Website

As media monkey, i feel we are starting to make enough progress that we could start thinking about getting a website up, particularly if we are going to start talking to kayak companies etc -
either way we will want one, but what kind of things are people after, its easy enough to set up a basic blog, but not that much harder to do something more ambitious - though that might have to wait a couple of weeks before I have time to do it properly
Does the trip need a name, like what BUKE have, what do we think?
It would be really beneficial to have a theme/extra dimension before the website goes up though

If we are going to go for a proper website, I'd reccommend a .co.uk site.
I remember Lowri had big problems with a .com website for our fourborders exped. I'll ask her at NSR what those problems were. I think it came down to it being to expensive to renew. But the site went down for a long time.

I don't think a website is essential. I think a good blog is equally as good.
http://shadowofsomoni.wordpress.com/ I think this is a good example of a fancy blog.

Having said that the BUKE guys seem to have a good website
http://www.kayakvenezuela.co.uk/photo-gallery.html

I guess it depends which ones are easier to maintain? Less costly.
Would you be able to get the basics together, so when we have a final idea on the '3rd Dimension' (probably don't call it a 3rd dimension on the website - just 'Aim') we're ready to go live?

In terms of name - not sure it's too important, but some initial thoughts:
- We'd be after something that will get lots of hits.
- 'Shadowofsomoni' isn't ideal, because if people search on google for 'Kayak Tajikistan', thats not the first on the list. (Not exactly sure how the internet works so not entirely sure this is true - I assume Shadowofsomoni is quite far down due to it having less hits than others)
- If we went for something like 'kayaksrilanka' - there are alot of srilanka sea kayaking companies. And rafting companies, so it's not like we'll be the only ones having been there before.
- Maybe along the lines of 'SriLankanwhitewater'
- Or if we go for something a bit left of centre , 'thelandofwaterfalls' (there are alot of waterfalls)
- Or even 'Dodgingthemonsoons'
Ok, so I'm struggling here!

going to buy an address I think, will prob have to pay, maybe as little as £2 a month, prob less than £5, other option is to get something without a specific website eg .blogspot
thinking something like
www.whitewatersrilanka.co.uk?
www.kayaksrilanka.co.uk?

Not sure if everyone will read this, if you do have your say below.
I reckon 'whitewatersrilanka' with a 'blogspot' or 'wordpress' will be the best combo.
As far as I know wordpress/blogspot can do pretty much all the things that a .co.uk can do, but I reckon will have more longinvity. It will just add extra hassle each year/month having to chase us for monnies for the .co.uk site.

EVERYONE!
Can you email Nick any photo's of adventurous things/previous travels to spruce up the website.
Also:
Can you send him a 'Profile Picture' of you for the site.

Got a template that I know how to edit up, obviously a lot of work needed - will put content up over the weekend
here's the current address
http://kayaksrilanka.weebly.com/index.html
but its possible to change that

If you give me any comments, I'll make it happen

Don't know what you think, I kind of like the white background but think it looks a bit unfinished. Don't know how much more you intended to do or how much you're able to do but yeah maybe another dimension with more colour if yanowaimean?! Really like the picture though. Can find nooo nice pictures of me kayaking and particular close up. Have a tendency to pull a ridiculous face on all photos. Will send some pretty rubbish ones over now to get you started.

Did a bit more, comments welcome
Need some more photos for profile section

looking good.
Just a wee copy and paste error at the end of Niamh's bit:


Niamh started kayaking on flat water kayaking when young but was introduced to white water with Leeds University. She really got hooked after a summer spent in the Alps and has since then kayaked all over UK and much of Europe. She was a member of a four man team for a trip of more exploratory nature to Georgia last summer, where a number of first descents were made. Nick Roberts (20)

Really starting to take shape! I like!

a Couple more edits:
1) from Niamh Profile:
...Alps and has since then kayaked all over UK and much of Europe. She then spent a summer kayaking the big volume rapids of Uganda's White Nile. Niamh was a member of a four man team for a trip of more exploratory nature to Georgia last summer, where a number...

2) Expedtion Blog:
Into the heart of Sri Lanka

3) Home Page:
...skills and teaching safety techniques leaving a sustainable legacy for local skills and tourism. You will find more details of this aim here* *Link to Legacy section

4) It may be good to have a little about the destination somewhere.
How hard is it to make a new tab called 'The Destination' or 'The Location'? Then Copy and paste the Facts that are under 'The Location' in the proposal.
•

Sri Lanka has a warm tropical climate with annual rainfall in the Southwest of 2500 mm to 5000 mm which reduces to 1250 mm in the North and Southeast.
• The highest point is Pidurutalagala, reaching 2,524 metres (8,281 ft) above sea level.
• The average yearly temperature range is 28°C to 31°C which drops to 18°C in the highlands.
• At night temperatures can fall by 4°C to 7°C which can therefore lead to lows in the highlands of 11°C during winter.
• The humidity in Sri Lanka varies between 60% and 79%
• There are 103 river basins in Sri Lanka with 100s of tributaries flowing into these

Along with these facts, also mention seasons. Something like.

• " The rain patterns in Sri Lanka are largely unpredictable however there is a monsoon season.
  In the North East, it is usually between (CHECK THIS) November to March
  In the South West, it is usually between (AND THIS) May to September.
  It is unusual for a country so small to have two distinct monsoon seasons."

If the website is to be used as a source of information, information on the seasons will be needed.

5) Under 'Sponsors' we need to have a description of what we can offer them. There is a brief description, but it is quite an important piece for potential sponsors.
I'd also include (not necessarily in bullet point form, but may not be a bad thing? - see how it looks).
• You will have a mention with your logo or website on the front page of our website
• River notes will be kept on our website long after the expedition as an essential resource for future kayakers heading to Sri Lanka.
• You mention media, but mention that we aim to have articles in multiple outdoor magazines, and have already been given the nod from a couple (CF will definitely accept an article ; We have the CKUK editor coming on our expedition, I don't think getting an article in there will be a problem!)
• Our video footage will be put on youtube and vimeo .
• We will also be in touch with organisers of outdoor festivals about the opportunities of presentations at the events.
• any photo’s we take can be used by yourself for advertisement purposes, or for any other means.


6) Contact tab. Could either us your own, or make up an email address for the trip (infokayaksrilanka@yahoo.com type thing), then set up a email forward from that account into ours.

7) Formatting: Some of the formatting is not consistant. Looks more proff. if it's all in the same font.

Other than that, good work! (if we are applying for the Young Exploreres Trust, I might request you change the ages, I am 23 and Niamh is 22. (these are our actual ages))

A way to add some colour to the home page may be with some pictures.
Add something like,
"Please join us on our journey…"
Then have some pictures from peoples previous travels.

9) Change the background colour from white (Niamh mentioned that a couple of posts back.

Real good job though!

Hey Nick,
Any chance of sending an email around with the blog details on?
Cheers,
Dave

I thought that I had made it so it allows all of you to edit the website by using your email address, I'll have a look

yeah i m pretty sure i remeber being able too but as i can find no record (emails or anything) with a link or how to do it i had begun to think it was just an odd dream ......

sorted, just click on the weebly icon at the bottom of the page then click login and the page is under 'pages i contribute to'

I have put up the TVF thing on the website. Also when you publish the website it offers to change the address to Kayaksrilanka.com and get rid of the weebly bit. Shall we do this before we publicize it?

ha it costs $70 to get rid of the weebly bit

Had a bit of time so had another go at the website, it looks a bit different now, hopefully a bit more proffessional
I have bought the domain name www.kayaksrilanka.co.uk (£7.20 for two years)
and this now directs to the weebly site (but weebly is still displayed in top bar, I'm currently trying to figure out how to change that)

ok have tried to change it, its currently lost in the interweb but apparently should appear within 48 hours
i

Hey Nick website looks good, then from that email that she wants all the brands on the website, sorry. Will check but thats what I read. Also going to be pineckity and vain but can you edit my profuile bit as it repeats a sentence, ta! Also how do I blog?

I'm surprised you can see the website
If u can get on on weebly you should be able to edit and add blog

looks awesome, just one thing though, it only seems to take up half the screen is there any way it can be made wider?

not quite sure how to do that, it certainly looks better on my small screened laptop than on a big screen

should be wider now, might be ready to go public soon

yep, why not, would be nice to get another blog post up as 3 seems like a nice number but not sure if the others exams have finished yet........