Comment by ColinWright | Hacker News Reader

Comment by ColinWright | Hacker News Reader

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Clicketty-click: http://template2pdf.com/

I visited your site expecting exactly the same kinds of problems I've given feedback about many times before[0][1].

I was pleasantly surprised. The landing page is clean, clear, and I immediately understood what you were doing. I don't have a need for your service, but I can see that it could easily fill a need.

I don't know how easy it is to use, but if the execution is good then I think you might have something. You have identified your problem, though. Exposure. You might want to change your landing site to increase the size of the problem being solved, and reduce the links to "Template," API," etc. The visitor needs to be reminded immediately of the pain, that way you catch their attention.

Others may have more to add about the marketing problem and your pricing choices. A few questions/comments:

* How is this better than just exporting a PDF from PowerPoint?

* Some of your copy seems to be targeted at sys-admin types - they aren't the ones with money.

* I suspect you need to start getting a network of interested people.

Good luck!

[0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7857964

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7839799

Wow! Thanks for your nice comment.

About your PowerPoint question.. I don't know how to put this, but I think just the fact that you ask, means that my message did not come across clearly. Or do you know the answer and just want to say that I need to make this more obvious? :)

To answer the questions:

It is not better than a PowerPoint PDF export, but tries to solve the problem of doing many PowerPoint PDF exports while changing the content of the document on each export. This is doable by just sending a template document and some keys and values to be replaced.

The main pain it solved for me was that I don't need to do layout changes for my customers if they are using some of my software and want to change the layout of lets say a report or proforma.

Does this make sense?

About the targeting to sys-admin types. This is correct. Perhaps I should split the page into 'marketing' and 'read if you can code'. I will think about that.

Thanks!

  > Wow! Thanks for your nice comment.

NP - happy to help.

  > About your PowerPoint question ... do you know the answer
  > and just want to say that I need to make this more obvious? :)

I know an answer, but I think you could make your selling point clearer. Someone who doesn't read it as carefully as I might think this offers no real value over what they already do. To me, if someone creates lots of PDFs, broadly in bulk, broadly the same, this can offer huge advantages. That's implicit in your copy, but you need to make it more obvious to people.

  > ... many PowerPoint PDF exports while changing the content
  > of the document on each export ... just sending a template
  > document and some keys and values to be replaced.

Exactly - needs to be more obvious from the site.

  > The main pain it solved for me was that I don't need to do
  > layout changes for my customers if they are using some of
  > my software and want to change the layout ...

Again, write-up a more detailed specific use case and link to it somewhere.

  > About the targeting to sys-admin types. This is correct.

And difficult to solve. The people doing the work will know its value, the people with the money will need convincing. You need to hand the sys-admin types a convincing case to pass on to the people with the money.

Hope that helps. Be warned, anything I say could easily be wrong. You should test, test, test, test my assertions. Some things appear obvious, but are wrong. Take nothing for granted, and pursue it relentlessly.

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