DVD, CD and video game swapping sites are becoming popular again. Web-app catalog site Simple Spark lists 10 of them.

However, depending on the business model, the way these sites work varies. And sometimes it's not that simple either.

Consequently, it's very important to be able to quickly show a potential user how it works.

As an example, I have a bunch of CDs and video games that I'd like to get rid of; however, the swapping site I looked at seemed so complicated that after reading the 'how it works' page about three times and still not understanding it, I gave up.

So, here's a screenshot of the 'how it works' pages from the site in question along with four others that I picked at random from Simple Spark's list.

See if you can guess which site I had trouble with (answer at the end) and please let me know which one you think seems the easiest to use based on the screenshot.

1. Zunafish

2. Hitflip

3. PlayInterChange

4. SaySwap

5. Swaptree

Parting Thoughts

The site I just couldn't get my head round was SaySwap. Never was the phrase "a picture is worth a thousand words" more appropriate than here. I could read that page five more times and still not get it.

Kudos to PlayInterChange for making it seem really simple. One image with five steps — very clear.

I actually liked SwapTree's approach the most. A simple, elegant four-step image to explain the process, followed by some FAQs to cover the details.

And, the site intrigued me enough to sign up for the beta. You don't get more effective than that.

Posted on: June 22, 2007 | 4 Comments

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