a few new users. Ultimately I want people to find our product useful and make our work worth wile. Getting an upvote is a great support but if no one is willing to pay for it then in my opinion we've failed.
Promomix
It's not uncommon for products to experience a high upvote count on Product Hunt without immediate conversions. The percentage of upvotes to actual purchases can vary widely and depends on factors like product appeal, pricing, and the target audience. While a high upvote count is a positive indicator, the ultimate success is measured by sustained user engagement and revenue over time. It's essential to focus on converting initial interest into lasting customer relationships beyond the launch day.
At Albato, we don't prioritize increasing conversion rates or boosting sales during launch days as our primary goal. I believe this approach is not entirely accurate. Here’s our reasoning:
Imagine you’ve launched targeted advertising on Facebook or LinkedIn, and you’ve gathered an audience that fits the profile and interests of your potential customer. However, this does not necessarily mean that this audience is ready to make a purchase or has an immediate need at the moment you present your ad to them. This is in contrast to search advertising, for example, where a user is actively looking to solve a problem (“How do I solve problem X”). To demonstrate significant results in sales (not in percentages, but in absolute numbers), you need much more than 1,000 views or clicks.
Product Hunt works excellently in strengthening your brand, offering social proof, or as a tool for gathering real feedback from the market audience. However, it also requires additional “push” tools (a second touchpoint) to become a truly effective sales channel.
@andrew_savischenko I see your point. True that it’s more of a marketing tool. But I would argue that sometimes that number one place is earned undeservingly and has nothing to do with how good your product is. And then your potential buyers are tricked into thinking that this must be a great buy if it got #1 on PH. When in fact it was pre-approved by people who didn’t even test it. Do I have a problem with that ? Yes I kind of do. As someone who is concerned with the viability of the product and providing the best customer experience, I want my buyers to love the product and for my product to sell. So I wouldn’t be judging my launch success based on the upvotes , but rather on the feedback and the sign up numbers . 😊
As someone new here, I would love to see the answers to this.
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@olenabomko yes it is for real and yes we did have a free version available too. We had quite a small number of upvotes actually so it wasn't a successful launch by all means. We were inexperienced on PH and our launch preparation was minimal. We didn't really have a clue but still got that 7% conversion in the end. I honestly think it largely depends on the product and the value that customer gets. This time round we won't have a freemium or a free trial I don't think. It's a slightly different model so we'll see how we get on.
@olenabomko Indeed 🤪working super hard to make it happen, but really hope that our product will speak louder than anything else.
It's important to remember that upvotes don't always guarantee sales. Focus on building strong user engagement and optimizing conversion rates to ensure product success.
Maybe the users of producthunt are not your target users
@lewis_owen Just to clarify it wasn’t me who got #1 and zero sales 😊I was speculating it in case someone saw this happen. I would imagine that would be a clear indicator that people who upvote are not the target users. But how easy is it to actually find real potential customers on this platform?
@simona_o_neill3 I have a request, I released a product to PH today, can you give me an UPVOTED? Hahaha
@lewis_owen 🤣Of course, already done! Best of luck with the launch! I like your platform, looks like a super useful suite of tools. If I had an e-commerce business I'd be your customer😉
Blocks
7% sounds pretty good! Of course you wouldn't expect all 1000 to convert into active users :) Even 500 would be too difficult to reach.
So in my opinion 7% is fine. And also the increased publicity might eventually bring users to you in the long run.
@sviridov Agreed when considering a decent number of upvotes :-)But getting an upvote from someone is not in any way a recognition that it's a great product and that it will find a market fit. It's more of a PR stunt. So for me it has to bring in some cash from the get go. I know from my own experience that if I see a new product launching and it is valuable to me, I go ahead and purchase on the day. To support the makers and to also avail of the special launch offer.
"Top Product of the Day, but zero sales revenue. Lessons learned: visibility ≠ conversion; prioritize sales strategy over accolades. 📈💡 #StartupJourney"
7% sounds pretty good! Of course you wouldn't expect all 1000 to convert into active users :) Even 500 would be too difficult to reach.
I think that is where your marketing ability, personality, and reputation probably draw the line and now its all on the product functionality and usability. You could be the absolute greatest salesman, influencer, marketer in the world, if your selling motorcycle air conditioning units your probably not gonna convert that many. So I am sure it has happened or something close to that has occurred. The product still needs to be useful or at least trendy enough for people to just want to be seen or known for using it. Kind of like those Stanley 40oz Tumblers.....like its a cup that holds liquid, and people are naming their children Rumpelstiltskin just to buy one for under $100. That is probably the only way you can convert a product with no new usability or functionality, it has to trend. Other than that, the product needs to be able to actually help people in some manner or fulfill some desire or complete some task they wish to accomplish.
Lancepilot
It's definitely a thought provoking situation. Achieving #1 Product is a win, but I agree that conversion rates matter too. 7% on launch day is solid.
7% sounds pretty good! Of course you wouldn't expect all 1000 to convert into active users :) Even 500 would be too difficult to reach.
Likes ain’t cash.
Maybe it was the wrong crowd.
Maybe it the offer wasn’t good.
Maybe the product wasn’t solving a real pain.
Or there were better / cheaper solutions out there.
These days I compare everything against chatGPT premium subscription.
I get immense value for $20.
I feel like any new saas or digital product has to be
-either so good
-or solving a very specific problem
-or riding a hype cycle.
@getsharp_au absolutely! Upvotes can be manipulated but not your revenue. Totally agree that your product has to be great to stand out in today’s market. Ps: I actually don’t know if anyone had a launch with #1 and zero sales, I was just speculating to see if that happens 😊