Dear WSEE,
Hi, it’s me again. A few weeks ago I blogged that your website is a giant pile of fail. It wasn’t to attack, it was to encourage you to do better and strive to do good things. These requests have fallen on deaf ears.
At this point, it’s probably better that you have no website and social media presence than continue to completely fail at it.
Case in point:
Today, you tweeted this. A little strange, but still:
Clicking on the link, one would expect, would take you to whatever story or blog post this was in reference to.
It, however, did not.
It took me to your monstrosity of a web site. Where, I didn’t see any content. I saw this:
Click for a larger version, though I don’t know why you’d want to.
It took me 30 seconds to find the content that I was expecting to find. And when I did find, way down on the page in a small column, it took me to a WidgetBox page that put me in an endless loop so I could never find that content.
Why are you using a third-party widget service to embed stories that come from your own site on your homepage? That doesn’t make sense. It’s bad for users. I’m wondering if all this redirecting and confusing your users is a ploy to drive up page views and ad impressions…
By spending a few more agonizing minutes on your Twitter, I noticed that this “links that don’t take you to content” happens on all your posts. Facepalm.
Oh, and your Facebook page. It’s a profile not a fan page. That’s not allowed according to Facebook’s Terms of Service. They could remove your account with little or no warning and you’re up the proverbial creek, sans paddle. Make a fan page instead of a profile.
See, this isn’t about the fact that we have more Facebook and Twitter fans than you do, it’s really not. Ok, maybe a little, but still. We expect better from our local media who have the resources and staff to make a much better site than what you have.
Also, this is not about Ray Petelin. Ray keeps it real at all times, like a boss.
Please do better at the web. We’ll help you if you need it.
Thanks,
Erie
The WSEE website won’t get any better until they learn to hire a professional and realize they need to pay him more than $7.25 per hour. In the mean time the site will continue to drop readers and advertisers. Upper management will blame the young kid that they hired to maintain the site, although they openly knew he had no experience in running any kind of website previously.
The same goes for WJET.. Talk about FAIL… Do a simple google search for YourErie.com and look at the first result. It just says “logo” LOL This has been like that for years. I’m sure that does wonders for their pagerank.
I brought this up on P&T yesterday about how big of a joke social media is with TV news outlets in Erie.
Yourerie.com drives me nuts. If your station is on social media, link to it. I see the facebook but the only Twitter account I could find was http://twitter.com/jettvsports. If i’m wrong let me know, otherwise FAIL
Google got me WICU’s twitter link but again, nothing on their website about following them anywhere. FAIL
The spacing on wsee.tv is off but at least they have something on there for facebook, you tube and twitter. But as we can see with their twitter feed, FAIL.
I’m in Pgh but I still like to check in on local news. I heard there where fall football preview specials but are they online? Unlikely. You’re in a business where people demand news as it happens, not when you feel like telling us at your broadcast. All it takes is ditching your old mentality that you’re above the people and the only cost to you is effort and someone to keep it together.
Engage your viewers. Become part of the community. Its sink or swim time and from the looks of it they’re all in need of a raft.
Come to Podcamp Pittsburgh (http://podcamppittsburgh.com/) on Sept. 18/19 and learn for FREE about social media. You can get here and back on a full tank of gas.
Stand by….news and improvements coming soon to Erie’s tv websites. Major overhaul in the works.
YourErie.com has no Twitter account, just a Facebook page. That’s probably why they don’t link to one.
I’ll believe it when I see it. What’s the incentive for them to improve?
Brain Lilly doesn’t care what you want, or think. As long as he is making money at ICU/SEE he’ll do what he pleases and the hell with your thoughts.
Meanwhile, has anyone even remotely attempted to view news stories on goerie.com?
It shouldn’t be a chore on any of these sites to find content. That’s why so many people some to this site – the content (news) is right there in front of your face each time.
BTW – Has anyone notice how many times YourErie has Severe Weather Warnings for Erie County (NEW YORK!) and many times neglects our little area? When asked, I was told it was because the site was managed by someone somewhere else. (Probably someone who doesn’t know there are more than one Erie County. – But who cares it’s just a website.)
That is true, there is no incentive. Its kinda like the Pirates, as long as you’re making money why should management care what product you put out.