WebsitereportV.2.docx (1)

Website Report (draft) (LCiL)
Lothian Centre for Inclusive Living
Website Report v.2.0
Project Outline
August 2012
(draft)
David Fulton

Background:
While the website has proven valuable for marketing the LCiL, informing its audiences of the
LCiL’s services and in providing information on services it provides, it is also recognised (as
the staff survey shows) that there are limitations of the present website. And although tools
such as Grapevine Online were set up with great intentions there are evidently some
weaknesses with the interface. However, technology has moved on and there is now more
innovative tools for making use of social media and fundraising than there was three or four
years ago.

1. Aims & Objectives of updates
The remit of this brief report is to review the current LCiL website using information
gathered from surveys by staff and audits to help propose some recommendations for re-
developing the website. This report is not, however, exhaustive in its recommendations but
part of an evaluation hoped for instructing phase 2 development of the website
At present, while the LCiL’s website is widely used by staff and service users, it is felt that
there are a number of areas that could be improved for benefit of both staff and service
users in particular.
This document details the changes/updates which need to be made to the LCiL website this
autumn. The priority in making these changes is to update the content and layout of the
website so that it:
● better reflects our current work and priorities,
● makes existing web tools, Grapevine Online, more prominent on the site
● Incorporates new web tools such as twitter and a blog.
● Moves towards greater Web 2.0 functionality.
Current Usage (Overview):
As identified in a previous report (see LCiL Website Analysis using Google Analytics) by far
the most popular use of the website is for visitors looking for Personal Assistance vacancies.
Some 14% of traffic is directed towards searching for Edinburgh vacancies alone, with 59%
interested in advertising for a PA. The most popular page is the homepage viewed by 28% of
visitors to the website, but with a ‘bounce rate’ of 44% it is evident that a large number to
the website do not bother to click on any other of the website pages. One possibility (as
feedback from the survey suggests) is that the homepage is too “cluttered” in appearance
putting users off visiting other webpages.
In contrast, there were only 21% of viewers that went onto access the Grapevine Online
service and only 11% clicking on the registration button.
Indicating the importance of the LCiL website, a Communication Audit/survey shows that
some 35.7% of users find the website ‘very useful’ and 50% finding the website ‘somewhat
useful’. Moreover, the website was identified by 36% of staff as ‘very important’ and’
somewhat important’ by 52.6% of staff. It is evident from the survey that even taking into
account the website’s current limitations, it remains an important communications tool,
second only to the formal/informal meeting.
It is envisaged that the following developments to the website will result in the below 9
outcomes:

1. Increased readership of current information and News:
The colour choice of ‘green ‘often makes it difficult to distinguish Spotlight from the
information directly below Spotlight. The heading therefore needs to be more
distinguishable. There is also little room for including recent events or news flashes
on Spotlight. ‘Subscribe to our E-news’ suffers from the problem (as does Facebook)
that it requires users to scroll right down the page before being able to see the
buttons. There is presently no webpage for holding news bulletins. It is hoped that
the new website will have a RSS feed and Twitter account merged into the website
homepage that allow topical news by staff and visitors to be generated. This will
replace the present Spotlight. A new ‘e-library’ will store past news stories including
Lothian Disability News. These will be in PDF and RTF and document format available
to download by users. The revised website will have both documents under a central
‘News’ tab on the homepage. It is hoped this will increase readership.
2. Increased Accessibility on information ‘About Us’:
The Aims and Background on Who We Are is too long with so much information on
one web page that the user is required to scroll down considerably, while there is
confusion amongst the services we provide. This information will be sectioned into
separate buttons on the left hand side of the page with scroll down menus to make
it more accessible. The information held under Who We Are will be sectioned under
a main tab on the homepage titled ‘About us’. This will contain information about
the LCiL structure, the Board and the LCiL’s history.
3. Increased Accessibility on information about Services:
By rephrasing ‘What We Do’ under a main tab on the homepage titled ‘Services’ it is
hoped that this will attract more users. Presently there is too much information on
services such as Training on one webpage with more explicit use of subsections
needed on services such as Independent Living. The new website will contain scroll
down menus listing the services we provide with subsections being made more
explicit. There will be inclusion of a new training calendar that will contain
information on what courses are running and the date. On the information about
Training there will be an online enquiry form that allows queries to be fielded about
particular courses, such as the Living and Work Choices Service. The new website will
also contain a Grapevine Forum where an Online forum is provided about specific
services including Benefits, Accessibility and Direct Payments. The present Grapevine
Online will be replaced with an online Enquiry Form that can be submitted to the
administrator who can then reply. To avoid confusion, the Enquiry Form will contain
a checkbox that the user ‘ticks’ depending on the nature of their query. The Your Call
service will have its own webpage with more information on the service. There will
be links to the Your Call Facebook and a main tab on current Volunteering
opportunities. There will be an online archive for storing Your Call articles as the
present website lacks this information. Payroll will also have accessibility increased
by clearer subsections on the services Payroll provides and these will be available to
click on from the scroll down menu. It is hoped that all these changes will together
improve accessibility.

4. Increased Accessibility on information about documents and downloadable
resources through an on-site Google search interface:
Browers will be able to search the website for any word or phrase, from any
webpage on the site. Only results on the website will be shown by the Google
search. This will mean browsers who are after specific information or documents (for
example, timesheets or information factsheets on Direct Payments) will be able to
find it much more quickly. It is hoped this will mean the LCiL website will increasingly
become the ‘go to’ site for information about disability.
Downloads will be renamed ‘Documents’ or ‘Resources’ and each section, for
example, Training or Payroll will be accessed from a side menu on the left hand of
the webpage. From here, visitors will be able to choose what they are searching for
from a drop-down menu or search box.
5. Increased Accessibility of information about events:
Event information is currently hard to update, in part, due to the limits placed by the
CMS. It is hoped that the new Events section will contain information about, and files
linked to, upcoming events and past events. The Events website will automatically
‘exclude’ events from current events once they have passed their set date.
6. Increased Accessibility about Have Your Say:
Presently there are no links to past consultations whereas the new website will have
links to current and past consultations for viewers to access. It is hoped that having
web links will allow users to access public information far more quickly.
7. Increased number of online donations:
The current donation tool via ‘Easyfundraising’ is too low profile by being placed at
the bottom of the homepage. Easyfundraising is out of operation and does not work.
It is envisaged the updated website will replace the current donation tool either with
a PayPal account that allows monthly or ‘one ‘off’ donations to be set up or
alternatively, an account provided by Virgin Money Giving. This tool will be placed on
the homepage in the main tab for all to see. It is hoped that this will provide a
valuable source of revenue for the LCiL.
8. Increased interest in Vacancies and Volunteering opportunities:
By having an ‘opportunities’ tab on the homepage it is hoped that the LCiL can better
promote its volunteering and vacancies opportunities than at present. This will
include vacancies for PAs…etc…
9. Increased number of hits on the website:
Hopefully the above changes will make the website a more valuable and frequently
used tool.

In order to achieve the above 9 outcomes, once these developments have gone live
on the website, efforts need to go into promoting the website to members and the
public. This may include press releases in Lothian Disability News and a mass email
campaign.
Jim Byrne will provide a costing for this work and, once agreed, the LCiL will write the
actual text. It is hoped that these changes will be underway by September 2012.
2. Updates required:
Main Tabs:
See section ‘B’
Top Right hand links:
See section ‘A’

A. Top right hand links:
Boxes on the Right:
See section ‘C’

Logo
1. Logo on homepage to remain as it is.
Search
2. We will introduce a ‘Google Site Search’ in the top right hand corner. Like the
‘home’, ‘contact us’ and ‘web-links’ links, it will remain visible throughout the LCiL
website. The search interface will allow browsers to search the entire LCiL website
(including attached files) for words and phrases. The search results page will be
external to the site but all hits/links will be within the LCiL site – i.e. it will not
suggest any external links.
Web links
3. More links will be added and they will be thematically sorted.
B. Main Tabs:
For clarity, the below text in red represents tabs on the home page, text in yellow
represents drop-downs from these main tabs, and text in green re-presents off-
shoots from these dropdown menus. EG)
1 About Us
• About Us/What we do
TAB Drop-down
Drop-down
of shoot

A few hundred words with maybe a couple of images. Text can stay much
the same as present to include the Aims and Background of the LCiL.
• History
500-600 words on the history and origins of the Independent Living
Movement and the LCiL. This is basically an updated version of the text
Origins of the Idea under Aims and Background.
• Values and Objectives
Again, similar to what is already present on the Aims and Background
page.
• Board of Directors
Needs updating.
• Organisational Structure
Brief bit of information about management and governance. Needs
updating.
• LCiL Staff
Brief bit about the running of the office. Can stay much as it is. Possible
inclusion of photos of staff.
• Contact Us
This should contain the current contact details and telephone numbers.
2 News
• Our latest news
This will contain all news articles from the most to least recent. There will
be a search box that will allow articles to be searched for. The three most
recent news articles/blogs will also appear on the front page of the
website in the centre of the webpage under the banner ‘Our Latest
News’.
• LCiL Newsletter (Lothian Disability News)
Approximately four times a year we produce a 10-12 page word
document that has a link to it on the website for downloading. We are
keen to increase readership because it is hard to find on the website and
there is currently no section to store the newsletter. The new website
should have a seamless link to the ‘LCiL Newsletter’ under ‘News and
Events’ where all newsletter documents will be stored in a database that
can be searched for according to year and season. i.e.
Spring/Summer/Autumn/Winter. Again, there will be a search function to
allow particular stories to be searched for. LCiL will add a short paragraph
about the newsletter.
3 Events

• Upcoming events
Titles of each upcoming event that when clicked on display a text box with
description of event. There will be a ‘show/hide’ button that allows details to
be displayed or ‘hidden’ when clicked on. Once date of event has passed, this
will automatically disappear; replacing it with more upcoming events. The
events will include hyperlinks to flyers, web links, documents etc). This will
nee to be amended frequently via the CMS.
• Past events
A couple of paragraphs of information for all past events. Will include
hyperlinks to reports, outcomes, etc. Again this will need controlled by the
office via the CMS.
4 Services
Support for Independent Living
A couple of hundred words on what the Independent Living service provides.
Text can remain much the same as now or be updated.
• Edinburgh
This will contain information on what services the Independent Living
Team can provide for those based in Edinburgh. Text can remain much
the same as now.
• East Lothian
Team can provide for those based in East Lothian. Text can remain much
the same as now or be updated.
• West Lothian
‘Show/hides ‘details

Team can provide for those based in West Lothian. Text can remain much
• Mid Lothian
Team can provide for those based in Mid Lothian. Text can remain much
Factsheets-Direct Payments
Text can remain much the same as present.
Factsheets-SDS
This will be a new section with the latest information and facts on what
Self Directed Support is and external web links to the latest
consultation/Bill. LCiL will supply the text.
Factsheets-Independent Living Fund
Text can remain much the same as at present (or be updated as required).

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