New Features Design • 6 min read

Professional Tool Submission Form

Launch comprehensive submission system with 20+ fields, professional blue design system, and enhanced tool pages with pros/cons analysis.

Overview

Today we're launching a major upgrade to ChurnTools: a professional tool submission system that captures comprehensive information about each tool, paired with a complete design system overhaul and enhanced tool pages.

Comprehensive Submission Form

20+ Data Fields

The new submission form captures everything users need to evaluate a tool:

  • Basic Information - Name, description, website URL, logo, and category
  • Pricing Details - Pricing model (free, freemium, paid, enterprise), starting price, and trial information
  • Company Information - Founding year, employee count, headquarters, and target company size
  • Features & Benefits - Key features, use cases, pros, and cons
  • Integration Details - Which tools and platforms it integrates with
  • Resources - Demo URL, trial days, and support options

Smart Form Design

The form is organized into four logical sections with conditional fields:

  • Visual tag selection with checkboxes for easy categorization
  • Conditional trial days field that only appears when trial is available
  • Clear validation with helpful error messages
  • Auto-generated slugs for SEO-friendly URLs

Professional Design System

Blue Color Palette

Switched from generic purple to a professional blue color scheme (#3b82f6):

  • Matches successful directories like Product Hunt and G2
  • Creates a more trustworthy, professional appearance
  • Better contrast and readability across all components
  • Complete color scale from 50-900 for flexibility

Consistent Components

All UI elements updated with the new design system:

  • Navigation with sticky header and Beta badge
  • Tool cards with pricing, featured badges, and hover states
  • Category cards with tool counts and descriptions
  • Buttons, links, and form inputs with consistent styling

Enhanced Tool Pages

Comprehensive Information Display

Individual tool pages now showcase all collected data:

  • Hero Section - Logo, name, category breadcrumb, and pricing
  • Key Features - Displayed with checkmark icons in a grid layout
  • Use Cases - Real-world applications in an easy-to-scan format
  • Pros & Cons - Side-by-side comparison for balanced evaluation
  • Company Info - Sidebar with founding year, size, and headquarters
  • Integration Badges - Visual display of supported integrations
  • Related Tools - Suggestions from the same category

SEO Optimization

Every tool page includes comprehensive Schema.org markup:

  • SoftwareApplication structured data with pricing and features
  • Breadcrumb navigation for better search result display
  • Meta descriptions pulled from tool descriptions
  • Semantic HTML structure for AI readability

Database Architecture

The backend stores all data efficiently:

  • JSON Fields - Arrays stored as JSON for integrations, features, use cases, pros, and cons
  • Type Casting - Automatic conversion between database and PHP types
  • Validation - Server-side validation for all fields
  • Status System - Pending/approved/rejected workflow for submissions

Technical Implementation

Form Processing

Smart data transformation during submission:

  • Comma-separated integrations converted to arrays
  • Newline-separated features and use cases parsed into lists
  • Slug generation from tool names for clean URLs
  • Relationship handling for categories and tags

Updated Seeder

Database seeder updated with comprehensive example data:

  • Real pricing information for featured tools
  • Actual key features, pros, and cons
  • Integration lists for each tool
  • Company information based on real data

Why This Matters

This update transforms ChurnTools from a simple directory into a comprehensive resource. Users can now make informed decisions with detailed tool comparisons, pricing information, and real user insights through pros and cons.

The professional design system builds trust and credibility, while the comprehensive data collection ensures we provide maximum value to both tool seekers and tool vendors.

What's Next

We'll continue enhancing the submission workflow with email notifications, vendor dashboards, and user reviews. The goal is to create the most comprehensive and trusted directory for churn reduction tools.

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