It’s been another crazy fortnight it’s been! A nerve-racking time now as we’re so close to finising the build of the new platform but it feels like there’s so much still do and to consider. There’s just 4 weeks to go now and all hands are to the pump to test out the new site, identify the bugs (those pesky things) and get them ironed out. Test, log, fix, test again, sign off. Test, log, fix, test again, sign off – it’s a repetitive and laborious but necessary part of the process and we’ll be sooooo glad when it’s over.
So, although we conducted some initial user testing, and guaged feedback from a selection of members through the re-platforming and design process, the nerves are setting in now as to what the wider CitySocialising community will think and how everyone will take to the new site and layout. Some people really don’t like change (think Facebook redesign), others do, but as our members are a laid-back and forward-thinking bunch we shouldn’t have too much to worry about. Essentially, the changes have been made to improve the CS experience for them, but most importantly to make it even easier for CitySocialisers to connect with the new friends that suit them and more easily organise and enjoy the social events and activities that they’re into.
But any new website should be seen as a living, breathing thing (according to the guys at Nomensa!) so our Beta version, when we launch, will undergo a gradual process of tweaks and improvements, driven by feedback from our members of course, to get it to a place where everyone is happy. We have so many other great ideas in the pipeline that it’s going to be tough to know what to do first.
Plus, we’re launching the network in 5 new cities/regions so lots of work going on here to get these going in the meantime. Last year we had loads of requests from people in Liverpool, Cardiff, Newcastle, Sheffield and Reading/Oxford to open a CitySocialising network in their area and we’re finally ready to do it. News of our launch events to follow here soon….
Over the past 3 days our London team has been taking it in turns to attend the fantastic Internet World exhibition at Earls Court. I went along on Tuesday and it was heaving – much much busier than last year which shows that the internet is becoming an even bigger place to do business. I managed to get myself into a few excellent seminars, including one run by Nomensa (usability experts) and The London Paper who have recently launched their brand new website. Some very interesting stuff on how important it is to test, monitor and really understand the user experience in order to apply it to your site through the structure and design. It’s something that we didn’t have the resources to undertake comprehensively before building our new platform but is something we’re definitely going to work in to our plan once it launches.
Other exciting news includes our new Head of Online Marketing, Christian Kudzi, starting with us yesterday. So far, CitySocialising’s community has grown through word-of-mouth – our members are a talkative bunch thats for sure – and from searching through Google. We intentionally stayed pretty much under the radar since we launched so we could really learn about who our customers were and what they wanted to do and now we’re ready to start shouting a bit more and inviting others who may not have a friend of a friend who is a member already. Christian’s going to be working his magic to invite lots of new, laid-back, sociable, fun-loving and like minded people to the network to come and socialise with us and each other! Watch this space.
