In July 2015, Fast Winn Web received a panicked e-mail asking if we could quickly redesign a Raptor website. The client, Maggie, wanted a new WordPress website design for Black Hills Raptor Center, in Rapid City, SD. The site had just been redesigned in January, but the new website wasn’t doing the job. This was a rush job, as the new website had to be live by their first event at the South Dakota State Fair on August 14, 2015.

The Original Website:

The old website was messy in looks and difficult to manage. The home page was very busy, which made it difficult to know where to go. The colors were dull and bland. The site header was black and white and had no personality.The top menu was even missing a home button.
The raptor photo collage on the home page had text that was difficult to read. Most of the information on the Meet The Raptors page was repeated in the right sidebar, too. Visitors had no reason to stay.

The last straw for Maggie was when she tried to use the Donate button to process a donation, and the link took her to the PayPal website. The donate button was supposed to link to the Black Hills Raptor Center (BHRC) PayPal account.

Black Hills Raptor Center New Website:

Fast Winn Web reviewed the old site and gave Maggie a price that included a redesign.  The bid included moving the site to a new hosting company and linking the new site with their domain name.

As we worked we consulted with Maggie to learn about the organization, and what they wanted to accomplish with the website. As a result of our consultation, we added two on-line forms to the website: one for volunteers, and one to book a program. These forms will save Maggie time and reduce some of the paperwork for BHRC.

When we reviewed themes for the Black Hills Raptors site, we looked for an affordable theme with a clean look that would have a photo slider of the raptors as the main focus. We also needed a theme that would support a store and that would be responsive for mobile devices.

Design:

With the new site, a very smart photo slider is the focus of the home page. Each raptor image has a story. Maggie is almost done writing up all the raptor stories. When you click on a raptor’s photo in the slider, you go to an individual raptor page with text and photos.  You can view the new website at www.BlackHillsRaptorCenter.org

Photo Slider:

A very smart photo slider was added to the home page.  Each raptor image has a story.  Maggie is in the process of writing up all the raptor stories.  When you click on the photo in the slider, you go to an individual raptor page where text and photos can be added.

Event Calendar:

The website event calendar wasn’t working for BHRC. It was very difficult for Maggie to maintain, and its text was small and hard to read. When the visitor clicked on the raptor event, they were sent out to Google Calendar. We installed a great new calendar that Maggie finds easy to use. With the new Events page, the visitors stay on the website when they click on the event. When an event address is added, the Google map is installed on the event page. Visitors also can click to view the events as a list, rather than a calendar.

Banner Design:

We redesigned the website banner with two kestrels (they’re also raptors) looking into the title. The new font has more movement and interest, and Maureen hand painted the kestrels in Photoshop to add more color and interest to the banner. The colors of the kestrel (slate blue and maroon) were used as the colors for the website.

Sponsor Logos:

Fast Winn Web added the sponsor logos at the bottom of the page in a mini slider. This adds interest to the bottom menu, and having the sponsors’ logos in a slider will draw the visitor to take a closer look at those companies.

 
Social Media Icons:

The bottom of the page also has Links to the store, the current events, Facebook and the shopping cart. Visitors can go to the Black Hills Raptor Center’s Facebook page, and even share the website pages on their own Facebook page.

What does Black Hills say about their new website?

“FastWinn Web is amazing! Not only do they build a great website, but they maintain it, and they will train the owner to keep it fresh and current. I am not tech savvy. Maureen has been so patient and kind with me. I can save our non-profit money if I can do some updating myself. Maureen’s skill as a teacher is making that a reality.

I highly recommend this company for its great service, attention to detail, and willingness to go above and beyond the normal expected tasks of a website designer.”

 

Maggie Engler
Co-Founder
Black Hills Raptor Center
Rapid City SD

Does your website need a new Events page, too? Maybe your site would benefit from a couple of mini-sliders? Contact us to see what Fast Winn Web can do for you 520-505-4581!