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SoulsvilleUSA.com: Click your mouse;snap your fingers

By David Williams
williams@commercialappeal.com

The Stax Museum of American Soul Music’s redesigned Web site is a pretty raucous place -- even with your computer speakers muted.

The new version of soulsvilleusa.com site is a bold mix of colors, fonts and images designed by Aristotle, the Little Rock-based firm that’s responsible for elvis.com, the King’s official site.

"Part of what this site needed was to just really wake up," said Jennifer Peper, Aristotle’s director of Web site marketing.

"You can really get a taste of the era with the colors and the lack of restricted design. We built in pockets where your eye would go."

In the upper left-hand corner of the home page is the finger-snapping Stax logo. Below it is a picture of Otis Redding, with audio of "(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay," which morphs into Isaac Hayes and "Theme from Shaft," followed by the Staple Singers and "I’ll Take You There." (You have taken those speakers off mute, haven’t you?)

Elsewhere on the home page, amid shades of red, yellow and blue, there are some three dozen places to click, for everything from a virtual museum tour to a primer on the Stax Music Academy, from volunteer and donation information to the all-important "planning a visit" section.

The site originally was designed before the museum opened in 2003, by Memphis-based firm Ringger, which didn’t bid on the redesign job.

"This is very much a site about the label -- and about tourism," Peper said. "It’s about bringing visitors to the museum and to Memphis."

The museum and has drawn 70,000 visitors since opening in May 2003 and has received major media coverage, including a January feature on CBS News Sunday Morning.

Increasingly, though, the Web site is expected to be the museum’s best tool for reaching potential visitors.

"I think the Web site will eventually be the No. 1 way," said Tim Sampson, communications manager for Soulsville, the nonprofit organization that includes the museum and academy.

The site drew 18,490 visitors in January and 20,540 in February. Twenty percent of that traffic was from outside the U.S., reflecting the international appeal of soul and other Memphis music and its history.

Sampson said officials of the Montreal Jazz Festival saw the site, read about the museum’s Wattstax exhibit, and are arranging to have to displayed at the festival.

-- David Williams: 529-2310



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SOULSVILLE

Business: Stax Museum of American Soul Music and Stax Music Academy

Location: museum at 926 E. McLemore; academy at 910 E. McLemore; Soulsville offices at 870 E. McLemore

Top person: Deanie Parker, president and CEO

Contact info: soulsvilleusa.com and 942-7685 (museum)

ARISTOTLE

Business: Web site design and hosting, Internet service, network solutions and interactive media

Location: Little Rock

Top person: Elizabeth Bowles, president

Contact info: aristotle.net and 800-995-2747

Copyright 2005, commercialappeal.com - Memphis, TN. All Rights Reserved.