(no subject)

["Jim Morris" <1005@rewrite.aisboard.org>]

Folks,
 
I had our web site evaluated by two professional web designers.   
Independently they informed me that in their opinion it is an outdated static  site 
that does not appear to be intuitive.  Each of them prefer a dynamic  design 
that allows for easy additions, deletions and changes.   They found Wayne 
Messer's email on Audience Evaluation most cogent as did  I.  We need some 
direction or goals for our web site and for that we  need much more data on who 
uses it and how often, how long, etc.  I  would like our web master Chris 
Hollinghead to gather such data.  It  can be obtained free via 
_www.http.Awstats.org_ (http://www.http.Awstats.org)  if we link  in. I'm confident that 
our web site is extensively used as is the iris  Encyclopedia.  One may or 
may not be "steak, the other hamburger" but both  are useful and present AIS 
in a positive way. 
 
As to the cost of menu changes to our existing site the following comments  
were made:
 
     Designer A:  "$1200 for only a new menu  is actually insane.  If 
they're redoing the entire web site, then  that price is appropriate.  Not menu 
only, though."
 
     Designer B:  "Adding a few links should  only take a few minutes of 
someone's time. A change to links does not  typically require art assets to be 
redone. Paying for a home page redesign to  add a few links seems 
excessive. I do not believe you would be getting a  good value for your money. The 
only reason you should pay that much for a  redesign would be to convert the 
static site to a dynamic one."
 
I would like to see details of any proposed changes before the board  
authorizes any expenditure of funds regardless of the source.  This  conversation 
has been good forcing me to learn more about web sites than I  ever wanted 
to know.  Thanks to all who have participated.   REMINDER:  Sign your 
complete name to any posts as I have no idea who some  of these numbers represent. 
 Your emails do not identify the source when I  receive them via AISdiscuss.
 
Jim Morris
President
American Iris Society

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