The Mega-Details Behind The Latest MFCC Website Updates

This past week has been all "butt in seat" time for me, as I work on updating the MFCC website in time for spring. I feel I was born to go fishing (not program websites) so working through all the "techy" stuff is challenging, but definitely worth it.

My main goal with this latest batch of updates was to make it easier for you to locate the reports, videos, webinars and other information you want and need.

Odds are there may be some "whacky" design things happening throughout this week, so if you notice something odd I would really appreciate an email about it via [email protected].

Usually the only way I notice errors, broken links and other whacky things is because one of you takes a moment to email me about it. I really appreciate your help!

I still have another 100 hours of updates to go, but I feel I am making progress, and I wanted to take a moment to show you exactly what's changed here on the site (so far!), so you can use it to your maximum benefit.

The Logic Behind the New Navigation Menu

If you get stuck in the fog without a GPS, you are going to have a very difficult time navigating around. The same is true of a website without a good navigation system. At times it can feel as if you're lost in the fog.

The most visited page on this site is the Forum, so placing a link to the Forum on the navigation menu at the top of this page made a lot of sense. Honestly, I can't believe I am just realizing this now!

Some other new additions to the menu include Videos (weekly video), Spots (weekly spot) and My Account (if you're logged in). I feel placing direct links to these pages will help us all navigate the site quicker and with more efficiency.

Here's a 74 second video further expanding on the changes.

I recommend viewing the video in Full Screen Mode by hovering with your mouse over the video, and then clicking the arrows next to "Vimeo" and "HD."

New Drop-Down Menus Will Make It Easier To Find "Buried Content"

There are hundreds of posts here on MFCC, and you could spend hours sifting through them all.

The new drop-down menu underneath Blog which contains links to different articles, webinars and eBooks will help make it easier to sift through all the content. Over time I plan on further expanding this drop-down menu to include additional categories like trolling, live bait fishing etc.

Underneath Reports you'll notice another drop-down menu with links to Canal reports, Surfcasting reports and Tuna reports. I will be organizing all my striper boat fishing trips too and including a link soon.

Underneath About you'll see a link to the Start Here page which is a great spot for anyone who is brand new to the MFCC website. You will also see links to Bait Shops and Fishing Charters, which are both new pages that will be further expanded upon during the upcoming months.

Here's a 60 second video showing you the new drop-down menus and categories.

I recommend viewing the video in Full Screen Mode by hovering with your mouse over the video, and then clicking the arrows next to "Vimeo" and "HD."

How To Use The New Google Custom Search

If you are looking for something specific, like how to tie a certain knot, you can now perform a quick and accurate search of the entire MFCC site.

Just use the search form at the top of the website in the same fashion you would if you were searching on Google.

Here's how:

Logging In Using The New Login Widget

It's now easier than ever to know when you are logged into the site, and when you are logged out.

The new "Login Widget" provides an easy way to get logged into MFCC, as well as easy ways to access your profile, change your password etc.

Check out this video to see what I mean:

How To Post In The Forum

Posting in the forum hasn't changed at all, but I wanted to put together a quick video on how to do it.

We'd love to hear from you if you're a MFCC member who hasn't yet taken part in the forum discussions. So please feel free to chime in!

In Conclusion

You might not hear a lot from me this week as I continue to make updates and improvements in preparation of spring. I want this site to be a lean mean machine for this season!

After this week things will return to normal, and with mild temperatures now here, I plan on getting heavily involved in some freshwater fishing before the stripers arrive during mid to late April.

Let me know what you think of the updates and how I can continue to improve the site by commenting below.

Tight lines and take care,

Ryan