I’ve really enjoyed working with you and hands down have been the best technical/website partner I’ve worked with. I wouldn’t have been successful at TPGi without your knowledge, hard work, and creative problem-solving capabilities.
About TPGi
TPGi is an accessibility solutions provider that works with brands worldwide to help them achieve end-to-end digital asset accessibility. They serve a wide variety of industries, from retail to technology, publishing, healthcare, government, and beyond. Their efforts help brands achieve ADA, 508, and WCAG compliance with the help of automated, integrated software solutions and expert risk consulting.
Situation: A New Identity in Need of a New Website
TPGi was a business in the middle of some big changes. They had just finished unifying all of their brands under a single identity and wanted to make sure their new name reflected an equally new, modern, updated, fully accessible website.
They had high expectations for their new site, wanting it to reflect the increased vigor for the rebrand they felt from customers and team members alike. Windmill Strategy addressed these needs by developing a comprehensive website plan that included design moodboards, improved navigation, a modular site theme, analytics tracking set-up, and more.
Solution: Scalability, Accessibility, Creativity
TPGi’s project was a little different than other website redesign projects we do because they were already handling most of their branding work in-house. That meant that, instead of focusing on design, we kept our attention on the two other most important factors in a website: user experience and content.
A big part of what we did for TPGi dealt with accessibility. Their old site was on WordPress, with code that had been cobbled together over the years. Each time they went in to add a new page or make a change, it would in turn mess with the functionality of the rest of their pages. This wasted a lot of time and energy, and they wanted it fixed.
To help alleviate this stress and make updating the site easier, we built ACF modules for TPGi to use. ACF models are accessibility modules that have different features and capabilities that can then easily be added to or removed from pages. We built the modules and worked with their internal accessibility team to make sure the modules themselves were accessible.
We stuck with WordPress for the new site, but approached it in a different way than they had in the past thanks to the ACF modules and a modular template. Building the new site from a modular template gives the site admins a higher degree of style control without losing the benefits of a modern, updated look using the color and logo assets created by TPGi’s in-house team. We provided TPGi with six unique page layouts and 15 custom ACF blocks as foundational building blocks for the site.
We developed an initial site map followed by home and sample secondary page wireframes that highlighted key areas and functionalities of the site. We worked with TPGi during this process by not only creating wireframes for them, but showing them how to do it themselves. After that, we created in-depth branding concept mood boards that their in-house designers could use as reference when moving forward with their own work on the website. These mood boards included references to existing elements but added additional suggestions for colors, graphical elements, photo styles, and general creative direction.
What came next in our strategy was looking at how we could build upon the foundation given to us by the CMS and initial planning meetings. We had two main concerns: how to take TPGi’s existing website assets and integrate them into the new site and making sure users visiting the site had a consistent experience. User experience and accessibility was especially important considering the nature of TPGi’s work.
Because of that, we made sure that all development efforts kept mobile-responsiveness, compliance, and accessibility in mind. One important part of accessibility work is making sure the site is organized in a way that makes it easy to navigate for users of all ability levels. We simplified their on-site organization in a couple different ways:
- We took the two blogs they already had, one focused on business and one focused on development, into a single new blog. During integration, a special focus was given to organization and searchability so that users could find what they were looking for on the blog without digging through dozens of pages. This was done with post type tagging, a new system of categorization, and updated sidebars and CTAs.
- We conducted 301 redirects and 404 error checks. These diagnostic steps helped to ensure there were no dead ends on the site.
- A new sitemap was developed with a focus on easy-to-understand dropdown navigation. Simplification and efficiency are always key when it comes to improving a website’s UX flow.
Are you looking for a digital marketing partner that understands the complexities of your industry? Let’s talk today
Windmill Strategy is a web design company & digital marketing agency helping accessibility solutions companies achieve increased visibility, higher quality leads, and greater marketing ROI through smarter web design. Our website design and B2B digital marketing approach goes beyond “more traffic,” seeking out better traffic, by gaining the attention of the specific niche groups of buyers and influencers that represent your best customers. We help our clients communicate and sell their complex products and services to multiple audiences – be it through web design or digital marketing and SEO. Working collaboratively with your in-house marketing and sales team, we design websites that drive leads and sales that result in overall business growth. Schedule a call to learn more.