Web Design & Development - Case Studies
Murtagh Horse
Understanding the need, understanding the business:
D.J. approached ASAP about this project through a referral. When we first met, there was only one thing clear - he wanted a web site built. He did not have any answers to the questions ‘how, ‘what’ or ‘why’. Things started emerging as soon as he completed our questionnaire. It gave the project a sense of direction. The next challenge was for us to understand the world of horsemanship. We did this by asking him to describe "A Day in the Life of D.J." A picture came clear and our notes of all the words important to horsemanship became our guide. Then we asked him to recommend 3 good movies about horses and horsemanship. After watching Seabiscuit, The Horse Whisperer and Hidalgo, we were ready to get to the drawing board.
Features:
Site Colours: This was based on the common colours of horses.
The Float: There are no lines that define the right or left edges. This decision was influenced by the movies D.J. recommended and gives the feeling of freedom.
Photo Gallery: A unique approach influenced by the photograph of gloves lying down in the barn (included in the gallery).
Header Slideshow: Use of the panoramic images builds the mood.
The Results: Only a week after launch D.J. called to say that he got his first qualified call from a site visitor. The bonus, I learned a great deal about horsemanship. Click here to view the site...
Rosewater Spa
An invigorating makeover:
ASAP was originally commissioned to spruce up an existing, live site. But there were too many challenges with the live site: A "Daily Special" mass e-mail based on site content was creating more problems than benefits; much of the content was in the form of graphics instead of text which could be indexed by search engines; there was no logical flow of information the way the site was structured; gift certificate ordering was inefficient; and the web site did not work in two important browsers. After few meetings we decided to scrap the existing web site and start afresh. Our first step was to organize and prioritize the content.
Features:
The navigation: A revised site map makes the information easier to find
Site Colours: Extra care was taken to match online colours with existing print collateral.
Daily Specials Feature: The client was set up with Constant Contact e-mail system, making regular contact with clients much simpler.
Online Ordering: Implementation of new gift certificate purchasing system - easy to manage by the spa’s front-desk staff.
The Results: Since the site was launched the spa owner mentioned that she has had rave reviews from clients and prospects. Most importantly the front-desk has improved productivity by being able to manage daily special e-mails and gift certificates with great ease. Click here to view the site...
What Next?
We've put together a questionnaire - web site needs analysis, to help you capture your vision for the project. The more information you can give us, the better we'll be able to respond. Answer each question in a clear and concise manner.
You may complete the questionnaire online or download, answer offline and email back to us.
Client Testimonials
"I owe a HUGE debt of thanks to HPCA member Adiseshan Shankar. Many of you may not know that Shankar the excellent photographer has quietly added web development with content management systems to his portfolio. And he's done it with the same quality as his photography! I discovered I was too close to a self-promotion project like this one to move forward. (I had made 5 starts at it and scrapped every one.) So I gave the whole project over to Shankar. I found it hard to give up the design portion, too, but I did and I'm very pleased with the result. It captures the feel I was looking for - professional without taking ourselves too seriously, bright and energetic, creative without being gimmicky. And all of the technical, back-end elements were easily handled by him. Shankar and I have now collaborated on a few web sites and in every case he has done work that has impressed me, asking intelligent questions and delivering sites that clients love." Craig, Imagine Creative Communications.
"...you did teach me well and the format is impressive and easy to work with. I’ve received many compliments about the presentation and aesthetics of the newsletter. Thank you once again for all your help." Guilio, ATTIVO
Click here to read more...
For Your Information
There is so much talk out there about what the ‘perfect’ web page looks like. In this article Rob Sullivan gives you tips on what we consider perfectly optimized as well as tips on helping turn the page into a great conversion tool. Click here to read more...
Here is a checklist of the factors that affect your rankings with Google, Bing, Yahoo! and the other search engines. Click here to read more...
Very useful resource on SEO by Google. Click here to view & listen...