Live data from Hacker News

Delete your homepage

housefed.tumblr.com

1–10 of 24 posts

Re: Delete your homepage

#2
Hmm... I think I disagree with this approach. This assumes $USER already knows what your service is about, before they get to your home page. If that's true, then no problem. If not, how do they know what they're signing up for? How do they know what Housefed even is?

Re: Delete your homepage

#3
post #2

Hmm... I think I disagree with this approach. This assumes $USER already knows what your service is about, before they get to your home page. If that's true, then no problem. If not, how do they know what they're signing up for? How do they know what Housefed even is?

My assumption is if you came to my site, you obviously were intrigued enough by the service to visit. I want to put as little between you & that service as possible. Without taking a signup out all together, this as close as I can get.

Re: Delete your homepage

#4
This assumes that you're doing more marketing of your service than you are coding of it. Otherwise, how will the general public know who you are, what you're about?

Putting this info on the homepage almost seems like free marketing, in a sense.

Are you assuming that if you build this "product" (housefed.com site) that people will come? Is there a market for what you're making? It seems to me that you'd have the greatest degree of success in finding your market first, and then building a product/service to meet that need that you've already vetted... instead of making a product and trying to convince people they want it.

Re: Delete your homepage

#5
post #4

This assumes that you're doing more marketing of your service than you are coding of it. Otherwise, how will the general public know who you are, what you're about? Putting this info on the homepage almost seems like free marketing, in a sense. Are you assuming that if you build this "product" (housefed.com site) that people will come? Is there a market for what you're making? It seems to me that you'd have the great…

It assumes the opposite - more development, less marketing. My point is I'm not trying convince you to want it. If I do my job properly by building a great site- my current users will do the marketing for me.

This is exactly what great restaurants do. When was the last time you saw an ad for your favorite restaurant down the street? I have never seen an ad for the top three restaurants I go to. Their food is awesome, and my friends told me to check them out.

Re: Delete your homepage

#6
post #4

This assumes that you're doing more marketing of your service than you are coding of it. Otherwise, how will the general public know who you are, what you're about? Putting this info on the homepage almost seems like free marketing, in a sense. Are you assuming that if you build this "product" (housefed.com site) that people will come? Is there a market for what you're making? It seems to me that you'd have the great…

It assumes the opposite - more development, less marketing. My point is I'm not trying convince you to want it. If I do my job properly by building a great site- my current users will do the marketing for me. This is exactly what great restaurants do. When was the last time you saw an ad for your favorite restaurant down the street? I have never seen an ad for the top three restaurants I go to. Their food is awesome,…

I couldn't disagree more. Only because of the fact that those restaurants more than likely didn't just open their doors and people came. They had to do some marketing first. You will, as well.

If you think if you simply build the site, and people will come... I think you're going to be sorely disappointed. Right now, you're a tiny tiny fish in the Pacific Ocean. If you want people to come, they have to _know about you_.

Chances are the site is viable enough already. If I were you, I'd focus less on the code, and more on the marketing efforts. :)

When you have more customers, and product is moving (so to speak), your priorities will change, and the code will be more of a priority.

Re: Delete your homepage

#7
I guess I'll wait to sign up until a user refers me to your website. As it stands, I read your article and then visited your site; I was curious about what kind of service could get away with not describing what they do.

I think relying solely on a positive k-factor is a bad customer acquisition model. Everyone wants their business to grow virally but the reality is that the reason turntable.fm grew quickly is not because of their lack of a homepage, it's because the service lends itself to virality.

I do, however, agree that you should focus on building an awesome thing that people want to use, but if you're serious about building a business you should be serious about broadening your customer acquisition channels.

Re: Delete your homepage

#8
post #4

This assumes that you're doing more marketing of your service than you are coding of it. Otherwise, how will the general public know who you are, what you're about? Putting this info on the homepage almost seems like free marketing, in a sense. Are you assuming that if you build this "product" (housefed.com site) that people will come? Is there a market for what you're making? It seems to me that you'd have the great…

It assumes the opposite - more development, less marketing. My point is I'm not trying convince you to want it. If I do my job properly by building a great site- my current users will do the marketing for me. This is exactly what great restaurants do. When was the last time you saw an ad for your favorite restaurant down the street? I have never seen an ad for the top three restaurants I go to. Their food is awesome,…

Restaurants have windows and post their menus. Walk-in traffic is not a segment you want to alienate.

Re: Delete your homepage

#9
post #2

Hmm... I think I disagree with this approach. This assumes $USER already knows what your service is about, before they get to your home page. If that's true, then no problem. If not, how do they know what they're signing up for? How do they know what Housefed even is?

My assumption is if you came to my site, you obviously were intrigued enough by the service to visit. I want to put as little between you & that service as possible. Without taking a signup out all together, this as close as I can get.

People use webapps because they provide some kind of value to them. Housefed.com doesn't tell me what value it provides, so why would I waste my time creating a new password and a new spam-email on absolutely pure unfounded speculation? I actually have negative sentiment towards it now for appearing so arrogant as to think it doesn't have to explain itself.

Really, how does having an explanation hurt? You have nothing backing up your over-the-top linkbait claims in your post.

Re: Delete your homepage

#10
post #2

Hmm... I think I disagree with this approach. This assumes $USER already knows what your service is about, before they get to your home page. If that's true, then no problem. If not, how do they know what they're signing up for? How do they know what Housefed even is?

My assumption is if you came to my site, you obviously were intrigued enough by the service to visit. I want to put as little between you & that service as possible. Without taking a signup out all together, this as close as I can get.

Let us know how it works for you. My experience, you have left a huge obstacle between me and signing up: my lack of willingness to disclose information without knowing what I am getting in return.
Post reply on HN