Hopefully you’ve been following the story of 8 Signal’s own website redesign and relaunch this month and maybe even picked up some ideas along the way!
This week we want to share the stories of four of our clients who came to us in need of a redesign — all for different reasons and with different goals. After all, the whole reason we exist is to use our marketing skills to help our clients!
Rocky Mountain Mortgage Company
Our client Rocky Mountain Mortgage Co. hadn’t redesigned their website in 10 years, so they were ready to get a fresh look and solve some lingering design issues.
Their previous site was starting to get that subtle worn-around-the-edges and definitely outdated look. It looked a lot like many other sites from the late 90s and early 2000s — tech heavy and weak on design. The site was also difficult to update, so no one from the company was able to go in and make changes. As a result, the content was also quickly becoming obsolete.
Because the design was outdated, the user experience was also in need of a refresh. The design was not intuitive at all, and the user had to make lots of clicks to get to relevant information.
8 Signal helped Rocky Mountain redesign their site based on function and usability. They wanted a design that was really visually appealing but also very user friendly.
The most important thing was to make it easy for prospective customers to find the loan application and the loan payment center from multiple places within the site. Both of those key pages are now within one click from almost any page on the site.
We also updated their site to a better content management system that makes it easier to make changes from within their own organization. Or, if they’re busy and need us to do it, they are subscribers to 8 Signal Site Management Services, so changes are made simply by a quick phone call or email to us.
Rio Grande Urology (RGU)
RGU’s redesign wasn’t driven by a need for a visual update. Instead, they needed their site to more accurately represent how their organization had grown and added new services.
Another problem with the site, which wasn’t visible from the user end, was that it was built on an outdated content management system, much like Rocky Mountain’s old site. The RGU staff were unable to make changes to the site without help from a programmer, which was a hassle for a busy medical clinic.
Although they wanted 8 Signal to stay on top of most of the changes to their new site, it was important to them that they would be able to get into the site and make updates or changes if they wanted to.
Worst of all, the old site was a patchwork of platforms. The blog and the main site were on different platforms, which meant they were losing out on search engine optimization (SEO). Not a good state of affairs!
RGU wanted to update a lot of their content, as doctors had moved on or retired and been replaced with new practitioners. In addition, they wanted to keep on top of simple changes like phone number updates for staff. 8 Signal’s streamlined content management system allows us to make those changes more easily.
Visually, we updated the site with all new photography done by a local photographer. This really increased the professional look of the site as well as the visual aesthetic. The old group shot of all the clinic’s doctors was replaced with a composite photo so that pictures of each individual doctor can be added or removed as needed without the need to take a new group shot. We think that feature is pretty nifty!
Downtown Las Cruces Partnership
The Downtown Las Cruces Partnership is a local nonprofit that came to us after outgrowing their old website. They had experienced a change in their board leadership, and as a result, the direction and focus of the organization was shifting.
Their old site had an image as the background, with text over it. It was hard to read in some places, so they wanted to update to a cleaner, more modern look.
Usability was another big issue on their old site. Their site exists for the community to be able to access information and resources, so it was important to make sure the information was clearly identified and accessible.
We added a calendar of events and a directory of downtown businesses that are of particular importance to the mission of the organization. Four months ago, we also launched an app called the Heart of Las Cruces. Our programmers were able to integrate the site and app so that all the information is automatically pulled from the site into the app. The client only has to maintain the data in one place, making it more uniform and much more efficient.
Since they’re a nonprofit, the cost of the site was an issue. But we were able to come up with a sponsor — a branch office of a local law office, Scott Hulse. The branch was excited about supporting the Downtown Las Cruces Partnership, and the sponsorship gave their small office a much-needed marketing boost in the community. In the end, we were able to facilitate a win-win for both organizations!
Forrest Tire
Before Forrest Tire became an 8 Signal client, they were the victims of an unfortunate and extremely inconvenient hacking attack.
When they approached us for a redesign, their site was a few years old, but they had never been satisfied with the design. They didn’t have access to content and were not able to make the changes they wanted. Overall, they had just never been happy with their original site.
Then they got hacked.
Every time the site was accessed, a red screen would appear that said the site was unsafe. The site was built on a content management system that had not been updated properly, which made it an easy target for hackers.
Prior to the hack, they had been regularly receiving about ten requests for quotes a week. After the hack, the numbers had fallen to one or two a week. Even worse, the site had been blacklisted by Google and Norton Antivirus.
Our most immediate goal was to get the hack fixed, so we migrated all the content — without any of the malicious code — over to a new site. The new site was more visually appealing and easier to use. Using 8 Signal’s Quick Launch Website service, we were able to get Forrest Tire’s site back up and running, and looking better than ever, within five days!
With the site running again, we now have the time to go through the full custom design process with Forrest Tire, building them the site they have always wanted with all the features they’ve been dreaming of.
If your website is ready for a redesign or in need of a complete overhaul, we’re here to help. Give us a call at (915) 585-1919 to schedule your first consultation, or fill out our online form. Remember, 8 Signal is your marketing department — without the overhead!
