Some people are so smart. This morning, I mentioned that the AHL had a new website, just like the new NHL site. What I was thinking about was how the AHL was doing the same thing as the NHL, changing a long standing design to something new. Sherry from Scarlett Ice looked at it differently. Here is what she said:
...Why is the AHL site about 10x better than the NHL one?
Yeah! What the hell was I thinking? This is why I need comments from people. I need to know what you smart people think.
I do have an opinion about that. The AHL, like most minor leagues, has a business that is run on butts in the seats. You have to sell seats to the fans, or you fail. There is nothing more important than butts in the seats. So, to get those butts, the minor leagues have to work hard at making the fans happy, and at promoting the game. The AHL knows their job. They develop players, and they sell the game. You can't get away with much in the minors. Every mistake is a missed opportunity. Some days, it is like the NHL doesn't even care to try. The ad campaigns, the handing of problems, the schedule, so many things. They just do something, and that equals progress. Take the change of logo design. What did that do for the league? What was it, other than change for the sake of change? Did it sell any tickets? Did it put any more butts in the seats? You know the answer.
The AHL can't afford to make big mistakes. They have to take chances, and take them well. They can't afford not to think about what they do, and especially the changes they make. AHL fans, and fans of any minor league team, are passionate. They may not know the NHL teams the way an NHL fan does, but they sure care about their team, and their league. They may even care more than the average NHL fan does. They know what they like, and don't mind telling you what they don't. Sometimes, because of the scale of the minor leagues, they may even have the attention of the teams and league. To the AHL, and the other minors, the fans are everything. They are worth more than anything.
You can breakdown the basics of web design (NHL.com is too busy), the available resources (AHL doesn't have much in the line of broadcast video), or even advertising (does the NHL really need google ads to make money?). But the fact is, the AHL does the job better. They have to work harder for what they get. And they don't screw up very often. The NHL should take note.
1 comment:
The real question should be why it looks about 30% the same in terms of style? Organisation wise I couldn't care, but seriously it looks hideous. I mean if you can make things smaller and a bit cleaner looking, it improves the viewer's first impression a lot. And I don't think more animated things are meant to help you keep your attention.
Seriously, I just don't get the yellow.
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