I hope this isn't too off-topic. If so, please ignore.

It is often hard to 'see the wood for the trees' and I could use some feedback on the https://www.hyperplan.com/ website.

I would really appreciate if you could spend a minute or two looking at a few of the main pages (Home/Tour/Download/Buy) and let me know:

a) How clear is it what Hyper Plan is/does? Rated from 0 (no idea) to 10 (crystal clear).
b) What do you think of the website design? Rated from 0 (dated/amateurish/ugly) to 10 (modern/professional/beautiful).

NB/ The website is not responsive, so doesn't look great on mobile devices. One of the things I plan to fix.

thanks!

Andy Brice

I think it's really good. Informative, I can see what it is and does on the first page I go to and also what it looks like. The video's are great to see how it works in actual use.

Very easy to use, and the software looks excellent. I'll have to give it a try.

Have a good one,
LB

Forgot about rating :
a) How clear is it what Hyper Plan is/does? Rated from 0 (no idea) to 10 (crystal clear).

I'd give this a 10. Not knowing anything about your software, I knew what it was within a few seconds.

b) What do you think of the website design? Rated from 0 (dated/amateurish/ugly) to 10 (modern/professional/beautiful).

I'd say around an 8 or 9. I think it looks great. It's clean and easy to read which I think is most important. It looks the way it should to make it clear what the software does. Beautiful? No, but I don't want it to be.

Sorry if you wanted more constructive criticism , but think it's well done.

LB

The pro version has **Connections**.

The web site doesn't explain **Connections**. Or at least, I didn't find it.

The rest of the site is not bad. It is not particularly compelling. But I am not a target consumer for your product. The video has areas where the user is fumbling around. Those need to be cleaned up. For people new to your software, give them an idea of what you are showing them and then show them the feature, and then tell them what you showed them. Break it down into multiple videos. Show a feature at a time.

macosxguru

Andy, the site looks a bit dated in design. I also find the black text on a the blue background a bit harsh. Take a look at the graphical design of some of your competitors -- the successful ones.

The first thing we see is the video -- which for my eyes takes up a lot of real estate on the page. I like to see a little more compelling "this is something you need" message on the landing page for apps I am not familiar with. And there's a lot of text -- some more graphics -- including color -- would liven up the pages. I would also include a "Free Trial click here" link right up top of the landing page. We have to watch to the end of the video to know there's a trial.

I think web sites for software need to always be compelling -- even if the reader is not in the target audience. You never know if the person visiting the site might be an influencer, even if not a buyer. You'd want me to tell a colleague or friend: hey, here's a product that does what you were looking for. Check it out.

So, for (a) clarity of purpose: 5 or 6. For (b) design: 4 or 5. It does look dated.

And I urge you to get the responsive site for mobile devices up very quickly. Odds are your readers will be on a phone or iPad or similar and see a reference to your product somewhere with a referral link or some other hint where to find it. There is nothing more off putting for a possible buyer to open a site that's not usable on a phone. Now -- your site isn't bad on an iPhone, but everything is too tiny so it might be giving the "nothing to see here, move along" message.

Good luck!

Andy Brice wrote:

a) How clear is it what Hyper Plan is/does? Rated from 0 (no idea) to 10
(crystal clear).

8

Since the last time, I visited your site, you have added the "It is ideal for creating many types of diagram and chart including:" section.
This section is great (content-wise). Because it gives me a lot of ideas what to do with Hyperplan and how to do it.

BUT: The presentation on the home page is ugly. And I had to click on the links (Kanban, swimlane etc.) to find out that there is a how-to for each of the diagrams.

For me as a Hyperplan buyer (not yet user) this is an invaluable resource. But it's presented poorly.

b) What do you think of the website design? Rated from 0
(dated/amateurish/ugly) to 10 (modern/professional/beautiful).

5

Before you do anything else, make the site responsive. That's essential in today's world.

This is what I see first when the page loads: "Visual Planning and Scheduling Software for Windows & Mac". Descriptive but bland. Lots of software does this; how is yours better, in just a few words: is it easier to use? does it have comprehensive features? Nothing about your current "hook" inspires me to watch the video.

As for the video, I know that everyone does them these days, but I'd rather look at screenshots first. I'll always look at screenshots, no matter how bad the sites appears (and yours doesn't appear that bad) or how iffy I am on the software. But for me to watch a video, you first have to pull me in. You do have "semi" screenshots in the tour section, but I'd rather see those features in the context of the entire UI.

Are you interested in redesigning your site because you think it's a poor site (it isn't, really) or because Hyperplan isn't selling as well as you think it should sell, and you believe a fresh site would solve that problem?

tightbeam wrote:

As for the video, I know that everyone does them these days, but I'd
rather look at screenshots first.

I also like screenshots. Another possibility is a set of animated GIFs that highlight the most compelling features of the software.

Also, to get across the purpose/benefits of the software as quickly as possible, there could be a set of problems articulated (short phrases or statements), and then showing how Hyper Plan can solve those problems (before going into any of the more specialist usage scenarios).

I agree that the colour scheme feels a bit dated, though some of that comes from the colours in the software itself (from the video still), so not sure how easy it is to fix that without updating the software.

Suggestion for easy, rapid, high-quality website creation: Nicepage (nicepage.com), successor to the impressive Artisteer.

You can use it to create your own website, either directly (i.e. as HTML pages) or for a variety of CMS back-ends (e.g. WordPress, Joomla)

All templates are responsive and highly customisable.

It's one of the best examples of component-based rapid website builders I've seen (and I've seen/used a lot, over the years). It's vastly friendlier than its many competitors.

And unlike Artisteer, it runs as a web app, or a Mac app, or a Windows app, or as a hosted service - or, and this is impressive, as a WordPress theme or a Joomla template.

And it's not ridiculously expensive (also, the developer offers regular discounts). Even better, the basic free version is fairly capable.

You could quickly create a very nice-looking website for HyperPlan in a couple of days.

Cheers!
Bill

Hi, Andy,

Question 1: 4
Question 2: 4

To me the key message about HyperPlan is buried near the bottom of the home page: Its flexibility. I think you should do a new video that demonstrates quickly how HyperPlan can be:

Kanban board
T-card chart
PERT chart
affinity diagram
organization chart
interrelationship diagram
swim lane diagram
work breakdown structure
SWOT table
risk assessment matrix
timeline
pivot table

(Maybe not all of those things, but a good number of them.)

The main video doesn't need to show HOW HyperPlan works, but what it CAN do. Excite people by the potential.

That's my two cents worth.

Steve Z.

Thanks for all the responses so far. I am reading them and will respond.

--
Andy Brice
http://www.hyperplan.com

@LB

Thanks!

--
Andy Brice
http://www.hyperplan.com

macosxguru wrote:

The pro version has **Connections**.

The web site doesn't explain **Connections**. Or at least, I didn't find
it.

I will fix that. Thanks.

The rest of the site is not bad. It is not particularly compelling. But
I am not a target consumer for your product. The video has areas where
the user is fumbling around. Those need to be cleaned up. For people new
to your software, give them an idea of what you are showing them and
then show them the feature, and then tell them what you showed them.
Break it down into multiple videos. Show a feature at a time.

People don't like to watch 'long' videos. Even 1.5 minutes is pushing it.

--
Andy Brice
http://www.hyperplan.com

Paul Korm wrote:

Andy, the site looks a bit dated in design. ...

That seems to be the general consensus.

And I urge you to get the responsive site for mobile devices up very
quickly. Odds are your readers will be on a phone or iPad or similar
and see a reference to your product somewhere with a referral link or
some other hint where to find it. There is nothing more off putting
for a possible buyer to open a site that's not usable on a phone. Now
-- your site isn't bad on an iPhone, but everything is too tiny so it
might be giving the "nothing to see here, move along" message.

This is high on the list. But I need to decide whether to retrofit that to the existing design or start from scratch.

Good luck!

Thanks!

--
Andy Brice
http://www.hyperplan.com

tightbeam wrote:

Before you do anything else, make the site responsive. That's essential
in today's world.

Indeed.

This is what I see first when the page loads: "Visual Planning and
Scheduling Software for Windows & Mac". Descriptive but bland. Lots of
software does this; how is yours better, in just a few words: is it
easier to use? does it have comprehensive features? Nothing about your
current "hook" inspires me to watch the video.

OK.

As for the video, I know that everyone does them these days, but I'd
rather look at screenshots first. I'll always look at screenshots, no
matter how bad the sites appears (and yours doesn't appear that bad) or
how iffy I am on the software. But for me to watch a video, you first
have to pull me in. You do have "semi" screenshots in the tour section,
but I'd rather see those features in the context of the entire UI.

I should probably move the screenshots to the front page.

Are you interested in redesigning your site because you think it's a
poor site (it isn't, really) or because Hyperplan isn't selling as well
as you think it should sell, and you believe a fresh site would solve
that problem?

I am trying to establish whether it is worth the time and effort to redesign the current site or just make the existing design responsive.

--
Andy Brice
http://www.hyperplan.com

I also like screenshots. Another possibility is a set of animated GIFs
that highlight the most compelling features of the software.

I like animated gifs. But they can be quite distracting. The human eye/brain is very drawn to movement.

Also, to get across the purpose/benefits of the software as quickly as
possible, there could be a set of problems articulated (short phrases or
statements), and then showing how Hyper Plan can solve those problems
(before going into any of the more specialist usage scenarios).

Hyper Plan can be used in lots of different areas. This is generally a strength, but it makes marketing hard!

I agree that the colour scheme feels a bit dated, though some of that
comes from the colours in the software itself (from the video still), so
not sure how easy it is to fix that without updating the software.

When I first created the copy I consciously chose to mimic the colours of sticky notes in the colour defaults. They are just defaults - you can choose any colour. But it might have been better to choose more vibrant colours. That is something I hope to address in a future release.

--
Andy Brice
http://www.hyperplan.com

MadaboutDana wrote:

Suggestion for easy, rapid, high-quality website creation: Nicepage
(nicepage.com), successor to the impressive Artisteer.

Thanks for the suggestion. But I have been badly burnt before by being locked into a WYSIWYG web editor. Pure HTML/CSS is my preferred choice (I use the Hammer4Mac static website generator to create the current website from text 'source' files).

--
Andy Brice
http://www.hyperplan.com

Stephen Zeoli wrote:

To me the key message about HyperPlan is buried near the bottom of the
home page: Its flexibility.

You might be right. Currently I use the term 'visual planner'. But I suppose nearly all planners are visual to some extent. It is a question of how to convey that without overwhelming people.

--
Andy Brice
http://www.hyperplan.com

Many thanks for all the feedback.

The overall feedback (here and elsewhere) seems to be that the site is fairly clear. But looks a bit bland/dated and could use more compelling text and better screenshots.

Food for thought. Thanks!

--
Andy Brice
http://www.hyperplan.com

When I visit a software website, I look at things in the following order:

- General description - the of the basics of what it does
- Screenshots - to get an overview of what the software looks like
- Features - a more detailed review of what it does
- Video - Only if I'm interested will I invest the time in watching the video.
- Pricing - Hopefully the front page will give some idea. At this stage I'm interested in different features/prices for the different versions

The most interesting point for me on the main page was the list of application areas and diagrams. The main selling point of the software is visualisation, therefore a few screenshots for the most popular diagrams would be good.

The tour page jumps straight into details whereas at the end the animated gif about switching between views seems important and also gives an overview so I would have moved it closer to the start. Consider moving video from front page to this page.

On the download page it was only when I went to the changes from last version that it told me there were home and professional versions.

On the Buy page the lighter colour for the home version emphasises this version rather than the professional version which I assume you would prefer people consider. The page needs to highlight connections as the difference and maybe state the advantage they give.

I hope the above is of some use.

Nigel

@Nigel

That is all useful feedback. Thanks.

--

Andy Brice
https://www.hyperplan.com

Following the helpful feedback I have put a new version online:

new: https://www.hyperplan.com/staging/
old: https://www.hyperplan.com/

Note that that I haven't changed the design (fonts, colour, white space) much and I haven't made it responsive yet. I will concentrate on that once I am happy with the overall structure and copy.

--
Andy Brice
http://www.hyperplan.com

Andy I like the new layout.

I think you should use this as the banner at the top

"Hyper Plan combines the simplicity of sticking colored notes to the wall with the flexibility of software."

instead of

"Flexible planning and scheduling software..."

Which defines your and all your competitors. The "colored notes on the wall" is a "aha, I get it" sort of tag line.

The .gifs are great. Well done.

I suggest you find a different font -- something classy -- and use a larger point size. The text on the page can stand out better.

Paul Korm wrote:

Andy I like the new layout.

Thanks!

I think you should use this as the banner at the top

"Hyper Plan combines the simplicity of sticking colored notes to the
wall with the flexibility of software."

instead of

"Flexible planning and scheduling software..."

Which defines your and all your competitors. The "colored notes on the
wall" is a "aha, I get it" sort of tag line.

The H1 title is important for search engine optimization and people are more likely to search for phrases like "planning software for mac".

But I do want to make that line stand out a bit more.

The .gifs are great. Well done.

They aren't quite as crisp as I would like. But making them higher quality would probably make them too slow to load.

I suggest you find a different font -- something classy -- and use a
larger point size. The text on the page can stand out better.

I need to talk to a proper web designer about that. Just concentrating on the copy and structure at present. Fonts/Colors/Spacing/Responsive comes later.

--

Andy Brice
https://www.hyperplan.com

As an unbiased (WRT Hyperplan) observer taking due respect to the great work done to generate the page, I would offer the remarks below with the hope they are taken as ways to improve the impact rather than critiques about mistakes.

* We focus on pictures first and then look for the explanation for the picture afterward. In English, we read from left to right. The page scatters the placement of images and text between left and right sides. For consistency, put pictures on the left (what will be seen first) and put their explanations on the right (what will be sought next).

* We capture ideas in snapshots. The page flows continuously with no clear demarcations between ideas. Provide better demarcations between ideas.

* This struck me at the first feature (Layout cards in ...). The fewer "fluff" words and the fewer inferences, the better. Remove "e.g" and words in ' ... '. Also, make the explanation text bigger (you've got lots of space there next to the images). Also, can you slow down the action in the moving videos? You might consider allowing about 3-5 seconds between each layout change to allow the layout image to "sink in" (3-5 s is what we typically consider as the smallest instant in time to process a concept before moving to the next one).

Otherwise, I am enticed by what I see and will try Hyperplan in the near future.

Thanks!

Andy Brice wrote:

Following the helpful feedback I have put a new version online:

new: https://www.hyperplan.com/staging/
old: https://www.hyperplan.com/

Note that that I haven't changed the design (fonts, colour, white space)
much and I haven't made it responsive yet. I will concentrate on that
once I am happy with the overall structure and copy.

--
Andy Brice
http://www.hyperplan.com