AMVETS was overdue for a major overhaul of their web presence. Their new site needed to be mobile-friendly and provide a far more effective tool for members, families, and supporters. AMVETS serves veterans of all ages – from the Korean and Vietnam eras to vets returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. This means their users range from those who are not very computer savvy, to younger vets who are likely very comfortable using tablets and smartphones.
There are many talented designers and web programmers out there, and we have some amazing folks on our staff as well. But often the real key to a successful new website is working hard upfront to understand how to best serve every audience. Trade associations often serve a rather wide range of audiences – from members to sponsors, potential members, media, policymakers, and so on. The internal team that must manage today’s dynamic web environment is an equally important audience. By listening carefully to each department and studying member research, we developed an approach that worked for all involved.
Here are the key benefits we achieved with this new site:
Intuitive Organization – We rearranged content to better match user needs and interests. This also serves to better showcase the primary services offered to veterans and their families.
Communicate the Brand – While regular users may bookmark certain sections as their “homepage”, the main homepage needed to quickly position AMVETS as one of the nation’s first and foremost VSO’s (veterans service organizations).
Leverage WordPress – By carefully selecting and integrating plugins, we gave AMVETS staff a lot of power to easily manage content – from user-generated career opportunities, to program data, member benefit opportunities, reunion notices, and much more.
