More often than not, Tumblr does a fantastic job with its copy. And its on-boarding process alone is proof positive that Tumblr has an exceptional approach to UX — not to mention, a talented team. So I was pretty surprised when I looked at their latest landing page and saw this:
I could rave for awhile about the interaction design of this page — if Tumblr could make it any easier to sign up for their product, I’m not really sure how — but when I look at it, I see one glaring omission from a copy standpoint. There’s no promise. No compelling reason to act if I don’t arrive at the page already knowing what Tumblr is.
Now here’s how I know they have a terrific copywriter (or a team of them) on staff: the promise couldn’t be stated more eloquently… on the next page:
Which raises a big question for me: Why not make that phenomenal claim on the first page? Some might argue that most users arriving at the landing page already know what Tumblr is and simply need the fastest, nicest sign-up process possible. And I would guess that argument is correct for a portion of users. But in my opinion, Tumblr’s landing page could easily have the best of both worlds: the easy-as-pie interface and the compelling top level message.
Here’s how: I would simply move the second page headline, “The easiest way to blog,” to the bottom of the landing page. And the “30 reasons you’ll love Tumblr” could be a sub-head or a separate button right below, looking something like:
The easiest way to blog.
See 30 reasons why you’ll love Tumblr.
My point isn’t about the exact words (sure, it could be combined into one statement like “See 30 reasons why Tumblr is the easiest way to blog,” but I’m certain Tumblr does enough A/B testing to determine which phrases are converting); my point is structural. “30 reasons you’ll love Tumblr” is an offer of supporting proof. But without a promise, there’s seemingly less motivation for people to lookup the evidence.
Where’s the orienting context for someone who doesn’t know what Tumblr’s unique sales proposition, or premise, is? Even if 100% of users know it’s blogging software, have they found the most robust? The fastest? The one with the largest built-in community? Aha, it’s the easiest to use.
From the outside looking in, this seems like a missed opportunity for Tumblr to improve the marketing power of its landing page without negatively impacting the design or the interface whatsoever. What are your thoughts? If there are any Tumblr folks reading this post, I’d love the inside scoop.
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