Objectives:

Monroe Hospital had an outdated website that was not adequately meeting the needs of their users, and was difficult for the marketing department to update and maintain. Kevin Wood Interactive (KWI) was engaged to redesign and redevelop the website with the following Strategic Objectives in mind: 1) Provide a CMS for the marketing department to handle updates 2) Create strong Information Paths for Patients & Guests, Physicians, Volunteers and Employees 2) Increasing search engine visibility and keyword rankings 4) Create a user-experience that reflected the  personal, patient-centric care that Monroe Hospital provides.

Solution:

To meet these objectives the project included: 1) A Search Engine Friendly (SEF) Content Management System (CMS) to allow for easy updating without any technical knowledge 2) The Information Architecture (IA) was structured to allow users to find information by category or user-group 3) The development of online forms to facilitate pre-registration and job applications 4) Patient Testimonial videos 5) Display of current ER waiting time.

Objectives:

Conner Prairie Interactive History Park, created by Eli Lilly in 1934, is Indiana’s only Smithsonian Affiliate. Families of today engage, explore and discover what it was like to live and play in Indiana’s past.

Kevin Wood Interactive (KWI) partnered with Publicis Indianapolis, a full-service advertising agency, to design and develop a new microsite to highlight the 1863 Civil War Journey:Raid on Indiana exhibit. This incredible, one-of-a-kind outdoor experience combines high-tech theatrical wizardry, including video, sound, staging and Conner Prairie interpreters, to draw guests  into the true story of General John Hunt Morgan’s cavalry raid on Indiana.

Primary Strategic Objectives included: 1) Develop creative that supported the feel of the exhibit 2) Provide education resources for guests to continue their learning experience offline 3) Highlight exhibit-specific events and blog postings 4) Increase search visibility though creating very focus content based on keyword research  5) Encourage Word-of-Mouth and Social Sharing.

Solution:

To meet these objectives. a number of key content area were developed including: 1) An Interactive Map of the exhibit 2) A “Challenge A Friend quiz with Twitter and Facebook integration  3) A 3-D Scrapbook with more detailed information about the characters and the story of Morgan’s Raid 4) An Interactive TImeline 5) A “Share Your Experience” micro-blogging section where guests can upload text, images and video detailing their experience.

In the weeks preceding the launch – and continuing though the outdoor season – a conversation on Twitter was facilitated and tracked using the hashtag #1836CWJ.

Read about the main Conner Prairie Interactive Park website project

Objectives:

In celebration of the 100th year anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America, The Crossroads of America Council was launching a special membership campaign.

Strategic Objectives included: 1) Providing parents and kids with audience-specific imagery and messaging 2) Ability for parents and kids to search for scout units by grade and location 3) Capture contact information 4) Events calendar 5) Showcase a series of videos Myer and Wallace was producing profiling current and former scouts of high esteem and the role scouting played in their lives 6) Provide a budget-conscious solution for managing the content of key areas of the site.

Solution:

Based on Meyer and Wallis’s design, zlinemedia – during the time I was co-owner – developed an animated splash screen to both visually engage the user and allow them to self-identify by audience group. Parents and kids are then provided user-specific imagery and messages. Solutions to other objectives were provided by integrating third party online and social sharing tools such as Google Calendar, Picassa and YouTube into the site.

Objectives:

Conner Prairie Interactive History Park, created by Eli Lilly in 1934, is Indiana’s only Smithsonian Affiliate. Families of today engage, explore and discover what it was like to live and play in Indiana’s past.

Kevin Wood Interactive (KWI) partnered with Publicis Indianapolis, a full-service advertising agency, to design and develop a new website for Conner Prairie. The previous site had limited functionality and was not telling the story of their updated brand. Primary Strategic Objectives included: 1) Reshaping the audience’s perception of the brand 2) Communicating the wide variety of activities, events, exhibits and classes 3) Integrating the blogs into the site as a hub for ongoing social media initiatives 4) Increasing search engine visibility and keyword rankings 5) Increase ticket and gift certificate sales.

Solution:

To meet these objectives, the new site was integrated into an enterprise-level, Search Engine Friendly (SEF) Content Management System. (CMS).

Several key areas of interactivity were also developed including: 1) An Interactive Map of the park 2) The ability for Conner Prairie to create Interactive Quizzes by grade level 3) A “Build Your Adventure” web application the allows users to select Age Groups and Topics of Interest to create an itinerary for a specific day.

Since project launch in April 2009, Conner Prairie has seen measurable results in terms of User Engagement. Web ticket sales have brought in significant income, especially when related to the 1859 Balloon Voyage – a new experience that requires a separate ticket purchase. Online gift shop purchases have also increased year over year.

Phase 2 Enhancements and Additions

After site launch, zlinemedia (while I was co-owner) was contracted for support and retained for a web metrics program. Over a three month period, Site Traffic, Keyword Research, Search Engine Visibility and User Behavior was tracked and analysed for improvement and further conversion optimization. Based on the research, phase 2 enhancements included: 1) Landing pages for Special Events and for the PR Newsroom 2) Integrating both Conner Prairie Twitter feed and mentions on the homepage 3) Including newsroom feed 4) Updates to the placement of callouts and Blog Feed.

Other Initiatives

Kevin Wood Interactive (KWI) has since taken over the support and consulting of the Conner Prairie website. Ongoing User Research and Web Analysis has resulted in an overall revision of the site information architecture (AI) and the design of specific landing pages to better address the needs specific target audience segements.

Additionally, KWI collaborated with Publicis Indianapolis on a new microsite for the new “1863 Civil War Journey: Raid on Indiana” exhibit. This microsite is the first in a series that will highlight the guest experience in each section of the Conner Prairie Interactive History Park.

Objectives:

Maregatti Interiors (MI) is a long-time client of Kevin Wood Interactive (KWI). A website was developed back in 2004 that stood the test of time in terms of design, branding and marketing for several years. In 2009, KWI was contracted to implement the strategy, planning and design for an updated site. Key objectives of the redesign project included: 1) Further establish Maregatti as a national “major player” in their industry 2) Leverage the site and Search Engine Optimization initiatives to increase visibility in the insular Chicago market. 3) allow for Maregatti Interiors to easily make updates to the site internally. Allow for updates to be reviewed and approved by global admin before published to the live site. 4) Pull enough from the design language of the parent company site (BSA Lifestructures) to establish a connection while retaining the unique brand identity of MI.

The development portion of the project was executed under contract with zlinemedia (during the time I was co-owner) in 2010.

Solution:

Based off of the research, strategy and design of KWI, zlinemedia produced a Flash site that created a User Experience that effectively communicated the Maregatti brand. All content is XML based, and a custom .NET CMS was developed to allow for the easy updating of content and projects. To further increase usability, deep-linking techniques were implemented to allow for bookmarking of specific pages and projects as well as allow the browser buttons to function as the user expects. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) was improved by text-only “back” versions of each page that were indexed by search engines.

The entire site was developed to both scale and expand to accommodate the wide variety of screen resolutions and aspect ratios of users.

Objectives:

Bilou Enterprises is a consulting company specializing in Annual Giving. Bilou offers the expertise of Valerie Lambert, to conduct, enhance, analyze and critique their clients’ campaigns and offer counsel on how to improve programs in the following areas: Online Giving, Social Media, Direct Mail, Phonathon & Special Events, Database Management, and Data Analysis and Campaign Reporting.

Key Strategic Objectives identified for the new site included: 1) To introduce the brand 2) To create a platform for Valerie to promote herself as a forward-thinking expert in her field 3) To increase business leads.

Solution:

The new website offers several paths of engagement. The Events Calendar provides information about free or low-cost webinars of interest to target market groups. The Blog and the Calendar share an integrated subscription allowing users to manage branded email notifications for either or both.

The events and the blog are then promoted through multiple social media channels, with the feeds pulling back into the website.

zlinemedia (during the time I was co-owner) also developed a file management system for Bilou to build out an Annual Giving Resources area of the site with future plans to release as a premium paid membership area.

Phase 2

Bilou Enterprises has since retained Kevin Wood Interactive (KWI) for support, metrics, and enhancements.  Since launch, KWI developed a custom paid seminar functionality for the site that allows for the easy listing, administration and payment processing for a series of seminars Valerie Lambert is giving. This is the first of several revenue generating enhancements that are part of the long term strategy and planning for the website.

Problem:

Website was difficult to update and information was difficult to find. Website was not generating enough online donations to meet Gleaner’s goals.

Solution:

Zline – during the time I was co-owner – designed a website around three primary calls to action: Donate, Volunteer, Learn. As a non-profit with limited resources, Gleaners needed a streamlined and efficient content management process. We implemented an enterprise-level content management system that allows content areas to be divided among different groups in the food bank. The system has functionality for future publish to/from dates to allow the entry of content at one time to go live automatically at future dates.

Result

Potentials donors visiting the Gleaners site are quickly able to locate the donation areas and give online. Since launch, online donations increased by dramatically, paying off the investment of the site within two months. Online Volunteer submissions have also increased.

Since launch, Gleaners has retained Kevin Wood Interactive (KWI) for support and enhancements.

Lushin Banner Ad Campaign

A series of Flash banner ads were produced for Lushin and Associates that ran on the Indianapolis Business Journal website.  Three message variants were developed in three sizes. Each of the three messages linked to an associated landing page for conversion tracking.

Objectives:

Hetrick Communications wanted an updated website that would more accurately tell the story of their brand in the marketplace. Hetrick had established a long standing reputation as a best-in-class PR firm, but had expanded their range of service offerings. The updated site was a component of an overall repositioning strategy. Additional key objectives included: 1) Integrating the currently separate blog into the primary site 2) Executing the Agency design – with the animated transitions – without the use of Flash 3) Improve site performance to improve user experience 3) Allow for custom work portfolios to be created for specific potential clients.

Solution:

To address these objectives, the current WordPress Blog was pulled into a new, updated installation to allow for a more integrated, easily updated site. To improve site performance, hosting was migrated to a more WordPress friendly vendor, and the XHTML/CSS optimized for speed.

Several custom areas of functionality were developed including: 1) the optional ability to create a customized, password protected area for specific potential clients with company name and logo 2) Ajax techniques for animations and subtle transitions for greater compatibility for mobile and tablets 3) Social Media channels were integrated into the homepage as well as a Social Media Dashboard area to both encourage social engagement and increase social signal influences for search.

Objectives:

Becker Logistics, based in Chicago, is a transportation management company that matches customers with top-quality freight carriers in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Becker had a static site with an outdated design that did not support their desired branding. It was also challenging for the company to update and maintain the site without a Content Management System (CMS).

Primary Strategic Objectives included: 1) A creative execution that portrayed the Becker brand competitively with larger, more established companies in the industry 2) Raise brand awareness in the marketplace by increasing search engine visibility 3) Increase Conversions with strong messaging, well defined user-paths and specific “calls-to-action.”

Solution:

A site architecture and wireframes were created based on our consultation with the client, user research and an in-depth analysis of key competitors. This research and planning was then translated into a clean, user-centric design.

Becker’s business goals were then addressed with: 1) SEO optimized copywriting based on keyword research and competitive analysis 2) A content management solution 3) Adding functionality such as news, email newsletter and the ability for users to request a quote online.

Credit: This project was developed while I was a co-owner at zline.