Website Redesign for Form and Function

June 15, 2008 by JuliaBaldwin

There are many reasons to redesign your website, but the two major ones are when the original design becomes outdated and when the site becomes less user-friendly than it once was (or it’s not up to the current standards for site usability). Usually these two reasons go hand in hand.

We recommend a business site redesign every 2-3 years. This may not seem like a very long time, but here in the web world things move very quickly. Design trends and usability standards can sometimes change from month to month.

Let’s take a look at one of Blizzard’s recent redesigns and see how an overhaul of both the site form and site function benefited the client.

We took on The Rusty Parrot Lodge & Spa of Jackson, Wyoming as a client in 2004. They purchased marketing, maintenance and hosting plans with us. Another company had recently built their site and so it was relatively fresh and fucntional.

During the course of the next 4 years the site grew considerably. Problems with it surfaced as we added new pages, content and images. A blog was also added, which had a different set of navigation and code to maintain than the main site.

When the Rusty Parrot management decided it was time for a redesign in late 2007, Blizzard was excited to take on the project. Together with the client we developed a long list of things that needed to be changed.

The Rusty Parrot is one of the most luxurious and unique properties in Jackson. They’ve won countless awards for their high level of service and are known for their friendly staff. However, the look and feel of the old site did not convey the quality of the property.

Additionally, the old website did not properly showcase the natural beauty of Jackson, Wyoming. Nestled at the base of the Teton Mountains, anyone who has ever visited this part of the country knows that it is stunning.

From a usability standpoint, the navigation was somewhat tricky to use. Several levels of fly-outs on the main menu proved to be overwhelming and sometimes difficult to click on. Users could easily become confused when looking for specific information.

Technically, the site was cumbersome to maintain. Originally built in Microsoft FrontPage, there were hundreds of lines of excess code per page, making design and content changes more time-intensive than they should have been. Also, there was no content management system implemented to allow the Rusty Parrot staff to do some of the updates themselves.

Changes to the aesthetics of the site include an updated layout that is restricted to 800 pixels wide, fitting the vast majority of monitors, unlike the old site. The new design also floats in the middle of the screen instead of being left aligned.

On the old homepage, several small photos were laid out randomly all over the screen. On the new one large, professional photos rotate one at a time in a slide show. The darker green background conveys a mountain feel better than the former lime green background. The page footer was condensed to include only the most relevant contact information, unlike the old footer which was almost 600 pixels wide and contained a lot of unnecessary text.

The resulting look and feel of the new design is much more unified and clean. The new photos “wow” the user in a way that the old site never did. The buttons are classier and more subtle. The finished product is much more elegant and contemporary than the old website.

Usability-wise, the navigation was completely reworked. Abandoning the old fly-out style of menu, the new site incorporates a multi-tier system of navigation that only shows the buttons that are relevant to the area of the site that the user is currently on. When you click one of the main buttons at the top left of the page, it takes you to a new page that displays a submenu to the left of the content. For instance, when you click on “Lodging”, a submenu appears that includes only the buttons “Rooms”, “Rates” and “Around the Lodge”. Studies have shown that this style of navigation is easier for the visitor to use and understand than the old fly-out method.

Finally, the new site was designed using WordPress, which is an open-source blogging software product that can also be used for content management. The main site and the blog (“Local Reviews”) now share one set of code and navigation, which is less time consuming to maintain. Additionally, the Rusty Parrot’s staff can now make changes to the content and photos of the site without contacting Blizzard all the time, which will in save them money in the long run.

The website went live in April 2008 and the management has been extremely pleased with the results thus far. Jim Promo, the general manager, commented on what he likes best about the redesign. “I think the site is much more representative of the property than the old one. The new look is also more contemporary in feel, which will impart a fresh look for out repeat visitors.”

A site redesign is one of the top ways to convert site visitors to customers. The Rusty Parrot is already seeing the results as their reservations increase

Filed Under: Perfect By Design

Branding Consistency – From Offline to Online and Beyond

May 2, 2008 by JuliaBaldwin

I recently took a leave of absence from Blizzard to visit my sister in Wellington, New Zealand. During our visit together to the South Island, we made a stop in Christchurch, where we stayed at the Hotel So. Opening in 2007, the designer hotel is a recent addition to the city’s myriad of accommodation choices. They market themselves toward a younger, style (yet budget) conscious crowd, mainly composed of 20 and 30-something adventurers, as well as some business travelers. The overall feel of the hotel is modern and chic, with minimal yet appealing interior design. The bar serves designer martinis; the café menu is eclectic and trendy.

The thing that grabbed my attention the most about this hot spot was their branding strategy. Every detail of the hotel was considered in the planning of the business; all elements communicated with each other visually. From the logo to the wallpaper, right down to the tea bags and chocolates, everything matched perfectly. Simply said, it’s a designer’s paradise, and I fell in love immediately. If their marketing team hasn’t won an award for this place yet, it’s about time they did!

When I returned to the states in March, I hadn’t checked out the Hotel So website yet, so when I finally did I was pleased to see that their website carried the same stunning brand identity that the hotel did. Not only did the professional photography sweep me right back across the Pacific Ocean, but the graphic elements of the site reminded me of how carefully their designers made the place a cohesive whole. The same unusual color combinations of brownish taupe and various pastel colors (which are all very fashionable combinations right now) that I found throughout the hotel itself, were now echoed on my computer screen.

So what’s so important about creating a brand identity for your property? Well, there are lots of reasons. For starters, if you create a lasting impression on your customers, they will become repeat customers. There is no doubt that if I were to find myself in Christchurch again, I would make a point of staying at the Hotel So. Since my sister and I stayed in a variety of hotels and hostels all over New Zealand, many of them blur together in my memory. However, this place was an experience in itself, and I won’t soon forget it.

The AVS Group, a web services company in Wisconsin, explains another reason that branding is so important. “Brand identity commands a price-premium. Why is someone willing to pay thousands of dollars more for a Lexus than for a Toyota? They are virtually the same product with the exception of some additional options and accessories…the value proposition is wrapped around the brand. The Lexus…[is] worth more in the minds of consumers regardless of whether the product actually functions better.” According to an article by Lara Appelhans at INeedHits.com, “building your brand will create credibility, implies trustworthiness, and should make your business name synonymous with the product or service that you sell.”

When it’s time to start establishing your brand, make sure your design is consistent online and offline. You and your designer(s) should work together to establish a standard of typefaces, layouts and color palettes. If your outdoor signage is designed in the font Soho Gothic, carry that font over to your website and use it on some of your buttons (remember though that for many areas of a website, such as the copy, you will need to stick to web-safe fonts). If the color of the walls in most of your rooms is hunter green, try using a similar color in your website design.

One of the design elements that we see on the Hotel So website is the repeated abstract line pattern at the bottom of the screen:

Although not identical, it is very similar the line pattern found on the wood panels and comforters found in every room:

To the non-designer, details such as repeating lines may seem trivial. However, when several of these small details tie together, it can create a visual theme that wows the consumer. Next time you order new comforters for your beds, or new packaging for in-room amenities – think about the “style” you’re conveying with your property and with your website. Sometimes making a few simple purchase decisions can go a long way towards giving your guests the experience today’s traveler is craving.

Filed Under: Design, Travel Marketing

Selecting Appropriate Photography for Your Website – Part 3

March 27, 2008 by JuliaBaldwin

In the previous 2 days we have explored various options for purchasing photos for your website. Today we’ll go a bit more “grass roots” and talk about taking photos yourself. This can be tricky and what looks good on your small digital camera view-finder may not look very good blown up on your website.

Tips for Taking photos yourself.

This option is sometimes best for smaller properties that don’t have the budget to hire a professional; however, it can be time consuming and does not guarantee great results. Taking good photos of your property entails more than walking around your property for an hour and snapping away with the digital camera.

Make sure that you have a good quality camera. For digital cameras, make sure that your camera is at least 5 mega pixels. Many of the newer models have abandoned the old viewfinder for a large LCD viewing screen, but these can be difficult to use if you are far-sighted, and often have a glare so you cannot see what you are shooting (I recently was dismayed to find that the horizon in nearly every photo I took on my vacation was crooked because of this!). Additionally, a tripod is helpful, but not necessary.
For starters, try shooting the same subject at different times of day. The light in a room will be different in the morning than in the afternoon, and one may compliment the room better than another. Similarly, the weather may affect the appearance and quality of a photo as well. Another thing to consider is the time of year. If your high season is summertime, you probably don’t want to shoot your property in the winter when the trees have no leaves and the grass is brown.
If you’ve got the time and the interest, take a beginner’s digital photography course at your local community college, or online. You’ll learn the basics of composition, lighting, exposure and many other topics.

Making Your Final Decision

Many of our clients will choose to combine 2 or 3 of the different photography options, such as stock and hiring a professional photographer, or hiring someone and taking the rest of the pictures themselves. Baird House for instance decided to hire a professional photographer for all of their interior photos, but they shot the exterior and surrounding area of the property themselves. Mead Brown used a combination of stock photography, a local photographer and pictures they took themselves.

If you are uncertain which option or combination of options is best for you and your property, we are happy to help you determine the best route. Talk with our Blizzard Business Development team when you are ready to develop a design and marketing plan, or discuss the issue with your web designer. And remember, in this industry, having quality photos that showcase your property in the best way possible is crucial.

from Hamed Saber

Filed Under: Featured Articles

Selecting Appropriate Photography for Your Website – Part 2

March 26, 2008 by JuliaBaldwin

In Part 1 of this series we explored the steps necessary to decide what type of photography you’ll use on your website. Today we’re going to explore using stock photography a bit further and give some tips for finding compelling imagery for your website.

Using stock photography.

This is a great option for many of our clients and there are many choices available. Using stock photography can be more budget friendly than hiring a professional, but obviously you will not find stock photos of your property. Stock photography is great for photos of your area, photos of people and small details like food and flowers. Because stock photography is professionally shot, the imagery is clean and crisp, two factors that are key to providing your guests with an experience on your website – before they even come to stay with you.

With stock photography, Blizzard can do the searching for you (if it is in your budget) or you can do it yourself. If you opt to do it yourself, two sites that we often recommend to our clients are www.istock.com and www.fotolia.com. These are both inexpensive options that have billions of photos in their databases. Photos can be purchased from $1 each, depending on the resolution required. If the image you’re placing on your site is quite large and fills the page from sidebar to sidebar – you’re going to need a higher resolution photo. Smaller images can be lower resolution.

On both of these sites, you can create what’s called a “lightbox” to store the photos that you like. A lightbox is essentially a shopping cart, but you can share it with others and give it a special name that relates to its content. You can have one for people photos, one for beach photos, one for boat photos…it’s up to you, and you can create as many as you like. In order to make one, just create a user name and password and start browsing for photos. When you find one that you think might work for your website, simply click “add to lightbox”. When you’re finished, send us your login information and Blizzard can purchase the photos for you if it’s quoted as part of your website. This way you know you’ll be getting the correct resolution and dimensions for your site!

Browsing for photos on these sites can take some practice. The general rule of thumb is to start out with something broad, such as “California vineyard” (this particular search term yields 780 results). If you’re looking for something more specific, such as a California vineyard with mountains in the distance, try searching for “California vineyard mountains” (this search yields 21 results). You can also narrow your search by many other parameters, such as photo orientation, file type, etc. Click on “advanced search” to see all of the search parameters that are available.

Many chambers of commerce also keep stock photos that you can use for a fee, or for a trade. Check with yours to see what they have available. If your town has an annual festival or event, it’s likely they can provide photos from it. They often also have photos of area attractions and scenery.

Likewise, many local photographers may have their own inventory of stock photos available for you to purchase. They tend to be more expensive than the large internet sites, but less expensive than having the photographers visit your property.

Most of our clients use stock photography to supplement the professional photos they already have. It’s also a great option if your property is under construction but you want to get your website up sooner than later.

So stock photography is a very viable option for providing filler photos for area attractions pages, activities pages and other imagery that is not specific to your property. Keep in mind that others can also purchase and use these photos – so you’re not necessarily getting something “unique” but that isn’t always a bad thing. Tomorrow we’ll explore tips for taking your own photos in Part 3 of Selecting Appropriate Photography for your Website.
Here are some websites that use stock photography in additional to photos of their own:

Bama Bayou

Perfect Drive at PGA Village

Filed Under: Featured Articles

Selecting Appropriate Photography for Your Website – Part 1

March 25, 2008 by JuliaBaldwin

Have you ever searched for accommodation for your family vacation and had trouble finding quality photos of the property you were interested in? It’s discouraging, isn’t it? Most of us are visual people and want to be sure that the condo we’re about to rent doesn’t have a closet-sized kitchen or orange shag carpet from 1972. In this series I’m going to concentrate on three main options for obtaining images: hiring a professional photographer, finding and purchasing stock photos, and photographing your property yourself.

So you realize – as a vacationer yourself – the importance of being able to see what a property looks like. These days, almost all hotel and vacation rental websites include some sort of property photos. However, not all photography is created equal. There are many different ways to add quality photos to your site. However, all of the different options can be overwhelming. How do you know which choice is the best for you and your property?

First, you need to decide what features will draw visitors to your property. Who are your guests? Do people stay with you because you’re in a beautiful getaway location, or because they need a host for their next business meeting? Is there something about your property that is so unique that guests come and stay with you just for the experience of your property itself?

Once you’ve determined who your guests are, and why they visit your location, you can decide what kind of photos to concentrate on. If your property is a quiet mountain ranch in Wyoming, you’ll absolutely want to include lots of pictures of the gorgeous scenery around your property. On the other hand, if your hotel is in a major city and business travelers make up a large portion of your guests, you might want to concentrate on pictures of the hotel only, since your guests may not be exploring the surrounding area much.

Now that you’ve determined what kind of photos your website needs, it’s time to decide how you’re going to go about getting those photos.

Hiring a professional photographer.

This option can sometimes be expensive, but undoubtedly the return on investment is more than worth the price. Professional photography will make your site stand apart from others and really shine. I have had the pleasure of working with several clients who have hired professional photographers and they have all been impressed with their results. Historic Key West Inns is a great example of a site with professional photography – the photos are clean, crisp, colorful, and evoke the relaxed but upscale feel of the property. Gversion, a British design and marketing company, also points out that “the advantage of having a professional photographer is that you will have exclusive rights to the photos taken and so can be assured that the images on your website are original”.

Most professional photographers will need to be hired locally, so check with your chamber of commerce for recommendations. Be sure to check out their portfolio. Different photographers have different areas of expertise, as well as unique styles. So make sure to pick one that not only suits your taste, but seems to match your property. If you want to concentrate on the interior of your property, make sure you see some examples of other property interiors that your photographer has taken.

Part 2 will post tomorrow – with tips on using Stock Photography on your website.

More sites with great professional photography: