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.
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.
Thanks for creating a network, is it something you could see yourself using?
Voting on posts seems somewhat strange (also strange that it isn't integrated in the main page), but I may have different use cases in mind than you do. In fact, that would be a good thing to point out on the site, what do you have in mind for possible use cases?
My idea is that this would be shared by people who know each other in real life. Voting on a friend's contribution seems strange.
Another really cool feature would be the ability to share a network with simply a private URL, no need for other members to sign up if they don't want to. Each user can get their own private URL which ties them back to the email address they were invited on so you know who's who.
If you ever want to talk in more detail about this (like after the HN story falls into obscurity), feel free to contact me at the email address cryptically listed in my profile.
the idea looks nice though.
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.
"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.
Informally, you can just say "Facebook with private spaces." Yeah, it's probably more than that. But it's easier to key off of concepts people already know. See http://steveblank.com/2010/11/08/hubris-versus-humility-the-...
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
There is a return to neetly home in the top right hand corner (after you have clicked sample network) - again can make this clearer.
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?
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.....
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.
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".
http://visualwebsiteoptimizer.com/split-testing-blog/signup-...
For inspiration, comparison, pricing plans, you can check out KickApps, Nexopia, Ning, ShoutEm, slinkset, SocialGO, Yammer
Good job otherwise!
