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UG Best Practices: Web Sites - Meeting Information
If you consider the fact that 99.99% of the user groups out there are volunteer organizations, it is amazing how much they accomplish and how well they accomplish it. Even so, there is always room for improvement. We also hear from many excited Mac users who want to either start their own group or revitalize a MUG that has fallen into disrepair. To help user groups young and old achieve these goals, The MUG Center is launching the new User Group Best Practices series of tips, procedures and guidelines to help make your group the best it can be.
Look for more Best Practices tips soon!
If you had to guess, what is the single biggest reason surfers visit your group's web site? To get the latest Mac news? Hardly. To found out what your group offers? That's probably in the top five.
No, the reason more people, members and non-members alike, visit most MUG web sites is to find out about their meetings. What's on the agenda and is it worth attending? The two most important things about your upcoming event are the "when" and "what." The topic of your next presentation is critical, since it will determine whether the visitor will want to bother to find out more, and when you will meet is essential for scheduling.
The Do's
Here's a list of things to do when deciding how to put your meeting information on your group's web site.
- Put the meeting date and topic on the front page, with a link to a dedicated page containing the details, such as directions, links to MapQuest, photos of the venue, etc. and a complete write-up of the month's topic (presenter bio and photo, explanation of the demo or presentation, special activities such as raffle, door prizes, etc.).
- Make sure your meeting information is "above the fold" of the page, so that your visitor doesn't have to scroll down to find it. (When measuring the fold, consider the number of people using PowerBooks and iBooks rather than a Cinema Display.)
- Put a link to the meeting page in both the front page announcement and in the main navigation menu so it is easy to find.
- Be creative with your meeting title. "Mac OS X 10.4 Demonstration" is a lot less interesting than "Tiger Pounces On Our June Meeting."
- If you have a special presenter, try to get a photo, especially if they are from Apple or a third party vendor. At the very least, grab a company logo or box shot from the press section of your guest's web site and link back to them. Even if one of your own members is demonstrating a program, a graphic of some kind is going to be more interesting than just a text statement.
The Don'ts
There are a number of practices we see on MUG web sites that are not only inconvenient and ineffective, but are just plain rude to your guests:
- Don't make a user click more than once, if at all, to get the basic information (what and when) about your next meeting.
- Don't force a visitor to download a PDF announcement or copy of your current newsletter to obtain your meeting information. It clutters up the visitor's hard drive and makes them wait for the information.
- Don't use pop-up windows. Not only is it bad form, but Safari and many other modern browsers allow users to block pop-ups, so your meeting information might never be seen.
- Don't use a scrolling marquee or have your meeting information flying around in some unusual space in the browser window. Yes, we know you can make Java jump through hoops. Good for you, but do it on your own personal home page, not on a site were communicating information quickly and efficiently is a key goal.
- Don't use a splash page. Splash pages are so 90's, and are more of an ego thing. You don't see a spash page on the Apple site, or Macsimum News, Macworld, The Mac Observer, MacMinute or any of the other major Mac sites.
Some Notes on iCal
Apple's iCal is a terrific tool, but not as a primary method for announcing your group's meetings. If you have multiple events each month (general meeting, SIG meetings, classes, etc.), an iCal page on your site can be a real addition. If you have only one or two events per month, don't force a visitor to scroll through week after week looking for them. Because of iCal's format, scrolling up and down on each page becomes necessary as well. Just post the dates on a static page and make it easier on everyone.
Posting your meeting information on an iCal that can be subscribed to can be an effective way to communicate your meeting dates and topics. Remember to not only provide the basic information, but also a link back to your site where all the details and information listed above can be found. "User Group Meeting" won't generate much interest, but if "Tiger Talk" shows up in a member's iCal with a link, they are likely to check it out and attend.
Up To Date
None of the above do's or don'ts will do your group any good if you don't have current information posted. Do your best to update your web site and/or iCal with your next meeting date as soon as possible after your last one. Even if your topic is "To be Announced," web site visitors will know that your group is alive and well because the date will be current.
Following these simple guidelines will help make your web site more efficient and keep your visitors better informed of your groups's activities.
Give us your comments, feedback or ideas for future Best Practices entries at [email protected].
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