[101admin] A few things for your consideration
Ian Scott
101admin@ourshack.com
Tue, 9 Jan 2001 02:14:30 -0500
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Hi Dan
I couldn't agree with you more.... Your questionnaire is very similar to the
one we give to new clients who want to have a online presence on the
internet....
I've lost count how many new clients that we have had walking into our
company with the attitude of "I want a bit of this internet... I need a web
site"... without have any idea of what they are trying to do or sell.....
>From one web professional to another, you are exactly right in everything
you said in your email....
I've been planning and coding my Kite Portal (using Cold Fusion) for at
least six months. This to some people might seem like a long time, but like
yourself I too have a great deal of experience in not only designing but
also the other side of web marketing and research that goes into making a
successful web site...
On example, was another web site I own Brits Online, ( www.britsonline.com )
I started this site as a hobby after work to help fellow Brits in the US
like myself. The site is basically a Online Resource Center...
Scotty
-----Original Message-----
From: 101admin-admin@ourshack.com [mailto:101admin-admin@ourshack.com]On
Behalf Of Dan Millsip
Sent: Tuesday, January 09, 2001 1:35 AM
To: 101admin@ourshack.com
Subject: [101admin] A few things for your consideration
Hi All,
First of all, I think this idea is a great one. A site such as the one
being discussed here would have been a great help to me and would have saved
me a lot of time when I first started flying kites.
Thanks Ellen, for suggesting my name be added to your list.
Originally, I thought I would make this a private communication between
those of you who have posted regarding starting a new site for novice kiters
but since you've taken the initiative to start this new discussion group
I've posted it here. I'm was going to mail this privately because I don't
want to come across as a 'know-it-all' on rec.kites and hope that I don't
come across that way here. I do however, posses a pretty vast knowledge of
building websites as I have been developing websites professionally every
day for the past six years (since all pages were grey). I do know what works
and what is a waste of time. At the risk of sounding like I'm patting myself
on the back, all of my sites have done extremely well and have achieved all
the goals of their intended purpose.
My intent here is to prepare you for the amount of work, time and planning
that it will take to construct a successful website, i.e., a reality check.
This is a culmination of my experiences of building websites that work. Feel
free to ignore what I've posted here if you choose, I'm sure that from what
I've seen so far that you will all make this project work one way or
another.
So here goes:
Planning for a website is no small undertaking -- it's a lot of work and
to make it successful requires a great deal of thought, not only for the
information that will be included, but also how that information will be
presented. Consideration also needs to be given for the maintenance of the
site including regular updates, associated costs, and a plan for the future.
I don't have a great deal of time available to work on this project (in
fact, I have very little) but can offer some things to think about before
you jump in with both feet. Bear in mind that most sites fail because there
wasn't any planning done in the initial stages -- planning is critical to
the success of a project -- you must know where it is going and how you're
going to get there *before* you start. This is paramount. If it's not done,
the project will quickly lose direction and if you're lucky, it will fail
quickly. If you're not lucky, it will die a slow, miserable death.
Having said this, following are my thoughts on a new website for people
new to kiting.
When I first meet with a potential client I ask the following questions:
1.) DETERMINE THE PURPOSE
Why do you want to build a website?
This question has been answered in RK. There's an obvious lack of a
website for beginners to kiting.
What is the site intended for?
In this case it seems to me that the purpose of the site is to offer
information that will assist new kite fliers in the beginning stages of
their involvement as well as offering information that will keep them
interested as thier skill level develops (say, to an intermediate level).
Who is the site intended for?
Obviously, it's intended for those new to kiting, but who are they? Where
are they? Profiles of a typical user need to be determined based on sex,
age, geographic location, financial status -- perhaps a questionnaire at RK
would offer some useful user profile information -- but maybe not as (I
assume) most people on RK are already into kiting. These profiles will be
used to determine the method of presenting the information. There's no point
in building a site that is very technical in nature if the intended audience
are kids between the ages of 10-16 years. This is not what will capture
their attention. I can assume that the target market for this site will be a
wide age group (20-50+ years). Likewise, it wouldn't be prudent to build a
graphics heavy site if the average user does not have a high-speed
connection (when I build a site primarily for a Canadian audience, I
increase the maximum allowable file sizes as Canadians have the fastest per
capita Internet connections in the world).
2.) DETERMINE GOALS
What do you want the site to accomplish?
This is probably the most difficult phase of a new site and requires the
most focus. Goals are VERY important. If none are put forth you will have no
way to determine if you have been successful (And you DO want to know when
it's time to lift a glass to everyone involved!) What are the primary goals
that you are hoping to achieve? How do you intend to achieve those goals?
What are the secondary goals? i.e., long term. When setting goals it's
important to make sure that you can reach them. Set them too high and you'll
only find disappointment.
How will you measure success of the site?
This question is important because you need to know when your work is
done. Will success be rated on the traffic (unique visitors), user feedback,
number of sites that link to it? Or a combination of all of these. Or
something else entirely?
3.) DETERMINE THE CONTENT REQUIREMENTS
I've been reading with great interest all that has been posted and there
are some great ideas. My advice here is to start small. Make the goals
simple and easy to achieve. If you try to build everything into the site at
the beginning it will lead to problems -- learn to manage the basics first
and then add new features as the previous ones are managed efficiently. You
can always add to the site later.
Is the site going to be static or will the information be updated on a
regular basis?
Static sites are much easier to look after. This project sounds to me that
it will be a mix of both. Obviously, any database features such as
searchable lists of retail outlets are not considered static. Kite reviews
and basic instructional information for people just getting into kiting will
probably not change very often and are static (once you've explained how to
tie a larks head knot you will never have to change it again).
Technical requirements are another big factor -- obviously the more
features that can be automated, i.e., no maintenance is required, the
better. But bear in mind that automated systems generally take a significant
amount of time and effort to implement properly. They also require a lot
more technical expertise. I'm a big supporter of automated systems but only
if they are done in a manner that is easy for the user to use.
What type of content features can be automated?
The "Flying Buddies" directory should obviously be automated. It should
also be searchable by geographic area. Yes, a clickable image map would look
nice but is it really necessary? It's a lot of work to create graphic maps
for a small geographic area, never mind the entire planet. My recommendation
would be to make this a text based feature (it would also make it more
bandwidth friendly). It's something that I would develop at a date after the
site is up and running smoothly. Same goes for club and store locations
directory. Another feature that is very important is an automated system to
check for website addresses that are no longer current. As many of you are
no doubt aware, clubs (and to a lesser degree, retail outlets), are
notoriously transient on the web -- a link that works today may not work
tomorrow. It's a major job to ensure that all links from a site are working
correctly -- and people will lose faith in a site if too many links don't
work.
I looked at the list that Andrew posted and think this is a step in the
right direction:
- Which kite to choose
- Where abouts to buy it
- How to set it up
- Hints and tips for new fliers.
- Get in touch with your local scene. Tell us where you are and
we'll point you in the direction of:
- Local fliers who may be willing to help you get started
- Your nearest clubs
- Your nearest specialist kite stores
- Any manufacturers that happen to be in your locality
- Noted flying sites in your area.
- The online scene
- discussion groups
- interactive chat
- mailing lists
- search engines
My recommendation here would be to start out with the first four items
(with a few more added, see below) -- get this up and running and then
continue on to each of the other items step by step. This will directly tie
into the Goals portion of this post. The success of the first four items
will be easy to determine -- strictly by the amount of traffic that the site
attracts. If the success is determined adequate, then move on to the next
item(s). Further to this, I would strongly suggest implementing a mail list
at the very outset. Oddly enough, Mail lists are the most under used
features of a website. They give you the best indication of how many people
are actually using the site seriously (generally, if I can attract 5-10% of
all visitors to a site to join the mail list it's considered a huge
success). Mail lists can also be used to bring people back to the site when
new features are added. Repeat visits are considered gold in my business.
Mail lists can also be a great source of building future content for a
site -- consider if you send out regular mail with a new tip or two in each
issue -- before long you've got a good foundation for more content that can
be added to the site.
In a situation like this one, I would develop a long term plan to
implement the features that are decided on. I think a reasonable time for
the items above would be a period of about a year (maybe even two). This
will allow the site to progress without being overwhelming to those who are
administering it. And on the grand scale of things, a year or two is not
that long to do something right (bear in mind that when it comes to
determining a website construction schedule that I always triple the
estimate -- and that's with full time people working on it!).
Basically, make the intitial phases of the site easy to build and
maintain, i.e., static information. Find out if there is indeed a need for a
site like this and if there is, then go nuts with other types of features.
Other items that I would include to Andrew's list would be:
- Common sense rules.
- An explanation of the wind window.
- An explanation of determining wind speed.
- How to prepare for, and do field repairs.
- How many beers to pack in the cooler for a six hour day at the beach
:-) -- maybe not!
I'm certain that this group can come up with a number of items that could
be added to this list while keeping the information basically static.
4.) DETERMINE WHO WILL PROVIDE THE CONTENT
This is a biggy. As everyone knows, content is king on the web but who is
going to write it? I'm sure that many in this forum are very capable as far
as kiting knowledge goes, but writing can be a whole other thing. Who will
provide illustrations, drawings, photos, etc.? We also need someone to edit
the content for spelling and grammar (will the site use UK or US spelling
conventions? -- not a big deal but it needs to be asked.) The content also
needs to have credibility -- credibility brings traffic. I assume that
credibility is not going to be a problem with this group (assuming that
everyone can agree on what is right and what is wrong).
5.) DETERMINE A MARKETING STRATEGY
How will you promote the site?
There are several REALLY EFFECTIVE ways that I have found that work well
on the web.
1.) E-mail others with related sites and ask them to provide a link.
2.) Enter the site into web design award contests (some of the awards that
my sites have won have brought in excess of 3,000 unique visitors to the
site in a single day).
3.) Search engine listings -- there are a lot of little tricks to get
better listings.
4.) Mail Lists -- develop a regular schedule for sending out to the mail
list.
5.) Banners with the web address at festivals
6.) Business cards with the web address to hand out while on the field (I
really liked this one!) Hmmm... maybe a downloadable pdf file that can be
printed on a laser printer...
6.) DETERMINE A MAINTENANCE STRATEGY
Even a static site will require a minimal amount of maintenance. Who will
do these updates? Who will be responsible for adding/writing new content?
A schedule should be developed to determine when new information should be
included. I would suggest a new item be added at least each month.
7.) DETERMINE FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS
Who is going to pay? You've already run into this one. The domain name is
only the beginning.
There will be other considerations in the future. At some point the
technical resources of the group will not be adequate for the features that
you want to add. Is there an organization that might consider throwing a few
bucks into the kitty to pay for some of the initial costs? It wouldn't take
a whole lot of money, but I would say to kick things off two or three
hundred dollars would be nice. I'd hate to see this idea falter because
something was needed for 50 bucks and no one is willing to pay for it. Just
a suggestion, but perhaps Kitelife would be a good one to approach -- Mike
already provides a lot of information for the serious flyer -- and would
seem the logical next place on the web for someone to go once they've got
everything that they can from this site. I realize that there is a desire
not to include commercial advertising on the site (and to a great extent, I
agree), but a few links to Kitelife.com may not be a bad idea. It may also
be a good way for the kiting community to give back to Mike for what he has
given to the kite community.
----
Well folks, there's my two cents worth (or is more like a nickels worth?).
Anyway, I really do think that the idea is a good one and I applaud all of
you for taking it to the point that you already have. And although it may
seem that I'm giving you more to think about than you might think is
necessary, it's been my experience that those who don't consider all of the
above items don't make it. I've walked away from many web jobs because the
client hasn't given enough consideration to these items -- even if the money
is there, I won't take a job on unless I think the client is willing to do
what's necessary in the planning stages (it happens a lot more than you
would think). From what I've read in rec.kites and in this forum, all of you
appear to have the passion to make this work and as I've said, I
unfortunately have very little time available to contribute here. I would
however, be more than willing to participate as a consultant if you want.
Forgive me if I don't respond right away to any replies to this message as
I'm working like a dog to get Ray Bethell's site online by the 10th of this
month -- only two more sleeps. I promise I'll reply once I've finished up
there.
Thanks for taking time to read this post.
BTW: My vote would be for www.kites101.com with the 's'. But I'd also get
kite101.com and do a redirect, just in case. Uh Oh... there's another $35 US
to start this up.
Best regards,
-Dan.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Dan Millsip
Renaissance Web Creation Inc. Website: http://www.renweb.net/
23195 96th Ave, PO Box 836 Tel/Fax: 604-513-1192
Fort Langley, BC V1M 2S2 E-mail: dan@renweb.net
_______________________________________________ 101admin mailing list
101admin@ourshack.com http://www.ourshack.com/mailman/listinfo/101admin
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<BODY>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D950055206-09012001><FONT face=3DVerdana =
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>Hi=20
Dan</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D950055206-09012001><FONT face=3DVerdana =
color=3D#0000ff=20
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D950055206-09012001><FONT face=3DVerdana =
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>I=20
couldn't agree with you more.... Your questionnaire is very similar to =
the one=20
we give to new clients who want to have a online presence on the =
internet....=20
</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D950055206-09012001><FONT face=3DVerdana =
color=3D#0000ff=20
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D950055206-09012001><FONT face=3DVerdana =
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>I've=20
lost count how many new clients that we have had walking into our =
company with=20
the attitude of "I want a bit of this internet... I need a web site"... =
without=20
have any idea of what they are trying to do or =
sell.....</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D950055206-09012001><FONT face=3DVerdana =
color=3D#0000ff=20
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D950055206-09012001><FONT face=3DVerdana =
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>From=20
one web professional to another, you are exactly right in everything you =
said in=20
your email....</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D950055206-09012001><FONT face=3DVerdana =
color=3D#0000ff=20
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D950055206-09012001><FONT face=3DVerdana =
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>I've=20
been planning and coding my Kite Portal (using Cold Fusion) for at least =
six=20
months. This to some people might seem like a long time, but like =
yourself=20
I too have a great deal of experience in not only designing but also the =
other=20
side of web marketing and research that goes into making a successful =
web=20
site...</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D950055206-09012001><FONT face=3DVerdana =
color=3D#0000ff=20
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D950055206-09012001></SPAN><FONT face=3DTahoma><SPAN=20
class=3D950055206-09012001><FONT face=3DVerdana color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2>On example, was=20
another web site I own Brits Online, ( <A=20
href=3D"http://www.britsonline.com">www.britsonline.com</A> ) I started =
this site=20
as a hobby after work to help fellow Brits in the US like =
myself. The site=20
is basically a Online Resource Center...</FONT></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DTahoma><SPAN class=3D950055206-09012001><FONT =
face=3DVerdana=20
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2></FONT></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DTahoma><SPAN class=3D950055206-09012001><FONT =
face=3DVerdana=20
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>Scotty</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><BR> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><SPAN =
class=3D950055206-09012001></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><SPAN =
class=3D950055206-09012001> </SPAN>-----Original=20
Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> 101admin-admin@ourshack.com=20
[mailto:101admin-admin@ourshack.com]<B>On Behalf Of </B>Dan=20
Millsip<BR><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, January 09, 2001 1:35 AM<BR><B>To:</B>=20
101admin@ourshack.com<BR><B>Subject:</B> [101admin] A few things for =
your=20
consideration<BR><BR></DIV></FONT></FONT>
<BLOCKQUOTE>Hi All,<BR><BR>First of all, I think this idea is a great =
one. A=20
site such as the one being discussed here would have been a great help =
to me=20
and would have saved me a lot of time when I first started flying =
kites.=20
<BR><BR>Thanks Ellen, for suggesting my name be added to your=20
list.<BR><BR>Originally, I thought I would make this a private =
communication=20
between those of you who have posted regarding starting a new site for =
novice=20
kiters but since you've taken the initiative to start this new =
discussion=20
group I've posted it here. I'm was going to mail this privately =
because I=20
don't want to come across as a 'know-it-all' on rec.kites and hope =
that I=20
don't come across that way here. I do however, posses a pretty vast =
knowledge=20
of building websites as I have been developing websites professionally =
every=20
day for the past six years (since all pages were grey). I do know what =
works=20
and what is a waste of time. At the risk of sounding like I'm patting =
myself=20
on the back, all of my sites have done extremely well and have =
achieved all=20
the goals of their intended purpose. <BR><BR>My intent here is to =
prepare you=20
for the amount of work, time and planning that it will take to =
construct a=20
successful website, i.e., a reality check. This is a culmination of my =
experiences of building websites that work. Feel free to ignore what =
I've=20
posted here if you choose, I'm sure that from what I've seen so far =
that you=20
will all make this project work one way or another.<BR><BR>So here=20
goes:<BR><BR>Planning for a website is no small undertaking -- it's a =
lot of=20
work and to make it successful requires a great deal of thought, not =
only for=20
the information that will be included, but also how that information =
will be=20
presented. Consideration also needs to be given for the maintenance of =
the=20
site including regular updates, associated costs, and a plan for the =
future.=20
<BR><BR>I don't have a great deal of time available to work on this =
project=20
(in fact, I have very little) but can offer some things to think about =
before=20
you jump in with both feet. Bear in mind that most sites fail because =
there=20
wasn't any planning done in the initial stages -- planning is critical =
to the=20
success of a project -- you must know where it is going and how you're =
going=20
to get there *before* you start. This is paramount. If it's not done, =
the=20
project will quickly lose direction and if you're lucky, it will fail =
quickly.=20
If you're not lucky, it will die a slow, miserable =
death.<BR><BR>Having said=20
this, following are my thoughts on a new website for people new to=20
kiting.<BR><BR>When I first meet with a potential client I ask the =
following=20
questions:<BR><BR><BR>1.) DETERMINE THE PURPOSE<BR><BR>Why do you want =
to=20
build a website?<BR>This question has been answered in RK. There's an =
obvious=20
lack of a website for beginners to kiting.<BR><BR>What is the site =
intended=20
for? <BR>In this case it seems to me that the purpose of the site is =
to offer=20
information that will assist new kite fliers in the beginning stages =
of their=20
involvement as well as offering information that will keep them =
interested as=20
thier skill level develops (say, to an intermediate level).<BR><BR>Who =
is the=20
site intended for?<BR>Obviously, it's intended for those new to =
kiting, but=20
who are they? Where are they? Profiles of a typical user need to be =
determined=20
based on sex, age, geographic location, financial status -- perhaps a=20
questionnaire at RK would offer some useful user profile information =
-- but=20
maybe not as (I assume) most people on RK are already into kiting. =
These=20
profiles will be used to determine the method of presenting the =
information.=20
There's no point in building a site that is very technical in nature =
if the=20
intended audience are kids between the ages of 10-16 years. This is =
not what=20
will capture their attention. I can assume that the target market for =
this=20
site will be a wide age group (20-50+ years). Likewise, it wouldn't be =
prudent=20
to build a graphics heavy site if the average user does not have a =
high-speed=20
connection (when I build a site primarily for a Canadian audience, I =
increase=20
the maximum allowable file sizes as Canadians have the fastest per =
capita=20
Internet connections in the world).<BR><BR><BR>2.) DETERMINE =
GOALS<BR><BR>What=20
do you want the site to accomplish?<BR>This is probably the most =
difficult=20
phase of a new site and requires the most focus. Goals are VERY =
important. If=20
none are put forth you will have no way to determine if you have been=20
successful (And you DO want to know when it's time to lift a glass to =
everyone=20
involved!) What are the primary goals that you are hoping to achieve? =
How do=20
you intend to achieve those goals? What are the secondary goals? i.e., =
long=20
term. When setting goals it's important to make sure that you can =
reach them.=20
Set them too high and you'll only find disappointment.<BR><BR>How will =
you=20
measure success of the site?<BR>This question is important because you =
need to=20
know when your work is done. Will success be rated on the traffic =
(unique=20
visitors), user feedback, number of sites that link to it? Or a =
combination of=20
all of these. Or something else entirely?<BR><BR><BR>3.) DETERMINE THE =
CONTENT=20
REQUIREMENTS<BR><BR>I've been reading with great interest all that has =
been=20
posted and there are some great ideas. My advice here is to start =
small. Make=20
the goals simple and easy to achieve. If you try to build everything =
into the=20
site at the beginning it will lead to problems -- learn to manage the =
basics=20
first and then add new features as the previous ones are managed =
efficiently.=20
You can always add to the site later.<BR><BR>Is the site going to be =
static or=20
will the information be updated on a regular basis? <BR>Static sites =
are much=20
easier to look after. This project sounds to me that it will be a mix =
of both.=20
Obviously, any database features such as searchable lists of retail =
outlets=20
are not considered static. Kite reviews and basic instructional =
information=20
for people just getting into kiting will probably not change very =
often and=20
are static (once you've explained how to tie a larks head knot you =
will never=20
have to change it again). <BR><BR>Technical requirements are another =
big=20
factor -- obviously the more features that can be automated, i.e., no=20
maintenance is required, the better. But bear in mind that automated =
systems=20
generally take a significant amount of time and effort to implement =
properly.=20
They also require a lot more technical expertise. I'm a big supporter =
of=20
automated systems but only if they are done in a manner that is easy =
for the=20
user to use.<BR><BR>What type of content features can be =
automated?<BR>The=20
"Flying Buddies" directory should obviously be automated. It should =
also be=20
searchable by geographic area. Yes, a clickable image map would look =
nice but=20
is it really necessary? It's a lot of work to create graphic maps for =
a small=20
geographic area, never mind the entire planet. My recommendation would =
be to=20
make this a text based feature (it would also make it more bandwidth=20
friendly). It's something that I would develop at a date after the =
site is up=20
and running smoothly. Same goes for club and store locations =
directory.=20
Another feature that is very important is an automated system to check =
for=20
website addresses that are no longer current. As many of you are no =
doubt=20
aware, clubs (and to a lesser degree, retail outlets), are notoriously =
transient on the web -- a link that works today may not work tomorrow. =
It's a=20
major job to ensure that all links from a site are working correctly =
-- and=20
people will lose faith in a site if too many links don't =
work.<BR><BR>I looked=20
at the list that Andrew posted and think this is a step in the right=20
direction:<BR><BR>- Which kite to choose<BR>- Where abouts to buy =
it<BR>- How=20
to set it up<BR>- Hints and tips for new fliers.<BR>- Get in touch =
with your=20
local scene. Tell us where you are and<BR>we'll point you in the =
direction=20
of:<BR>- Local fliers who may be willing to help you get started<BR>- =
Your=20
nearest clubs<BR>- Your nearest specialist kite stores<BR>- Any =
manufacturers=20
that happen to be in your locality<BR>- Noted flying sites in your =
area.<BR>-=20
The online scene<BR>- discussion groups<BR>- interactive chat<BR>- =
mailing=20
lists<BR>- search engines<BR><BR>My recommendation here would be to =
start out=20
with the first four items (with a few more added, see below) -- get =
this up=20
and running and then continue on to each of the other items step by =
step. This=20
will directly tie into the Goals portion of this post. The success of =
the=20
first four items will be easy to determine -- strictly by the amount =
of=20
traffic that the site attracts. If the success is determined adequate, =
then=20
move on to the next item(s). Further to this, I would strongly suggest =
implementing a mail list at the very outset. Oddly enough, Mail lists =
are the=20
most under used features of a website. They give you the best =
indication of=20
how many people are actually using the site seriously (generally, if I =
can=20
attract 5-10% of all visitors to a site to join the mail list it's =
considered=20
a huge success). Mail lists can also be used to bring people back to =
the site=20
when new features are added. Repeat visits are considered gold in my =
business.=20
Mail lists can also be a great source of building future content for a =
site --=20
consider if you send out regular mail with a new tip or two in each =
issue --=20
before long you've got a good foundation for more content that can be =
added to=20
the site.<BR><BR>In a situation like this one, I would develop a long =
term=20
plan to implement the features that are decided on. I think a =
reasonable time=20
for the items above would be a period of about a year (maybe even =
two). This=20
will allow the site to progress without being overwhelming to those =
who are=20
administering it. And on the grand scale of things, a year or two is =
not that=20
long to do something right (bear in mind that when it comes to =
determining a=20
website construction schedule that I always triple the estimate -- and =
that's=20
with full time people working on it!).<BR><BR>Basically, make the =
intitial=20
phases of the site easy to build and maintain, i.e., static =
information. Find=20
out if there is indeed a need for a site like this and if there is, =
then go=20
nuts with other types of features.<BR><BR>Other items that I would =
include to=20
Andrew's list would be:<BR><BR>- Common sense rules.<BR>- An =
explanation of=20
the wind window.<BR>- An explanation of determining wind speed.<BR>- =
How to=20
prepare for, and do field repairs.<BR>- How many beers to pack in the =
cooler=20
for a six hour day at the beach :-) -- maybe not!<BR><BR>I'm certain =
that this=20
group can come up with a number of items that could be added to this =
list=20
while keeping the information basically static.<BR><BR><BR>4.) =
DETERMINE WHO=20
WILL PROVIDE THE CONTENT<BR><BR>This is a biggy. As everyone knows, =
content is=20
king on the web but who is going to write it? I'm sure that many in =
this forum=20
are very capable as far as kiting knowledge goes, but writing can be a =
whole=20
other thing. Who will provide illustrations, drawings, photos, etc.? =
We also=20
need someone to edit the content for spelling and grammar (will the =
site use=20
UK or US spelling conventions? -- not a big deal but it needs to be =
asked.)=20
The content also needs to have credibility -- credibility brings =
traffic. I=20
assume that credibility is not going to be a problem with this group =
(assuming=20
that everyone can agree on what is right and what is =
wrong).<BR><BR><BR>5.)=20
DETERMINE A MARKETING STRATEGY<BR><BR>How will you promote the =
site?<BR>There=20
are several REALLY EFFECTIVE ways that I have found that work well on =
the=20
web.<BR><BR>1.) E-mail others with related sites and ask them to =
provide a=20
link.<BR>2.) Enter the site into web design award contests (some of =
the awards=20
that my sites have won have brought in excess of 3,000 unique visitors =
to the=20
site in a single day).<BR>3.) Search engine listings -- there are a =
lot of=20
little tricks to get better listings.<BR>4.) Mail Lists -- develop a =
regular=20
schedule for sending out to the mail list.<BR>5.) Banners with the web =
address=20
at festivals<BR>6.) Business cards with the web address to hand out =
while on=20
the field (I really liked this one!) Hmmm... maybe a downloadable pdf =
file=20
that can be printed on a laser printer...<BR><BR><BR>6.) DETERMINE A=20
MAINTENANCE STRATEGY<BR><BR>Even a static site will require a minimal =
amount=20
of maintenance. Who will do these updates? Who will be responsible for =
adding/writing new content?<BR><BR>A schedule should be developed to =
determine=20
when new information should be included. I would suggest a new item be =
added=20
at least each month.<BR><BR><BR>7.) DETERMINE FINANCIAL=20
CONSIDERATIONS<BR><BR>Who is going to pay? You've already run into =
this one.=20
The domain name is only the beginning.<BR><BR>There will be other=20
considerations in the future. At some point the technical resources of =
the=20
group will not be adequate for the features that you want to add. Is =
there an=20
organization that might consider throwing a few bucks into the kitty =
to pay=20
for some of the initial costs? It wouldn't take a whole lot of money, =
but I=20
would say to kick things off two or three hundred dollars would be =
nice. I'd=20
hate to see this idea falter because something was needed for 50 bucks =
and no=20
one is willing to pay for it. Just a suggestion, but perhaps Kitelife =
would be=20
a good one to approach -- Mike already provides a lot of information =
for the=20
serious flyer -- and would seem the logical next place on the web for =
someone=20
to go once they've got everything that they can from this site. I =
realize that=20
there is a desire not to include commercial advertising on the site =
(and to a=20
great extent, I agree), but a few links to Kitelife.com may not be a =
bad idea.=20
It may also be a good way for the kiting community to give back to =
Mike for=20
what he has given to the kite community.<BR><BR>----<BR><BR>Well =
folks,=20
there's my two cents worth (or is more like a nickels worth?). Anyway, =
I=20
really do think that the idea is a good one and I applaud all of you =
for=20
taking it to the point that you already have. And although it may seem =
that=20
I'm giving you more to think about than you might think is necessary, =
it's=20
been my experience that those who don't consider all of the above =
items don't=20
make it. I've walked away from many web jobs because the client hasn't =
given=20
enough consideration to these items -- even if the money is there, I =
won't=20
take a job on unless I think the client is willing to do what's =
necessary in=20
the planning stages (it happens a lot more than you would think). From =
what=20
I've read in rec.kites and in this forum, all of you appear to have =
the=20
passion to make this work and as I've said, I unfortunately have very =
little=20
time available to contribute here. I would however, be more than =
willing to=20
participate as a consultant if you want.<BR><BR>Forgive me if I don't =
respond=20
right away to any replies to this message as I'm working like a dog to =
get Ray=20
Bethell's site online by the 10th of this month -- only two more =
sleeps. I=20
promise I'll reply once I've finished up =
there.<BR><?/bigger><BR>Thanks for=20
taking time to read this post.<BR><BR>BTW: My vote would be for=20
www.kites101.com with the 's'. But I'd also get kite101.com and do a =
redirect,=20
just in case. Uh Oh... there's another $35 US to start this=20
up.<BR><BR><BR><BR>Best=20
=
regards,<BR><BR>-Dan.<BR><BR>--------------------------------------------=
---------------------<BR>Dan=20
Millsip <BR>Renaissance Web Creation Inc. Website:=20
http://www.renweb.net/<BR>23195 96th Ave, PO Box 836 Tel/Fax:=20
604-513-1192<BR>Fort Langley, BC V1M 2S2 E-mail:=20
dan@renweb.net<BR>_______________________________________________ =
101admin=20
mailing list 101admin@ourshack.com=20
=
http://www.ourshack.com/mailman/listinfo/101admin</BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HT=
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