What makes a good Club website ?

[Mike Bellamy]

I would be the first to admit that our website is not acceptable and should be a lot better. It was first started many years ago and since then various members have tried to maintain it but as the software has been described as coming from the ‘Age of the Dinosaurs’, we know it’s time to move on and do something better.

 

We now have a willing volunteer who has recently redesigned his employer’s website but before he gets too far into the planning we need to establish what makes a good website. What would you expect a good Club website to contain? What should be included or perhaps more importantly, what should we leave out?

 

Feel free to share examples but I don't just want a list of web pages - I would like to know why you have nominated a particular site - what's good (or bad, in which case it might be better by PM!).

 

Many thanks

 

Mike

 

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[rue_d_etropal]

Possibly the most important thing with a club website, in fact ANY wensite, is maintenance. Make sure all info displayed is up to date. Contact info is inportant, either a contact page, which  does still send messages to right place, and messages are checked regularly. I prefer email, as I then have a record of messages sent. I know some people have security/spam issues, but that just has to be sorted out, not put to one side.

If it is a club which people can visit, then times and location are important. If the club has an exhibition, then info about exhibitions coming up(especially if more than one) . Many clubs now have open days. Info about exhibitions club are attending, even if it is private layouts of club members.

I know it is not an easy job, but the person, preferably with helpers, does keep an eye on what is going on. It needs routine, and like me checking my own email and other messages when I log on each day, it is just something you do. Might not be so easy when work gets in the way.

From personal experience this year, The Michelover exhibition details were only fully online close to exhibitiion. It was a fantastic exhibition, very well attended, despite it being very sunny both days.I do need to locate forms to send for next time, assuming I am wanted, as I have some new ideas based on experience last time.

[Selkent]

Biggest mistake people make is to have the name of the club as a image, so it makes it harder for search engines to locate it.    We did a free website builder and host, not into computers and still my efforts happy with, no programming required, we did it with weebly.com   We have a logo as a image but our name as wording.

 

Updating at least the first page, is as mentioned very important as it improves page rankings

 

 

This is ours   www.selkentmodelrailwayclub.weebly.com

[Mike Bellamy]

BUMP

 

Rather disappointed to only get two replies, although they are very welcome. Also had a PM from Andy and now that the BH weekend is over, I'll give him a call to discuss his ideas.

 

Looking forward to more replies - after all everyone on RMweb is by definition an internet user. What makes you look in more detail at a website - and what really winds you up and so must be avoided!

 

Thanks

 

Mike

[Mike Bellamy]

Had a chat with Andy and got some useful ideas - but I don't think we are ready to take over RMweb just yet !  However what's needed is something that makes the reader come back for more on a regular basis rather than just look at a site once a year for exhibition details.

 

We have plans - or at least we will when we meet up to discuss what's needed for the new site - happy to receive more contributions.

 

Mike

 

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[Derekstuart]

Mike,

 

to turn the question around, what do YOU find attracts you to a site? What makes YOU keep returning? The reason I ask that is you are probably typical of the people you want to attract to the site- ie representative of your target market. I wouldn't waste time trying to reach out to a-typical users as quite frankly you aren't going to get them anyway.

 

If you type into a search engine something along the lines of "what makes a good website" you will have countless examples and instructional guides to follow.

 

Some comments that might or might not help:

- Who are you? What do you do? Where do you do it? When do you do it? How much is it?
- Up to date comment. If you aren't likely to update it regularly then avoid "last updated: xx/yy/zz" type banners at the bottom. Nothing is more likely to have people clicking away.

- Choose sensible colours. We've all seen websites with yellow writing on beige backgrounds

- A nice picture on the home page that is big enough to catch attention but not so big that it overpowers of causes a download issue is always a good start

- Only put in dynamic content where it helps. Technology for the sake of technology is very much 1990s.

 

One thing I would advise- and this is after years of doing the opposite at work (I designed ours)- it is better to keep it small and simple and finished, rather than an ambitious 100 page site that is full of generic content and "this page is under construction" signs.

 

I don't know if that helps. Probably not, but it is gone 5 am...

[Mike Bellamy]

Derek - many thanks for your thoughts - not bad for 5.00am - is that an early start or a late finish ?

 

Definately food for thought there and it's good to get ideas from someone who has actually done the job - that's a bit like the 30,000 ''experts'' here on RMweb but out of that number only a few actually know what they are talking about !!

 

 

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[rockershovel]

I'd say that most of the main items have already been covered.

 

Up to date, name as text for search engines; contact details.

 

a good gallery is a plus

[beast66606]

I would keep a club website as a simple, informative, place to find out about the club and how to contact or visit and it's activities such as has been mentioned ^ ^ and as has been said, make sure it's up to date

 

I would also add a short description/page for each group within the club but choose photos carefully - out of focus shots taken by a junior may be "cute" but don't look so good on the public facing pages.

 

Make sure the font and colour scheme are readable, too often individuals have strange ideas about a website ... but don't have a committee running it or it will take too long to get things done.

 

Avoid articles other than layout descriptions, unless you are lucky you will find that people lose interest in providing them.

[hayfield]

Does anyone access club websites? I moved house 6 months ago and know there are two clubs near me but just have not had time to visit either. Whilst I was and hopefully  will become an active club member there are many who do not see the need to join any clubs, to be quite honest this forum is a bit like a club and open 24-7

[DavidB-AU]

A few random thoughts.

 

Are visitors welcome, if so on what nights. Is the club accessible to people with mobility issues.

The benefits of becoming a member, how to join and how much it costs. What about junior members. Can a prospective member visit to have a look before joining. What facilities does the club have, can you get a cup of tea/cold drink, etc. Does the club have a library of books/magazines, DVDs, photos, plans, etc.

 

If the club has a permanent layout where members can run their own trains, what scale/gauge, when are running nights, DC or DCC, some pictures, etc. A gallery of images and possibly even some video.

 

if the club has one or more exhibition layouts, details about size, transport requirements, number of operators, where it has been exhibited in the past, any awards won, etc and who to contact about inviting it to an exhibition. Also any upcoming exhibitions where they will be shown.

 

Does the club have any prototype related events, e.g. group visits to preserved lines.

 

The obligatory link farm to any affiliated clubs or organisations, local hobby shops (especially if they support the club), supporters/sponsors, nearby preserved lines/museums, etc.

 

Don't limit your thoughts to just a web site. A club can do a lot with social media too. If you have people able to look after it, consider creating a Facebook page, pictures on Instagram, videos of club layouts in action on Youtube, etc. Cross promote them. A lot of prospective members will find you that way.

 

Cheers

David

[PaulRhB]

Mike Derek's right on with turn the question around. I helped a friend redo the promo leaflet for their outdoor company a few years back. I'm not a graphic designer so I went out and collected a ton of glossy leaflets for similar leisure industries and put them all out on a big table and got all the staff to pick their favourite and say why. It quickly narrowed down what was eye catching and what colours and designs worked.

You could do a similar thing with websites, ask people to drop a link to their favourite with a description of why, (you may need to remind some people not to send their 'real favourites' ).

 

Simple design, one font only, no multi coloured text or flashing images, clear headers leading to more detail, would be my basic suggestion.

[PaulRhB]

Here's our club site, simple clear headers and neat but could do with a nice image on the front page too.

http://www.wimrail.org.uk

[TEAMYAKIMA]

Had a chat with Andy and got some useful ideas - but I don't think we are ready to take over RMweb just yet !  However what's needed is something that makes the reader come back for more on a regular basis rather than just look at a site once a year for exhibition details.

 

We have plans - or at least we will when we meet up to discuss what's needed for the new site - happy to receive more contributions.

 

Mike

 

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Hello Mike

 

Whilst your home page is pretty awful to be honest, I thought your video showing the layouts in action and interviews with members to be EXCELLENT. If anyone hasn't looked at it yet i do recommend a look.

 

Paul

 

Twickenham MRC ....   www.tdmrc.org.uk ... feel free to take a look here too

[PaulRhB]

Also ask the family what websites are easy to navigate and look good.

[Mike Bellamy]

Very many thanks for the responses - limited time at the moment as I'm at work so I'll consider in more detail later.

 

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[rockershovel]

..... and whatever a lot of people think, purple and yellow look absolutely terrible next to each other ...

[Dungrange]

I'll add a couple of questions to the mix.  Who are your target audience and what are their needs?  As I see it, visitors to a club website will fall into one of a number of categories and they will all visit your website for a different reason.  Some will only visit once, while others may visit more than once, but that doesn't mean they will be regular visitors.

 

1) Prospective members - these people want to know where you meet; when you meet; how much it costs to join; what facilities you have (eg library); whether you cater for their interests (eg scale, DC/DCC, time period etc); and contact details to arrange a visit (or attend an open day if the club holds such a thing).

 

2) Potential exhibition attendees - these people want to know the date, time and place of your next exhibition; the entry fee; what layouts will be exhibited and what traders will be attending.

 

3) Exhibition managers (from other clubs) - these individuals may be looking for contact details with regards a possible invitation to an exhibition, so contact details are important but also layout details such as space requirements, scale, time period modelled etc.  This would allow them to check whether your layout will fit before inviting you.

 

4) Existing members - Do you distribute a newsletter to members via e-mail where previous newsletters can be accessible to members on the website?  This section may not be available without a login.  I generally only check my own club website to check dates of exhibitions that we are attending.

 

5) Members of the public who like a particular layout that the club has exhibited in the past - These individuals want to know when layout X will next be making an appearance on the exhibition circuit (potentially with a view to attending that exhibition), so a list of future exhibitions that the club will be attending, with dates, venue and what layout will be exhibited.

 

I agree with others that there is little need for a technology laden website and horrible contrasting colours (eg purple and yellow) don't really do it for me.  A white or 'sand' coloured background with dark easy to read text and clear navigation links either down the left or across the top is all that I would expect.  I wouldn't think of accessing a club website on a regular basis, only as a way of ascertaining the information that I need, depending on which of the above categories I fit into.

 

Hope this ramble is of assistance to you in making the changes that you want.

[peterl]

Mike

Remember the basic requirements of good communications

A

I

D

A

 And then follow this with KISS

 

But! Who is the site aimed at? What do you want those people to actually do?  I read somewhere that titles etc. on the home page should be in Blue as search engines pick these up easier, anybody else come across this?

 

Peter

[asmay2002]

Whatever you decide to put on it make sure that you:

 

1. Check it on different browsers and screens to see that it always looks nice;

2. Check it regularly for broken links (especially to external sites) There are tools which will do this for you;.

3. Look at the stats to see which pages are visited a lot and which aren't;

[peterl]

Just a question fo all really.  Just had a look at the Mickleover Club website and a question if I may. mmrg have the layout details on a separate page to the pictures relating to the layouts.  On the Hull MRS website I have put the pictures relating to the layout on the same page as the layout details. Which format do RMWeb members prefer? And why.

 

Peter

[Dungrange]

I think I prefer the photographs of a layout to be posted alongside the details of the layout as per the Hull MRC.  To be honest, I'm a bit lazy and can't be bothered reading about a layout unless I think it will interest me and a photograph is probably the best way to make me either read the text associated with that layout or navigate away.  I guess you could say that the presence of photographs of the layout alongside the text help to bring it to life.

 

That said, I have no issue with either approach, although looking at the Mickleover Club website, I'd prefer if clicking on one of the images in the gallery took me to a page about the layout, as if an image interested me, then I would have to note the name of the layout and then look for the details of that layout elsewhere on the website.

 

My only minor criticism of the Hull MRC site is that there are a lot of layouts listed and I can't imagine clicking on each layout in turn just to see some potentially interesting images.  Perhaps a single thumbnail image against each layout would help define whether I am likely to want to see more or find out more about a particular layout or just skip to the next layout.

[peterl]

Hi David, Your idea of a thumbnail pictures on the general layouts page sounds like a good idea. Could also link the thumbnail to the specific layout page.  Will have a play so watch this space.

 

Peter

[Dungrange]

Peter,

 

I'm not a website designer, but yes you can link the thumbnail images to the relevant layout page, which should of course have a larger resolution image of the same photograph and others for that layout.  Effectively you are just making the thumbnail image a hyperlink in the same way as the layout name.  Clicking on either the image or the layout name would take you to the same location.

 

On some websites, clicking on a thumbnail image will link to a larger resolution image directly, but I'd prefer it for navigation purposes as you are thinking.

[peterl]

Would you prefer the thumbnail picture to be on the left side of the page, i.e before the short details or on the right side of the page? I'm thinking on the right side of the page, which would then allow two seperate links to the actual layout page, one on each side of the short description.

Peter