This statement documents the solution to build a new, interactive website, providing a"second signal" for KKFI 90.1 FM, a full-power community radio station serving a 60-mile radius around Kansas City. The project took over a year from the time of organization approval and budgeting to launching on July 13, 2012.
My role on the project included coordinating and guiding the project through the station, discovering the station's needs and requirements, developing the request for proposal, reviewing candidates, coordinating the design/development and building a content team to contribute to the site.
My work also included creating a guide for content contributors, as well as training contributors. I promoted the launch of the website through the old KKFI website, Facebook page, Twitter feed, news release and through emails to staff members and volunteers.
My role on the project included coordinating and guiding the project through the station, discovering the station's needs and requirements, developing the request for proposal, reviewing candidates, coordinating the design/development and building a content team to contribute to the site.
My work also included creating a guide for content contributors, as well as training contributors. I promoted the launch of the website through the old KKFI website, Facebook page, Twitter feed, news release and through emails to staff members and volunteers.
Overview
KKFI 90.1 FM had a single website, which provides a detailed program schedule, but with limited content and allowing only a few individuals to update the site. The station would like to re-design the website for the purpose of attracting more listeners and supporters. This would be accomplished by providing more timely information about radio shows, programmers/DJs, programs guests and topics, music show themes, and station activities and events. The new website would provide an easy-to-use content management system.
PROJECT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
In
general, KKFI wants their website to provide KKFI’s listeners and supporters
with update program information, as well as the activities and events
of the station. Attracting more website visitors to browse the site for
longer time periods could increase the number of listeners and financial
supporters.
To
ensure the project fits within the specified budget, KKFI
established two phases of the project. Phase 1 developed in 2011 would
concentrate on three main areas: improved look and feel, build content
management, and redesign the program schedule. Phase 2 developed in 2012
would concentrate in these areas: improved email, donor management,
event and volunteer management.
Phase 1 of the project would accomplish these changes:
- New site design. Design a visually attractive site with colors, fonts, images, logo, spacing, menus/navigation, and page layout with input from KKFI.
- Redesign program schedule. Improve the central element of website -- the integration of program schedule, programs, and programmers (i.e., DJs, program hosts, and producers). Introduce a new element: program episodes.
- Content creation and moderation. Allow programmers and the Traffic Operator to promote upcoming shows, publish playlists, and publish podcasts of public affairs shows on the KKFI site. Content editors would moderate published items.
- Simple event management. Allow for the event coordinator to post events on the website. Some sites allow volunteers to sign up to work an event.
- Allow the Underwriting Coordinator to post underwriting information on the home page using a graphic image and/or web links.
- Maintain existing integration with PayPal for online donations, Radioactivity site to embed/publish on-air playlists, and others.
Phase 2 of the project would accomplish these changes:
- Consolidate e-newsletters. Currently staff members publish separate newsletters -- one on events, the other on weekly radio shows. Move more content to the website with links published in the newsletter.
- Create a community to discuss music and public affairs programs. Maintain community calendars for various organizations and radio shows, such as, environmental events calendar, blues calendar, folk music calendar, to name a few.
- Create a podcast space for all locally produced shows.
- Integrate a donor management system (or constituent relations management system).
- Enhance the event and volunteer management function by storing information in a donor database.
KKFI Website - Request for Proposal
During this phase of the project, the team also defined the most significant change to the website -- creating program episodes. An episode is one of the shows in a radio program series; it's a unique show. With over 80 weekly shows the website team defined the Program Episode concept to allow each individual programmer or producer to promote his or her weekly shows.
To capture the layout of the episode page and other pages, I developed wireframe diagrams for key website pages.
WEBSITE PROJECT METHODOLOGY
KKFI selected Fox Web Creations to design and develop the new site based on the quality and attractiveness of their website portfolio. Another reason the website developer was selected is because they are located in the Kansas City area and have developed sites for other non-profit organizations. KKFI also chose the company to develop the new site based on their proposal to use WordPress, which generally provides a more user-friendly environment. Wordpress is seen as not as complicated as other open-source content management systems, such as Drupal and Joomla.
Design
Fox Web Creations created some stunning visuals -- see the slideshow below -- in the mockup. The KKFI team shared a set of mockups with programmers, board and staff to get feedback on color preferences. The team received about 20 responses and selected a design with a dark background image, but chose a light background in sections of the site with a large amount of text.During this phase of the project, the team also defined the most significant change to the website -- creating program episodes. An episode is one of the shows in a radio program series; it's a unique show. With over 80 weekly shows the website team defined the Program Episode concept to allow each individual programmer or producer to promote his or her weekly shows.
To capture the layout of the episode page and other pages, I developed wireframe diagrams for key website pages.
Development
Fox Web Creations built the site and developed the main site functions using core WordPress plug-ins. Fox selected Types and WP Views plug-ins from ICanLocalize for organizing and displaying the central elements of the website, namely, Programs, Programmers and Program Episodes.
The On-Air Program Schedule on the website was developed using the Weekly Schedule plug-in from Yannick Lefebvre.
A professional, purchased version of the SlideDeck 2 plug-in by digital telepathy was used to develop the anchor slide rotator on the home page, as well as to display rotating images for underwriters.
The On-Air Program Schedule on the website was developed using the Weekly Schedule plug-in from Yannick Lefebvre.
A professional, purchased version of the SlideDeck 2 plug-in by digital telepathy was used to develop the anchor slide rotator on the home page, as well as to display rotating images for underwriters.
Deployment -- Testing, Content Migration and Training
The developer refined the key functions of the site with feedback from KKFI testing. This feedback helped improve the display of episodes on the home page, plus provided a test site for staff members and programmers to test creating events, updating slide decks and creating program episodes.
During this cycle of the website development, I developed a training guide for Program Episode creation.
Promotion and Measurement
I developed messages to promote the launch of the new website on July 13, 2012. The messages were posted to the station's old website prior to the launch, to the KKFI Facebook page, Twitter feed, as well as sent as a news release to area media outlets. An on-air announcement was produced for airing around the time of the site launch.
During this cycle of the website development, I developed a training guide for Program Episode creation.
Promotion and Measurement
I developed messages to promote the launch of the new website on July 13, 2012. The messages were posted to the station's old website prior to the launch, to the KKFI Facebook page, Twitter feed, as well as sent as a news release to area media outlets. An on-air announcement was produced for airing around the time of the site launch.RESULTS - Website Visitor Feedback
Here's some of the positive feedback KKFI received from the new site. Comments are from listeners and programmer-volunteers. The final look of the website is shown in a slideshow below as a "before" and "after" view compared to the original website.
I just L-O-V-E this new website and the “interactivity” it allows us as show producers/programmers, and for the KKFI listener to put their "fingers on what they need." This is an amazing upgrade to the professional image we want to extend to our 90.1FM audience and users in our community and around the world. To give you a glimpse of what the site looked like before and after the re-design, look at the slideshow below.
BEFORE AND AFTER IMAGES
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The website statistics showed a 54% increase in the Page Visits from before and after the launch of the new site on July 13, 2012. Daily website hits increased about 400% over the time of the site launch as depicted in the chart below.
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| Click image for larger view |
