Message from William:
This page is only about 10% complete: Please stand by.
I created this page as a general discussion-sub-page for our community's To-Do list, but more specifically on the discussion sub-topic of how to improve the effectiveness of the site's initial public pages. I intend to give feedback (and ideas) from the point of view of an absolutely new user: not just new to WikiSuite, but also new to Tiki, and new to ClearOS.
So, please don't get angry if I totally miss some point. Remember, if a retired senior programmer misses the point, then how many other site visitors will also miss that point.
My assessment is going to be rather harsh. Sorry! My hope is that greater growth and profits will overcome any hurt feelings. Remember, I wouldn't be volunteering my suggestions if I already didn't highly respect the work done so far.
AFAIK, our goal is to promote WikiSuite as the clear choice for people who want the most powerful collaborative software at the lowest cost and requiring the least administrative effort. To do this we must project a web image which never confounds a site visitor with jargon or concepts they don't understand. When we accidentally do this, we send a message that we are inept at our own goals. How can a visitor believe we provide documentation and tools which require minimal administrative effort when these visitors don't even understand what we are saying on our first few pages. Literally, we are forcing our less experienced visitors to go away and learn before they can even evaluate our services. To remedy this, try to never use jargon. If we have no choice, then each jargon word must be a link to a simple and clear definition along with good promotional statements. Each headline concept must be simple and followed by increasingly simple explanations which are understandable by the general public, while not considered demeaning to more knowledgeable individuals.
When I visited this site I wanted to know:
The real problem is that even after patiently visiting every page I didn't feel my questions had been answered. IMO, a lot of people who would otherwise be seriously interested in our product are going to leave our site shaking their heads thinking, "I really don't know what that was all about". The landing page absolutely must answer the above questions without even requiring the visitor to scroll the page.
If there is a design problem, and there may not be, is it possibly due to differing opinions on the target audience?
In my opinion, our landing page is suffering from geek speak, and we are therefore likely to be losing customers from groups 1-3, and many from 4. The percentage numbers are totally arbitrary, but I'm trying to convey the idea that our site may receive far more visits by valuable prospective customers who currently know almost nothing, than visits by experienced IT people. I am also suggesting the idea that businesses with experienced IT staff, who have absolutely no difficulty understanding our website, may not require our consultations as often as the, far more numerous, less experienced businesses. Let us not scare away those less experienced visitors.
When people visit a web page, there is a satisfaction threshold which must be met for them to remain on that page. They must immediately see clues that they are going in the right direction for their quest, or at least feel they may have discovered an interesting new quest. It is often helpful to ask random people to visit a site and give their impressions.
The main image is of the WikiSuite logo surrounded by eight objects that look like they should be hot-links, but they aren't. I bet 9 out of every 10 people who visit this page will move their pointers over those logos, and then be amazed that they don't do anything.
IMO, we really should activate these logos with both textual popups and links.
To my eye the page & banner combination feels out of touch.
The Banner must have the look and feel of a professional organization.
WikiSuite is a collection of the finest free business collaboration tools on the Planet.
WikiSuite is a professionally managed collection of the finest free business collaboration tools on the Planet.
Created by the best sofware designers, implemented and maintained by thousands of experienced Open Source programmers, and now, for the first time, collected, evaluated, packaged and maintained by our business professionals for your business professionals.
These tools are: