Life In Calgary Website Redesign
PROJECT BACKGROUND
Calgary Economic Development is a conduit, connector, catalyst, and storyteller for the city of Calgary. Our focus lies in positioning Calgary for long-term economic success and shared prosperity for people, investment and business. An integral part of our web ecosystem, the Life in Calgary website (https://lifeincalgary.ca/) is designed to showcase Calgary as a great place to live, work and play. This platform serves a dual purpose – instilling confidence in potential movers and empowering them with information for informed decisions.
PROJECT PURPOSE AND EFFECTIVENESS
Recognizing the outdated design and lack of user-centric structure on the old site, our goal was to breathe new life into it.
We aimed to revitalize the site and showcase Calgary as a welcoming, inclusive and vibrant city in an engaging, user-focused way. The new site needed to provide tangible answers to individuals considering Calgary as their home.
The new site launched in April 2023, in concert with our spring signature event. Within three months following the launch of the new site, our analytics showed users were much more engaged, staying 36.9 per cent longer than in the previous period. This data validated the new user-centric and educational approach as users found the information they sought. In addition, we saw a 55 per cent increase in traffic to the home page due to better SEO and integration into our distribution channels.
PROJECT CHALLENGES
With a website redesign project, it can be a challenge to define the content strategy that will influence our target audience decision making, without duplicating efforts of other online resources. Comprehensive research kickstarted the process, dissecting audience needs to shape the site map and content strategy. This process required multiple rounds of feedback with our internal team and with our agency partner, a pivotal phase for project success.
Executing the content strategy posed another challenge as the development of more in-depth and user-friendly content required heavier involvement from the content team. Most of the content is net-new, requiring extensive research and time investment. Adjustments to the timeline were made to ensure ample time for content writing, migration and organization.
TARGET AUDIENCE
This website is an incredible resource for professionals, businesses and families living in or considering moving to Calgary.
This website is targeted at:
- Local talent
- Canadian talent
- International talent
DESIGN STRATEGY
The website’s structure was simplified with a user-centric core. The website now provides informative storytelling to answer audience questions about life in Calgary, influencing their decision-making process.
The site presents key selling points cohesively through two distinct sections: “Dream” and “Help”. By directly addressing user questions, the content seamlessly blends tangible resources related to housing, education, healthcare, transportation, local attractions, and more, with inspirational storytelling and user-focused language, providing a comprehensive guide to life in Calgary.
SUSTAINABILITY
The project aimed to be mindful of its impact on the community, both locally and globally. By showcasing diverse voices and perspectives of life in Calgary, the website contributes to a sustainable approach in influencing positive change within the city.
