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View Full Version : Blimp Website Input -- I Need Your Advice




JordanL
12-27-2007, 02:51 PM
So I've just been brought on as the webmaster for the blimp website and the blog, and I wanted some input into the website. What are your ideas and suggestions? What would you like to see on the website, or how would you like to see the website change?

Please note, I'm looking for suggestions with the website, and if people complain here about it being an LLC instead of a PAC... well... not only do I disagree but it's falling on the wrong ears.

So, constructive suggestions. What would like to see at the website that you don't right now?

(Mods, the whole point here is to get input from the people not browsing the blimp forum right now.)

Nyte
12-27-2007, 02:58 PM
Hey Jordan! Gratz on helping with the blimp.

My biggest complaint is the waisted space. I'm sure one of your first priorities will be presenting the info in a more organized fashion.

It would be nice to see a small blimp tracker on the front page. And maybe the most recent blog entry.

An upcoming events log would be nice too.

If you use your space wisely, I'm sure you can fit all this comfortably.

The donation options doesn't need to be on the homepage, IMO. A donation subpage would be sufficient.

Maybe a link to the blimp forum subsection here at ronpaulforums (would be kind of pointless to create your own forums at this point).

Blimp sightings is a really cool section of the blog... I think it should have a more prominent place on the homepage.

If you need any help, let me know. I know my way around photoshop and dreamweaver pretty well.

freedom-maniac
12-27-2007, 03:02 PM
You should group all the Youtube footage of it on one page.

pacelli
12-27-2007, 03:05 PM
So I've just been brought on as the webmaster for the blimp website and the blog, and I wanted some input into the website. What are your ideas and suggestions? What would you like to see on the website, or how would you like to see the website change?

Please note, I'm looking for suggestions with the website, and if people complain here about it being an LLC instead of a PAC... well... not only do I disagree but it's falling on the wrong ears.

So, constructive suggestions. What would like to see at the website that you don't right now?

(Mods, the whole point here is to get input from the people not browsing the blimp forum right now.)

I think a blimp ticker similar to the Ron Paul donation ticker would be helpful for fundraising, located at the top of the page so one doesn't have to scroll down at all.

I think the blimp's current location (i.e. GPS) should be directly posted on the front page, and, I think detailed projections for the blimp path should also be posted on the front page (i.e. "For meetup groups that wish to organize ground operations during the blimp flyover, we will be following I-85).

I also think there should be a section or forum on the blimp website designed solely for people organizing ground operations and preparing for them. Alot of people who support the blimp aren't members of this website, so it is potentially isolating a large portion of your customer base. Have some type of forum (heavily moderated) on the blimp website so that people can organize grassroots around it's arrival.

Nyte
12-27-2007, 03:05 PM
You should group all the Youtube footage of it on one page.

Well, they could do that with a link to the youtube blimp channel too.

FreeTraveler
12-27-2007, 03:10 PM
Most Important: Get your Customers engaged in the project via the website, and they'll be back EVERY DAY to see what's going on.

Guess what, if they show up on a regular basis, they're going to see that donation box on a regular basis, and have a reason to keep donating.

1) Reorganize the site so that it's easy to find things. The first page is way too busy. The front page should be the latest VLOG, donation entry and reporting, and a simple index to all the other pages. No reason to have tons of pictures and videos on that page if access to those is easy to find.

2) RELIGIOUSLY update the Blog on a regular basis, and get more than one person writing there. Best would be for everyone on the team to make an entry every day. You're making history with this approach to political advertising, and history should be recorded in detail.

If necessary, FORCE each team member to sit down for 5 minutes each day and tell what they did, and make a video blog entry from the results. DOCUMENT THIS, IT'S HISTORY!
(See the writings of the Founding Fathers, for example) :D

Make sure the most recent blog or vlog entry is on the front page of the website as well.

3) Add a VIDEO blog entry at least once a day. This should be a pointer to a YouTube released each day. See #2 above.

4) Get the "Sightings" page reorganized, and include links to videos and pictures from anyone who has content. More about that in #6.

5) Get a real "In The News" page going instead of a link to a Google Search. Use the grassroots to collect the content. See #6 for this one too.

6) Make it EASY for anyone to submit links for their own content to go on the "Sightings" page, and to the "In The News" page for stories they've found online.

Nyte
12-27-2007, 03:18 PM
FreeTraveler is spot on... as always brotha ;)

NerveShocker
12-27-2007, 03:23 PM
Help support the blimp, the deadline is coming fast.. only 3 days away.

For details on the blimp:

www.Ronpaulblimp.com

pacelli
12-27-2007, 03:24 PM
Most Important: Get your Customers engaged in the project via the website, and they'll be back EVERY DAY to see what's going on.

Guess what, if they show up on a regular basis, they're going to see that donation box on a regular basis, and have a reason to keep donating.

1) Reorganize the site so that it's easy to find things. The first page is way too busy. The front page should be the latest VLOG, donation entry and reporting, and a simple index to all the other pages. No reason to have tons of pictures and videos on that page if access to those is easy to find.

2) RELIGIOUSLY update the Blog on a regular basis, and get more than one person writing there. Best would be for everyone on the team to make an entry every day. You're making history with this approach to political advertising, and history should be recorded in detail.

If necessary, FORCE each team member to sit down for 5 minutes each day and tell what they did, and make a video blog entry from the results. DOCUMENT THIS, IT'S HISTORY!
(See the writings of the Founding Fathers, for example) :D

Make sure the most recent blog or vlog entry is on the front page of the website as well.

3) Add a VIDEO blog entry at least once a day. This should be a pointer to a YouTube released each day. See #2 above.

4) Get the "Sightings" page reorganized, and include links to videos and pictures from anyone who has content. More about that in #6.

5) Get a real "In The News" page going instead of a link to a Google Search. Use the grassroots to collect the content. See #6 for this one too.

6) Make it EASY for anyone to submit links for their own content to go on the "Sightings" page, and to the "In The News" page for stories they've found online.

Agreed.

Well said-- relying on these forums for the latest blimp news is short-circuiting the intention of the blimp site itself. Again it isolates a great deal of potential donors who don't visit these forums. The blimp site should be the primary REFERENCE for news about the blimp-- not these forums. Then you can have your official blimp volunteers providing links to the site on this forum and others.

FreeTraveler
12-27-2007, 03:32 PM
FreeTraveler is spot on... as always brotha ;)

Thanks, Nyte.

Jordan, I'll put my efforts where my mouth is. If you can use me in some capacity as a remote assistant after Jan 3, I'll be glad to help, perhaps with keeping the news and sightings pages up to date.

I'm in Bradenton (south of Tampa) now, but January 1 I'll be hitching up the 5th wheel and moving to Jacksonville for three months, before we go back on the road in the spring.

KCIndy
12-27-2007, 03:41 PM
The biggest complaint I've seen from lots of people is a glaring lack of communication from the people directly controlling the blimp.

Any chance the last couple of blog entries could be posted directly on the front page, and refresh each time a new entry is added?

Also, more info about what and WHY things are happening would help. (In other words, an entry explaining "here's WHY 'X' didn't happen, here's WHY we decided to do 'Y'... and so forth.)

Just my two cents...

NerveShocker
12-27-2007, 03:43 PM
Also, 1 thing not mentioned that I believe definitely needs fixed is the chart that you use to choose how much money you send. It starts with 1 million dollars.. and ends with 10 dollars.. that needs to be flipped... Also, 1 million dollars? Sorry I just don't think any millionaires are going to fund the project. Remember Ron Paul isn't Hillary Clinton or Mitt Romney.. he's not exactly the type of guy they support. The reason for this is he believes the Rich shouldn't be getting richer while everyone else gets robbed of their money.. Even if a millionaire somewhere does support him, its just not going to happen they send that much(How many million dollar purchases have you had so far?). Make the numbers more sensible.. at the least flip them.

Man from La Mancha
12-27-2007, 03:45 PM
DAILY UPDATES as to what is exactly happening and questions answered daily.

.

Energy
12-27-2007, 03:48 PM
Everything FreeTraveler wrote.

Most recent blog post and news should be visible on the homepage.

Need more pics/vids. Very few even know what the INSIDE of the blimp looks like.

mdevour
12-27-2007, 05:53 PM
Way to go, Jordan! Good luck with it.

This isn't something you can directly do yourself, but you can communicate the need to the staff...

The feedback I think we would most love to see out here is local TV coverage! The local grassroots and meetup people should be delegated the job of recording these reports as a high priority, and then you can integrate them into the site for best effect. What better way to sell the blimp to supporters than to see the best coverage you're getting?

The second thing I'd remind you is that you're going to have first timers coming to the site who may not even realize that you're not the official campaign. So be sure somewhere reasonably prominent, you lay out a roadmap of how they can support the blimp *AND* find out more about the candidate.

You want to keep their eyeballs on the site and coming back every day, but make sure it's easy for them to progress from Blimp enthused to Ron Paul enthused!

In the near term, I'd suggest you point them to ronpaul2008.com and ronpaullibrary.com and not mention ronpaulforums, so they have a chance to get familiar with the candidate and start to soak up the culture a little before being exposed to the graduate-level course in front-line grassroots politics they'll get once they come here. :D

Thank you for stepping up!

Mike D.

Dave Pedersen
12-27-2007, 06:00 PM
donations widget

most recent 14 days donations graph

remaining flytime widget

local tv reports of blimp freshly updated

FUN pics and vids. Blimp = FUN !

robert4rp08
12-27-2007, 06:03 PM
Finally, someone to fix that travesty of a website.

I like the overall design of the site. My issues have to do with the organization.

My 2 issues are:
1. The home page is abysmal. It's cluttered, disorganized, and a hodge podge of garbage that could otherwise be placed elsewhere on the site.
2. The donation "form" is on every single page. That is beyond annoying.

Rebel Resource
12-27-2007, 06:04 PM
This website revamp is going to be about two weeks too late. You could have spent 1-2 grand making ronpaulblimp.com a great, informative, well-maintained and diverse site -- and you might now have 500k to work with.

How many hours of flight have been achieved so far?

Cleaner44
12-27-2007, 06:05 PM
Get people re-engaged. The Blimp myspace sucks and so users created a better one. Check out http://myspace.com/theronpaulblimp and work with them. They have added a cellblock at my suggestion so pictures could be emailed in by people on the ground that come in contact with the blimp. All RP fans should add the blimp as a friend on myspace. Much better communication is needed. Share the daily details in video and/or blog.

pacelli
12-27-2007, 06:13 PM
Get people re-engaged. The Blimp myspace sucks and so users created a better one. Check out http://myspace.com/theronpaulblimp and work with them. They have added a cellblock at my suggestion so pictures could be emailed in by people on the ground that come in contact with the blimp. All RP fans should add the blimp as a friend on myspace. Much better communication is needed. Share the daily details in video and/or blog.

Good suggestion. I think the blimp website needs to look as professional as the venture itself. There are some very good comments here to specifically improve it. A fully functioning website is a very good idea.

And I agree-- links to ronpaul2008 and the Ron Paul Library are great to get people started. Put up some rudimentary forums. If the website is a fully-functioning, independent source of information for not only the blimp but also for Ron Paul, it is a win and will pull in major donations.

I also agree with comments posted about the timeliness requires-- this needs to be done as soon as possible. Tomorrow will be a huge day for the blimp if weather holds up, and we want people hitting the computers fast.

I'm also unsure if there is a way to associate within google search the phrase "Google ron paul" with the ronpaulblimp.com website. If that is possible to make it come up when you type in google ron paul, more people will find it.

JordanL
12-27-2007, 06:27 PM
Alright, I have a conference with Trevor and Elijah in about an hour and a half, and I will bring up these points with them. More or less, I have free reign with the website decisions.

Thanks for the multitude of suggestions. :)

Keep them coming.

AdoubleR
12-27-2007, 06:31 PM
Please take the wondeful advice that was given on the first page... I'm glad you asked us for our opinon and I guess: Welcome to the Blimp Team!

Nyte
12-27-2007, 06:36 PM
Jordan, let us know how it goes!

Tell the team we send our love ;)

JordanL
12-27-2007, 06:42 PM
Please take the wondeful advice that was given on the first page... I'm glad you asked us for our opinon and I guess: Welcome to the Blimp Team!

Thanks. :)

Companies are supposed to serve their customers, right?

You guys are my customers. I'm simply trying to provide the service you're looking for.

ronpaulfan
12-27-2007, 06:52 PM
Here's my 2 cents:


Take down the old promo vid and the simulated pictures of the blimp over Boston. Since it is in the air, you should only be using real footage on the home page.


Put something on the homepage telling people they can register and post comments to the blog. I doubt many people know about this feature.


Spend a few hours updating that FAQ. It is very sparse


(this one isn't urgent but is my preference) Change the "Live Video Feed" link to "Blimp Videos" and create a new blog-like page for every blimp video you find on YouTube. You can also put the "Live Video Feed" link on this new page if you feel the need (sorry but live video totally sucks compared to YouTube). Also showcase the RPBlimp YouTube links again on this page.