Ask HN: Why don't you use cover for webcam? WHY? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Why don't you use cover for webcam? WHY?

2 pointsru_timbur6 comments

I've been using cover for my webcam for years. Simple one of plastic ordered in China. I think you know what I mean. But it's too thick for my brand new Macbook Pro. Therefore I developed my own very thin webcam cover and created a landing page to present my product to others.

Biggest problem is that nobody wants to order my cover and I can't figure out why? Please, review my landing page and give your feedback.

Image: <https://static.tildacdn.com/tild3433-3337-4332-b365-393135663336/rikki-compare.jpg>

Link: https://rikkisteackycover.com/en/

Thanks!

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For me, I'd never order this because it looks suspect and perhaps over priced and total pricing is unclear.

I have to scroll all the way to the bottom to even see the price and the other color that you offer is double the price which seems strange. Then before I can tell if this price includes shipping which I would hope for a tiny vinyl sticker shipping would be included with this price I have to give you an email address.

No thanks. Let me know what I'm in for upfront in total or at least a reasonable estimate of it all and make it clear. Don't make me scroll through a giant wall of things about cameras before I can even tell the price of a product. It's a sticker for crying out loud. A Post-It note, which is readily available on anyone's desk, performs the same task. Yours may have some novelty but you're going to have to compete initially on that price perception over just picking up the post-it note.

The landing page seems very focused on selling people on the idea of covering the camera. I think your primary focus should be selling people on your camera cover and secondarily that cameras should be covered when not in use. This would be accomplished by straightforward up front simple pricing that includes shipping. Trivial products should have trivial pricing. When you focus on selling people the idea of something like this you can accomplish that goal and be successful on selling them the idea but it's so trivial they have no need to buy your product because post-it notes, a piece of paper , any number of other things can accomplish the same goal.

Thanks for your answer. I invented this cover just for myself. It's still DIY and I want to move forward and produce it on professional machines. But I can't do it without people who will be ready to buy it.

Price on the landing page is very exemplary. Just to understand which will be optimal and calculate production costs.

Using of plastic shutter is a bad idea, because you can damage your laptop and you can't stick it on your mobile phone.

Using of Post-It is a bad idea, because you need to stick and unstick it every time, when you want to open/close your camera. This process leaves marks on your screen. Sticky note may suddenly fall off.

My cover in opposite very thin and has a mechanism to open/close without unsticking.

I can't tell whether this is supposed to be sneaky self-promotion or a real question, but I'll answer it nonetheless:

- MacBooks have camera indicators - they can be bypassed, but give a sense of security to most people

- A hard-plastic cover is likely just as cheap but has no limited lifespan

- A hard-plastic cover is, by the looks of it, easier to use

- Some people just don't care

- Finally, your website says that 50 people ordered today. Unless that's a marketing scam, it sounds like people _are_ buying your product.

Thanks for your answer!

> I can't tell whether this is supposed to be sneaky self-promotion or a real question,

Real one. I make research to carry on my development and producing of own cover.

> MacBooks have camera indicators - they can be bypassed, but give a sense of security to most people

Green indicator is not a guarantee. Please, read this article https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/handle/1774.2/36569

- A hard-plastic cover is likely just as cheap but has no limited lifespan

It's true. But hard-plastic cover has significant disadvantages.

> A hard-plastic cover is, by the looks of it, easier to use

Ease of usage must be the same.

> Some people just don't care

Yes, but only some people. Where is the rest part of people? :)

> Finally, your website says that 50 people ordered today. Unless that's a marketing scam, it sounds like people _are_ buying your product.

This is "marketing scam". But this is not to deceive people. Just for test one more hypothesis about our customers behaviour.

Why people are not ordering?

The people who care already have one, or they've taped over it anyway. The rest don't probably care.

Thanks for your answer. Why don't you care?

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