RE: AIS Website

["Lynn" <irislynn@willitsonline.com>]

Hi John,

I would like to add only one comment to Kitty's and that would be
claification to her suggestion of a site map.  It would be great to have an
entire USA map with the various Regions listed so that people could click on
a particular state and be linked to the Region in that state and the
societies in that Region.  They do something similar on the geneaolgy site,
usgenweb.org.  If a Region already has a website, then the link would be to
that website, if not, then to an information page that lists the number of
the Region, RVP, and Societies and their contact person with name,
address,phone number, and email in that Region.

Also, I'd like to add, more photos of irises and definitely an example of
each species/variety.

Basically, I agree with all of Kitty's suggestions.

Lynn Williams
AIS Region 14 RVP

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-aisdiscuss@aisboard.org [mailto:owner-aisdiscuss@aisboard.org]
On Behalf Of K. Loberg
Sent: Monday, February 11, 2008 11:17 AM
To: aisdiscuss@aisboard.org
Subject: Re: [AISdiscuss] AIS Website


John, I think I tried to answer before, but I'll just offer my comments a
little different, if they will help.

"What do you think the main audience for the website is?

      A.I.S. is a business.  We're just a non-profit business, but we're
still selling our product.  Our product is promoting the interest in, and
culture of irises.   We don't use the word "advertising irises", but that's
what we do.

"Why do you think they come to our website?

        People come to the site looking for information, all sorts of
information.   Old visitors probably have something in mind, like they are
looking up information they know is on the website.   New visitors may come
to the site because they like the pretty flower or are seeking answers on
culture, or maybe they want to find a club.  I think in some near future, we

should have a large database of variety photos so that people can just look
up what a specific variety looks like.   American Hermerocallis Society has
positioned themselves to do so, at http://www.daylilydatabase.org (this is a

subsidiary link off their http://www.daylilies.org/ main site).

"What action do you want people to take when they first come to our
 website."

    To have an easy index to migrate through.  To also have a site map.
We'd like visitors to WANT check it out further.  To have "carrots" that
encourage visitors to enjoy the website and look further.


"What do you think the primary emphasis of our site should be?"

       I don't think there should be "primary".  There should be lots of
different emphasizes on the web site.  I don't see as much of "taking away
from our current website", but more of "enhancing the current web site to be

more attractive".   This is an ongoing process.   What we currently have
isn't what we started out with the first website... wasn't it Scott Aitken
who did some of the beginning site years back?  Even what we do today will
probably go thru changes into the future.

"What do you think the bad things about our website are?"

       I think I've mentioned this before.  Currently it's pretty
unattractive graphically as far as someone seeing the beauty of our irises.

What websites demonstrate the kind of things you would like to see for the
AIS website?

       American Hermerocallis Society has a gorgeous website.   They have
beautiful pictures which refresh, which show recent award winners.   They
have the ability to have on-line registrations of daylilies at their site.
They have 'About the Society', 'Membership Information', AHS Officers and
Staff', Frequently Asked Questions, 'Daylily Dictionary', 'Awards and
Honors',
'Conventions/Meetings', 'Display Gardens', 'Daylily Sources', 'Popularity
Polls', 'Daylily Publications', 'AHS Archives', 'Regional Activities', AHS
Youth Pages', 'Registering a Daylily', 'Cultivar Database Online', 'Research

Fellowships', 'Exhibition Judges Materials',  'Garden Judges Materials',
'Photo & Video Awards Info', 'International Daylily Groups', 'AHS Press
Releases, 'Board Announcements', 'New on the AHS Website'.   The only thing
I fault on their index is that I think they should alphabetize their index.
Every one of these things are helpful to somebody.  And AIS does have
similar things to many of these.


"What other ideas do you have?"

   Yes.  Maybe a prototype of several possible new designs could be offered
for those on AISdiscuss to look at and comment on.   Could that be done?


I am excited that work is being done on enhancing the AIS website.  I'm sure

we'll all be glad when the enhancements are available!
Cheers!
Kitty Loberg
Region 14 Webmaster

----- Original Message -----
From: "John I Jones" <jijones@usjoneses.com>
To: <aisdiscuss@aisboard.org>
Sent: Monday, February 11, 2008 7:47 AM
Subject: [AISdiscuss] AIS Website


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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