Support NeoGAF

hiphoptherobot · Jul 23, 2017

gohanrage said:
I leave that stuff up to much smarter people. I know I am not all that smart. I am probably just reaching the intelligence of a person who finished high school finally. I'll be 37 on July 30th. I have a Learning Disability. English was never a strong subject I barely past. I spend all my waking days online. I love that anything that pops in my head I can quickly find the answer.

I cannot help that certain things people say feel like an attack.

Honestly, if there were a thread of people picking apart a site that I really enjoyed and visited everyday I might be a bit on edge too. However, I think it is important to understand, aside from some people maybe directly attacking Shane, there is a lot of constructive criticism in this thread that might actually help to improve the site and make it financially successful in the future.

tim.mbp · Jul 23, 2017

Feel like siftd might be better as an app. Like a video game specific Flipboard or Feedly.

massoluk · Jul 23, 2017

satterfield said:
Having to Register
Not sure where people are getting that you have to register to use the site. You can view any piece of non-Premium content without ever registering. The only time you're prompted to register is if you try to comment or use the forums (how do you comment without a username) or access Premium content. Seriously, go use the site. You can view everything without registering.

I dont think you even know how your own site work. I hit that registration prompt all the time

Living the Dream · Jul 24, 2017

this website is absolutely pointless. I can go anywhere to get the same regurgitated news.

Alucrid said:
it's weird that the first thing the promo tells you about the site is that it's founded by shane satterfield. is he that big of a draw?

Only in his world.

joms5 · Jul 24, 2017

satterfield said:
I do take umbrage with the person who attacked my verbiage in the article, though. SIFTD is a family. I know you hear that all the time, but it's true. It's an adult community where people respect each other and have civil conversations about games. A post like the one I'm speaking of would never appear on the site. People just don't act that way. I think the analogy "don't s*** in your own backyard" definitely applies because they're invested in something they pay for. So when I write things like "our cause" it's not BS. We're all in it together because we all believe in it. The more successful the site is the more content its users get for the money they pay. If you don't believe me, look at the comments in the article.

Listen, i'm not here to put down what you're attempting to do. But I think it's more than just your "verbiage" in the article. I think your attitude of throwing more money at a problem isn't going to fix what needs fixing in the first place. I think you need to reevaluate the size and popularity of the website, and scale things down while attempting to build the audience.

A lot of members have given some great ideas around making content free from time to time. It wouldn't hurt to maybe promote yourself (as you are the personality behind the website) and the website in other gaming related events or websites.

As for the "cause" comment. Listen, I love this medium just as much as many here and probably more than many. But when I hear someone attribute the word "cause" to a website about video games, it sounds pompous and self important. Maybe it's because you're not clear on your site about what your cause is, or again maybe it was just poor wording. Either way, it's one person's opinion. I just think such a word should be attributed to movements that can have some real positive affect on the world we live in.

Finally Shane, I've been watching you since the days of Gamespot, followed you throughout your days at Gametrailers, and then followed you for a bit afterwards. I genuinely enjoyed you as a host and moderator. You did a good job of keeping things on track and organized. You have a passion for this business which is apparent in all your conversations and you also have the knowledge to back it up. But there were times in the past where watching you talk about games wasn't enjoyable. And to be quite frank, they were infuriating. Maybe because you took such a hard line with certain opinions or were unwilling to ever concede or walk back opinions you once held. And I don't expect everyone to change their opinion on things. But when I want to consume content on games, while having a full time job and family, I want it to be fun.

And that's what your site seems to be missing to me. This could be completely wrong. It may be a riot on there with tons of joking around and fun shit happening. But it's an image thing. It doesn't look like a fun place to visit. It's looks rigid, regimented and structured. Which is probably what an aggregator is supposed to be. But are aggregator's fun?

Anyway, this has gone on way too long. I wish you the best dude. I really do. I apologize if I offended you in my post at all. I still think you were wrong about The Walking Dead at the game awards and will never let you live it down.

But you already know that by now. lol

satterfield · Jul 24, 2017

Stumpokapow said:
I went to the site and clicked "Microsoft" on the front page and got a registration prompt. Then I clicked the menu and clicked Community and got a registration prompt. Then I tried to change the filter on the front page to 48 (hours, presumably) instead of 24 (hours, presumably) and got a registration prompt. I don't know if there are ways around this, but I also don't really care. I assume your bounce rate for first time users is really high because of the account registration walls. With respect to the forums, I didn't want to reply to the forums, I wanted to read them. Something like 90% of GAF's traffic is people without accounts -- it might actually even be more than that. You want people reading even if they don't want to participate.

Yeah, our channel pages are locked behind registration. We will change that. In fact, we'll scour the site for any gates and remove them all. We've transitioned from a pay-only site to everything but original content being free, so there are definitely some hangovers and some tweaks to be made. Had no idea that lurkers make up so much forum traffic on GAF. Never got data that pointed to that from prior sites I worked at, though.

I know the term responsive, but our site is responsive so I thought you were talking about speed instead. I use it on iPhone and iPad and scaling works just fine for me. Our developer tests on Android as well. That said, I'm not a programmer or web developer. We hired someone to build/update the site. If you could share the issues you're having it would be a huge help and I'll pass them onto our developer.

You're not being rude at all. You've offered great feedback so thank you.

Alucrid · Jul 24, 2017

a small example is this

make the browser window small enough and the search icon, register and login buttons do that

Stumpokapow · Jul 24, 2017

satterfield said:
I know the term responsive, but our site is responsive so I thought you were talking about speed instead. I use it on iPhone and iPad and scaling works just fine for me. Our developer tests on Android as well. That said, I'm not a programmer or web developer. We hired someone to build/update the site. If you could share the issues you're having it would be a huge help and I'll pass them onto our developer.

I opened the site in Chrome (Macbook, 2016). I shrank the window to be around 2/3rds the width of my screen -- at this point, content began being off the right edge of the screen. A little while smaller, top level comments are now off the right side of the screen. Below about one third of the screen, register, login, and search all overlap one another, and the lower you go, register and log in pop off the top bar entirely and are floating around in the void.

When I use web inspector to impersonate various mobile devices and resolutions, there is almost always issues with the top bar, stuff that doesn't fit on the page, or both. It is possible that on the particular mobile configurations you use, things work, but it definitely does not appear to be properly responsive.

satterfield · Jul 24, 2017

Living the Dream said:
this website is absolutely pointless. I can go anywhere to get the same regurgitated news.

Only in his world.

We didn't include me in the open because I'm a massive draw. We did it to add some legitimacy to the site. That someone with experience is behind it.

katsubento · Jul 24, 2017

satterfield said:
Mouse over the SIFTD logo on the top left of the page. All your questions answered. Every piece of original content we publish is also promoted in the massive image carousel at the top of the page. Thank you for your support!

Maybe it's not quite working on Mobile Chrome. It keeps asking me to register and donate even when I log in.

dickroach · Jul 24, 2017

satterfield said:
GIFE: An opinion show that tries to tackle crossovers between gaming and culture. Also very weird/different.

PlayView: A crossover of traditional video previews and Let's Plays.

Dossier: A monthly roundup of all the games coming that month with hype ratings from SIFTD editorial and its users.

Bad Dudes: A final boss review show.

Shane's Addiction: I look at piping hot (addictive) games like PUBG and ultimately decide whether they're truly addictive over the long haul or just a flash in the pan.

SIFTD Hangout: Our Let's Plays. Definitely the one series we create that's not especially innovative, but every pub needs to do these in 2017.

Game Evals: Our take on the game review that gives users a custom review score based on their tastes.

I've been aware of SIFTD from the start and have never heard of any of these shows.
shows like these get bigger, or known at all, through people sharing them on social media and popping up on peoples' youtube feeds n shit. that's not happening if they're behind a paywall. like... put the past episodes up on youtube

Goron2000 · Jul 24, 2017

gohanrage said:
I leave that stuff up to much smarter people.

If it wasn't for this thread here. I wouldn't even be on NeoGAF. I have no idea what special thing I need to do so I can create my own thread. the fact that I can't is the reason I never come here

I think you need to reach a certain amount of posts (like 200 or 300) before you can post a thread, it was in the Terms of Service but I can't find it. I don't think people meant to attack you or the site, many people want to help Shane but sometimes these things are hard to put delicately. Keep up the good spirits Gohan, Shane needs fans like yourself more than ever.

Oh and you can't delete your post but you can edit it to remove anything you didn't want to say if you like.

besada · Jul 24, 2017

1) Start a Patreon. Drive all your donation PR toward the Patreon. Give up the tiny amount they want in return for letting them handle something that isn't your core business. It's a no brainer. You're wasting time and effort doing your own donation stuff instead of letting the acknowledged masters handle it. Stop that.

2) Take the time you've been wasting on handling donations, and spend it getting the word out about your content. No one had any idea SIFTD had a bunch of original content beyond Pachter.

3) Fix your website. Since you're turning all your donation stuff over to Patreon, you can get rid of all the gates that are stopping people from realizing what your site has to offer.

4) Do all of this right now. This thread currently has 23K views. It's driving people to your site. It will probably continue to do so for a couple of days. Most of this stuff can be done within a day or two. Don't waste the publicity.

EviLore · Jul 24, 2017

satterfield said:
That said, I'm not a programmer or web developer. We hired someone to build/update the site.

"It's not in my job description" is not something a failing business owner ever gets to say. You need to know what you need to know when you're running a business. If you don't have the correct knowledge base and skillset to perform your job in such a way that your website stays afloat, that's on you to address.

You don't know how your own website works. You clearly didn't start this with a sustainable business plan or get VC money behind it. Why are you running it? What are you bringing to the table here? Why should people give you money to continue running it? Because you put in your own time and money to launch it and people should feel sympathetic because you gambled with your personal finances and took an L?

Sounds like you need a wake-up call, man. That's not how the world works.

SIFTD SOS said:
The really hard part is that we're so close to making it. With just a couple thousand more Premium subscribers I would make enough money to cover my expenses and expand the site's content to a point where we could generate continual new subscribers, but we've been teetering on that edge for months and we just can't seem to get over the top.

You need $8000/month in additional revenue to break even? No one knows what your website is. The "drive-by" constructive feedback being given is "drive-by" because you have no audience. Why is your operational overhead so high? My mods tell me you have an office/studio in LA? These offices are crucial to your small-time largely unknown startup website producing podcast content and doing news aggregation?

curiouscharles · Jul 24, 2017

i have no idea what SIFTD is.

and, after visiting the website, i have even less of an idea.

sorry brah, this thing's dumb.

Jebusman · Jul 24, 2017

On the plus side, this thread is probably the realest feedback for siftd ever. Like you got people breaking down step by step plans that, while not a surefire way to save the business, is probably best case scenario in salvaging whatever is left.

Linkura · Jul 24, 2017

EviLore said:
"It's not in my job description" is not something a failing business owner ever gets to say. You need to know what you need to know when you're running a business. If you don't have the correct knowledge base and skillset to perform your job in such a way that your website stays afloat, that's on you to address.

You don't know how your own website works. You clearly didn't start this with a sustainable business plan or get VC money behind it. Why are you running it? What are you bringing to the table here? Why should people give you money to continue running it? Because you put in your own time and money to launch it and people should feel sympathetic because you gambled with your personal finances and took an L?

Sounds like you need a wake-up call, man. That's not how the world works.

You need $8000/month in additional revenue to break even? No one knows what your website is. The "drive-by" constructive feedback being given is "drive-by" because you have no audience. Why is your operational overhead so high? My mods tell me you have an office/studio in LA? These offices are crucial to your small-time largely unknown startup website producing podcast content and doing news aggregation?

As someone with a business degree, this is an excellent post explaining the business side of the issue at hand here. From a business perspective, this situation is a complete clusterfuck and the advice here needs to be taken seriously and implemented if the site is going to be saved.

Gabriel_Logan · Jul 24, 2017

I think spending too much time on the QOL improvements on the site would be a mistake. Your not going to get the thousand more subscribers and 8000 dollars you need to make it. Simply put if people wanted to consume your content and service they really wouldn't care too much about the site design. Giantbomb's website is fucking atrocious but I still visit it because I'm invested in something deeper than the fluidity of scrolling thought the wiki pages. You need to shut down your LA studio and cut your expenses. The only thing is you might lose Pacther but you can't coast and rely on him forever. I'd put the extra money saved by building up your talent pool and making content people want to watch. It's time to make drastic changes.

Linkura · Jul 24, 2017

Gabriel_Logan said:
I think spending too much time on the QOL improvements on the site would be a mistake. Your not going to get the thousand more subscribers and 8000 dollars you need to make it. Simply put if people wanted to consume your content and service they really wouldn't care too much about the site design. Giantbomb's website is fucking atrocious but I still visit it because I'm invested in something deeper than the fluidity of scrolling thought the wiki pages. You need to shut down your LA studio and cut your expenses. The only thing is you might lose Pacther but you can't coast and rely on him forever. I'd put the extra money saved by building up your talent pool and making content people want to watch. It's time to make drastic changes.

Mid-term, they need to do both. Immediately, they need to drastically cut expenses. But they also need to work on making the site more user-friendly and not require registration to access most of the site.

TheSpoiler · Jul 24, 2017

satterfield said:
Yeah, our channel pages are locked behind registration. We will change that. In fact, we'll scour the site for any gates and remove them all. We've transitioned from a pay-only site to everything but original content being free, so there are definitely some hangovers and some tweaks to be made. Had no idea that lurkers make up so much forum traffic on GAF. Never got data that pointed to that from prior sites I worked at, though.

I know the term responsive, but our site is responsive so I thought you were talking about speed instead. I use it on iPhone and iPad and scaling works just fine for me. Our developer tests on Android as well. That said, I'm not a programmer or web developer. We hired someone to build/update the site. If you could share the issues you're having it would be a huge help and I'll pass them onto our developer.

You're not being rude at all. You've offered great feedback so thank you.

Then those websites were fucking up. Maybe it's not as applicable for larger groups, but you should absolutely know where your audience is coming from. Like, that's a damn given and the basics of SEO. If you aren't even engaging in SEO in general, you are fucking up, my man. Small websites need that shit like water in the desert. You want to reach more people? You need to make your website visible and user friendly.

And from what's being said here, your website is responsive for you, and not for others. That's a huge mistake. Other places might get away with it by the basis of their content (GB was mentioned, but they have a wiki that people can use, so it serves another purpose besides their natural content), but you don't.

Y'all need to really look at the whole pie instead of just making content.

Coldsun · Jul 24, 2017

I haven't logged in in ages but doing so, I'll admit the gamification/notifications are done rather well.

I suppose that the only end-user experience thoughts I can add are:

The black and white brings back a lot of the idea of news print. Unfortunately however, it makes it very hard if not totally fails to direct the reader's/viewers eyes to key places on the site. It just sort of all blurs together with no real weight/focus at areas. This is especially true on the user preference section. There's huge font, whites, greys, and blacks.

You may want to consider going back to the drawing board on the site typography designs. If you want the news print style, that's fine (in the sense that its distinct and may be tailored to your targeted demographics), but the font selections and sizes should definitely be re-evaluated. Does the user-preference really need its largest fonts to be "Click to Use" "Click to Upload" "Click to Connect" etc? No. It's a lot of call to actions all in one small region of the page.

NeOak · Jul 24, 2017

Gabriel_Logan said:
The only thing is you might lose Pacther but you can't coast and rely on him forever. I'd put the extra money saved by building up your talent pool and making content people want to watch. It's time to make drastic changes.

It looked like Patcher records the show from his home studio from the ones i've seen. Totally fine, I'm there to listen to what he has to say, I do not mind if he is in his pajamas. He's comfortable.

I may not agree with things he says, but he has his reasoning for it. His predictions may turn out to be wrong sometimes, because after all they are predictions, not facts, but the hate he gets is just too much IMO.

Warnen · Jul 24, 2017

As a failed small business owner (well got out before we started to loose money), I feel for SIFTD. I tried the site for a while, even liked it but in the end wasn't something I needed. I'm a busy person but still have time to check the few gaming sites I go to. I get most of my info from Giantbomb podcast (I do sub for), since I'm on the road a lot podcasts way to go for me.

Good luck out there!

Jimrpg · Jul 24, 2017

I really like Shane from his Gametrailer days, but I'm not really one to pay for premium content. Heck I don't even have enough to buy games I want sometimes and have to wait for a discount.

From what I've read on here

1. Cost of operation is just too high. Many youtubers just make do with what they have and grow from there. I think you have to make some hard calls here. You've obviously got a nice site going with SIFTD, I think what you should do is cut your operation costs by at least half even if it means you have to travel further to your office or you are missing some content here or there. Keep the SIFTD website running as long as you can.

2. Make a lot of the premium content free on youtube and then go patreon. Everyone's said this - I don't think they are wrong.

3. How much of your content is effective? You seem to be wearing too many hats and if you're having cashflow problems you obviously can't hire more people to help you out. From your post you are running the website and making content. You are trying to do too much. Honestly you have to focus on one or the other. Look at Jim Sterling - he gets about $12k a month from patreon, he puts out a couple of videos a week and a podcast and an article. He's a shockjock, but he's good at it and only needs to do a few things a week to get discussion going.

Good Luck Shane!

jay · Jul 24, 2017

If someone sorts out the stuff I want to read what am I going to do at work?

WinFonda · Jul 24, 2017

"News aggregation" shouldn't be your pitch to the user as a startup in this day and age

you're competing with virtually everything at that point, social media, gaming websites, various forums like NeoGAF

these things have been around forever and people are entrenched where they go for their news, a lot of people come to GAF because they know the most important things will bubble to the top, and the ongoing commentary the large community brings is another factor. people don't want to just know what's happening, they want to know what other people are thinking about what's happening. I'm sure SIFTD has had every piece of news that has ever hit GAF, but it hasn't had the same discussion around said news. it doesn't have dedicated communities discussing specific game news, either. if i'm hardcore into a game, I probably don't need to visit GAF or SIFTD for the news about that game, but I might visit GAF to see what other people who are also into the game are saying about the news.

that's why its so important for a website like SIFTD or NeoGAF to build a community, but you can't begin to build a thriving community when your website has paywalls. information is free on the internet, and ever attempting to charge for it or obfuscate it is not going to end well

I think what would get me to go to SIFTD is the same thing that would get me to go anywhere: get some scoops, get some original content that's free to watch or listen to. i don't think there's ever been a thread on GAF linking to SIFTD with a piece of news or content, and no matter what your website does or is about, i can tell you that's your biggest issue right there. on the internet you gotta be shared or no one cares.

satterfield · Jul 24, 2017

EviLore said:
"It's not in my job description" is not something a failing business owner ever gets to say. You need to know what you need to know when you're running a business. If you don't have the correct knowledge base and skillset to perform your job in such a way that your website stays afloat, that's on you to address.

You don't know how your own website works. You clearly didn't start this with a sustainable business plan or get VC money behind it. Why are you running it? What are you bringing to the table here? Why should people give you money to continue running it? Because you put in your own time and money to launch it and people should feel sympathetic because you gambled with your personal finances and took an L?

You need $8000/month in additional revenue to break even?

We don't need $8000 a month to break even. We're already breaking even minus any pay for me. We need the money so I stop paying my living expenses out of my pocket and to create new shows to draw in more subscribers. No one knows how to do everything. Telling me I need to know how to program to create a successful website makes zero sense. If I spent time programming ( learning how to) the site wouldn't have any content, and therefore, no revenue stream. I know content, site/community management, product development, etc. so that's what I do. The first thing a good manager does is delegate.

We absolutely started it with a sustainable business plan. You don't have to have VC money to create a successful business. The site has lasted two years. Over 90 percent of sites don't make it past the first year. You're telling me to give up and that I don't deserve to run by own business. That's pretty heartless and not at all accurate. I ran GameTrailers for seven years during its heyday. I know how to run a business, and particularly a business in this industry. All I need is a budget. People should give me money to keep running it because they like it and want it to stick around. As this thread shows, the site hasn't even scratched the surface of its potential because of a lack of marketing. I wasn't asking for sympathy. I was explaining why the site is in do-or-die mode and I can't put any more of my own money into it.

You have the benefit of having a site that's been around for well over a decade. I'm guessing you didn't make a ton of cash at first. I was here back then and it was nothing like it is now as far as traffic is concerned. It was mostly games journalists and industry folks who migrated here from James Mielke's IRC channel to support Sam Kennedy. That's why I came here for the first time. Not sure why you feel the need to try and break me down. I have a lot of respect for you and appreciate you for running this site, but I'm really surprised and disappointed at your response.

chromatic9 · Jul 24, 2017

Maybe try putting some podcasts up on youtube if they're so good. Had a look on your youtube but couldn't see anything. Try a free first half of the podcast on your site and make the forum visible?

Could have a fixed side bar/column of your latest own stuff and use Pacthers face on his section. Put one a month on youtube and say get the rest for free on SIFTD.

For what it's worth the site seemed quick and responsive, even after scrolling down loads. It's pretty good but I feel there needs to be more to do for a non member.

Daouzin · Jul 24, 2017

AAMARMO said:
They should do the Giant Bomb route. Everything is free with ads except premium videos and Premium gets no ads and have premium videos.

Yeah, I agree.

I'm going through the site now trying to figure out what their content is like and everything is "premium" only. How do I tell If I'm going to like it?

Incandenza · Jul 24, 2017

Honestly... the design of this site is a disaster. I've been browsing this website for 10 minutes now and I still have no clue what it is. Even the fat "Start Here!" button tells me nothing about what I'm supposed to do on this website. And it seems they also want $4 a month for... uh... "original content"? Huh? If you want money from people, or if you want people to stick around at all, you need to actually have an onboarding process and an actual pitch for why I should give you money. Even just a label at the top of the page saying "Your #1 Source For [insert whatever your site is supposed to be about]" would be a start. Aesthetically it's pretty rough too. Everything is gigantic, there's no responsiveness, no consistency to typeface or margins or color palette, comment section is ugly, the hamburger button behaves in a nonstandard way, etc etc. Bad web design is unforgivable in a new website these days, when I see a site that looks like this I would definitely think twice before entering my credit card number.

I'm saying this not to say "you deserved to fail" but more to say "your site has some critical flaws that are preventing potential customers from even learning what you have to offer"

Living the Dream · Jul 24, 2017

satterfield said:
I know how to run a business.

Why are you asking for people to save SIFTD?

duckroll · Jul 24, 2017

satterfield said:
We don't need $8000 a month to break even. We're already breaking even minus any pay for me. We need the money so I stop paying my living expenses out of my pocket and to create new shows to draw in more subscribers. No one knows how to do everything. Telling me I need to know how to program to create a successful website makes zero sense. If I spent time programming ( learning how to) the site wouldn't have any content, and therefore, no revenue stream. I know content, site/community management, product development, etc. so that's what I do. The first thing a good manager does is delegate.

I think you misunderstand his intent here. He is not saying you need to know how to code program or that you need to be able to design and implement the website yourself. He is saying that it's a bit of a lazy excuse to say "that's not what I do" when responding to feedback about technical aspects of the site when you own the site. You should know how it works even if you don't know how to personally make it work. Having a basic understanding of the needs of your audience and potential audience and what needs to be implemented or optimized, is important because if you don't know that, how do you delegate? If you put your absolute trust in the web programmer you hire, how do you know you're not being taken advantage of? That's what I got out of it anyway.

TheSpoiler · Jul 24, 2017

Living the Dream said:
Why are you asking for people to save SIFTD?

Ouch.

satterfield · Jul 24, 2017

Living the Dream said:
Why are you asking for people to save SIFTD?

So you're saying every business that hasn't been massively successful was run by someone who doesn't know how to run a business. OK.

ItsTheNew · Jul 24, 2017

So I can register to your site for free and get a 3 day trial of what premium content you have. The thing is though, I don't have to sign up for youtube or giantbomb, IGN, etc. to view their content. That right there is a barrier to entry if I want to get a peek at what it is you offer. And if I'm a busy person who wants curated content (whoever this is), what's to say I'm too busy to do that? The content you make (and presumably the most time/money intensive portion of your business) needs an easy preview. Whatever you think is the BEST episode of whatever shows you make should be shown as a teaser so I can be interested in the first place and I can share it with my friends.
Most of the buttons on the front page just nag me on registering for premium. On the donate screen, it doesn't show what it is I get, I get a long essay. Your Protips and Register screens need to be flipped focus wise. Protips is this kind of interesting page about stuff you can do and get if you register. Your Register page is a barebones bullet point list that doesn't really interest me in signing up. Make register way more awesome and include a youtube "sizzle" reel. One last thing: The Pachter videos don't draw me to your site. I watch him, and then continue on my day. There isn't much connective tissue that leads me to finding out more about your site, because well, your youtube is basically nothing but Pachter.
I went through your site and youtube with my fiance (who doesn't really follow gaming as much as me) and her thoughts were included on this post as well.

Living the Dream · Jul 24, 2017

satterfield said:
So you're saying every business that hasn't been massively successful was run by someone who doesn't know how to run a business. OK.

Look man. It's nothing personal, but there are many issues that have led you to this point; and as the leader/creator of it, you have to accept that. I DON'T want you to fail, but not everything needs saving; no matter how personally involved you are. I understand you're in a tough spot, but there has also been a ton of great advice offered in this thread, so I hope you take those to heart and let personal pride step aside.

satterfield · Jul 24, 2017

Living the Dream said:
Look man. It's nothing personal, but there are many issues that have led you to this point; and as the leader/creator of it, you have to accept that. I DON'T want you to fail, but not everything needs saving; no matter how personally involved you are. I understand you're in a tough spot, but there has also been a ton of great advice offered in this thread, so I hope you take those to heart and let personal pride step aside.

I absolutely will and am. The great feedback continues to roll in and I appreciate it very much. Comments like yours aren't constructive in any way, though.

satterfield · Jul 24, 2017

duckroll said:
I think you misunderstand his intent here. He is not saying you need to know how to code program or that you need to be able to design and implement the website yourself. He is saying that it's a bit of a lazy excuse to say "that's not what I do" when responding to feedback about technical aspects of the site when you own the site. You should know how it works even if you don't know how to personally make it work. Having a basic understanding of the needs of your audience and potential audience and what needs to be implemented or optimized, is important because if you don't know that, how do you delegate? If you put your absolute trust in the web programmer you hire, how do you know you're not being taken advantage of? That's what I got out of it anyway.

His comment was in reference to me saying I don't program. It's the only thing I said I can't/won't do.

Daouzin · Jul 24, 2017

satterfield said:
So you're saying every business that hasn't been massively successful was run by someone who doesn't know how to run a business. OK.

That mind set is really childish of them, but I think if you're going to bother with responding to people in this way, you may want to step away from the keyboard.

I went to the site with the intent of subscribing just because I like the Pachter Factor and $4 just isn't that much, however the site itself lost the sale.

People in this thread are echoing my sentiment.

I don't really get how to use it and I don't really get how to check out content without subscribing. I literally just needed to watch something for like 10 mins to see if it was worth it or not, but couldn't figuring it out in under 2 mins and changed my mind.

Might be best to take the feedback in this thread (and elsewhere I'm sure) to heart and see what can be done in 10 days vs replying to people you don't have a positive/legitimate response for.

Linkura · Jul 24, 2017

Daouzin said:
Might be best to take the feedback in this thread (and elsewhere I'm sure) to heart and see what can be done in 10 days vs replying to people you don't have a positive/legitimate response for.

Seriously, stop posting and start fixing your business.

Nightengale · Jul 24, 2017

satterfield said:
I absolutely will and am. The great feedback continues to roll in and I appreciate it very much. Comments like yours aren't constructive in any way, though.

I don't mean to slight anyone here, but in general; not every comment will be constructive discussions. The ones that aren't intended to be anything more than a snarky joke/one-liners should just be ignored and taken in-stride.

Don't have to respond to everything. Take the best ideas and drill down deeper the thought process of those who shared ideas that you think are worth exploring.

Jigorath · Jul 24, 2017

Start a Patreon?

That seems to be a pretty popular option.

LewieP · Jul 24, 2017

Website always seemed like a solution looking for a problem to me.

If you can't keep your costs down I think you'd be better off shutting down the website rather than burning through your savings.

massoluk · Jul 24, 2017

Do you even put past contents out for free like other sites? I don't know, because i keep hitting registration prompt and all I see are recent Pachter and Game Face from 2 years ago on YouTube

Novel Mike · Jul 24, 2017

satterfield said:
So you're saying every business that hasn't been massively successful was run by someone who doesn't know how to run a business. OK.

Okay not saying this to be mean but I think you honestly need to hear this if you are ever going to get this back on track.

Shane what you need is a reality check. You have to admit to yourself that you have failed. That you are wrong about everything you believed until this point. I'm sure you're likely thinking right now that you've already done that but from what you've said throughout this thread I don't think you have because to admit that you've failed means that you understand that its all gone wrong, and that you as the creator have fucked up and you have to take responsibility for that. Don't make excuses, don't assume it can all be fixed, what you have do is start from the beginning and understand how you made mistakes to begin with and only then can you work your way back and really think about how things can be done differently.

Can your site be saved? Sure maybe it can but there is no way you can even start to really fixing it until you humble yourself down and realize that what your doing isn't really working. If it was, you wouldn't need to be saved! If you really want to make a change and make your site into something better you have to look in at yourself and realize that all of the problems stem from you and you alone and if you can't do that it doesn't matter if you're 'saved' by donations or whatever right now because you'll just mess up again and be stuck in the same situation over and over again.

I also think you don't entirely understand what the problem with your site is so, with that said...

What the hell is SIFTD? I go on your site I see this 'name' everywhere so I assume it means something but what it is? I looked very briefly on the site and couldn't find it and if I can't find what the meaning or purpose of the site is then why should I have any interest in it? If I'm curious and actively looking for it (no matter how briefly) why would I take interest in the site if it didn't bother to even explain what the hell the name means? This is such an easy thing that distracts from people being able to use your site or be interested in it. It's the most basic of things and you didn't even do that right. I go on your site and I see a big button that says 'START HERE' and does it tell me what the heck the name means or what exactly your site does for me? No, it has a big banner at the top that says 'PRO TIPS' and then 'BEGINNERS' neither of which answer this most basic question. WTF is a SIFTD?

I'm using this as the main example because its the smallest of things but it should show you how you've failed right from the get go. It may be common sense to you but to some person who has never looked at the site before its the most obvious and glaring omission on the internet.

It's not as if the rest of the site is much better, you have a drop down list that has a bunch of options but no about page where you could put this information or a mission statement or anything, you have like 3 different things about merch, donations, and GIFTD (which I'm assuming is gifts IDK I could be wrong thats what first comes to mind) which is fine but not when you fail to even present the most basic of information to your potential customers. You're first thought needed to be, okay how do I explain what SIFTD is to people and what is the best way to present that to all of my potential customers?

Again, I'm not trying to be overly harsh here but I think you need more of a kick in the ass right now then gentle coddling. You've screwed up, you get that(I hope), we get that, now face it, own it, and figure out how to start again, from the beginning if its actually necessary.

Stopdoor · Jul 24, 2017

Honestly I appreciate the honesty of this founder guy, Shane (who really, I love all kinds of video games and spend too much time on the internet but have no real grasp on his reputation), but the level of defensiveness exhibited in this thread is kind of concerning. Like I'd want to do the same thing if I was in your position, but I know it's not professional or going to save the business. You're pushing against a strong tide by getting into back and forths here, it's just not worth it. Absorb the criticism and ignore it if you want but you're not convincing anyone, it just makes you look even more desperate.

CookieWithMatt · Jul 24, 2017

Hey Shane,

I've noticed a few users mention ways to improve the sites performance, whether it be removal of registration pages or improving visibility of site navigation, colour scheme etc.

Couple of things I'll bring up really quickly that could go a long way in helping:

1. Right off the bat, there is an issue with your sites load performance. I ran your site through Google's site testing tool and returned back the following:
Loading time: Poor
Visitor Loss: 32%
Industry Top Performers Loading Speed; 3 seconds

You can view these results for yourself using Google's tool here: https://testmysite.thinkwithgoogle.com/

What your current users tell you in regards to performance should be irrelevant. Google accounts for the baseline on page performance, not the top tier. For poor page loading speeds, Google will actually make your site harder to find on search results. Push back on your developer to solve these issues ASAP, as you're likely losing a large majority of users.

2. You have Google Analytics on site. How is this being leveraged at the moment? You should be able to get a fair idea of what your bounce rate looks like, and work out where in the conversion process users are being lead astray. Page load speed will result in a higher than average bounce rate. How about when users hit registration forms? Are there too many steps involved in the registration process? Are they being met with registration pages too frequently? (these can be extremely frustrating for the end-user).

3. From an SEO perspective, how is this being leveraged right now? Doing a search on Google for 'gaming search aggregators', Gamer'sPost is sitting in position 1 for that search term, followed by 'Best News'. For that particular search term, Siftd isn't appearing at all. What keywords are you trying to build SEO around? That will help significantly with organic search queries.

4. Leverage cross-marketing wherever possible, and ideally as cost-efficiently as possible. Google have a number of platforms you can make use of, to help track users when they're coming from AdWords Promotions/Facebook/Youtube etc. that will allow you to re-engage potential clients.

5. You should have a list of potential clients from running 3 day promotions and the like. Re-target these audiences!! If E-mail doesn't work, trial with other channels. You can use Gmail e-mail addresses you've acquired, for re-marketing purposes across Google channels (provided they're signed in). Provided you've let users know their e-mail can be used for marketing purposes, there shouldn't be an issue.

Hope some of that makes sense. Drop me a PM if you need to some pointers.

Cerium · Jul 24, 2017

satterfield said:
I know how to run a business, and particularly a business in this industry. All I need is a budget. People should give me money to keep running it because they like it and want it to stick around. As this thread shows, the site hasn't even scratched the surface of its potential because of a lack of marketing. I wasn't asking for sympathy. I was explaining why the site is in do-or-die mode and I can't put any more of my own money into it.

You have the benefit of having a site that's been around for well over a decade. I'm guessing you didn't make a ton of cash at first. I was here back then and it was nothing like it is now as far as traffic is concerned. It was mostly games journalists and industry folks who migrated here from James Mielke's IRC channel to support Sam Kennedy. That's why I came here for the first time. Not sure why you feel the need to try and break me down. I have a lot of respect for you and appreciate you for running this site, but I'm really surprised and disappointed at your response.

The response shouldn't be that shocking; you came into the thread with a bit of chip on your shoulder. Your first post in the thread lashed out at the one poster who had taken the time to write up the most detailed advice at the time. Then after implying that SIFTD has a higher standard of community where posters are never impolite, gohanrage came storming in here and dropped his metaphorical shorts, to no comment from you.

Moderators and others have offered thoughtful, lengthy, and detailed advice and your response has largely been to argue about why their criticisms are unfounded. You insist that if only we had used the site more, or compared it to others, we would see that these flaws are not actually flaws.

Whether that's true or not is irrelevant though, because with so much competition for our free time in this day and age you rarely get a chance to make a second impression.

The bottom line is that you really shouldn't be getting into a back and forth with anyone over this. How does arguing help you here? I'm struggling to find the most polite way to phrase this but when you beg people for money (which is what the article boils down to) people tend to expect humility from you; pride needs to take a back seat.

BlackBanditSho · Jul 24, 2017

Hey Shane. Been following this thread since post #1. Take a second. Pause. Breathe. Restructure. You're getting the full attention from the mods of Neogaf, man. So much so, that Evilore came to offer advice. Besada said it best, you're getting at least 23k eyeballs that you didn't have before. Think about it and make the fixes. Pivot. The suggestions in this thread are being made in the interest of helping you WIN.

Take in all of the advice. Maybe go dark for a little bit. Revamp.. Bring those costs way down.

But most importantly - stop parrying and defending and explaining about what the intent was and how things 'should' be. All that matters is what it IS. Change your perspective and it'll all make sense. Adapt or die. You MUST remove the word "BUT" from your responses and replace with, "Yes, thank you. I didn't see it from that way before."

caenix · Jul 24, 2017

Hi Shane, I am a SIFTD subscriber. Although some of the posts here are excessively snarky or aggressive, but I think 70% of them provide some legitimate points to consider.

Since the content aggregation feature has transitioned to free account access, the number one reason for a person to subscribe to SIFTD is for the original contents. So you need to sell these original contents to people unaware. An obvious solution is to make old premium contents (or clips of them) free like many have suggested.

Here are my personal opinions why I like the Gameface podcast, which is the number one reason that I am subscribed.

In the age of personality driven media, I feel a lot of podcasts out there after listening I learn a lot about the preferences of the person speaking but not necessary whether I would be interested in the game they are talking about. However, I feel Gameface puts more focus on the games themselves. The two hosts, Shane and Matt, usually have contrasting tastes and preferences which provides a wide angle of opinions on a topic. Most of the time I can comfortably decide whether I will be interested in a game or not after listening to you talking about them, even though sometimes my conclusions are different to yours.

Lastly but most importantly, Shane and Matt are both veterans in games journalism and media with lots of knowledge about the industry behind the scenes. After listening to each episode of the podcast I feel I always learnt something new about the games industry, which I really appreciate and makes me value my time listening to the podcast.

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