About the SMMGP Web Site
Introduction to the SMMGP Web Site
The SMMGP web site first went 'live' on January 1st 2000 and has since undergone continual development and expansion. Its popularity has grown steadily and it currently achieves around 2,500 visitors per week, as well as hosting a thriving online forum with over 1,000 members.
The site consists of nearly 200 pages of information, and includes over 360 downloadable documents and resources.
In January 2006 the site welcomed its 100,000th visitor, its 250,000th by September 2006, and its 500,000th by December 2007!
Weekly visitors to the SMMGP web site to Mar 2008
The look and feel of the SMMGP web site did not change significantly during the first 5 years. Although it functioned perfectly well, a number of issues clearly required attention for the site to continue growing successfully and for it to attract new followers as well as satisfying its current visitors. A newly designed SMMGP web site was therefore produced in 2005.
Listening to the Views of Our Users
The 2005 design (which you still see today) was partly informed by the opinions of over 300 SMMGP mailing list members and/or web site visitors who responded to a short questionnaire, as well as by the visual style of the SMMGP's Network Newsletters, and advances in web technology.
The same questionnaire was repeated at the start of 2007, and again in 2008, and the results of the questionnaires are summarized below...
How do you usually connect to the internet?
In 2005, 75% of people said they used broadband internet access so we knew we could afford to brighten up the site with a few more pictures and illustrations than there had been in the past. The percentage of broadband users increased to 95% by the start of 2007, and 96% by 2008.
How often do you use the SMMGP web site?
In 2005 a fantastic 60% of people said they visited the site at least every month, with 20% visiting at least weekly. To improve on these figures we needed to make sure the site was updated more regularly, with content people wanted.
By the start of 2007 the numbers had risen to 90% of people visiting the site at least every month, and 40% visiting at least weekly. By 2008 the percentage visiting at least weekly had risen to 57%, with 31% visiting daily.
Why do you rarely or never use the site?
Of those who rarely or never used the site, 16% were not aware it existed, so we began promoting it more widely via the Network newsletter, as well as by other means. Of the many "other reasons" given, "lack of time" was by far the most cited, although some people simply preferred to get their information from non-internet sources.
By the start of 2007 we had been able to improve many of the negative factors affecting site visits, and "lack of time" was still the most cited "other reason" for not visiting the site more frequently. Improvement continued into 2008, and "lack of time" was once again the most cited "other reason" for not visiting the site.
How do you find things on the site?
Most people said they found information on the site by following links from the Home page, or by using the Site Map or Search facility. All these features were greatly improved in the new web site to make it easier and quicker for people to find what they need.
The 2007 results showed how particularly effective the redesign of the general navigation system had been, although additional comments indicate that there are a few people who don't like the way the left-hand side menu stays visible at all times. Improvements to the Search facility also had a positive effect.
The 2008 results showed that following links from the Home page was still by far the most popular navigation method, with use of the Search facility coming second.
Do you use the SMMGP Forums?
Of the 42% of people who used the forums in 2005, only 10% said they actually posted messages. We therefore tried to make the forums less intimidating to new visitors by including a lot more helpful information. We also began promoting them more widely to try and avoid them being overlooked.
Disappointingly, by the start of 2007 we had made little impact in this area and still found that many site visitors hadn't noticed the forums at all. Promotion of the forums, and encouraging participation, was still therefore one of our main challenges.
By 2008 use of the forums had increased significantly, with 73% of people using the forums and 47% actually posting as well as reading. However, the results showed that 17% of people still didn't know the forums were there.
How do you feel about the Dr Fixit character?
The Dr Fixit character has been associated with the SMMGP since he first appeared on the web site in 2001. We were glad to discover that in 2005 only 5% of people thought he should be dismissed, so he continues to feature on the new site as well as in the Network newsletter.
At the start of 2007 we found that support for Dr Fixit had increased, with a big shift in votes from "don't care" to "think he should stay". The percentage of people who thought he should be dismissed had also dropped to just 2%.
In 2008 this question was replaced by one concerning the sliding menu - see below.
How do you feel about the sliding menu which appears at the left-hand side of each web page?
This question was introduced following occasional comments from site visitors that they didn't like the sliding menu. We decided to find out if this opinion was wide-spread enough to warrant changing the design. The results showed that 65% of site visitors thought the sliding menu helped navigation, and a further 15% didn't care one way or the other.
A minority of 16% thought the menu was annoying (or made them feel queasy). This percentage was large enough to warrant continued monitoring of the situation, but for the time being the decision of the majority ruled and the menu remains unchanged.
As expected, a few people said that they couldn't see the menu at all. This was most likely due to very high browser security settings preventing the menu code from functioning, the fact that the menu does not appear on the forums area (which some site visitors use exclusively), or the fact that they viewed the site with less common technology (e.g. a Braille reader) which was unable to show the menu. In all such cases, alternative means of site navigation are available.
All three surveys provided a lot of constructive comments and suggestions as to how the site might be improved, as well as many possible additions for the Links section. All of these were considered in the site redesign, and in its continuing development.
Key Features of the Current Site Design
- Clean, modern design matching the Network Newsletter and other SMMGP resources.
- Drop-down menu allowing instant access deep into the site, and which scrolls to remain available at all times.
- Powerful search facility and multiple navigation methods to help you find what you need more quickly and efficiently.
- Home page links to the latest news and the most popular documents.
- Home page hints and tips to help you make your visit more useful and enjoyable.
- High accessibility levels for all site visitors.