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Nicole -> RE: Ok Let me have It (3/18/2006 18:29:03)
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Bill,
What I'd give to be a member of an organisation with lots of members right now? You have an opportunity with this website to show your ability as a web designer and if you're serious about web design - attract more work through the creation of a very good website by showing it off to local chapter members, other "same level" chapter members and everyone up the line to your national body. I'm guessing, but aren't the members of these organisations drawn from all walks of life, from tradesmen to small business owners, executives, company directors etc?
A good website here could potentially see you in web design work for a very long time. If you're a member of this organisation do the site for nothing, or at most cost and advertise it and push it onto all members possible.
I read two things into the things you've mentioned above:
1. An attitude that a smallish society like this doesn't need all the glitz and glamour of a professional design, it's members only want to access the site for certain information, they don't want to pay a fortune, and the board of directors aren't really convinced a website is even necessary.
2. Given that I'm assuming here, I'll assume something else, that the board of directors aren't really computer literate themselves, not really convinced a website is necessary and probably don't want to pay lots of money for it, but are dictating certain aspects of its design.
Bill there's no reason at all that a small organisation can't have a website which rivals large multi-nationals websites in appeal, usability and usefullness, no reason at all that you can't give them a website that exceeds these other websites. Your members might not be very internet savvy right now, but are they interested in attracting new members? Chances are they'll be surfing the net doing their banking, looking uup something else on some glitzy site and then think "why don't i take a look at that Cortland Moose Lodge site that Bill's always talking about." They go from those glitzy sites to your site and immediately if only subconsiously notice the difference in standard and there's no need for that to be tthe case.
So two things:
1. There's no reason they can't have a great site even if they mmay only think they need the site for advising members of latest events.
2. A good website here could increase your chances of more work through your members and also those from other lodges. Don't ever underestimate your viewers or assume what their needs are.
Take a look at the Moose haven site and the Ohio Moose site in your links. From a quick glance they give me an impression of a more organised organisation if only because their sites have information grouped in and not scattered all over the screen. My first advice to you is to drop the background, drop any music (I use Firefox, thankfully the music didn't load), and bring all the content closer together. Use verdana or arial fonts too.
Hope that helps a bit.
Nicole
Edit: With the scrolling text - tell them you're working on the site and that you'll work it into the overall design when get the overall layout worked out. Put that info from the scrolling marquee somewhere else prominently and then just over time "forget" to put it in. I doubt any of the board of directors is going to make a fool of himself jumping up and down ranting "where's my scrolling text" when he can see how good the finished product really looks.
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