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ORIGINS
| WHAT'CHA BEEN DOING? |
JUST THE FACTS MA'AM |
THE FUTURE IS NOW
Previously, we highlighted
the history and past year's accomplishments here on PhantomRanch.org
(See "Origins" and "What'cha
been doing?", respectively). Our third birthday celebration installment
is reminiscent of the classic television show Dragnet. We'll be focusing
on "Just the facts, Ma'am." -- a showcase of some interesting facts,
figures and statistics that promise to make your eyes open wide!
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Probably one of the most commonly asked questions the Web Team gets
asked is "how many people actually visit Phantom Ranch's website
each week?" A fair question, especially in this current time with
Wall Street demands that websites prove their value to everyone
involved. As you can see from the graph below, PhantomRanch.org
has been blessed by a large increase in visits over the past year.
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Of special note is our highest traffic point ever during the month
of July, at the peak of our Summer Camp sessions. We are glad
to see campers, parents, staff, and supporters visiting the site
to keep up on current events, learning how to best pray for our
needs, and interact with each other to keep our ministry going.
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To keep us accountable, the Ranch often has to answer questions
pertaining to the actual existence of our website. We appreciate
these observations, because they continually help us to evaluate
our purpose both on and offline. We wanted to share with you some
recent trends in Internet usage…
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These figures, provided by Internet research firm Jupiter Communications,
show the increase of online usage from 1998 to 1999 (the last
full year of reportable data available). Of special note is the
large increase in both teen and adult users of the Internet. Since
the Ranch works with all of these groups through Summer Camp,
Winter Camp, and numerous Retreat programs, we find it encouraging
that we have the opportunity to minister via cyberspace. In effect,
we want to meet those who need to know Christ on their level,
and our website is one way we can do that.
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| It's
been 2 years . . . is it working? |
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 One
area we like to measure the value of our website is through applications
to both attend and work during Summer Camp. This summer, we saw
a large increase in those who used PhantomRanch.org to download
Registration Forms and Staff Applications. In both cases, approximately
20 percent of our totals in each category came from the Internet.
Compared to 1999, this has been a very successful year.
Next year,
it is our goal to increase these numbers substantially, as they
not only streamline the process for parents and staff, but also
save the Ranch money on printing costs.
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| What
about new "customers"? |
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 According
to Program Director Olen Johnsen, the number of people who make
a "first contact" with the Ranch via the Internet is growing.
This means that if a person or group is interested in becoming
a staff member or booking a retreat, instead of calling the camp,
they choose to send us an e-mail or use our web information form.
Johnsen notes that he initially communicated via the Internet
with at least 50 percent of our future 2000 Summer Camp staff
before they arrived.
 As
people grow in their use of computers both at home and in the
office, we are finding that this is changing the way they seek
information and plan events. Our website helps us to adapt to
this trend, meaning we have a greater chance of ministering to
others.
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| How
much does it cost to run? |
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Myth: Building
and maintaining a website on the Internet doesn't cost anything.
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As you can
probably imagine, the Ranch has made a conscious and substantial
investment in our presence on the World Wide Web. In our short two-year
history, we have already seen the benefits of our labor, both from
a business perspective, but also in many lives won for Christ. However,
all this doesn't come without a price. Like our other programs,
infrastructure, and marketing expenses, there is also a value figure
placed on PhantomRanch.org. To put things into perspective, we'd
like to share some costs with you now.
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| Website
hosting |
$244.95 |
Cost
associated with having our site hosted on a server to be
accessed on the World Wide Web |
| Domain
registration |
$35.00 |
Cost
associated with keeping the web address of "www.phantomranch.org" |
| Dedicated
local phone line |
$360.00 |
Provides
the Ranch staff with continual access to e-mail and the
Web; keeps regular phone lines free for calls from parents,
groups, etc. |
| Local
internet access |
$360.00 |
Even
though we pay a yearly website hosting fee, in order to
access the Web from Mukwonago, Wis., a local Internet Service
Provider is needed. The Ranch presently pays for two accounts. |
| Equipment
& hardware |
$800.00 |
This
year we incurred many one-time hardware costs, including
a digital camera and CD burner. Both of these items were
needed to provide great photos for various electronic uses.
They have also been used in non-Internet related ways. For
example, we provided a CD of about 60 photos for a church
that did a recent rock climbing trip. |
| Development
tools & software |
$1,500 |
Includes
many of the items used by our Web Team weekly to keep the
website running. Recent purchases included Macromedia Dreamweaver
3 (web development software), Macromedia Fireworks (graphics
software), ACDsee (photo management software), WinProxy
(network software for Ranch office), Acrobat Distiller (used
in brochure creation), WS-FTP (uploading software), and
Ultimate Bulletin Board (software that powers The Campfire). |
| TOTAL |
$3,299.95 |
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Our Web Team volunteers are the reason we can keep this website
running. Without them, costs and time requirements would make this
ministry impossible. Don't believe us?
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These facts and statistics are not provided to "pat ourselves on
the back" or prompt you to open your wallets and send us checks.
Rather, we just wanted to show that there are substantial costs
involved in running our advertising-free, non-profit website. It
is not a self-supporting endeavor - our expenses are included in
the general budget of the Ranch. But we have found it to be a great
investment in how we can reach others "To Know Christ and To Make
Him Known," while also helping to build for the future of camp.
That said, if you feel led to help support the Internet aspect of
our ministry, we would appreciate the assistance.
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We'll be wrapping
up our month-long Birthday celebration with the final installment
in our series next week: "The Future is Now". In that section, you'll
have the chance to read final thoughts from Ranch management, along
with seeing what is planned for the future of PhantomRanch.org.
Until then, keep the candles burning, balloons full of air, streamers
waiving and those cards coming!
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ORIGINS
| WHAT'CHA BEEN DOING? |
JUST THE FACTS MA'AM |
THE FUTURE IS NOW
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