Website Revision - Potential New Home Page

[Ford F834]

Lighten up, Francis.

LOL! I had to look that one up!

I didn't mean to come across so ....... adamant. But, unless there are lots of people going to garysgaragemahal.com then a home page won't help us much.

However, I have found a way to create a pop up for the first visit to the site. It isn't cheap but at least I know it can be done. So, if we decide that a pop up to explain what we are about and how to use the site is needed then that is a possibility.

Gary, I agree that most wouldn’t “enter” through a homepage if they find Garagemahal via google or one of your friendly Facebook tips. But if they like what they see they might navigate there as a starting point to see what else is available. It probably isn’t very practical or beneficial for recruitment, but would it hurt anything? I’m not crazy about pop ups. Even legitimate ones. They smack of spam, or commercialism at the very least. Also, the first time I visit a site I am looking for something. I would likely dismiss any pop ups. I don’t want to be distracted or re-directed to sign up etc., before I even know if the website can help me, or has what I’m looking for. Of course I have not seen an example of what you are proposing, but in general I don’t like any pop up that I didn’t launch myself by clicking a link. One tweak that could help draw attention to the documentation side would be to label the hamburger stack “documentation site menu” or something to that effect. I don’t know if you are able to populate the space next to the hamburger stack, but it is currently blank. You could add “return to Forum” on the top link since I believe that is the only forum related link in the menu? If you want info for new members, maybe make a “new members start here” link above the topics? I agree that too many pinned folders and threads above the active topics isn’t good, but I think a new member orientation/tutorial area could be an important link.

[Gary Lewis]

Gary, I agree that most wouldn’t “enter” through a homepage if they find Garagemahal via google or one of your friendly Facebook tips. But if they like what they see they might navigate there as a starting point to see what else is available. It probably isn’t very practical or beneficial for recruitment, but would it hurt anything? I’m not crazy about pop ups. Even legitimate ones. They smack of spam, or commercialism at the very least. Also, the first time I visit a site I am looking for something. I would likely dismiss any pop ups. I don’t want to be distracted or re-directed to sign up etc., before I even know if the website can help me, or has what I’m looking for. Of course I have not seen an example of what you are proposing, but in general I don’t like any pop up that I didn’t launch myself by clicking a link. One tweak that could help draw attention to the documentation side would be to label the hamburger stack “documentation site menu” or something to that effect. I don’t know if you are able to populate the space next to the hamburger stack, but it is currently blank. You could add “return to Forum” on the top link since I believe that is the only forum related link in the menu? If you want info for new members, maybe make a “new members start here” link above the topics? I agree that too many pinned folders and threads above the active topics isn’t good, but I think a new member orientation/tutorial area could be an important link.

Jonathan - There's a whole lot in your post, so I'm going to attempt to dissect it and respond to each point. To do so I'll put your points in blue and mine in green.

 

• I agree that most wouldn’t “enter” through a homepage if they find Garagemahal via google or one of your friendly Facebook tips. But if they like what they see they might navigate there as a starting point to see what else is available. It probably isn’t very practical or beneficial for recruitment, but would it hurt anything? I'm not against doing it, but it could hurt things. The forum is currently at URL garysgaragemahal.com, which is the home page. But if we create a new home page it will get that URL. So anyone that has bookmarked that URL is not going to where they expect to go. On the other hand, there would be an easily-seen link directly to the forum on the home page in your scenario, so maybe it isn't a problem?

 

• I’m not crazy about pop ups. Even legitimate ones. They smack of spam, or commercialism at the very least. Also, the first time I visit a site I am looking for something. I would likely dismiss any pop ups. I don’t want to be distracted or re-directed to sign up etc., before I even know if the website can help me, or has what I’m looking for. Of course I have not seen an example of what you are proposing, but in general I don’t like any pop up that I didn’t launch myself by clicking a link. I know what you are saying about popups. And you are probably right. But my thought was that for the first visit they'd get a popup that pointed them to the menu and, therefore, the documentation. However, your next point may cover that....

 

• One tweak that could help draw attention to the documentation side would be to label the hamburger stack “documentation site menu” or something to that effect. I don’t know if you are able to populate the space next to the hamburger stack, but it is currently blank. You could add “return to Forum” on the top link since I believe that is the only forum related link in the menu? I don't know if it can be done, but something that points to the menu might really help. Except it won't help much on the forum since, as Steve pointed out, it auto-advances to the forum, meaning it skips over the top and people don't see the menu. And I'm not sure what to do 'bout that.

 

• If you want info for new members, maybe make a “new members start here” link above the topics? I agree that too many pinned folders and threads above the active topics isn’t good, but I think a new member orientation/tutorial area could be an important link. I'm not sure I understand what you mean. We have a New Members Start Here folder, but you must mean something else. Where would the link go? And it would take them to a tutorial?

[Ford F834]

Jonathan - There's a whole lot in your post, so I'm going to attempt to dissect it and respond to each point. To do so I'll put your points in blue and mine in green.

 

• I agree that most wouldn’t “enter” through a homepage if they find Garagemahal via google or one of your friendly Facebook tips. But if they like what they see they might navigate there as a starting point to see what else is available. It probably isn’t very practical or beneficial for recruitment, but would it hurt anything? I'm not against doing it, but it could hurt things. The forum is currently at URL garysgaragemahal.com, which is the home page. But if we create a new home page it will get that URL. So anyone that has bookmarked that URL is not going to where they expect to go. On the other hand, there would be an easily-seen link directly to the forum on the home page in your scenario, so maybe it isn't a problem?

 

• I’m not crazy about pop ups. Even legitimate ones. They smack of spam, or commercialism at the very least. Also, the first time I visit a site I am looking for something. I would likely dismiss any pop ups. I don’t want to be distracted or re-directed to sign up etc., before I even know if the website can help me, or has what I’m looking for. Of course I have not seen an example of what you are proposing, but in general I don’t like any pop up that I didn’t launch myself by clicking a link. I know what you are saying about popups. And you are probably right. But my thought was that for the first visit they'd get a popup that pointed them to the menu and, therefore, the documentation. However, your next point may cover that....

 

• One tweak that could help draw attention to the documentation side would be to label the hamburger stack “documentation site menu” or something to that effect. I don’t know if you are able to populate the space next to the hamburger stack, but it is currently blank. You could add “return to Forum” on the top link since I believe that is the only forum related link in the menu? I don't know if it can be done, but something that points to the menu might really help. Except it won't help much on the forum since, as Steve pointed out, it auto-advances to the forum, meaning it skips over the top and people don't see the menu. And I'm not sure what to do 'bout that.

 

• If you want info for new members, maybe make a “new members start here” link above the topics? I agree that too many pinned folders and threads above the active topics isn’t good, but I think a new member orientation/tutorial area could be an important link. I'm not sure I understand what you mean. We have a New Members Start Here folder, but you must mean something else. Where would the link go? And it would take them to a tutorial?

Gary, see what control you have over the hamburger stack banner. What would be nice is if you could divide it into two labeled buttons, documentation menu and forum main. That would essentially duplicate the function of the homepage I proposed in the form of a banner that is always present regardless of which page you are on... but I may be throwing pennies in a wishing well here. I have no idea what you can or can’t do with that space. I had forgotten that the new member folder already had that name. I guess I was thinking more of a page link that explained the basics of how to sign up, navigate, link to the member’s map, how to orient pictures and the usual things new people stumble on. The existing folder covers most of that though, and puts new members right where they should make their first post which is good. I also like Jim’s pinned post. I had not seen that before.

[Steve83]

The forum is currently at URL garysgaragemahal.com, which is the home page. But if we create a new home page it will get that URL.

I don't understand this statement. Why would it have to get an URL that's already being used for something else? Why couldn't it get some new URL that has never existed before? Like garysgaragemahal.com/home ?

Or garysgaragemahal.com/away ?

Or garysgaragemahal.com/3re5gdfh24dfa455sadffgasdfg5jkh24 ?

I admit I know nothing about web design, but is there some reason that ANY of those couldn't be called "the home page"?

[Ford F834]

Jonathan - There's a whole lot in your post, so I'm going to attempt to dissect it and respond to each point. To do so I'll put your points in blue and mine in green.

 

• I agree that most wouldn’t “enter” through a homepage if they find Garagemahal via google or one of your friendly Facebook tips. But if they like what they see they might navigate there as a starting point to see what else is available. It probably isn’t very practical or beneficial for recruitment, but would it hurt anything? I'm not against doing it, but it could hurt things. The forum is currently at URL garysgaragemahal.com, which is the home page. But if we create a new home page it will get that URL. So anyone that has bookmarked that URL is not going to where they expect to go. On the other hand, there would be an easily-seen link directly to the forum on the home page in your scenario, so maybe it isn't a problem?

 

• I’m not crazy about pop ups. Even legitimate ones. They smack of spam, or commercialism at the very least. Also, the first time I visit a site I am looking for something. I would likely dismiss any pop ups. I don’t want to be distracted or re-directed to sign up etc., before I even know if the website can help me, or has what I’m looking for. Of course I have not seen an example of what you are proposing, but in general I don’t like any pop up that I didn’t launch myself by clicking a link. I know what you are saying about popups. And you are probably right. But my thought was that for the first visit they'd get a popup that pointed them to the menu and, therefore, the documentation. However, your next point may cover that....

 

• One tweak that could help draw attention to the documentation side would be to label the hamburger stack “documentation site menu” or something to that effect. I don’t know if you are able to populate the space next to the hamburger stack, but it is currently blank. You could add “return to Forum” on the top link since I believe that is the only forum related link in the menu? I don't know if it can be done, but something that points to the menu might really help. Except it won't help much on the forum since, as Steve pointed out, it auto-advances to the forum, meaning it skips over the top and people don't see the menu. And I'm not sure what to do 'bout that.

 

• If you want info for new members, maybe make a “new members start here” link above the topics? I agree that too many pinned folders and threads above the active topics isn’t good, but I think a new member orientation/tutorial area could be an important link. I'm not sure I understand what you mean. We have a New Members Start Here folder, but you must mean something else. Where would the link go? And it would take them to a tutorial?

- deleted -

[Gary Lewis]

- deleted -

The way Weebly, the site hosting company, appears to work is that the first page, aka the "home" page, gets the base URL. But, in my casting about for how to manage things I've found that there are controls which appear to allow the editor to take charge of which page gets what URL.

I've not played with those controls for fear of breaking something on our working website, so I think I need to create a test website on which to check that, and other things, out. But, if there's a way to keep garysgaragemahal.com as the forum so all those bookmarks are preserved, then we could have another page that would explain things and give the users simple choices of where to go.

On the menu, I've not yet found a way to put a title or some other attention-getting device with it, although I haven't given up. However, there supposedly is a way to keep the menu visible. In other words, it wouldn't disappear as it currently does and not come back until you scroll. What do y'all think about making the menu fixed at the top of the page - assuming we can come up with a way to say something like "Documentation Menu" beside it?

But, in order to make Documentation Menu accurate we need to take the Bullnose Forum and the entries below it off the menu. In other words, we need to move the Member's Map, FAQ's, etc into the forum via stickies as previously discussed. It seems reasonable to put everything associated with the forum in the forum. But, there's been little discussion about it, so I've been loathe to do it.

So, let's keep kicking this around, but I'd hope others would chime in as well. I'd like to get a plan before implementing something and having to backtrack.

[salans7]

The way Weebly, the site hosting company, appears to work is that the first page, aka the "home" page, gets the base URL. But, in my casting about for how to manage things I've found that there are controls which appear to allow the editor to take charge of which page gets what URL.

I've not played with those controls for fear of breaking something on our working website, so I think I need to create a test website on which to check that, and other things, out. But, if there's a way to keep garysgaragemahal.com as the forum so all those bookmarks are preserved, then we could have another page that would explain things and give the users simple choices of where to go.

On the menu, I've not yet found a way to put a title or some other attention-getting device with it, although I haven't given up. However, there supposedly is a way to keep the menu visible. In other words, it wouldn't disappear as it currently does and not come back until you scroll. What do y'all think about making the menu fixed at the top of the page - assuming we can come up with a way to say something like "Documentation Menu" beside it?

But, in order to make Documentation Menu accurate we need to take the Bullnose Forum and the entries below it off the menu. In other words, we need to move the Member's Map, FAQ's, etc into the forum via stickies as previously discussed. It seems reasonable to put everything associated with the forum in the forum. But, there's been little discussion about it, so I've been loathe to do it.

So, let's keep kicking this around, but I'd hope others would chime in as well. I'd like to get a plan before implementing something and having to backtrack.

I would prefer to have the menu locked in place rather than having to scroll to see it. I've always found that feature annoying and it seems to complicate the forum for a new user. I think a stripped down menu would keep the locked menu from being too wordy, and should flow well.

[Gary Lewis]

I would prefer to have the menu locked in place rather than having to scroll to see it. I've always found that feature annoying and it seems to complicate the forum for a new user. I think a stripped down menu would keep the locked menu from being too wordy, and should flow well.

Shaun - That's good input. Thanks.

I can easily see that having the menu disappear until you scroll complicates things for new users.

But, I'm not sure what you mean by a "a stripped down menu would keep the locked menu from being too wordy". The menu is the hamburger style for all devices, so are you suggesting going to a word-style menu? That only works for non-mobile devices as they default to the hamburger.

Back to something that was previously suggested, what if we had something like this? Maybe not in red. Or maybe flashing neon. Dunno.

Thoughts?

[salans7]

Shaun - That's good input. Thanks.

I can easily see that having the menu disappear until you scroll complicates things for new users.

But, I'm not sure what you mean by a "a stripped down menu would keep the locked menu from being too wordy". The menu is the hamburger style for all devices, so are you suggesting going to a word-style menu? That only works for non-mobile devices as they default to the hamburger.

Back to something that was previously suggested, what if we had something like this? Maybe not in red. Or maybe flashing neon. Dunno.

Thoughts?

I was referring to the menu currently having 25 different links. If you pull out the FAQ, Forum, About Me, etc., that decreases the amount of links and simplifies the menu by keeping it down to just the tech info. I've personally had a few instances where I became frustrated with the menu because what I was looking for could be located in three different tabs, but I had to sort through all 25 tabs to find the one I was looking for.

Don't get me wrong, you're a great guy, I just don't feel tabs like "about me" should be mixed in with tech info.

[Gary Lewis]

I was referring to the menu currently having 25 different links. If you pull out the FAQ, Forum, About Me, etc., that decreases the amount of links and simplifies the menu by keeping it down to just the tech info. I've personally had a few instances where I became frustrated with the menu because what I was looking for could be located in three different tabs, but I had to sort through all 25 tabs to find the one I was looking for.

Don't get me wrong, you're a great guy, I just don't feel tabs like "about me" should be mixed in with tech info.

Shaun - Trust me, I know what you mean about being frustrated with the menu because things could be located in several different tabs/pages. It drives me up the wall, and probably a lot farther up than you since I should know where things are as I designed it.

But, therein lies the problem - I didn't really design it, or at least didn't design it in one sitting. It was never envisioned to be this big, so there was never a comprehensive design that would accommodate everything that's in it. And as it grew decisions had to be taken on where the new piece would go, but sometimes they weren't good decisions.

What it feels like is that we need someone(s) to take some time to focus on various aspects of the site. Maybe a "steering team" that would kick ideas around and help set directions. And, we need a way for people to register gaps and/or overlaps in the menu when they run across them so they can be fixed.

As for the About Me, I know what you mean. Originally this was "my site" and I used it for many different things, including church. Now it seems to have taken on a very specific reason for being - Bullnose trucks. And, it may have graduated from just being my playground to being one of the main documentation sites for these trucks.

So perhaps it is time for some of the personal stuff to move elsewhere, or to at least be moved into a corner. But, pretty much all websites have something like an About Me page where you can at least contact "them".