What do you do when you have a successful Podcast & blogging website, but your company grows larger and larger? It may be a good time to refresh the look and feel of your site. That is just the situation that Ryan Ripley & Co. found themselves in earlier this year. So with that, they chose to partner with Rauch Digital to create that new, refreshed look.
Website Design
First thing was first. We wanted to take a look at how to offer consistency with the new Ryan Ripley & Co. branding & logo. We also wanted to adjust the site to offer users more content on top of the Agile for Humans Podcast. We accomplished this through careful consideration and design to create clear Calls to Action. Specifically focusing on above the fold content when users landed on the site.
On the new site, users are greeted with multiple options. Coaching, training, podcast, blog & speaking are quickly accessible. The user is also presented the ability to immediately engage via the “Contact us Now” link. This link is now located directly in the hero image.
However, if previous users of the site were coming back simply to consume the latest podcast, we wanted the experience to be crisp and quick. Therefore with quick scrolling users are still able to access the latest podcast right from the main page.
Search Considerations
As with any existing site, there was careful care taken to ensure that any SEO juice the site was currently getting remained. First, we took careful consideration on all meta descriptions, page titles, and keyword placement. Coupling this with the mobile friendly and speed focused design, we also reviewed the SSL certificate to round out the foundational search elements.
After launch, we generated a new site map registered with Google through the Google Webmaster Tools suite. This allows Google to index all changes to site structure. Additionally we created the proper 301 redirects for all former pages. This created a robust technical strategy for the initial SEO at site re-launch.
Training Courses Module
Unique to this redesign was also the implementation of the Training Courses Module. As the service offering of Ryan Ripley & Co. has grown, it was important to provide those seeking training classes an easy way to view the upcoming offerings. Users are now able to view all classes, but also drill down to specific offerings. Offerings include the Scrum.org Professional Scrum Master I course. Also the Scrum.org Professional Agile Leadership Essentials course.
So what’s next?
While the new website is now live, there are many more enhancements coming in the future. Building out the training courses module is on tap next. However, there are more initiatives working behind the scenes. These developments will offer users of the site even more access to information and offerings from Ryan Ripley & Co.
In Summary
This was an exciting project, providing the ability to re-design a website that I have frequented for years. It is also a subject that I have a true passion for, and deploy in my daily activities as a Scrum Master.
Does your organization need a new website, help with search engine optimization, or any other software solutions to better serve your customers? Reach out to Rauch Digital today and start the journey toward your improved user experience!
