Re: AIS Website

[MORRISJE1@aol.com]

In a message dated 2/11/2008 9:49:24 A.M. Central Standard Time,  
jijones@usjoneses.com writes:


What  do you think the main audience for the website is? (AIS members?   
Non-AIS members? Experienced iris growers? Beginner iris growers?   
Hybridizers? People wanting to buy irises? Wanting to find clubs?   
Other?[obviously I have not listed everything nor necessarily even   
the most important ones])
I have no idea how many "hits" we have on our website or what the source of  
the search actually is.  I would suspect that people eventually find our  site 
via a search.  
 
If you do a Google search for "iris" the first thing that appears (out of  
3,480,000 items) are three sponsored links: 1. Radiant Springtime  Iris for a 
free Schreiners catalog;  2. Bearded Iris 50% Off  Sale for American Meadows (I 
never heard of them); and, 3. C and  T Iris Patch (again I never heard of 
them) for Tall Bearded  Rebloomers & Small Iris.  Another sponsored link at the 
bottom  of the page is Buy Irises Here for SpringHill Nursery.  
 
The first mention of AIS doesn't appear until Page 7:  Iris Societies 
(flower) under aleph0.clarku.edu/.  Under this link you can  access AIS, AIS Regions, 
AIS Foundation, Canadian Iris Society and a woefully  outdated World Iris 
Association that has request information for the years 2002  and 2005 -- last 
updated 20 September 2004.  I lacked the necessary  patience to search beyond 
Page 7 for the AIS website itself.
 
If you do a Google search for "irises" the first thing that appears (out of  
83,900 items) are the same three sponsored links as above.  However, the  AIS 
website link is on Page 1 as is the AIS Photo Gallery.  The photos on  the 
Gallery are good but should be modified to:  include MDB and SDB  images; remove 
the person photo and mention of the 2005 Convention; have a  better "year" 
selection other than a heavy emphasis on 1997 award winners.
 
What is the cost to become a "sponsored link?"  I suspect many people  don't 
have the patience to search to Page 7 to find AIS.  They are more  likely to 
find AIS via the Schreiners Garden link.
 
Now, finally to your questions.  I would suspect that our main  audience 
today is our members.  But, I think it should be the  general public who have the 
potential to become members if they get a favorable  impression of us early in 
the website review.  That means to me scrapping  most of the first page 
verbage and presenting the sizzle of PICTURES.  Not  just one but several smaller 
ones (clickable for a larger  image) representing different types with links to 
more pictures of all  types of irises.  Join buttons could be on each page of 
the various types  as well as links to the various topics.  I think the 
recent addition of an  AIS Toolbox is the most exciting and useful thing AIS has 
done in years to help  the membership and local societies.

Why do you think they come to our website? 
 
I hate to say it, but I think it is luck.  As indicated  above, it is 
somewhat convoluted to reach our website via Google.  On the  other hand people 
finding it must have a real desire to find out about irises  and we need to exploit 
that.

What action do you want people to  take when they first come to our  
website.
 
To be wowed by the beauty and diversity of the iris.   Then when you hook 
them with the pretty pictures, entice them to join this  friendly group of 
irisarians known as the American Iris Society with its nine  (9) Sections, two (2) 
Cooperating Societies and 150+ Affiliate  Clubs.

What do you think the primary emphasis of our site should  be?
 
Wow factor, education and Membership in that  order.

While it is important to have as much information as  possible on our  
website, should we structure the site so that the most  important  
information for the highest use audience is the most  readily  
available. If not what should be the highest priority? (Yes we  want  
to have obvious links to the other types of information.)
 
I think I covered this above.

What do you think  the bad things about our website are?
 
Unimpressive first page with too much verbage and not enough  beautiful 
pictures.

What websites demonstrate the kind of things  you would like to see  
for the AIS website?
 
Take a look at the American Daffodil Society.  Beginning  with a search for 
"daffodil" you immediately find via Google (179,000 items) the  Narcissus 
(flower) Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, with definitions provided  by ADS, and 
then the ADS site itself.  On their website the toolbar  stresses educational 
topics and links with viewable web pages and/or pdf  files.  Almost all of the 
pages have a stunning picture of a daffodil  first, then followed by the 
appropriate verbage.  I am less impressed by  the Daylily and Hosta sites.  Again, 
too much verbage without enough  pictures.  The American public wants 
everything NOW, with instant  gratification.  Don't make it right but appears to be a 
fact of  life.

What other questions should be asked here?
What other  ideas do you have?
Now is your chance.
 
I've said enough.  Thanks for the opportunity to voice an  opinion.
 
Jim Morris

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