Site tour for new users

[denise]

So, I figured this would be a good place to start brainstorming :)

I'm in the process of putting together a site tour for new users: a simple overview of what DW is, how it works, what you can do, how you can find interesting things to read, etc.

I have a very vague idea of what it should include, but I haven't yet decided anything about how it should be structured. I thought that before I come up with anything, though, I'd toss it out to y'all and see what you thought, so as to avoid prejudicing the conversation and brainstorming with my ideas.

So:

* Putting yourself into a new user's shoes -- both someone coming from LJ and someone coming to DW from other backgrounds -- what would you expect to see in a "getting started" type site tour?

* How would you expect it to be structured?

* What would be the most effective things to include that would make you say "oh, wow!"

* For those of you who are relatively new, what were the first pieces of information you sought out? What were the most helpful things to know? What were the things that drew you to DW in the first place?

Comments

[ninetydegrees]

Random thoughts:

1) Account creation/getting an invite code
2) Profile info
3) Personal blog:
- posting: security, restrictions, linking, inserting an image/video, crossposting, importing, polls, icons, mobile posting
- archiving/organizing: tagging, search.
- style customization
3) Interacting
- posting in communities, posting comments, finding interesting content through interests, latest page, search, feeds, community_promo, etc.
- adding people to your circle (+ access vs subscription)

To me, a site tour has to be relatively short, clear and should focus on basic and nifty tasks so that I get the feeling I can easily get started and be impressed by the shiny (even if I don't end up using it). I like segmented tours so that I can skip sections. I like videos or screencaps pointing where stuff is.

[shalom]

I like videos or screencaps pointing where stuff is.

Got to second this....visual description is particularly helpful for new users (or low low tech ones like me) to understand "what does what you're describing actually DO or LOOK LIKE when it's invoked?"

Sometimes I see the new functionality being discussed in the updates, people cheering for it, but don't understand just what is going to happen if I use it.

[white_aster]

Third this. Most of the FAQs for LJ and DW have been all text...which sometimes is confusing. Video tutorials would rock for the very basic newcomers.

Also the caps/videos would need to be ordered in the beginner's tour BEFORE they pick their site style...so that they can have their new, default journal open in one tab and the FAQ in another and compare easily. ;P