When it comes to branding your product, what considerations are you making for search engine optimization? Obviously, the value of creating a distinct and memorable name is foundational, but how easy will it be for your consumers to find your website using Google?
Recently, our partners and friends at Push, teamed up with Creative Manager to rebrand the company’s flagship agency management software. Push not only coined a distinct and memorable name, they created a brand new search term with no existing competition. So when Push approached us to develop the new website, we gladly accepted the offer. In result, we bring you Workamajig.
Hydra Studio developed the website with valid CSS/XHTML. Now, this is the point where most “non-technical” people zone out, so let me spare you the technical episode and give you the 1, 2, punch instead. (1) Search engines, like Google, index your website by spidering through your content with “crawlers“. (2) If your website is coded with standards compliant CSS and HTML, Google’s crawlers will do a better job indexing your content. And for the punch: your website will be more visible in search engines.But back to Workamajig. Did I mention that Workamajig is personified? In collaboration with Push, we brought the Workamajig character to life using 3D modeling and motion graphics. The creation is displayed prominently on the home page using Flash. This brings up another common question people ask: “Can my website be SEO friendly, but be really interactive as well?”
At Hydra, we are all-to-familiar with the “best of both worlds” question, and for our purposes, Workamajig seems to be a good answer. So in plain English: Flash websites are highly interactive, but not search engine friendly, while, CSS/XHTML websites are search engine friendly, but not particularly interactive. The solution is to develop a hybrid website. Workamajig is a hybrid website because it is a CSS/XHTML website utilizing features built in Flash, such as the Workamajig character animation.
Another way to enhance the interactivity of your standards compliant website is to implement JavaScript. Take a minute to visit Workamajig’s website and click on any navigation link along the right column. Notice how the registration form appears without the web page having to reload? Notice how quick and seamless it is? Now, take your mouse, select the circle, and drag it around the color wheel. Notice how it automatically changes the color in the preview box? Notice how easy it is to use? We accomplished this with the use of JavaScript. So in result, we can achieve the best of both worlds by combining technologies.
We also developed a series of banner ads to promote the launch of the new brand. Push managed to secure a homepage take-over on Advertising Age, where, we got to see our little Timmy’s Flash work take up every piece of available real estate on the homepage.Workamajig has been garnering positive press on behalf of the product and its website. May 30th, the website was featured as “Today’s Webpick” by Communication Arts. Congratulations to Push for launching yet another stellar brand!
