CommunicationsSeedstock EDGE | “For the Record” | “The Pinnacle” | |
| Seedstock EDGE Seedstock EDGE main | Seedstock EDGE archives Advertising rates/deadlines | Mail dates Subscribe today! | Seedstock EDGE staff |
NSR Teamwork Produces Comprehensive Web Site
by Andrea McCann
Dedicated to getting information to their clients quickly and efficiently, the National Swine Registry (NSR) staff makes a concerted team effort to keep their Web site up-to-date and functional. And by all accounts, their efforts have been successful.
“It’s a good Web site,” says Linda Gibbs of Waldo Farms Inc., DeWitt, Neb. “It’s a big site.”
Gibbs says the Waldo Farms staff uses the NSR site to look up STAGES information, such as pedigrees or current indexing on a particular animal. She says they also upload registrations.
“We use that process quite a lot, and it works well,” she says.
Hi Point Genetics Inc., of Chrisman, Ill., hopes to begin using the online litter registration process soon, according to office manager Diana Ingram. They already do all of their breeding certificates online, she says.
“I like it,” Ingram says. “It works well for us. I just get the information from the client, type it in, and it’s gone. It’s quick, and you don’t have to rely on the mail service.”
Besides making it easier and faster to take care of business, the site also is a tremendous source of information for breeders and others. It includes the history and purpose of NSR and a staff directory, a breeder directory and breeder links, an online judging contest, calendar, commercial services, the NSR newsletter and magazine, industry links, policies, breed history and association news, as well as the online registration services. There’s also a virtual store, where visitors can purchase items such as shirts and caps, pedigree binders and blotter cards.
“It’s a way to keep clients informed and to sell supplies,” Lucas says.
She says the pages are updated as needed by the respective staff members in charge of them. For example, the quarterly newsletter is placed online shortly after the hard copy goes out. Magazine highlights are posted on the site the same way – after the hard copy is distributed. Breed policies are updated as changes occur, association information is changed annually, and show results are posted as soon as they’re available.
“We’re committed to keeping it current,” says Mike Wadsworth, who provides technical support for the site. “It’s changing all the time.”
So that the NSR staff can cater to the needs of their clients, Wadsworth uses a special software program to analyze how people use the NSR Web site and what their favorite sections are. For the month of July 2002, Wadsworth printed a 72-page report detailing everything from how many people visited the site to what pages they viewed to how they entered the site and what browser they used. He says this kind of data lets the NSR staff know if they’re posting the right kinds of material and in a format that the site’s visitors can use. For instance, Wadsworth says, identifying the most commonly used browsers and the versions people are using lets him be sure the Web site is accessible by most users. Knowing their favorite search engines tells him where keywords should be registered, and seeing what keywords people use to search for the NSR site confirms for him that the correct words are registered with those search engines.
This ongoing commitment to timeliness and convenience has resulted in a comprehensive, well-organized, easy-to-use Web site with broad appeal. The home page displays labeled buttons that allow users to point on them and click their way into any major area of the Web site. Called a navigation bar (aka “nav bar” to experienced Web surfers!) in Internet lingo, this feature makes it easy to – well – navigate the site. Important announcements are also published on the home page.
According to Wadsworth, the home page is one of the most popular pages accessed by NSR Web site visitors, along with show results, the calendar, policies and procedures, and the National Junior Swine Association (NJSA) pages.
NJSA member Troy Walker of Michigantown, Ind., says, “During show season, I check the site two or three times a week for results.”
Hi Point’s Ingram also rates the show results and sales totals high on her list of NSR Web pages to visit, along with the general news offered on the site.
In addition to results, Walker says he likes to look up show dates and other happenings in the purebred industry. His family has a 170-sow farrow-to-finish operation and raises purebred Durocs, Yorkshires, Hampshires and Landrace swine, as well as some crosses. They sell both show pigs and market hogs, so staying on top of industry news is vital to Walker.
One way he can do that through the NSR Web site is by connecting with other NJSA members. On the junior association site, members are listed by state, along with their contact information. Walker says it’s a good resource for him to connect with other junior members.
Additional highlights of the NJSA portion of the site are an online membership application; benefits, mission and bylaws of the NJSA; breeder links; information on the board of directors; the NJSA Hall of Fame list; recommended references for Skillathon practice; the NJSA newsletter, The Pinnacle; scholarship application information, deadlines and winners; shows and sales; photos from various shows; NJSA sponsors; stories about outstanding members and briefs about other members; testimonials; and upcoming events.
“There’s no one feature I go to each time,” says Walker.
But some people do go to the same feature each time, according to the NSR’s Wadsworth. They bookmark a page, such as “Shows and Sales” or “Online Registration” and go to it each time they log on. However, most also then move on to other pages on the site, such as “Calendar” or “Policies.” Some people start with the home page and go from there. In July 2002, Wadsworth says there were 13,000 “sessions” of visitors to the NSR site, for an average of 442 per day. But those 13,000 visitors represented a total of 112,940 “hits” to the site’s assorted pages.
With such a thorough, far-reaching site, it’s not hard to figure out the attraction. Following are the highlights of the NSR site.
About NSR: This category explains the NSR history and purpose, and has a staff directory and e-mail addresses.
AI Certificates: With an ID, user name and password, clients can do AI certificates for boar studs online.
Breeder Directory: In this section, click on a state name to see a list of breeders in that state. Breed and number of litters are designated by a letter/number system. For example, Y-36 indicates 36 litters of Yorkshires.
Breeder Links: This area lists breeder Web sites. These are also accessible by clicking on underlined names in the breeder directory.
Picture Contest: For this online judging contest, participants are given classes from which to choose, such as Hampshire Boars or Duroc Gilts, and an explanation of performance data. Winners receive a plaque.
Calendar: Click on the name of a month for events in that time period, “Seedstock Edge” ad deadlines, etc. If an event is underlined, you can click on it to get a schedule and printable entry forms.
Commercial Services: This section offers several options. “Maternal Futurity” is a “…prescreened, elite offering of maternal genetics…” “Muscle Quality Research” is a posting of quality muscle trait leaders. “STAGES” (Swine Testing And Genetic Evaluation System) is the “…most effective, predictable genetic evaluation that is publicly available in the swine industry.” “Testimonials” and “Contact Us” speak for themselves. According to Rick Pfortmiller, director of Commercial Services at the NSR, a new addition is about to be introduced to the Commercial Services section that “features genetic products and services for the commercial swine industry.” It’s called ultracross-swine.com.
For the Record: This is where site visitors can find the NSR newsletter.
Genetic Evaluation: STAGES information is featured here.
Industry Links: Breeders can point and click on Web links of interest, such as the National Pork Producers Council, Purdue Pork Page, and Meat Industry News.
Junior Association: A whole separate section is devoted to the NJSA.
Online Registration: Breeders can register litters with a click of the mouse.
Policies: Under this heading, look for “Barrow Classification Guidelines,” “DNA Sire Requirements,” “DNA Stress Test Policy,” “FTA Card Blood Sample Collection Procedure,” and “Test Mating Procedures” for approval of boars for use in artificial insemination.
Magazine: This area spotlights archived “Seedstock Edge” highlights, ad deadlines and rates, a printable subscription form and mailing dates.
NSR Store: Here clients can buy NSR and breed caps, windshirts, NJSA caps and T-shirts, Skillathon study guides, FTA blotter cards, swine judging videos, four-ring pedigree binders, and pocket herd books.
Shows & Sales: Just like it sounds, this category lists show schedules and results.
Swine Breeds: Association news, history, markings and registration requirements are listed here for the Duroc, Hampshire, Yorkshire and Landrace breeds
