Written by Lisa Spindler, Client Services Manager
The old IAS website wasn’t quite 133 years old, but website years are like dog years—they add up really quickly, and based on our highly-scientific research, the IAS website was probably approaching 42 in internet time. Their old site was designed before responsive website design standards were in place, which means users did not have a mobile friendly experience on their website.
The Indiana Academy of Science site was also beginning to look like a relic from a dusty museum since it was designed when black was in style for websites. The design was tired—and the IAS team was ready to see something that would make students and investors excited about science!
Indiana Academy of Science's Objectives
Delores Brown, the executive director of the IAS, and Marcia Moore, the webmaster and board member, presented Bitwise with the ultimate “balancing act” project:
- Attract new participants but don’t alienate long-standing members
- Showcase a lengthy history but don’t overwhelm with facts
- Incorporate a lot of members but make it easy for admins to manage the information
Through our Discovery Process, we knew that the IAS needed more than a pretty site, we knew that customer persona research was a must.. They also needed to maintain and develop a robust system to handle all of the tasks related to running an organization with hundreds of members.
The IAS team was amazed at the valuable information that came out of this research from Bitwise! This persona research puts a “face” on the research, and IAS is eager to apply this new knowledge to other areas of their communication too.
The Bitwise Solution
The IAS site includes the Kentico Content Management System so that the IAS team can easily manage their content, events, and e-commerce without the constant need for help from Bitwise.- Member Center featuring a Scientist Search, order history, membership management, and research and grant submissions
- Event management with flexible ticketing and registration
- Email system for both automatic and manual email communication
- Scientist Abstract submission to handle the hundreds of presentations that are submitted for their renowned annual meeting
- Kentico E-commerce for their publications and science products, including membership pricing discounts
- Public scientist search that connects people with scientists who are willing to help with lectures, science fair projects, and other community education events.
The Indiana Academy of Science team has heard positive feedback about their site, and memberships are coming in during the time of year when they usually don’t have much activity on their site. The newly-designed e-commerce section is also allowing them to handle orders of a new much-anticipated book that was just published in May.
As the IAS celebrates their 133rd birthday this year, we applaud their good work in Indiana. With a new website, they are going stronger than ever and look forward to another year of cultivating science excellence in the Midwest!
If your nonprofit or membership site could use a scientific makeover, please contact us at Bitwise Solutions.
At Bitwise, we like to focus on what is important: relationships. Rather than being seen as just another “vendor,” we like to "partner" with our clients to build a relationship based on trust. Specializing in Marketing, Creative, and Custom Development, we are your trusted Carmel web design and development solution specialists.
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