Ask HN: Please Review my Website

#1

Post by dpeq » Sun, Mar 15, 2009, 4:03 PM UTC

Ask HN: Please Review my Website
dpeq.net

Re: Ask HN: Please Review my Website

#2

Post by pedalpete » Sun, Mar 15, 2009, 5:59 PM UTC

Start with the good. 1) the site looks really nice and clean 2) your demo clearly demonstrates what can be done

What could be improved 1) demo could/should be edited down to just the key features, and really explaining why I would use it rather than going through all the features step-by-step. It's good to have the step-by-step as an instruction, but you haven't made your case of why I would use it 2) login required? Why? you gotta be kinding me?

That leads directly to (what I think) is the bad

I'm not sure you did enough background on defining the need. What problem are you answering. Not to say you haven't found a nice niche market. Very likely you may have, but the way you have structured your site into these distinct buckets of what I own/owned/want to own just doesn't click with me. Connecting with photos and photographers (I suspect) is less about brand and product than it is about photos. I don't care that this photo was shot on this type of camera vs. that type (you even went down to model level???). I would think I would be more interested in knowing how the shot was captured, what makes it special, etc.

Furthermore, you've locked it all up so that I can't read the reviews/comments unless I've signed-up, and then it really seems focused on what I would add to my list, which means that you've locked out the biggest benefit which is the opportunity for discovery.

I'm not a shutterbug, so maybe I don't understand how camera officianados think,but I am a person, and something feels very wrong about your approach.

Re: Ask HN: Please Review my Website

#3

Post by jws » Sun, Mar 15, 2009, 6:03 PM UTC

First, when I got to this tab, after bulk opening all the interesting links, my first reaction was that someone had their domain name hijacked. I'm not sure what that was my reaction, but I think it is the layout of the "New & Interesting" which looks about like a domain squatters link operation. Maybe if it was somehow integrated with the billboard above it wouldn't look pasted in.

Second, the billboard frightens and confuses me. Giant popups shoot out when I roll over the buttons at the bottom, but I can't seem to click on the buttons. The buttons hilight green to show they are active, but they won't click.

I see a screencast button, but I eschew those because I like to go at the speed of reading.

I can't see enough without an account to bother creating an account.

I suspect many of your features require an identity to function, like listing my equipment. Perhaps you could just create the identity as a cookie on me, then when I decide to create an account associate it at that point. Sort of "all strangers get an account", but you have to "create an account" to make it permanent.

Re: Ask HN: Please Review my Website

#4

Post by dpeq » Sun, Mar 15, 2009, 7:10 PM UTC

pedalpete wrote: post #2

Start with the good. 1) the site looks really nice and clean 2) your demo clearly demonstrates what can be done What could be improved 1) demo could/should be edited down to just the key features, and really explaining why I would use it rather than going through all the features step-by-step. It's good to have the step-by-step as an instruction, but you haven't made your case of why I would use it 2) login required?…

Thanks a lot for your suggestions. You're most definitely right with the site being too locked up and I guess this is also the reason why the signup rate of visitors coming over the frontpage is rather low (in contrast to those who have been invited by other members). So I guess it would be better just to show on the frontpage what's going on inside?

Once they're in, users seem to feel quite well. The first thing they do is actually list their equipment and then see what other members use. They also come back quite regularly. I got the idea when I saw users on photo forums creating very elaborate badges showing their equipment in their signature. When you spend a lot of money for cameras and lenses, you're not only proud but you also like to know what others use and chat about it.

Re: Ask HN: Please Review my Website

#5

Post by pedalpete » Mon, Mar 16, 2009, 5:13 PM UTC

dpeq wrote: post #4

pedalpete wrote: post #2

Start with the good. 1) the site looks really nice and clean 2) your demo clearly demonstrates what can be done What could be improved 1) demo could/should be edited down to just the key features, and really explaining why I would use it rather than going through all the features step-by-step. It's good to have the step-by-step as an instruction, but you haven't made your case of why I would use it 2) login required?…

Thanks a lot for your suggestions. You're most definitely right with the site being too locked up and I guess this is also the reason why the signup rate of visitors coming over the frontpage is rather low (in contrast to those who have been invited by other members). So I guess it would be better just to show on the frontpage what's going on inside? Once they're in, users seem to feel quite well. The first thing the…

Good to know that you are seeing that kind of thing, and my comment about the equipment thing, you seem to be on top of it. With respect to the 'badges' thing, that might be an opportunity to create a sort of game/score environment. Similar to HN, though i think stackoverflow does a better job of it. It gets people interested in who's saying what, what their qualifications are, etc.