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Comment by dejan | Hacker News Reader

lol. Thanks, it's nice to have a laugh this late :) (Sorry, I'm not being sarcastic, just it's a common misunderstanding)

Well, it says it's a webapp, not a rock band's fan page. People are actually ment to login, do their stuff and leave. I wish I could dump that login too, but it is the collateral damage of shifting apps to the web.

All the text is there to help the technical people searching for answers, but the actions are clearly shown. I doubt one can't find her way around.

I wonder when will "webapps" truly be understood as different than websites. I am comparing webapps to desktop apps, not to brochures. Am I alone here?

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I think you're missing the point of this feedback - the UI is confusing so it is making it hard to grasp the value of the service for a first time viewer. you might be suffering from being too familiar with your product, and only dogfooding from the "logged in an clued in" perspective

this isn't about webapps vs. websites vs. desktop apps, it's about the importance of communicating the problem you're solving clearly and having a big f*ing button that makes the call to action completely clear

Thanks for the comment. I hear you, but what is confusing about this UI? If 4 sentences are "too much text", then hell, how people understand others in the same field that induce more complex processes: http://www.groupon.com

Big f*ing button is there, in size and color.

IMHO, this web app doesn't need to be explained a whole lot. Those that hear "Group Buying" and understand what it is from those two words, they'll know how & what & where. After all, this web address is meant for sellers, not buyers.

You use Javascript to create that button, it will not show up if you have NoScript. It's not even clickable. Just letting you know. :)

(yes, I was confused too)

Edit: And to be honest, if you are asking for feedback it would probably be a nice idea to just nod and smile at peoples advice instead of getting into some kind of argument as to "what people think". Most people here are ... err, people too. :)

I wonder if anyone really does have js switched off today. It is the era of the rich web experiences. And if he does, he for sure isn't interested in this. I could tweak it so that button has a href when no script, but I wonder about that. Today almost any web app relies heavily on js.

I tried GetSatisfaction without JS. Crash and burn too.

However, I'll think about it. Thanks for the comment and advice. I wasn't thinking of going into any arguments, I respect the differing opinions ;)

Its confusing for anyone, seller or buyer. And if it confuses buyers, sellers wont use it.

I still don't really get how to use it after reading the site and your explanations. Why is there a P vs Q graph? What does paying a fee upfront entitle me to? What is a reservation and what does it give me?

I'm a first time consumer, and you've just thrown a complicated buying method at me, with a graph, current price/lowest price, for which I have no clue how to follow. I think it needs to be bared down to the minimal information necessary.

[updated]

Isn't it obvious that price drops with quantity?

A reservation is a pledge that the customer will purchase the item later. The reservation costs $1-3 depending on where the buyer is, and is paid through a cell phone. By having it be paid, it is simply more reliable. No one wastes money, and these are dissolving costs in the total discount.

I believe this is the minimal information. The unit price, the current and the maximum quantity price. What do you think is excess?

Thanks for the comment.

Both your website and your widget must be able to answer these questions within 30 seconds for the most ignorant, distracted user with 3 children trying to climb into their lap.

This user might have never bought online before, and if they have - they have no idea what the backend order process looks like.

Answering these questions here is only a beginning. If _anyone here_ cannot get your site before getting frustrated, you haven't explained your system well enough yet.

Remember, the majority of users (by a huge percentage) are going to see your widget first. Your widget is going to advertise your solution to potential sellers who see it on someone else's website.

If _any customer_ gets frustrated at your widget, it is going to get pulled from sites.

good points; I am thinking on how to simplify and better present this concept. Thanks for the comment!

They are comparing you to web-apps like this: http://getsatisfaction.com/

You need to get better at distilling your messages into just a couple of words.

Although similar in technique maybe (SyncFu uses an iframe), they are very different in what they do.

This is a starting point for the destillation. Thanks for the advice, I am thinking about it.

Yes, they couldn't be more different in their product. My point was that many webapps have very slick designs.

Another one http://highrisehq.com/why

Remember when writing your words - almost all of your potential customers know nothing about group buying. Those who already know what it is have probably got a solution already.

that is true; I guess my assumption is that everyone know what it is. I am thinking about explaining it visually, instead all those wordings. Thanks again!

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