Onshape email marketing

3dcad

I don't mind Onshape sending news and information to me, I have actually chose to receive all info immediately. But I consider myself as active user / follower, this is not the case for everyone.

I recently tried sharing a document with email which is not linked to any Onshape account. I didn't create account for that email - ie. I ignored the invite.
Now that email receives all kind of stuff from Onshape, this shouldn't be the case. If you don't have an account or haven't accepted any invite, you shouldn't receive any email from Onshape. 

I wanted to test this since I don't wan't to cause *spam* to my clients by sharing some designs with them. Purchasers might not be interested in cad but I would still like to be able to invite them in by sharing a model. Could it be possible to choose 'silent invitation' which would turn marketing completely off when you know the other party is not into cad but rather just quickly review your model.

traveler_hauptman

I agree. Please don't spam my collaborators.

brucebartlett

I agree too, I try to be very gentle when inviting people to signup to view my shared model, I'd certainly like to think a share doesn't put them on the email list sometimes its hard enough to get people to sign up as it is.

peter_hall

Not a good policy. Spam marketing could create problems for all concerned. 

DaleB

Don't be spamming people OnShape. I would hope this is beneath you!

_Ðave_

If this is true then I also object as well

Darren_A_Henry

Great feedback.  I will look at the email flows.  Thanks!

Darren

_Ðave_

@darren_henry Thanks for replying and looking into this.

_Ðave_

And thanks @3dcad for bring this up

dan_1

Hi all! 

This is great feedback. First of all, you probably receive a lot of emails from me in particular. So let me address this. In the interest of transparency let me explain a few things. 

1. We are learning. We don't simply push emails and not pay attention to the results. We measure each email and we're working constantly to improve the context around emails. 

2. As a marketing team one of our primary goals is to help educate our users. We are sharing training content, webinars, videos, blog posts to help our users get up to speed with Onshape. That said, we are exploring new mechanisms and channels to have the content ready for you when you need it. 

3. If you find an email irrelevant, feel our emails are becoming too frequent you can reply to any email directly. All our emails come from real Onshapers - me, Darren, Matthew, etc. We want to hear from you. So please let us know!

Thanks again for the feedback, 
Daniel 

kevin_quigley

@dan_1 But that is not answering the specific issue here, saying you pay attention to emails or that you can opt out does not tackle the issue of getting them in the first place. 

As a comparison, we use Grabcad to issue links to projects that require no log in. My customers do not then get Grabcad emails. But if, when they are on the site, they chhose to become a member or sign up for emails that is different. It is their choice and not me pushing it.

This all pings back to an earlier request for no log in collaboration and viewing from the early days of the forum. 

There might be some validity in targetting collaborators from free accounts, but if I was a paying subscriber I would expect my collaborators not to be targetted unless they specifically ask for it.

In terms of education, that is best done on the website at the time of use and not through email. 

3dcad

My original concern is people who don't know or care about cad but are in position to review models, for example purchaser for chain. They are not interested in education or any email from Onshape, they just need access to model.

No login required would be the best solution, but in the mean time, don't target the people who never had the option to choose whether they wan't these emails or not.

@dan1 Thanks for taking this seriously. This is affecting how we can use the great sharing features Onshape has.

brucebartlett

The ability to share a link without a login would be great. At the moment when I share a document with a supplier I first send through an email stating my intent to use Onshape and asking the supplier to signup when the file is shared. It would be easier just to share a simple link with no sign up, not sure what cons but sure once user see's Onshape most will sign up.

kinsleymark

brucebartlett said:

The ability to share a link without a login would be great. At the moment when I share a document with a supplier I first send through an email stating my intent to use Onshape and asking the supplier to signup when the file is shared. It would be easier just to share a simple link with no sign up, not sure what cons but sure once user see's Onshape most will sign up.

Not to get off topic, but Fusion360 is doing a great job with this aspect. From any model, you can share a public link that anyone can view via a webpage w/out needing an account or to sign-up for anything. As an added bonus, you can have the option to password protect or even display a "download" link which allows the viewer to download a file in a format of their choosing (.step, .iges, etc). I've used this a number of times when getting quotes from a vendor. I even export models from Onshape and Solidworks into Fusion360 just for this sharing feature. No drawings or CAD files need to be emailed or exchanged and no plug-ins needed (from what I can tell...) -- just a simple click on a link and we are both looking at the same model.
Here is a link as an example: http://a360.co/1EvVZHe

nav

I mentioned this in an old post https://forum.onshape.com/discussion/898/share-model-outside-onshape-public-link-view-only , I just put it as an imrpovement, you`re invited to vote. https://onshape.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/204904638-Share-Model-Outside-Onshape-Public-Link-View-Only-

3dcad

thanks @nav

I think Onshape should turn things a bit round and offer free account inside viewer. So that user can first see the model and can manipulate view and maybe hide/show features and dimension and then click edit (if shared with editing permission) which would take you to sign in --> create account.
I'm sure this would lead to many more accounts than the link going straight to 'give us your personal information to create account' before seeing what is coming up.

brucebartlett

I just had a co-work (our graphic designer) tell me he Un-subscribed from Onshape because they were coming on too strong (Bombarding Him with emails). I was trying sell it to him as means to get his images out of CAD without Eng involvement. 

 

juan_aviles

Having to sign up to view a model is one reason I haven't sent anything to anyone.  I used to have people download and install the free Solidworks viewer in order to check out my work, and then I went to the 3D .pdf export which everyone actually preferred.  I would keep this .pdf in a public Dropbox folder and send them the link, but it required extra steps.  

I would really like to get more people signed up with Onshape, but I don't want it to be a requirement to view my work.  I'd really like to see a simple link to a simple page that allows the other person to see, move, rotate etc., without having to sign up.  Maybe a link at the bottom of that page that takes them to Onshape if they choose?  Maybe this page has the same look and feel as Onshape, but without all of the editing capabilities?  .jpg export is another item I'd like to see. 

kinsleymark

juan_aviles said:

Having to sign up to view a model is one reason I haven't sent anything to anyone. 

Same here. I have not used Onshape to share any models because most of the vendors or clients I work with do not want to have to sign up for yet another account. I'll simply send some screenshot images, or I'll export and import the model into Fusion360 (which has a great no-sign-up-needed share link).

3dcad

juan_aviles said:

.. .jpg export is another item I'd like to see. 

You can save .png from print preview.

_Ðave_

 I work remotely and had tried to shared a document with my boss, A day later I asked if he had seen the model. He asked what the hell this Onshape shit was. I explained and he said he'll look into it. A day later I asked again if he had seen the model in question. His reply was that he couldn't figure it out something mumbled about dam subscriptions.
Not being on site I could only quess that there was an option for free and pro so I suggested that he only needed to choose the free option and wait for acceptance. I forwarded his email and phone # to Onshape in hopes that they would intervene and assist him for I had no idea what he was seeing on his screen. They apparently emailed him with an offer to assist. To this day he has not signed up to Onshape. And I'm back to sending screenshots of different orientations of the model with mark-ups and highlighted notes.

 My point is that many are reluctant to change and if anything is in the least bit complicated it will be brushed aside.
Therefore Id suggest that Onshape should make the sharing offer to a new user as simple as possible Just a simple screen name and password (Onshape already knows the email) with instant access. There shouldn't even be any mention of pro or request beta invite or whatever just screenname and password then boom the document opens.

 After they experience Onshape then they can start learning more.
And don't send them email unless they request it. Ok maybe one!
 Mfo

pete_yodis

Onshape needs to be more "Youtube like".  They are aware, too.  Good things.
For some reference...

https://forum.onshape.com/discussion/comment/2134#Comment_2134
https://forum.onshape.com/discussion/comment/2192#Comment_2192
https://forum.onshape.com/discussion/comment/6508#Comment_6508

3dcad

When Onshape goes to no-sign-in view model, I hope it's done properly:
Simple link takes you to 'Onshape' studio where the model is embedded.
- zoom, turn and manipulate view similar to normal workspace (also with 3d mouse)
- hide/show feature, sketch, dimension etc.
- show feature tree and highlight items when selected from tree and vice versa
- measurement tool (same as we have with mass center etc..)
- let us easily embed models on any site of our own (like youtube but NO featured stuff or other marketing involved)
- settings to choose which features are in use for shared model (view only, feature info, measurement, embed)
- choose name for link: https://cad.onshape.com/documents/[username]/[linkname]_[running number to separate same linknames]

pete_yodis

3dcad said:

- choose name for link: https://cad.onshape.com/documents/[username]/[linkname]_[running number to separate same linknames]

Maybe even /public ??? for the view option?

dave_c

We are working on view only anonymous link sharing which would not require creating an account.

andrew_troup

@dave_c:
Brilliant - if this is well done, it strikes me it can only enhance Onshape's appeal to mainstream prospective users, who (it probably goes without saying) are generally rather less susceptible and energetic than us early adopter types ... but will nevertheless, in many cases, know a good thing when they see it.

_Ðave_

This could work!

3dcad

I would use this also for presentation myself. Straight link, probably opens faster, no worries about showing something that you shouldn't.

pete_yodis

dave_c said:

We are working on view only anonymous link sharing which would not require creating an account.

Thanks for sharing @dave_c !  That will be very helpful.

juan_aviles

3dcad said:

juan_aviles said:

.. .jpg export is another item I'd like to see. 

You can save .png from print preview.

@3dcadDoes this still work?  I just tried and the only other option I have besides sending it to a printer is saving it to Google Drive or save as .pdf.  Or are you talking about using Lightshot in print preview?  Thanks by the way for that tip in another post.  I use Lightshot also now.

pete_yodis

Back to the OP... I just had a colleague at work receive and Onshape email from email@symboles.com with Onshape marketing.  I didn't recognize the email address.  I have shared something with this colleague through his personal address, not the work address he received it on.  He was perusing the site here at work.  I find something in there disturbing.  Who is email@symboles.com and how did they get his work email address?