Update May 22, 2020

We solicited bids from website consultants to 27 firms, received five proposals and chose Michael Soden of Harcalf Agency, LLC. Soden wrote the popular sarasotasistercities.org website. The Board approved hiring them and work has begun. The Website Committee met online with Soden on May 22, 2020 and worked out many of the details of the site.


Links

Our Draft Site  https://sarasotamoaa.wordpress.com/

The Draft site will become  https://www.sarasotamoaa.com/

Information on new website  https://newwebsitemoas.blogspot.com/

Photos for the new website  https://websitephotosmoas.blogspot.com/

RFP   https://websitemoaa.blogspot.com/


Bid Anaylsis - private info, Board Members can to read.
https://bidsmoas.blogspot.com/

 
Sister Cities Website sarasotasistercities.org



Our Social Media will link to the new site

facebook.com/sarasotamoaa

twitter.com/sarasotamoaa

linkedin.com/in/sarasotamoaa

pinterest.com/sarasotamoaa

 

Our Blogs will link to the new site

thesarasotabreeze.blogspot.com

sarasotamoaa.us

photosmoaa.blogspot.com

bigphotosmoas.blogspot.com

videosmoas.blogspot.com

awardsmoas.blogspot.com

historymoas.blogspot.com

militarystories.us




Notes - our website committee decided to create a slimmed down website, no credit card payments, reservations, or database. Our database will return to spreadsheets offline. We can add a database and credit card collection if we decide to do this in the future.

We have experimented with the software, Wordpress, and used it to create the draft website. The basic software is free. I have purchased the professional version, a donation to MOAS.

We can easily update it with our photos and texts. Soden will make the site look and function much better and work out any bugs or problems and to serve as a consultant if we find something we cannot figure out or if we screw the site up somehow.

We will back up the site frequently to prevent loss. The software is not PFC or old Colonel proof - there are many times I have written something and lost it or ended up with an older version replacing the correct one. Operator error. I will work to get better at it. We also need one or more other people to learn to update the site in case the VC get me. Note - I am no expert in websites. A bit like the blind leading the blind. Like I was when I was a Second Lieutenant.

As you know, we have a wealth of information and photos about MOAA beginning in 2013. These Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest are linked into our current draft site and will be linked into the new website.

Example - The links to the Sarasota Breeze on the current website are currently on a PDF. Someone has to update them, You have to find where the PDF is located, and you have to click on the link. On the new site the Breeze will be a top button that goes directly to the Breeze.

We will show the Board with a small photo and email address so that people can email the Board directly. We will not use personal phone numbers except for mine if someone has a question and can't email. I would forward the inquiry to the right Board member.

Soden will set up a contact form for people to fill out so we have a record of their query.

We will use MOAS photos throughout the site. We can easily update and change them over time.


We are providing all of our photos to Soden and he will set up a gallery within the website to display the photos.



Please take a look at the draft site sarasotamoaa.wordpress.com and send you or suggestions.

Also please look at the Sarasota Sister Cities site at sarasotasistercities.org and let us know if you want something different.

____________


George Tracy

Fri, May 1,

Our web site is hosted on Club Essential servers, which primarily constitutes our monthly web site cost. This link, https://www.volusion.com/blog/website-maintenance-costs/, is a handy reference as to cost expectations for Blogs and/or websites.

I have continued to maintain the domain registration account (see below) with our original domain name registrar, Genesis Domains, who maintains our license to use the domain name, sarasotamoaa.com. Genesis Domains also used to host our website before Club Essential took over that service.


Consultant Info:

Michael Soden
Harcalf Agency, LLC
10624 S Eastern Ave.  A323
Henderson, NV 89052
Phone: 804-594-7065 ex101
Mobile: 804-641-5063
Skype: msoden52
Email: msoden@harcalfagency.com

Affiliations
Zone 26 ARPIC (Assistant Rotary Public Image Coordinator),  2018-2021
District Communications Officer and District Grants Chair, Rotary District 5300, Henderson, Nevada
Past President 2013-2014, Rotary Club of Green Valley (100% Paul Harris Fellow Club) Henderson Nevada
District Communications Officer/Webmaster, Rotary District 7600, Williamsburg, Virginia
Past President 2008-2009, Rotary Club of Brandermill, Midlothian, Virginia

 
Background Info:
 
Current domain name registrar is Genesis Domains

Current Website Hosting Club Essential Clubessential | Smarter Club Technology | Websites | Office | CRM

Will be transferred to Harcalf.


Update May 22, 2020

We solicited bids from website consultants to 27 firms, received five proposals and chose Michael Soden of Harcalf Agency, LLC. Soden wro...