Website -looking for help

[sr.christinaosf]

I have been doing our web-page for several years now for the assisted living-type home where I work: www.stannesguesthome.org .

I recently made a few little changes to it and asked feedback from some people.

One person reinforced a suspicion I already had; it is a bit dated in its style.

She suggested asking the local community/tech. college if they would like to do it for a student project; I am exploring that option.

I have one hesitation with that, though.

I do not know if I will be able to continue updating it with new pictures, information, calendars, etc. if I don’t have the program they do it in.

I thought I would ask here and see if any of you are really into web design and would be interested in the challenge of re-vamping the site to make it more contemporary looking.

One thing is, in our favor, that our audience is not meant to be young people - it is largely geared toward older folks (40+) who are looking for a living center for themselves or a parent, etc.

 

[pianistclare]

@Xanthippe_Voorhees

 

[Xanthippe_Voorhees]

It is dated…

but that’s not a terrible thing. The worst part is that it’s a bit busy. For instance, you could easily remove a number of tabs on the top and nest them into menus. “Perspective Residents” would have Basic care, subsidized housing, testimonial and tour links. “About us” would have your employment, volunteer. Probably keep the giving on it’s own to draw attention.

You said that you are looking to help older people and their adult children look for a senior living center. One thing you absolutely need is for it to be more mobile friendly. A good number of older people do not have traditional desktops/laptops but use ipads and kindle Fire type devices. Those in the 40+ set are likely going to search on their phone while waiting at an appoitment, etc, atleast at first glance.

There is no need to list how many beds you have. Patent care ratio would be much more relevent.

One thing that would be important for you to understand is what’s called inbound marketing. When you understand your exact audience you can build your site.

As a note less fluff, more facts

We invite you to stop by
& check out our gift case
for affordable items to enjoy yourself
or give as a present.

could be

"Our Gift Shop is open to the public 9-5 M-F.
Enjoy a wide array of affordable treats and presants"

I don’t have the time to volunteer but I would suggest you perhaps get a marketing consult (either a student or maybe someone on here) to really go over what your goals are. I would suggest that you look at all your materials (brochures, business cards, mailing, paperwork) to ensure you have a seamless image.

In college I did marketing plans for several NPO’s. You might want to start there. It will help you really know what you want and need from your site. Also, there are quite a few companies that now service web sites that will do the updating work for you. Some as low as $20-40 a month. Once you know what you need, it might be worth it to consider.

 

[sr.christinaosf]

Thanks for the (name removed by moderator)ut. We are on a very limited budget so I am looking for any free help.