Posts Tagged ‘web site’

It’s clear that the web site could be improved but how do I know whether now’s the time to invest in a new site? Here are 10 surefire ways to tell that it’s time for a redesign.

1. Your site is more than 3 years old
Technology has changed so much in the last couple of years, you are probably not taking advantage of the latest frontend and backend technologies. Adding fresh and relevant content keeps your site constantly in front of the search engines and inspires return traffic.

2. Your traffic numbers have gone down.
If Google Analytics or another traffic measurement tool is showing a decline in viewer engagement, you may need a site fix. Site metrics are an easy way to gauge the effectiveness of your website and can point out the areas of your site that need the most attention.

3. Navigating your site is difficult, un-intuitive
Good site navigation relies on multiple elements to point the way to your users: menus, sidebar links, mini-navs, footers, and nested hyperlinks, among others. Or if your site navigation frustrates your site visitors for other reasons, it’s time to create a new website for the organization.

4. If only customers could find a way to place their order!
It’s amazing how many websites have done a splendid job of presentation, gotten consumers to visit the site but really stink at closing the deal. No call to action = no customers! No easy and secure transaction method = no customers. No way to contact customer service = no customers. No clear privacy and return policies = no customers. Great pictures, content and navigation are part of the story, but you have to follow through all the way.

5. You’re not getting found
If your website is not optimized for the search engines, you’re losing a lot of traffic and potential business. To optimize your web pages your main keywords should be included in the title, description and keyword meta tags as well as headings, subheadings, main content, links, file names and image descriptions. Search engine optimization (SEO) is a science as well as an art, and it’s critical to being ‘found’ on the Internet.

6. You’re Spending a Small Fortune to Maintain Your Site
The advent of robust content management systems (CMS) makes it easy, quick and intuitive for non-technical staff to update and make changes to the site. By using open source CMS tools you keep your costs down and keep up with technological changes.

7. Your Business Has Changed but Your Site Hasn’t
Rebranding, a different business direction, new products or services, or significant company growth … these are important changes that should be reflected in your online presence. An integrated, consistent brand (offline and online) builds customer trust and keeps consumers coming back.

8. Your Site Displays Differently on Different Web Browsers
Differences in browser display can lead to unpredictable results – a page that looks good in one browser may be unreadable in another. A professionally executed redesign will ensure that your website performs well on all major browsers across all platforms

9. You’ve ignored smartphones … so far
With 500 million users and growing, and predictions that smartphones will overtake the PC as the most popular way to get on the Internet by 2015, the mobile web is no longer a communications portal you can afford to ignore. Developing a site for smartphone access requires a new way of looking at information. At the very least, you must design for a small screen and streamline your content.

10. Your site looks just like everyone else’s
Your customers are increasingly doing more online research and, these days, focusing more on price. So it’s critical that your website stands out from the crowd. It’s got to be up-to-date, relevant and convincing. The site has to show prospects why they should do business with you and not the other guys.

We are very proud to announce the launch of a new streamlined and socially connected mobile experience for ChildFund International!

http://m.childfund.org/

So take out your mobile phone, click around and don’t forget to “Text a Gift”. More about this exciting launch from the those behind the work…

Pauline, Marketing Director says: “We’ve helped ChildFund establish a strong presence for the mobile audience, and they can now take advantage of ‘text-to-give’ as a new channel for fundraising.”

Cynthia, Director of Communications says: “We know our supporters are committed and passionate about helping children around the world, and this mobile site provides them with portable access at all times. They can share information with others through the site and if they are moved, they also can donate quickly and easily. Best of all, the site provides direct access for those who have decided to commit to sponsoring a child.”

Shirley, Digital Producer says: “I love that we were able to use content, message, and technology to deliver a unique experience and potentially open up ChildFund to new audiences.”

Laura, Marketing Director says: “The mobile site looks great! Wow!”

Special thanks to the ChildFund marketing team as well as Shirley, Pauline, Katherine, Stuart, Jeff and Josh for their beautiful execution. Amazing effort all around!

Verisk Health is a true innovator in providing risk assessment and predictive modeling tools to the global healthcare industry.

We’re excited to announce that Verisk Health has launched a new web site (http://www.veriskhealth.com) that tells the story of its innovative products and services in a engaging and colorful way.  The home page features a randomly fluctuating series of lines representing the changing landscape of healthcare and the theme of bringing clarity to complex data, which underlies the Sightlines suite of products. The new web site also features case studies, the Perspectives Blog and a wealth of information for a diverse set of healthcare industry audiences.

Digital Pulp worked with Verisk Health’s marketing team to craft a message and creative concept that articulates the company’s brand online and to extend the brand to the company’s offline materials, ranging from corporate and product brochures to business cards and presentation templates. More from the team behind the effort…

Trish, Marketing VP, Verisk Health says: “Digital Pulp really dug in to grasp what we do and what we wanted to say. Their ability to listen and understand and then translate that visually and narratively into a strong web presence is what really sets them apart.”

Doris, Senior Producer, Digital Pulp says:  ”With healthcare reform dominating the headlines, it was exciting to work with a company that has real answers and can so clearly help to make a difference in the industry.”

Kiu, Graphic Designer, Digital Pulp says: “Bringing a great brand like Verisk Health to life on the Web and extending the visual signature to all of their corporate materials was a challenging and interesting experience.”

All we can say is thank you to the Verisk Health marketing team for the opportunity and congratulations to Doris, Kiu and Susan for crafting a new message and image to match the innovative products and thinking at Verisk Health. Amazing!

We’re very excited to announce that My Meth Life won “Best of Class” in the category of Advocacy from the Interactive Media Awards.

http://www.mymethlife.org

Delving deeply into the feelings that drive meth use, the site offers uncensored stories of what it is like to use and presents some healthier and realistic options for making a change.

We are extremely pleased with the number of user comments throughout the site. Friends, family, and former meth users are generously sharing their personal experiences with GMHC. All in a community effort to not judge but support those facing meth addiction.

View the award

Special thanks to the GMHC marketing team as well as our own Shirley, Katherine, Joe, Josh, Dan and Steven for all their work to make the site a reality.

Digital Pulp and Bausch + Lomb have come together to launch the biggest product innovation in the category within the last decade online… BiotrueTM.

The digital brand experience begins with an interactive website that creates immediate energy around the Biotrue brand through animation and storytelling. Particularly the World of Bio-inspiration encourages both consumer and professional audiences to interact with and discover what products, like Biotrue, are inspired by nature.

Videos and interactive graphs are abundant throughout the site enhancing the user’s experience as they explore what makes Biotrue truly unique. Awareness is being generated online with dynamic banner ads and coordinates beautifully with TV and PR efforts in cities across the U.S. More from the team behind the work…

Chris, Senior Brand Manager, B+L says: “Congratulations on the launch of Biotrue.com!!! Thanks for all of your hard work in getting this spectacular site up and running. Your team continues to deliver exceptional work.”

Susan, Senior Account Manager, Digital Pulp says: “In a category that is known for low consumer engagement, the Biotrue brand and site break the mold. It’s exciting and engaging from the first moment the site intro starts to play!”

Gene, Creative Director, Digital Pulp says: “The site presents a great balance of brand experience and elucidation, giving visitors both product and category information. From the multimedia introduction to the interactive world of bioninspiration, Biotrue.com delivers.”

Thank you to B+L marketing team for the opportunity to do something so wonderful. And many thanks to all the talented DP team members who had a hand in the strategy, planning, design and development. What a nice result.

What better way to appreciate the creativity and energy of Emerson College than to engage with its students, faculty, and alumni online? That was the driving concept behind Emerson College’s new web presence, which made its debut this past month.

Virtually every page of Emerson’s new website includes related videos and links to the College’s Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Flickr, and ProArts Connect portals. Visitors can participate in the community within those sections and also by reading and commenting on the numerous blogs throughout the website. More from the team behind the work…

Andy, VP for Communications and Marketing says: “As the only college in America focused exclusively on communication and the arts, our goal was to highlight the community’s creative vision and outgoing personality by showcasing the work of Emerson’s students, faculty, and alumni.”

Marta, Web Content Developer says: “While the most critical function for any college’s website is to provide information, we also wanted to create ways for our visitors to participate in conversations, hear directly from Emersonians, and as much as possible, experience Emerson live.”

Erika, Senior Producer says: “Emerson College has many talented students and providing them with a means to showcase their work in a fun an innovative way, Emerson Live, was very rewarding.”

Dan, Developer says: “I really enjoyed building the home page main feature area. It was especially fun collaborating with our design team to achieve the impact of a flash feature while using only javascript, HTML, and CSS.”

Special thanks to the Emerson communications team as well as Chris, Erika, Katherine, Kiu, Dan, Alex, Ryan, Alexander, James and Josh for bringing the site to life. Nicely done.