Question: More Access Doors Or Not - 1 of 2
To answer your question, I have to look at the bigger picture. In a web site, should I say any websites, the goal is to offer as many access doors possible without having readers be switched to a "tilt" mode!
SITUATION
Regarding SmartPlanet, as it is now, you have:
1) the classic search form
2) one main front door - the nav-bar on the top of the site
3) a second small back door - the " Related " section you have at the end of each article.
QUESTION:
Is there room to offer readers a few more access doors without them being overwhelmed? I think so!
FIRST SUGGESTION:
Using geo-tags for all your articles would offer a new access door to your readers. Would I use a geo-tag for Costa Rica (where I am living now) if I would see one...probably! At the very least, I would have the choice to open that door or not. As it is, that choice is not available at this point.
SECOND SUGGESTION
Now we can push a little bit more the tags feature. Yes! You could use tags as it is used nowadays. Not a revolution here but it will give another access door to the readers. Let's take a fresh example. I love wine! Anything that talk about wines, is an automatic click on that topic. No question asked! As it is now I could:
1) type wine in the search form = hoping
2) have a peek at the "Food" section = guessing
3) or look at a Tags cloud (not the geo-tags) somewhere on the welcome page - no hoping, no guessing, no stumbling
THIRD SUGGESTION
I think there is a little room to add a little bit more sub-topics under the nav-bar. Not too many more but .... Let's take the Transportation category. Right now I see articles about:
1) cars
2) railway
3) bykes
These could become sub-topics of Transportation.
Bottom line, there are no perfect solutions for readers to get this "planetwise" feeling and experience. This said, combining these 1/2/3 suggestions would probably help SmartPlanet to get closer to this wonderful goal: blurring the virtual fronteers!
Roger Pilon, Editor
The Planet Fixer Digest
NOTE: there will be another feedback about this topic - 2 of 2 coming. Just need 24 hours to brainstorm it!
