

We re-built our "About" page. Feedback? - Sir_Cmpwn

https:&#x2F;&#x2F;mediacru.sh&#x2F;about<p>It used to look like this:<p>https:&#x2F;&#x2F;web.archive.org&#x2F;web&#x2F;20140314150124&#x2F;https:&#x2F;&#x2F;mediacru.sh&#x2F;about
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timrosenblatt
I get an imgur or Brightcove-for-images vibe.

If you're going for the first and your target is Reddit/similar, good job. If
you're going for the second, then it needs a lot more.

~~~
Sir_Cmpwn
We're primarily targetting Redditors and such, so I'm glad to hear that it's
good for that.

Can we do a better job of emphasizing the fact that we support more than just
images?

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hagbardgroup
* Text should not be centered.

* The Unique Selling Proposition (USP) needs to be more prominent. The quote box draws in the eye. There are no faces or other images to attract the eye to where you want it to be.

* The About/Goodwill/etc. tabs break basic usability guidelines. The user is unlikely to realize that the blue means 'selected.' This non-intuitive relative to scrolling.

* USP is too heavy on features and not enough on benefits. Say what's in it for the user and less on what the thing is.

* The table with the users is OK but you would get more persuasive lift from attributed testimonials like the one you have above it from the HN guy.

* The supporting copy needs a red marker through 90% of it.

* "We make sharing stuff suck less." \-- sounds cool in an affable internet cool guy kind of way, but does not actually communicate in a way that drives the reader to action.

The old version is actually a little bit better, although the animated GIF
where it is will keep the visitors' eyes bouncing to it repeatedly as it
loops, which impedes comprehension. The old version also uses too many h2
subheadings and would be more appropriate for an FAQ. h2 is too big for such
short snippets of text.

Also, I like the GIF -> HTML5 conversion bit in the original, because it shows
a benefit of your service. Seeing the video play bar on mouseover was also a
pleasant surprise. I would explain why your prospective user might want to do
that (make your pages load faster to make your readers happier and more loyal)
without using jargon. 'Kilobyte' is jargon, as is KB.

Apart from that the navigation on the website isn't clear. The About page also
doesn't drive me to sign up -- your call to action at the bottom of the first
tab is to check out your subreddit, IRC channel, and twitter account. The
general convention is to ask for the signup and then to provide the option to
learn more if they're not sold yet.

Some more general suggestions:

1\. Excise all the technical terms (yes, even references to file types -- say
what the file is) from the portions not targeted to developers.

2\. Weight the benefits heavier than the features (tell me what it will do for
me and then explain how it will do it rather than telling me how it'll do it
and expecting me to figure out why I, the selfish and lazy user, should care).

3\. I would work on refining the 'Mediacrush is a fast, open-source media
hosting service' tagline.

Hope this was helpful -- good luck!

~~~
Sir_Cmpwn
Thanks for the feedback. I'm having a hard time agreeing with some of it, and
I thought I'd ask you for clarification.

> * Text should not be centered.

Is there a reason for this?

>* The About/Goodwill/etc. tabs break basic usability guidelines. The user is
unlikely to realize that the blue means 'selected.' This non-intuitive
relative to scrolling.

One of the problems I aimed to solve was to reduce the "wall of text" effect
by splitting it up into tabs. How can I improve this without losing sight of
that goal?

>* The supporting copy needs a red marker through 90% of it.

What is the supporting copy?

Thanks for the rest, it's good advice. I will note that we don't actually have
a sign-up flow (intentionally), but I could work a call to action in.

~~~
hagbardgroup
Of course.

>Is there a reason for this?

People read left to right. You want to lay out the text in a way that is
comfortable for the human eye. Center alignment is great when you have short
messages that can be read without shifting focus. It's not good to use when it
extends beyond the breadth at which the eye can read without moving. It's just
not what people are used to doing when they read blocs of text. Eye movement
generates eyestrain, and people get annoyed when their eye strains to read, so
they're more likely to get distracted and press 'back.'

It can still be in the center column, but it should still be left aligned.

It helps to think about it in terms of the eye's physical movements over a
page.

>One of the problems I aimed to solve was to reduce the "wall of text" effect
by splitting it up into tabs. How can I improve this without losing sight of
that goal?

Yeah, I understand your intent. If you want more substantiation you can run a
user test to see if people understand the layout and click through.

You can also read the classic 'Don't Make Me Think' by Steve Krug, which
explains why this sort of design element which seems to save space tends to
confuse users. While it's an older book, the advice still holds up.

You can achieve a similar result with a more modern 'long sales page' (ex.
[https://basecamp.com/](https://basecamp.com/)). The walls of text can be
broken up with headings, subheadings, and evocative images.

The reason why you see the signup buttons multiple times there is to give the
user a chance to convert at each stage. If the user isn't ready to sign up
yet, they scroll down, get a few more reasons why they should sign up, and
then repeat until they either close the tab, sign up, or click through for
more information about why they should sign up.

>What is the supporting copy?

The text that supports your sales pitch under the different tabs that's giving
the reader a reason why they should try your product. Try to condense the
sentences so that only the strongest points remain, and then build out from
there.

