Re: [libreoffice-website] 3.5 features page ...

Thanks Andras, (long argument on "Featured Selections")

Le 2012-02-11 02:56, Andras Timar a écrit :
> I think in "Featured Selection" we should show screenshots, not only 
> text. Most readers will not read further. :) There are a few features 
> that should be included here (and there are a few which are not so 
> important). For example new UI for Header/Footer editing, Visio 
> import, custom shapes import, multi line input in Calc are key 
> features. Could you please come to irc this afternoon/evening (UTC+1) 
> and we can discuss it? Thanks, Andras 

Actually, now that I have had time to sleep on it, here is what I think 
of the "Featured Selection" area. I have put in 12 spots which I had 
originally thought would be adequate for such an area but ...

IMHO, I now think that this is too much. I have to admit that I am not a 
big fan of "Featured Selections" on any software packages websites, 
because, these tend to "dumb down" the process of users coming to the 
"Features List" area of a website expecting a list. Instead of finding a 
list, readers are faced with a list of "featured selections" and will 
then just assume that any other features are too trivial to read on the 
regular list of features -- let's not forget that the "Featured 
Selection" is put together by people who assume that "what is important 
feature" to them should be listed on the short list.

In creating these two lists, we are then training:

* our users to read the short list, and more than likely, these users 
will not read on to the full list of features thinking that the rest of 
the normal list of features is not worth their while. They will expect 
this short list each time they come to our site and not care to read 
from the normal list of features where they can just browse to their 
interested section(s).
* risk losing users who are looking for a specific feature, and, these 
users thinking that their specific feature is "not good enough" to fit 
into the short featured list will get annoyed.

Let's not forget that the users who come to the "Features List" pages do 
so because they are curious about the upgrades or may have a specific 
feature they are looking for -- hence, the reason why the "Features 
List" page exists. There is even a link at the bottom of the "Features 
List" page that will lead the "even more curious" users to a more 
complete list of upgrades. These users would more than likely read the 
full list ... again, unless we train them to consider the "Featured 
Selections" as being more important.

For these reasons, I think that the more we add to a "Featured 
Selection", the more we will trap ourselves into a nasty cycle of having 
to add more to the short section and having differences of opinions on 
what to put there. For example, myself, as a school teacher, see little 
value in a "Featured Selection" where there is talk of code -- to me, 
the "Featured Selection" should speak ONLY to users, BUT, this will only 
cause other people to contest my idea of a "Featured Selection".

So, I propose that, if we are to have a "Featured Selections" section, 
that we cut it back to only 4-6 selections. This will make it easier to 
fit on one viewers page which is one of the important rules of web page 
construction -- avoid forcing users to scroll up or down, or, users will 
just not stay on that page. IMHO, I would do away with the short section 
altogether, and put more importance on the marketing of our product 
where in this case expounding the value of a featured selection (in our 
marketing materials) would make more sense. The marketing materials 
would then target specific features to specific groups of users.

Sorry for the long post. BTW ... I agree, images are very important to 
have on the features list page ... we should have an graphic for each 
feature.

Cheers,

Marc


--
Marc Paré
Marc@MarcPare.com
http://www.parEntreprise.com
parEntreprise.com Supports OpenDocument Formats (ODF)
parEntreprise.com Supports http://www.LibreOffice.org


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