These two lines (copied from Raaz 3 track) for Writerbabu:
Teri baahon me mili aisi raahat si mujhe,
Ho gayi jaan-e-jahan teri aadat si mujhe!
It’s my fourth week on Writerbabu and the experience so far have been amazing. I got to read amazing work by young writers, made some contribution, met enthusiastic individuals and shared a little of my heart in the diary. Though the experience with the site is nice so far however, as the website is new, it requires lots of changes for good. I personally felt need of some basic changes on the site but before I put my suggestions here, first of all heartedly KUDOS to this one-man-army behind the scene, Srijan Srivastava. Brother, all the hats-off and speechless to you. And here starts my list:
1. First and most important suggestion is that we are not Google friendly at all. SEO optimization is extremely poor and we really need to improve that if we want to mark our presence effectively in the online world for a long time.
2. I am afraid of adding new people as friend because I know I’d not be able to unfriend that person from my list if they stop visiting WB after few days.
3. Why social network engagement is too low? The interface could be designed in a way to proactively engage with social n/w; specially Facebook and Twitter.
4. If we analyze Post vs Diary, we will come up with conclusion that posts are much popular than diary. Diary is one of the core features of the website then why this could not become so popular. I gave a though and could come up with this analysis:
a. Think someone made only one diary entry and forgot about it and still sitting on top of your head on diary page. Wont it be annoying that their hit rate is much more than yours if even though you are making much more entries than those inctive users?
b. You pour your heart out there yet no one is remarking on any of the most touching moments of your life.
c. If you add a photo to your diary, it stops showing number of posts and hits.
Possible solutions:
1. Effective SEO techniques (Medium efforts and high benefits)
2. By providing a Remove Friend button. And I believe it would require not too much efforts (Low efforts and high benefits)
3. A social network friendly platform (High efforts and medium benefits and then moving to high benefits over a period)
4. Diary management (Very high efforts and high benefits)
Srijan can sort diaries basis on a weighted average of following criteria given weight to impacting facts according to their relative importance
a) Total number of entries in last 7 days (High weight)
b) User activeness (High weight)
c) Last entry date (Medium weight)
d) Page views (Low weight – because otherwise the one who is getting benefitted will keep getting benefitted)
And of course with adding a comment/remark box in diary entries. If you think diaries are too personal for this, there should an interaction box between author and reader (visible only between both of them and without the option of Anonymous – Someone is sharing their DIARY with you; you just cannot be anonymous.)
@Readers: if you have any suggestion for this our very own site, quite welcome on comment section below.
@SrijanSrivastava: If you require any analytical solution that take 2 to 3 hours a week, I am ready to do this FREE OF COST (I usually cost $5 per hour) for ALL OF US (without any commitment)
Wishes and love,
Ashish Chauhan
ashksc@gmail.com
Will work on your suggestions.
What I had thought for the diary page is of giving few sorting options and that preference will be remembered for each user. Like someone would like to sort by most active diary, someone would like it sorted alphabetically. Sometime you would like to see new diaries.
Options of following a diary is also in the to-do list.
One's own diaries should be more prominently visible on profile page.
These things and your suggestions must improve diary reading writing experience for sure.