New website set for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Bournemouth-based website design and build specialist, Redweb, has been selected by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) to provide a host of digital services.
The new site, due to launch in autumn 2011, is being developed under a new online strategy that will support the charity over the coming years.
The work will initially centre around the main website, with the first phases including significant user research undertaken by Redweb's in-house User Experience (UX) team.
"In order to meet the objectives of increasing online donations and awareness, we need to understand how the charity is perceived,” commented Redweb’s Head of UX, Paul Seys.
“We are conducting research across Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland and the results so far are very insightful.”
Seys points to Redweb’s emphasis on four key factors influencing visitors to a fundraising website as key to success in the project – monetisation, education, localisation and empowerment.
“The art is to get the balance right. People want to know that their donation makes a difference and, with 235 lifeboat stations across the UK and Ireland, the potential for people to gain a greater affinity is a fantastic option.
“In addition, we want to look at the perception of the more inland audience. London has one of the busiest stations – Tower, on the River Thames – and we aim to capitalise on such facts.”
RNLI's emedia manager Nigel Saxon explained that the ability to maximise the whole RNLI experience, from lifeguards and crews to the virtual world, was a very exciting prospect for the organisation.
"Digital gives us a great opportunity to build relationships and involve members and benefactors in the work we do,” he stated