

How would you improve my Adobe AIR/Web App? - flexterra
http://www.s3mer.com
Me and two other developers have worked in and out for almost a year in this project and we are about to get out of beta and release the 1.0 version with some new features. I would appreciate some comments from the HN community.<p>s3mer is a digital signage software solution build around an Adobe AIR multimedia player and a web based administration suite. We help small business start their own out of home media networks.
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tstegart
Some critiques: Either explain how s3mer is pronounced, or change your name.
If people don't know how to pronounce a word when they read it, its very, very
easy to forget. Many people's brains work out words by sounding out the
different syllables. Mine saw yours, didn't figure it out in a split second,
and moved on. Your name was never implanted in my brain as a sound, only an
image. That's not good.

There's no sound on the tutorial, is that correct?

"s3mer is a complete dynamic digital signage solution designed to be easy to
use, cross platform and feature rich." So what does it do again? That doesn't
tell me anything, its marketing speak. Does it run a giant digital billboard?
Does it run computer screens across my store? Can it can turn my neon sign,
OPEN sign, and store signs off when I want it to?

Honestly, there's no harm in telling us exactly what it does in the first
sentence. Rather than click further into your site, people will leave because
you haven't told them.

Actually, because there is no text on the homepage that explains what it does,
(and gives an example of what someone would do with it) and no sound on the
tutorial, even after looking around your site for a bit I still can't find out
what it does. What do you do? Answer in two sentences, and then replace your
homepage text with those two sentences.

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flexterra
Wow great comments, no one has pointed out this issues before.

s3mer is pronounced "streamer"

To follow on your advice here are the two sentences (long sentences):

s3mer is a pice of software that helps people and businesses create and
maintain digital signs using flat screens, computer monitors, TVs, projectors
or even giant digital billboards as a display surface. Your digital signs can
have still images, animations, video and even live data from the web.

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tstegart
Much better. See, before I had no idea if it applied to me. Now, a business
owner would at least know if he should keep reading. If he doesn't have any tv
screens or monitors around the store, then he'll stop reading, if he does,
then he might be interested. Now refine and tighten up those sentences. I'd
get rid of the technical stuff above the fold (OS X, .Fla files, etc). Move
that below the fold, and put up sentences on what it can do FOR the business
owner instead. Saying you can play Flash files isn't a hook. Saying you can
coordinate digital signs across an entire store using your software is better.

I would add a "How it works" link and a section with screen shots. Not
everyone has sound enabled, and I know a ton of people (I'm one) who read much
faster than it takes to click and wait for a video to play through. For
example, you might show the (easy) process someone would use to get their sign
up and running and explain it as this:

1\. Create a sign using our software. You can use a pre-made sign, or add your
own text, images, video, animations or even live data from the web.

2\. Choose the displays across your store you want to run it on, and a length
of time you want it shown on the screen.

3\. Run your digital signs using our software.

Accompany the above sentences with screenshots and maybe a caption or two.

Then, in a few short paragraphs, explain that the customer can use flat
screens, giant billboards, what kind of files work (i.e. Flash, powerpoint
slides (a biggie if you want adoption by the older crowd), etc). Explain how
complicated OR simple you can get (attracting big and small businesses in one
pitch). Then, link to an in-depth FAQ about almost every question you can
think up.

On the name: I've only ever seen a 3 pronounced as as an "E." So I first
thought "See-mer" but for some reason also thought of "Schemer." "Streamer"
was not even on the list, so I would rate that name as low.

I'm sensing a disconnect. I don't picture retail business owners who actually
run stores spending time appreciating a name like "S3mer." I see them
appreciating a name like "Sign Streamer easy management of in-store digital
signs"

Go for less techy, less Web 2.0-y, more enterprisy if business are actually
your focus.

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flexterra
thanks for this. I will work on it.

------
flexterra
Me and two other developers have worked in and out for almost a year in this
project and we are about to get out of beta and release the 1.0 version with
some new features. I would appreciate some comments from the HN community.

s3mer is a digital signage software solution build around an Adobe AIR
multimedia player and a web based administration suite. We help small business
start their own out of home media networks.

~~~
tstegart
What's an out of home media network? I'm a pretty geeky guy, and I don't
understand that term. A small business will understand it even less.

