Club Website--INPUT NEEDED PLEASE

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ragtopday Johnna
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Club Website--INPUT NEEDED PLEASE

Post by ragtopday Johnna »

Your input is requested, please!

A club member has volunteered to build a new site for the club. Kangamini has been so incredibly giving of his time over the years and is responsible for all of the updates to the forum, domain renewals, etc...but we've asked a lot of him. It's time for someone else to upgrade the site. A club member has stepped forward and offered to build a basic site on WordPress, which will make it easier down the line for more than one club member to help with updating the site.

Here's where your input is needed:

Do you think a website is necessary or should we just point www.kcminiclub.com to come directly to the forum?

What would you most like to see on the site?

Do you ever visit the site or do you instead come directly to the forum or the club Facebook page?

Would you be interested in receiving a monthly/quarterly e-newsletter from the club?

Do you have WordPress knowledge and would like to help with this project?

Would you like to create the e-newsletter for the club if there is interest in having one?

Ok, go! Let's hear your thoughts...
Johnna--BMPR CR '05 Chili Red JustaCVT, JCW Sound Kit #D344, JCW BBK, aFe cai, M7 Under Strut System, strut tower plates, Sparkly wheel arches, a little chrome. Garage-sharing w/ '12 Goodwood MCS #372, '06 MCS "Jack" and MiniX4's classic, Moxie.
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Re: Club Website--INPUT NEEDED PLEASE

Post by SilverStreak »

In my opinion, I think the website is more for those who are new to all of this, and the forum is more for members. As a fairly new member, I know that when we got our MINI and started looking for a club in the area, the website didn't offer much information. My thought would be that the website would give those who aren't familiar with the club a better understanding of who we are and what we do. Possibly have more event pictures so people can get a better idea of what we are about.

As far as a newsletter is concerned, I'm not sure if it is necessary for those of us that regularly check the forum and facebook page. I would think it would be primarily duplicate information. However, if we have members that don't check in very often, it may be beneficial for them.

My $0.02 :)
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Re: Club Website--INPUT NEEDED PLEASE

Post by Minidave »

I think a webpage, directing people to the forum is the right way to go. The webpage would have general info about the club, links to the forum and so on but that's it. As to a periodic newsletter, it seems like duplication to me too.....isn't that what the announcements section is for? - but again, if it works to get more people involved in our club and to our events, I'm all for it!

If we have a club member well versed in the ins and outs of web page design, I say turn them loose! I've tried a dozen different ways to drive traffic to the forum by starting threads on every topic, games, funny photos threads, tech threads etc and none of them have worked very well or for very long, so I welcome any new ideas to do that. I'll be the first to admit I'm not a webpage designer so having someone who is take over would be terrific!

Will the forum continue in the VBB format or change to Wordpress as well?

Greg has been great in working the Facebook page and that has helped get people to our events too. Social media is here to stay, so why not take advantage of it?

We either need a better calendar format, or a better way to highlight upcoming events so they don't get lost in the day to day comments.
Hi! My name's Dave!

'09 LB/LB Clubman S - "Max"
89 Mini "Racing Green"
94 SPi Project (The Hot Rod)
ragtopday Johnna
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Re: Club Website--INPUT NEEDED PLEASE

Post by ragtopday Johnna »

The forum will stay as is.

As for highlighting upcoming events so they don't get lost, is it helpful that either Greg or I mark the next upcoming events as "sticky" so they stay at the top of the list in announcements or is there something else we could do to help with this?

Thanks for the input so far, y'all! Please keep it coming...
Johnna--BMPR CR '05 Chili Red JustaCVT, JCW Sound Kit #D344, JCW BBK, aFe cai, M7 Under Strut System, strut tower plates, Sparkly wheel arches, a little chrome. Garage-sharing w/ '12 Goodwood MCS #372, '06 MCS "Jack" and MiniX4's classic, Moxie.
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Re: Club Website--INPUT NEEDED PLEASE

Post by imabyter »

I was web site director for another car club in town, and I found that new people did not regularly find their way to the forum. I did not create the site,just maintained it for several years. The site had too much going on, too many buttons for Gallery, sponsors, events and the forum format seems to intimidate people who are new enthusiasts without forum experience. People would poke around the other pages and never get to the forum where all the club activity took place.

I think a simple page with an introduction to the club, events, history, and clear direction for people to "Join the Activity on the Forum" would generate more traffic from new users.

just my $.02
Michael B (although the MINI is Carole's toy I still get to fix and maintain it)
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Re: Club Website--INPUT NEEDED PLEASE

Post by IowaM1N1 »

If you want to see what a simple web page could do, check out http://www.easterniowaminis.org/

Granted, they use NAM for their forum, which I think is a horrible idea, but it works for them. I love our current forum system and agree that it should not be changed.

What I like about the EIM page is that they capture the events in photos and in nice summary write-ups of the events to give newbies a sense of what the club does -- and to help build a sense of family and connectedness. The write-ups look to be pretty simple and short, with a few photos of highlights of the event.

I think they also link the web articles to their FB page to drive some traffic to help keep it all linked together.

Their site is a little too busy -- tries to do too many things at times. But overall I am a fan.

So I could see us stealing some of their ideas and making them work for our needs.
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ragtopday Johnna
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Re: Club Website--INPUT NEEDED PLEASE

Post by ragtopday Johnna »

Great input, keep it coming!

A couple of things I'd like to mention: We can have an "events" button/tab on the header of the new site that will take folks directly to the announcements thread on the forum. We can also have a MINI Lounge tab and a For Sale tab that would take visitors directly to those areas of the forum from the website. That might help convert a few more visitors of the site over to the forum.

Does anyone think it is essential to have a calendar on the site? As in, a calendar that looks like a calendar. We did have this for some time on the website, but the link is broken and it doesn't function. Is this something you would find useful?

For reference, the Eastern Iowa website is also a WordPress site. Our site will be built using the same platform.

Who would be responsible for writing the posts after each club event? We can have the photo plug-in installed (it looks like they are using PicLens) but someone would need to be responsible for writing about the events and uploading photos.

Thanks again for the input!
Johnna--BMPR CR '05 Chili Red JustaCVT, JCW Sound Kit #D344, JCW BBK, aFe cai, M7 Under Strut System, strut tower plates, Sparkly wheel arches, a little chrome. Garage-sharing w/ '12 Goodwood MCS #372, '06 MCS "Jack" and MiniX4's classic, Moxie.
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minicoopers43
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Re: Club Website--INPUT NEEDED PLEASE

Post by minicoopers43 »

I think a very simple website would be perfect, just a slight upgrade from what we have now. A gallery would be nice for showcasing events but keep other photos to the forums.
Something I have wanted for a long time is the ability to get notifications when a new topic is posted in a user specified section of the forums. Something like an RSS feed. I don't check the forums as much as I used to and this would be helpful. I know there is a subscription section in user preferences but i can't see how to select what im subscribed to. A monthly newsletter would help with some of that as long as someone was dedicated to putting it together.
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Re: Club Website--INPUT NEEDED PLEASE

Post by WildThang »

I think I've seen your front page for KCME maybe 3 times. Usually I come to your forums when visiting, so I can read details about events, happening, etc. I also keep an eye on your Facebook page. My wife and I like front simple front pages and feel a front page should grab your interest so you explore more of a website.

Up north in C.O.R.N. country we use the North American Motoring for our forums. Nope, it's not great, but it serves its purpose well for our small group. We also have a Facebook page, and since I've been a member the action has moved from the NAM forums to our Facebook page. We also have a Wordpress website that we use as our front page. Nothing fancy, it's mostly feeds from our section in NAM, our Facebook page and then we have feeds from Motoringfile, White Roof Radio, and other MINI community sites. We have a couple web tech savvy members who keep things running smoothly and I bet they'd help you with any Wordpress issues. We do have a calendar on our Wordpress site, not sure how much it's used though.

I believe we switched from having a domain name to Wordpress because of cost, maintenance, and the ease of transferring a domain name versus transferring Wordpress site info. We can pass the Wordpress site information along to those maintaining it as they change.

If we had the membership KCME does we might need to consider a real forum such as this. I wish we had one like yours is, with sections...etc.
ragtopday Johnna
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Re: Club Website--INPUT NEEDED PLEASE

Post by ragtopday Johnna »

WildThang wrote: I believe we switched from having a domain name to Wordpress because of cost, maintenance, and the ease of transferring a domain name versus transferring Wordpress site info. We can pass the Wordpress site information along to those maintaining it as they change.
We will still have the kcminiclub.com domain name, it will just be forwarded to the Wordpress site. So far the domain renewal hasn't been cost prohibitive and we've been lucky to have club members share a bit of space on their hosting account since our site doesn't consume much space.

Do you know what calendar plug in is used on the CORN site?
Johnna--BMPR CR '05 Chili Red JustaCVT, JCW Sound Kit #D344, JCW BBK, aFe cai, M7 Under Strut System, strut tower plates, Sparkly wheel arches, a little chrome. Garage-sharing w/ '12 Goodwood MCS #372, '06 MCS "Jack" and MiniX4's classic, Moxie.
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Re: Club Website--INPUT NEEDED PLEASE

Post by SWT CHI »

I found the Club about a year ago by Google-ing for KC Minis and was directed to the forum. I've never seen the webpage, even today I've never had a reason to visit it because it all resides in the forum.

Please don't ditch the forum, this is my primary gateway to the Club. I don't FB or use social media - never have, never will. My preference is to rely on the forum, e-mail, and vis-a-vis.
:chili:
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Re: Club Website--INPUT NEEDED PLEASE

Post by Minidave »

If you read some of the replies above, the forum is going nowhere......the webpage is merely a portal to point people to our club and the forum for info. So, you're good to go! :D
Hi! My name's Dave!

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WildThang

Re: Club Website--INPUT NEEDED PLEASE

Post by WildThang »

Not sure which calendar plugin that is, but I will direct our web gurus here and they can fill in that blank.
WildThang

Re: Club Website--INPUT NEEDED PLEASE

Post by WildThang »

The web feed we are using has stopped working... We're not sure why but we're looking into it and options. It's called All-In-One Event Calendar by Timely.

Our smart phone app feed is working...and that is Mobile Smart.

Our techy that has an account here can't recall his password or he would have posted this stuff... :roll:
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Re: Club Website--INPUT NEEDED PLEASE

Post by BLUGOOSE »

I really have no idea what you guys are talking about, but for the old guys like Bob and myself ,please don't change the forum. Remember the KISS principle! :saywhat:
2005 MCS Hyper Blue, auto, chrono, cold, H/K, roof, Milltek Sport, DDMWorks CAI, M7 Strut Plate,"Todd Graphics",R-90s
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Re: Club Website--INPUT NEEDED PLEASE

Post by Minidave »

Frank, the forum is going to remain the same, they're just talking about ways to get more people involved, to make it easier to find us on the web, and to drive folks to the forum for events and info.

Greg's efforts with the Facebook page have been a big help already, BTW.
Hi! My name's Dave!

'09 LB/LB Clubman S - "Max"
89 Mini "Racing Green"
94 SPi Project (The Hot Rod)
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Re: Club Website--INPUT NEEDED PLEASE

Post by BLUGOOSE »

Thanks Dave. My only concern was for Bob :roll:
2005 MCS Hyper Blue, auto, chrono, cold, H/K, roof, Milltek Sport, DDMWorks CAI, M7 Strut Plate,"Todd Graphics",R-90s
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Re: Club Website--INPUT NEEDED PLEASE

Post by Minidave »

Ha! :mrgreen:
Hi! My name's Dave!

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Re: Club Website--INPUT NEEDED PLEASE

Post by DA MINI »

BLUGOOSE wrote:I really have no idea what you guys are talking about, but for the old guys like Bob and myself ,please don't change the forum. Remember the KISS principle! :saywhat:
Goose, speak for yourself! Join Facebook old guy.
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Re: Club Website--INPUT NEEDED PLEASE

Post by ksminiman »

I second, third, whatever, the notion of a set calender.

Suggestions,
If not a physical calender, open a section named "Calender" (or rename the "Announcements" section) and lock it so that only time, date, location information can be posted by a moderator (possibly designate someone for this). Make sure the thread subject headings include date and event name only so that it is very clear and simplistic while in the thread, state who listed each event for contact purposes and maybe link it to the "Grassroots Gatherings" etc thread where discussion of the event may ensue. I am seeing some of this already in the existing forum however, a simple reorganization in this way would help wonders in my opinion.

The "Calender" section might also share it's own heading similar to the "Start Here" section. (after thought)

Hope this helps.
Hi. My name is Tommy.
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ragtopday Johnna
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Re: Club Website--INPUT NEEDED PLEASE

Post by ragtopday Johnna »

ksminiman wrote:I second, third, whatever, the notion of a set calender.

Suggestions,
If not a physical calender, open a section named "Calender" (or rename the "Announcements" section) and lock it so that only time, date, location information can be posted by a moderator (possibly designate someone for this). Make sure the thread subject headings include date and event name only so that it is very clear and simplistic while in the thread, state who listed each event for contact purposes and maybe link it to the "Grassroots Gatherings" etc thread where discussion of the event may ensue. I am seeing some of this already in the existing forum however, a simple reorganization in this way would help wonders in my opinion.

The "Calender" section might also share it's own heading similar to the "Start Here" section. (after thought)

Hope this helps.
Thanks for your input. Much of what you have said will be implemented. :)

IowaMINI and I are the only ones who can start a post in the Announcements thread (which will be renamed to more accurately reflect what it is used for soon...) and we try to be pretty clear about date/time. We leave those threads open for reply to gather an accurate headcount for events and answer any questions that arise. Just easiest to keep it all in one place, IMO.

An updated "Start Here" Or "Getting Started" section with a roadmap of the forum is also coming soon!

As for a calendar, we will have an actual calendar and there will be a link to it on the forum. It will be accessed via the club website. Events will still be listed in the forum and on Facebook, the calendar will be an additional way to miniacs to find events.

For everyone anxiously awaiting the launch of the new site, a quick update: MiniX2 is waiting to get RFP access from KangaMini. Then things will move quickly. Thanks for your patience AND for the input, everyone. It's really appreciated and will help make this more user friendly for all of us!
Johnna--BMPR CR '05 Chili Red JustaCVT, JCW Sound Kit #D344, JCW BBK, aFe cai, M7 Under Strut System, strut tower plates, Sparkly wheel arches, a little chrome. Garage-sharing w/ '12 Goodwood MCS #372, '06 MCS "Jack" and MiniX4's classic, Moxie.
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