Washington, DC (PRWEB) June 21, 2009
The National Bird-Feeding Society (NBFS) launched a newly-designed website May 27th, 2009 to enhance the knowledge and enjoyment of adult and child bird-feeding hobbyists, encourage visitors to join the site, and boost the organization’s membership. Crafted by award-winning web design firm Blue Water Media, the new site offers more bird-feeding research and information, an improved e-commerce site, and a Members Only section to encourage site membership.
The Blue Water Media team’s redesign created a more attractive, informative and user-friendly experience for website visitors and NBFS staff. The new website utilizes Joomla, a content management system that allows NBFS employees to easily create and manage website content. Blue Water Media also improved the site’s ecommerce section to drive consumer sales. A “Shopping Cart” icon makes the online store more visible and accessible. Clearer pictures and more detailed descriptions of the web store’s four featured items, the NBFS lapel pin and mug, the RT Chickadee Puppet, and the RT Chickadee on Skates Puppet, help shoppers make more informed purchases. Checkout and shipping sections were standardized and made more user-friendly as well.
To make the site more interactive, to make the content easier to update, and to encourage visitors to become members, many website features were upgraded and made available only to paying members. Searches on the Backyard Bird Blog are now limited to items in the blog (and not the entire website). When no results are found, an icon pops up to inform the user. Only NBFS staff can create blogs, giving the group increased content control. To reduce clutter on the blog’s main page, only the initial posting of each NBFS- created blog entry appears on the main Backyard Bird Blog page. A link was created where members can click to see other users’ comments and post their own. The Backyard Bird Chat, another newly improved feature available to members, has a more streamlined format, links to return to the main page, notification to users when they have logged out, and the ability for users to report a chat to the NBFS staff. The research section, the third area now available to members only, is a place where users can sign up to be a NBFS ‘Citizen Scientist’ and participate in NBFS-sponsored research. A citizen scientist thank you page has been added to show appreciation to active participants in this area.
The Photo Gallery, where bird enthusiasts post favorite pictures, was streamlined, made more attractive and easier to use. A template allowing users to easily upload images, as well as name, describe, and number them was added. Images in the slideshow are now larger to give viewers a better look at their photos. Finally, links to information about children’s conservation and education programs, news about National Bird-Feeding Month, and relevant press releases have been added.
“We are very pleased with the website that Blue Water Media created for us,” said Dr. David Horn, Director of the National Bird-Feeding Society and Associate Professor of Biology at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois. “The website looks great, and it is easy for our staff to update using Joomla. We look forward to working with Blue Water Media to further enhance the website thereby increasing the value for our members.”
About The National Bird-Feeding Society:
The National Bird-Feeding Society’s goal is to improve the hobby of backyard bird watching and feeding by connecting hobbyists with education and research about backyard bird-feeding. The website is a comprehensive source of information helping visitors to learn more about the seed and feeder preferences of wild birds and find the most current news and developments in backyard bird feeding. Established in 1989, NBFS is exclusively sponsored by Wild Bird Centers of America, Inc and is proud to partner with Millikin University. To learn more, please explore the new website at: http://www.birdfeeding.org/
About Blue Water Media:
Blue Water Media is a Washington D.C. based web design agency offering a full line of design services including print, brand identity and web design. Blue Water Media has been providing expert service to businesses in the Washington DC metro area and beyond for nearly a decade. Blue Water Media’s winning track record of creating effective websites establishes it as a leader in the industry. For more information, please visit: http://www.bluewatermedia.com/
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