Help me by giving critique of this public facebook page (Jack Gage American Tavern)

[AustinChief]

EDIT: Please check the facebook page and give me any input you have on what could be added/changed.. thanks!

www.facebook.com/jackgagekc (http://www.facebook.com/jackgagekc)

Anybody been yet? My cousin just opened this new bar off Main south of the Plaza. Looking for feedback.

http://www.kansascity.com/199/story/1623813.html

[Dinny Bossa Nova]

How far is it from the fountain of puking fish?

If it is within walking distance, I am SO there.

Dinny

[AustinChief]

according to google it is a 12 minute walk down Main from the JC Nichols fountain...

[AustinChief]

OK, do me a favor and check out the facebook page and give me your feedback on what you like/dislike etc etc etc.


www.facebook.com/jackgagekc (http://www.facebook.com/jackgagekc)


This is my cousinds place and would like to make sure he is taken care of and the sites I make for him aren't lacking.

PLUS: the better I make it, the more he owes me in way of bar tab... I may make him throw us a Chiefsplanet party there next time I am in town. I bet I can get us a slew of free apps if we buy our own beers...
:D

[CoMoChief]

Is it ok to just walk up to randoms in the bar and smoke them right in the their dome?

This should be a rule of thumb.

[|Zach|]

Good work. All the info is there for people to check out. The only thing that I don't fits is the font on imported reviews...I get you are going for a style but its kinda hard to read and annoying.

How did you change the names of the tabs at the top? I am good with all the FBML stuff but never sat down to figure out how to change those main names.

[KCUnited]

Dang, the old Double Dragon? I saw the word Plaza and backed out the first go around. I don't Facebook much so I can't offer much of a critique, but I did become a fan. I'm a real life fan of that neighborhood and boxing so I'll be sure to stop by and come back with my thoughts.

[AustinChief]

Good work. All the info is there for people to check out. The only thing that I don't fits is the font on imported reviews...I get you are going for a style but its kinda hard to read and annoying.

How did you change the names of the tabs at the top? I am good with all the FBML stuff but never sat down to figure out how to change those main names.

The font is just a trial font and will change.. I agree it isn't the best.. I am willing to take any suggestions ! :) (please!)

As for the FBML, it isn't hard to do manually... mine is abit different in that it is populated manually by an autamted script running out of a db... the manual code then accesses php files as GD images that reupdate themselves for the next access.

THAT SAID... if you aren't programming for what will potentially be many many more sites... just manuall editting the FBML and changing the tab name is easy.

[AustinChief]

Dang, the old Double Dragon? I saw the word Plaza and backed out the first go around. I don't Facebook much so I can't offer much of a critique, but I did become a fan. I'm a real life fan of that neighborhood and boxing so I'll be sure to stop by and come back with my thoughts.

The owner is my cousin, Blair Hurst. He is there quite abit right now... tell him his cousin Kyle sent ya.

[Spott]

I see an entire menu posted on there but I don't see any prices.

[|Zach|]

just manuall editting the FBML and changing the tab name is easy.

Do tell, I must be retarded because I have been able to do all the stuff I would like with these pages except change the name lol.

[AustinChief]

I see an entire menu posted on there but I don't see any prices.yeah, I received teh menu before the prices where set.. actually, I think they may still be tinkering with that so it may be a month before those go online.

I know the prices for some items if you want me to guesstimate a particular dish...

[AustinChief]

Do tell, I must be retarded because I have been able to do all the stuff I would like with these pages except change the name lol.

ok, so go to EDIT PAGE from your wall... then find the relevant FBML section (usually pretty far down under Applications) then choose edit... it gives you two fields to edit... the BOX TITLE (tab name) and the FBML(the actual fbml/html code)

That is it.

[AustinChief]

oj, I forgot to mention.. the NEWSFEED is cool because it pulls the most recent LIVE events from facebook's wall, myspace comments, tweets and Yelp reviews.

Unique feature.

[Spott]

yeah, I received teh menu before the prices where set.. actually, I think they may still be tinkering with that so it may be a month before those go online.

I know the prices for some items if you want me to guesstimate a particular dish...

I don't live in KC anymore so the prices wouldn't help me, but some of the locals may want to know. If I knew what an Ahi or Smoked Gouda Grit Cake was, I might ask you how much they cost. :)

[KCUnited]

The owner is my cousin, Blair Hurst. He is there quite abit right now... tell him his cousin Kyle sent ya.
I'll do it. Honestly, having spent considerable time in that neighborhood, his concept seems very appropriate.

[AustinChief]

I don't live in KC anymore so the prices wouldn't help me, but some of the locals may want to know. If I knew what an Ahi or Smoked Gouda Grit Cake was, I might ask you how much they cost. :)

I know all the entrees (except for steaks) are under $20 and the Apps are under $10 (except the Crabcake sliders, I think...)

[chiefzilla1501]

www.facebook.com/jackgagekc (http://www.facebook.com/jackgagekc)

Anybody been yet? My cousin just opened this new bar off Main south of the Plaza. Looking for feedback.

http://www.kansascity.com/199/story/1623813.html

It looks great. But does it do what you want it to do? I think you can do a lot more.

To me, the #1 purpose of a facebook fan page should be to get people to come back. Frankly, the way this page is set up, people leave comments about the food, read the menu, maybe get 1 or 2 drink specials on their news feed. That's really the potential of this page. I think you'll find that you'll pull in some regulars, but nobody outside of regulars is going to be tempted to go here. And after a while, they'll start tuning out your specials on the newsfeed. If they want to look at the menu, they can go to the website and they'll look for it on google. You have to find something unique.

You have to get people talking to each other. Interacting with each other. Fan pages that I've seen that work allow users to become very interactive with the fan page. Maybe you have some kind of discussion where they submit their own beers. Maybe you let people submit their own pictures on the "photos" section. Maybe you have a funny tweet or status update every day. Maybe you have some kind of a funny moustache contest where you can only win if you become a fan. I don't know. But the point of viral marketing is to convince fans to convince non-fans to join. When you promote a happy hour special, do you expect people to comment on it? Probably not. Submit something funny or unique, and they might. Make them come to your page expecting they'll see something unique, maybe funny, definitely different every time they show up.

Great job. Looks the foundation's there. Just try to find something unique and there and you're on your way.

[AustinChief]

It looks great. But does it do what you want it to do? I think you can do a lot more.

To me, the #1 purpose of a facebook fan page should be to get people to come back. Frankly, the way this page is set up, people leave comments about the food, read the menu, maybe get 1 or 2 drink specials on their news feed. That's really the potential of this page. I think you'll find that you'll pull in some regulars, but nobody outside of regulars is going to be tempted to go here. And after a while, they'll start tuning out your specials on the newsfeed. If they want to look at the menu, they can go to the website and they'll look for it on google. You have to find something unique.

You have to get people talking to each other. Interacting with each other. Fan pages that I've seen that work allow users to become very interactive with the fan page. Maybe you have some kind of discussion where they submit their own beers. Maybe you let people submit their own pictures on the "photos" section. Maybe you have a funny tweet or status update every day. Maybe you have some kind of a funny moustache contest where you can only win if you become a fan. I don't know. But the point of viral marketing is to convince fans to convince non-fans to join. When you promote a happy hour special, do you expect people to comment on it? Probably not. Submit something funny or unique, and they might. Make them come to your page expecting they'll see something unique, maybe funny, definitely different every time they show up.

Great job. Looks the foundation's there. Just try to find something unique and there and you're on your way.

Thanks for the feedback!

Yeah I have been stessing the interactive part to my cousin... they are BRAND NEW so it will take a bit of tweaking. His chef is looking to have a kindof "ask the chef" blog and recipe section... so that will help get people involved... but I also like the beer interaction idea... maybe some apps or games/contests that let people get to pick the next months specialty beers may work...

[chiefzilla1501]

Thanks for the feedback!

Yeah I have been stessing the interactive part to my cousin... they are BRAND NEW so it will take a bit of tweaking. His chef is looking to have a kindof "ask the chef" blog and recipe section... so that will help get people involved... but I also like the beer interaction idea... maybe some apps or games/contests that let people get to pick the next months specialty beers may work...

Few other thoughts... (sorry, I'm in marketing, as you can tell)

A few things to think about....
-Sounds like the restaurant's getting great reviews. If the only way you promote them is through comments, then they'll get lost in the shuffle. Is there a central place you can showcase those? I feel like that's a better use of the welcome page's space
-The welcome page is good, but does that basically duplicate stuff that should be in "menu" and in "info"? I wonder if the map could be in the info section. And while we're at it, in the "info" section, I've seen other fan pages use that to include a brief description of what your restaurant is, what they serve, what they specialize in.
-I wonder if you could consolidate the beer&wine, menu, and welcome sections. I don't know how. But I feel like they use three tabs to communicate similar things. There's a lot of other creative uses of those tabs. Maybe one of your games/apps could be one tab, ask a chef as another, etc....

Anyway, just a few quick comments. Good luck.

[stlchiefs]

Dang, the old Double Dragon? I saw the word Plaza and backed out the first go around. I don't Facebook much so I can't offer much of a critique, but I did become a fan. I'm a real life fan of that neighborhood and boxing so I'll be sure to stop by and come back with my thoughts.

I ok I didn't realize this place replaced DD! I'm not sure I can support your cousin's place any longer, I have some good buffet memories from DD in college. Fatlock