Show HN: Review my startup – a blogging platform(sunsed.com)
sunsed.com
Show HN: Review my startup – a blogging platform
https://www.sunsed.com
21 comments
Thank you! You are right about the fonts! We will reconsider! Also we decided to create a new home page with our editor! So basically people can try it on our home page sunsed.com
>What happens if I stop paying?
>We'll keep your blogs online, but you won't be able to edit content or add to it.
From a user perspective, especially a user who may only blog once every few months, I love this. From a business perspective, I can see this scaling poorly as you still have to pay for the storage and hosting of blogs.
At first - the storage/hosting will be small. But what if you have thousands of "idle" blogs from infrequent bloggers? People who might only post 2-3 blogs a year and only pay you on the month they put a blog up? What about people who begin a blog, post a few, then leave? A common occurrence for people who attempt to start a blog.
>We'll keep your blogs online, but you won't be able to edit content or add to it.
From a user perspective, especially a user who may only blog once every few months, I love this. From a business perspective, I can see this scaling poorly as you still have to pay for the storage and hosting of blogs.
At first - the storage/hosting will be small. But what if you have thousands of "idle" blogs from infrequent bloggers? People who might only post 2-3 blogs a year and only pay you on the month they put a blog up? What about people who begin a blog, post a few, then leave? A common occurrence for people who attempt to start a blog.
What would be a fair policy? keeping blogs 3 months live and 1 year data retention? We want our users to trust the platform with their work!
That's a decision for you guys to decide, test, iterate, and come to a conclusion about your user base. I brought up the storage/hosting issue as a problem for your sustained business. Your current policy is great for users... just not you in the long run! You could try maintaining the current policy and see how many dead blogs you end up having to host. Perhaps I'm thinking there will be a lot of ghost blogs and retention/hosting will cost you guys more than it actually will.
An alternative solution to the problem would be to allow users to download their blogs as a backup from the service and reinstate them if they wish to continue using the site. The only major issue I see with this is retaining Disqus comments? Perhaps make a note that any Disqus comments on blogs will be lost in the event they stop hosting.
This also allows the user to be in complete control of their blogs, if they decide they would rather host their blogs elsewhere.
I would then retain their data (mostly for disqus comments?) for a year - maximum - and cease hosting when you guys see fit, be it immediately (most fair IMHO), or after a period of several months. I see no reason for you guys to have to host without being paid your monthly dues, but if you wish to host for 3 months or whatever period of time that's up to you guys!
An alternative solution to the problem would be to allow users to download their blogs as a backup from the service and reinstate them if they wish to continue using the site. The only major issue I see with this is retaining Disqus comments? Perhaps make a note that any Disqus comments on blogs will be lost in the event they stop hosting.
This also allows the user to be in complete control of their blogs, if they decide they would rather host their blogs elsewhere.
I would then retain their data (mostly for disqus comments?) for a year - maximum - and cease hosting when you guys see fit, be it immediately (most fair IMHO), or after a period of several months. I see no reason for you guys to have to host without being paid your monthly dues, but if you wish to host for 3 months or whatever period of time that's up to you guys!
You are awesome! we are discussing it... :)
"Average page creation time of 5 milliseconds"
I know what you mean, but from a writer's perspective, page creation is all about the time it takes her to create a page, which is, in general, several orders of magnitude more than 5 milliseconds.
The product looks quite good at first sight. I couldn't find pricing information though, which would be a very important factor in a decision to move to your platform.
I know what you mean, but from a writer's perspective, page creation is all about the time it takes her to create a page, which is, in general, several orders of magnitude more than 5 milliseconds.
The product looks quite good at first sight. I couldn't find pricing information though, which would be a very important factor in a decision to move to your platform.
I will add that the time the page takes to be created server-side is not really relevant when you're talking about a product.
What matters for the visitor is the total load time, including:
* latency (depends on the location of your server and the visitor, whether you're serving off a CDN or a single datacenter) * download time (depends on the size of the HTML/JS/CSS you generate, i.e. your default theme) * rendering time (depends on how heavy your default theme is)
Bottom line, you can just say it's blazing fast and your users will see by themselves (and it is very fast, indeed).
What matters for the visitor is the total load time, including:
* latency (depends on the location of your server and the visitor, whether you're serving off a CDN or a single datacenter) * download time (depends on the size of the HTML/JS/CSS you generate, i.e. your default theme) * rendering time (depends on how heavy your default theme is)
Bottom line, you can just say it's blazing fast and your users will see by themselves (and it is very fast, indeed).
Fixed it! It's now blazing fast... at the middle of the page! Thanks!!
Thanks for your feedback!! I'll update page creation time and make pricing easier to find. Its $10/month for unlimited contribuers and up to 10 blogs
Two things jumped out at me:
First you don't have the pricing. I personally won't invest my time unless I know at the end what it will cost me. Been burned a few times on this one.
Second you mention how great your hand built editor is so I watch the video. As you create the blog post in the video you autocreate loren ipsum and never show the editor itself! All you do is select pictures and type the headline. Now I admit design wise what you showed was terrific but if the video is all about the editor - then show the editor.
I happen to need a blog right now so if you added those two things (and I will check back) you might gain a customer.
First you don't have the pricing. I personally won't invest my time unless I know at the end what it will cost me. Been burned a few times on this one.
Second you mention how great your hand built editor is so I watch the video. As you create the blog post in the video you autocreate loren ipsum and never show the editor itself! All you do is select pictures and type the headline. Now I admit design wise what you showed was terrific but if the video is all about the editor - then show the editor.
I happen to need a blog right now so if you added those two things (and I will check back) you might gain a customer.
I'm sorry that our pricing page is not easy to find! we have got tons of complaints! we are working on it! It's actually $10/Month unlimited contributors and up to 10 blogs (sunsed.com/pricing)
Please try our editor with the 14-day free-trial (no credit card required).
We are also working on putting our editor on our homepage sunsed.com so people can try it out without signing up!
I'll do everything I can to gain your trust and business!
Thanks for your feedback!
@seyedip
Please try our editor with the 14-day free-trial (no credit card required).
We are also working on putting our editor on our homepage sunsed.com so people can try it out without signing up!
I'll do everything I can to gain your trust and business!
Thanks for your feedback!
@seyedip
> SunSed has a built in page view counter but we also support Google analytics.
The word "but" really dilutes what's said before. "SenSed has a built-in page-view counter, and also supports Google Analytics."
The word "but" really dilutes what's said before. "SenSed has a built-in page-view counter, and also supports Google Analytics."
Performance is an interesting way to differentiate your product from other platforms, though I'm not sure what kind of value high performance offers in this space.
I don't think you're selling it well. Performance comparisons to other platforms with clean and rapidly-digestible charts would really help convey what makes your platform different than others when it comes to performance. I have no idea, for example, whether "5ms page creation time" is good relative to other platforms, nor why I should care overly that other platforms do the same in 10, 15 or even 100 milliseconds. Convince me that I should!
The speed at which the menu slides in does seem antithetical to selling 'fast', if I'm honest. It reveals itself too slowly. If speed is an important attribute of your product, everything should be fast!
I like — really like — that you have usably-fast live search. That's a great headline feature, and something few other platforms do! Along with the editor, I think these two features can make your platform stand out in a meaningful and valuable way.
I think leveraging Disqus as your social story is probably a reasonable decision, but I think there's room for evolution there. Rolling your own solution — something that really creates a network for SunSed users — may be a longterm goal, and may help you meet/exceed performance expectations.
I don't think you're selling it well. Performance comparisons to other platforms with clean and rapidly-digestible charts would really help convey what makes your platform different than others when it comes to performance. I have no idea, for example, whether "5ms page creation time" is good relative to other platforms, nor why I should care overly that other platforms do the same in 10, 15 or even 100 milliseconds. Convince me that I should!
The speed at which the menu slides in does seem antithetical to selling 'fast', if I'm honest. It reveals itself too slowly. If speed is an important attribute of your product, everything should be fast!
I like — really like — that you have usably-fast live search. That's a great headline feature, and something few other platforms do! Along with the editor, I think these two features can make your platform stand out in a meaningful and valuable way.
I think leveraging Disqus as your social story is probably a reasonable decision, but I think there's room for evolution there. Rolling your own solution — something that really creates a network for SunSed users — may be a longterm goal, and may help you meet/exceed performance expectations.
We are going to fix the menu speed! You are absolutely right! Also about the 5ms we have removed it until we make charts that compare... but between us average WordPress is 400ms and Ghost is just slightly better. Actually that number is how long it takes for the engine to put together your site from database without caching any content.
I'm thrilled that you liked the editor and search features!
You are right about Disqus, we are thinking about making a built-in comment system! Thanks!!!
:)
I'm thrilled that you liked the editor and search features!
You are right about Disqus, we are thinking about making a built-in comment system! Thanks!!!
:)
I am curious why a lot of websites use the mobile style "pull out" menu on desktop versions of their sites. Is this for a consistent UX? Something else? Laziness? I personally do not like clicking on something small on the corner to get the menu for which there is plenty of space already on my screen.
Good point! It was mainly for consistency... but you are right!
Self-hosted package? It is important that you make the backend available for self-hosting if you want paying customers. It is the reason why Wordpress, Ghost and company are doing well - they are open source and can be examined for security flaws and modified if necessary. Very few casual/amateur bloggers will pay for a blog when Blogger, Tumblr etc. exist.
You want to be a blog hosting company. Make the engine available.
You want to be a blog hosting company. Make the engine available.
Thank you for your suggestion! We are actually thinking about it!
Take a video/animated-gif of your 'revolutionary editor' and have that be the main image on your front page to help really sell it.
Thanks!! Even better we have decided to put our editor on our homepage.
It'd be nice to just embed the youtube video demoing the editor right on the homepage. I had no clue what your value proposition was until I clicked the learn more link (which was not obvious) and then clicked to watch the youtube video, and it's kind of lame that I have to leave your site to see why your site is good. Just my .02
You are absolutely right!! We are working on it! Thanks!
Congratulations! Still poking around, but I almost gave up interest when I didn't see pricing. Once I noticed the hamburger menu off in the corner I did find the pricing (which is pretty good), but it made me realize how that hidden menu might let interested people go by too easily.
Thank you for letting us know! We will make it better soon! :)
I see you are doing domain registrations. "You can register a new domain for only $14/year with us"
That's quite an undertaking. Is this a white-label thing? I'd imagine there's quite a lot of management that goes into being a registrar on top of a blog platform!
That's quite an undertaking. Is this a white-label thing? I'd imagine there's quite a lot of management that goes into being a registrar on top of a blog platform!
Just like squarespace and WordPress.com we are resellers but all the domain management happens in your blog admin with the SunSed beautiful and simple UI
It looks pretty cool. I enjoy seeing more blogging platforms out there and I hope this one takes off.
Seeing the video of your editor, it reminds me of Jux. They had a really cool interface and everything, but went under.
Seeing the video of your editor, it reminds me of Jux. They had a really cool interface and everything, but went under.
I don't know about Jux but we have solid only-paid business model! We have very little overhead costs! My brother designs and I code... we live with our parents until this takes off that's our plan. We want it to grow naturally with word of mouth and will never pay for advertisement. All that said our plan is not bullet proof ;)
I'd make the "learn more" link bigger/more visible.
Also, let us try the features you advertise instead of only linking to videos. Best way to be convinced they are great is being able to try them out.
Also, let us try the features you advertise instead of only linking to videos. Best way to be convinced they are great is being able to try them out.
Thanks for your feedback!!! I'll make that link bigger, besides the free trial how can I make users try features?
I was mainly thinking about the first three (editor, search, themes). For search and themes, a demo blog with a menu to look at different themes and enough content to make trying the search useful. For the editor, just give a page where they can use it. Just a sandbox, no need to store what they write there. Signing up for a trial is likely already to much effort.
[deleted]
Great idea!! We have decided to create an editable homepage! Also link to a blog where users can try search.
Looks great - The ideas on the comments are are really good too.
Do you mind sharing what you used on the back end, and also on the front-end?
P.S. If you cannot share, it is completely fine too.
Thanks!
Do you mind sharing what you used on the back end, and also on the front-end?
P.S. If you cannot share, it is completely fine too.
Thanks!
On the backend: PHP & nginx On front end: JQuery + Semantic ui (css framework) And everything is hosted on Google Cloud Platform.
Thank you all! for your awesome feedbacks!
Conclusion:
1. Put our editor on our homepage: sunsed.com
2. Possibly change the font "Poiret One"
3. Make menu transition faster.
4. Pricing is not easy to find.
5. Fair policy for users who stop paying
6. Comparison charts for ghost and wordpress
7. Built-in comment system (beside Disqus)
8. Better explain how much faster it is compared to other blogging engines.
9. Open sourcing it.
Conclusion:
1. Put our editor on our homepage: sunsed.com
2. Possibly change the font "Poiret One"
3. Make menu transition faster.
4. Pricing is not easy to find.
5. Fair policy for users who stop paying
6. Comparison charts for ghost and wordpress
7. Built-in comment system (beside Disqus)
8. Better explain how much faster it is compared to other blogging engines.
9. Open sourcing it.
"You shall not loose your work" should be "lose" on your pledge page.
Whilst we're on corrections / copy suggestions...
"It let's your viewers find" should be "It lets", on the Why page.
Note that in that section, out of the four sentences, three end in an exclamation mark. IMO this does make the copy feel a bit... shouty / cheap; I don't imagine the Apple site, for example, would ever do this).
I'd also start that section again with the name (i.e. "Sunsed lets your viewers", rather than a pronoun (it). Readers often skip sections, plus excessive use of "it" is perhaps a bit de-personalising of the product.
"It let's your viewers find" should be "It lets", on the Why page.
Note that in that section, out of the four sentences, three end in an exclamation mark. IMO this does make the copy feel a bit... shouty / cheap; I don't imagine the Apple site, for example, would ever do this).
I'd also start that section again with the name (i.e. "Sunsed lets your viewers", rather than a pronoun (it). Readers often skip sections, plus excessive use of "it" is perhaps a bit de-personalising of the product.
Priceless... Thank you.
Fixed it. English is my second language. Thanks!!!
Empty page on my iPhone.. Is the site down?
Typographically, I think you need to reconsider a few things as well. That "Poiret One" typeface isn't exactly a stunner, and definitely isn't a great pairing for Lato (one of the classic rules of typography is never to mix multiple sans-serif or serif types on the same page). Lato is a beautiful type family; try just restricting yourself to a few of its many weights.
Good luck!