A little research project - please help!

[Cjg]

Am doing some research on Astro Society Websites and wonder what you think should be included?

I've looked at many on http://fedastro.org.uk/fas/members/ and there are some great sites, but also a few ahem "home grown" attempts.

What do you think, should the site be for the members or to encourage non members to visit?

Love to hear your thoughts,

Thanks,

Chris

[ktdelain]

Hi,

I don't actually belong to a society, but can comment as a newbie and someone who tends to research a lot on the web -

I think it does depend a little on what the aim and work of the society is, for example, if the society is small and more of a "club" for it's members, then really it only needs a small front page leaflet/advert for prospective members, and should really be more geared to support the actual members as I would see it's primary focus should be to support them. the website has to be useful to it's members, otherwise it's just taking up space on the interweb and a hassle to the person who has to look after it!

However, if say part of the aim of the society is has an educational element and to help get anyone excited in astronomy, then it really needs to be 2 things - one section for its members to give them some added value to being part of the society, and a section that is public friendly, welcoming and encourages new members to explore astronomy as a hobby.

Clear information and signposting to the right stuff is key - people can be very rubbish and impatient when browsing the net, so you have to make it easy and welcoming for people if you want to encourage new membership - like make it easy to find out how they get in touch, where to meet, how to explore hobby and have examples and tasters of the benefits of membership, like a how to guide, pictures of meetings, what the point of attending a meeting and belonging to a society can get you.

One of the problems I found when first getting back into astronomy is that feeling like you don't belong in the club that sometimes society websites have which when you actually meet people is not what they are really like! you really don't want to put people off as they are just getting started!

Also when looking at any website you should always consider design, accessibility and usability - if it looks rubbish, people won't use (it doesn't have to be professionally designed, but just don't look hideous!), if its not pitched right or aimed right at the audience it won't be accessible and even if it looks lovely, people won't use it and if it looks lovely, is aimed right, but is horrible to navigate, can't find anything on it, people won't use it!

hope that helps, if not, please ignore!

[Cjg]

That's very helpful, thank you very much! Have you come across an astro soc website that you rate highly?

Chris

[ktdelain]

arrgh - just wrote a reply and clicked back accidently and lost the post!

[ktdelain]

right, what I was trying to say was - No problemo!

and um, I've not used that many but a few things I have liked is the http://www.swindonstargazers.com/beginners/beginners.htm has a really good beginners section.

http://www.readingastro.org.uk/ is the one I've used the most as it's my local - the really good bit they have is that they have the details of their meetings on the front page on the left, so it's the first bit you really take in, and they have a beginners programme, that is free and open to all, so right away you feel like you can join in (although rather annoyingly, I have not been able to get to any of there meeting except may one or two in the last few years as I have had to work or had personal commitments! hmph!) And the first big word says WELCOME! they also link to neighbour societies which is good, when you're first hunting about.

I think the newbury one also lists meetings on front page toohttp://www.newburyas.org.uk

http://www.maidenhead-astro.net/ has all the right information, but design is a bit basic and the navigation not fab, which makes it harder to navigate.

I remember the http://wasnet.co.uk/ not being bad, but not being quite right and being quite hard to navigate around because it jumps about a bit (i think that's to do with the way they've built the html)

I'm probably a bit pickier about design and moving around the web now than others might be as I have a web designer for a brother and started my career quite a few moons ago in teaching people how to use the internet and spent a long time watching how people use the internet!

[Zuben Elgenubi]

I would imagine that most astro societies are interested in welcoming and encouraging new members, so they might want to provide information about the society, the benefits of membership and perhaps some general astronomy FAQs. Many people's first point of contact with a society is probably through a website so as ktdelain said it needs to look good, be easy to navigate, have useful information and be up to date.

This is my local society's website, if you haven't already seen it:

http://www.shropshire-astro.com/main/

Gareth

[Cjg]

Hi Katie,

Thank you, that's very useful (I did wonder if you were a web designer!).

Chris

[Cjg]

Thanks Gareth, good point and thanks for the link too.

Chris