Web Development Project Blog

eHomeAmerica.org was built for Community Ventures Corporation to be the official online homebuyer education program for Neighborworks of America.

The "white label" platform was built with the ability to customize learning paths for a variety of different user groups and participating organizations. The entire platform features an on-screen content management system for page content with a higher-level controls for managing the learning paths of individual users.

Home page of eHome America:



Video content is integrated throughout the program to enrich the user experience:



Periodic tests and quizzes ensure understanding and retention of information with requirements for correct answers:



At the end of a course, the user can print a custom certificate:



The administrative panels track each user's progress, payment information and other exportable data:

VeBridge Document Management Services is a full service document imaging an management company that works with businesses to streamline their paper-based processes. I worked with VeBridge to create a unique website that incorporates great web design, animated illustrations, integrated video and a viral Flash presentation.

The website starts off with an integrated video with a custom music soundtrack:


The html email that goes out has a very unique feel to it, really giving the interaction and nice touch:

Community Ventures Corporation is a non-profit organization in Lexington, KY. They help home owners prepare for and secure mortgage loans. They help small business owners learn the ropes of owning their own business and provide various levels of small business loans and larger business expansion loans. Additionally, they facilitate large project financing through New Market Tax Credits.

Combining all of these components into a single site that it visually compelling and easy to navigate was the objective of this CVCKY.org website redesign.

The theme carried across the site in text and photos was the concept of "Change." Through case studies and general information, we were able to communicate how CVC can change the lives of individuals and entire communities.

Tops in Lex.com is an entertainment and lifestyle website in Lexington, KY that prominently features an ongoing set of event photos. These event photos have become a staple in the Lexington social scene, with event planners constantly requesting photographer coverage at their charity events, socials and sports events.

The focus of delivering these photos and other valuable content on the TopsinLex.com website was my objective. I worked with the outstanding management and sales team at Tops Marketing Group to blueprint a new version of the website.

The new website layout had several objectives, including:

• Prominently display photo sets, calendar events and the popular community "Sound Off"
• Give advertisers as much exposure as possible through animated and non-animated banner ads as well as sponsorship locations for each section
• Capitalize on the photo page real estate, so that advertisers can get as much exposure as possible on this valuable page

What came out of the blueprints was very impressive. The site contains many elements, but the outstanding designer was able to maintain clean lines and signature colors.

New Home Page:

The New Photo Page:

Over the years I have been involved a great number of web development projects, large, small and everything in between. I have noticed the same problems come up time and time again.

The largest problem seems to happen in the very beginning of the project. Apparently, the excitement of a development company to land a project, coupled with the "hurry-up-and-get-it-done" attitude of the client inevitably leads to a lack of planning.

Planning just isn't the fun part of a development project. This includes content planning, layout planning and the ever-important, business planning. Whether the project is a small brochure website or a functional web application, planning is the best time you can spend.

Time, however, is always an investment. So often we want to rush into a project or are concerned about the financial commitment to the planning process that we gloss over it or simply ignore it.

In my position, I require the investment in planning time. I ensure that a client project does not start before it is planned. This doesn't mean that additional planning and modifications won't occur, but they are minor and won't cause any back-tracking in the process.

The moral of the story is one that has been passed on from every generation in every line of work. Take the time to plan.

In a recent weekend issue of the Wall Street Journal, an in-depth article was presented about SEO. As a tech guy with a strong emphasis on the internet, I can barely read SEO without saying "Search Engine Optimization" in my mind.

This article, however, was not about optimizing a website for higher Google rankings. Instead, the focal point of this piece was about someone like myself; a Strategic Execution Officer.

As a consultant I have the opportunity to work with management on a variety of technology and business issues inherent in growing any company. On the other hand, I spend at least 50% of my consulting time working as a project manager to implement the strategic visions set forth by the business consulting.

Thus my assimilation with the Wall Street Journal article, "All Roads Lead to the SEO" and its insights into this valuable role inside an organization. As mentioned in the article, my role inside a client's company is that of a change agent. My goals vary, but usually include the digitization of laborious processes, core to the business itself.

In order to begin digitizing processes, those activities involved must be examined from top to bottom. A series of tough questions begins every project:

• What is the end goal?
  
• Is the current process accomplishing this goal?
  
• If not, why is the process in place?
  
• Is the process necessary?
  
• Who is involved?
  
• Who can be removed?
  
• What can be done to make it all run smoother and meet the goals set forth?

Once these questions are answered the real fun begins. The technology to be used may be simple or it might be complicated; however, it is the always the people involved in the process that make it complex. There are habits to break, mindsets to alter and most importantly there is always a resistance to change.

This is why, as the article mentions, a high level of communication skills are required to successfully implement a new process and ensure that it is adopted by everyone involved. I have found that my ability to connect with technical engineers, creative marketers and salespeople alike, is critical to executing change.

Additionally the article makes mention of the need to work with business leaders to constantly find ways to derive more value from new processes. A giant leap in efficiency and productivity today may be something to be proud of now, but six months from now another round of efficiency gains will be expected, if not required. The world around us today (read: competition) moves far too quickly to rest on the innovation of yesterday.

Therefore I am happy to say that my role as a Strategic Execution Officer will be in demand for a long time to come. Thanks to the Wall Street Journal, I now have a descriptive title to explain how consulting and project management work together in a world of change.

The newly launched kyde.com is the web home of the Kentucky Diabetes Endocrinology Center located in Lexington, KY. This project involved consulting about messaging, imaging and information presentation.

Initially the objectives was to replace an aging kyde.com website that was constructed in the late nineties. This provided an opportunity to overhaul the information that was being presented on the website, improve the imaging of the practice and provide a functional tool for online patient registration to increase efficiency.

When approaching this project, I looked at the type of visitor that would be coming to the site. Most visitors either have diabetes or has a family member that has diabetes. Many of these patients are referred or have been given a list of referrals from another physician. This means that the visitors are aware of their condition and want to either be reassured that this is an atmosphere that they will feel comfortable in or convinced that KDEC is a better option for diabetes care than the next place.

To achieve these goals, I first looked for a universal message to encapsulate the practice and their level of care. I came upon the theme, "KDEC, Right Here For You Right Now." I carried the "Right" theme throughout the sub pages of the website.

Next came the imaging. I worked with a talented designer from The Delta Group to come up with the clean light lines, soft blues, gray text and the distinct red that matched their logo. This color scheme is easy on the eyes and projects a calm environment. I included a number of stock photos demonstrating caring doctors, advanced medical equipment and some unique imagery to keep the visitor exploring.

Finally, I worked on the website content. The previous website had virtually no content outside of physician bios, so I wrote just about every page. The goal is to inform incoming patients and family members of the caring, non-judgmental and education-centric approach that KDEC takes with its diabetes patients. Each section reinforces the professionalism and qualifications of the physicians, diabetes educators and support staff. I also included a fairly robust FAQ section that explains many avenues of diabetes. This was accomplished with the help of Wikipedia.

After completing the website messaging, imagery and content, I went work on the search engine optimization. As you will notice on the kyde.com website there are plenty of text links with varying keyword-based wording linking to descriptive pages that have a nice key phrase title. Every page has at least text links leading to it, one of which is always present in the footer. Every page contains at least 100 words, with many containing over 200, all containing versions of keyword phrases relevant to that page.

TopsinLex.com is a regional website in Central, KY that focuses on social gatherings, local events and local shopping.

 

My services have included:

• Search Engine Optimization of the entire site using strategic keywords, page titles and page structure modifications to increase Google rankings for the many areas of the website.
  

• Web Strategy Consulting with the management team of Tops Marketing to improve ROI for their web advertisers and the user experience on the website.
  

• Business Strategy Consulting to prepare for the upcoming franchising of the TopsinLex.com web platform, marketing strategy and business model.

• Web Development Project Management with the existing team of web developers to enhance the platform and prepare for franchising.