Re: AIS Website

[PlankMail@aol.com]

Dear John:
     In response to question #1:
     "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])"
     ** Without some form of "tracking" for hits, I think it is anybody's
guess who most visits our web page. The loudest noise comes from AIS members
who
have difficulty for one reason or another negotiating the page(s), or who feel
the offering doesn't present the most sophisticated plant society face for
the AIS.   Whether these views are shared commonly by the browsing public, no
one knows because these non-AIS folks are not likely to be interested in
finding
a way to register praise or a complaint (or be willing to take the time to do
so).
     Given that ambiguity of our visitors, I think listening to
member-complaints and making the pages easily negotiable for our members who
have varying
electronic skills should be our main goal.   If these folks can easily find
their way around the electronic offering, and the offerings are up to date and
attractive, then visiting non-members will be able to negotiate the menu, find
the up-to-date information they seek and enjoy the presentation while they're
searching.

**Why do you think they come to our website?
>      I think EVERYONE comes for information (unless they are only going
> there to "monitor and critique.")
>
> **What action do you want people to take when they first come to our 
> website.
>      I would want them to easily find (and understand HOW to find) the
> information they are seeking.
>      I think few people come to our website with a primary purpose of
learning about AIS History or our corporate inauguration. Important
information, yes,
but not front burner stuff.

> **What do you think the primary emphasis of our site should be?
>      INFORMATION ON EVERY LEVEL.   Clearly offered, attractively presented
Information about where to learn more about irises; where to learn more about
membership; where to find local groups; where to find plant material to buy;
where to learn about iris events around the country; where to find AIS
organizational business; where to find information about all things iris, in
general.

**The rest of your questions are requesting very subjective answers.   In
looking over the web page, I see things I would change and rearrange, but I'll
bet others would change and rearrange very different things.  In answering
your
request I have deliberately NOT looked at anything else any one else has
written to date.
     My broken-record position is: The Web page is not written in stone and
we should be looking for all sorts of ways to make it as user friendly and
attractive as possible no matter WHO the user is.   We are all going there for
a
reason and until you have a study that clearly indicates WHAT the most common
reason is, one must make everything focus on (1) ease of use,   (2) &(3)
clarity of AND up-to-date information, (4) attractive presentation.   All of
the
information is either there already, or will be there shortly.   Now the trick
is
to make it   a smooth and flowing access for the visitor -- whomever that is.

     You will never please all of the people, and so constant refining and
fine tuning will always have to be a priority part of maintaining ther web
page.
     I choose not to express a page by page commentary on the site because I
believe I have sited the basic philosophy I would use to work on (or with) the
site in the comments I offered above. More than that is simply one opinion
versus another.
     Cheers -- and many thanks to you, John, for tackling this difficult and
oftimes thankless job.
     Jeanne

In a message dated 2/11/08 7:49:24 AM, jijones@usjoneses.com writes:


> Last November, I asked you all on this list for suggestions about the 
> AIS website.
> (Well some of you are new to the list since then, so this is you 
> first exposure to the questions.)
>
> I got two responses (thank you both).
>
> So I ask again (with slightly modified questions):
>
> 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])
>
> Why do you think they come to our website?
>
> What action do you want people to take when they first come to our 
> website.
>
> What do you think the primary emphasis of our site should be?
>
> 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.)
>
> What do you think the bad things about our website are?
>
> What websites demonstrate the kind of things you would like to see 
> for the AIS website?
>
> What other questions should be asked here?
>
> What other ideas do you have?
>
> Now is your chance.
>
> Thanks
>
> John
>
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