Greg Isenberg - Buttons.

Buttons. You know those little digital things on websites that get people do stuff? The ones that say "Buy Now" or "Add to Cart"?

Whenever I was designing websites I just designed them like everyone else. Didn’t think too much about them. An afterthought. Copy and paste. Big mistake.

Here's the story of why buttons matter to you and I:

A few weeks ago, I was meeting with my team at LCA. Great product offering, exceptional team, but our website conversion rate was stuck at a measly 1.5%. For an agency that designs world-class websites/apps/the top AI products that outperform, we underperformed on our own.

Kinda like how sometimes a doctor is too busy taking care of his patients and has the worst health. Or an artist with white walls in his home. Very lame.

So we figured, we’d switch that up.

We were throwing around ideas, mostly the usual suspects - A/B testing headlines, tweaking color schemes, the works.

Then Sarah, our newest UX designer, dropped a bomb:

"What if we're thinking about our buttons all wrong?"

Silence. Then a chorus of "Huh?"

Sarah explained:

Mind. Blown.

We changed it to "Request a Brainstorm".

Simple, right? Almost too simple.

Our conversion rate jumped to 4.2% overnight.

That's a 180% increase. From changing THREE little words.

We weren't asking for their time anymore. We were offering them value. And the word request felt more luxury.

Suddenly, it wasn't about us. It was about them. Our dream clients began filling out this form. And now we're hiring to fill demand.

I was hooked.

I started seeing buttons everywhere. Not in a creepy way, but you know what I mean.

Take a friend’s high-end coffee subscription service. Their button said "Subscribe Now". Yawn.

We changed it to "Unlock Your Coffee Journey".

Subscriptions tripled in a month.

People weren't just buying coffee anymore. They were embarking on a caffeinated adventure.

But it's not always smooth sailing.

We tried the same trick with a friend’s fitness app. Changed "Start Workout" to "Unleash Your Inner Athlete".

Crickets.

Turns out, people just wanted to work out, not contemplate their athletic potential at 6 AM.

Lesson learned: know your community. Of course.

Now, I'm obsessed. I analyze buttons like some people analyze stock charts.

Nike doesn't want you to 'Shop'. They challenge you to 'Find Your Greatness'.

Airbnb doesn't ask you to "Search". They invite you to "Explore nearby stays".

Noom doesn't say 'Start Diet'. They encourage you to 'Start Your Quiz'.

Each one is a micro masterpiece of persuasion.

Here's my framework on designing buttons that drive impact:

1. What does the community really want from you?
2. How can I give it to them?
3. How can I make it sound exciting?

People don't want to buy your product. They want to buy a better version of themselves.

So next time you're designing a button, don't just tell them what to do.

Show them what they'll become.

Your metrics will thank you.

Next up, bookmarks I saved this week worth reading

#1

Collin Mickels @CollinMickels YC 2013: Delivery apps YC 2024: Anti-ship Cruise Missiles 8:33 PM • Aug 20, 2024 387 Retweets 5091 Likes Read 106 replies

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VC-backed companies are focusing more on "hard problems" these days. We've come a long way.

#2

Pat Walls @thepatwalls Looking for a micro saas idea that could change your life? DO NOT reinvent the wheel. 1. Find a saas that makes $1B+ per year. 2. Search Reddit for "alternative to [name]?" 3. Find what people don't like about it. 4. Build. Don't believe me? Proof: 12:59 PM • Aug 20, 2024 34 Retweets 875 Likes Read 11 replies

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He's right.

#3

Robleh @robjama [Great creative minds] think like artists but work like accountants. 12:43 PM • Aug 20, 2024 2 Retweets 38 Likes Read 2 replies

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Not sure exactly what he means, but I agree with the sentiment.

#4

immad @immad 1/ We just launched @Mercury Invoicing and the launch is going well. I was thinking of the anatomy of what makes a good new product: 1. Existing customer demand 2. Unexpected magic features 3. Customer feedback in private beta 12:49 PM • Aug 20, 2024 11 Retweets 355 Likes Read 24 replies

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He's right about what makes a good new product. "Simple" as that.

Thanks for reading Greg's Bookmarks.

Thank you for reading Greg's Letter. I hope you found it valuable.

And don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube if this gave you any value. You'll get free startup ideas every few days.​

My goal is to get your creative juices flowing.

Until next week.

Be well,

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