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Comment by nostromo | Hacker News Reader

Some constructive (hopefully) feedback: I had a hard time figuring out what Binpress actually does.

"Build software faster with mature code solutions that let you focus on the interesting and unique parts of your product" and "Binpress is a discovery service and marketplace for source-code components. We bridge the gap between open-source and commercial software, improving the process of software development."

That last statement is content-free fluff. If you would say, "Buy source code snippets and packages" or something, I'd get it immediately.

I'm also not sure you should call anything a "discovery service." Nobody wakes up in the morning and thinks, "I need to find a discovery service today." Pintrest is a discovery service (so is HN) but they don't say that, they say "Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests."

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Thanks for the feedback, it is helpful. We are constantly trying different messaging on the homepage to see what works best and we still haven't found the magic words.

We can't say "buy source-code snippets" for a couple of reasons - first, we have a mix of free and commercial open-source, and second we do not publish "snippet" sized packages (see our publication guidelines). Our goal is to create an inventory of curated, professional solutions to common needs in software development, whether free or commercial (as long as we verify the publisher is committed to supporting it).

You are probably right about the 'discovery-service' part as a user, we don't use that messaging in our homepage anymore.

The description you used on your lionite portfolio page sounded good: "Binpress is a marketplace for open-source code. Developers can sell and buy source code from each other, creating additional revenue for sellers and an inventory of certified, production ready source code for buyers. "

It's not perfect, but it at least mentions the key idea of 'marketplace for code'. This phrase (or something like it) should be used, even if you continue by saying that Binpress has open-source code too.

Appreciated and will pass it along. Thank you

If you're having trouble describing what it is (and so far, failing to make it sound compelling) then it will be difficult for prospective customers to decide if they want your service.

I keep seeing this sort of stuff. "Curated discovery service" is a weasel phrase for "middle man", a species now practically extinct in many spheres of activity thanks to Google and the web.

So, you're a middle man. What can you get that I can't get for myself? What do you know that I don't? What value are you adding? What are your curatorial skills? Prove it. There is your web copy.

I'm not having any trouble, but thanks for the advice. I guess you never heard of Airbnb, Fab or dozens of other online marketplaces (sorry, "middle man") that have become huge businesses. Lucky for them they didn't know that Google and the web made them extinct.

Thanks for sharing.

Wow, that's a really rude and sarcastic reaction to somebody who's just trying to be friendly. I also think his comments about your messaging were spot on.

In my opinion that was a really ignorant and degrading comment, as opposed to others who tried to offer real feedback.

You're totally misreading the tone here. epo is Socratically playing out the thought process of potential customers who visit your site. Obviously "middle men" aren't necessarily without value (as your examples demonstrate), but a lot of them are, and that's the perception you have to fight with your copy.

I also did not get what Binpress did straight away. It took a good ten seconds or so to figure it out. I think the problem is that one's eye is drawn to the 'Featured' section rather than the 'Build better software' product-explanation section.

I personally would dedicate the entire 'Featured' and 'Build better software' block to the 'Build better software' product description, and move the 'Featured' area below.

Most people do not come through the homepage, but rather get to it after visiting one of the component pages through organic sources. So we put a premium on featuring components there, but I see your point. Perhaps we should have a different layout depending on the referer (from within the site or directly to the homepage). Thanks for the feedback

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