The news out of the Association of Professional Landscapers just seems to get more bizarre.
Yesterday the APL announced through Hort Week (it's not on the APL website so perhaps in a hurried response to me asking why we have not heard anything) that they about to announce the appointment of a web design company to carry out the revamp of their website.
Why bother to pre-announce the announcement, why not just get on an make the appointment then announce that?
Probably the most serious point about this pre-announcement announcement is that the time estimate to build the new site is 12-14 weeks.
Now come on APL - I know from my discussions with APL board members that the average age of the APL board had, until recently, been very high and using the web and email didn't come naturally to some but have you not been listening at all to any of the conversations about how to build an on-line community for next to nothing?
I have sent the following questions to the APL Chief Executive Officer, Jason Lock as I am sure that existing members and potential members will be interested to understand how the process has been conducted - I will indeed update the conversation if and when I receive a reply.
Can you tell me, existing and potential APL members and readers of Landscape Juice:
* The cost of the website upgrade to the membership
* Who the company is and how many firms were approached
* what their design and build brief is
* Did you look at Ning or any other free software package and why was it discounted
* Who will administrate the site after it has been built and at what ongoing cost
* Why will it take such a long time to complete this project
* will the information be all enclosed behind a membership log-in
The APL could build an interactive membership site using Ning in less than two days at a basic cost of under £500 per year.
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