Nice-to-have, nothing more?
Three insights from last week's round of customer interviews stood out for me:
1. The StoryGraph helps users to discover new books and decide what to read next.
This is great, no? It's exactly what I was going for!
Focusing on making the discovery and decision-making process smarter and easier sounds like the right next step.
However,
2. The site is a nice-to-have, rather than something people feel compelled to use, because it does not solve an urgent problem.
Despite many testers saying they loved spending time browsing the site and that, in its current state, they regarded it as the best way for them to decide what to read next, if they were busy, this wasn't something they would make time for.
Being overwhelmed by book choice, and taking ages to overcome indecision or reading slumps, was something avid mood readers put up with before The StoryGraph came along, and would likely continue to put up with if The StoryGraph ceased to exist.
Every person I spoke to implied that:
3. Having more of a community feel and relevant accompanying features will enhance the experience of the website.
Some people go on Instagram or Twitter every single day to discuss books with people, so maybe the addition of some social elements, if done well, is what will transition the site from merely a nice-to-have to an invaluable companion in an avid mood reader's life.
But I want to be careful and incredibly thoughtful with how community is exposed and what social features are available.
Right now, the site has a high level of trust amongst users. People love that it's focused and isn't trying to be a " Jack of all trades, master of none."
My challenge is figuring out how to foster a fun community without losing sight of The StoryGraph's purpose and niche.
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