Small Website Changes

[PK]

Hey everyone! Months ago the homepage went through a dramatic change and, since then, I've been struggling to keep the "important stuff" on the homepage, but still keep it clean and simple. Unfortunately it is no longer clean and simple and some "new eyes/visitors" have said that it's difficult to navigate the homepage and hard to understand it's purpose. I agree. We've always wanted our message to be clear and I still don't think we're there yet.

In the next few days the homepage will go through some minor changes which we feel will make it easier for new visitors to get around, but also keep our long-term supporters happy. The biggest change is making the switch from the current three-column layout to just two columns. Below is a sample of the direction we're considering.



Let me know if you have any suggestions and I hope you like the changes.
pk

[Ginafish]

Initial thoughts. Stinky opinion alert. It's still too busy for newcomers.

Delete the section for visitors count. If it's ambiguous, people can assume Isara gets millions of hits per day.  Or 30.

Delete the forum section updates. The forum section does have more frequent link changes than the projects section so this is touchy for spiders. Having the forum updates on the front page is nice for frequent users, but doesn't equalize it's importance with Isara's service's such as pix, blog, shopping, etc.

Here's an interesting bit on how fast newbies judge a website. http://www.ahfx.net/weblog.php?article=57

How all we can offer is stink: http://www.ahfx.net/weblog.php?article=102

And a good example of how one website slimmed down:
ICQ in 2000

ICQ today

[PK]

Thanks for the suggestions, Ginafish.

If we remove the Visitor Count and that whole section then maybe we can place the world map of current Isara Charity projects there. I had that in one version but removed it because some people said they like seeing the Visitor Counter change each time they visit. What do you think?

Remove the Forum Updates section? Yikes! I agree, it would definitely clean-up the homepage and also speed the site up A LOT. But it would also mean that fewer people would visit the forum. Which, as we all know, is already a low traffic area. Maybe if the forum was popular then we could afford to remove it, but it's not very popular so.... AGHHH!!! Wait, I know what you're doing. You don't want more people visiting the forum because you want to remain the Queen of Forum Posts. Very clever. lol

I will see what can be done to remove the forum topics section but keep the forum an important destination for visitors. Any ideas?

I remember how bad ICQ used to look. It's definitely improved. Hopefully we can do the same.

[KitKat]

I definitely think ICQ needed to change in 2000, but their today's webpage is still much too colorful/busy for me. In my opinion, too many bright colored design elements, very distracting. (But, I'm old so what do I know.)
LOL, I know, it was easy for me to criticize another website.

 
Two comments, if you could find a place for the Charity Projects Map that would be a good addition. We need to let visitors know Isara isn't just creating projects in Thailand.   
Could you decrease the size of the "Latest Isara Forum Topics" section, to give you a little more space?

Good job so far PK.   

Ginafish, very good constructive suggestions.

Edit: I agree with Mus. about Isara's website already being clean & simplistic. I also think it's very easy to navigate and Isara's mission is stated very clearly on the homepage. It's all about helping people, how could anyone not understand and see it. (of course, I'm a little prejudice.)

[Mus.]

I don't really see what's wrong with the site as it is, it's already really simplistic and clean. And I don't know if the speeding up is really neccessary. At least over here it doesn't take a second to load the homepage, so I don't really see how you'd need it to be any faster. Plus, I like seeing the topics right there.

That example is pretty good as it is. I'd maybe switch the place of the two upper boxes so that the charity project updates would be above the box that explains how this place works. That way the page would be kind of divided, like the informative stuff on one side and the other stuff (forums, Isarapix etc.) on one side.

[Ginafish]

Okay, changes are in place.

Pk, I can't believe you saw through my guise and now I still have to worry about being dethroned. As a daily user, I like the forum topics on the front, just offered it's beheading as a way to clean up.

I like how the front page has the tab look, and then if you go in the forum, it still has the visitor count.

[KitKat]

It looks fantastic!! Great job!  Lots of long hours of work, but definitely worth it!

I vote it the BEST website design and function on the planet!! I know now a little over the top, but that's okay! 

[PK]

It looks fantastic!! Great job!  Lots of long hours of work, but definitely worth it!

Thanks! But didn't you say the same thing to me when I was 3 years old and I drew a picture of a rainbow .....that was all brown?



Some might notice that the Clicks for Charity links are gone. It's not because we don't want to support those great causes. (We do! And I encourage all of you to bookmark those sites and visit them everyday!) But, as someone pointed out, it might be best if we build-up Isara's reputation in charity (and how we're unique) before linking to other charity click sites.

What do you think?

[KitKat]

I agree with our about removing the charity sites. And yes, you're also right about your beautiful brown rainbow. 

[Ginafish]

The front page is still 'under construction' but I like the image search moved up. Could that search box say "Pick Your Search" or something so users would see the drop down menu and the various places they can search by using Isara as the home page?

And when did you add Google News?

[PK]

Google News was there, but it was labeled just "News" before (directly under "Images").

[Mus.]

Well, I like this new layout. Very simple and easy to navigate for new users too

[ianh68]

I definitely think ICQ needed to change in 2000, but their today's webpage is still much too colorful/busy for me. In my opinion, too many bright colored design elements, very distracting. (But, I'm old so what do I know.)
LOL, I know, it was easy for me to criticize another website.

 
Two comments, if you could find a place for the Charity Projects Map that would be a good addition. We need to let visitors know Isara isn't just creating projects in Thailand.   
Could you decrease the size of the "Latest Isara Forum Topics" section, to give you a little more space?

Good job so far PK.   

Ginafish, very good constructive suggestions.

Edit: I agree with Mus. about Isara's website already being clean & simplistic. I also think it's very easy to navigate and Isara's mission is stated very clearly on the homepage. It's all about helping people, how could anyone not understand and see it. (of course, I'm a little prejudice.)

I bet I'm older than KitKat and I think the home page is clear, interesting and energising. Since I made it my default home page it's taking me longer and longer to get to what I originally logged on for because I keep getting seduced by Isara stuff!

All the best

ianh68

[PK]

Thanks, ian68. Glad you like it.

Coming up with the right design is a learning process and I'm still learning. But, thanks to visitors feedback, we're getting closer and closer to a design that works.

[rncyoung]

   I'm just still in shock!  So incredible what you've done with this site.  Hard to believe you graduated from a school that can't even spell KATS correctly...  

[KitKat]

Hello rncyoung, and welcome to Isara.  I didn't see your post in our "member introductions", so please tell us a little about yourself, in that thread, and again welcome to our Isara community. 

[PK]

UPDATE: Recently we've had some Isara visitors and members comment on the homepage and how it's confusing and complicated upon first viewing. We definitely want the site to be as easy as possible to understand so we're once again trimming some of the fat.

Nothing of importance will be removed and all the links/features will remain. We're just removing redundant information and reorganizing a little.

Please give me a day or so to work out the design changes.

[mercellusb]

You're pretty close to perfection on your site changes.
Keep up the outstanding work

[Mus.]

It looks a bit weird now. Maybe it's just me. Maybe I've gotten too used to the site.

[PK]

Thanks, mercellusb. I appreciate it.

Mus. - Still working on the changes. Give me a few more hours and it should look less weird. lol

[thartley]

It looks a bit weird now. Maybe it's just me. Maybe I've gotten too used to the site.

We all go through the same thing when we have been visiting the site for a while and are used to seeing it a certain way.  I've done my share of voicing the same thing when we've made design changes or changed formats due to software changes.  But it always works out for the better in the end.

Have a cookie.  I promise if you do, by the time you finish it, everything will be right as rain.  (its what the Oracle says to Neo in the Matrix) 

[KitKat]

I think this is the correct layout and every thing's in it's right placement.
You have 6 Important Sections: Your Name Announcement
                               Web portal for searches
                               Important Mission Statement
                               Search Boxes
                               Charity Projects & Volunteers.
                               Forum Topics

I think this layout makes it very clear and simple to understand what Isara is all about.
Congrats, PK on a job well done!!

[PK]

KitKat - Thank you very much! Glad you like it. Although, didn't you also use to tell me that my ugly crayon drawings, as a child, were masterpieces and would hang them on the refrigerator?



Anyone else (not a blood relative) have thoughts about the changes?

[Mus.]

It's good otherwise but the bottom looks a bit sketchy. The way the forum posts hog the whole bottom part of the page.

[ZeroG]

Looks really good now. I like your people pictures with the white background. Very professional. Keep it up. It looks real nice!