After working hard to get renewals done and adding a bunch more code in order to
support it, testing it showed there were a number of issues in the interface of
the main ecommerce flow as well.

The biggest issue is the number of different ways that one can go through the
system as well as false paths that might end up with the user in limbo

The two biggest paths we want are for premium and free user accounts. However,
at the moment, there are too many false steps and delays a user can make on the
way to getting an account. 

Here is one example flow I have thought of:

A user wants to sign up for a free unlimited account because they have read
about it from PC Magazine or something like that. So they type mp3tunes.com into
their browser and the page loads. They look around for a word like signup or
register and nothing has that word on it is there...odd. They see create a free
locker and decide to click on that.

This takes them to a page and they see the signup fields on the side and start
typing in their info. But as soon as they click the continue button, they are
suddenly presented with a order confirmation page for forty dollars! This
isn't what they user signed up for. So they hit back and now they notice that
their account has been made already and all they can do is upgrade to a premium
locker. They don't want to do that! So they try and navigate around and as soon
as they do that, they see they need to verify as well.

Now they check their email and see the verification email and they finally get
into the site for the first time seeing the welcome page.

The example flow that I have just given is probably a bit of an exaggeration for
most users trying to sign up. But the flow we have right now makes this example
not too hard to run across either.

The biggest issues that I personally are first, there is no big registration
button on the front page or even the ability to just register from the front
page either. The second issue is the trying to get them at every turn to sign up
for a premium account rather than "try before you buy" 

By looking at the statistics, I found that the majority of the users signup for
a free account first normally, and then wait about 40 days before upgrading for
a premium account. I think this shows that we should be pushing getting people
to sign up for free accounts and make that as simple as possible. And as soon as
they have a free account they will migrate to a premium account much easier.

How I would propose to change things would be only 2 minor changes that are
mostly UI level. The backend code is done, all that needs to be done is add the
right field and links in the right places.

The first change would be to add a full signup form on the front page of the
website, it could be hidden by javascript or something like that but there
should be an easy to find link with register or signup in big letters somewhere
by the form and allow them to signup straight into a free account right then.

On the registration page itself, we should also emphasis the free account over
the premium account and make the free account the default option. As soon as
they have a free account, they will get hooked and they will buy a premium one
from there.

I hope you take my concerns into consideration and I think they will help us get
more users in the first place which will lead to even more users who are paying
us money as well.

Julian Krause