One of the things we love most about our jobs is having old friends return to us when it’s time for a website facelift. Such was the case with The Track Family Recreation Center. Wright Strategies designed and built The Track’s website in 2003, but as we all know, the web is a fast-evolving and ever-changing entity. While the old site had served them well, it had started to show its age and needed an update. 

New design elements included increasing the width of the website to achieve maximum viewing potential of The Track’s new broad, sweeping photography. On the homepage, we incorporated a mini-game, creating a fun and unique way to reveal a product discount.

Perhaps the most innovative new feature is the introduction of a Flash product wall in the footer of the site. With this feature, visitors can purchase products on every single page, giving our friends at The Track the maximum purchasing potential from their customers.

Take The Track’s new website for a spin at www.pigeonforgetrack.com.

The idea of developing a website is often overwhelming for our clients. The good news is that we’ve ironed out a process that works really well for both us and for our clients.

It all comes down to completing one part of the project before starting the next. It sounds simple, but here’s what it looks like in action.

1. The first step to making it a pain-free process is in the proposal. We do our homework on competitors to gauge how high the bar is and to confirm we’re on the right track with our recommendations. Being specific with examples and ideas in the proposal helps us avoid any he said/she said later.
2. Once the proposal is approved, we build a timeline. I hear so many horror stories from clients about their web development firms overpromising and under-delivering. I think it all stems from not doing a correct specification and from not having a proper timeline.
3. Next, we have a kickoff meeting, usually by phone since we work with clients all over the world. The whole Wright Strategies gang attends to hear your hopes and dreams for your website “straight from the horse’s mouth.”
4. Then we get down to business. We write a content document that will include every word on your website and design and finalize a homepage.
5. Once we have content and a basic design, the rest is generally smooth sailing. We design another key page (or pages) from your website so you can get a feel for how your website will look.
6. Finally, we have a little break while the programming team gets busy making it all tick. We do internal testing, release it to you for testing and then launch!

It is a lot of steps, but they are almost the same for every project. And after doing this for 13 years, we’ve found that this is the most efficient way to build you a fabulous website.

This week we are helping our friends at Widmer Brothers Brewing Co. kick off a campaign to celebrate brotherhood. With Mother’s Day and Father’s Day behind us, it’s time we celebrate our brothers with a day of their own! 

Wright Strategies has designed and developed a Brother’s Day site complete with a custom animated e-card that allows users to upload a photo and share the fun with all of their friends. For every e-card sent, the Widmer Brothers will donate $1.00 to Big Brothers Big Sisters Columbia Northwest. To all of our bros out there... Prost!

CAUTION: The following site may cause intense cravings for sweet treats and the desire to be a kid for a while!

We're pleased to announce the launch of our newest site, Andy's Frozen Custard. With the help of some amazing product photography (that's likely to make you drool) and a little touch of Flash, we've given the Andy's website a new look that captures the fanaticism surrounding Andy's.

The homepage displays Andy's tasty treats front and center, with rollovers to highlight signature ingredients, with a special feature for seasonal flavors. On the backend, the Andy's team is able to schedule their seasonal products to appear only during their availability periods. This functionality allows them the flexibility to keep their site up-to-date, and as fresh as their ingredients! 

We're excited to announce the launch of SmartBank’s redesigned website, bringing a trendy, modern and enticing look to East Tennessee’s most innovative bank. Some highlights of the new design include:

• Flash integration of moving clouds and grass into the homepage rotating features
  
• Google map of bank locations with integrated SmartBank logos
• Seamless transition from foreground to background, creating a modern, unified look