Lesson Updates - Updating Headlines

catullus · #1 May 2nd, 2006

Why does the headline for this site still read "New Lesson - The Star Spangled Banner for intermediate players." when three new lessons have since been added?

I thought it was strange that this hasnt been updated for weeks. As a web designer I know that the number one aspect of a site that keeps bringing back visitors while adding new ones is content.... content, content, and more content. While this content is being updated, its buried. First you have to scroll allllll the way to the bottom of the page to the Guitar Lessons Forum, determine which section has the correct lessons, and then you have to click on the link, say "Wow! There are four weeks of lessons here that I have been missing!" and then proceed to view the lessons. This information should be dead first, not dead last in your content lineup. I would recommend that the Guitar Lessons forum be moved above everything else if you wish to gain users. As for popularity, you've got a great tool for viewing what kind of lessons are more popular, and perhaps more appropriate, for your audience. Simply looking at lessons with a high volume of views, and examining what aspects of those lessons are alike or similar, is one way of determing what your visitors want. Your definately growing, but a small thing like not updating the headlines can hurt your page-hits.

Hmm, but there are perhaps reasons why you would want to cut back on users... just a thought.

Hope I helped... perhaps I should have said something earlier.

Kirk Lorange · #2 May 2nd, 2006

Thanks for reminding me, catallus ... updating the lesson announcement is my job and I failed miserably.

As for the other comments: we do have our reasons for setting things up the way they are and they're working well. The number of members joining up, or page hits, is of no concern to us. The more the merrier, yes, but we're in no rush. As you know, the lessons and site are free, and we go through about 4 Gbs (that's Gigabytes!) of bandwidth per day as it is. Clancy and I pay for that. The ads you see generate next to nothing ... literally ... in fact we're going to take them off ... and the members who have donated can be counted on two hands (thanks guys!).

What it amounts to is this: Clancy and I are paying (in time and money) for 12,000+ members to learn some fingerstyle guitar. Are we nuts? Yes, I guess so.

Clancy · #3 May 2nd, 2006

Hi catullus and thanks for your feedback.

First off, yes, you are completely right... the heading should have been updated to show the new lessons, but as you can also no doubt imagine, it's a huge job running a site with 12,000 members and unfortunately not everything gets done in a timely manner. I'm not sure if you run a membership site or whether you just have a site that you keep updated with content, but believe me, the two are two very VERY different beasts.

We originally had the guitar lesson forum up the top of the forum home page but we found that users were signing up to the forum, downloading the lessons and NOT contributing to the forum at all... and in many cases not even realising that the forum was there.... we want to build a supportive guitar community here, our aim is NOT just to be here to give away free guitar lessons, so we purposely put the guitar lesson forum down the bottom as we want to encourage members to post on the forum... (this is also the best way to add fresh content to the site on an hourly basis).

The content isn't buried. The lessons aren't the first thing you see on the page, but the lessons are only part of the huge amount of content here. The fresh content is generated by the community and our active members here on an hourly basis... and we love them for it.

... Thanks to all our contributing members.

On a final note, we are at present redesigning and updating the main part of the site so that it's easier to navigate. You will then be able to enter the site via the home page and links to the fresh content will be shown as it is produced (including the lessons) ... at this stage the heading (announcements) at the top of the page need to be changed manually and unfortunately this sometimes gets overlooked.

Anyway, hope that clears some things up for you as to why things are set up the way they are.

Cheers

Clancy

catullus · #4 May 3rd, 2006

Firstly, let me just say how impressed I am. I have administrated two 10k+ student university intranets, as well as local newspaper sites in the past, and I know about the overwhelming amount of emails and posts that need to be screened daily... let alone hourly. Yet, somehow, I have received lengthy replies from both of you within two hours. I had anticipated a wait of at least 18 hours!

With a site this large, one can usually assume that personal capital is not being spent to fund the associated expenses. Kirk, I know what you mean by ads not generating funds. There are those out there that say ads disrupt a site more than they contribute to it... and I usually agree. I thank you for the lack thereof. There is something to be said for those who sacrifice for others... and its certainly not that they're crazy. lol

Clancy, thanks for clearing up your goals for the site. I have always foremost enjoyed the community aspect of this site. I agree that it is the experience, not the knowledge that contributes most to visitors. Its a shame that users would view lessons without giving something back to the community.... though I suppose they could be "spreading the word" and such.

As for me, I try to stay away from large database projects these days. I quickly (though time is relative) became tired of all the programming and mess. Personally, Im more of an artist. I enjoy the mergence of style and functionality. Recently I have designed sites for many local artists (musical and visual) and businesses, as well as print publications, and business collateral.

I live in a region rich in family histories well preserved through photographs. Within the last ten years, my state has been plagued by major flooding... and along with personal possesions lost (including homes, and in some cases family members) many of those photographs have been water-damaged. Along with my regular services, I am offering discount professional photo-restoration services for those in my region. Though the cost will be absorbed by myself, the opportunity of helping others regain these priceless artifacts seems well worth it. In that aspect, I suppose we have something more in common that simple guitar and websites.

Once again, while I have always deeply appreciated the community you have given to us, you have only deepened my appreciation through your goodwill, patience, and sacrifice.

Thank you,

Aaron Silber

"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows achievement and who at the worst if he fails at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." - Theodore Roosevelt

Clancy · #5 May 3rd, 2006

Thanks for your nice reply Aaron.

The photo restoration sounds like a great thing to do. I'd be very interested in seeing some of those old shots and the resoration work that you are able to do on them. If you get the chance, you should post some before and after shots in the chit-chat forum sometime...

All the best.

Clancy

nowhere-man · #6 May 3rd, 2006

Aaron, I would like to say thank-you for putting into words so well, the appreciation I, and I'm sure countless others feel for what Kirk and Clancy do so very well, and so unselfishly.

Geoff

Clancy · #7 May 3rd, 2006

Thanks Geoff, nice of you say that.

By the way Aaron and anyone else who is interested, there's a new lesson out today - 4 & 20 -- Droning dropped D - AND, we even have updated it up the top of the page already.

Clancy

nowhere-man · #8 May 4th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clancy

Thanks Geoff, nice of you say that.

It came from the heart Clancy.

6string · #9 May 4th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by nowhere-man

Aaron, I would like to say thank-you for putting into words so well, the appreciation I, and I'm sure countless others feel for what Kirk and Clancy do so very well, and so unselfishly.

Geoff

6string = one of the countless others

Clancy · #10 May 5th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by 6string

6string = one of the countless others

Thanks 6.

Clancy

Misty2u · #11 May 8th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by nowhere-man

Aaron, I would like to say thank-you for putting into words so well, the appreciation I, and I'm sure countless others feel for what Kirk and Clancy do so very well, and so unselfishly.

Geoff

Hear, hear.

Honestly don't know what I'd do without this site and Kirk's lessons and Clancy's info. Y'all sure are the best..!!