Apart from the odd blog post or the minuscule script of the day link there's hardly anything about the discussion boards on the front page. Away from the front page there is one line on it when you go to the submit your script page:

Quoted from SimplyScripts This gives folks an opportunity to read and comment on what you have written.

and also links to the scripts brought out linking to the discussion boards on the unproduced section but they don't tell you much.

This is the full message that appears on the submit your script page:

Quoted from SimplyScripts If you have written a complete script and you want some exposure, this is the place to be. Please note: The Unproduced section of the site is merely a showcase for unproduced, original scripts on the 'net. This gives folks an opportunity to read and comment on what you have written. Posting your script or link to your script on SimplyScripts does not guarantee anything.

That's pretty much all and there's nothing said about how writers from all around the world can come here to get feedback on their scripts/drafts, exchange reads free of charge where every script is treated equally allowing everyone to advance their writing with equal opportunities. Surely information about that should belong on the home page? It would be easy for new members to grasp the site and probably increase traffic to the discussion boards. Right now to find out how brilliant the discussion boards are you have to go around exploring and clicking all kinds of buttons yourself.

My suggestion:

I believe there should be a welcome page linked to on the front page...

[New to SimplyScripts? Click here for information about the site]

that tells a person:

* A little bit about the history of the site (The longevity will surely be a plus)
* Text about the blogs that STS offers with perks for both filmwriters looking for scripts/writers and of course the writers theirselves.
* Text about how the discussion boards operate and how benefitial they really can be to an aspiring writer.
* Linking to a list of the produced TV/Movie scripts
* Linking to STS/Featured script of the month/home page articles
* Linking to discussion boards/FAQ/creating a discussion board account

Detailed "information about the site" pages really are invaluable, I strongly believe STS should have one.

Another two things on the front page that could work better imo:

The FAQ.

Quoted Text We will host your script, free, pretty much regardless of the format - text, html, word doc, rtf, pdf.  We don't care. Bear in mind that Text and HTML files are easier and faster to download.

Outdated, isn't it? .pdf is most preferred these days.

I also believe that FAQ should not be hidden at the bottom of the page. It's hard to locate it that way.

STS - The submit your script to STS link should perhaps also be easier to locate. Right now it only appears when wonkavite bumps the appropriate post on the blog.

- DS

I've been here for what seems ages now. Like 9 years or so. I think the home page have looked pretty much the same the whole time. Sounds to me what you're suggesting is a revamp of the website itself to be a little more modern. That can be costly unless Don knows how to design and program a new one. So, even if that's what's needed, it might not be something Don would want to do. I don't know this. Just guessing. I remember discussions about upgrading the website for MoviePoet was like $15K or something like that. Something the owner wasn't really interested in. SS however, might be able to get enough donations. Who knows. A LOT of people have benefitted from it over the years.

Quoted from Angry Bear Sounds to me what you're suggesting is a revamp of the website itself to be a little more modern.

Nothing of the sorts. I'm not sure how you came to that conclusion from my post.

My suggestion is adding an "welcome to/information about the site" that would be a couple of fairly detailed paragraphs explaining how the site operates, what features it has to offer and why you should join, resembling a wikipedia article would perhaps be a good example. This is common practice for a lot of websites and is a great promotional tool.

If you look around the homepage now there's not much information about the site apart from the rather vague FAQ, there is especially little said about the discussion boards. This would take one sub-page (www.simplyscripts.com/info for example) that would be linked to on the homepage. [New to SimplyScripts? Click here for information about the site]

The "time is money" saying left aside it would cost exactly 0$.

15K is an astronomical price considering the software to upgrade this site only costs a couple hundred dollars.

I'm with Dustin - this shouldn't cost 15k.

No idea what it's built in but I think you could keep the structure of the site as is (more or less), change the content and 'fix' some of the points DS mentions.

If this gets any traction then I'm more than happy to chip with content or customer experience advice - my day job stuff ;-(

Anthony

I didn't say SS would cost $15K. I said the MP site was going to cost that according to the owner.

Quoted from AnthonyCawood I'm with Dustin - this shouldn't cost 15k. No idea what it's built in but I think you could keep the structure of the site as is (more or less), change the content and 'fix' some of the points DS mentions.

Ah, you guys seem to have dragged the topic from my suggestion of a simple addition to drastic changes! Never had changing the structure in mind.

And yeah, was going to mention it earlier but forgot. How MoviePoet's upgrade could have possibly cost $15k is also beyond me, software + hiring someone for graphics/coding all together I can't imagine it would be much more than half a grand.

Shouldn't cost 15k still. He really needs to shop around a bit more. I gave this site as an example. Running the vBulletin full suite, each member could have a blog too... costs a couple hundred. Then it's just the design. Keep things simple and you don't have to pay.

There are CMS available like Joomla that are free and very powerful. The forum could be operated on a subdomain with free software like phpBB... or vBulletin and IPB that cost a couple of hundred dollars.

That's a whole site revamp. MP isn't all that big, so it can't be server space he needs. Easily fit 5 times that site on the average server ($800 a year).

I just did a little analysis on the site and it seems they get 315 (or so) unique visits per day. That's a pretty small site. I find 15k hard to swallow.

I didn't say you did say that. I'm talking about an upgrade... but you're right, the code is old. It would be a job to convert the content. However, I still think somebody could write a program to do it far cheaper than 15k.

There was some discussion at MP and on FB too about doing this and some people even tried to drum up a fundraising campaign, but I think sometimes, things just reach the end of its course and you can't resuscitate it. If you know what I mean.

Now, in regards to SS and its home page, I think it could use a facelift and make all the links and such easier to find. The forum has never really been promoted and many writers submit their scripts, never even knowing it exists. Don has added links (I think) and mentions it in emails you get when your script is up, but many writers seem to still not get it. But, this is Don's house and I'll love it forever even if it stays exactly the same.  

Quoted from Grandma Bear But, this is Don's house and I'll love it forever even if it stays exactly the same.

Yep -- me, too.

The man's already got a day job -- this is a hobby -- and I suspect the lovely and (obviously) saintly-patient Mrs. Boose figures he spends plenty enough time tinkering with the site as it is  

Having said that -- if somebody with tech savvy, free time, and a generous disposition were willing to step up, he might give you a listen.

I know Cornetto did a bit of coding (or whatever it is you nerds do) for the site a little while ago to beef up script-of-the-day -- and people still bitch about that feature haha.

This site is fine... and one doesn't generally need to code these days. It's all CMS. However to convert the content would definitely need some coding as this isn't well-known software. Be surprised what scripts are out there already though.

The only coding I've done is cut n paste. I've never actually created any myself. I did have to create a mysql table once to get one of my sites out of trouble, but again, Google was my friend during that and I simply copied what I needed to. I wouldn't like to build a site from scratch, not even using Dreamweaver. Web software is generally 'plug n play' these days.

Quoted from DS Apart from the odd blog post or the minuscule script of the day link there's hardly anything about the discussion boards on the front page. Away from the front page there is one line on it when you go to the submit your script page: and also links to the scripts brought out linking to the discussion boards on the unproduced section but they don't tell you much. This is the full message that appears on the submit your script page: That's pretty much all and there's nothing said about how writers from all around the world can come here to get feedback on their scripts/drafts, exchange reads free of charge where every script is treated equally allowing everyone to advance their writing with equal opportunities. Surely information about that should belong on the home page? It would be easy for new members to grasp the site and probably increase traffic to the discussion boards. Right now to find out how brilliant the discussion boards are you have to go around exploring and clicking all kinds of buttons yourself. My suggestion: I believe there should be a welcome page linked to on the front page... [New to SimplyScripts? Click here for information about the site] that tells a person: * A little bit about the history of the site (The longevity will surely be a plus) * Text about the blogs that STS offers with perks for both filmwriters looking for scripts/writers and of course the writers theirselves. * Text about how the discussion boards operate and how benefitial they really can be to an aspiring writer. * Linking to a list of the produced TV/Movie scripts * Linking to STS/Featured script of the month/home page articles * Linking to discussion boards/FAQ/creating a discussion board account Detailed "information about the site" pages really are invaluable, I strongly believe STS should have one. Another two things on the front page that could work better imo: The FAQ. Outdated, isn't it? .pdf is most preferred these days. I also believe that FAQ should not be hidden at the bottom of the page. It's hard to locate it that way. STS - The submit your script to STS link should perhaps also be easier to locate. Right now it only appears when wonkavite bumps the appropriate post on the blog. - DS

DS:

These are some great suggestions.  I will definitely take them under advisement and make some much needed updates.  In some cases, like the FAQs, pages haven't been changed in over ten years.  I guess a review and some updates are needed.

Thanks!

Don