Seeking Testimonials (1 Viewer)

Jon

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As mentioned in another post, I am working on updating the home page. We have had a 35% drop in traffic here in early May, due to a Google algo update. Consequently, I have decided to redirect the focus of the home page towards getting more people to the forums. Besides that, the home page was both very dated and rubbish anyway, so it needed an update.

If anyone here would like to contribute to growing this forum by providing a testimonial for use on the home page, I am most grateful. What I am looking for is something short and sweet, where we use your forum handle with the testimonial. If anyone provides a testimonial, I may use all of it, or a selected part of it as I see fit.

Example testimonials:

"I spend a lot of time here and the people are great!" "This place has helped me with Access more than anywhere else." "You always get your Access answers solved here." Or whatever.

My concept for the home page is to put these testimonials into something like this:

1596276822221.png


I'm not sure how it will all look in the end, but sometimes it is not that easy to decide what to put on a home page. I've been sitting there staring at a blank wall, wondering. Then this idea came to me.

Anyway, if you like this place and want to help keep it going, a testimonial may help, even if just a little bit.
 

The_Doc_Man

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Have a picture of Rodin's "The Thinker" with a balloon over his head, "I should have gone to AWF sooner."
 

Jon

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I could do Doc. The idea is to provide social proof. It helps persuade. That is why I thought a number of speech bubbles would add some oomph.

I've already created the top part of the site, the menu, colouring etc. But I need to pad out the front page a little. Then I can work on the inner pages.
 

The_Doc_Man

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Well, for what it's worth: The_Doc_Man: I have found the solution to many of my problems here in the last 19 years, and I'm still learning.
 
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Jon

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Thanks Doc. You might be the only one on there! :D
 

Micron

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I'd just list the testimonials like they do with reviews as it's easily expandable. You might find yourself constantly resizing bubbles to make room for additional comments. The balloon thing seems a bit cartoon-ish to me, but more importantly I would deduce that no one can post a balloon, therefore it is something that has to be done by someone, which would make the comments suspect, i.e. they are not genuine. That's just my feeble attempt to add a perspective to help you out, not to criticize your idea.
 

Jon

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I wouldn't resize anything because there won't be any additional comments. It is just those who want to post a testimonial, I might include it into the graphic. Once I've created that graphic, I won't change it.

I want the graphic to be a little cartoonish. I think I can make it look good, despite my rather mediocre graphic design skills.

There is an alternative approach I considered. The testimonials go in a standard format like you normally see, and just empty "bubbles" are used to just give the impression of lots of chatter.
 

Jon

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My concept for the cartoonish graphic.

1596389698577.png
 

Jon

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Just had an idea. Rather than me trying to work out if this image works best, verses a more muted set of colours for the bubbles, verses an image of the forum home page, instead I can just split test them and have the visitors give the data. i.e. see which makes visitors click through the most to the forums.

It might hurt their eyes and so they click through to save them. :oops:
 

Gasman

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Not testimonials, but tips perhaps?

Perhaps make them tips for a DB task?
Link to specific posts on a particular task?

Like
splitting text
Adding row numbers to a query
Running balance in a query

? If not a particular thread, create a section where the method/tip is copied and located.?
 

Jon

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Clever idea. In each bubble have a particular tip.

My gut feel is that it might detract them from the call to action button to visit the forums. You will see what I mean when the page goes live. The thing about all this is that I can easily split test the home page. Try all sorts of things, to see what makes the biggest impact. Its all quite good fun!

I've changed the menu along the top of the homepage and everything looks radically different to the current look of the home page.

I have a Blog menu part, where site members can post articles with a link back to their website and a bio. Maybe nobody wants to do an article, some might. I know many sites have a blog section for articles and so I am just following suit. The benefit of an article on the blog section, apart from altruism, is that the links back to a website carry more weight than in a forum section, as the links out of a forum page tend to be more diluted. It also lets people showcase their talent and skills.

Like everything here, it is all just one big experiment. Evolution will take its course.
 
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Minty

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Somewhat off-topic @Jon , but relevant to site traffic, I've been playing with using duckduckgo as a search engine, and AWF never appears on the first page of results. Or even the second.

Using the same search terms AWF invariable does appear on Google.

Just a heads up, as I was surprised (in a bad way).
 

Jon

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Google is so dominant in their position for supplying traffic here, and in search in general, that is all I care about really. I've no idea how DuckDuckGo ranks websites. Is that your go to?
 

Minty

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Google is so dominant in their position for supplying traffic here, and in search in general, that is all I care about really. I've no idea how DuckDuckGo ranks websites. Is that your go to?
I've only been playing with it as I was bored with Google's insistance on finding advertising and linking to things I've been searching for. (My Gimp mask and Unicorn onesie collection are good enough thank you!)
A bit like eBay continually bombarding you with a cheaper version of the thing you have already bought...

I'm not sure about DuckDuckGo's search engine. Maybe I should research.
 

Jon

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Google is making the ads look like normal links nowadays, by removing a different coloured background or box like effect that used to act as the demarcation for the ads. Sneaky.
 

Eljefegeneo

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My input on this is that without this site I would never have completed my databases. This is my go-to for information and help. I thank all those who let me sleep at night knowing that my conundrums would be solved.
 

strive4peace

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@Jon

I'm glad to be here, to share in discussions, and post good reference links when applicable. Access World Forums is a wonderful place to learn. There are lots of kind, knowledgeable folks here who are happy to help.
 
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SurreyNick

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Nice idea (the testimonial bubbles). I am delighted I came across AWF, members helped me no end to create my db. If you are open to advice the one thing I would counsel is if you do go ahead with the idea it might be advisable to only display messages of 'active' members and also avoid using testimonials from members who are also part of the AWF team. A lot of people are cynical of testimonials because so many businesses/sites just make them up themselves. Unless done thoughtfully, there can be a danger of driving customers/target audience away. If a prospective new member can click on a bubble and see the testimonial is legit i.e. by seeing active [helpful] posts by the endorser/attester it will give gravitas to your effort.

I would offer a testimonial myself, but I'm not sure I would be a good candidate as I have all but completed my db and I'm not sure how active I will be on the site going forward. Furthermore I have been a needy member, not a contributor. But in spite of this I will give some thought to a testimonial and leave it to you to decide.

I am sure you can identify certain VIP members whose testimonials will carry real weight. Perhaps you can ask them directly.

Nick
 
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Jon

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Thanks Nick. Testimonials from newer members are always welcome. They are really just a vote of confidence for how useful someone finds a site. And that applies to those who have only just joined too.

I don't want to use fake ones, although I know lots of sites do that.

I've taken the deliberate decision to not directly ask any members for a testimonial. For me, I would rather this be a place of comfort, where there is no expectations of obligation from anybody. Instead, I leave it up to those who volunteer a testimonial of their own volition.
 

Uncle Gizmo

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How long has the site been running Jon?
 

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