How to increase CR?

[katok]

Hello,

Please review this game: http://www.ninjalab.com/food_logic/food_logic.html.
Need any suggestions and opinions of how to increase conversion rate.
Current convertion rate is nearly 0.05%.

Thank you.

[Fantus]

Images are important, and looking at those two thumbs people don't know what this game is about. I can imagine the site and graphics are not appealing enough for most consumers. An important part as you are directly competing with bejeweled. That game is so famous that the question rises why people should by this game instead. If you have (a) good answer(s), exploit these.

[bentlegen]

Your web page appears slightly broken in Firefox. Just a heads up.

- ben

[mahlzeit]

Here are four things you can do to increase your conversion rate:

- Get more visitors to your website
- Improve your website
- Improve the game
- Convince more people they should buy this game

Judging from your game and your website, you can do better in all of these things.

The website doesn't appeal to me. It has almost no information: it doesn't tell me what this game is about, how it plays, or why I should download it and try it out. The site has nice graphics, but none of these graphics are actual content (and, in fact, are distracting from the little real content there is). In my opinion, you should add a lot more to show off your game. This is where you sell it, even before people download it.

The game itself isn't too bad -- I expected worse -- but it's nothing special either. The graphics are fine (although the fruit graphics could be a little better: anti-alias the edges). The sound and music is okay too. But the gameplay lacks a little. Like another poster said, you are competing with Bejeweled and that game is simply a lot better than yours. That doesn't mean you should throw this one away and start over, but it does mean you're not finished yet.

So, how do you convince people to buy your game? That's the big trick, isn't it. :)

Some small ideas: The first thing one sees when running this game is a nag screen. I don't like that. Stop begging. Good games, like good pick-up artists, need to be confident of themselves and what they have to offer: desperate pleading and nagging doesn't work. Tell the customer (but with subtlety): I am a great game and you want to buy me. :)

In addition, make it as easy and safe as possible for people to buy. Your website doesn't make me feel very confident. Who is this person that I am giving $19.95 to? Can I trust him/her with my money and credit card details? Buying stuff from small companies over the internet is scary to many people, so you need to take away the fear. (One good way is to offer a money back guarantee.)

My advice: look at the websites and games of successful indies and do more of what they are doing.

Good luck!

[bentlegen]

I'd also suggest dropping your price. I know it's practically written in stone here to charge $19.99 and nothing less, but it comes down to simple economics. PopCap charges the same price for a proven and superior game in Bejeweled 2- do you expect people to cough up the same amount of money for yours? I wouldn't.

I don't mean to be offensive. I'm just suggesting you be realistic and examine the market.

- ben

[mahlzeit]

I wouldn't compete on price. Instead, make the game worth the $19.95 you're asking for it.

[princec]

That could take easily as long as writing another game.
Which is what I'm going to do instead these days.

Cas :)

[Andy]

I'm with Cas (again?!) on issue.

REM: And I'd really recommend you one more thing katok - don't try to compete directly with company like PopCap - or find at least some weak point at their title at first where you can beat them. Everybody could easy make sprinkling water - but only Coke and Pepsi have found a way to sell it with such a huge profit - I hope you got an idea.