Dario Site Web Design- Web Design Case Studies
Title of Case Study: Dario Associates
Website: http://www.darioassociates.com/
Background
Dario Associates is a nationally recognized interior design firm. However, they were not seeing website traffic that they deserved. Dario Associates felt that based on experience, talent and recognition, more companies should be aware of their services.
Dario Associates is a design firm with a focus on hospitality, corporate and country clubs. Clients include Heritage Hunt Golf & Country Club, Crowne Plaza, Marriott New York Marquis, Hotel the Mansion on Delaware Ave and the Congressional Country Club. They were also mentioned on the Travel Channel. Dario Associates knew that to continue to be successful, they needed to update their website and marketing efforts.
Dario Associates brought their concerns to Noodlehead Marketing, a Division of Noodlehead Studios. There are times when clients are not necessarily aware of successful marketing campaigns. This was not the case with Dario Associates. They understood the marketing process and how it could be beneficial.
The process for identifying the need for traffic included a thorough examination of the past site, an analysis into the current market and a look at the immediate competitors. This also included discussions as to the general target market audience.
Steps Undertaken to Address the Problem
There were four phases in addressing the problem of traffic. The process involved, sensitization, integration, outreach and M&E, (Monitoring & Evaluation).
Sensitization
Understanding how repeat visitors were using the site, making sure there were no fundamental objections to the structure and flow of the site, engaging Dario Associates in a thoughtful and approachable manner, meeting internally with group leaders and providing an explanation behind the design.
Integration
Taking website development and implementation best practices and putting them to use, understanding and implementing the best assessment for practices, conducting staff updates, making physical changes to the website.
Outreach
Identification of audience, identification of key website peers and supervisor, training of any platforms including Joomla! and Basecamp, providing guidance throughout the process.
M&E
Monitoring and evaluation of the project dictated reassessing the website for overall design, usability, navigation, assessing the website based on tiered growth, monitoring and immediately addressing of website concerns.
The Results
The results of the Noodlehead Marketing website include a newly achieved Google Page Rank of 4, an increase in viewers by an average of 300% and much cleaner online presence.
Challenges
Some websites by their very nature may demand more attention on the coding aspect. Here, for Dario Associates there were some challenges though these were overcome with foresight and executing. The challenges include specific coding that was necessary for the slider, execution of the number of images within a specific frame and writing content for a specific industry. There were also challenges of time, budget and number of technicians.
These challenges were overcome by research of potential challenges and framing a solution if the situation warranted it. Research was also conducted on coding elements that would be most suited for the Joomla! site.
Beyond Results
The results here are sustainable given the program integration. Key words have been chosen carefully with trends in mind. The policy that was adopted included proven sustainable keywords.
Lessons Learned
There were several lessons that were learned. They are as follows:
- Programmatic: adhering to the program in place proved vital due to the new system structure implemented by Noodlehead Marketing. This meant that issues of accessing specific data were no longer a threat. This also serves as a notice that the workings of the current SWOT analysis is effective provided there are controllable measures in place.
- Technical: Understanding that not all technical procedures require the same guidelines are important for success. Coding concerns that were at the forefront were no longer present by the midway point. As well, the graphic design department had to be sure that the backend was fully prepared and operational before uploading their renderings.
- Process: This process was mentioned briefly with the SWOT analysis. As with any analysis the internal processes will dictate change of the external processes. The terms of the change were important to understand along with the relevance of the change.
Conclusion:
The Dario Associates website showed that having a process in place, taking into consideration how users and bots navigate the website and being aware of potential technical concerns can dramatically shape the overall experience and outcome for all involved. There was a freedom to expand design beyond the initial scope. As well there was the freedom to create an effective SEO campaign. That the client was willing and reliant upon Noodlehead Studios proved valuable in the analysis as well.
Behavioral requirements included understanding of the internal and external audience and the integration of past work throughout. That is no easy task as design by its very nature is predicated on change. While there were some restrictions in terms of time, budget and the number of technicians, the overall success was not hindered. Redundant quality control processes were in place and also proved their own worth by allowing for exploration and providing alternate approaches.
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Johann Lohrmann
Director of Research & Development
www.noodleheadmarketing.com
September 2010
www.johannlohrmann.com
Pure Wraps Logo Design - Logo Design Case Study
The Website: http://thepurewraps.com/
The Vision: Create logo for brand promotion. Purewraps approached Noodlehead marketing, a Division of Noodlehead Studios in anticipation of creating a logo that would increase brand awareness. Purewraps is a company that is well known for its dedication to providing healthy food alternatives, especially to those who demand gluten-free products. These gluten-f
ree products include organic, wild, nutrient dense and allergen-free ingredients in the food and beverages. Purewraps approached Noodlehead Marketing with the intention of producing a memorable logo.
The Execution: Colors used: After conducting research on the Purewraps audience and taking into consideration Purewraps’ parameters, several logos were presented to Purewraps. The parameters included the use of 6 colors, (including white) along with company name. Mr. Len Wikberg, IV created the logo with the pantone colors of: 368m, 585m, 158m, 396m and 343m. The current logo was chosen by the client after standard presentations.
The Results: Purewraps was thrilled with the logo as it exceeded their expectations. The logo was strong enough to be integrated with the company’s main product line. This logo also increased awareness about Purewraps and its continued service to those who must live a gluten-free life.
Historic Norcross Marketing - Bluetooth Marketing Case Study
The Vision: Historic Norcross approached Noodlehead Marketing, a Division of Noodlehead Studios, as they needed to effectively market and promote local events. Historic Norcross is a leader in the promotion of such events and they were excited about the opportunity to promote local businesses. They were equally excited to use the latest in Close Range Marketing that would capture the relevant data via Bluetooth.
The Execution: Noodlehead Marketing had finished testing the Close Range Marketing technology when approached by Historic Norcross. Here is how Close Range Marketing works:
- The Close Range Marketing Bluetooth sandwich-sized box is placed in a strategic location. This is to maximize the range for which the signals are sent. The sandwich-sized box sends pings to the phones with the Bluetooth technology enabled.
- Those within the generous range of the Bluetooth device will receive an opt-in message on their phone.
- After selecting yes, your specific message will be delivered to your customer, no matter where they are located. Your message can include weekly specials, events or even general information.
- The target audience would then visit the organization’s website, the brick and mortar business and show the text upon checkout.
The Results: Being able to measure and account the statistics was of major importance to Historic Norcross. With the use of Close Range Marketing along with the text messaging services, made the marketing campaign a success- with a return rate well above that of print.
The Ames & Young Web Design - Web Design Case Study
The Vision: The vision of the Ames & Young web design project was to create a website that was up-to-date, client friendly and reflected the Ames & Young values. The former site was not aesthetically stable and it was not easy for clients to properly follow the layout of the site. Ames & Young are well-known throughout Massachusetts as one of the leaders of the General Contractors industry.
Ames & Young wanted to revamp their homepage, graphic and icon designs. They also wanted a proper contact us form along with SEO that would be built specifically with the customer in mind. Ames & Young realized the need for change and the Noodlehead Marketing team quickly began conducting industry research.
The Execution: As the Noodlehead Marketing team began to conduct the necessary research, several elements were quickly discovered. First, the demographic had to promptly established. Since there was no established demographic audience, a semi-demographic characteristic approach was used.
Second, the Noodlehead Creative Marketing team met with the Ames & Young team to discuss the parameters of the web design project. The site was wireframed and colors were selected. Noodlehead Marketing selected the colors, R:154, G: 43, B: 43 as a part of the darker scheme. The lighter scheme was R:255, G: 255 and B: 255.
As well, the layout was direct with key information placed properly combined with a SEO push. Individual contact information was also added. Other additional elements that were added include login information for clients, modules affiliates and links to specific claims providers.
The Results: Based on follow-up rates and traffic analysis, the new Ames & Young website is a successful hit. The current Ames & Young website allows for easier access as well as providing more direction for the clients. It also allows for a better understanding of the services that Ames & Young provides for their clients.
Wrapping your brain around basic research
Say the word 'research' and people are either running scared, mildly amused or ready to listen. This little entry is geared for the first two sets of folks. So perhaps a story is in order.
The best way to think of research is to imagine how a pirate would look for treasure. Now, a pirate doesn't hop in his boat with his parrot, foul-smelling crew, some stale bread and cast off his line. A pirate (a successful one anyway) will have a compass along with his precious map.
That map is his guide. He sets his compass to follow the map. A good pirate can guide his ship through clear or stormy skies. He uses the sun and the moon to steer. When the clouds come in he is able to guide his crew by using his compass.
I'm guessing the good pirate didn't have exact coordinates but he could use the map to get there. So when you think of research, think of it like this. The pirate had a goal in mind and that was to get to the treasure. Maybe that treasure is a question you're asking. Maybe that treasure is a word or a phrase of something you need to find. Yes, most online research consists of finding information that someone else has found. (Intelligence research is another issue altogether. Let's tackle that one later).
So what are the trademarks of a good pirate/researcher?
- Both start with the end in mind.
- Both pay attention to the tools their using.
- Both see the journey of the find as an adventure.
- Both can adapt to stormy skies. The pirate uses his compass. The researcher chooses other words, phrases or even forums to find what he needs.
If you're looking for something type in a phrase that describes what you need. Ask Google a question. Visit about.com or howstuffworks.com and get in the habit of finding the answers.
Take your time and think about the best way to find the information.
Johann Lohrmann
Director of R&D
Noodlehead Studios
