Client Description
Raleigh Rescue Mission has aided more than 750,000 homeless individuals in the Raleigh, NC community since 1961 through emergency shelter and long-term recovery services. Working with DesignHammer since 2007, the Mission returned pursuing a website update to further engage users and facilitate relationship building. The redesigned website needed to be optimized for not only mobile browsing, but also for mobile giving.
DesignHammer gave us direction and guidance during the entire process, and provided innovative solutions for our ideas that resulted in a site with which we are extremely pleased.
The Challenge
Previously, DesignHammer redesigned the Mission’s website in 2009. The 2013 redesign process began with a discovery phase: listening to the Mission’s needs and goals for the new website.
With an overarching goal to further engage with users and facilitate relationship building, the Mission asked for a mobile-optimized website that integrated its donor database software and also conveyed a sense of community. We delivered a redesigned Drupal website using our expertise in Mobile Web Development, Software Integration and Drupal Development to answer the Mission’s needs.
The Solution
Optimized Mobile Browsing
Recognizing the growing conversion to mobile browsing, the Mission needed a website that could be easily navigated and read on most mobile devices. To create an optimal mobile user experience, DesignHammer utilized Responsive Web Design for the website.
The responsive template design allows the website to conditionally adjust to most mobile devices and browsers, providing users with optimal viewing and navigation in their mobile environment. To facilitate easy mobile giving, the online donation page was restructured and designed with mobile users in mind.
Online Relationship Building
In addition to the online donation form, several other new Web forms were created to provide an easy way to sign up for the Mission’s eBulletin, and to volunteer at the Mission. These forms were then integrated with the Mission’s online donor management system, eTapestry.
To complete this third-party software integration, a custom module was developed to integrate eTapestry with Drupal.
This integration creates an efficient one-step data transfer by placing information gathered in the forms directly into eTapestry.
Home-grown Images, Local Feel
To create a sense of community and provide a local feel, the website features images of downtown Raleigh taken by North Carolina photographer Ivy Peacock. The photographs feature downtown architecture and individuals in downtown settings, such as the bus terminal and on-site at the Mission.
As part of the overall design, the Mission wanted a modern-looking site that would effectively incorporate the striking local photography and key features to engage visitors.
The Results
Within a two-month period after the redesign launched, the Mission observed significant results:
- 150% increase in mobile donation conversion rate
- Nearly 270% more views of the volunteer form
- 610% increase in views of the tour form
- 250% increase in new email capture
- 24% longer visit duration
- 9% lower bounce rate
