Thanks to MJ & the forum! My official site launch: Toothbrush Subscription

[dochustle]

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to give a special thanks to everyone for all the info provided on this board. I have spent the last 2 months building this business and today is finally launch day. Thanks to MJ for introducing me to the fastlane and opening my eyes. Thanks to biophase for his thread on ecommerce. Thank you to the whole forum for contributing great amounts of information.


My site is [url]www.onelessthought.com [/URL]

Its has been an interesting journey building this. My first web, ecommerce experience, which as a lot of you know, is full of surprises. Going through multiple suppliers, contractors, time spent working and lots of learning!

This is a toothbrush subscription service. Similar to dollar shave club, except for toothbrushes! For 22.98 a year you get a brand new, American Dental Association approved (one of only 30 toothbrushes in the world approved by them) toothbrush sent direct to your door, every 3 months. We have brushes for adults (18+), teens (10-18), juniors (6-10) and babies (2-5). You can save money with family subscriptions and also add products like floss to your subscription!

I wont get to much into pumping the product. Check out the website, please tell me any negative and positive feedback. There are some great minds on here so I appreciate all the opinions. I plan to write a blog post on here in the near future with everything iv'e learnt to date launching this site.

Thanks,

Dave

 

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[JEdwards]

You need a cool video to go viral like dollar shave club has.


and the name has to go. One less thought has nothing to do with teeth.

 

[Vigilante]

HELL YES. I like it. I am going to subscribe for my son. Speed +

 

[tincho1492]

Cool! A subscription service for toothbrushes, it makes sense! I am always thinking how old is mine

Speed++

As said above name (and the logo) are not related with what you're selling.

 

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[Likwid24]

You need a cool video to go viral like dollar shave club has.


and the name has to go. One less thought has nothing to do with teeth.

I agree with Jack on both points, but I definitely love the idea. If you had a great video, like the dollar shave club, this thing could really take off. Don't care for the name either. You couldn't find a domain associated with anything related to brushing or teeth?

Besides that, page looks great, copy looks great, and love the bonuses.

One more thought - Change the bright yellow "Order Now" I would change it to Green or Orange. I could hardly read it. I had to really look at it and strain my eyes. You want that to be the thing on the page that stands out most.

 

[road_runner]

only reason to keep the name would be to sell other products there too, that people tend to forget when to obtain

 

[Likwid24]

only reason to keep the name would be to sell other products there too, that people tend to forget when to obtain

Yes, but don't see a reason to sell products in a different field on a site such as this. You would think that it would be wise to keep a site like this for dental products only. Therefore, you can easily come up with a name associated with it. I don't think he will be looking to sell shoes on a site that sells a toothbrush subscription.

 

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[Lights]

speed

I would change the name. To be honest, "one less tooth" came to my mind.

And hire models with teeth I would want. I do like Ally's video.

 

[Milkanic]

agreed the name sucks.

Teethio.com
Teethly.com
brushio.com
brushsub.com
teethsub.com
clubtooth.com
oralsub.com (heh)

are all available

 

[Lights]

don't go with oral sub

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_submucous_fibrosis

 

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[PeteLife]

I Love the concept...But Like everyone else is saying, I Dont think the logo or name really brand your site well...

So unless you plan on branching out into other subscription services, I dont see OneLessThought making much impact in the oral hygiene market.

Just off the top of my head... substiTOOTH came to my mind.... a play on the word "substitute" ... also checked godaddy and the domain is available for like 10 bucks ... but there are many more options out there that are available that will suit this service quite well.



speed +++

 

[Jake]

Love the idea. Don't like the name or pricing model.

Make it stupid cheap. A price that most people won't even think about. Source cheap toothbrushes and sign people up at $4.99 a year or whatever it is to barely turn a profit. Go for volume. Go for sign-ups. If you're popular in a year you can up the price and turn a large profit.
Upsell the better brushes realizing that most people will sign up for the cheap ones. You'll profit from the upsells. Word will spread and the business will grow because of the stupid cheap brushes.

brushtoyourdoor.com
toothbrushquarterly.com

 

[Guest12120]

I agree with the users above. The name needs to be different. Also I am not too crazy about the logo. Reminds me of Autism Speaks Home | Autism Speaks.
The idea is great. The past weeks I've been thinking about getting a new toothbrush but I always forget If I hear some good reviews about the product I might be your next client.

 

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[mayana]

I LOVE the idea, but agree with the name and domain comments.

I'm not sure about changing your pricing model, though. I think that the price is really reasonable as it is.

Here's my thought process. When I first saw your website and service, I thought, "Hey, cool!" And then I thought, "Wait a minute, what kind of toothbrush are they going to give me?"

If you go to the store to look for toothbrushes, you will see so many different kinds. This makes me think that those big companies have spent a lot of time and money determining that people really care about what kind of toothbrush they buy and the perceived quality.

I would rather see you keep the price where it is and make sure that your customers are happy with their toothbrushes.

 

[hobokook]

This looks good but honestly, is this a need in the market. While the concept is great do people really care about having a new toothbrush?

 

[Lights]

It's quite pricy, unless you're in love with the toothbrush. I won't pull out my debit card and charge that much. And I think I represent the Average American who is in their 20s, and I have savings, whereas most don't have 2k for a rainy day.

I can see how this is valuable to large families though. But statistically larger families are poorer, so if you have a family deal of $10 you got something going.


I would never search this up, unless someone told me.

For me, price always win when it comes to toothbrushes. I rather spend $1 versus $3 for a toothbrush when I'm at a store.

$5 sounds very reasonable to me, even if it means buying cheap toothbrushes from a 3rd world country.

 

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[DennisD]

The reason to keep the name would be to offer other routine disposable products.

Razors, toothbrushes/toothpaste/floss, tampons, deodorant, body spray, soap, toilet paper, paper towels/napkins/tissues, laundry detergent.

If this brand is less about 'toothbrushes directly to your door' and more about 'the repeat-consumable items you can get autodelivered to you so you don't have to think about it'... the brand/domain fits perfectly.

You can also do some content marketing about body-care, tooth-care, cleaning tips, look up those trending life-hacks on youtube right now, stuff like that would be relevant here.

 

[dochustle]

You need a cool video to go viral like dollar shave club has.


and the name has to go. One less thought has nothing to do with teeth.

Viral Video is defiantly in my plans. I want to have all the smaller details in place first though.

HELL YES. I like it. I am going to subscribe for my son. Speed +

AWESOME Vigilante! I appreciate it. I should of mentioned your thread helping me out a lot as well. I'm looking forward to your subscription!!!

Cool! A subscription service for toothbrushes, it makes sense! I am always thinking how old is mine

Speed++

As said above name (and the logo) are not related with what you're selling.

Thank you. My initial idea with the name 'One Less Thought' was to not limit it to just toothbrushes. I felt like this was a business model that could work for other hygiene products (soap,deodorant, anything). However, feedback seems to be strong on the lack of branding. I could make One Less Thought the parent company of the toothbrush site, and rebrand it with something to do with toothbrush subscriptions. This keeps my options open for the future.

I agree with Jack on both points, but I definitely love the idea. If you had a great video, like the dollar shave club, this thing could really take off. Don't care for the name either. You couldn't find a domain associated with anything related to brushing or teeth?

Besides that, page looks great, copy looks great, and love the bonuses.

One more thought - Change the bright yellow "Order Now" I would change it to Green or Orange. I could hardly read it. I had to really look at it and strain my eyes. You want that to be the thing on the page that stands out most.

Thanks for the compliments. I changed the yellow font to red for now. Your right it needs to stand out!

only reason to keep the name would be to sell other products there too, that people tend to forget when to obtain

Exactly my thinking when I started this.

I Love the concept...But Like everyone else is saying, I Dont think the logo or name really brand your site well...

So unless you plan on branching out into other subscription services, I dont see OneLessThought making much impact in the oral hygiene market.

Just off the top of my head... substiTOOTH came to my mind.... a play on the word "substitute" ... also checked godaddy and the domain is available for like 10 bucks ... but there are many more options out there that are available that will suit this service quite well.



speed +++

It looks like a lot of people are saying the same thing. I will have to seriously look into this.

Love the idea. Don't like the name or pricing model.

Make it stupid cheap. A price that most people won't even think about. Source cheap toothbrushes and sign people up at $4.99 a year or whatever it is to barely turn a profit. Go for volume. Go for sign-ups. If you're popular in a year you can up the price and turn a large profit.
Upsell the better brushes realizing that most people will sign up for the cheap ones. You'll profit from the upsells. Word will spread and the business will grow because of the stupid cheap brushes.

I tried a few different suppliers. The problem was the cheapies were just so bad. I didn't feel comfortable selling such a crappy product. The brushes I have now are top of the line.

I agree with the users above. The name needs to be different. Also I am not too crazy about the logo. Reminds me of Autism Speaks Home | Autism Speaks.
The idea is great. The past weeks I've been thinking about getting a new toothbrush but I always forget If I hear some good reviews about the product I might be your next client.

Logo will be reevaluated. I encourage you to try it out! There is a 100% money back guarantee!!

I LOVE the idea, but agree with the name and domain comments.

I'm not sure about changing your pricing model, though. I think that the price is really reasonable as it is.

Here's my thought process. When I first saw your website and service, I thought, "Hey, cool!" And then I thought, "Wait a minute, what kind of toothbrush are they going to give me?"

If you go to the store to look for toothbrushes, you will see so many different kinds. This makes me think that those big companies have spent a lot of time and money determining that people really care about what kind of toothbrush they buy and the perceived quality.

I would rather see you keep the price where it is and make sure that your customers are happy with their toothbrushes

Great points. I think this may just come with time and having more customer reviews to reinforce what I already know, that these are great brushes. The adult brush is one of only 30 in the world approved by the American Dental Association to meet its high quality standards. I also spent a lot of time visiting dentists and this brush was the overwhelming favorite.

This looks good but honestly, is this a need in the market. While the concept is great do people really care about having a new toothbrush?

Good question. Time will tell. I feel there is a need and feedback is confirming that. I think one of my big challenges is educating the customer though. Thats why I created the free eBook "Ultimate Guide To Whiter Teeth' - which talks about the benefits of having a fresh toothbrush, brushing regularly, etc. The blog should also help with this.

It's quite pricy, unless you're in love with the toothbrush. I won't pull out my debit card and charge that much. And I think I represent the Average American who is in their 20s, and I have savings, whereas most don't have 2k for a rainy day.

I can see how this is valuable to large families though. But statistically larger families are poorer, so if you have a family deal of $10 you got something going.


I would never search this up, unless someone told me.

For me, price always win when it comes to toothbrushes. I rather spend $1 versus $3 for a toothbrush when I'm at a store.

$5 sounds very reasonable to me, even if it means buying cheap toothbrushes from a 3rd world country.

Thanks for the input. I made the choice to go with quality over cheap prices. We will see how it pays off

The reason to keep the name would be to offer other routine disposable products.

Razors, toothbrushes/toothpaste/floss, tampons, deodorant, body spray, soap, toilet paper, paper towels/napkins/tissues, laundry detergent.

If this brand is less about 'toothbrushes directly to your door' and more about 'the repeat-consumable items you can get autodelivered to you so you don't have to think about it'... the brand/domain fits perfectly.

You can also do some content marketing about body-care, tooth-care, cleaning tips, look up those trending life-hacks on youtube right now, stuff like that would be relevant here.

Its hard to predict where this will go. Please do send me the links to some of these videos!

 

[miked_d]

speed+

I think this is a great idea. The name, not so much.

Other random thoughts:

I wonder about the price point. When I saw the price, I did the calculations in my head. For me (I can't speak for everyone), under $20 would be no question. I'm in.

Are ALL the toothbrushes ADA approved? It looks like only the adult. I like that you are using high quality brushes instead of dollar store rejects.

 

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[prime]

Good stuff! Your taking actions which is great.

The only thing I wonder about is, how much of the market are using eletric tooth brushes?

 

[TheTruth]

Alright here we go:


1.The obvious is that the logo and domain need to be replaced

- I understand you have a long-term plan, but you still need to serve short term obligations. --> Don't spread yourself thin, as of right now, prove yourself with toothbrushes and then expand.

- You can keep your corporate name as onelessthough and then on the new domain say "brought to you by onelessthought INC." Now you look bigger, have more apparent authority and get the best of both worlds (your long-term plan is still alive and your customers are getting a better and easier experience)


2.Your opt-in link on the front page needs work

- You are telling me the benefits of signing up after you asked me to sign up? Tell my why first and then tell me to sign-up)

- Add a picture of what I am getting, I want to see it (pictures always get better conversions).

- Lastly, the opt-in link says "I will never spam you"... yet your "about US" page talks about you guys being a team. Be consistent and always look bigger.

3. Your "calls to actions" are really confusing for me as a reader

- You have 3 different color schemes for your calls to action ( "send me my ebook" is dark blue, It's simply amazing is light blue and order now is red)

- This goes for your headlines as well. They go from black to blue to dark blue.

- Don't scatter me, I don't want to be confused as to what I have to do. Train me on one color that you want me to click on and another one where that you want me to read the headline on.

4. You say that the brushes are premium and high quality... Why don't I know that?

- Nowhere on the front page do you tell me that these brushes are premium dental association approved. You want me to know that right away. ( Have ADA accepted signs on top of that to add more authority)

5. The picture on the first slide below "3: Satisfaction Gauranteed" needs to be better

- It's just a box with the un-targeted logo. (Perhaps make it a box with toothbrushes popping out and the women smiling with a star shining from her teeth?" -> of course all this with a new logo

6. Since the brushes are premium, make them look premium!

- The brush on the 3rd slider looks pixelated and bland. Also the brushes on "our brushes" look bland as well. Sell me premium, make them sparkle, make me need the brush (perhaps your designers could muster something up in photoshop)

- When I click to order and want to change the color, the actual color doesn't change. I would like to be able to see the actual color on the brush rather than just choose that option.

7. On your youtube videos, Your link is not embedded

- When someone watches one of your testimonials, your sites link is in the description, but it is not clickable. You are leaving it up to me, whether I want to copy and paste the site. Don't leave it to me.


Overall, great job!

 

[Charlesp]

All the prices are the same, generally adults prices are more and decrease with age. So you should change the price of Adult, Kids, and Teens, just like a dollar difference.

 

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[mayana]

I agree that it might be a good idea to charge a slightly lower price for the kids. It's kind of like when restaurants charge a lower price for kids meals (when sometimes they are almost the same size as the adult meals). It's a hook to get the parents.

 

[wade1mil]

I like some of the suggestions above, but definitely not all of them. Like the idea as well.

1) Don't lower your price and don't sell third world toothbrushes.

2) Offer a different frequency of changing brushes? I get a new one every two months.

3) Make an animated video that physically shows the germs you get from an old brush and how you need to replace it every XX days to avoid your brush being covered in germs. This will gross people out and make them need your business.

4) I like that you only have one brush for each age. I would look at expanding the options later.

 

[wade1mil]

You could offer a package that includes floss and/or toothpaste and mouthwash. Thinking out loud.

 

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[dochustle]

I wonder about the price point. When I saw the price, I did the calculations in my head. For me (I can't speak for everyone), under $20 would be no question. I'm in.

Are ALL the toothbrushes ADA approved? It looks like only the adult. I like that you are using high quality brushes instead of dollar store rejects.

I like the price point right now. Your getting a top of the line brush. Only the adult brush is ADA approved. Dollar store rejects suck!

Thanks for the subscription order Mike. Your my very first customer ever, and it wont be forgotten!!

Good stuff! Your taking actions which is great.

The only thing I wonder about is, how much of the market are using eletric tooth brushes?

I couldn't find any stats on this. I remember reading somewhere the power toothbrush market was aprx 200 million, and the manual was well over 1 billion, in North America.

 

[dochustle]

1.The obvious is that the logo and domain need to be replaced

- I understand you have a long-term plan, but you still need to serve short term obligations. --> Don't spread yourself thin, as of right now, prove yourself with toothbrushes and then expand.

- You can keep your corporate name as onelessthough and then on the new domain say "brought to you by onelessthought INC." Now you look bigger, have more apparent authority and get the best of both worlds (your long-term plan is still alive and your customers are getting a better and easier experience)

Its looking like the majority of people are agreeing with you. I'll be delving into re-branding tomorrow.

2.Your opt-in link on the front page needs work

- You are telling me the benefits of signing up after you asked me to sign up? Tell my why first and then tell me to sign-up)

- Add a picture of what I am getting, I want to see it (pictures always get better conversions).

- Lastly, the opt-in link says "I will never spam you"... yet your "about US" page talks about you guys being a team. Be consistent and always look bigger.

Great Advice

3. Your "calls to actions" are really confusing for me as a reader

- You have 3 different color schemes for your calls to action ( "send me my ebook" is dark blue, It's simply amazing is light blue and order now is red)

- This goes for your headlines as well. They go from black to blue to dark blue.

Going to fix this now.

4. You say that the brushes are premium and high quality... Why don't I know that?

- Nowhere on the front page do you tell me that these brushes are premium dental association approved. You want me to know that right away. ( Have ADA accepted signs on top of that to add more authority)

Your right, its one of my main selling points.

6. Since the brushes are premium, make them look premium!

- The brush on the 3rd slider looks pixelated and bland. Also the brushes on "our brushes" look bland as well. Sell me premium, make them sparkle, make me need the brush (perhaps your designers could muster something up in photoshop)

- When I click to order and want to change the color, the actual color doesn't change. I would like to be able to see the actual color on the brush rather than just choose that option.

Another great point. Thanks.

I like some of the suggestions above, but definitely not all of them. Like the idea as well.

1) Don't lower your price and don't sell third world toothbrushes.

2) Offer a different frequency of changing brushes? I get a new one every two months.

3) Make an animated video that physically shows the germs you get from an old brush and how you need to replace it every XX days to avoid your brush being covered in germs. This will gross people out and make them need your business.

4) I like that you only have one brush for each age. I would look at expanding the options later.

Thanks! I do need to take it 1 step at a time in order not to be overwhelmed. I like the video idea.

You could offer a package that includes floss and/or toothpaste and mouthwash. Thinking out loud.

Its definitely crossed my mind for the future, offering full oral hygiene packages on subscription. It will most likely build towards that as I go.

 

[The-J]

Why would the subscription model work for your idea? I get free toothbrushes from my dentist and even if I didn't, toothbrushes are sold in the exact same place as soap and groceries. It's not really a hindrance for me to get a toothbrush or toothpaste. I often don't think about it. I'll notice "Hey: my bristles are kinda messed up, best go on replace this" or "I'm running low on toothpaste. No matter; I'll get some on Tuesday when I go shopping".

I don't get it. I won't buy it. I'm not gonna say the idea is stupid because it might be a need, but... I just don't get it. Is the price the only kicker? Spending $5 on a toothbrush isn't that big of a deal for me. Toothbrushes last me 3-6 months (supposed to be 3 but I use em for 6). Why would I pay $21/yr for a toothbrush subscription service?

 

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[Jake]

1) Don't lower your price and don't sell third world toothbrushes.

China isn't a third world country but under the assumption that many people think China when they say third world

Crest - China!
Reach - China!
Colgate - China!

 

[dochustle]

Why would the subscription model work for your idea? I get free toothbrushes from my dentist and even if I didn't, toothbrushes are sold in the exact same place as soap and groceries. It's not really a hindrance for me to get a toothbrush or toothpaste. I often don't think about it. I'll notice "Hey: my bristles are kinda messed up, best go on replace this" or "I'm running low on toothpaste. No matter; I'll get some on Tuesday when I go shopping".

I don't get it. I won't buy it. I'm not gonna say the idea is stupid because it might be a need, but... I just don't get it. Is the price the only kicker? Spending $5 on a toothbrush isn't that big of a deal for me. Toothbrushes last me 3-6 months (supposed to be 3 but I use em for 6). Why would I pay $21/yr for a toothbrush subscription service?

I think one of my biggest challenges is education. I know most people look at their brush and say 'hey this should be changed', but don't get around to changing it. If you keep an unhygienic toothbrush it can contain millions of potentially harmful germs. A poor oral hygiene routine has been linked to heart disease, stroke and arthritis.

I take away the thought of even having to remember to change your toothbrush. For about the same price as you would pay in store, your getting a better toothbrush (ADA Approved if you choose the adult) and getting it just when you need it (every 3 months as recommended by the ADA).

Your also getting much more with your order. My eBook "Ultimate Guide To Whiter Teeth" is included. This book walks you through the steps on how to achieve a whiter smile through proper a proper oral hygiene regiment, not through a expensive, potentially harmful teeth whitening procedure. You can add floss to your subscription order for only 8.49/year or even a toothbrush timer which times your brushing sessions for 2 minutes to make sure you brush long enough.

I think my marketing target is going to be families (mothers and fathers). This will take away their need to buy toothbrushes at the store for their kids and themselves, save money while doing, and have a better brush to boot.

Who knows where the site will go. Im testing and seeing what the market has to say. I'm willing to adapt, i'm certainly not in love with it.

China isn't a third world country but under the assumption that many people think China when they say third world

Crest - China!
Reach - China!
Colgate - China!

This is true. Thats one of the marketing angles I am taking that these companies are outsourcing your products to China, where in 2007, Chinese manufacturing sent over a butt-load of poisoned toothpaste to America.