Case Study: Amplifying Academic Voice – Redesigning NadineNaber.com
Client: Nadine Naber, Professor of Women’s Studies, University of Illinois – ChicagoIndustry: Academia, Research, Public Commentary Location: Chicago, Illinois (Global academic reach)
The Challenge: Unifying Diverse Academic Work and Commentary into a Cohesive Digital Hub
Professor Nadine Naber, an esteemed Professor of Women’s Studies at the University of Illinois – Chicago, required a robust and cohesive digital platform that could serve as the central hub for her extensive academic career. Her existing personal website was no longer effectively showcasing the breadth and depth of her university research, public commentary, and contributions to prestigious periodicals. She faced several key challenges:
Fragmented Presence: Her research, publications, and insightful blog commentary were not unified in a single, easily discoverable location.
Limited Discoverability: Her academic work, while highly impactful, was not fully optimized for search engines, making it less discoverable to colleagues, students, and the wider public seeking her expertise.
Outdated Aesthetic: The website’s look and feel did not reflect the intellectual rigor and contemporary relevance of her work.
Showcasing Diverse Content: The need for a sophisticated way to present both her academic publications (journal articles, book chapters) and her more conversational blog posts side-by-side effectively.
Professor Naber needed a comprehensive redesign that would not only be visually appealing but also strategically structured to elevate her digital footprint and make her valuable contributions more accessible and findable.
Our Solution: A Comprehensive Digital Platform for Academic Impact
Digital Strategy Works partnered with Professor Nadine Naber to execute a complete redesign and strategic redevelopment of NadineNaber.com. Our approach focused on creating a sophisticated, SEO-optimized, and user-friendly platform that seamlessly integrates her diverse academic and commentary work.
1. Comprehensive Website Redesign & Development: We embarked on a full redesign of NadineNaber.com, crafting a professional, clean, and intellectually engaging aesthetic that truly represents Professor Naber’s standing in academia. The new design prioritized readability, clear navigation, and a sophisticated presentation suitable for scholarly content. The site was built to be responsive, ensuring optimal viewing across all devices.
2. Strategic Content Architecture for Research & Commentary: A core aspect of the redesign was creating a clear and intuitive content architecture. We developed distinct, yet interconnected, sections to house:
University Research: Dedicated areas were created to systematically present her extensive academic research, including publications, working papers, and project details, ensuring it was organized for easy access and citation.
Blog Commentary: A dynamic blog section was integrated, allowing Professor Naber to share her insightful commentary on various topics pertinent to her Women’s Studies work, fostering ongoing engagement with her audience.
Esteemed Periodicals & Publications: We developed a dedicated system to showcase her contributions to various esteemed periodicals and publications, providing direct links and summaries to highlight her influence beyond academic journals.
3. Enhanced Findability through SEO Techniques: To ensure Professor Naber’s invaluable research and commentary were highly findable by students, researchers, and interested public, we implemented a robust SEO strategy. This included:
On-Page SEO: Optimizing content, titles, meta descriptions, and headings with relevant academic and topical keywords.
Technical SEO: Ensuring site speed, mobile-friendliness, and proper schema markup (e.g., for scholarly articles and author profiles) to improve search engine crawling and indexing.
Content Strategy Guidance: Providing guidance on structuring blog posts and research pages to naturally incorporate keywords and build authority.
The Impact: Elevated Visibility and a Centralized Academic Resource
The comprehensive redesign and strategic implementation transformed NadineNaber.com into a powerful digital asset, significantly amplifying Professor Naber’s academic voice and ensuring her work reaches its intended audience:
Centralized Academic Hub: The new website now serves as the definitive online repository for all of Professor Naber’s work, eliminating fragmentation and creating a single, authoritative source.
Increased Discoverability: With robust SEO techniques implemented, her research and commentary are now significantly more discoverable through search engines, connecting her with a wider academic and public audience.
Professional Online Presence: The modern and sophisticated design accurately reflects her esteemed position and the intellectual rigor of her contributions.
Seamless Content Management: The intuitive WordPress backend allows Professor Naber and her team to easily update research, publish new blog posts, and manage her extensive list of publications.
Showcasing Breadth of Work: The site effectively showcases both her peer-reviewed academic output and her more accessible blog commentary, demonstrating the full scope of her intellectual engagement.
Digital Strategy Works is proud to have partnered with Professor Nadine Naber to craft a digital platform that not only showcases her profound contributions to Women’s Studies but also ensures her vital work is accessible and impactful in the global academic landscape.
Case Study: Empowering KW Lifestyle Properties – Building a Digital Hub for Maine Real Estate
Client: KW Lifestyle Properties (Keller Williams Realtor) Industry: Real Estate Location: Portland, Maine
The Challenge: Beyond the Franchise Template – Gaining Control and Local Dominance
KW Lifestyle Properties, a dynamic Keller Williams real estate team in Portland, Maine, recognized a critical need to differentiate themselves and gain greater control over their online presence. While the corporate Keller Williams platform provided a baseline, it lacked the flexibility, robust SEO capabilities, and local market customization they needed to truly stand out. They envisioned a proprietary digital hub that would not only showcase their properties but also establish them as authoritative local real estate experts.
Their key challenges and requirements included:
Content Control: A strong desire to publish unique, locally-focused content beyond the limitations of a templated franchise site.
Integrated MLS Listings: The absolute necessity to seamlessly integrate their local Multiple Listing Service (MLS) data, including active sales, property details, and clear attribution to the specific realtor within their office responsible for each listing.
Strong SEO Foundation: A strategic approach to drive organic traffic, attracting both buyers and sellers specifically interested in the Portland, ME, real estate market.
Lead Capture & Marketing Automation: The implementation of integrated forms to capture leads for their marketing automation efforts.
Empowered Content Creation: The need for comprehensive training on how to leverage blogging for SEO to build their online authority and trust.
Reliable Website Management: Assurance that their new, custom site would be expertly hosted, maintained, and updated.
Our Solution: A Custom WordPress Platform for Real Estate Authority
Digital Strategy Works partnered with KW Lifestyle Properties to design, develop, and launch a powerful, custom WordPress website that served as their independent digital headquarters. Our solution focused on empowering the client with control, visibility, and robust functionality.
1. Full Website Design & Development (WordPress): We meticulously designed and developed a bespoke WordPress website that reflected the professional and approachable brand of KW Lifestyle Properties. The design focused on clarity, user-friendliness, and a visually appealing presentation of properties, ensuring a premium experience for potential buyers and sellers. WordPress was chosen for its flexibility, scalability, and ease of content management, putting control directly into the client’s hands.
2. Seamless MLS Integration: A cornerstone of this project was the advanced integration of their local MLS. We developed and implemented a robust system that dynamically pulled in their active property listings, ensuring real-time accuracy. This integration wasn’t just about displaying properties; it included:
Comprehensive Property Details: Full listing information, high-quality images, and virtual tours.
Sales Data: Displaying recently sold properties, providing valuable market insights.
Realtor Attribution: Crucially, each listing clearly indicated which specific realtor within the KW Lifestyle Properties office was responsible for it, fostering transparency and direct connections.
3. Integrated Email Capture Forms for Marketing Automation: To support their marketing efforts, we implemented user-friendly email capture forms strategically placed throughout the website. These forms seamlessly feed into their marketing automation systems, allowing KW Lifestyle Properties to build a valuable database of leads and nurture relationships with potential clients through targeted email campaigns.
4. Comprehensive SEO Strategy & Training: Understanding the importance of organic search in real estate, our services included:
Technical SEO: Optimizing the website’s structure, speed, mobile responsiveness, and schema markup (especially for property listings) to ensure maximum crawlability and indexing by search engines.
On-Page SEO: Advising on strategic keyword integration for their service pages and blog content, targeting terms relevant to the Portland, ME real estate market.
Blogging for SEO Training: A key component was providing comprehensive training to the KW Lifestyle Properties team on how to blog effectively for SEO. We guided them on best practices for keyword research, crafting high-quality, long-form content, leveraging internal and external links, and consistently publishing valuable information to drive traffic and engagement. This empowered them to build their online “Expertise, Authority, and Trust” (E-A-T) directly through their website.
5. Ongoing WordPress Website Management & Maintenance: To ensure their new digital asset remained secure, fast, and up-to-date, Digital Strategy Works took on the responsibility of managing and maintaining the WordPress website. This included regular security updates, plugin compatibility checks, performance monitoring, and routine backups, allowing the KW Lifestyle Properties team to focus on serving their clients and building their real estate business.
The Impact: A Digital Hub for Real Estate Leadership
The partnership with Digital Strategy Works transformed KW Lifestyle Properties’ online presence, providing them with a powerful and autonomous digital platform:
Unprecedented Content Control: KW Lifestyle Properties now has full command over their website’s content, enabling them to publish timely market insights, community guides, and personal stories that resonate with their local audience.
Enhanced Property Showcase: The seamless MLS integration provides a superior and comprehensive property Browse experience, with clear realtor attribution, directly on their own domain.
Dominant Local SEO Presence: Through strategic SEO and empowered blogging, KW Lifestyle Properties is consistently attracting organic traffic, connecting with buyers and sellers specifically searching for real estate in Portland, ME.
Streamlined Lead Generation: Integrated forms efficiently capture valuable leads, fueling their marketing automation and sales pipeline.
Empowered Thought Leaders: The team is now equipped with the knowledge and tools to consistently produce SEO-friendly content, establishing themselves as trusted authorities in the Portland real estate market.
Reliable Digital Foundation: Our ongoing management ensures their website is always performing at its best, providing a stable platform for their growing business.
Digital Strategy Works is proud to have empowered KW Lifestyle Properties with a robust, custom-tailored digital presence that not only showcases their listings but firmly establishes them as a leading and trusted voice in the competitive Portland, Maine real estate market.
Case Study: Cultivating Digital Harmony for Qi Gong Awareness – Global Training & E-commerce
Industry: Holistic Health & Wellness, Instructor Training Location: International Reach (Hosting trainings globally)
The Challenge: Unifying Global Training & E-commerce for a Growing Community
Qi Gong Awareness is a respected international organization dedicated to providing high-quality Qi Gong Instructor Trainings across the globe. As their community of trainers grew and their offerings expanded, they faced a complex digital challenge: managing diverse needs – from event registrations to e-commerce sales – across a fragmented online presence. They needed a cohesive, user-friendly website that could handle intricate transactions, integrate with various platforms, and serve their international audience seamlessly.
Their key requirements and pain points included:
Centralized Transaction Management: The ability for trainers to register for upcoming global trainings, purchase branded uniforms/apparel, and acquire instructional digital downloads (audio/video) all within a single, streamlined transaction.
Complex E-commerce & Event Integration: The necessity to combine robust e-commerce functionality with advanced event management and ticketing.
Print-on-Demand Integration: A seamless connection to a print-on-demand service for branded merchandise fulfillment.
Enhanced Online Visibility: A strong SEO focus to attract new trainers and students worldwide.
Lead Capture & Communication: An effective system for capturing email leads for their newsletter.
Empowered Content Management: Training for their team to manage and publish diverse content effectively.
Our Solution: A Harmonious WordPress Ecosystem for Global Reach
Digital Strategy Works partnered with Qi Gong Awareness to design, develop, and integrate a comprehensive WordPress website that brought all their global training and e-commerce needs under one unified digital roof. Our solution focused on creating a seamless, intuitive experience for their trainers and a powerful, manageable platform for their team.
1. Comprehensive WordPress Website Design & Development: We built a robust and aesthetically aligned WordPress website that reflected the serene and empowering nature of Qi Gong. The design prioritized user experience, ensuring easy navigation for trainers whether they were signing up for a retreat, Browse uniforms, or downloading a new instructional video.
2. Integrated E-commerce with WooCommerce & Advanced Functionality: At the core of the solution was a deeply customized WooCommerce integration. This allowed us to facilitate complex, multi-item transactions. Trainers can now:
Register for Trainings: Utilizing The Events Calendar PRO with ticketing functionality, trainers can select and pay for their desired international training sessions directly through the website.
Purchase Uniforms & Apparel: Our WooCommerce setup manages the sale of branded uniforms and apparel.
Acquire Digital Downloads: Customers can easily purchase and instantly download instructional audio and video trainings, which are securely delivered after checkout. The system was engineered to allow all these diverse product types to be added to a single cart and processed in one unified transaction, significantly improving the user experience.
3. Seamless Printful Integration: To manage their branded merchandise effortlessly, we integrated Printful, a leading print-on-demand fulfillment service, directly with their WooCommerce store. This revolutionary integration means:
When a trainer purchases a uniform or apparel item, the order is automatically sent to Printful.
Printful prints the product with Qi Gong Awareness’s brand logo and imagery.
Printful handles the shipping directly to the customer, all under the Qi Gong Awareness brand. This eliminated inventory management, reduced overhead, and ensured consistent branding for their physical products.
4. Strategic SEO Focus: To attract a global audience of aspiring Qi Gong instructors and practitioners, we implemented a comprehensive SEO strategy:
Technical SEO: Optimizing site speed, mobile responsiveness, and schema markup for events and products to ensure maximum visibility on search engines.
On-Page SEO: Guiding content creation and optimizing existing pages with keywords relevant to Qi Gong training, instructor certification, holistic health, and specific practices.
5. Email Newsletter Lead Capture: We integrated prominent and user-friendly email capture forms across the website. This allows Qi Gong Awareness to effectively build their newsletter subscriber list, facilitating direct communication with their community for announcements, new training opportunities, and valuable content, strengthening their connection with interested individuals worldwide.
6. Content Management & Publishing Training: To ensure Qi Gong Awareness could independently manage and grow their new digital hub, we provided extensive training on content management and publishing within WordPress. This empowered their team to confidently add new training dates, update product listings, publish blog posts, and manage media, ensuring the website remains dynamic and up-to-date with their evolving offerings.
The Impact: Streamlined Operations, Enhanced Global Reach & Empowered Community
Our partnership transformed Qi Gong Awareness’s digital capabilities, providing them with a powerful and integrated platform that perfectly supports their international mission:
Streamlined Transactions: The single-transaction system for trainings, apparel, and digital downloads has dramatically improved the customer experience and operational efficiency.
Automated Merchandise Fulfillment: The Printful integration has eliminated manual inventory and shipping headaches, allowing them to scale their branded merchandise with ease.
Expanded Global Reach: Enhanced SEO has significantly increased their online visibility, attracting a wider audience of potential trainers and students from around the world.
Robust Lead Generation: The email capture system effectively builds their communication channels for direct engagement.
Empowered Team: With comprehensive training, the Qi Gong Awareness team is now self-sufficient in managing their dynamic online content.
Unified Digital Presence: The new website serves as a central, harmonious hub for all their training, e-commerce, and community engagement initiatives.
Digital Strategy Works is honored to have helped Qi Gong Awareness cultivate a digital presence that truly reflects their global mission of spreading the benefits of Qi Gong, fostering a thriving, well-connected international community.
Client: Reese Felts Digital Newsroom – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Journalism & Mass Communication
Digital Strategy Works owner, Tony Zeoli, was hired to plan and maintain web systems, site architecture, and ongoing production and maintenance of ReeseNews.org for the University of North Carolina School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The website, built with WordPress, was mobile optimized and included, at the time, an innovative floating navigation menu, the ability to move and auto-resize content blocks on the home page (below), and a custom weather widget programmed in JavaScript utilizing the Weather.com API.
ReeseNews.org: Home Page June 2011
ReeseNews.org: Story Level Page – June 2011
Solutions: WordPress Theme Development, Custom jQuery Programming, SEO, Social Media, WordPress training
ReeseFelts.org
Project website for the Reese Felts Digital News project.
RFDN: Home Page
Client: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Solutions: WordPress Theme Development, SEO, Social Media
