Official Website - Your Thoughts

[Formic]

As there appears to be an initiative at the club to replace the Official Website with an alternative, I thought I’d see what people like or dislike about the current one so that there is some input for the new site.

The current site is created and hosted by the Perform Group, who also produce the websites for many Football League Clubs, and others around the world - http://www.performgroup.co.uk/FootballCaseStudies

For those who aren’t aware of all of the features of the current site, they are highlighted at this link - http://www.thediamondsfc.com/page/Downl ... 08,00.html

Using the Perform Group Hosting and their template means we are constrained in several areas

A. The format of the website
B. The advertising that goes on the website
C. The “match stats” (which come from the Press Association)
D. Squad List Maintenance (although we maintain the underlying profiles)

The Perform Group also provide the Diamonds Player facility, along with the video highlights on the right hand side of the home page.

Once these constraints are removed, and the first two are replaced with a local equivalent, we then need to look at which areas of the current content people would like to see on the new site – and which additional areas they’d like to see. In addition, a decision is needed about which of these appears on the homepage (and with what priority / duration – one of the biggest challenges)

1. News
2. Post-Match Interviews
3. Pre-Match Interviews
4. Home Page Advertising
5. Menu and Programme Advertising on Home Page
6. Other Home Page content – e.g. appeals
7. Non-Football Event News
8. Diamond Diary
9. Fixture List
10. Match Report
11. Match Preview
12. Match Stats
13. Match Gallery (Photos)
14. Squad List
15. Player Profiles
16. Youth Team Fixtures
17. Youth Team Reports
18. Historic Results
19. Historic Player Stats
20. Historic Player Profiles (The Diamonds A-Z)
21. Diamonds’ Legends
22. Club History
23. Season Ticket Details
24. Home Ticket Details
25. Away Ticket Details
26. Travel Details
27. Non-Football Activities (Sports Centre, Study Centre, Jobs etc)
28. Nene Park – Getting There
29. Fans Pages (Supporters Trust, Downloads, Volunteers, Fund Raising)
30. Commercial Pages (Hospitality, Player Sponsorship, Match Sponsorship, 50 / 50 Scheme, Promotions, Conference Centre, Club Shop)
31. Online Video Highlights

Which of these areas of content do people think that it’s a waste of time the various volunteers, who maintain the website, spending time on producing / maintaining.

In addition, what other items of content are desirable?

One final question concerns the challenges of getting the website updated quickly, especially when the team are playing away. The Perform Group offer a challenging way of posting Team Sheets and Final Score information by updating the website from a laptop using mobile broadband. Some newer sites make use of Twitter technology to allow more rapid updates, but with less information and structure – do people really value these facilities (as they are a lot of work to produce in difficult circumstances, and may not always work). There seems little prospect of Radio Diamonds extending their coverage to away games, so the facilities of the "Diamonds Player" might be limited to video highlights of home games - although there is a revenue question relating to selling DVDs and the risk people don't bother to go to games if they can see highlights for free.

Perhaps all those who have an opinion on this might like to add it to this thread.

[davealbon]

I don't think there is a great deal wrong with the existing website. The amount of content is very good IMO, although it's not always easy to find certain things, especially (I imagine) for people new to the site (I can't think of any specifics at the moment though).

The only things I have against the Perform Group are related to the constraints you mentioned, particularly adverts placed in the middle of articles. If we benefit financially from the ads being there then that's understandable, but if they just go towards lining the Perform Group's pockets then I'd say we're better off without.

I wouldn't want to lose any of the areas you mentioned above and I certainly wouldn't say any of them were a waste of time and effort.

I would be interested in helping out if you need any more volunteers for the site. Perhaps I could have a section where I review the performances of the officials! ;)

[Trek]

Perhaps I could have a section where I review the performances of the officials! ;)

No thank you, Dave.
I get enough ear ache during the match.

[SouthRushdenJFC]

The current site is created and hosted by the Perform Group, who also produce the websites for many Football League Clubs, and others around the world - http://www.performgroup.co.uk/FootballCaseStudies

To me that's the biggest problem. At first glance the site looks no different to Carlisle's or Torquay's save from the club colours. That's not the club's fault that's laziness on the part of the designers.

There are also far too many adverts that drive visitors away from the site and onto other sites, there may be a money for clicks deal in place which would explain that, but I'd be surprised if the revenue raised was very high.

I imagine there would be opposition to dropping any of the non football related pages as they provide an opportunity to promote other revenue streams and dropping any of the football pages would make the site less attractive to visitors.

My chief gripe would be that there are pages on there that haven't been updated for over two years, the information may well still be relevant but would you trust anything that old? No doubt the people looking after it have enough to do with getting new content up there than worrying about older pages though.

[therushden]

i'd like to see loads of stats. and players records, easily found and set out.

[Formic]

i'd like to see loads of stats. and players records, easily found and set out.

I thought we had quite a good selection at http://www.thediamondsfc.com/page/Stats ... 84,00.html as well as for each player in their individual entry in the A-Z - can you let us know what else you'd like to see ?

[therushden]

up to date, current season stats.

[Formic]

up to date, current season stats.

Good point - we currently have to defer to Perform Group's stats for the current season at http://www.thediamondsfc.com/page/Stati ... 84,00.html which are based on Press Assoication inputs, and don't include FA Trophy or County Cup, and aren't validated for yellow cards etc - we could do much better if we did move away from Perform - as you'll see in the Match Programme.

[Mad Dog]

up to date, current season stats.

Good point - we currently have to defer to Perform Group's stats for the current season at http://www.thediamondsfc.com/page/Stati ... 84,00.html which are based on Press Assoication inputs, and don't include FA Trophy or County Cup, and aren't validated for yellow cards etc - we could do much better if we did move away from Perform - as you'll see in the Match Programme.

Out of interest Formic, how will we be able to get out of the FL interactive contract, or is the plan to set up a parallel website?

[Pigman]

I'd love to see a complete results history going right back to when we were formed, we have from when we entered the football league already, but I'd love to be able to look back and see results, scorers and attendances for every single game from 1992 onwards - plus their respective league tables.