Creating a website isn’t easy. Re-designing an existing website is almost as difficult.
A website reflects an organization’s brand. It’s like a storefront that makes customers want to enter or want move on. That’s why it’s important to devote time to building the right storefront that will attract customers, whether they be retail shoppers or genealogists.
If a genealogical society is thinking about re-designing its website, they’re probably grappling with what to do. For inspiration, its board should take a look at the new look of the website recently launched by the Ohio Genealogical Society (OGS).
Not surprisingly, the new OGS website was almost a year in development.
In its announcement about the new site, OGS said, “It is now an easier site to navigate with its reformatted design, integrated access to database content, new catalogue interface, a consolidated blog, and much more.”
Talk directly to your audience
Like the cover of a fitness or women’s magazine that teases with titles that make us want to read the articles, the OGS home page “talks” directly to its audience — genealogists who are members or potential members. The page is peppered with you and your, as in Find Your Past and Find the Stories of Your Ancestors. Take your family research to the next level.
OGS also uses we on the home page, and they do it well: We have the information. We can show you new ways to find what you are looking for.
The society makes excellent use of action verbs, such as explore, access, learn, and sharpen, intended to entice the visitor to act:
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- Explore resources not found anywhere else.
- Make connections that aren’t available online.
- Learn from experts at conferences, chapter meetings, and educational sessions at the library.
- Access over 1,000 digitized county-level books and databases.
- Sharpen your research skills to avoid false paths and misleading information.
Clean-looking layout
OGS changed their website layout to landscape from a portrait format that was popular more than a decade ago.
The look is modern and fresh with plenty of white space to make it easy to read. The font and point size for titles and text are consistent throughout and larger than what appeared on the old site, making it much easier to read.
The lengthy paragraphs on the old side have been replaced with one or two short, action-driven sentences.
Website encourages visitors to search the database
Perhaps the best lure on the home page that grabs one’s attention is Search our database to track your lineage, located right at the top. I entered Dever, and much to my surprise, several names appeared. Of course, if I want to learn more, I must become a member.
The fewer number of tabs at the top of the new site, compared to the old one, make the site easy to navigate.
The order of the items featured on the home page are also worth noting. Donating, for example, is now toward the bottom of the page, instead of in your face near the top where it was once located. In other words, the website now tells us what the society offers before asking for our financial support.
Re-design or modify
This website contains lots of great ideas that will inspire other societies to re-design their own website or to just make a few tweaks. Sometimes just shortening sentences and paragraphs and using action verbs can make a difference.
What’s new?
The OGS website, however, could use a News section to advise members and visitors about additions to the website and news within the organization. If the society makes announcements and issues news releases, this information should be available on the website. If there is a News section on the site, I couldn’t find it.
OGS continues to develop its new website and they plan to add more digitized material. They are also preparing to be able to present webinars and other programming.
Bravo to the Ohio Genealogical Society for creating an excellent website.
Savoir faire is an occasional feature about genealogists and genealogical societies and organizations that are doing good things. To read about other creative and inspirational ideas, click on the ‘Savoir faire’ category in the right margin.
