KickstarterForum.org

I'm always answering questions on here and telling Campaign owners how they could improve their campaign page.

I use the approach of thinking logically about the product on the page, is it good, is it being promoted on the page well enough, does it feel "right" and so on. I've worked on many campaigns for clients and viewed 100's of pages but, in the end this is just my opinion on a project.

So, I'd like to know from Backers - What Factors made you choose to back a project?
- Was it price? Did it look cool? Did you "trust" the owner? If so, how?

Leave your comments in this thread as it's a good reference point for new campaign owners too.

Hi Hyperstarter,

In the past I have backed the following:

Spoolie - elastic ring to wind up you ear buds around
Because it looked like a fun thing to do every time I took out my headphones and the inventor was a nice humble guy with a conscience. (used it a few times, too bulky in the pocket)

Passion Planner - visual diagram based daily planner
Played to my desire for fulfilling work and fear of being disorganized (I haven't used it once)

Arcade Switch- light switch cover that looks like arcade buttons
Looked simple, fun and a hard product to mess up. I didn't even watch the video, it was $5 bucks. (waiting to receive)

Foot Hammock - hammock attachment under a desk
Adhesive looked strong (it isn't), concept was different, the allure of unwinding at work, variety of colors, a conversation piece. Looked relaxing. (it is, I still use it. Thank god I didn't get the heating pad, it lit on fire for some people. I had to drill it into my desk - some people were angry about that)

Easy Macro- rubber band macro lense for any phone
cheap, easy to store, conversation product, looked effective and seemed like a good gift. (it was) For $10 it was a steal.

NoPhone - twice - fake plastic phone
It was absolutely hilarious and for $10 bucks I got two of these funny conversation pieces. Worth its weight in laughs (best purchase so far, I used it as a prop for my product at knuckies.com)

Slide and Clutch - grip to hold your DSLR better
Simple, looked comfortable, looked functional, appealed to sense of adventure, team looked super competent.

The allure of fun, comedy, bragging rights from visually showing it off (huge - public products like wallets thrive because you can show it off every 10 seconds, private products like a soap holder or toothbrush lack this), relaxation, novelty, simplicity, longevity and competition in the marketplace played a big roll in my decision.

https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/mikeideas

I backed projects which I found interesting, useful and also affordable. Sometimes I really love a project, but I can't afford that or I don't need that, so I donate minor amount to be updated. Like, we have a smart lock at home, and I can't afford for another one, but I donated a little money to Sesame. I really enjoy updates they're sending about their progress.
Also, I usually choose the first perk of very successful campaigns when I don't need their product at all such as Nora, neither me nor my husband snore. I just like to get involved in their happiness and success and be updated.

defintely something i can see myself using and benefiting from it.

https://www.facebook.com/handeeholder/

Usually, I'll notice the project trending on FB or in the news, and get curious because of their traction. I used to take more time to actually discover new products on the platform, but I've been pretty busy this year, so I've relied on these other "authorities" to draw my attention moreso.