First Look at New Website for Special Olympics Delaware
The day is finally here to launch Special Olympic Delaware's new website! As our pro-bono client, SODE receives the redesigned site in addition to 3 years of support and sponsorship.
What's New?
- A drastic change in design, as SODE desired to combine the branding of the larger national organization with their own updated, unique look.
- Mega drop-down menu navigation that clearly organizes the site for users.
- Built-in features, including an application that facilitates volunteer education.
- A highly-customized CMS that allows members to easily manage content like news and events.
And much more! As user-focused web designers, we truly appreciate how involved the SODE members were in helping us create a positive user experience on their site.
Check out SODE's new site today!
Read about SODE's experience working with Bright Orange Thread.
Why did we choose SODE?
The non-profit's year-round sports training and athletic competitions for children and adults with intellectual disabilities are just a few reasons why we are honored to work with SODE. Their programs alone have brought joy into the lives of more than 20,000 individuals in the Delaware region.
We thank SODE for their dedication and work in the community!
Google Expanded Listings vs. Home Page
BroadPoint's expanded listings.
Are Google's expanded search links more efficient in navigating users to the information they want than the home pages they conceal? Jason Fried seems to think so. Whether you agree or not, Fried's article from 37signals begs the question: Should we implement a renewed focus on site usability? Perhaps—since the longevity of your website may depend on it.
Google is designed to fetch results that seem most likely to meet the searcher's needs. Under some results, Google displays expanded listings—specific links from the website that might interest a user. The expanded links often direct users to the information they want, allowing them to bypass a site's home page.
But while Google's listings provide an express lane for users looking for specific answers, they lack the individuality home pages use to persuade and educate potential clients.
The Home Page is where the heart is.
By offering a condensed list of site links, Google is exchanging individuality for readability. But you don't have to choose one over the other for your site. The best home pages will:
- Help visitors understand your business and pull them deeper into your site.
- Showcase other products that users didn't know they were looking for.
- Create a hierarchy of information so key sales messages get noticed first.
- Offer timely, relevant content that builds customer relationships.
The Curious Case of BroadPoint Technologies
An example of how Google Analytics may reveal surprising statistics is that of BroadPoint Technologies. When the company's name is searched on Google, 3 expanded links come up, ranked from most to least popular: Careers, Client Services, and Consulting Services.
BroadPoints specialty—Consulting—is ranked only 3rd among its highest Analytics traffic. Why? More people are concerned with getting hired by BroadPoint than hiring the company for consulting services.
Using this information, BroadPoint can re-focus its efforts on improving SEO results for consulting, which will increase sales and leads further down the road.
The Verdict?
When designed correctly, a home page can be just as user-friendly as Google's listings. While usability may seem like an added commodity, Google Analytics prove that it’s now a requirement for sites to stay afloat. Take BroadPoint's case as a lesson and don’t let your site's statistics surprise you!
Web Standards Recommend Best Practices for Building Websites
Is your site up to standards? Research shows that following current web standards can impact the success of your site. Since Bright Orange Thread designs with these guidelines in mind, we figured we’d tell you a little bit more about them.
Key recommendations for building a site include:
- Structuring page content with Semantic HTML or XHTML
- Formatting page design with CSS
- Following common semantic, accessibility, and validation practices
Why standardize your site? Following current web standards helps:
- Ensure that your site loads properly across compliant browsers
- Create simplified, well-structured and properly-formatted code for search engines to digest
What it boils down to is this: sites created with web standards in mind cost less to design and maintain, reach more users, load faster, and last longer.
One Month in Retrospect
Julia, our newest writing intern from the University of Delaware, reflects on her first month working at Bright Orange Thread!
Humble Beginnings
If asked a year ago what SEO, SEM, ROI, or even BOT stood for, I probably would have stared blankly. I can happily say such is not the case anymore. As my first month interning at Bright Orange Thread draws to a close, I can’t help but compare where I am now with where I was only one month ago.
A Fresh New Face at BOT
After only minutes into my first day at BOT, I recognized the high quality of work issued daily, and that I’d be expected to emulate this work ethos. Gone were the lazy summer days in which products such as “Orange Fresh” sounded like something I’d sip poolside!
Though I have been a proud BOT teammate for only a month, I’ve already had the opportunity to showcase my writing on the company’s sites as well as sit in on client consultations! Doing so has helped me convert the hypothetical marketing and usability strategies I’ve learned in classes into actual assignments tailored for the task or client at hand.
Looking back on my time here, generating one-hundred catchy tweets for the company’s Twitter account seemed a daunting first-assignment, but I was and am incredibly thankful for the opportunity to dive right in and make the most of my time here at BOT.
A Bright Orange Future
As a newly-declared Interactive Media Minor at the University of Delaware, my courses have given me a basic mastery of web-writing and content development. Though I learned how to write and manage my time, my internship with BOT allows me to use these skills on a daily basis.
It’s difficult to really fathom all of the bits of valuable information I pick up on a daily basis, but I can tell I’ve already come a long way. For that, I am incredibly appreciative. Here’s to another great month!
Writing for the Web Training
Did you know that most web users only read the first 3 words of a paragraph before deciding to continue reading?
Neither did our clients who took part in our new web training session, Writing for the Web. In fact, they were surprised by a lot of the information and research we presented about the way users are consuming their content.
The Training Session
We provide customized training in which members of your company or organization learn valuable writing techniques and apply them to specific examples from your website.
Includes:
- Developing a greater understanding of user behavior on your website.
- Identifying problem areas in messaging and structure.
- Examining your site's existing copy and generating more user-focused marketing messages.
Memorable, Forward-Thinking Discussions
By the end of the sessions we could really see the pieces falling into place for people. And from their responses, we imagine there must be a lot of other businesses out there in need of a content makeover.
If you'd like to learn more about the training, please drop us a line!
We are pleased to announce Julia Nollen as the newest addition to the BOT team. Julia is a rising senior at the University of Delaware where she studies English, Film, and Interactive Media. Through her media courses, Julia has learned that web writing and content development are her two newest passions. With plans of pursuing a career in publishing, Julia is excited to gain valuable experience in web content development through the lens of Bright Orange Thread. Appointed as our newest writing and editing intern, Julia will focus her efforts on maintaining our blog and ……???
She will surely become an asset to the BOT team!
Every website needs an Email Marketing Campaign
With frequent email campaigns, you can keep your business top-of-mind with subscribers and let them know when there's something new with your business or organization.
Focus on the right customers.
Most email campaigns are permission based, which means your subscribers have asked to be on your mailing list. You can be sure your business is focusing its money and efforts on the right group of people—people who might actually use your services.
These subscribers are often previous customers too. And every good businessperson knows it’s less expensive to sell to existing customers than it is to sell to new customers, which is exactly why your business should develop an Email Marketing plan.
Promote what's important to you and your customers.
With a substantial mailing list built, you are ready to spread the word about your services, products, news, or events. Maybe a subscriber was unaware that your business did event planning and catering. Or maybe they were unaware of your organization's annual fundraiser. With a simple email, you can change that.
For businesses that have frequent sales, deals, or coupons, you can put them directly in the hands of your subscribers so they’ll be more likely to use them.
(And it's easy to send the emails, especially if you sync your campaign with your content management system.)
Get subscribers clicking with Best Practices.
As experts in email marketing, we know all the best practices that help subscribers start clicking. Here's just a few best practices you can use to get the most from email marketing:
- Write attractive and descriptive subject lines
- Include links for easy forwarding
- Add personalized information like the recipient’s name
You should always give subscribers the option to unsubscribe to your emails too. It helps keep the customer happy with you and it may prevent them from reporting your email as spam.
Bright Orange Thread to take part in DELCO’s Tabletop Showcase this Thursday
Bright Orange Thread will be "on display" at the Delaware Valley Multi-Chamber Mixer & Showcase this Thursday, June 17th at Harrah's in Chester.
We're now a member of the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce (DCCC)—one of five chambers participating in this year's networking event. Last year's showcase saw over 250 attendees with just two chambers of commerce. Needless to say, we're very excited to attend the showcase and spread the word about Bright Orange Thread.
Event Information
For more information, please visit the event page on the DCCC's website.
There's still a little bit of spring left, right? (First official day of summer is June 21st.) We recently completed two new micro-sites for the Produce Marketing Association (PMA), which highlight two of PMA's biggest events of the year: Fresh Summit and Foodservice.
PMA needed the sites to feature important information, as well as generate excitement, for attendees and exhibitors. Visitors can now countdown the days in style, as each site has its own unique look. Take a look for yourself!
A Tip to Improve Tech Support Between Client and Designer
If you’re having your website re-designed, chances are that you and your web designer/developer will run into some issues with how the site displays across different web browsers. With so many different browsers out there and so many different computers with different versions of operating systems, developing a website that looks exactly the same on all browsers is a daunting task and requires a good bit of testing.
“It looks weird on my computer!”
As designers and developers, we rely on our test machines to verify our code base renders consistently. Still, at times our clients see a difference on their computer that did not show on our test configurations. When this happens, we typically ask the client to send us a screen grab from their computer. Screen grabs are a great tool to get a visual idea of those differences, but they’re only half the battle.
The other half is knowing exactly which browser on which operating system is displaying the website inconsistently. We go through a lot of trouble trying to find the browser name, browser version number, flash version number, Javascript… Well, you get the point—it’s a lot of questions and something no client enjoys doing. Fortunately, there is an easy way to find out all of that information without a series of back and forth emails.
An Answer to (One of) Our Troubleshooting Prayers
The folks over at SupportDetails.com have developed a nice little web tool to combat this communication problem. Their tool sniffs out the versions of the browser, operating system, flash version, monitor size, etc. and sends the information via email. All our client needs to do is go to the site and fill out their name, email, and submit, voila, the information is sent to us. And just like that, we’ve asked the client only one question (and a simple one at that) instead of five.
Asking a client to fill out a simple form is so much easier than asking them to look up information they might not even know how to find. Thanks to Support Details, we get all the information we need and no longer have to worry about taking up our client’s time or wasting extra energy on this problem. (And with the endless number of troubleshooting problems out there, any help is welcomed.)
Refresh for PartnersFirst’s website
Affinity credit card issuer, PartnersFirst, didn’t need a complete redesign of their website, but they did have a few problem areas concerning the site’s User Experience.
We acted as consultants to the firm and made quite a lot of changes to the site’s Information Architecture (IA)—the overall structure of information—including:
- Creating a consistent and clear global navigation system
- Reorganizing pages to address the two user types: credit card holders and affinity partners
- “Chunkifying” pages to promote key marketing messages at the top of the page and enhance scanning for users
- Adding a quick log in form to the home page
At Bright Orange Thread, we rarely get the chance to boast about our services in terms of IA. But that’s exactly what PartnersFirst needed to better communicate with their users. We’re really pleased with the new changes and hope visitors have a more positive experience using the website now. Check out PartnersFirst new site for yourself.
We just couldn’t wait to mention the new redesign we’re working on for Special Olympics Delaware (SODE) right now. The new site is part of our three-year commitment to provide pro-bono services to SODE. We’ve enjoyed working closely with the whole organization, and it’s a great way for us to give back to the community.
Look for the new site this summer!
Boost search engine rankings by defining what your page is about
In our previous blog post, Three ways to tell if your web site is search engine friendly, we briefly mentioned that we used semantic HTML to help search engines find important content on a page. We thought it would be a good idea to explain what we meant by that a little more.
When it comes to completely ethical white-hat search engine optimization, using semantic HTML is one of the most important tactics to driving more traffic to your site. By making the content clear and digestible to the search engines, semantic HTML alone can improve search rankings in an incredible way.
First, let’s take a look at the tech speak…
If you’re not all that familiar with the technology behind web design and search engine optimization, that’s okay—the behind-the-scenes technical stuff is rather complicated after all. But the concept isn’t too difficult to grasp. So what does “semantic HTML” even mean in the first place? Well, the word “semantic” can loosely be defined as “having meaning”; “HTML” is just an acronym for the computer coding language of HyperText Markup Language.
Semantic HTML in Plain English
Semantic HTML is web code with hints and tips built in to help the search engines do their jobs better, while improving the human reader’s experience at the same time.
When we—us humans—look at a web page, we can find the headline very quickly. Years of experience with reading newspapers, magazines, and websites have taught us a few conventions about headlines—they tend to be in large type, at the top of the page. We search out these headlines because we know they tell us what the page is all about.
However, when a search engine spiders the page, it looks at the code for the web page (a search engine can’t look at the visual rendering of the web page—it doesn’t have eyes or a visual cortex). A web page is made up of various code, including heading tags (h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6). Each tag holds a special meaning for the content within the tag.
For example, the h1 tag points search engines to the most important message on the page (the page’s headline). It tells the search engine, “This is the most important sentence. Look for keywords here.” The h2 tag points search engines to the second most important information, and so on. Search engines like Google then compare the keywords in the headline to keywords entered by users. The search engine looks for the most relevant web pages to return as results.
Google claims it uses pigeons to pick relevant web page results, but we know that’s just not true. Semantic HTML is a big part of it! Thus, a more descriptive and specific headline that contains important keywords will help increase your ranking and help you drive more traffic to your site.
Now, let’s look at an example…
If your pest extermination company offered a specific service for removing odorous ants, then you would want to make sure that specific service page reflected that. Simply stating, “We stop invasions to your home!,” is okay, but it doesn’t really define what the page is about. Home invasions could refer to anything. Do you stop invasions of termites, hornets, burglars, or odorous ants? A better headline would be “Protect your home from odorous ants with our powerful removal system.” Now the headline (and h1 tag) contains the keywords “odorous ants,” “home,” and “removal,” and the service page is more accurately defined.
Climb to the top of search engine results!
If watching your web site climb to the top of search engine rankings sounds like a pretty good idea, it’s time to have Bright Orange Thread optimize your site with semantic HTML.
Three ways to tell if your website is search engine friendly
Even the best websites don't reach their full potential if nobody sees them. One of Bright Orange Thread's unique strengths is our ability to increase traffic to our clients' websites via search engine optimization (SEO).
We understand how search engines organize and rank their results and we can tailor your web site with links, meta-tags, and other content that will rank your site higher than your competitor's. SEO is a low-cost "organic" way to increase traffic to your site.
Here's three ways to tell if your website is search engine friendly:
Put important content high on the page.
On your browser, if you view a page without style (don't worry, you can change this back), you can see how a search engine views pages on a website. Because the words at the very top of the page are considered the most important, a search engine will base its results on the words there. We not only organize your content so the high-value headline is highest on the page, but we also use semantic HTML tags to help search engines find it (this part is a bit complicated so we'll define semantic HTML a little later on).
Focus on one thing per page.
To ensure users see your product in search engine results, you should place only one product per page. Adding more content (more than one product) makes it harder for search engines to identify the most important keywords, and the product won't be returned as a relevant result. When you have one focus on one page, you can help search engines direct users to your specific product.
Search engines can't read images.
Sometimes designers use images to get their typeface to look just the way they want on a page. When they do this, they lose an important opportunity to increase SEO. Search engines can't read images like they read actual type, so they won't return your site as a high-ranked result when users search for specific keywords. It's understandable that some designers want to use fancy type to draw the human eye, but by doing so they neglect drawing the attention of search engines. As designers and SEO experts, we use other design tricks that attract visitors without compromising SEO.
Bright Orange Thread has extensive experience in increasing traffic to our clients' websites.
Looking busy!
Mouse tracker that visualizes your mouse movements.
Using a neat little app, I tracked all my mouse movements for a day or work!
Somewhere in the blogosphere, someone wrote about iographica, an app that tracks mousemovents. They claim iographica "turns mouse movements into a modern art". I think it proves I use my mouse a lot! My former students might see this and wonder after all my 'lectures' about reducing "mouse miles" by memorizing keyboard short cuts.
This covers all my work on March 9th, from 7:34 am to 2:50pm. During that time:
- I reviewed designs by Ed, our designer extraordinaire
- communicated with clients via email and BaseCamp
- teleconferenced about case studies with Theresa, our fabulous writing intern from the University of Delaware
- made updates to a variety of websites
- checked about 100 blog headlines
- had lunch, I think the biggest black circle is where I paused my mouse for lunch
Note that I have two monitors with pixel dimensions of 3600 by 1200.
The Bright Orange Thread team has been busy these last few weeks with site updates and new projects, but we’re taking some time now to catch you up to speed on recent developments.
Over the weekend, we launched a new site for Fulcrum Capital, a Distressed and Special Investments firm based in Austin, TX. We spent a lot of time polishing the site’s final look, searching for backgrounds that would make the site really pop. Eventually, we found a stunning image of the Supreme Court columns in D.C., which was taken—interestingly enough—by a British photographer. The client has a keen eye for style, so it was satisfying to nail a sophisticated, clean look for the site.
We’ll check back in soon. Be on the look out for two new sites to launch in the near future!
Client website featured on Philadelphia’s KYW Newsradio.
GreaterPhiladelphiaGardens.org featured on KYW Newsradio's Garden Reports last week.
We were pleased to hear GreaterPhiladelphiaGardens.org featured on KYW Newsradio's Garden Reports last week. The website was mentioned as part of Phran Novelli's garden tips for its abundance of helpful links and information on the area's gardens and arboreta. We're not surprised since the site is a great resource for all garden news and events happening in the Greater Philadelphia region.
Listen, or even better, visit Greater Philadelphia Gardens today.
Is your website as helpful as your best employee?
You expect your employees to be friendly, professional, articulate, and helpful to customers—and your website should be the same.
When users come to a website and discover difficult navigation and overwhelming text, it’s like getting a clueless rep on the customer service line. Users will be turned off immediately and be less likely to use your services. For these reasons and more, it’s crucial that you have a user-centered website that follows the best practices of (cue the booming voice) usability.
Usability?
When we say usability, we’re talking about the ease with which users are able to use a website. For example:
Clear Navigation
Users won’t guess their way through a website. Simple, clear, and consistent navigation tells users exactly where they are, where they can go, and what they can find on your site. The main navigation should be easily identifiable and contain a reasonable number of links. Seven links or less is a good rule of thumb, but use your judgment—does the navigation seem disorganized or jam-packed?
Scannable Text
A big part of creating user-friendly content is scannable text. Text needs to be scannable so users can easily find the one thing they’re looking for (and they often are looking for just one thing). Imagine a user comes to your website to find a specific step in a set of instructions, and they’re met with long unlabeled blocks of text that describe each step. Users could spend a great deal of time reading through the text to find the one section or they could take a few seconds to find a website with easier reading. Users value short paragraphs with a decent number of headings and subheadings. These headings help users jump quickly between content and skip the stuff they don’t need.
Important Messages Above the Fold
Just as newspaper editors ensure the day’s most important news is above the fold, we make sure users see your most important information first. We don’t trust users to scroll down the page to see what could possibly be there. Users only scroll down if they are sure they’ll find something good. By organizing content strategically, you help users find what they want and deliver your message to them.
Great design isn’t always easy to use.
You can make design decisions that add to the visual appeal of your website, but the wrong ones can negatively impact your site’s usability (and its ability to generate sales). For example, designers often use drop-down menus to hide menu lists in an effort to remove visual clutter. Usability research shows that drop-down menus, though solving the clutter problem, introduce another (worse) problem. Because the menus disappear once the mouse is moved, users have difficulty remembering their choices—they just can’t create a mental map of the site. They’ll end up lost and—you got it—leave.
That’s why, at Bright Orange Thread, our devotion to creating lead-generating websites goes beyond visual appeal. We continually study best practices and seek out the latest research in usability to make sure your website stays on top. We build sites that not only wow users, but also help them do whatever it is they want to do (so they’ll always come back).
Test usability in a wireframe.
A large step in our design process is creating a functional wireframe prototype that clients can click through to test the usability of their website. They get to experience what their users will experience, before design and programming. Representative users can also test the prototype and changes can be easily made. The wireframe lacks any real aesthetic design, but it allows us to plan out structure and functionality based on actual testing. Only with a wireframe can we fully optimize a website’s design and capabilities.
Visit our website today to learn more.
Tirade on Web Portfolios
Hands down, a web portfolio is the best way to display your art/design/photography, if you do it right. There are a lot of ways you can showcase your work, but let’s be honest—users just want to quickly move through your portfolio. When this becomes a longer process, users get bogged down in the experience.
First, the science…
Here’s some science to chew on… New research suggests that users can formulate an opinion about the visual appeal of an image in less than a tenth of a second. Less than a tenth of a second! Furthermore, users feel like they have more control on a website when they perform an action (like clicking a button) and the response takes a second or less. After a second, their feeling of control decreases.
What does this information mean for your portfolio? First, it demonstrates how quickly users can form an impression (even if it deals with the visual impression of images). It also shows how little time you have to keep users happy when they click through your work.
The Clicking Game
One of the most frequent problems I see with web portfolios is that they make me play, what I call, the “Clicking Game.” With each new image, the next button changes its location on the screen, forcing me to chase it with my mouse. This Clicking Game is a nuisance! Considering how fast I can view images (remember the science above), it’s a lot of little mouse movements and clicks in a very short period of time. This task that should take no more than a second becomes a nightmarish game of mousing around. (You might think I’m overreacting, but I look at a lot of portfolios.)
Fix it with fixed position
I wish designers, illustrators, photographers—anyone and everyone—would borrow a technique from our own portfolio website. Our site uses buttons in a fixed position so users can place their mouse in one spot and keep it there until they’ve finished clicking. Our images vary in size but they don’t affect the movement of the “next” button.
You’ll notice the “next” button leads you beyond our samples to our contact information. That decision is more a personal choice, but I think it encourages clients to initiate business with us.
Our Pro Bono Client: Special Olympics Delaware (SODE)
Bright Orange Thread is pleased to announce that they will begin a three-year commitment to provide pro bono services for Special Olympics Delaware's (SODE) website. This includes the launch of a new re-designed site and three years of support and sponsorship.
SODE is one of the many non-profit, volunteer organizations that make up the international movement of Special Olympics, which provides year-round sports training and athletic competition to children and adults with intellectual disabilities. SODE's programs alone have reached out to more than 20,000 individuals in the Delaware region.
It was just three years ago that BOT built SODE's existing site. Now SODE is looking to expand their website with a new design and we couldn't be happier to volunteer. We love working with the whole SODE team, and it's a great way for us to give back to the community. Look for the new site in the coming months!
How Bright Orange Thread got its name
You asked for it. Here’s the story behind Bright Orange Thread. This is definitely easier to explain verbally, but I’ll give it a try.
While I was at the University of Delaware, I taught a junior graphic design class. We had a critique scheduled one day, but the work they brought to class was really poor (must have been big party that weekend or something). I didn’t want to waste our time so I scrapped the critique and told them to have better work ready for the next class.
There I was with two hours of class time, no critique, and no lecture. I told them about my sleepless night trying to decide on a new name for my company, then called FranBach Creative. I presented some names to them, but the students deemed my ideas to be really poor (I guess we were all having a bad day). I decided to give the students one hour to come up with a better name for my business, promising to use it as long as it was better.
They did and I kept my promise. Their reasons were that:
- I was known for wearing a very bright orange shirt on the first day of class
- thread can be woven into a web (and the web is where my business was shifting to)
- the color orange is linked to my Dutch heritage
Since then, it’s been easy to design the company’s cards, brochures, website, blog—the list goes on. So thank you, class of 2005!
BOT has completed a new website for BroadPoint Technologies, a technology consulting firm that services over 400 clients. BroadPoint’s previous site focused solely on the company’s software products and didn’t reflect its consulting expertise and business solutions.
To make the shift, we went the extra mile utilizing our wide range of services, including an internet marketing consultation, an SEO consultation, copy-writing, and usability expertise. With the new website, we helped BroadPoint change its image as a software seller to a technology consultant that specializes in high-growth solutions for clients.
We are pleased to welcome the wonderful and talented Elizabeth Miney to the Bright Orange Thread team. As Director of Business Development, she will assist us in generating leads and sales.
Elizabeth’s business to business sales acumen is extensive and she has worked in sales and marketing in San Francisco, Dallas and Seattle. A recent relocation to Chester County has allowed many local non profit organizations to benefit from Elizabeth’s tireless volunteer work.
Her strong skills in communication and consultative selling are invaluable to Bright Orange Thread, as we begin a new focus in marketing. We know she will be a great asset to us, as well as our clients.
BOT welcomes their Fall 2009 writing intern, Theresa Monaco, from the University of Delaware. Theresa is currently a senior pursuing Professional Writing. With a growing interest in web content development, Theresa is a terrific addition to BOT. She is excited to assist us in writing and editing for upcoming projects.
Ed Abbott trades in his Xtreme green for some Bright Orange.
After 5 years with local home theater retailer TheaterXtreme, Ed joins design studio Bright Orange Thread as Assistant Creative Director. In a return to his creative roots, Ed has designed six websites in his first six months. His designs were all approved by clients in the first round.
After 5 years with local home theater retailer TheaterXtreme, Ed joins design studio Bright Orange Thread as Assistant Creative Director. In a return to his creative roots, Ed has designed six websites in his first six months. His designs were all approved by clients in the first round.
Ed brings his diverse experience with TheaterXtreme to Bright Orange Thread. Starting with simple logo and website design, his roles within TheaterXtreme grew due to his unique knowledge of the AV and home theater industry. TheaterXtreme went from one retail store with 3 employees to a public company and national franchise chain with 15 stores. Ed was an integral part of the processes, challenges and experiences that came with that.
As Bright Orange Thread begins a marketing push, Ed’s talents as a designer and web developer (combination is a rare find) will serve us well. That plus his experience in successfully managing multiple projects simultaneously will serve our clients well.
We are pleased and proud to welcome Ed to the Bright Orange Thread team.
Bright Orange Thread has just completed a redesigned website for Salem Community College’s Samuel H. Jones Glass Education Center. The new site features beautiful images of glass art and promotes the school’s unique degree programs. Individuals interested in glass art are invited to participate in conferences and the Glass Education Center’s workshops.
Bright Orange Thread has just created a new website for a Technology Business Solutions group from RSM McGladrey, a leading accounting, tax, and business consulting firm. The group’s need for a website was simple—to generate business leads. BOT built a clean and professional website that highlights the group’s solutions and consulting services for clients. New clients are drawn to the site with the help of SEO and SEM.
Bright Orange Thread has just launched a new site for Standard Distributing, Delaware’s largest wholesale beer distributor. BOT integrated a user-friendly design with creative visuals that show the size and long-standing history of the company. The new design reinforces Standard Distributing’s identity as a top beer distributor and creatively displays their wide range of brands for customers and outside suppliers.
Bright Orange Thread has just completed a new microsite for the Produce Marketing Association’s (PMA) 2009 Foodservice Conference & Exposition. BOT employed a smart, easy-to-use design that displays striking photos and event information for attendees and exhibitors. The new site helps foodservice professionals explore the expo’s topics and easily register for the event.
2008 Year in Review
The web never stops growing, and neither do we. This year, Bright Orange Thread encountered a significant amount of new business opportunities compared to years prior. In 2008, we:
- Launched 18 websites
- Created 4 logos and
- Designed 4 brochures
We sent out a few emails in the first half of the year so here is a brief look at what we were up to this fall:
- We promoted the key features of PMA's comprehensive I Know Produce service in a microsite with an interactive Flash application.
- Tyler Arboretum’s new BOT-developed website marries logical hierarchy, readable content, and database-driven events functions with a pleasant arboreal design.
- We provided Stanford University's online-only Journal of Law, Science, and Policy with a searchable article database powered by BOT's proprietary OrangeFresh Content Management System.
- We invited people to participate in the Polar Bear Plunge via fun design, graphics, and photography.
- We enticed visitors to register for PMA's Leadership Symposium with a polished, professional design that emphasizes leadership and features prominent, glowing quotes from past attendees.
- We designed for Lead Graffiti -- a site that quickly guides three distinctly different types of customers to information relevant to them.
- We highlighted the diversity of the students, the spirit of communal learning, and the unique learning experiences available at the CACC Montessori School.
- We organized PMA's International Council expansive market profile document into an informative, readable microsite with visuals that represents India's unique culture.
Many of these opportunities were provided by you, friends of Bright Orange Thread. We'd like to thank you for all of the referrals you have provided, and look forward to many more.
New site for Stanford University’s Journal of Law
We've just completed a website for Stanford University's Journal of Law, Science, and Policy!
Stanford's Journal of LS&P is part of a growing trend: online-only, paperless resources. All of its contents will be available in a searchable database powered by Bright Orange Thread's proprietary content management system, OrangeFresh. The logo we designed defines the interdisciplinary focus of the Journal, which will provide articles authored by legal scholars and scientists on a host of policy issues.
PMA India Microsite now live!
Bright Orange Thread has completed work on a Trip to India Microsite for the Produce Marketing Association’s International Council!
Bright Orange Thread has completed work on a Trip to India Microsite for the Produce Marketing Association’s International Council! BOT organized the Council’s expansive market profile document into web-friendly pages, and highlighted the exotic locale with bright, vivid imagery to represent India’s unique culture.
In March 2008, the PMA IC took a research trip to India to gain insight into the development of agricultural business in the region. This website details information that the Council learned during a research trip, and is a must read for anyone looking to enter the agricultural market in India.
BOT is pleased to present the microsite for the Produce Marketing Association’s Leadership Symposium! The Leadership Symposium is an annual conference for business leaders across the spectrum of the agricultural industry. BOT employed a polished, professional design that emphasizes leadership and entices the visitor to register with glowing quotes from past attendees.
BOT is please to present the completed I Know Produce microsite for the Produce Marketing Association! “I Know Produce” is a comprehensive database that allows users to look up key facts for thousands of types of produce. To promote I Know Produce, BOT created a fun, colorful marketing site with a vibrant images of produce. The site highlights the key features of the service on the home page in an interactive Flash application, and elsewhere by using web-friendly headings, lists, and short paragraphs.
BOT recently launched the new micro-site for Special Olympics Delaware’s annual Polar Bear Plunge! The Plunge is one of the most unique, successful, and highly attended fund-raisers in Delaware. BOT developed a site for the Plunge that was not just informative but emphasized the uniqueness of the event via fun design, graphics, and photography. The site also invites more people to participate by placing the most relevant and pertinent information right in front of them, and by encouraging participants to send in their own plunge stories and have them posted on-line.
BOT has completed the website for Stanford University’s Journal of Law, Science, and Policy! Stanford’s Journal of LS&P is part of a growing trend: online-only, paperless resources. All of its contents will be available in a searchable database powered by BOT’s proprietary OrangeFresh Content Management System. BOT’s original logo defines the interdisciplinary focus of the Journal, which will provide articles authored by legal scholars and scientists on a host of policy issues.
Updating your website regular is crucial to keeping it fresh and relevant. Many content management systems (CMS) have been developed to solve this problem, but they are often clunky and confusing, feature-limited, or expensive. That’s why we developed OrangeFresh, BOT’s exclusive and proprietary CMS. OrangeFresh allows us to offer our customers a content management solution that is easy to use and free of expensive licensing costs.
OrangeFresh can manage news, events calendars, electronic orders, and more. And, it reduces the need for tedious compilation by automatically generating e-newsletters, and archiving out of date information.
BOT recently finished work on the complete redesign of the website for Tyler Arboretum, one of the oldest arboreta in the northeastern United States. We couldn’t be more proud of finished product. The new site provides Tyler Arboretum with the database driven events calendar, structures the content for readability, and creates a logical hierarchy and global navigation. The arboreal design echoes the organization’s beautiful landscapes (you can view their old site for comparison).
Inaugural Website Leverages Information Management to Help University Program Assume Leadership Role
Business Challenge
The Center for Public Horticulture, part of the University of Delaware, is dedicated to supporting education and research for professionals, students, and decision-makers in public horticulture nationwide. The Center has a great deal of information to deliver to various audiences, and needed a website that would be user-friendly and authoritative.
The client challenged BOT to build a website that would:
- Facilitate information-sharing with all constituents
- Inform audiences in a timely fasion about important news and programs
- Reflect the Center’s role as national public horticulture resource
BOT Solution
BOT’s experience in information management helped us organize the Center’s voluminous resources into a logical and efficient website structure. Using insights gained from consultation with the client, BOT created a website that:
- Functions as an online clearinghouse of information about education, research, resources, and careers
- Engages visitor interest via periodic email updates
- Stays current by automatically updating pages with new content
- Integrates strategic design to promote the Center’s mission and image
Impact
BOT’s website design and functionality has helped the Center for Public Horticulture establish itself as a leading authority in its field.
Restructured Website Increases Traffic by 400%, and Helps Boost Enrollment
Business Challenge
The CACC Montessori School relied on its website to communicate the benefits of its unique educational experience and promote enrollment. But the site was difficult to navigate, and frustrated visitors often exited prematurely and resorted to calling in for information, or worse, opted for the competition.
The client asked Bright Orange Thread for help creating a site that would:
- Make pertinent information easily accessible to interested parents
- Increase tour requests
- Increase the site’s visibility to search engines
Bright Orange Thread Solution
After developing a clear understanding of the school’s goals, BOT went to work. In four months, we:
- Re-organized navigation and content so critical information was centralized and easy to find
- Created a new design that encourages prospects to request tours and reflects the school’s image
- Simplified the updating process so existing staff could make changes, thereby saving the client time and money
Impact
BOT’s organizational and design approach transformed the CCAC Montessori School website into a more productive marketing tool, as evidenced by a 400% increase in qualified traffic.
Website’s Automated Updates Keep Small Town Library in Touch with Community
Business Challenge
Selbyville Public Library, in rural southern Delaware, houses a broad collection of materials and hosts a variety of events designed to appeal to kids, teens and adults. The Board of Directors wanted a website that would promote the library’s agenda, and keep the community informed.
The client asked BOT to redesign its website in order to:
- Facilitate communication between the library and its audiences
- Automate library processes
- Update the community about upcoming events
- Build excitement and demand for new arrivals
Bright Orange Thresd Solution
After consulting with the library’s Board, BOT mapped an approach that greatly improved the website’s functionality. The website solution:
- Added a robust search feature enabling visitors to browse the entire Delaware Library catalog
- Allowed visitors to register online for library events or sign up for the library newsletter
- Utilized BOT’s OrangeFresh technology to automate calendar updates and send emails
- Linked visitors to the statewide network to reserve and renew books online, thus giving Selbyville librarians more time to serve members
Impact
Since the new website launched, library membership and event attendance are on the rise.
Private Equity Firm Builds a Strong Public Image with New Website
Business Challenge
Rockford Capital Group, a private equity firm, wanted a website that would convey its unique networking strengths and establish its credentials in the highly competitive Mid-Atlantic market. The firm’s two disparate audiences – investors and entrepreneurs – have very different priorities and communication needs.
The client asked Bright Orange Thread for a web solution that would:
- Deliver information in a logical, accessible way
- Showcase the firm’s successful ventures
- Position Rockford as a major player in the region
- Attract interest from investors and entrepreneurs alike
Bright Orange Thread Solution
In-depth interviews with management and competitive research gave BOT a grounding in Rockford’s business environment and audience priorities. Armed with that understanding, BOT created a site with:
- Simple structure and navigation, so investors and business owners could quickly find relevant information
- Intelligent design that allows busy executives to easily grasp key messages
- Content highlighting Rockford’s business heritage and investment portfolio
- A new company logo whose icon leverages the equity in Rockford’s name, and conveys stability and success.
Impact
BOT’s strategic website helped establish Rockford Capital Partners’ image and communicate the company’s competitive advantages to key audiences.
A Customized Online Resource Center Helps Non-Profit Improve Efficiency and Fulfill its Mission
Business Challenge
The Parent Information Center of Delaware (PIC) provides information,education and support to parents of disabled and special needs children. Both parents and employees need to tap into the agency’s extensive online network to find relevant resources. But what is the best way to categorize and display such vast amounts of information?
The client asked Bright Orange Thread for a website that would
- Facilitate the collection and sharing of information
- Make agency resources accessible to people in need
- Reduce the need for costly printed newsletters.
Bright Orange Thread Solution
After interviewing PIC executives and conducting a thorough analysis of the agency’s resources, BOT:
- Created an Online Resource Center that organized resources into broad categories, allowing visitors to find relevant links quickly and easily
- Categorized more than 700 resources into a database to feed the resource center
- Redesigned the website to create a more user-friendly environment for both parents and agency employees
- Allowed PIC to reduce printed newsletter mailings
Impact
Thanks to BOT’s easy-to-use online resource center, PIC employees could process a greater number of referral calls and information requests. By improving efficiency and saving money on newsletters, PIC could better serve its constituents and fulfill its overall mision.
BOT recently launched the new website for Lead Graffiti, A letterpress studio/shop with three distinctly different types of customers:
- people and organizations interested in creative letterpress solutions
- store managers interested in selling Lead Graffiti’s line of notecards
- people interested in taking letterpress printing workshops
Lead Graffiti needed a website that quickly directed users to information relevant to them. BOT designed a home page with 3 “pockets” that quickly guided users to their area interest.
Home Builder’s New Website Increases Traffic Conversion by 20x
Business Challenge
Megill Homes, a luxury home builder in Pennsylvania, wanted to stand out in a crowded and competitive market. The company needed a website as enjoyable to visit as walking through a model home, but would also function as an effective business tool.
Owner Wayne Megill asked Bright Orange Thread to create a website that would:
- Introduce visitors to the luxury communities of Megill Homes
- Highlight the quality of the homes
- Generate leads from interested buyers
Bright Orange Thread Solution
Management interviews and competitive research led BOT to conclude that site visitors were primarily interested in visuals of model homes and communities. First Megill needed to capture attention, then make follow-up contact painless.
To that end, BOT:
- Restructured content and navigation to provide easy access to model home and community information
- Enhanced visual appeal with image galleries showcasing new homes
- Enlivened the home page (and realtor interest) with “featured home” content
- Improved search engine visibility by updating copy with high-value keywords
- Encouraged visitor conversion with stronger calls to action and more visible contact information
Impact
BOT’s changes to the website increased traffic conversion for Megill Homes by 20x.
Real Estate Firm Polishes Image and Positioning with a Website Makeover
Business Challenge
The Stokes Group, a Philadelphia real estate agency, needed a makeover. Its website didn’t highlight new construction expertise (in a market bustling with new condo developments) nor did it convey the firm’s energy and personality.Important search functionality critical to a successful real estate site was also missing.
The client asked Bright Orange Thread for a web solution that would:
- Clearly communicate the firm’s core competencies
- Serve as the company’s primary lead generation vehicle
- Provide a platform for marketing activity
- Foster an image as a mover-and-shaker in the market
Bright Orange Thread Solution
After consulting with the owner and his team, BOT developed a multi-pronged website strategy that combined strong functionality with compelling content and design. Our approach included:
- New navigation and design to drive home the Stokes Group’s credentials in new construction
- Researching and recommending a search option that allows visitors to find desirable properties quickly and to save favorite listings
- Optimizing search engine visibility with new copy that capitalizes on high-ranking keywords and phrases
- Enriching the user experience with interesting neighborhood profiles, better photography, and a blog.
Impact
With the launch of its new and improved website, The Stokes Group instantly upgraded its image and staked its claim to the Philadelphia condo market. The firm is one of Philly’s fastest-growing real estate companies, ranking #10 out of 3,900 independently-owned Coldwell Banker companies worldwide.
BOT has completed a new website for CACC Montessori School! BOT’s design highlights the diversity of the students in the school and the spirit of communal learning by displaying photographs of the children from classes.
The school provides unique learning experiences for developing minds aged 18 months to 6 years old. The home page quickly distinguishes the CACC Montessori school from traditional preschools and kindergartens.
400% Increase in Traffic Boosts Revenues for Microsoft Dynamics Consultant
Business Challenge
Intellitec Solutions, a Microsoft reseller serving the Mid-Atlantic region, relies heavily on its website to generate sales leads. Unfortunately, the site’s navigation and content were not working hard enough to attract search engines and raise the company’s visibility to prospects.
The client turned to Bright Orange Thread for a website that would:
- Achieve higher search engine results
- Increase site traffic
- Improve conversion rates
Bright Orange Thread Solution
After analyzing Intellitec’s site and competition, BOT implemented a more aggressive search engine optimization program, including:
- New structure and navigation
- Inclusion of high-ranking keywords in heading tags and content, placing keywords high on the page to maximize SEO impact
- Listing key markets next to the company logo to define and emphasize the service region
Impact
Thanks to BOT’s changes, Intellitec Solutions’ increased organic, qualified web traffic by 400%, thus supporting lead generation and conversion goals.
New Website Increases Event Attendance and Reduces Costs for Special Olympics Delaware
Business Challenge
For Special Olympics Delaware, a non-profit dedicated to promoting athletic events for individuals with intellectual disabilities, its website is the primary engine for attracting participants and supporters alike. But the site’s confusing navigation and structure was turning off potential donors, volunteers, parents and athletes. Worse, exasperated web visitors would instead call in, straining the organization’s limited staff and budget.
The client challenged Bright Orange Thread to create a site that would:
- Make information more accessible and keep it current
- Increase online registration for upcoming events
- Reduce costs
Bright Orange Thread Solution
After examining the current site and consulting with the client, BOT developed a new site, in just four months, that:
- Centralized information for athletes and supporters
- Incorporated an events calendar that emails participants regularly about upcoming events and other news
- Provided easy online registration for events
- Facilitated updating, eliminating the need to hire staff with technical skills
Impact
Thanks to BOT, Special Olympics Delaware’s met its goals for event registration and attendance. The site’s improved structure, up-to-date events calendar, and email marketing feature allowed Special Olympics Delaware to reduce incoming phone queries and traditional newsletter mailings, thus saving significant money and manpower.
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