yeti

We're running a web social network.

Right now our customers are directed to pay using Credit Card or Paypal on Paypals site, and redirected back after.

We'd like to keep customer on our site for credit card payments to increase completion rate.

How can we accept credit card payment directly within our site ?

1) Is Website Payments Pro (or alternative) easy to integrate with? 2) Does it allow recurring subscription as well? 3) Can you remember credit card and then able to auto-bill people as part of a "top up" function?

Appreciate any advice..

Any tips to optimize payment page for a freemium site?

So far I have: - highlight the recommended product to buy (eg http://basecamphq.com/signup) - put a security logo to make people comfortable (eg https://www.usertesting.com/ClientSignup.aspx) - include a phone number in case they have questions (eg http://adwords.google.com)

Any others?

Thanks

We have an online shop has a lot of user submitted items.

Up to now we sort by default by newest, but it's becoming a mess now, hard to find the good items.

Are there any algorithms or suggestions for best sorting?

We are considering a ranking based on:

Sort by revenue generated with a weight for age (previous 24 hours sales * 100 + previous one week sales * 30 + previous months sales * 20 + previous year * 10 or whatever)

Any suggestions?

I make a chat website, and I'd like to add music streaming to the user chatrooms.

ie - the chatroom host can enter in a URL of a streaming MP3 and then everyone in the chatroom hears that stream - the music files are not stored on our servers, but just browser client to another URL

Any suggestions?

I'm a fan of usertesting.com but their already expensive prices are about to rise 35% in one weeks time. Too expensive for this startup.

Any other more cost effective alternatives.

ps - already use Feedback Army for quick first impression stuff, am looking for a service to capture first 15 minute user activity - screen-recording and audio comments

Hi HN,

I'm putting together projections for investors of a Facebook game we're developing.

Before I go and build it out myself, anyone know any good existing models/spreadsheets that take into account the viral rate, retention, lifespan of typical user etc?

I checked out the one at http://andrewchenblog.com/2008/03/05/facebook-viral-marketing-when-and-why-do-apps-jump-the-shark/ and it's good but somehow doesn't include how retention changes over time for active users, which I guess would be more like in the real deployment.

Any pointers appreciated, or case studies from existing FB apps.. Thx

We have a 3D download app that we want to test on a bunch of different hardware configs.

Any service which lets you remotely control PC, install app/s and view screen?

Friend told me about browsercam.com but it doesn't look like you can install any additional software on it.

Thanks

Hi HN, Anyone recommend any service to get feedback on your site from a sample audience within a target demographic?

eg - to test a new product idea or messaging, before we develop it further

How do you do it?

After reading a lot of "Lessons Learned" blog, we're going to add split testing process to our games site to track and improve the registration rate (to start with)...

I'm curious what other startups are already using A/B testing for and where it helps most? (and not)

Hi, we're a startup with a fast evolving web game and are releasing new feature updates every 2 weeks.

Right now it takes us a solid 2-3 days for 2 people to test through the site with all existing and new features... testing isn't hard, it just takes ages and reduces time we can do other stuff.

Question - what should we do?

Suck it up and keep doing it this way? Outsource the testing? Motivate some of our hardcore users to test for us? Try to build some automated test bed?

Hi HNers,

We are a startup in the casual gaming space, beta for a couple months, just hit 10,000 users and picking up pace. Main demographic is teenage - 20 something girls.

Haven't spent any money on marketing, so far just done a bit of posting on some relevant game sites and forums/social networks.

Now we're growing and will close a seed round shortly, we're putting aside $2k per month for marketing budget (vast majority remains on development).

We know viral/referral is the only long term strategy but want to spend a bit to gain an initial audience.

Question - how would you spend that budget?