You favorite skydiving web site designs?

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I was talking to a DZO that works in the web site design business about how DZ web sites look. I was wondering, "What makes a DZ web site (or any web site for that matter) look 'professional' or not to the potential student?"

Would anyone care to point out some you think are good? Some not so good? (This would best be answered by people who have recently started skydiving and who may have made a decision on a DZ because of their web site. Please don't just mention your home DZ web site.)

Is it having the "latest" design techniques versus not? Is it describing the various training options in an easy to understand manner? Is it making the pricing quick to find? Is it promises of "safety"? Is it having a lot of "stuff" to look at? Is it having an active forum? It it because it makes the sport seem really "cool"? How long did you look at things on the web site before you called the DZ to ask questions or schedule a jump? Did you schedule on-line?

[Dewhast 0]

I have told several people that that reason I ended up at Green Bay Sky Divers was because of their website.

http://www.greenbayskydivers.com/home.html

whether or not that is a good thing could probably be argued.

It had nothing to do with me wanting to sky dive but their website was much more professional looking than the other drop zones in the area.

The first thing that jumps out for me is whether or not the website has a solid theme. Secondly, because I had never jumped before, I wanted to see lots of pictures of people jumping. It sure doesn't hurt that there were so many people smiling. Lastly, there was plenty of information about pricing and student progression. Things you want to know about when your are considering becoming a skydiver.

[NovaTTT 1]

I think the best way to approach the design is to make it easily navigated, simple and intuitive in design, and fast loading Too much activity on any one page will slow down the rendering and will irritate the potential client.

N

"Even in a world where perfection is unattainable, there's still a difference between excellence and mediocrity." Gary73

[JohnRich 4]

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"What makes a DZ web site look 'professional' or not?

Not: Misspellings.

[Fast 0]

Yeah no mispellings, which is why I as a web developer have an actual trained editor read everything. Makes a big difference.

I think the most important thing is presenting the information in a reasonable manner. Get everything that you might need to tell your customers out there so when you are talking to them on the phone you can easily refer them to your site. Helps keep the customer service people on the phone for a shorter time.

Our site isn't perfect, but it's very feature rich and paints the whole picture of our dropzone. I also custom coded a bunch of stuff so our customers can buy gift certificates right online and we post all our student videos online.

I think that it's also important to have a site that is browser and platform neutral so that major functions of the site work for any customer that might happen upon your page.

~D
Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me.
Swooping is taking one last poke at the bear before escaping it's cave - davelepka

[Reaperwear 0]

Personally I think Chicagoland Skydiving Center has one of the best front pages loads fast, very large easy to read graphic buttons for Tandem, AFF, and Licensed jumpers, beyond that it has lots of good information available as well as pictures of their DZ. just MHO

I refuse to tiptoe through life, only to arrive safely at death. www.reaperwear.com

[skyjumpenfool 2]

I teach Web Design, and I tell my students this on the first day.

"Web design is about graphics"!!!! So, if you want to be a good web designer, take a graphic design class first.

Most people glance at a site to determine its quality. All the site planning, designing, outlining etc. are useless if it doesn't stand up to the basic principles of graphic design. Newspapers, magazines, posters, greeting cards, or anything that delivers information all are based on these basic design principals.

Birdshit & Fools Productions

"Son, only two things fall from the sky."

[neue 0]

I wonder if anyone has ever bartered a DZ Web design project for jumps. The idea has popped into my head before.
And I do this stuff for a living, for some pretty big clients.

[NWFlyer 2]

I think one of the most critical things is keeping the information up to date. So, if you're going to post an events calendar - update it. If you're going to post jump ticket/student prices, keep 'em updated.

If I were a brand new jumper and all the events on the calendar were from 2007 I might wonder if the DZ is even still in business ... and might not bother making a phone call to find out. Likewise, if the tandem price on the website is $220 but when I call you tell me that the price has been raised to $250 ... not a good impression.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[Heatmiser 0]

I agree. First, is how easily it relays info, second, that the info is current.

What you say is reflective of your knowledge...HOW ya say it is reflective of your experience. Airtwardo

Someone's going to be spanked! Hopefully, it will be me. Skymama

[peek 20]

Updates are good of course, but I was referring to a potential student and first impressions.

[NWFlyer 2]

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Updates are good of course, but I was referring to a potential student and first impressions.

Yes, and I mentioned how the lack of updates might create a poor impression for a potential student.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[Fast 0]

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I think one of the most critical things is keeping the information up to date. So, if you're going to post an events calendar - update it. If you're going to post jump ticket/student prices, keep 'em updated.

If I were a brand new jumper and all the events on the calendar were from 2007 I might wonder if the DZ is even still in business ... and might not bother making a phone call to find out.

My dropzone is a club operation, but, this is the reason we keep most of the news/information on a whole seperate site. Any customer can find it if they go looking, but the average customer only sees our commercial facing website. That said, it's important to keep things current all around! I think that any dropzone that has the latest news post from even the very begining of the year, isn't working hard enough!

~D
Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me.
Swooping is taking one last poke at the bear before escaping it's cave - davelepka

[peek 20]

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Yes, and I mentioned how the lack of updates might create a poor impression for a potential student.

Really? Some DZO's I talk to say they can't even get their potential students to even find the first jump prices, much less read the parts of the web site that have info to be updated.

In my area potential students seem to be interested in price, price, and price, and not much else. Many of them don't even know about all of the training methods.

It's just that I have heard some students talk about a web site looking "professional" or not, and was wondering what it was they were looking at. Overall design, graphics, photos, etc.?

[NWFlyer 2]

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Some DZO's I talk to say they can't even get their potential students to even find the first jump prices, much less read the parts of the web site that have info to be updated.

Fair enough. That may say more about the design of the site than the potential student's brainpower, but that's probably open for debate.

Since you asked for examples, I just checked out Skydive Sacramento's newly-redesigned site. I like it - clean layout, easy navigation, and it's clear where each of their customer types should go to get the information they're looking for.

http://skydivesac.com/

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[artard 0]

The skyride sites are very pretty, and so consistent

http://www.mixcloud.com/prajna
http://vimeo.com/avidya

[tombuch 0]

Good question. I tried to answer this question in my book "JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy." I have attached a quick scan of page 183 that addresses this point. I tried to attach a four page excerpt, but it exceeded the 300 kb limit.

Tom Buchanan
Instructor Emeritus
Comm Pilot MSEL,G
Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

[robskydiv 0]

Right on NW Flyer! Those site pics are very nice, very appealing. Makes me want to go there rt now and make a few jumps!

[DSE 3]

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Right on NW Flyer! Those site pics are very nice, very appealing. Makes me want to go there rt now and make a few jumps!

Me too, but one thing worth a chuckle based on this thread; the "currency of the page says "we hope to have the swoop pond completed by June 6, updated June 1."

Nicely done website. Not overly done flash like so many these days are.

[NWFlyer 2]

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Right on NW Flyer! Those site pics are very nice, very appealing. Makes me want to go there rt now and make a few jumps!

Me too, but one thing worth a chuckle based on this thread; the "currency of the page says "we hope to have the swoop pond completed by June 6, updated June 1."

Nicely done website. Not overly done flash like so many these days are.

True, I did notice that, and it broke my own rule. But trust me when I tell you this site is a million times better than the original site.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[jumpwally 0]

Elsinore has the best site in my opinion,,its simple, easy to find info,good graphics and best of all they promote fun by posting weekly pics,there is no better ad than people having fun with big smiles,,i check it weeekly just for the fun of it,,,try it out !!!

smile, be nice, enjoy life
FB # - 1083

[headoverheels 291]

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I think one of the most critical things is keeping the information up to date.

Yep. The "you-tube videos" link off of the Lodi web site is interesting, but it isn't skydiving.

http://parachutecenter.com/photos.htm

[ck29 0]

I just checked out the site of the dz hosting the Canadian Nationals this year and was impressed. Navigation is a bit all over the place but otherwise not bad.
http://skydiveburnaby.com/main/

[nerd137 0]

Five years ago, when I was looking for a dz to do my AFF, I picked Elsinore over Perris almost entirely because of their websites. I felt I was able to get a pretty good idea about each dz's vibe just from the vibe conveyed on their website. Perris's site came across like a Home Depot to Elsinore's Ace Hardware. I honestly can't say what specifically left me with those impressions, but five years later that's pretty much how I feel about both dz's.

Not that either website, in my opinion, is a sterling example of superior web design. Elsinore's is totally half baked and Perris's is all beauty and no brains.

[nerd137 0]

Horrible: http://www.skydiveorange.com/

Awesome: http://www.skydivecarolina.com/