Have you guys been to www.democrats.org lately? This site is a mess, and it isn't helping us effectively market the Democratic Party. Dean and the DNC need to re-launch this puppy, ASAP.
Ten ways to make democrats.org a killer website, after the jump.
1. WHY DO I HAVE TO CLICK ON SOMETHING IN ORDER TO ACCESS OUR TEN KEY VALUES???? And moreover, why is the link called "Agenda" instead of "Values." For the love of God, put the ten key VALUES right on the homepage in big bold letters - make them the first thing you see every time you load the page - and don't call them an "Agenda." Governing the country is an agenda. The belief that every American should have affordable health care... that's a VALUE. Argh!
2. Where the f*ck is the logo? Come on people. I understand the Donkey dates back to Andrew Jackson and the whole "populist jackass" thing. But maybe it's time for a change. How about, oh, say, an EAGLE or something that represents STRENGTH. And if it can't be changed, then at least get the friggin' Donkey up on the page somewhere, and make it look cool.
3. The tab listing our party leadership is called "Our Party." Huh? This needs to say "Leadership," period. If you want to have a tab called "Our Party," fine. But make it link to a database of registered Democrats, Special Interest Groups, blogs like dailykos, think tanks etc etc.
4. For that matter, put links right on the homepage to dailykos, Air America, Planned Parenthood, etc etc. The Democratic Party should be a vast network of people and organizations standing together. The homepage needs to - and does not currently - market this fact.
5. The layout is messy and confusing. At a glance, I can't determine what they're going for on an organizational level, which is an odd expression of what's wrong with the party in general. Keep it simple, easy to read and professional... just like a resume. The Medium IS the Message sometimes!
6. Why are there no faces of REAL PEOPLE on this site? It utterly lacks a HUMAN element. Every day, on the homepage, there should be a featured Democrat and what they're up to these days. This should include everyone from Russ Feingold and the censure down to Jane Doe in Kentucky, who just bought a Democracy Bond or drove to South Dakota to protest the Renaissance of Medieval Times.
7. There needs to be a "Breaking/Today's News" section. This needs to be updated several times daily, ala CNN.com, MSNBC.com, etc. Keep people coming back several times a day in order to see what's happening NOW.
8. The "People" tab is pretentious, at best. Currently, the "People" section lists groups of people. If they're going to take this group approach, then the tab needs to be "Coalition," not "People." "People" can link to the database suggested in #3 above. "Coalition" or "Groups" should communicate organized groups, like the Sierra Club, that people might want to JOIN so they feel like they're contributing in some way.
9. The blog section is okay I guess, but there needs to be a "Letter to the Editor" section of the site. Yes, www.democrats.org is a kind of publication. People should be able to write-in, just as they might to the local paper or New York Times, and have their opinion/voice heard.
10. There needs to be an easy-to-find online database of public servants. This needs to do three things: 1) list the current office-holding Progressives all over the nation (federal & state) and how to contact them, 2) list the Progressive challengers to Republican incumbants everywhere and how to support them and 3) list the people who want to run for office as Progressives and help them get recruited into "challenger" status.
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