Photo production team
MES has been busy engaging on many fronts leading into the autumn season; on top of all of this we have been busy planning the redesign of our website to give it a fresher look and function, thus making it look more engaging!. With the NHS landscape starting to embrace social media and getting more involved in digital communications, we wanted to make changes on our website because as great as content can be on a website and no matter how much you tweet about it, if your design falls short, your audience won’t even go past the first page.
With this in mind we recently kicked off our website planning for the new website with wire frames and storyboards and this past week set up a series of photo shoot days to capture the team in all of its glory. There are many parts to research and think about when building or updating a website to attract and engage your customers but here are some of the key points which are important for the NHS as a whole to consider when creating or redesigning a website.
Wireframes for new website
Responsive web design (RWD) – With the recent study by Ofcom that 53% of adults own a smartphone meaning that on the go, your website is more likely to be viewed on a phone than on a normal screen. RWD is a technique that allows a website to be viewed on a range of devices without losing functionality. Simply put, RWD finds out what the size and resolution of your device screen is before adjusting structure and images to fit the screen. The benefit is undoubted as this will mean less frustrated and more engaged users!
Integrated social media feed – In the digital age, information is power, and giving citizens and active place in the flow and content of information both democratises and legitimises initiatives. Organisations are always listening and want to hear from their audience and get heir feedback so integrating all their feeds into their website allows this, turning it into a virtual feedback group. This allows tailored communication which helps create a highly personalised dialogue with a mass audience.
Images with a purpose – In the land of social media and the rise of the “image centric social networks”, it seems images plus content is now king. In tandem with our new website design layout we decided to get professional photos done for each member of the team which hopefully will give a more personal touch to our website. For business purposes, research has also suggested that 60% of consumers are more likely to consider contacting a business that has an image show up in local search results. What type of photos being used on a website is subjective and the NHS does have guidelines for branding and imagery.
If you wanted to hear more about MES and our work in membership engagement, please feel free to follow us on twitter at @MESSocial where we are always happy to discuss your engagement needs.
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