Healthcare Web Design for Better User Engagement and ADA Compliance

What were the needs in a website redesign?

Our client ABPN came to us with several goals in mind for their custom web design. We knew their site would need a complete redesign to meet their improvement goals. The main objective of this build was to increase the usability of the site. We needed to make the site more user friendly, and intuitive. These improvements would keep the large amount of content featured on the site from becoming overwhelming to site visitors.

ABPN also sought to increase the number of monthly site visitors. They also included SEO optimization in this redesign goal. Both of these objectives would go hand in hand in the redesign project.

With the website redesign affecting the front end of the website and its searchability, they also had goals for the back end of the website. They were looking to gain more control over their site and its content. Specifically, they were seeking a solution to the difficult upload process the site currently featured.

After hearing the goals and objectives of ABPN we knew we could deliver exactly what they were searching for in their next website. We knew we needed a complete modernization of their site, that fixed their current pain points, and gave the organization more autonomy over their site for the future.

Coding and designing a site to meet the needs of our client

We began with a cosmetic revamp of the site. We focused on maintaining the organization’s branding (colors and logos) and tone throughout the entire website. Users will notice imagery that supports the professional tone and is relevant to the content. We use lifestyle photos as often as possible to invoke a sense of connection in site visitors. Throughout the site’s homepage and deeper pages, we continue to use features and content blocks that keep a site visitor engaged. The home page features a carousel of highlighted content and deeper pages feature content block style lists that offer a navigation channel to desired content.

We used the site’s brand colors to create meaningful CTAs across the site. On the homepage, the user’s eyes are drawn to the login button, the search icon, and the learn more button on the carousel. These buttons feature a uniform orange color that stands apart from the other content and signals to the users its importance. Each of these CTAs begins a navigation flow that ABPN seeks to push site users into.

Aside from the site modernization and branding we also implemented a variety of features to improve the site’s ranking and SEO score. We ensured each page would load quickly and correctly across all devices that a visitor may use to access the site. Site responsiveness is an essential component to reducing a site’s bounce rate. In combination with engaging content like carousels, the site should keep users longer which prevents them from contributing to a high bounce rate that would negatively affect the site score. Keywords and matching phrases scattered throughout the site also work to improve SEO and page ranking.

On the backend of the new site, our developers custom-built a site that would be both easy to use and functional. By using WordPress we were able to give the ABPN team greater control over maintenance and editing their site. This would ensure that ABPN would not need to rely as heavily on third-party support.

When developing the backend we addressed the upload issue that ABPN had experienced with their previous site. The new upload process for the site would allow ABPN to import data from CSV files. This was a major upgrade over the manual hand entry process they had used before. The new site upload process would save their team a significant amount of time.

Part of our technical upgrades to the site included making sure that the site would remove outdated content from a visitor’s view. This process would guarantee that the site was displaying current, relevant content to site visitors vs displaying a mix of outdated and current content. This would help reduce the amount of information displayed and improve site navigation.

We decided to choose a WordPress site as this would provide the level of customization that ABPN was searching for. We were able to address and fix the backend site issues while completely modernizing the site and fixing the previous organizational pain points. Our dedicated digital marketing experts provided the content to improve the SEO and page ranking while enhancing the user’s experience.

Maintaining the hierarchy of support needs

Idea Marketing Group’s relationship with ABPN continues to this day. We continue to help maintain the ABPN site by offering best practices and website support. Our dedicated team is happy to address any technical issues that arise for our client. As a leading source of custom healthcare web design, we know what it takes to be successful.

In addition to maintenance support, our team provides our exceptional customer support manager Haley Langer to answer any questions or concerns that arise. When Haley is not addressing our client needs she works diligently to review the site, offer suggestions and create training videos to help ABPN better manage their site. This support helps our clients become more confident in fixing site issues and less reliant on third-party support.

Hearing Our Client’s Requests and Goals

When we first met with the AHRF team we sat down and listened to the goals and top objectives they had for their updated website. We always make sure that we take the time to truly learn about the team we are working with and not only hear their goals but also about the organization’s mission and culture as a whole. These meetings make sure we truly understand the client we are working with and are able to suggest meaningful ideas and solutions in addition to their requests.

The AHRF listed several goals they had when redesigning their new website. First, the site needed to be completely modernized and updated. This would include the use of modern layouts for content, navigation, and highlighted features. The site needed to feel as cutting edge as the breakthrough research and studies it promoted.

As part of the website update, they also requested a new brand logo that would match the modernization of the site and reflect the organization’s brand. The logo would be a crucial piece to approve before adhering the site to the new brand guidelines and colors to evenly reflect the brand throughout its site design and content.

A major goal of the website update was to ensure that the AHRF would accomplish its mission of providing research funds. This means we would need to make sure that the new update would highlight the donation option of the site and display the life-changing research being completed with the donated funds. Calling attention to donations and grant recipients had to be high on the priority list when mapping out the update.

Another crucial aspect of the objective to improve donations was to integrate the platform Donor Perfect, a source that AHRF wished to use to raise donations more easily and efficiently. This integration was something that was currently lacking on the current site, which was a suspected cause for the lower amounts of donations being received.

The site would need a variety of updates and technical fixes to accomplish the requests of AHRF. Our team would need to not only completely redesign the user-facing aspect of the site but also complete technical changes to the site that would improve and eliminate their current issues.

Building a Site to Echo the Mission & Work of AHRF

Our graphic design team began with the request for a redesign of the AHRF logo and brand colors. Their previous logo was outdated and no longer had the modern, cutting-edge feel that AHRF wanted to display. We helped AHRF choose colors that matched their professional tones and created a sense of calm, supportiveness to visitors. We used these colors to develop their new logo that resembles an image of sound waves that leads into the bold, clear font of the American Hearing Research Foundation. By placing two words above and below the continuation of the sound wave line we created an even, balanced effect that demands attention.

We took the updated brand guidelines and applied them throughout the build to create a uniform tone that matches the professionalism of the site. Using these color schemes we help direct the user’s attention to important content and help lead the users to the desired journeys.

The new site features CTAs using a bright blue of their brand palette. This bright color calls user attention to where it needs to go with phrases like “Learn More,” “Apply,” and “Donate.” These help direct visitor’s attention to the featured grant recipients, the core of AHRF. The grants enable researchers to make groundbreaking studies in the field of hearing and balance disorders, made possible by donations to the AHRF. Highlighting these recipients strongly reinforces the AHRF mission.

To increase donations to the AHRF, we integrated the platform Donor Perfect. This allowed visitors to make donations faster and easier, something that was critical to the site update.

Our dev team improved the site backend to ensure smooth functionality with minimal load times, improving page ranking. The new backend granted more control over site features and functionality to the AHRF team, reducing reliance on third-party support.

We finished a complete modernization of the AHRF site, updating the outdated and difficult back-end processes while integrating new, requested platforms to improve functionality. The layout was improved to feature a more modern design that relies heavily on organization and content display. By displaying more content we engage users for longer, leading to lower bounce rates and a higher page ranking.

Content using carousels allow AHRF to highlight relevant content that will better engage their audience. Relatable imagery and tone reinforces the foundation’s purpose throughout the main pages and deeper site pages. Content cards are featured below the main carousel on the homepage that leads the user to either apply (for grants), learn more or donate. CTAs reinforce these layouts by attracting user attention.

If users don’t engage with call-outs, they can use the organized menu navigation our team built. Each menu clearly directs users to the information and content stored throughout the site. These condensed navigation menus provide a directory that keeps content from overwhelming users.

Continuing to Listen to Our Client’s Needs Through Post Project Support

Together our team updated a site that was no longer serving the client’s purpose and turned it into a modern site that exceeded the client’s expectations. We used layouts and content that reinforced the AHRF brand and tone. CTAs draw the user’s attention to desired actions. The content is organized in formats that are easy to navigate and do not overwhelm the user. Integrations fix previous site issues and the back end was updated to provide easy control over the site and its content. The entire website has a brand new, modern look that matches the new logo that will carry them forward in their mission.

We had worked previously with the American Hearing Research Foundation before they came to us for a website update. As a leading Chicago web design company, and experts in custom web design, they knew they could trust our work. Our team strives to maintain a great relationship with all our clients and being chosen to work with the AHRF once more illustrates the level of trust and confidence our clients have in our team. The dedicated team at Idea is always happy to help our previous clients decide what next step is best for them and their business, regardless of where the decision takes them.

AHRF chose to stay with Idea and complete a complete website update and utilize our website marketing expertise. We completed their project and continue to provide the site with technical and maintenance support when needed. Making sure our clients stay satisfied is always our priority.

In addition to maintenance support, our team provides our exceptional customer support manager Haley Langer to answer any questions or concerns that arise. When Haley is not addressing our client’s needs she works diligently to review the site, offer suggestions and create training videos to help AHRF better manage their site. This support helps our clients become more confident in fixing site issues and less reliant on third-party support.

Creating an Easily Navigable and Responsive Online Database

With their previous site, ABMS reported issues updating and maintaining their vast database through Magento. This content needed to be continuously updated for validity and the site needed to display said content without sacrificing page speeds and load times.

While content updates and page speeds were important, it also couldn’t be overlooked that the entire site needed to be accessible and designed with a user-first mindset. This would include an organized directory that would be easy to search through. Additionally, ABMS sought to share relative blog posts to their related sites. This content helped support the various additional organizations that were affiliated with the ABMS, such as Certification Matters and Continuing Certification.

Another key objective of ABMS was designing the site in a manner that would engage its visitors. Creating content layouts with interactive elements such as carousels would help keep users on the site and reduce bounce rates. These new layouts would provide an opportunity for ABMS to really connect with their users and highlight content that they considered important. A modern layout would drastically improve the way users engaged with the website.

Overall, the ABMS database needed to be clean, modern, and feature easy navigation to the user’s desired information while maintaining the validity of its resources.

First, our team would need to map out the user journey flow through the website. We needed to make sure that users and providers could quickly and easily find the relevant information they wanted. This would mean redesigning previous user flows to simplify the journey and create a clearer content layout. As part of the design process, it would also be imperative to keep in mind the different devices used to access the site. Responsive design would be essential to the site’s integrity.

Making a Healthcare Website Connected to a Relational Database with ~1 Million Practitioner Records Updated Nightly

When visitors land on the new modern ABMS homepage, they discover a quick loading, inviting site with consistent imagery that builds user confidence. They immediately notice a distinct, expandable navigation menu bar. A smaller additional content menu is located at the top left. Utilizing these expandable hamburger menus keeps the content and resources neatly organized and accessible without unnecessary distraction.

The new interactive rotating carousel features highlighted ABMS content and draws users’ attention, increasing page engagement by lengthening the time users spend on the page. This can dramatically reduce bounce rates, which improve site SEO and page ranking on search engines.

Within the carousel and header menu, users find clear Call to Action buttons (CTAs) that encourage users to go deeper into the site and engage with content. These CTAs highlight information or resources users frequently look for. A bright blue from the ABMS branding helps draw attention to CTA buttons and important functions like search. Bright colors indicate importance and visitors recognize it immediately.

As the user continues past the page’s horizon line they find additional content cards with CTAs. Each card provides links and navigation to help the user find the related information. These cards help keep information neatly organized and easily accessible if it’s relevant to the user.

The site was built responsive to provide a clean, clear site no matter what device visitors use. With the continued growth of mobile users responsive design is a requirement. Otherwise, users may leave your site quickly affecting bounce rates and conversion, or they may lose confidence in the website’s credibility.

The ABMS page features an abundance of information, including blogs and articles of relevant content to the user. This content pushes to additional sites that link back to ABMS, creating new options to reach ABMS from other locations. These backlinks improve SEO and site ranking, having a significant positive impact on the website traffic.

The vast database and resource collection that ABMS hosts were a key component. It provided practitioners and users with current, accurate information and needed continuous database updates of its thousands of resources and other entries. Incorrect or missed updates can create a nightmare scenario for the page. Our developers designed a process to automatically update and review the site nightly to ensure all information and resources are accurate. New data is merged into the database while irrelevant or outdated information is wiped clean. These automatic syncs simplify the previous process and protect site integrity.

A site backend to complete necessary tasks to keep the site’s data updated was essential. ABMS needed to use the site backend to import new information in bulk rather than single entries. Using WordPress our developers made it possible for ABMS to import entire Microsoft Excel files to expedite data imports.

ABMS could easily and quickly make any changes to the new site, granting greater control and flexibility. Our team focused on providing training and education to the ABMS team to ensure they were confident in managing the new site.

The Nuts and Bolts of Maintaining a Usable Database

ABMS has continued its relationship with Idea Marketing Group to this day. Many of the organization’s partners and affiliated sites have also come to Idea for healthcare web design. Some of these organizations include; Certification Matters, Continuing Certification, and the ABMS Conference site. As a leading Chicago web design company, they know they will get the best result.

Idea continues to help maintain the ABMS site success by monitoring nightly database updates and ensuring that relevant content is pushed to partner sites and creates more visibility for the site. This blog content helps ABMS increase engagement with its users.

In addition to maintenance support, our team provides our exceptional customer support manager Haley Langer to answer any questions or concerns that arise. When Haley is not addressing our client needs she works diligently to review the site, offer suggestions and create training videos to help ABMS better manage their site. This support helps our clients become more confident in fixing site issues and less reliant on third-party support.

A Healthcare Site for More Than Just Mothers

We sat down with the team from Mother’s and Babies to fully discuss the scope of the project and their key objectives for the custom web design. The entire project required several key elements to meet the Mothers and Babies’ expectations for the project. We had several meetings to make sure we understood everything the team desired, along with the site and its objective so that we would be able to offer additional meaningful suggestions.

The primary goal of the website redesign was to update the entire site to reflect a ‘User first’ mindset. In other words, we wanted to understand what users came to the site for and to make their journey to complete their objectives as simple as possible. We also needed to know what journeys Mothers and Babies wanted their users to take. By understanding these goals we began the website redesign to simplify the site visitor’s journey.

Along with their goals of organizing content and simplifying user flows we also discussed modernizing their site. The previous layout and feel of the site came across as dated, and was in need of a facelift. We assured the team that as part of the modernization we would also plan to create engaging site elements that any modern website needs to rank well.

They also wanted to make sure that it was clear the site provided additional resources and information for both researchers and providers. They needed it to be clear that it was not just a site for Mothers. All three of their user demographics needed to be clearly supported on the site. Apart from giving the site a new layout and elements, the site also needed a new look that reflected the modern inclusive view of families and parental roles.

The Mother’s and Babies team were also hoping to achieve more control over their site and reduce their reliance on site plug-ins. They needed a site that provided everything their users needed end to end. We needed to make sure it was a site that could host the vast library of resources and content without sacrificing site speeds or creating a tangled website back end that wouldn’t allow for quick, easy adjustments.

The Formula to a Solution

The majority of visitors came to the Mothers and Babies site to access the vast library of resources. We needed to create an organized, distinct directory of resources that was clear to users and also specific to their demographic. By organizing content in a drop down navigation menu according to the audience, (researchers, providers, or parents) we provided a directory of information in a neat, easy access format that’s clear to visitors.

An organized hamburger menu in the main navbar kept the amount of content from being overwhelming. Users could easily find or search for information that was relative and ignore categories that weren’t relevant. Organizing the site and applying informative topic names in the navigation menus made the user journey more direct..

Next, our team looked at modernizing the site using a layout that would engage users and lead them to desired flows. We introduced several interactive elements including educational video content. This content engaged users in a meaningful way, which also benefited page ranking (more on that soon). Part of the engaging content layout included content carousels to draw the user’s attention. These carousels provided relatable content, while also promoting content that Mothers and Babies wished to highlight. Additional content cards were distinctly used across the site to provide another content layer that stood out to users.

We focused on providing clear actionable items to push site users where Mothers and Babies wanted. CTA’s used colors and distinct formats called attention to possible actions. Bright colors like eggplant purple, teal, and light purple for website action buttons drew user attention. Phrases like “Ask Us A Question,” “Find Support,” and “FAQs,” provide clear, relevant flows for users. CTA use helped improve every page of the new site.

Refining the brand strategy of Mothers and Babies was an important project aspect. We helped refocus the brand message and tone. Previously, the site heavily focused on Mothers and a ‘traditional family’ concept. With modern families becoming increasingly diverse and familial roles continuing to evolve, Mothers and Babies needed to reflect these changes in messaging and imagery.

We redefined their language and messaging to reflect a more inclusive approach that was not limited to only Mothers. To support the new messaging we worked with the Mothers and Babies team to choose imagery that also supported this modern view. Both teams agreed that the brand color palette needed updating as well. We switched from a more traditionally feminine tone to a gender neutral tone that supported the variety of families. These changes created a site that was significantly more inclusive.

We also made sure it was clear the site provided more than just resources for new mothers. Information for researchers and providers was also a key part of the website. By highlighting each of the demographics we clearly conveyed that the site was for more than just parenting and pregnant people.

Delivering an End to End Website

Our development team chose a custom site designed with WordPress to best meet our client’s needs. This platform allowed our team to address the issues that Mothers and Babies we’re experiencing. We built a site that could handle hosting the vast library of resources without sacrificing site quality or speeds. Page speeds are critical to site ranking on Google. Each of our custom sites is responsive, meaning the content displays correctly no matter what device a visitor uses to access it. With an ever increasing number of users accessing websites via mobile devices, this responsive design ensures that everyone can access Mothers and Babies’ content.

Site control was purposefully built for simplicity of use by the Mothers and Babies team. A clean backend kept the website from unnecessary complications and allowed the Mothers and Babies team to make adjustments as needed and gave more control over their site processes. We wanted to create a site that Mothers and Babies could use and adapt as needed without relying on their party support more than necessary.

During the build we removed any links or content that would navigate away from Mothers and Babies. This kept traffic on the site and reduced reliance on third party resources. We did integrate a Hubspot form on request of the client. This integration allowed Mothers and Babies to capture user emails and add them to their mailing lists. This reduced the amount of manual labor and increased the audience of Mothers and Babies.

Through a custom rebuild, integration and clean up of the site our web development team created a site that functioned as needed and would be useful to the Mothers and Babies team as needed. Our front end team created a site that reflected the modern brand of Mothers and Babies and simplified the user journey. Our improved color palette, images, and wording supported a modern inclusive site that welcomed all of the site’s intended users. The use of interactive elements and content created a site that users would want to engage with, and clear CTAs led them to desired user flows. Our team delivered a site that met all of our client requests and more.

Our team continues to work closely with the Mothers and Babies team to provide the necessary support to keep their website functioning correctly and additional website marketing tips. We offer insights and suggestions to ensure the website is functioning at its highest potential. If there are issues or problems with the website our team is available to investigate and correct any issues.

In addition to maintenance support, our team provides all clients with our exceptional customer support manager Haley Langer to answer any questions or concerns that arise. When Haley is not addressing our client’s needs she works diligently to review the site, offer suggestions and create training videos to help Mothers and Babies better manage their website. This dedicated support helps our clients become more confident in fixing site issues and less reliant on third-party support.

Webinars + Newsletters + Functionality = Improved Health IT

Our team sat down with CHITREC to discuss their needs for a custom healthcare web design. CHITREC explained that the main function of their website was to act as a landing page for webinars and courses. Users needed to easily find the information they needed, and access program details.

CHITREC also was seeking to expand their mailing list for their newsletter which contained important information about the organization. They wanted to capture site visitor information for later email blasts. Their current mailing list was not achieving their goals and they hoped that with a larger list they would see better results.
A key objective in the site’s redesign was to modernize and update the look and functionality of the site. CHITREC specializes in health technologies and needed a modern site that reflected its position as a technology industry leader. This had to be clearly conveyed with a modern site that operated without issues.

Part of updating the site layout would include better organizing the content on the site in a way that was easy to navigate and did not overwhelm visitors. Our team also focused on the opportunity for displaying relevant content and imagery throughout the site that supported the site’s purpose.

As with all of our projects our development team looks for ways to improve the functionality of the site and clean up any issues they find that overly complicate the back-end of the site. We focus on ensuring the site runs smoothly and equally important, that it loads and displays content quickly.

Blending Modern Marketing and Site Design with Health IT

We began with working on the back-end of the CHITREC site. Cleaning up and simplifying the back-end of the site would give greater control to the CHITREC team and make them less reliant on third-party support. This would also lead to fewer possible complications while the site operated.

The team also made sure to check how the page’s speeds and SEO ranking. Page’s that run slower rank lower in Google’s index and won’t display as high on the search results. By ensuring each page loaded quickly we improve the site’s score. Our expert team of marketers worked to determine the keywords and phrases for the sector CHITREC belonged to. Using phrase matching and relevant keywords we make sure that Google picks up on the desired site content and will display the site for searches that are relevant.

While we were fixing the website we accomplished the objective of increasing the contacts for the CHITREC mailing list. We ensured that when users signed up for the newsletter or entered their email address info the site would save the information. This would then feed into the mailing list provided by the Mail Chimp integration that we introduced. In this way, CHITREC could easily create mailing lists and segments from users that entered their information on the site.

Once our team had finished with the back-end features of the site and Mail Chimp integration we got to work on modernizing the look and feel of the website. When you visit the CHITREC site the user will first see the CHITREC mission statement over an image of healthcare workers. The professionals in the photo are smiling and invoke a sense of invitation to journey further into the page. Images used on the site would resonate with site visitors and encourage them to build trust with the site and engage further.

In addition to professional images, we also made sure to leverage colors regarding the site tone. We used soft blues and purples to invoke a medical tone for the site and at the same time feel inviting and calming.

At the top right of the home screen, users will notice the collapsible navigation menu and search bar. This menu provides a directory of site information and resources, including options like Programs, and webinars. Two of the main functions CHITREC described on their site. This menu simplifies the search and navigation aspects of the site.

As users scroll through the website they see two content cards that take up an equal portion of the screen. Each of these components contains content that CHITREC wishes to highlight and a clear CTA that will lead users to more information. These content blocks and CTAs help users navigate the site and funnel visitors into the desired user journeys.

Support and Maintenance for Our Healthcare IT Client

Our team strives to maintain a great relationship with all our clients and we continue to partner with CHITREC to support their website functionality. As a leading Chicago web design company we take pride in every project we complete and strive to deliver the best in website marketing.

We provide maintenance and technical support as needed to keep the site running smoothly. If a technical issue or error with the site’s code comes up our team is always available and ready to provide assistance.

In addition to maintenance support, our team provides our exceptional customer support manager Haley Langer to answer any questions or concerns that arise. When Haley is not addressing our client’s needs she works diligently to review the site, offer suggestions and create training videos to help CHITREC better manage their site. This support helps our clients become more confident in fixing site issues and less reliant on third-party support.

Providing an Accurate and Secure Online Database

To begin, we needed to start with ensuring that Certification Matters was displaying accurate and updated certification records for the hundreds of thousands of practitioners in their database. Outdated or incorrect information would put the site and its reputation at major risk.

Security was also a chief concern in the website redesign. Certification Matters wanted to provide practitioner’s contact information while also preventing unsolicited spam contact. We would need to find a solution that allowed visitors to find practitioner contact information while preventing those who would access mass amounts of practitioner information for spam purposes.

Usability and navigation could also not be ignored. Making sure users could quickly and easily locate information within the database was essential. The new site would require creating clear user funnels and navigation channels. If users could not find the information they were looking for, then the site was not accomplishing its purpose.

Included in the website redesign request was an update to the aesthetic portion of the site. A site was needed that more closely adhered to the established brand guidelines and included updated stylings. A modernized site that fit the site context was included in the design plan. As experts in custom web design, our team got right to work.

Improving Accuracy, Reducing Workload and Creating a Memorable User Experience to Build Trust

We started with verifying the site’s certification records of over 1 million practitioner records were accurate. To maintain this level of accuracy our developers designed a nightly sync to match every single record entry in the database and check validity. Once this process was completed outdated or incorrect information would no longer display. This feature guaranteed Certification Matters provided correct and up-to-date information and reduced the time needed to review content validity.

For security and privacy concerns we designed a security feature that allowed our client to limit the number of daily searches performed by users. This gave Certification Matters greater control over the information being accessed in their database. Once a search limit was reached, a custom message would be displayed allowing the user to contact the Certification Matters sales team to access more information. The search limit feature could be disabled for selected users by the Certification Matters team at any time. This feature gave greater control over who accessed information and reduced the number of spam users.

With a million+ data entries the site navigation was essential to a successful redesign. If users couldn’t access or locate information they came for, the site would be useless. We created a clean, simple layout so the user can easily navigate the site. The use of clear CTAs and expandable menus focuses the user’s attention and navigation.

A bright orange color was used to bring attention to important site callouts. On the site homepage, visitors immediately notice the large CTA button in the header reading “Is my Doctor board certified?” which leads users to the site’s primary function; validating a provider’s credentials. Further down the home screen, another orange CTA button will grab user attention with “Find My Doctor” which also helps users verify their Doctor certifications, or find certified Doctors. Another CTA button virtually identical to the header CTA sits in the page footer. Wherever users navigate to on the homepage there are clear CTAs for navigation to important information.

The website needed a cosmetic overhaul as well. The brand guidelines were used to choose colors and fonts that better aligned with the organization’s style. Calming blues are common across the site while bright oranges draw the user’s attention when needed. Professional yet inviting imagery was used across the site to give users a sense of security and build confidence in the site. The key to success was blending both a professional and comforting tone to create the best user experience.

A Custom WordPress Site For the Unique Needs of Our Client

The site redesign featured upgrades and plug-in removals to improve functionality and page ranking. Page speed and utilizing backlinks would improve the site’s ranking on Google and increase traffic. The longer a page’s load time directly correlates to a higher bounce rate. To reduce bounce we ensure each page loads engaging content quickly.

Site keywords and phrases help optimize SEO. Page SEO is another critical aspect of page ranking for Google. We made sure to include common search terms so Certification Matters would appear in relevant search results.

Another key aspect was coding a responsive site. Responsive sites load and display content differently based on the device accessing the site. Nonresponsive sites risk having content appear ‘broken’ or not displaying at all. When content is not displayed properly it leads to less confidence in the site. Certification Matters wanted users to build confidence in their provider, so the site needed users to be confident in the site itself. With a responsive design the growing number of mobile device users can access the site with no content display issues.

Each design is unique and so should be each build. Our developers custom-built this site with WordPress. This platform allows them to add features and customize the site to fit our client’s specific requests. This platform also gives our client the ability to take control of their site backend and make changes as needed.

Certification Matters began its relationship with Idea Marketing Group after we completed a healthcare web design for its affiliated site the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). Idea continues to work with and assist Certification Matters, ABMS, and their partner sites to improve their website marketing.

Idea helps maintain the Certification Matters website through continuous support. Our team helps monitor that the site is behaving correctly and runs free of errors. If technical issues arise our developers are always ready to address them.

In addition to maintenance support, our team provides our exceptional customer support manager Haley Langer to answer any questions or concerns that arise. When Haley is not addressing our client needs she works diligently to review the site, offer suggestions and create training videos to help Certification Matters better manage their site. This support helps our clients become more confident in fixing site issues and less reliant on third-party support.

A Need for a Modern, Up To Date Site Providing Health Profession Info

As we sat down with the Continuing Certification team we discussed what their end goals for their custom web design would be. They gave our team their list of objectives for the new site design.

As a healthcare education resource, one of the main goals of Continuing Certification was to provide an organized, online directory of medical certification and education resources. Their goal was to organize activities and resources by specific boards to give users the ability to pull specific data they were seeking. Users would not need to search through irrelevant resources but instead could filter resources by the specific board.

To provide educational resources and activities Continuing Certification also needed a website that would allow for their partner educational organizations to submit resources. These submissions would need to be monitored and approved by Continuing Certification before being posted on the website. Continuing Certification also requested we simplify their current manual entry method for uploading data entries.

In addition to uploading new resources, Continuing Certification wanted to ensure that outdated and old information was removed from the site. Once a course or activity date had passed the entry needed to be hidden from users.

A key factor we had to consider during the design process was creating a site and user flow that would increase registrations and improve overall page ranking.

A Custom WordPress Site to Host Resources and Certification Records

As we sat down with the Continuing Certification team we discussed what their end goals for their custom web design would be. They gave our team their list of objectives for the new site design.

As a healthcare education resource, one of the main goals of Continuing Certification was to provide an organized, online directory of medical certification and education resources. Their goal was to organize activities and resources by specific boards to give users the ability to pull specific data they were seeking. Users would not need to search through irrelevant resources but instead could filter resources by the specific board.

To provide educational resources and activities Continuing Certification also needed a website that would allow for their partner educational organizations to submit resources. These submissions would need to be monitored and approved by Continuing Certification before being posted on the website. Continuing Certification also requested we simplify their current manual entry method for uploading data entries.

In addition to uploading new resources, Continuing Certification wanted to ensure that outdated and old information was removed from the site. Once a course or activity date had passed the entry needed to be hidden from users.

A key factor we had to consider during the design process was creating a site and user flow that would increase registrations and improve overall page ranking.

Providing Resources and Education to Maintain the New Website Database

Idea Marketing Group’s relationship with Continuing Certification began after we completed a custom health web design for its affiliated site the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). Idea continues to work with and assist Continuing Certification, Certification Matters, ABMS, and their partner sites. As a leading Chicago web design company the continued satisfaction of our clients is priority.

We continue to help maintain the Continuing Certification site through website support. Our dedicated team is happy to address any technical issues that arise for our client.

In addition to maintenance support, our team provides our exceptional customer support manager Haley Langer to answer any questions or concerns that arise. When Haley is not addressing our client needs she works diligently to review the site, offer suggestions and create training videos to help Continuing Certification better manage their site. This support helps our clients become more confident in fixing site issues and less reliant on third-party support.

The Bear Necessities For a Successful Non-profit Web Redesign

With every healthcare web design client, the Idea team takes the time to listen and gain an in-depth understanding of their problems and goals. We had several meetings with the Bear Necessities Foundation to identify the issues our team could address and additional solutions we could provide. Several top objectives key to the success of the custom web design project were identified.

First, we needed to come up with a new site layout that would highlight aspects the Bear Necessities team had identified as crucial pieces. The new site layout would need to show examples of the research that the foundation was helping to fund and provide a way to donate to that research. The foundation also wanted to focus on the children and families that were receiving support. Critical to both of these highlights was including a clear way to donate that would capture user attention.

The foundation also wished to showcase important events they organized and hosted. In our meetings, the Bear Necessities foundation mentioned that they hosted an annual Bear Tie Ball, an event that was a major source of funding for the foundation. Other events the organization wished to highlight included the Golf for the Bear outing, Walk for the Bear, and more. These events helped provide funding for research and support, and another key aspect of the site, Bear Hugs.

Bear Hugs was another important piece of the Bear Necessities site that we needed to highlight. You may have heard of St. Judes Make a Wish foundation, and in essence, Bear Hugs are very similar. A Bear Hug helps provide a special memory for a child aged 0-19 battling cancer in the Chicago area. Each Bear Hug was unique and the foundation wanted to highlight past and current requests.

As part of the foundation’s custom web design goals they wanted to highlight the best ways to get involved besides donations. For example, the site needed to offer volunteering and corporate involvement options.

Additional objectives for the site redesign included capturing email addresses and information of visitors to add to mailing lists. Other objectives included creating a light tone for the website since the content was a difficult topic. Lastly, the site was looking for more general website support.

A Website Build That Would Build a Bigger Foundation

Our team cleaned up current site processes and developed an easy-to-use backend so the Bear team was able to better manage their site. Our team also provided resources for new site training.

We created a form element on the website to capture and save additional visitor information for mailing lists. We also integrated the requested donation platform Click and Pledge, simplifying the donation process to increase the number of donations.

Our team included SEO keywords and phrase matching so the site displays for relevant searches. We verified site content loaded quickly and correctly, another important aspect of page ranking.

Next, we updated the site format to bring attention to topics that needed highlighting. Our design prioritized focus areas and organized content by topic.

A modern layout and several interactive elements engage site visitors. On the homepage users see an organized navigation bar with options like Bear Hugs, Bear Discoveries, and more. At the end of the menu is the site’s first CTA button colored bright orange to draw user attention to the Donate option. The new menu provides easy navigation to site content.

Below the navigation is a large image of smiling children with text overlay “Brightening the lives of children with cancer.” The text emphasizes the foundation’s focus, children in need. Users are also reminded of this by the main font, Amatic SC. Clear and easy to read, yet it resembles childlike handwriting. The font works in this context by subtly reinforcing the main focus; children.

As users scroll they’ll notice CTAs scattered across the site and interactive content cards. Each CTA and card feature a bright attention-drawing color, and actionable commands like “DONATE” and “LEARN MORE.” These bold CTAs and cards draw attention and drive desired action. Without a clear call to action to users, it’s easy to get ‘lost’ or miss action opportunities. The CTAs and content cards guide users and create conversion.

Tone and colors were other key aspects. Childhood cancer is a serious, somber topic. However, our client represented hope, strength, and support for those fighting this difficult battle. Their funded research provides new insights into the disease and moves us closer to beating cancer. The Bear Hugs are children’s wishes come true and provide the precious gift of a happy memory.

To represent this we included light colors that inspire positive reactions. The messaging focuses on positivity and strength. Imagery supports this uplifting tone and invokes a positive emotional response. The site’s colors, images, and messaging that echo Bear Necessities Foundation’s meaning; hope.

Medical research funded by donations is part of the hope message. A main nav menu option is Bear Discoveries, and further down the page is its content card with a short description and ‘learn more’ button. Visitors can click to view research projects across the country with foundation funding. This converts more users to donors and increases the number of donations since individuals see their efforts direct impact.

Maintaining the Magic of a Bear Hug

Through client meetings and careful strategic planning, our team created a custom web design that met all of the identified objectives and goals. Our development team simplified the website backend granting greater control and ease of use for the Bear Necessities team. They integrated the platform Click and Pledge to simplify the donation process. Additional support and training were provided as needed so the Bear Necessities team could use the full capabilities of the new custom website.
Our marketing and design team created a website flow that would support the Bear Necessities Foundation’s goals and objectives. We designed user flows that would take site visitors to desired content and keep them engaged with the site. The use of CTAs and colors helped guide visitors to actionable items like donating. Information and navigation were included in elements like content cards that boldly drew visitors’ attention.

The redesigned navigation menu led users to the content the Bear Necessities wanted to highlight most. This included their Bear Hugs program, the research through Bear Discoveries, foundation fundraising events and ways to get involved. We were able to create a site that truly highlighted the amazing work the Bear Necessities Foundation was doing and would drive visitors to action.

As part of every non profit web design, we reexamine the phrases and keywords relevant to SEO and elements that may affect page ranking. We ensure that the best phrase matching and keywords are updated to show up in any relevant search results. Our team makes sure that all content loads quickly and correctly since it’s also an important page ranking factor.

We were able to update the Bear Necessities Foundation website to meet their objectives and help them continue their mission. Our team was proud of the excellent work and the site result. The client was pleased with our results and confident the new site would accomplish its goals.

Our team strives to maintain a great relationship with all our clients and we’re happy that the Bear Necessities Foundation chose to work with us once again for a website redesign. We consider our returning clients a testament to the committed team that we are and the top level work we provide. We continue to partner with Bear Necessities to support their website functionality.

We provide maintenance and technical support as needed to keep the site running smoothly. If a technical issue or error with the site’s code comes up our team is always available and ready to assist.

In addition to maintenance support, our team provides our exceptional customer support manager Haley Langer to answer any questions or concerns that arise. When Haley is not addressing our client’s needs she works diligently to review the site, offer suggestions and create training videos to help the Bear Necessities Foundation better manage their site. This support helps our clients become more confident in fixing site issues and less reliant on third-party support. When you come to Idea Marketing Group you can expect the best!