Home » Public Forums » GMCnet » The future of the GMC depends on GMCnet making a market for it
| Re: [GMCnet] The future of the GMC depends on GMCnet making a market for it [message #198650 is a reply to message #198632] |
Sat, 16 February 2013 17:24   |
James Hupy
Messages: 6806
Registered: May 2010
Karma: -62
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O.K. here is my thoughts on new to gmc's folks. A lot of them are formally
educated and computer savvy. Many could not pour water out of a boot, even
if the directions were written on the heel. The cars that they drive are an
unfair comparison to a vehicle made in the 70's, For a lot of them, it was
before they were born, and they have no connection to that era. Funny thing
is, though, a lot of them are looking for stress relief in their lives,
just as many of our generations do. Something's missing, they don't know
what that might be. When they come into contact with a gmc, a world without
video screens and keypads, it puts them outside their comfort zone. They
are uneasy and befuddled by them, and they are not equipped to deal with
them. I have been dealing with the academic world's failures most of my
adult life, so I have some knowledge of what I speak. Vocational skills are
no longer taught in public schools. It becomes our task, then, to get them
away from a computer screen, put a screwdriver in their hand, and expose
them to a different world. It is an amazing sight to behold when
enlightenment overtakes them for the first time. An "Ah Haaa" moment to be
sure. I love to see it, the newly exposed to alien technology converts.
(rant off)
Jim Hupy
Salem, Or
78 Gmc Royale 403
On Feb 16, 2013 12:30 PM, "R.D. Hart" <regor5556@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
> Mac, you got that right. As there is the low information voter, so is the
> low information browser or tire kicker! :lol:
>
> k2gkk wrote on Sat, 16 February 2013 14:04
> > Then methinks that the "browsing public"
> > must be as stupid as the "voting public!"
> >
> > ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
> > ~~ ~ D C "Mac" Macdonald ~ ~~
> > ~ ~ Amateur Radio - K2GKK ~ ~
> > ~ ~ USAF and FAA, Retired ~ ~
> > ~ ~ ~ Oklahoma City, OK ~ ~ ~
> > ~~ ~ ~ "The Money Pit" ~ ~ ~~
> > ~ ~ ~ ~ TZE166V101966 ~ ~ ~ ~
> > ~ ~ ~ '76 ex-Palm Beach ~ ~ ~
> > ~ www.gmcmhphotos.com/okclb ~
> > ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
> > ______________
> > *[ ]~~~[][ ][|\
> > *--OO--[]---O-*
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > > To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
> > > From: rc@rcjordan.com
> > > Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2013 13:29:11 -0600
> > > Subject: Re: [GMCnet] The future of the GMC depends on GMCnet making a
> market for it
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > >the future
> > >
> > > We agree. But the answer is
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Responsive_web_design where the website
> changes its format and sizing on-the-fly based upon the browser useragent
> of the visitor. No matter what device, pdfs are almost universally detested
> by the browsing public. Other considerations for the mobile visitor is his
> monthly bandwidth cap and download speeds.
> > >
> > > But costs aside, the biggest good hook for web traffic is what's
> called the "long tail" and large web pages as well as pdfs fail badly
> there. Long tail means searches that have very detailed or narrow
> parameters. For any specific article, the most powerful on-page ranking
> factor is the title tag and monolithic content only has one title tag.
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > GMCnet mailing list
> > Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
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>
>
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| Re: [GMCnet] The future of the GMC depends on GMCnet making a market for it [message #198657 is a reply to message #198654] |
Sat, 16 February 2013 17:54 |
Dennis S
Messages: 3046
Registered: November 2005
Karma: 2
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| rcjordan wrote on Sat, 16 February 2013 17:42 |
Well, I'd like to figure out something because the for sale website has now been consistently ranked on the first page of Google serps (search engine return page) for a few days now with some waffling between slots 6 and 9. And googlebot just moved another page from the site into position 10.
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If I google "GMC motorhome" the front page appear to include a pretty good selection...
it has Gene's site, the sales site that Patrick supports/manages, the COOP, GMCMI, the GMC wiki, Cinnabar and so forth.
What exactly is the concern? Is the issue that your page does not show?
Dennis
Dennis S
73 Painted Desert 230
Memphis TN Metro
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| Re: The future of the GMC depends on GMCnet making a market for it [message #198660 is a reply to message #198570] |
Sat, 16 February 2013 18:15 |
rcjordan
Messages: 1913
Registered: October 2012
Location: Elizabeth City, North Car...
Karma: 1
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Senior Member |
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I have no concern about my rankings. Yet. Moving to the front page out of 1.1m hits within 2 weeks for a "for sale" term (more qualified traffic) bodes well.
Again, the issue isn't getting traffic from those who know to put the search qualifier "GMC" in, they're already aware of the brand. Will this reel in some potential gmcmh owners? Hard to say. But the next step is to provide more web fodder for the search engines related to coach lifestyle and financial decisions in general, and why the GMC may be a viable choice even for yuppies without a screwdriver.
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| Re: [GMCnet] The future of the GMC depends on GMCnet making a market for it [message #198661 is a reply to message #198601] |
Sat, 16 February 2013 18:31 |
chasingsummer
Messages: 434
Registered: May 2011
Location: asheboro, nc
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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first forgive me for entering input. I say that because I have not joined any of the clubs. (I gues forgive me for that too)
When I saw the template listed earlier in this post, my first thought was that needed to be on my spare cover.
Maybe not my name, just year ,make , and maybe 2 or 3 lines of info.
brian
asheboro, nc
75 eleganza, 74 build
119k miles and counting,
DOG HOUSE
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| Re: The future of the GMC depends on GMCnet making a market for it [message #198663 is a reply to message #198570] |
Sat, 16 February 2013 18:48 |
kerry pinkerton
Messages: 2565
Registered: July 2012
Location: Harvest, Al
Karma: 15
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RC, I confess to having no clue how you optimize a web page for search engines. However, if I understand the reason you started this thread, you hope to increase the number of people who know about the GMC motorhome AND this community AND the information this community has produced.
To that end, instead of "GMC Motorhomes for sale" would not "Motorhomes for sale" be a better thing to try and get into?
Kerry Pinkerton - North Alabama
Had 5 over the years. Currently have a '06 Fleetwood Discovery 39L
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| Re: [GMCnet] The future of the GMC depends on GMCnet making a market for it [message #198665 is a reply to message #198663] |
Sat, 16 February 2013 19:24 |
Sammy Williams
Messages: 522
Registered: August 2010
Karma: -2
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Senior Member |
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how about making stickers to stick in your back window promoting the "
gmc.net"
www.gmc.net could be made to stick inside the back windows of a GMC to
promote the unit and the gmc community
S. Williams
On the low side of gmc owners age. lol
On Sat, Feb 16, 2013 at 4:48 PM, Kerry Pinkerton <Pinkertonk@mchsi.com>wrote:
>
>
> RC, I confess to having no clue how you optimize a web page for search
> engines. However, if I understand the reason you started this thread, you
> hope to increase the number of people who know about the GMC motorhome AND
> this community AND the information this community has produced.
>
> To that end, instead of "GMC Motorhomes for sale" would not "Motorhomes
> for sale" be a better thing to try and get into?
> --
> Kerry Pinkerton
>
> North Alabama, near Huntsville,
>
> 77 Eleganza II, "The Lady", 403CI, also a 76 Eleganza being re-bodied as
> an Art Deco car hauler
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| Re: The future of the GMC depends on GMCnet making a market for it [message #198672 is a reply to message #198570] |
Sat, 16 February 2013 20:00 |
rcjordan
Messages: 1913
Registered: October 2012
Location: Elizabeth City, North Car...
Karma: 1
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Senior Member |
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Yes, "motorhomes for sale" would be a better hook/springboard to get in front of some who are in the early stages of the decision-making process (Bethune is on page 13 and I'm on 17, btw.). There are likely to be search terms better suited for finding GMC recruits, but -frankly- we need content other than 1-ton frontends to talk about, at least at first introduction.
What's frustrating me is that content is right here. Somewhere.
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| Re: The future of the GMC depends on GMCnet making a market for it [message #198684 is a reply to message #198660] |
Sat, 16 February 2013 22:37 |
Mike Teets
Messages: 299
Registered: January 2004
Location: Dublin, OH
Karma: 0
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RC has posted some good advice. The following are observations/suggestions to making a difference for the GMC future on the web.
First thing to keep in mind for search ranking is that we need to "think like a machine" not like a human. Doesn't matter if this group agrees that GMCnet is important... what matters is that google/bing/yahoo "see" it as important for specific words from users of a specific type.
The reluctance to use the words "RV" and "motorhome" in GMC websites hurts. While "coach" sounds more elegant, it is not common vocabulary for a newbie. Consider using "class a motorhome" or "class a rv" in prominent places in your sites.
While it is great to have consolidated discussions on GMCnet and GMCmhpictures, to a search engine, it may look like there are only 2 sites on the internet where GMC motorhomes are important. Doesn't matter if 10,000 people participating, it looks like just two sites out of millions.
PDFs, Word docs, ppts, etc. are all indexable by engines but tend not to be referenced from other web sites directly so they do not rank well. Put primary information in pure text forms accessible from html pages.
Mobile accessibility is important. This becomes another filter criteria for search engines to consider whether your site is current or not. Responsive web design is the king right now. Click on my site below and resize the browser window to see how this works. At every size, the site will display appropriately.
Members-only areas of club websites hurt the GMC reputation. Two reasons: 1. Search engines cannot see the content. 2. Younger generations (below 50ish) see open access as the norm. Closed access clubs are something their parents participated in and this generation is almost religiously opposed to. The web is rather ruthless in this regard... You don't even get to make the argument that restricted access web sites is better for anyone for volunteer run sites.
Social: Most GMCers are essentially absent from the modern web. No Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, Foursquare, Linkedin, Pinterest. Privacy concerns equate to irrelevant in web ranking. Private discussion forums are a late 90's thing. Email lists are a late 80's thing.
Video: Video is now trumping static web content. SEO ranking of youtube is much easier than text documents. Keywords in tagging are important. It is easier to own a two or three word string for top ranking using video tagging than is even remotely possible with text.
This might be a tough one... The best way to market to sub-50's people is to have sub-50's people owning coaches. It is unlikely the retired generation is going to change sufficiently to entice young families to join them.
Mike, GMCing since 2002
77 Palm Beach, 260, 403
Dublin, OH
http://teamteets.com/gmc/
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| Re: The future of the GMC depends on GMCnet making a market for it [message #198689 is a reply to message #198685] |
Sat, 16 February 2013 23:10 |
59ona64
Messages: 41
Registered: July 2012
Location: United States
Karma: 0
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Something we're not mentioning is where the generation in questions "hangs out." We hang out on Facebook.
They have done all the hard work of making content display well on any device, running updates on the platform, etc. We supply the content.
Meghan's FB page is great--pictures, videos, discussion, being able to see a photo of the people in the discussion, etc.
If you're not there, check it out: https://www.facebook.com/groups/classicgmcmotorhomes/?fref=ts
You can put links in the comments, etc. It really is a more social outlet, and people on Facebook spend HOURS there. Shoot, I even check my FB on my phone at red lights. It's easy, it's there, and the conversation is usually very interesting.
Dave >Wannabe< Scottsdale, AZ
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| Re: The future of the GMC depends on GMCnet making a market for it [message #198690 is a reply to message #198689] |
Sat, 16 February 2013 23:28 |
Coelli
Messages: 136
Registered: July 2012
Location: Los Angeles
Karma: 0
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| 59ona64 wrote on Sat, 16 February 2013 21:10 |
Something we're not mentioning is where the generation in questions "hangs out." We hang out on Facebook.
They have done all the hard work of making content display well on any device, running updates on the platform, etc. We supply the content.
Meghan's FB page is great--pictures, videos, discussion, being able to see a photo of the people in the discussion, etc.
If you're not there, check it out: https://www.facebook.com/groups/classicgmcmotorhomes/?fref=ts
You can put links in the comments, etc. It really is a more social outlet, and people on Facebook spend HOURS there. Shoot, I even check my FB on my phone at red lights. It's easy, it's there, and the conversation is usually very interesting.
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Thanks for linking, Dave!
It's true that GMCnet is a great place for in-depth technical info but the social part is sometimes lacking. And as a 42 year old female with young children and a liberal ideology who also happens to work in the video game industry I often feel very out of place here. 
In addition to admin'ing the Classic GMC Motorhomes group on Facebook (which really just means I approve join requests and occasionally change our cover photo), I work in social media for a living and have been in online community management since the early 90's. I've admin'd forums with 200,000 users and although I don't currently work on a product with forums, my current product's page has over 1M users that I communicate to on a daily basis. If you think Gen X and Y are bad, you should see who's coming next... I also started a Facebook Page, which of course has not taken off nearly as quickly as the group has since it depends on me to provide the content.
There have been some really excellent suggestions here. I agree that PDFs are fantastic for handouts and for printing out and sticking in a binder but beyond that, they are not the preferred format. Stick to HTML for web and mobile and offer a nicely formatted PDF too, if you like, but don't limit information to PDF (and Powerpoint).
It's astonishing that there's no wiki yet for all of the information out there. Wikis do have a learning curve and their own sets of headaches for an admin, but they can be a very useful repository for information and would seem to be ideal for our cause.
One thing I do disagree about is that gating information is necessarily bad - we joined GMCMI in large part for the newsletter archive and parts exchange list. It was well worth the price of admission and we know our dues help them out, even if we never make it to a rally.
Meghan
Meghan
1976 Eleganza II, Los Angeles, CA
Classic GMC Motorhomes Group on Facebook
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| Re: [GMCnet] The future of the GMC depends on GMCnet making a market for it [message #198691 is a reply to message #198600] |
Sat, 16 February 2013 23:50 |
mickeysss
Messages: 1476
Registered: January 2012
Karma: 0
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the great thing is that we all own three legged dogs, i think, don't we?
mickey
77 palm beach
anaheim ca.
On Feb 16, 2013, at 9:13 AM, Mike Miller wrote:
>
>
> tphipps wrote on Sat, 16 February 2013 07:36
>> Matt, excellent . I may even steal your idea. Tom
>
>
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> This is a good template for this:
>
>
>
> <http://www.gmceast.com/lifestyle/gmcers/>
>
> ALSO on the same page:
>
> Byron Songer has developed a brochure template that is meant to be customized for YOUR coach. Then handed to interested people. JimK printed some generic versions for us to give out on the grass at the TI rally during the airshow. (What seemed odd is there were a LOT more interested parties on Sunday over Saturday.)
>
>
>
> That reminds me that I need to print some more... I have given away all that I had in the "in use" GMC.
>
> I came across a GMC owner the other day (76 Royale Rear Bath) who never has seen anything GMC on the net... he looked to be in his early 30's. He uses it to go to stock car races... pulls his car trailer. I wasn't in my coach so I didn't have a GMCers Brochure with its list of links. I might need to keep some cards in my wallet. (template a little lower on the page.)
>
> The point is, you never know when you might be able to promote our motorhomes. You might want to be prepared.
>
> --
> Mike Miller -- Hillsboro, OR -- on the Black list
> (#1)'73 26' exPainted D. -- (#2)`78 23' Birchaven Rear Bath -- (#3)`77 23' Birchaven Side Bath
> http://m000035.blogspot.com
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