

Ask HN: Can I help you be more awesome today? (No strings. Inquire within.) - mikegreenberg

Every once in a while, I throw up an offer to give free help. If it's something I can do in 10-15 minutes, I'm happy to oblige (within reason).<p>- I'm a full stack web developer (LAMP primarily),<p>- I've helped a lot with personal development-type things (resume critique, self improvement suggestions, etc),<p>- I've done my share of business model and product pitch reviews,<p>- I'm an early adopter and provide strong/constructive feedback,<p>- I've got great aesthetics and design sense<p>So if there's something I can help you with, just ask here or @mikegreenberg on Twitter. Be specific about what you're trying to fix/solve/accomplish. The more details you provide, the better I can help you out. :)<p>Cheers!<p>PS: This is how it went last time I did this: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2544886
======
markkat
<http://hubski.com> We are in the early stages of a social aggregator. It is
built off the HN code in Arc, and the style still looks currently grokked. We
are looking at innovative ways to move away from this.

Functionally, the site primarily differs in that you follow people and topics,
which builds a custom feed. You can also hub (retweet) posts you like, which
refers them to your followers. -Not unlike HN meets twitter. Also we are
playing up the submission format a bit so that a user's submissions are more
like a blog. When activity permits I envision the frontpage to be replaced
with a user's feed. A bit more service than destination.

Looking for design feedback that will inform our next UI changes. Thanks! A
cool thing to do.

~~~
mikegreenberg
{tl;dr} Define your assumptions. Capture data in an effort to verify those
assumptions. Modify experiment or assumptions appropriately. Repeat. {/tl;dr}

There's a great answer I recent read on Quora which may help answer how to
approach the design of your site. The thing that made the most impact here is
being aware of the market your are entering. ([http://www.quora.com/Internet-
Startups/Should-I-focus-on-get...](http://www.quora.com/Internet-
Startups/Should-I-focus-on-getting-a-good-UX-or-getting-something-quick-out-
of-the-door/answer/Jared-Spool))

It's easy to argue which stage/market your product falls into, but I think you
agree that the experience of your site is going to be the primary
differentiator. (Experience Focus Stage)

Aside from the few tips in that thread, the next thing I would focus on is
capturing data to verify your assumptions. Your assumption here are that the
blog layout and distribution model is better than what's available elsewhere.
(Right? If not, what ARE your assumptions/goals?) Custom analytic tools which
let you capture custom events are helpful in verifying these things. You might
setup a tool like MixPanel to capture key events your users are experiencing.

For example: Maybe you have a specific flow or funnel you're expecting users
to take. Are they completing this flow? Where are they stopping? Are you
staying on a specific page for very long?

I would also ask people who have never seen your site before to try using it.
Watch what they do and ask them to share their thoughts out loud as they
browse the site. Do they get the point of the site? Does your vocabulary used
on the site confuse users?

Above all else, make sure you're investing your effort in the right things.
You might not need to improve your UI. Your UX (user experience) may be
hurting you more than the site's looks. The fact that you have a whole FAQ
explaining your site's basic terminology is a bit concerning. (I know many of
these things didn't make sense until I read your FAQ. How many users do you
think will invest that sort of time?)

Follow up questions are welcome. Let me know if I should elaborate further.

~~~
markkat
Thanks for those very thoughtful suggestions. I am now going to write our
assumptions down, and then set out to test them. I also think you are dead-on
about the experience being the primary differentiator. The blog aspect is a
completely untested assumption.

As you point out, the terminology is an unnecessary hurdle, -especially
considering the space we are in. I am going to look at ways to simplify that
as well.

This has given me some very good food for thought. I think that I was putting
more thought into UI when UX is just as relevant, if not more so. Thanks a
lot. It's much appreciated.

p.s. I see you are on Forrst. I might follow up with you there in some time if
you don;t mind.

~~~
mikegreenberg
Of course! I don't log in often on there, so only follow up there if it's not
too urgent. @mikegreenberg on twitter is the easiest way to reach me.

Glad it helped! ;)

------
OneWhoFrogs
Hi Mike! A few years ago, I created a website where users could submit Flash
game walkthroughs. It got about 200 or so guides, but never really went past
1,000 uniques a day. I'm trying to build a similar site right now, and any
advice would be appreciated.

Here's the link: <http://hintbin.com/>.

A few questions:

1\. My main traffic will be from search engines. How can I increase PageRank?
No one really blogs about Flash game walkthrough sites.

2\. The demographic is mostly teenagers. From personal experience, I know that
this group isn't very willing to give up their money. Are they worth anything
to advertisers? How can I best monetize this site?

3\. Is the current design good enough?

Thanks very much!

~~~
mikegreenberg
Wow. This one is tough. I have to admit I'm not very strong on the SEO stuff.
There are people who work on this professionally and end up having to learn
everything all over again whenever "they" change the rules.

This may not be helpful, but the thing I hear the most when it comes to
increasing Page Rank is to produce quality content. All things will start and
end here. My favorite walkthrough site before they sold out was gamefaqs.com.
They had a REALLY simple layout which was well organized, directed you to the
needed info and was easy to consume. They cared about having high quality
content with information (like size, number of views, etc) that helped a
visitor to decide what was important to look at. I wouldn't worry too much
about the design at this point. (Besides, teens are the most discerning
audience, either.) Content is key.

As far as monetizing a site like this, I'd say advertisement is your best bet,
but I'm certain there are clever business models a diligent business-minded
person could figure out and test. One thing I'd consider (and partly answer
your first point as well) is that your actions don't have to DIRECTLY result
in higher revenue. You might, instead, focus on growing your traffic and
stickiness on the site. As many social-media gurus will attest, attention is
the currency of the internet. With attention, revenue will likely follow.

~~~
OneWhoFrogs
Thanks, I appreciate the advice! This is my first real "startup" attempt, so
your perspective is really valuable. I will be referring to this comment a lot
in the future. :)

------
phektus
Could you please give critique on my side project:

<http://www.cvstash.com>

About aesthetics, impression on the landing page, ease of use, and the look of
the resume (only 2 templates). This means signing up (should be very quick)
and trying to put some resume entries and such. If it's cool with you maybe
you can also suggest ways to improve the site or monetize it, as I haven't
thought of that yet, just trying to move the identity away from LinkedIn
resumes. Thanks!

~~~
mikegreenberg
Arbie, I really like this a lot and is an area I'm particularly interested in
a solution for. I'm going to email my thoughts instead of posting online.

------
AndyNemmity
I'm interested in your opinions about my football simulation
<http://deeproute.com>

Constructive feedback, and design sense concerning the signup, and learning of
how to play is the biggest challenge.

We have 400 consistent users, but most signups don't login more than once or
twice, so learning the game is our biggest challenge.

Can you help?

~~~
mikegreenberg
{tl;dr} Improve your on-boarding experience (interactive tutorial game) and
improve your help tools (in-game community support/commentary, discussion
area, etc). Study what companies like Zynga are doing in the online game space
and figure out how one of any of their more complicated games get so
addicting. {/tl;dr}

I started looking at the Developer Channel videos about the sim and I gotta
say you weren't lying about the steep learning curve! _sigh_ If I were in your
shoes, I'd be out looking for money to secure a badass UX designer. A site
like this REALLY needs an experience that immerses the player into the game
and GRADUALLY shows them the ropes. This sort of thing is very difficult to
get right because there are so many moving parts. The "progressive reveal" is
a great tool a designer will use to help the user jump on easily without
getting "fatigued".

I really think this is the sort of product which could do well with the very
hardcore sports fans, but you'd have to create some support to get them over
that initial hurdle. An ideal solution would be a tutorial game which walks
the user through the features and common strategies.

I'd try to develop a community around it and let users collaborate on their
experiences and strategies. Promote improving your game with things like
contests or tasks (max number of completions in a game, lowest salaried super
bowl winning team, etc) and generate content that gets players thinking about
how to win these challenges. If you have the budget, attempt to do some real-
world tie-ins. Ex: Winner of this season's superbowl gets tickets to the real
deal.

The driving factor of each promotion should ultimately get players "better" at
the game. And providing tools to help each other improve the on-boarding
experience (and bring their friends) will help your user base grow more
easily. As much as I loathe Facebook platform games, many of the games that
Zynga publishes there are very complicated and require some user training to
get them up to speed. I'd study those games VERY CAREFULLY. Look for patterns
and how they provide incentive to continue playing.

~~~
AndyNemmity
This is the most thoughtful and thorough advice I've received. Thank you, I
will work hard on the onboarding process, and take your advice.

------
jayliew
Hey Mike, question for you related to my project.

Curious, but do you (or do you know of techies like you), who sometimes feel
obligated to help when friends/family come to you for desktop tech support,
even when you can't quite afford the time to troubleshoot and hand-hold them
through simple PEBKAC problems?

~~~
mikegreenberg
The friends and family thing is difficult. Most important thing you can do is
set expectations early for the sorts of problems that I can help with.
Whenever I explain to someone that I'm a computer engineer or software
developer, they automatically think that I'm available to help them solve
their computer problems. Typically, I help verbally direct them to resources
that will provide solutions to their problems (customer support for the
manufacturer, nearby/local resources, websites which have helpful peer
support, etc). If they want my personal time, I explain that I can consult
with them for a little while but it takes me away from the time I use to
generate money to support my <insert responsibilities here>. Spend a small
amount of time with them pro bono if you feel like you should, but set
expectations early and let them know if you'd like to be compensated for your
time.

~~~
jayliew
Ah, so you would nudge them towards current solutions, e.g. Best Buy, local
mom and pop brick and mortar repair stores, etc. Would you be concerned that
they would get ripped off?

~~~
mikegreenberg
I would only direct them to resources that I, myself, would trust/use.
Especially if they are friends and family. Additionally, I would also give
them advice to mitigate the need for future external support from the very
beginning. (Like direct them to vendors with strong products and great
customer support.)

~~~
jayliew
In this particular example, what resource would you trust to use? Which
specific vendor?

Here's a prototype of what I'm building, would love your thoguhts:
<http://www.killerbees.co>

~~~
mikegreenberg
Well, in the case of my parents (who ask me the most for help, who feel the
most obligated to help), I know resources where they live (which is far from
me) who can help them solve their problems simply. I usually get a call from
them directly when my dad brings the computer in so he can get a technical
description of the problem he's having and the technical solution I recommend
for him. They know I know what I'm talking about and they know when to offer
their opinion and when not to. This is perfect arrangement for all parties as
they will act as my ears, eyes and hands; offer feedback appropriately; and
follow detailed instructions.

Regarding your site, I think it's a great idea. Not sure how you intend to
monetize this yet (which you identify and embrace, great!). I'd personally
decide on the business model and test it now. If you don't charge any money to
start, there's no way to know if there's a viable market to build your
business around. (The real proof is when people pay you to solve their
problem.) Even if you don't charge the person who needs help, find some
business model and test it out.

There's not much i can recommend at this stage of your prototype. I tried a
few zip codes but couldn't find anything where tech listings would show up to
see layout. (This matters.)

I'd make the copy more succinct and straight-forward. Your mission has great
information in it. Find a way to distill this down in to short bites of text
that visitors can quickly scan and absorb. (Visitors decide if they need your
site in seconds!)

~~~
jayliew
Thanks Mike! I appreciate the input :)

------
mikegreenberg
Also, if you ask me for help, please let me know if I was helpful. While this
may seem selfless, I'm actually improving myself by forcing my thoughts on
these topics into prose. If they don't make sense or sound like complete
bullshit (and I don't know it), this ultimately helps no one.

So. Feedback please. :D

------
gspyrou
<http://plusapps.eu/Earthquakes-Monitor.html> I would appreciate some feedback
on the landing page or the app itself (assuming that you own a Windows Phone)
. Thanks , George.

~~~
mikegreenberg
{tl;dr} I would start identifying benefits that your app provides and
highlight those. {/tl;dr}

If you're more specific about the feedback you're looking for instead of just
generally, I could probably be more helpful. Are you trying to improve the
design? Are you working at improving conversions? Are you playing around with
layout?

I don't have a Windows Phone, but your landing page is informative and answers
all of my immediate questions like "What is it?", "What can I expect?" but I
think you're selling the features more than the benefits. A good analogy for
this is like offering frozen lemonade in the summer and yelling "It's
guaranteed to be less than 32F!" As a potential customer, I don't care how
cold it is. I'm more interested in knowing that it will help me avoid a
heatstroke during this uncomfortable summer.

------
mapster
Mike, I never refuse such a generous impulse, so thank you! One of my sites,
vidinotes.com is a pay per use app. What is your first impression(s) and
should I target the app to niche groups vs. a general purpose video tool?

Best, Chris

~~~
mikegreenberg
{tl;dr} Niche the hell out of it. Over and over again. {/tl;dr}

Well, first impression of the site leaves me feeling a little in the past.
(Circa IE5?) I'm a visual person and the way you present yourself means a lot
to me personally, so take that with a grain of salt.

The product actually looks pretty interesting and could work in a lot of
different scenarios. I actually have been following Patrick McKenzie over at
<http://www.bingocardcreator.com/> for some time and he has a product which is
not very unlike yours.

Vidinotes (like Bingo Card Creator) are products with a very specific window
of opportunity. Generally, these sales will only convert if the user is
absolutely certain that this product will satisfy their need at THAT MOMENT.
If there's even a shadow of a doubt, there only needs to be a more promising
alternative and you've lost the sale.

So in the vein of what Patrick did for Bingo Card Creator, I'd consider
setting up single-purpose sites targeted to specific use cases. These sites
are likely to convert much better than the general site you have now and
probably wouldn't take much time if you develop a good system for it.

Patrick recently got together with Andrew Warner (Mixergy) and Noah Kagan
(AppSumo) and made a video that discusses exactly what I'm describing to you.
If this resonates with you, I suggest checking it out. (It sounds like
promoting, but I've been a customer of Noah's and reader of Andrew's for a
while, shared drinks with and genuinely find their insight and content
useful!) <http://www.appsumo.com/hacking-content-creation/>

Hope this helps.

~~~
mapster
Mike, First, a big thank you for your time and thoughts! I of course agree
with your view on the datedness of the site. The links are great resources. I
am a fan of Andrew and Patrick (aka patio) and will try to position my app for
specific use cases / niches. Thanks again for the thoughtful review!

~~~
mikegreenberg
My pleasure. :)

------
mikegreenberg
I won't be able to do anymore of these for now. I usually do this every 2-3
weeks so if you'd like a hand, just keep an eye out or follow me on twitter
where I usually announce it there.

Cheers!

------
abinoda
Please review our landing page: <http://orangeqc.com>

~~~
mikegreenberg
You've got your 30-second teaser video, clear call to action, social proof,
many channels of communication, key features identified under-the-fold for
more interested individuals, trustmarks (your Guarantee), etc.

I don't see any major offenses. It's standard. The only thing I'd recommend...
include a call-to-action visible no matter where the user is on the tour page.
(One the scrolls with the user, perhaps?) You don't want the user to search
for it after they're satisfied that your product is what they need.

If you'd like more specific feedback, please be more specific with your
request. By not investing the time to direct me to specific items which you
are currently trying to improve it shows me that you are unappreciative of my
time which I am freely offering, don't have a specific thing you're attempting
to improve, or both.

~~~
abinoda
Thanks Mike. I'm sorry I wasn't more specific. The feedback you've provided is
actually very useful since we redesigned the page just last week with the
things you mentioned in mind.

Overall, we're working on properly communicating to our particular
audience/demographic... old school guys. We don't want to make our product
look cheap but we also don't want it to look too expensive.

~~~
mikegreenberg
These items all help to complete an "ideal" landing page, but the honest truth
is there is no recipe or checklist. While a site developer USED to get points
for including all of the aforementioned accouterments on a landing page, today
it is standard fare.

As far as reaching out to your target market, see if you can arrange some
sessions with people in your market. Show them the site and ask them to talk
about their perception, thoughts and questions while they look around. There
are sites that offer a service like this but don't necessarily target your
market appropriately. I haven't used many of them, but I've heard great things
about askyourtargetmarket.com.

------
michaeldhopkins
I am trying to convey frugality and green living in a web app's design. How
might you approach that?

~~~
mikegreenberg
Really wish I could help you with this, but most pay good money for a
(qualified) UI/UX designer to understand the psychology behind a question like
that. While I have ideas on how to approach something like that, it's more ad
hoc and random. I know there are processes and techniques that designers rely
on to help answer this (theme/mood boards, color charts, studies/research,
etc) better than anythings I could suggest.

That said, here's where I'd start:

1\. Find sites/examples which convey the same qualities as you're interested
in expressing yourself. Be specific! (Colors, accents, imagery,
text/passages/copy, etc) It helps to include a few keywords next to each
example. Sometimes, I print out a bunch of examples and make notes on these
(full-color) sheets.

2\. Talk to as many designers as you can with these notes in hand. Get their
opinion and take notes! (LOTS OF NOTES!!!)

3\. Throw up these notes, examples, thoughts, links, resources onto a
freelancer site and see if anyone will do some mockups/spec work for you. This
will give you more ideas (which you'll pay for) and help you iterate your
thoughts toward a decent solution until you can hire someone properly.

4\. (Bonus step!) Grok as much info from these sites as you can:
[http://www.quora.com/What-are-the-most-influential-design-
bl...](http://www.quora.com/What-are-the-most-influential-design-blogs)

~~~
michaeldhopkins
Thanks!

