Check out my new start-up. Any feedback would be appreciated

[naushad1289]

ThoughtsVent.com ...check it out, and I would greatly appreciate any feedback.

I have been working all summer on this. I also read MJ's book right when I was starting to work on this website which gave me even more motivation.

Literally hours and hours of work has gone into making this website. I had to learn and teach myself programming and I did hire some programmers to help me out with web design and for doing some of the more high level complicated programming (or else I would be spending a lot more time teaching myself without seeing results, I also learned so much from these programmers. I made them teach and coach me).

I saw that no sites existed where you can just vent out whatever is on your mind. Sure, there is facebook and twitter but what happens when what you want to let out is something embarrassing? There are too many site where you can share with your friends but not too many sites where you can just share with the rest of the world or with people you don't even know (or never met).

Lets say you just had a bad day, great day, or just want to say something and want to be heard instantly? Nothing like this existed (at least not to my knowledge). So thats why I created ThoughtsVent.com

In the site, you can also receive feedback as people can comment on any thought that is posted on the website. The site is real-time meaning that as soon as you post your thoughts, it will instantly show up on the homepage.

If you sign up for an account, you can post private thoughts (which only you have access to), keep track of your submitted thoughts and your favorite thoughts.

What do you guys think?

 

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[Darkside]

ThoughtsVent.com ...check it out, and I would greatly appreciate any feedback.

I have been working all summer on this. I also read MJ's book right when I was starting to work on this website which gave me even more motivation.

Literally hours and hours of work has gone into making this website. I had to learn and teach myself programming and I did hire some programmers to help me out with web design and for doing some of the more high level complicated programming (or else I would be spending a lot more time teaching myself without seeing results, I also learned so much from these programmers. I made them teach and coach me).

I saw that no sites existed where you can just vent out whatever is on your mind. Sure, there is facebook and twitter but what happens when what you want to let out is something embarrassing? There are too many site where you can share with your friends but not too many sites where you can just share with the rest of the world or with people you don't even know (or never met).

Lets say you just had a bad day, great day, or just want to say something and want to be heard instantly? Nothing like this existed (at least not to my knowledge). So thats why I created ThoughtsVent.com

In the site, you can also receive feedback as people can comment on any thought that is posted on the website. The site is real-time meaning that as soon as you post your thoughts, it will instantly show up on the homepage.

If you sign up for an account, you can post private thoughts (which only you have access to), keep track of your submitted thoughts and your favorite thoughts.

What do you guys think?

The site looks good; great work so far. However, there's no way to reply to someones vent. What's the point of venting if people can't comment on your vent or you can't comment on other people's venting posts?

 

[naushad1289]

Thanks!
You can comment on every thought. Just click on the comment link on the bottom of every thought and then click post comment.

 

[ice]

My thoughts... there was a website like this before called "kiss my boo boo" where people could vent. That website no longer exists as far as I know.

My thinking about thoughtsvent.com is that it's too dry.

I like more graphics. Instead of just a comment.... how about give the person venting an icon-- like flowers, teddy bear, sunrise, bandaid, heart etc.

The website as it is now doesn't appeal to me because it's not..... inspiring, fun, emotional.

Just dull complaints.

 

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[MamaD]

How do you plan to monetize it?

 

[Kinsey6287]

How do you plan to monetize it?

My thoughts also. I posted on the site, and I think it's a great idea. I do agree also with ice that it needs to be a little more eye catching and appealing. Good idea though.

 

[Talisman]

I like it. Speed+ for DOING.

I also like the suggestions about emoticons instead of just "love and intimacy" for the group. Also that yes, it's a bit too gray.

Other thing... encourage people to immediately post by having the top as a blank (similar to how FB have it, so it's the first thing you see). It may be like that when you log in (I didn't), but that doesn't stop you having it there, and then when they go to "post", just redirect them to the registration page.

Keep at it.

 

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[Talisman]

Found this with my first lookup for a competitor: Vent Your Mind

Looks pretty meh, if that's your competition then you're on your way to something decent. I also saw a few of the top google results return things like "where can i vent my thoughts", which is promising.

You need to get it advertised, ranked, some sort of presence.

Good luck again!

 

[speedyexe]

Share your thoughts, emotions, secrets, and feelings anonymously

make it bigger to explain people for what it was made for.
maybe make some nice logo like this wallpaper

 

[domular]

Congrats on getting something going. For those looking for ways to offer services or products this would be a great source to see where there's need.

The one hurdle I see with the site is stickiness. It's a great place to vent but after you've had your rant and you read a few responses do you really want to come back and listen to other people bitch, I don't know.

Good luck with the project and keep us posted.

 

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[Likwid24]

I do agree also with ice that it needs to be a little more eye catching and appealing.

I agree. The page does look a little boring but it's nothing that can't be improved on. It needs something a little extra. But besides that it seems like a good idea.

I think Domular is right that it can turn in to a great site for people, such as us in this forum, to get ideas for products from people's complaints.

Great Job though! Speed+

 

[skyhigh]

To me the site is similar to the FML site.

 

[valuegiver]

You need to get a new web designer. Pardon me to be blunt, but I close my browser within 2 seconds of visiting your site. It is that bad. FML does it right.

 

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[Graves]

I think it's a cool idea, how did you get traffic to your site ?
Maybe you can allow people to tweet/facebook the vents they liked reading.

 

[Hokoleskwa]

Speed+ for execution and what I think is a neat idea.

I agree that the layout feels weird. The ad on right/ menu on left feels awkward. Especially since when I first opened the page in my mobile browser (Droid), the ad was the first thing I saw.

Also, the word "categories" is misspelled. It seems like a tiny thing, but little mistakes like that scream "bush league" when you're trying to put forth a professional appearance.

But aside from that, neat idea that draws me in and makes me want to use right away, and it seems I'm not alone.

 

[AdamMaxum]

i like it. has great potential.

for the layout i would...consider putting the categories on the left side and the banner on the right. but it looks fine as it is now.

for the color complaints..it is a little dull. Don't over saturate the page with color though. A few colored items would be sufficient. for example, the logo for thoughtsvent.com and the bubbles...maybe give the bubbles color.

Also including icons (or the ability to upload an image) next to the post would add color on it's own.

nice work so far and gl with it.

 

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[naushad1289]

My thinking about thoughtsvent.com is that it's too dry.

I like more graphics. Instead of just a comment.... how about give the person venting an icon-- like flowers, teddy bear, sunrise, bandaid, heart etc.

The website as it is now doesn't appeal to me because it's not..... inspiring, fun, emotional.

Just dull complaints.

Thanks for the feedback, having icons might be a good ideal.

 

[naushad1289]

How do you plan to monetize it?

Mainly through ads and I was thinking about taking all the top thoughts and putting them in a book -- but thats in the long term. I was also thinking of an iPhone/android/mobile apps - but I have to take it one step at a time.

My thoughts also. I posted on the site, and I think it's a great idea. I do agree also with ice that it needs to be a little more eye catching and appealing. Good idea though.

Thanks, I will definitely add more colors. That seems to be the feedback that I am getting again and again. So I will definitely work on adding more colors. I just wanted consistent coloring but can see how too much gray can make it seem dull.

I like it. Speed+ for DOING.

I also like the suggestions about emoticons instead of just "love and intimacy" for the group. Also that yes, it's a bit too gray.

Other thing... encourage people to immediately post by having the top as a blank (similar to how FB have it, so it's the first thing you see). It may be like that when you log in (I didn't), but that doesn't stop you having it there, and then when they go to "post", just redirect them to the registration page.

Keep at it.

Thanks,
Noted on the dullness and the grayness. Will work to improve it.
I thought having a "Post Your Thought" button and the fact that it pops down fast would be sufficient as I wanted to focus on the content. For every 1 person who posts, there are 100 readers. So the people who want to post will click on the button. That was my thinking at least. I also encourage people to open their accounts on the post box by pointing out the advantages. i did not want to take them there forcefully.

Found this with my first lookup for a competitor: Vent Your Mind

Looks pretty meh, if that's your competition then you're on your way to something decent. I also saw a few of the top google results return things like "where can i vent my thoughts", which is promising.

You need to get it advertised, ranked, some sort of presence.

Good luck again!

Thanks,
Yes, ventyoumind.com is similar but I would not really consider that a competitor. That site is basically not active anymore. I think ThoughtsVent is more interactive and better designed. I just need to market it now and hopefully it will catch on.

You are right, I need to get it out there more. So there is a need for a site like this where it give people instant gratification. We live in a world where people want instant gratification.

Congrats on getting something going. For those looking for ways to offer services or products this would be a great source to see where there's need.

The one hurdle I see with the site is stickiness. It's a great place to vent but after you've had your rant and you read a few responses do you really want to come back and listen to other people bitch, I don't know.

Good luck with the project and keep us posted.

Thanks! As far as stickiness goes, I feel like if there is good content on there, then people would want to come back and read the content as it is constantly being updated. For example, one of my friends reads fmylife every night before he goes to sleep as he finds it entertaining. And plus there are people who hopefully will vent regularly. Not everyone has loved ones or boyfriends/girlfriends they can vent to. So hopefully it will stick.

 

[naushad1289]

I agree. The page does look a little boring but it's nothing that can't be improved on. It needs something a little extra. But besides that it seems like a good idea.

I think Domular is right that it can turn in to a great site for people, such as us in this forum, to get ideas for products from people's complaints.

Great Job though! Speed+

I will definitely work on adding more colors. That is my first priority. I am marketing the site like crazy right now so hopefully it will catch on and people will use this site to release their emotions.

To me the site is similar to the FML site.

You could say that but its different in many ways. First, you can talk about your great days or great times you have had. Second, its real-time so as soon as someone posts their thoughts, the website updated for everyone. There is also no word limit and you don't have to wait for your thought to get moderated.

You need to get a new web designer. Pardon me to be blunt, but I close my browser within 2 seconds of visiting your site. It is that bad. FML does it right.

Noted, I will work on improving the jazz of the site. Really appreciate your honesty. I would rather have honest advice than have someone just trying to please me.

I think it's a cool idea, how did you get traffic to your site ?
Maybe you can allow people to tweet/facebook the vents they liked reading.

So far, personal marketing. Telling friends, family, and to all the message boards that I visit (such as this one). Do you think have a facebook / twitter link on every thought is a good idea. I wanted to get away from that since EVERY site on the internet does social media integration. Don't you think its a little over done?

Speed+ for execution and what I think is a neat idea.

I agree that the layout feels weird. The ad on right/ menu on left feels awkward. Especially since when I first opened the page in my mobile browser (Droid), the ad was the first thing I saw.

Also, the word "categories" is misspelled. It seems like a tiny thing, but little mistakes like that scream "bush league" when you're trying to put forth a professional appearance.

But aside from that, neat idea that draws me in and makes me want to use right away, and it seems I'm not alone.

Will work on mobile apps or mobile version of the site soon. I noticed on my phone too that the ads definitely do pop up and take over the content until you zoom in.

Wow, I did not notice how categories was spelled wrong! Thanks for that. You are the first person who has pointed that out.

Yes, that's exactly what I was hoping people would say.

i like it. has great potential.

for the layout i would...consider putting the categories on the left side and the banner on the right. but it looks fine as it is now.

for the color complaints..it is a little dull. Don't over saturate the page with color though. A few colored items would be sufficient. for example, the logo for thoughtsvent.com and the bubbles...maybe give the bubbles color.

Also including icons (or the ability to upload an image) next to the post would add color on it's own.

nice work so far and gl with it.

Just curious as to why you think the categories should be on the left and the banner on the right?
It seems like I will definitely have to work on the colors, and I will not over do it. I will mess around with changing colors of little things here and there to see if that will suffice rather than changing the whole color scheme.


Thank you everyone for the great feedback. I have had over 1000 visits since the launch of the site (which is less than 24 hours!). I will keep everyone updated.

 

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[Antonio.]

Reminds me of FML

 

[Hokoleskwa]

Second, its real-time so as soon as someone posts their thoughts, the website updated for everyone. There is also no word limit and you don't have to wait for your thought to get moderated.

I liked this aspect; I was able to dive in and start commenting without going through some lengthy registration process. Seems like there are added benefits to registering, but it's not required, and that's cool.

So far, personal marketing. Telling friends, family, and to all the message boards that I visit (such as this one). Do you think have a facebook / twitter link on every thought is a good idea. I wanted to get away from that since EVERY site on the internet does social media integration. Don't you think its a little over done?

I think that this is one case where Facebook integration is a BAD idea. The point of the site is to vent anonymously. Even if they don't mean to click on the button, the idea of a "Share!" button being there that could accidentally be clicked could turn people off. I know that there are some websites I visit that drive me nuts, because they automatically pull in my logged-in Facebook info, and I don't like the idea that ANYTHING I might be viewing could be shared with my wife's grandparents and whoever else, just because I was careless with a click. However, I do think having a linked Facebook page for the website is key.

Just curious as to why you think the categories should be on the left and the banner on the right?

It just feels more natural, and seems to be a standard across many websites. I know "everyone else is doing it" isn't always the best reason for doing something, but in this case, it feels a little visually jarring to the user. I understand that you might feel it gives you a better chance of getting that ad clicked, but right now your primary concern should be user adoption and not necessarily monetization. If you build it, they will come. If you build it well, more will come.

To me the site is similar to the FML site.

Reminds me of FML

SIMPSONS DID IT! Seriously, people. With as much talk as there is on this board about how an idea doesn't need to be original, just executed well, how does anyone still feel this is useful feedback? How about at least telling the guy whether you think the similarity is a good or bad thing? Check out Talisman's reply for a good example.

 

[naushad1289]

I liked this aspect; I was able to dive in and start commenting without going through some lengthy registration process. Seems like there are added benefits to registering, but it's not required, and that's cool.

Thats exactly what I was thinking when making the site...little barrier to using the site. I even made the registration hassle free...just four things are required.

I think that this is one case where Facebook integration is a BAD idea. The point of the site is to vent anonymously. Even if they don't mean to click on the button, the idea of a "Share!" button being there that could accidentally be clicked could turn people off. I know that there are some websites I visit that drive me nuts, because they automatically pull in my logged-in Facebook info, and I don't like the idea that ANYTHING I might be viewing could be shared with my wife's grandparents and whoever else, just because I was careless with a click. However, I do think having a linked Facebook page for the website is key.

Good to hear someone else thinks the same way I do. I think it kind of takes away the anonymity of the site. I have already build a facebook page for the site and will start getting people to like it.

It just feels more natural, and seems to be a standard across many websites. I know "everyone else is doing it" isn't always the best reason for doing something, but in this case, it feels a little visually jarring to the user. I understand that you might feel it gives you a better chance of getting that ad clicked, but right now your primary concern should be user adoption and not necessarily monetization. If you build it, they will come. If you build it well, more will come.

Thanks for the advice and the reasoning. I will change this on the site by Monday for sure as this will require some bit of programming on my side.

SIMPSONS DID IT! Seriously, people. With as much talk as there is on this board about how an idea doesn't need to be original, just executed well, how does anyone still feel this is useful feedback? How about at least telling the guy whether you think the similarity is a good or bad thing? Check out Talisman's reply for a good example.

Can't thank you enough for your in-depth feedback. This really help!

 

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[Graves]

I think that this is one case where Facebook integration is a BAD idea. The point of the site is to vent anonymously. Even if they don't mean to click on the button, the idea of a "Share!" button being there that could accidentally be clicked could turn people off.

I think it fits PERFECTLY with the model of the site - as you said, you're anonymous, so what's the problem ? I would never have discovered FML if it weren't for facebook friends clicking the "Like" buttons on their favorite stories.

 

[Hokoleskwa]

I think it fits PERFECTLY with the model of the site - as you said, you're anonymous, so what's the problem ? I would never have discovered FML if it weren't for facebook friends clicking the "Like" buttons on their favorite stories.

You misunderstood me. I'm talking about linking up your OWN thoughts to your Facebook feed, similarly to how you can link up Twitter so that all your tweets are automatically posted to your Facebook feed. Since the thoughts are meant to be anonymous, this is probably a bad idea.

 

[naushad1289]

Alright, so I am going to:
1) Add more colors
2) Switch the categories to the left side.
3) Add sharing links so people can share it on social networks

Is there anything else that I am missing or do you think any other changes are needed then please let me know.

Thanks

 

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[77startup]

Nice job I like the concept. I just think the layout needs a redesign. How much are you looking to make per year off of this website? Also, what type of advertisers are you trying to attract?

 

[naushad1289]

Nice job I like the concept. I just think the layout needs a redesign. How much are you looking to make per year off of this website? Also, what type of advertisers are you trying to attract?

Glad that you like the concept. I am currently working on the design. To be honest, I don't know what to expect from this kind of website. I will need to work hard to get this marketed. The harder I work the more I can expect. My first goal is to break even in terms of time and the cost it took me to make the website (hiring the programmers and web hosting). I am using google adsense right now. It would be awesome to attract advertisers but this will not happen unless I get good steady traffic on the website.

 

[77startup]

Glad that you like the concept. I am currently working on the design. To be honest, I don't know what to expect from this kind of website. I will need to work hard to get this marketed. The harder I work the more I can expect. My first goal is to break even in terms of time and the cost it took me to make the website (hiring the programmers and web hosting). I am using google adsense right now. It would be awesome to attract advertisers but this will not happen unless I get good steady traffic on the website.

Word of advice from a guy who did exactly that. Know thy numbers. 2 years ago I started a website "business" just like you're doing now without knowing any specifics. I assumed that if I built something useful people would come, and somehow I would be able to monetize that traffic. Well, eventually they did come but I went through a lot of unnecessary hardships simply because I did not know enough about my goals with the website.

I suggest you slow down a bit and think about your end game plan before you build an infrastructure that is hard to change later on.

 

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[whiteeclipse]

Hi, it looked like you had a nice project going but now I notice the website is offline. If you don't mind me asking what happened to ThoughtsVent.com? Was it taking up alot of your time? Did you have any ad revenue? Did you market the website within your friends on facebook?