Subject: Re: Check it out!
From: "Casey Bruce" <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked], [email-masked], [email-masked], [email-masked], [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2005 20:23:58 +0000

I think that the web page is much better than the last one.  I think that 
everyone has done a great job with the page and we just need some minor 
tweaking.  Thank you for all of the help we are at the tip of the mountain 
and we are just need to put the final touches on this.  thanks for all of 
your help.  Lets not get discouraged and finish the project..

Casey A Bruce
Associate Broker/Manager
Osesntoski Realty Co.
[email-masked]

>From: Joyce Stanek <[email-masked]>
>To: "Michel and Ilze Ricou" <[email-masked]>
>CC: Dustin Turner <[email-masked]>,        lori 
><[email-masked]>, Casey Bruce <[email-masked]>,        
>Patty & Mike Finan <[email-masked]>,        Port Austin Area 
>Chamber of Commerce <[email-masked]>
>Subject: Re: Check it out!
>Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2005 18:44:50 -0400
>
>Hi everyone. This is Joyce responding. I am also sending a copy of this to 
>Dustin Turner so that he can correct any of responses that I make that 
>might be wrong - and/or answer those I can't answer. I'll do my best.
>
>
>On Apr 27, 2005, at 2:59 PM, Michel and Ilze Ricou wrote:
>
>>Hi all,
>>
>>The home page slide show is very nice. However the border and picture
>>collage on the side is very dark on our computer. The border looks like a
>>really dark bluish gray. Also Michel and I think if there is to be no 
>>title
>>or image in that top border then the top blue bar should be eliminated or 
>>at
>>least reduced to just a line. However shouldn't there be something in the
>>top border. Right now there is no title...nothing saying that this site is
>>about Port Austin on ANY of the pages!!
>Yes - We have run this problem (about the dark blue bars) by Dustin 
>already. And one of my suggestions was to do away with the top (horizontal) 
>bar. It DOES say Port Austin Area Chamber of Commerce at the top left, in 
>the collage - but this is only on pages that have the collage like the home 
>page.
>>
>>For the rest I know we should've said something sooner but Michel has been
>>working a lot during tax season and my mom died a month ago so I was gone
>>for a week and a half and Michel was gone for three days. In the beginning
>>we misunderstood what the deal was with the pages with the directory
>>listings etc. We thought that was just an internal working view not the 
>>way
>>the site visitor would see it. Those pages are not at all cohesive with 
>>the
>>homepage and the overall "look" of the website. To put it bluntly they are
>>very unappealing and dull. Also those pages appear very busy and 
>>confusing.
>>Is there anyway to have the same look as the home page?
>Yes - Lori and I also thought that the pages that you get to by clicking on 
>attractions/directory/calendar of events was the "working pages" pages. I 
>don't know that that is the case though. That may be just how they are. 
>Dustin will have to answer that one. Plus these pages do not continue the 
>theme or look of the home page - and they do not have a heading to remind 
>the visitor that they are in the Port Austin Chamber site. Casey brought up 
>that point in an earlier email to me today.
>Before we got into this project I visited about 50 chamber/town sites to 
>see how they were set up. I found 2 others that must have used the php 
>directory program - because their inner pages looked like ours do. i found, 
>though, that my eyes went to the middle of the page because there were 
>photos and logos there next to the entries (I experimented and added some 
>in the attractions/calendar sections). If you really look at some of the 
>items along the sides, they could be very helpful in using the site. (but 
>that would depend, I guess, if people actually read them)
>
>>
>>What is the phpMyDirectory.com on the left and the other stuff on the 
>>right?
>>Does that need to be there?
>>What's the purpose of the search boxes top center on the directory page? 
>>Do
>>we really need those?
>The search box is actually very helpful. If you knew the business name - or 
>you knew the topic/event - you could type it in and get a list of that 
>business or topics. Try it. Type in Port Austin Motel. Or type in art.
>>
>>Why is the box called "Menu" in the top left corner? That appears to be 
>>for
>>administrative purposes. We know that the chamber serves all businesses 
>>BUT
>>the people MOST likely to be using our website are the tourists not the
>>chamber members. We feel that box should be elsewhere in the website. We
>>westerners read from the top and left to right. That's the first place the
>>eye goes to and a potential tourist will be left wondering what to make of
>>it. Could this go on the "chamber info" page, maybe a sub page for 
>>members?
>I don't recall what the "menu" box was for???? I think you're right though, 
>that they are more for administering the site or for members.
>
>>In the "Menu" box if you click on "Home" it does not bring you back to the
>>home page...it brings you back to the main directory page!
>I don't believe that Dustin has finished with those links yet. I know that 
>when you log in, you have to click on "index" from the list in order to go 
>to the home page. I know that that is not how the final product will work. 
>I just don't think he is done linking & adjusting yet.
>>
>>"What's New" brings you to the directory page. Are there plans for using
>>that page somehow?
>The "What's New?" section is not operational yet. Actually, Lori and I came 
>up with that idea just a couple of weeks ago - and asked Dustin if he could 
>create a slide show on the home page - and get rid of a category we had 
>called "photo gallery" ---  and then replace it with a "What's New?" link.  
>We asked Dustin if he could come up with a page, similar to the calendar 
>section, that Lori could use to highlight news and current activities, 
>since there really was no where else on the site that addressed that issue 
>(NEW things). We also asked him to design it so that we could put in MORE 
>than the 1500 character limit that there is in the "description" categories 
>for there rest of the pages. That would enable Lori to put in lots of 
>details about an event that was right around the corner. He is still 
>working on that.
>>
>>On the home page can the "Directory" button be a rollover button that 
>>shows
>>a sub menu of at least the main categories such as dining, lodging,
>>shopping, recreation and perhaps links directly to the
>>categories...otherwise, will the site visitors know where to go look for
>>these categories? Especially since "Attractions" is listed separately.
>Actually - I think that "attractions" and "calendar" probably shouldn't 
>even be on the "directory" page - in that "directory" was actually meant to 
>list the categories of chamber members that we have, and nothing else. In 
>fact, the link on the home page was originally called "Member Directory" - 
>maybe we should go back to that????????
>As far as the "roll-over" effect - again, you will need to address that 
>question to Dustin. I'm not the creator - just the experimenter.
>>
>>Next to the slide show on the home page shouldn't that be two sentences:
>>Visit the Port Austin area. It's a short drive...etc.
>I already pointed out this need for a correction to Dustin. (there are a 
>couple other minor typos to fix yet also)
>>
>>I know were bringing up a lot of points but at the moment it seems like 
>>the
>>old site was a lot better...and we never liked the old site much.
>Better late than never! Besides - no website is EVER set in stone. Changes 
>are inevitable anyway, no matter what. And, personally, I think that the 
>new site has lots more going for it than the old one in a lot of ways. 
>There's info about the chamber. The calendar of events can be more detailed 
>and up to date. The "what's new" section should be a real asset to the 
>site. Members will have a lot more info, even as a "basic" - and A LOT MORE 
>add-ons if they choose, including being able to have up to 11 photos, with 
>descriptions, and being able to advertize their products even.
>And with all that said - there is nothing that says that someone can't 
>volunteer to design a whole new website to replace the current if their 
>heart so desires! (new things and looks always appeal to return visitors to 
>a site, don't ya know........
>HOPE THIS HELPS ANSWER SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS! Joyce : -)
>>
>>Ilze & Michel
>>
>>Michel and Ilze Ricou
>>Port Austin Motel Inc.
>>989 738 8729
>>[email-masked]
>>www.portaustinmotel.com
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Joyce Stanek [mailto:[email-masked]]
>>Sent: Wednesday, April 27, 2005 12:16 AM
>>To: [email-masked]; lori; [email-masked]; Patty & Mike Finan;
>>Port Austin Area Chamber of Commerce
>>Subject: Check it out!
>>
>>
>>Casey, Lori, Patty, Michele -
>>
>>Dustin did a lot of work on the website today - including creating the
>>slide show for the home page. CHECK IT OUT! It looks GREAT!!!!! : -)
>>
>>I also uploaded some additional photos in the attractions & calendar
>>portion of the site today.
>>Check, in particular, "lighthouses" - as I have a comment about that.
>>I think we may need to stick to either horizontal photos - or at least
>>smaller pics if they are vertical - for the FIRST photo (the one that
>>goes next to the name of a business or place or event). Although I
>>think it would be fine in the attractions or calendar - I'm not so sure
>>about in the member section. Someone with a vertical photo would
>>definitely be more prominent than surrounding member listings. What do
>>you think? Or should we experiment with a few more pics before we
>>decide?
>>
>>Dustin also fixed most of the typos that I emailed him about. He and I
>>have also been discussing the "collage" on the home page - and the blue
>>bars that run horizontally and vertically from the collage.
>>It looks great on my monitor. But I know that Ilse told me that it
>>looks really really dark on her monitor. What's the story with the rest
>>of you?
>>Plus - she said that the "bars" looked almost navy blue on her screen.
>>They are a medium blue on mine. But they did look darker on a computer
>>at school that I brought it up on.
>>I thought Dustin could even get rid of the horizontal bar (at top). But
>>I think we definitely need to keep the one that runs vertically. Maybe
>>he could change the blue to a lighter shade - maybe like the lake blue,
>>or sky, in the collage. What do YOU think?
>>
>>Anyway - I think things are winding down now. If you have comments or
>>changes - you should email Dustin directly, if you haven't already. He
>>and I have been emailing back and forth regularly - but I don't want to
>>be the one responsible for making final decisions on the site!!! I'm
>>only a committee member - not on the Board.
>>
>>I don't have all of the Board member email addresses handy - but maybe
>>Lori could forward this email to them???
>>
>>
>>Take care!
>>Joyce
>>
>>
>>
>>
>