CEO’s Blog

I wrote this up today for our developers and figured I might as well show you all as well, in order to get your feedback. It’s important that we design these things for YOU so let me know what you think!

BodySpace Next Steps

We have a LOT of great ideas for making BodySpace better for our users.  The main focus is to make it easier to use, add more features to encourage daily use, closer user relationships, more user-contributed content, and better progress tracking. The next steps are below.

Progress Photo Uploading Upgrades And User Administration

We need to add the following features to our progress photo front-end and back-end modules:

1. The ability to upload multiple photos at once (all for same date taken).
2. The ability to choose which “pose” this photo is. For example, is this a front view, relaxed, certain bodybuilding pose, side view, random, etc.? This way we can show similar photos next to each other when being displayed (like showing a front view next to a front view from different dates, or a front double bicep next to a front double bicep, etc.).   Also, this may help teach users which types of poses they should take photos of for best results.
3. The ability to manipulate photos online with basic ImageMagick methods like rotating the photo, resizing, etc.
4. The ability to choose which photos to show in their main BodySpace profile page if they want.  Otherwise, intelligent choice based on date/pose.

Goal Tracking Upgrades – Better Tracking Of Progress/Reminders/Graph Overlays

We’ve got the basics online for goal tracking, but for it to be really useful and popular, we need to add the following:

1. Overlay their goal on top of their latest progress updates on their graphs. For example, on their Weight graph, we would show their actual weight over time, with their goal weight and date (and needed trend to reach their goal on time) on top of it with a different color line.
2. We need to show better tracking and analysis of how they are doing on their goals.  The graphs will really help with this, but we should also give them details like whether they are on track to reach their goal, what their projected “weight” will be on their goal date based on their results so far, etc.
3. As part of the reminders functionality, we need to set up methods to remind people when they are “due” to update their body stats or outdated goal, based on a set time interval that they can set, or we can set automatically.  They should get notified (on the sidebar, on the BodySpace control panel pages, by e-mail) when something is due.  This way they will stay motivated and on track, rather than forgetting about it.

More Commenting Ability By Modules/Photo, Etc.

Right now, users can comment on a user’s overall BodySpace profile (or on their photos in PhotoPost or their BodyBlog entries). To encourage even more feedback from users (and more targeted feedback), we need to make it so that users can comment on more parts of the profile, like individual modules, progress photos, etc.

BodyHacks – Start Small With Extended Profile Questions

We want to create the full BodyHacks section of our site, but it’s a big project. Right now, we can at least get moving in that direction quickly by adding extended profile questions. We can add another module that shows their answers to all sorts of questions (and user-defined ones) that we ask them. They can answer whichever ones they want.

Then we can have a side page for each question that shows everybody’s answers to each one, ordered by most popular or most recent, etc.  We can let people rate and comment on answers.

Better Product Reviews And Ratings

We need a more detailed module for people to rate and review products. We should look at other Product Review sites to get some ideas. They can give the product a 1 – 5 star rating, put why they like it, who they would recommend it for, etc.  Try to keep it as positive as possible!

Rankings/Percentile Rank On Many Different Parts Of Profile (Plus “Top” Lists)

We need to make it so people can see how they stack up compared to the community.  We can show their percentile and overall rank on many parts of their profile and more.  For example, next to their weight, it can show that they are in the 85th percentile (or 1,345 overall) for males.  We can do this for all body and lifting stats, profile visits in last 24 hours, forum posts, BodyPoints, sign up date, number of photos uploaded, etc.

Integrated “Pre-Defined” Searches On Profiles

To make it so people can find other members easier, we can link parts of a person’s profile to the BodySpace search engine.  For example, we can link their Country to a pre-defined search that shows all users from their Country.  We can link their height with all users who are the same height, etc. 

“Start Your BodySpace” Wizard

We need to make it easier for people to get started with their BodySpace profile. We can create a “wizard” that lets them go through a multi-step process, which lets them create an account (if they haven’t already), fill out the basics of their profile, set some goals, upload some photos, etc.  Any step can be “skipped for now”.

Member-Created Groups

Our forum members have already self-created a bunch of unofficial groups.  They put their group name in their signature.  To take this to the next level, we need to create official club/group functionality.

To start, we can make it so that a user can create a group online.  They can name it what they want, write a description, set the group’s goal, and more. They can then invite members to join, or they can approve/deny members who ask to join.

A group will have their own BodySpace page, a community BodyBlog, and their own mini-forum that is private and for group members only.  There should be some private “what are the other group members up to” pages that they can see to keep up with everybody else who is a member.

There should be public-facing pages that show details about the group and what they are up to. The group owner can decide how much is public or private.

This should focus as much as possible around reaching a goal together, like gaining muscle, losing fat, prepping for the Emerald Cup, and more.

We need to give a lot of power and incentive to the group owner to make them really feel like “owners”.  They need to take pride in their group. Their name should be all over the place so people know they are the owner. Let their ego grow and they will work to make sure the group will be successful.

Groups should be compared/ranked versus other groups to create competition between groups.  Later, they can challenge other groups to contests.

Group members can be ranked among each other (“number 5 for body weight in this group”, “number 235 for most forum posts in this group”, etc.).

Group owners can assign group members to be group moderators or leaders or have special privileges.

Group members should have the groups that they belong to showcased on their BodySpace profile and on their forum postbit.

Login With E-mail Address Option

We can easily make it so that users can log-in to our site with their username OR e-mail address. So let’s do it and make it easier for our members!  This is one less thing for them to remember and/or mess up on.

Latest Goals Set Or Updated On BodySpace Main Page

To highlight the goal setting/tracking features and the people that are using them, let’s add a module to the BodySpace main page showing the latest goals set or updated, just like our latest body stat updates module.

Update Your “Progress Pics/Body Stats” Reminder Program (Auto And User-Defined)

We need a complete reminder/scheduler program for BodySpace.  This info will then be fed into the BodyFeeds and the BodyCalendar.

Right now, members just have to remember to come back and update their body stats, lifting stats, goals, progress pics, BodyBlogs, etc.

To encourage our members to stick with it, stay on track, and visit often, we need reminders.

An example: A user enters their latest progress photos.  We tell them that for best results, they should take progress photos at least once per month. We ask them if they want to be reminded when their next progress photos are due.  If they say yes (or they don’t opt-out), we set it up. A user could also set their own schedule using flexible options, but it must be recurring.

When they are due to take and upload their latest progress photo, we will notify them using the methods that they choose. They can reminded by e-mail, in the sidebar, on the BodySpace control panel, on the BodyCalendar, by PM, by RSS using their BodyFeed, or on their My.Bodybuilding.com main page.  If they go past the date it was scheduled, we will continue to remind them for a certain period (depending on the delivery method… everyday up to 14 days on the sidebar, once three days later by e-mail, etc.).

Check Availability For Desired Username

This is a simple feature that will help make registrations less frustrating for users.  Since we have so many members, many usernames have already been taken. We need to make it so that when a member is signing up, they can check the availability of the username they desire right on the that page.

“You Have Filled Out 64% Of Your BodySpace Profile!  See What’s Missing!”

To encourage complete BodySpace profiles, we should let users know how much of their profile they have filled in.  We should then also quickly show them which parts are missing for them so they can get busy filling them in!  Also, if a user previously had 100% filled out, and we add a new feature, they will know about it by seeing that they are now at 98% all of a sudden.

 Virtual Workout Partner

Having a thousand friends on BodySpace is great and motivating and helpful, but nothing can replace a one on one connection that you have with your gym partner.  I remember days when I wanted to skip the gym, but my partner pushed me to go, and I later thanked him for it. This type of thing makes a huge difference!  Since virtual reality gym technology is not yet here, we’ll have to settle for faking it.

We need to make it possible for users to create a one-to-one connection with another member. You can only have one Virtual Workout Partner and it must be mutual.

The idea is that you will help this one person as much as possible to reach their goals. You will help them stay motivated, you will remind them to update their progress pics when they are due, you will give constructive feedback, you will make sure they do NOT miss any workouts, you will monitor their progress, you will answer their questions if you can, etc. They will do the same for you!

We need to create a page where people can quickly see all of this to make it easy. It needs to be front and center.  They need to get reminded if they haven’t checked on their Partner in over X days.

Contests/Challenges

The key to bodybuilding success is sticking to your program over the long term. That’s it!  The key to sticking to it over the long term is MOTIVATION.  One of the keys to motivation is having a competitor that you are up against or creating a clearly defined challenge.

We’ll facilitate this on our site with our contests and challenges.

Contests

The idea is that you can join a group of people participating in a contest like you can join a group. You can search through available contests and find the one that matches your goals.  For example, you can join the “lose the most weight by June 1st” challenge.

Once you join a challenge, you have to follow the challenge rules for how to participate and/or how to submit your results.  You can see how you rank out of everybody else doing the same contest, and how you have done so far.  You can see who is in the lead and what you need to do to overtake them.

Winning or placing in a contest will earn you the pre-defined rewards. It could be free products, money, a feature in Flex magazine, or BodyPoints from the other members.  BodyPoints should be the main focus. To join a challenge, you “risk” 5000 BodyPoints (or whatever is decided for this contest), and if you win or place, you win the BodyPoints from the other members. If you lose, you lose your 5000 BodyPoints and they go to the winners to redeem.

Users can create contests by themselves. Like the groups, we need to give the contest starter a lot of control and power.  They need to feel like owners, and their ego needs to be attached to it to make them really care. They need incentive for creating a successful contest (BodyPoints, gifts, products, money, etc.).

The contest-owner will be the admin of the contest.

We should allow all sorts of different contests. They can be based on body stats, progress photos, lifting stats, not missing a workout, most forum posts in a certain period, most friends in a certain period, etc.  They will mainly be based on improving their body, but we can have fun with them as well.

Making it so that users can’t cheat will be a tough one.  To verify weight loss for example, they may be required to go to a gym and have a personal trainer do the measurement.  Or they can take a photo of the scale to show.  We’ll need to figure that out. Cheaters will be banned from the site.

Challenges

Challenges are very similar to contests, except instead of it being open to all who want to enter, challenges are one on one or one group against another group. You can challenge a single user to most size added to your biceps in 30 days (risking BodyPoints or something else), or the Big Dog group and challenge the Small Pig group to most weight gained overall, etc. (Kind of like Celebrity Fit Club teams fighting against each other for most weight lost. This adds peer pressure as motivation.)

Much, much more is planned, but these are the things that I think we should focus on next!

Ryan

This entry was posted on Friday, May 4th, 2007 at 12:11 pm and is filed under CEO Thoughts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.