I don't like the design on the front page. You need to redesign the front page by starting completely from scratch and thinking minimal. This site looks like it was a barge where you just kept piling on whatever would fit wherever until you had a full page to launch. Don't show 5 new member photos on the front page when members don't add photos. I really don't like the hyperlink blue color that is on text that isn't hyperlinked.
Look. I'm sorry. It looks like you worked hard on it. And I love reading. But, it's 2008. We're almost a decade into the 21st century. I want to be able to take a batch of picture of my books bar codes and upload them and have it generate the list of my books automatically. Then, I want to be able to rate my books, easily, like on netflix, and get new recommendations based on that, and a list of local friends that might have the same taste in books. I want to say what books I would loan out, and be able to trade and loan books locally with other people who like similar books. I want it to suggest people and reading for book clubs automatically and well. Like "There are 20 people in your area we think would like reading The Cat in the Hat. Would you be interested in joining with some of them to read this as a book club?" You just don't have anything that seems compelling to me.
This just seems like something out of the 20st century. It's the 21st century. Go eat some psychedelic mushrooms and lie back and absorb that we're a decade into the 21st century. Vision, people. Is this really the best you can bring to the 21st century? All human history happened so you could create the 20 things on that front page that distract each other for my divided attention? Where is the vision?
Fair suggestions, but who's to say that's what these guys are trying to be? From what I gather they're a meeting place for those who like to read. I was able to quickly gather that from their homepage.
To be fair, it sounds like you're taking up a different discussion (Founders' Vision and the Web 2.0 Phenomenon) with these guys caught in your crosshairs. The fact is, we don't know what they're trying to become. Maybe they'll evolve into those features you mentioned... it's believable. But they're nascent, and it's their job today to release quick and iterate fast as per user suggestions.
They've done that (that's why they're here on HN). Why nitpick the details of their "vision" so early on?
If you want to build a 21st century place for people to meet around reading, those are the kind of features I think you need. If you ask me what I think of your website, I'm going to tell you. I like to think big picture and design, so I'm going to focus on that. In this case I noticed nothing compelling from a big picture perspective, so I focused on that.
Besides, on the post I came from, the person who owns the website said "Bookhuddle is a social network and book reference site created to help people discover, organize, and share book information." So it's quite relevant to say how a social network and reference site created to help people... should actually look like in the 21st century.
You make good points.
When I went to the site and clicked on a book i through I had been redirected to Amazon... It took some looking around to realize that I was not in Amazon.
To add my little review to this: Why would I go to bookhuddle.com instead of amazon? For the virtual community? Why would I just not look at the user-supplied reviews on amazon.com and bn.com? Figure this one out and you're in the money. Don;t figure it out, and... well...
1. I want an easy way to add books I liked 2. I want recommendations on new books based on those 3. I want to be able to recommend books to my sister (and only my sister), and I want her to be able to recommend books to me
It's not clear if your site does this, and it looks too complicated anyways, so I decided not to sign-up. I'm looking for absolute simplicity that does just what I want, and all other features are hidden away.
You can also recommend books to anyone within or outside Bookhuddle, simply click on the "Recommend to friends" link on the book detail page or any search result page.
The Activity Feed is also a great way to discover books through your friends. When they interact with a book (write a review, participate in discussion, add to a list, etc), you find out.
And please stop talking like a PR or salesletter and start talking like a person.
I think you should make it much easier for people who arrive at your website understand why they should stay.
Any company faces lots of challenges and constraints while pursuing its vision. Prioritizing and executing on the things that will get the company there are the hard part. We understand and accept that and are excited to try to create a great service to help readers discover, organize, and share book information.
Just tell me what I want to know and stop trying to market me a free product.
Also, you may have added this already but RSS feeds for users' lists or for all activity from a user, would be a great addition to this site.
Thanks for the feedback.
2. Give people an reason to upload photos. At your competitors site, I clicked on the pretty bookworm's pic.
3. Sort the pictures with a female bias (I'm guessing they're the target), rather than by "new members". You'll get more women and men.
4. Sort books by popularity of discussion rather than "newness". Draw people into the discussion.
5. The design doesn't feel friendly. Again, assuming women are your demographic make the site "warmer".
Goodreads is one competitor, how will you distinguish yourself?
Finding this problem was easy, implementing the solution the right way is much harder. Right on, with the FB integration.
Bookhuddle is a social network and book reference site created to help people discover, organize, and share book information. With Bookhuddle, members can:
* discover new books quickly and easily (new releases, top seller, most recommended, most listed, recommendations from friends, updates through activity feed, and more)
* organize and manage their reading lists and personal library
* share opinions through reviews, ratings, discussion, run or join a book club.
If you are a reader, Bookhuddle is for you.
Go deeper into the categories. Amazon for example stops at Space Opera. But that's still a very large genre. Let users tell you what kind of features the specific space opera has. i.e. Alternate Reality? Space Battles? Technical Technology descriptions? You know REALLY research the book genres so that you can improve your recommendation system. Someone who likes light sci-fi will probably HATE technical sci-fi that spends 4 pages describing how a certain thing works.
Spend a few books to have nicer images made. I mean those 3 images really make the site look cheap.
p.s this niche has been done a few times I suggest letting users know right away why yours is better.
