Traffic Sources: all in a day

True, one of the side affects of this blog may be generating visits to my wife's figure skating club.  But the following is not what I intended:

7RFSC - Going Global

Yes, this is all from traffic generated today, November 20th, 2011.  

• 4 in the USA (2 are probably me)
• 1 in Check Republic
• 1 in Slovakia
• 1 in Latvia
• 1 in Indonesia?

I always thought I could use this site traffic information to identify how the club could market a competition... but some how, I don't think Tomah, Sparta, or La Crosse can host anything of an International level.  But if you guys are getting useful information from what I'm blogging about, I'm honored.

Getting your Members to help 1: G+ & Photos

Fresh and unpainted: Ice

G+ Integration into your club's figure skating site:  Photos.  There are always people that will have apposing views of what you post at your club's web site.  Specially photos.

So, one of the things that Google Plus does for you is it makes it easy to know when a photo is public or not.  You can have a member of your organization tag a photo with your organisation's name.  You will be notified and you can send a simple private message to this person making sure it is OK to use.

When you click on an image in G+, a simple right click will reveal the image URL.  Just use that link to display your image.

7RFSC Logo @ Moose Lamb Arena, Tomah, WI

Ideally, this also gives some control to your fellow members.  If they realize that they no longer want the picture at the website, they just take it down on their G+ Profile.

More over, this can make your web server more effective.  Specially if your server has it's own bandwidth issues or storage space limitations.

This way you can get your members to feel involved with the website and feel like they have a say.  The benefit for the club is that you have now driven your members to sign up for G+.

Well, that is the theory, any way.  But check out the pictures in this blog posting.  

The source for these are from Google Plus.

Google Plus Pages - for Non-Profits

Google + Pages for Non-Profits

A Hangout Session

On November 15th, I got the chance to meet with, in a Google Hang Out, Leslie, Manager of the G+ Pages for NonProfits and with Gopi Kallayil.  There were 3 hangouts available.  There was going to be one with a general population and one with invitations.  I got to participate in 2.  

First, I have to say I'm still not used to a company being so open with the public.  Also, I am not used to being in the place where I have opportunity to interview people in these positions.  

Google was seeking us in the non-profit sector for feedback concerning their services, specifically about the Brand Pages.  I did not get a chance to ask them everything I wanted, and I think that was my fault... I found myself talking about myself too much, I think.  

Some of the points I came away with.

The Plus sign isn't Boolean any more.

• G+ will become integrated into search in other ways.  They are going to use the "+" before a name so that you can get the Google Plus page to come up for that organization.  
• Code linking between your website and G+.  This will help some of your statistic information and the search verification between your home page and the G+ Profile page.  
• Google is actively looking for how to allow for better brand management.  Essentially, when you want more than one person to edit the page.  To be able to edit that page as that company / non-profit and not as another segment of that group.

G+ Pages Utility: Club Events

Club Events on G+:  Hang Outs



I will be looking at proposing the use of Google Plus Hang Outs for club events.

Hang outs could be used for spacific usefull events.  For instance, the annual meeting and general registration days.

Perhaps this could be used as a means to do a limited broadcast of other club events.

Breaking Google Plus News: Group Pages

G+ Now has 'Pages'.  So now your group can have a 'Page' on G+.

Google has made it so when you go to another group's page, you can click a link to make your own page.

Thanks Google!

I've already started making the 7 Rivers Figure Skating Club page.

Google / Analytics

I can't believe I didn't sign up for this one earlier:

www.google.com/analytics

Many more details than just the regular webmaster tools page.  I think I didn't want to use it at first because I thought there would be a fee.  But I think the terms said it is free for first 10 million page views a month.  It was easy to implement too.  I just copied some code into the web site template, and away it went.  I am even getting real time data too... real nice.

2 Immediate projects: Interviews and Reviews

I'm working... and I'm trying 2 things at once here.

I'm in the middle of expanding my line of thought regarding interviewing club members.  And I'm working on my first non-7RFSC.org website review.  I want to stick to what are good examples and still be constructive.

If any one has a good example of a child interview between ages of 6 and 14, you can send it to me on G+.