RE: AIS Website

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

Jim,

Well thought out, I agree.

Lynn Williams
R14 RVP

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-aisdiscuss@aisboard.org [mailto:owner-aisdiscuss@aisboard.org]
On Behalf Of MORRISJE1@aol.com
Sent: Monday, February 11, 2008 11:56 AM
To: aisdiscuss@aisboard.org
Subject: Re: [AISdiscuss] AIS Website


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AIS Foundation, Canadian Iris Society and a woefully  outdated World Iris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

----------------





**************The year's hottest artists on the red carpet at the Grammy
Awards. Go to AOL Music.
(http://music.aol.com/grammys?NCID=aolcmp00300000002565)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to the AIS Secretary
<aissecretary@irises.org> The archives for AISDiscuss are at:
http://www.aisboard.org/lists/aisdiscuss/

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to the AIS Secretary
<aissecretary@irises.org>
The archives for AISDiscuss are at:
http://www.aisboard.org/lists/aisdiscuss/