There’s a new look and layout on the outer part of the i finally found this one from Biologic. website, which has been done for several reasons;
[list type=decimal]
[*]To make the extent / range of content available on GT-Rider a lot more obvious
[*]To improve navigation across the site, especially into the Forums
[*]To enhance its appeal to a wider audience – i.e. anyone looking for good information on touring S.E. Asia – by motorcycle, bicycle or car etc.
[*]To implement a modern design theme that uses latest technology options and has inherently better security (and upgrade path)
[/list type=decimal]
[h=3]The GT-Rider Evolution[/h] The initial focus on GT-Rider was “Motorcycle Touring in Northern Thailand” but the website has come a long way since those humble beginnings in those early days! The volume of information on GT-Rider encompasses Thailand, all of Laos plus several other S.E. Asian countries, and that was not immediately obvious at first glance on the previous Home page. *
The new version of GT-Rider.com allows us to;
[h=3]The Past Year’s Milestones[/h] Previous efforts to increase our readership base have delivered steady progress. For example, Visitors per Month have grown from 77,000 visitors in March 2011, to 106,000 in March 2012. Thats pleasing, but we’ve long believed that there is a lot more potential there, because we have a veritable treasure house of S.E. Asian touring information.
[h=2]New GT-Rider Initiatives for 2012[/h] The website redesign is obviously an important part of that, but there’s a lot more been happening behind the scenes. In planning growth, its a matter of both refining what we have AND expanding it with growing volumes of useful information…That takes time and effort, and additional manpower…
[h=3]More Involvement by Talented Moderators[/h] To get the ball rolling a little faster, we’ve asked several long-time respected GT-Rider contributors to take on an Editorial role in areas of respective interest. We’re extremely grateful to these great guys for joining the ‘GT-Rider Team’ and for providing their expertise, knowledge and experience to help the riding and touring community.*
[h=2]Trip Planning[/h] Of all the enhancements to the information GT-Rider offers, the new Trip Planning forums are perhaps one of the most significant.* At this point, we’ve got content appearing for Laos and Vietnam, in addition to the extensive North Thailand material;
[h=3]Getting Things Done[/h] We’ve previously been criticised for not responding to or implementing member’s suggestions.
Bear in mind that efforts from both webmaster/s and moderator/s are on an entirely voluntary basis, so things don’t always happen overnight. Add to that the constraints of various software versions and consequent integration issues. There are also conflicting opinions on the merits of change, and of elements such as Social Media… All those things have to be considered, weighed in the balance and decisions made for the greater good.
There are times when it seems that its a miracle anything happens at all!
Regardless of all that – the steady growth in new visitors and rate of repeat visitors, indicates that the formula is more or less working as intended.
[h=2]Appreciation & Thanks[/h] Thanks to moderators Rod, Tony, Brian, Rex, John and Jurgen for their generous donations of time and effort, and for sharing their advice and knowledge via constructive feedback on new initiatives etc. Thanks also to the many loyal visitors, supporters and contributors to GT-Rider.com – you guys have all helped to make this website a great resource for all of us to enjoy!
Thanks
The GT Rider Team
More...
[list type=decimal]
[*]To make the extent / range of content available on GT-Rider a lot more obvious
[*]To improve navigation across the site, especially into the Forums
[*]To enhance its appeal to a wider audience – i.e. anyone looking for good information on touring S.E. Asia – by motorcycle, bicycle or car etc.
[*]To implement a modern design theme that uses latest technology options and has inherently better security (and upgrade path)
[/list type=decimal]
[h=3]The GT-Rider Evolution[/h] The initial focus on GT-Rider was “Motorcycle Touring in Northern Thailand” but the website has come a long way since those humble beginnings in those early days! The volume of information on GT-Rider encompasses Thailand, all of Laos plus several other S.E. Asian countries, and that was not immediately obvious at first glance on the previous Home page. *
The new version of GT-Rider.com allows us to;
- provide menu links that go deep into the forums as well as the outer WordPress content management system
- associate information from different website sections into an organised menu structure
- install nice enhancements of existing content, such as Gallery image display etc.
- Laos Trip Reports
- Laos Trip Planning
- Laos Guide Maps
- Laos GPS Tracks
- GT-Rider Recommended
- Thailand / Laos Border Notes
- Laos Gallery
[h=3]The Past Year’s Milestones[/h] Previous efforts to increase our readership base have delivered steady progress. For example, Visitors per Month have grown from 77,000 visitors in March 2011, to 106,000 in March 2012. Thats pleasing, but we’ve long believed that there is a lot more potential there, because we have a veritable treasure house of S.E. Asian touring information.
[h=2]New GT-Rider Initiatives for 2012[/h] The website redesign is obviously an important part of that, but there’s a lot more been happening behind the scenes. In planning growth, its a matter of both refining what we have AND expanding it with growing volumes of useful information…That takes time and effort, and additional manpower…
[h=3]More Involvement by Talented Moderators[/h] To get the ball rolling a little faster, we’ve asked several long-time respected GT-Rider contributors to take on an Editorial role in areas of respective interest. We’re extremely grateful to these great guys for joining the ‘GT-Rider Team’ and for providing their expertise, knowledge and experience to help the riding and touring community.*
[h=2]Trip Planning[/h] Of all the enhancements to the information GT-Rider offers, the new Trip Planning forums are perhaps one of the most significant.* At this point, we’ve got content appearing for Laos and Vietnam, in addition to the extensive North Thailand material;
- Laos Trip Planning – Jurgen
- Vietnam Trip Planning – Rod Page
- North Thailand – Day Trips – David Unkovich
- North Thailand – Overnight Rides – David Unkovich
- North East Thailand (Isan) – John Gooding
- Central & Western Thailand – Tony_BKK
[h=3]Getting Things Done[/h] We’ve previously been criticised for not responding to or implementing member’s suggestions.
Bear in mind that efforts from both webmaster/s and moderator/s are on an entirely voluntary basis, so things don’t always happen overnight. Add to that the constraints of various software versions and consequent integration issues. There are also conflicting opinions on the merits of change, and of elements such as Social Media… All those things have to be considered, weighed in the balance and decisions made for the greater good.
There are times when it seems that its a miracle anything happens at all!
Regardless of all that – the steady growth in new visitors and rate of repeat visitors, indicates that the formula is more or less working as intended.
[h=2]Appreciation & Thanks[/h] Thanks to moderators Rod, Tony, Brian, Rex, John and Jurgen for their generous donations of time and effort, and for sharing their advice and knowledge via constructive feedback on new initiatives etc. Thanks also to the many loyal visitors, supporters and contributors to GT-Rider.com – you guys have all helped to make this website a great resource for all of us to enjoy!
Thanks
The GT Rider Team
More...