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Re: OTR web site

>From: Eric King <ericking at eos_net>

>Linford, Stacie, and myself are developing the new Over The Rhine
>web site. As list participants and the most web-savvy of their fans,
>your insights are valuable.

Y'know, my mom always said that, but I never believed her.

>The new site promises to be "beautiful, poetic, and capable of
>MOVING PRODUCT." (Roadside farmer's market meets e-commerce!)
>Features will [hopefully] include the complete discography with
>short sound excerpts, a full product catalog with online ordering
>capabilities, all CD lyrics, images, and liner notes, a
>timeline/history/FAQ
>of the band, current news, concert schedule, and a bunch of other
>stuff.

That sums up the bare minimum you can get away with for an official site.

>Questions:
>1. What type of things would keep you (as a discussion list participant)
>     visiting the site on a regular basis?

New CONTENT regularly.  Not just tour dates.   Plus, a site that's updated
less than weekly won't get visited again.

Things I'd like to see:
-Q&A section where site visitors can post questions, and the band might
post answers.  (about songs/gear/etc)   Sascha from KMFDM had a great
section of the band's website (which they did themselves, IIRC) where he'd
answer questions about his gear, what settings for which songs, etc.
-A Linford rambling section.  Give the man some space of his own, where he
can write whatever he pleases about anything he happens to be thinking
about.  Again, I use an example from another band's page - Robert Fripp has
a news/opinions/thoughts section on the DGM (his record company) website.
It's pretty much a free-form space for his use.  He answers questions from
email there, talks about what's on his mind, and occasionally responds
directly to something that's been posted to the King Crimson list (Elephant
Talk) that he takes exception to.  I think Linford and Fripp have some
things in common where it comes to record companies.
-Band members' links:  I think someone mentioned the VoL site has links to
books that Bill Mallonee has read recently.  I think links to stuff the
band members think is cool would be a good idea, whether it be other bands
they like, authors, certain types of gear, etc.
-A service like NetMind, which (for free) emails subscribers when the page
changes.
-Any other really, really cool stuff.
-n00d G1F5!   Just kidding.

>2. What on the site would help first time visitors? (We're aiming for
>     the upcoming Junkies tour.)

Next to content, layout and navigation are the most important aspects of a
website.  

>3. Do you know of other band sites that are especially well done?

http://www.discipline.co.uk - Discipline Global Mobile Records
http://www.kmfdm.net - KMFDM
http://tori.by.net - An unofficial Tori Amos page.  Much better than the
official one.
http://www.tmbg.com - They Might Be Giants
http://syrinx.umd.edu - An unofficial Rush site

Here's examples of how NOT to do a band site:
http://www.roger-waters.com - Roger Waters
http://www.atlantic-records.com/frames/frames.html?page=/frames/Artists_Music/index.html?artistID=64
- The official Rush site.

That's all I can think of for now.  I've got more at home, etc, blah, blah,
etc.
-- 
NP: Warren G - _Regulate...G Funk Era_
From the notebooks of Lazarus Long (1916-4272):
"Natural laws have no pity."
http://mygod.usuck.com - Real content coming soon!
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