Ask HN: What to do after product launch?

[maos]

So, I just launch: https://uidea.co, gallery of website design inspiration. I post it on several forums, but only got 2-3 upvotes and no comment.

I don't know what I need to do next. My goal is to make Uidea popular among designer and developer. Any suggestions?

[PaulHoule]

It looks kinda cool.

It's not so clear what the point of the site is, what kind of value you are adding. Is this a collection of example designs that you like? What is the motivation behind it? Would I want to come back to this site because it is updated? How would I find something that connects to a project I am doing?

I'd like to see some commentary about the design examples, maybe some info about how I could make my own sites/apps/documents that look like that.

The look of the site depends on everything being in portrait mode -- but in today's world people often have to design for screens that can be turned around.

[maos]

> Is this a collection of example designs that you like? What is the motivation behind it?

It's basically collection of designs that I like. Because I hate to visit them everytime I need inspiration. So, I took full-page screenshot from each one, and put it online. Maybe, someone find it useful too.

> Would I want to come back to this site because it is updated?

I just launched it 6 hours ago. I'll put more websites everyday. 3-5 website a day.

> How would I find something that connects to a project I am doing?

Uidea has collections: ecommerce, iot, saas, etc. You can browse by collection.

> ... maybe some info about how I could make my own sites/apps/documents that look like that.

That's what I'm going to do in the future, where people can email me their website they're working on, and I'm giving feedback on how to make it look better and usable.

If you want, I can give you a feedback right now. Email me: hello [at] uidea [dot] co.

Thanks for your questions.

[mindcrime]

Your "launch" isn't the beginning of the end of the process of of promoting your product. It's barely even the "end of the beginning." Eg, you don't just "launch" at a moment in time, and then sit back and wait for the money, drugs, fame, booze, chicks (or dudes, whatever), reporters, tv appearances, etc. to roll in. Once you launch, that's when the real work starts.

That said, if your launch plan was just "post on a couple of forums" then you're probably kinda doing it wrong. You need a coordinated plan to get your product in front of the people who need to see it. Unfortunately, by this point you should already have done the research necessary to figure out exactly what the optimal mechanisms to promote your product are. And that's what you should have done for the launch. Maybe that includes posting on those forums you mentioned, but that's probably not sufficient.

The thing is, you need to find out (preferably before you launch) who your customers are, where they are (eg, what forums they are on, what magazines they read, who they follow on Twitter, etc.), and how to reach them. You should already know who the key bloggers, analysts, and reporters are who cover your field, so you could let them know about your launch. You should probably already have an email list full of potential early adopters that you talked to during the Customer Discovery process, and mailing to that list should probably be a key part of the launch strategy. Likewise, you should have arrangements made to have key influencers blog, tweet, post on facebook, linkedin, instagram, etc., about your product launch.

And once you launch, you have to keep pouring fuel on the fire with emails, phone calls, guest blog posts, tweets, PR, and maybe paid advertising once you have product market fit.

I don't mean to sound negative if I do. I imagine you can still achieve your goals if you have a good product, but I think you probably still have a lot of work to do. The good news is, even if you wind up doing some of it "out of order" it may be sub-optimal, but it's probably not the Kiss of Death either.

My advice would be to read The Four Steps to the Epiphany and/or the follow-up The Startup Owner's Manual, and then watch all of the videos from the most recent Startup School session, and then start the Customer Discovery process from the beginning. Worst case, you can always release a new version with a few minor tweaks, and do a much more comprehensive launch around that new version in a few weeks, months, or however long it takes to figure everything out.

[maos]

> You should probably already have an email list full of potential early adopters that you talked to during the Customer Discovery process, and mailing to that list should probably be a key part of the launch strategy.

I think I should do this. Send an email to several designers and ask their opinions. Honestly, it sounds scary, but I'll try.

> I think you probably still have a lot of work to do.

I think so. I'll just keep adding new content, promoting, and asking feedback everyday.

Thanks for your suggestions. That was really helpful.