

Ask HN: Please rate our startup Neetly - mdoyle
http://www.neetly.com

======
DanielStraight
First of all, thank you for proving an example page, a privacy policy and a
terms of service page. You'd be amazed how many "Rate my startup" posts I
complete ignore because they lack these simple basics. If you are going to
request personal information, you need to have a policy for it.

There's a lot I wish was different in the design (the chat could certainly be
a lot better), but I love how easy it was to set up. I do wish you asked for
the password twice though, I always get nervous that I'll make a typo and
never be able to get back in.

~~~
Stuk
> thank you for proving an example page

Yes, this is great, but I only found it after reading this reply. I think it
would help if you made the link more prominent.

~~~
koreyb
Agreed, within 10 seconds I don't understand what the value is. If there were
an example/screenshot/video explaining things I would be more willing to stay
and check it out as a potential user.

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blhack
I think you need to use a different word than "network". I've seen a few
places in this thread where you've used the phrase "secure network". To what I
would assume is the majority of your target market, a "secure network" has to
do with computer networking.

To me, just by glancing at your descriptions, it sounds like you've made
something like a private bittorrent tracker, or a private VPN, or something
like that. I know this isn't what it is, but if I came across your page, that
is what I would assume it was.

~~~
sw1205
Thanks. We will look to replace the word network then and go with something
more appropriate. We had never considered that people would take it to be a
VPN type idea and the fact that people are means that we will definitely
change the word.

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bobbywilson0
Even if this app IS something interesting, nothing makes me want to sign up.

Here's why:

I think your landing page copy needs some work. Immediately when I see create
your own private network, I am thinking VPN. "Socialise in groups," to me
seems ambiguous, isn't socializing an inherent group activity.

In terms of design, there is low visual affordance. I am not enticed to roll
over those icons, or click on the sign up button. I think "Create your own
network now" is a good call to action, should be more prominant and should be
followed up with a start now link or something, or get started, something to
encourage the user a bit. "Sample network" shouldn't be directly next to
"Create Network", it confuses what action should be taken. Sample network
shouldn't be a button, just a plain link. Also that blue is far from
harmonious with the rest of the color scheme you have working. The text below
the icons needs more contrast with the background.

I want to see a screenshot / screencast to show me what I am getting. I still
can't imagine what this thing even is.

~~~
mdoyle
Thanks for the feedback. The most common aspect about all the feedback posted
so far is the understanding of the concept. It is clear to us that we need to
review the homepage and the message the product communicates, and the
placement or function of images or buttons. We never thought there would be
comparisons to VPN's.

~~~
bobbywilson0
Here is a little screenshot, which in my opinion does a lot for understanding
what it is.

<http://grab.by/grabs/fd40f157cef16b5028333e3bf9dc3923.png>

The VPN is a probably a rare thing, but to tech people when you say private
network, without context it is easy not to think social.

~~~
mdoyle
Hi, thanks for taking the time to do this! I would agree with you and we'll
consider it. It's great to get the feedback, thanks.

------
sw1205
Neetly enables you to create one or many secure networks. You can create them
for your family, friends, for a large community or for just yourself. You
control invites to the network. You can use neetly to post articles for
discussion, you can share files, including photos, within your network. You
can also engage in chat with other people from your network.

We found we wanted to discuss some things with certain groups of people - such
as work colleagues, or share pictures with different people such as family. We
found there was not an effective tool out there to do it so we created Neetly.
Now you can share and say what you want and to whom you want.

We are in the early stages and have decided we have a product which we can
release but one that needs to be developed based on feedback that we hope we
receive. We want to create a tool that you want to use, that you feel safe
using and that you recommend to others so please help us achieve these aims by
giving us feedback. Thanks in advance for any feedback that you give to us.

~~~
klick175
How's this different from The Fridge? [http://techcrunch.com/2010/08/23/the-
fridge-facebook-sharing...](http://techcrunch.com/2010/08/23/the-fridge-
facebook-sharing/)

~~~
sw1205
We set out to allow people to create their own news networks and incorporated
the cms-style options and chat options later. We want to be able to create a
secured Reddit - let people create their own version of Hacker News.

I think the concepts are similar although I think we are different in a few
ways. I think we sit somewhere between creating your own social network and a
cms, so its suitable for groups of friends or businesses alike. The focus on
is also on the network rather than you as an individual, although we will be
looking to allow the user to choose in the future, for example by being able
to post to all their networks in a single-click.

------
arb99
It needs to be a _lot_ clearer on your homepage what you are actually offering

also if you click view sample network, you can't (or i couldn't work out how
to) get to the homepage without clearing cookies.

~~~
sw1205
If you roll over the different options 'post, share and chat' it gives you
some more info about what we are trying to do. We will look to make it
clearer.

There is a return to neetly home in the top right hand corner (after you have
clicked sample network) - again can make this clearer.

~~~
batterseapower
I also had no idea what it was meant to do from the tagline - at least say
social network or something. It was not at all obvious that you could roll
over those pictures - they need to look more clickable. Like others on this
thread, I didn't spot the Sample Network link at all until it was pointed out.

I will often watch a screencasts on the front page of an unfamiliar website if
I can't figure out what it does - maybe that is worth trying?

------
arethuza
Like others I assumed this was something like a VPN - so the term "network"
needs some work.

Also the three icons and text for Post/Share/Chat look like they should be
links - I spent a while clicking on them trying to find out what kind of
features are supported, which was a bit annoying.

I did _eventually_ find the sample network - no idea why that button is next
to the register button it should be far more obvious!

Looks quite nice actually - I might use this to share stuff with immediate
family members.....

~~~
mdoyle
Thanks. Yes, we are discussing the term "network" between ourselves currently
since its quite a prominent issue in the feedback. We are also discussing the
home page layout/functionality in terms of the three icons.

~~~
arethuza
You could be really cheeky and call it a _social network_...

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hasenj
Would be nice if it allowed you to create a random temporary network as a demo
(without asking for login/password).

I'm not going to sign up just because the idea sounds like it might be fun. I
would want to try it, but not sign up for it.

Allow anonymous users to create a temporary network (or whatever it is), and
put a box with a random network name already in there so I only have to click
one button, and make it say something like "try it now".

~~~
mdoyle
We can enable that functionality quite easily. Will consider further. Thanks
for the feedback!!

------
bjnortier_hn
There's another article on HN today that could be of interest to you, where
signups increased by 60% when they moved signups from the front page. YMMV.

[http://visualwebsiteoptimizer.com/split-testing-
blog/signup-...](http://visualwebsiteoptimizer.com/split-testing-blog/signup-
conversion-rate-ab-testing/)

~~~
mdoyle
thank you. useful.

------
arethuza
The mouseover on the icons on the home page doesn't work for me in Firefox
3.6.12 - it does work in IE, Safari and Chrome.

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DeusExMachina
I think it is a good execution. What I don't like much is the dark design. I
think that the header is too gloomy.

~~~
RaRic
I agree. It's good that you can change the default, but the default needs to
be better. Design matters.

------
shanes
Looks pretty cool. In your blog you wrote "Disporia" instead of Diaspora. I
guess they're one of your main competitors, so knowing the correct spelling is
important.

For inspiration, comparison, pricing plans, you can check out KickApps,
Nexopia, Ning, ShoutEm, slinkset, SocialGO, Yammer

------
toumhi
Very good, only thing is a lot of the things I was expecting to be clickable
are not. For e.g the icons in the menu, or the big pictures on the homepage
which look like buttons and make the user want to click it :-)

Good job otherwise!

------
wccrawford
So it's... Yahoo groups? I hope you've done it a lot better than they did.
Their interface is horrible. Almost every group I'm on, most people just use
the email list because the Yahoo interface is so horrid.

~~~
sw1205
It is similar to Yahoo groups but it can also be used like a secure reddit. So
you can create a network, like Hacker News, invite who it is you want to join
your network and then post (just like Hacker news) interesting articles that
people in the network can then comment on. We also offer the users the ability
to share files. So we hope we offer something different, and better, to Yahoo
groups.

~~~
djb_hackernews
sounds like you could study Yammer for some inspiration.

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donohoe
_Minor'ish_ : On the main page I was confused if "Display Name" was an
alternate name for "Network Name". It was only in following through that I
properly understood it was the name for the User.

------
mootymoots
Really like the idea. It's kind of like the 37Signals stuff, although a bit
less formal, and more about social groups. Could be interested for running
projects though.. will try it.

~~~
sw1205
Excellent, glad you like the idea. If after trying it feel free to drop us
some feedback on here or via the contact us section the site. Thanks

------
ssing
I am not able to access the URL. Seems to be broken.

~~~
whyleym
Seems to be working for me ?

~~~
ssing
I tried again and it is still down for me.

------
brosephius
looking at the front page and the about text, I still have no idea what this
is. "secure network" suggests it's something about a VPN, but the example
looks like some sort of private social network. I think it would help to
clarify what exactly the product is on the front page with more familiar
phrasing.

the idea looks nice though.

~~~
sw1205
We will look to explain it better on the homepage - Our unique selling point
is the ability to create private networks which can be joined by trusted
people, and for the individual, the ability to be part of multiple networks
which are separate from each other. So if I am a member of a friends network
and a family network, my family don't get to talk or see my friends. If I am a
small business, then I have the ability to communicate with my small
distributed team in a social/group like way. If I am part of a study group, I
have the opportunity to share documents and research links. It is entirely
possible that I might cross paths with the same people on different neetly
networks, but my relationship is primarily with the networks I am a member of.

We obviously, like you say, need to explain that better on the homepage so
everyone gets what it is as soon as they hit Neetly.

~~~
tansey
Call them webs. Seriously.

"Create your web." It has just enough confusion power to get people talking
about your site, like "tweets" did for Twitter. Network is too technical
sounding. Everyone uses "the web" so they're familiar with the term in a
positive way. Enabling users to say things like "You should join my web" could
be powerful.

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DeusExMachina
Is it made in ASP and .Net? It's a pretty strange technology for a web
startup. Can I ask why you chose to use it?

~~~
donniefitz2
I'm not sure it's a "strange" technology. The .Net platform is great for
startups.

~~~
DeusExMachina
Bad wording. I simply meant unusual.

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tsycho
Nothing seems to be happening when I click the "Create" button. I am using
Chrome 6.0.472.55 on Windows XP.

~~~
mdoyle
Sorry about that. Will check it out. We've tested on all major
browsers/operating systems so we'll revisit.

------
vgurgov
no joke: this is very simple yet good idea if you can do it right. many ppl
still looking for something like this for their small communities. seriously.
been in similar business. you just need to push it hard enough(probably not in
geeks space, but to small businesses owners etc)

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jsvaughan
by private "network" I thought you meant some sort of VPN

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benmccann
It's down for me.

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kapauldo
Great domain, nice design, just not sure what it is or what a network is. Is
it a forum?

