The Talyllyn in trouble ?

I'm not sure what you're alluding to here copying my post from another topic?

 

......Either that or get more customers in, cutting staff or reducing trains is not the best way to go it won't do any good for the image of the railway, there really is no alternative but to boost up publicity and a new web site far more user freindly.

 

the website is user friendly, everything the travelling public want to know is on the homepage, timetable and events down the left, things to do, duncan days etc down the right i mean how much simpler can it be? having just been on the WLLR website you have to click on the timetable link before actually seeing dates you can travel. better on the TR website then! much more user friendly

 

In my opinion the TR website main front page, the first page you come to is over complicated, cluttered, messy and very off-putting, enough to frighten anyone away, not to mention "past it" and there you have it, but of course, that's just my opinion ! http://www.talyllyn.co.uk/

 

you are entitled to your opinion...

 

Balwin has said everything I wanted to say about the website which shows I am not the only one to think this way!

As for the W&L one, I am not making any particular claim in its favour but one click away from the home page is the timetable. A second click brings up the services on the day you wish to travel and a third click enables you to buy tickets online at a discounted price. Simples! One further thing, every single page has a big red button inviting viewers to buy tickets online.

PH

 

where as the TR site has one click for the timetable for any day that month one further click for the year and one further click for any days timetable that year. oh and the TR are happy to advertise times of trains for intermediates too... rather than getting them to pay for the full line go up and back spend at the shop and then go away...

about the big red button, yes nothing like ramming that down their throat ay!

anywho the percentages of those who travel and look at the website first are so small its not worth the effort when we have a website which suits our needs. the only thing which could improve it are online ticket sales

 

To me, the most glaringly obvious issue with the TR website is it's designed in portrait, not landscape. So much of the screen isn't utilised and a lot of info is off the bottom of the screen.

 

Sheff,

whilst i can see that that could be an issue is not the main information that the travelling punter would need at the top of the page? intrested in thoughts on that

cheers

 

....a head stuck in the sand isn't going to help the TR for the future, internet is the way forward, smoke signals are a thing of the past !

 

Unless you're at the Vatican, then they are due in the next few weeks.

With regard the website, I will be interested in what websites you are comparing the TRs against? A quick Google search for a welsh steam railway and the Talyllyn's website is similar in style and layout to other well known railways.

 

I personally don't think train times are an issue on the site. I've just done a test on other sites and the TR is good I'd say. You could make the link to the Fares page a bit more obvious, and on the Fares page itself the headline fare is a bit of a mess - I assume the banner relates to the fares underneath shown in a small font? My eye went straight to the "Tywyn - Nant Gwernol" box below.

I too think that the home page is too clutered, too many buttons / menu styles. But full marks for having prominent buttons for other languages though.

 

bladwin, as someone whos profession is in IT i agree but at the moment the Figures we get in from the passenger surveys speak volumes.. and most of our passengers come because the have the leaflet

 

...i can understand that most of your customers come because of the leaflet, going by the state of the main web page !! Good allround advertising is the way forward, the product is sound, it's just that the TR is not moving with the times. Think practical !

 

I'd be interested in your thoughts on our latest form of Marketing /Advertising /Letting people know about the railway at Talyllyn Railway | Official YouTube - YouTube

New websites cost £000's, as a TR member I wouldn't be happy with this kind of outlay at this time and still deem the Talyllyn's website as good and fit for purpose.

 

thanks Sheff,

these are useful comments which can be used to improve what we have, rather than other suggestions which have said its all crap etc etc.

thanks again for the constructive criticism thats helpful

AT

 

Ok, i've commented on this film before, i think the filmings good, but there's no map, no telephone number and no explantion about Towyn etc etc, what's more it does start slow. It is though, going in the right direction but it still needs more punch on the selling side, maybe not so long either.

 

I don't think anyone on here is saying it's all "crap" just people who are concerned about the railway and who are expressing their opinions as to how it could be helped.

 

There's still a depressing amount of "the website's alright as it is, and anyway our customers don't use the internet to find us"... on this thread. There's clearly some disinterested criticism of the website in this thread that suggests knee-jerk reactions about how good it is don't answer. A few things: the online shop. This requires you to click on facilities, click on shop, then click on online shop, then get an error message / or get to the online shop and find they haven't yet added what you want (TR stamps!). Only now they're starting an online shop?!! I've been buying items (by Paypal from the US) from the Corris and Lynton & Barnstaple for years! Annoyingly, the new TR online shop wants you to register and it doesn't say up front whether it posts abroad and whether it takes Paypal as well as credit cards. User friendly? - I think not! A second point: online donation button. This was raised by me some time ago, and Ellis agreed it was a good idea. How long does it take to set that up? I can change my website in half an hour max - surely the TR webmaster can do the same? If the shop accepts credit cards I don't see the problem in routing donations through the online shop (as is done elsewhere). Final point, to echo many others, yes - online ticket purchase, online booking of driver experience, online booking of catering facilities for parties etc

As a life member I am trying to suggest positive steps, please don't take this as negative. I want the railway to prosper - after all Tywyn has a claim to fame in my family (I was born there!!)

 

Still agree

The issue here is that the online shop is to sell products by the 'Talyllyn Railway Company', donations ideally go to 'Talyllyn Holdings Ltd', the charity arm of the railway that holds all the shares in the company. This enables us to collect Gift Aid, and some money from Mr Osborne. I know it is complicated, and I know frustrating but just adding in an item to the online shop creates all kinds of issues with how money comes into the company.

Online donations will be taken forward in an easy online manner. The railway is operated by a Council of 20 elected members, they must make the decision on this kind of change, it is not down to the TR webmaster.

As Fundraising Officer, I want to make it easy for everyone to donate funds to the railway. People want to, so should be able to at ease. It is a test of patience as the ideas go through to our Council but that is the correct way. Meiriongwril I look forward to sending you a link to donate a huge sum of money to the railway very soon