Destination Queenstown (DQ) has undergone a refresh and major template upgrade to its website, www.queenstownNZ.co.nz, building on the huge success of the site which achieved over 1 million annual visits in 2013. Built in 2011 the website has consistently performed strongly in terms of site visits and engagement. The goal of the upgrade was to retain the key successes of the site while modernising it, creating a more impactful homepage and showcasing Queenstown’s four seasons equally.
Destination Queenstown CEO, Graham Budd says the modernised website design creates a world-class Queenstown portal to inform, inspire and motivate potential visitors by conveying clear and compelling reasons to visit Queenstown at all times of the year.
“One of the challenges of the project was that the site was already performing very well, but web design trends have moved on since 2011 and we need to maintain our momentum and ensure we remain leaders in our field of destination marketing,” said Mr Budd.
On a technical level the refreshed site aligns with current trends such as full width images and a more flat design style –to grab attention and guide the users eye – plus the introduction of solid blocks of colour and removal of shadows and gradients. The site better caters for tablet visitors and people searching for information on the go and the upgrade is in line with DQ’s second generation mobile site m.queenstownNZ.co.nz launched in July last year.
While changes to content have been minimal, new templates for the trade, media and C&I zones have been introduced to differentiate them from the main consumer site. For DQ member listings, the management process has remained the same, and the new design continues to help visitors get to those listings in as few clicks as possible.
“The result of this website refresh is a site with clear and concise information in a user friendly format that showcases Queenstown’s unique scenery, diversity of experiences and four distinct seasons,” said Mr Budd.
Led by DQ’s online and insights executive Charlie Curel, the refresh was designed by Queenstown-based Feast Creative and built by Christchurch web company Cabbage Tree Creative.
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