Case Study: Louie’s Last Regatta

Introduction:

Louie’s Last Regatta is one of the nation’s largest fundraising regattas, with all proceeds benefitting Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. An avid sailor, our owner, Francis Morton has been a part of Louie’s since the near beginning. When he saw their need for a new website, Francis decided to donate Foresite Group’s time to build a new one.

Before:

Site homepage as of March 20, 2015.

Our Creative Director, Nicholas Swenor, noted the following opportunities to make the site more user-friendly:

1. Updating the overall look and feel of the site, including slight adjustments to the logo;
2. Cutting down on excess copy that can confuse visitors; and
3. Incorporating video footage of the race to increase interest.

After:

Nicholas took those three opportunities and created an eye-catching, easy-to-use site that has increased interested in the event and has made registering and donating much easier.

1. Updating the overall look and feel of the site, including slight adjustments to the logo;

• With less copy and better organization, visitors are not overwhelmed by information, but instead are able to immediately understand what the event is about and how to get involved.
• Switching the brand colors brings a familiar nautical theme to the site.

2. Cutting down on excess copy that can confuse visitors; and

• By pulling the small, detailed copy off of the busy photo, and replacing it with just the date of the event and a “register now” button, visitors know right away whether or not they can make the event, and then how to sign up for it.
• The site exists for two reasons: to get people to register for Louie’s and to get them to donate. Easy-to-see buttons are strategically placed throughout the site, continually reminding visitors why they are here.

3. Incorporating video footage of the race to increase interest.

• Visitors are able to see the excitement of the race and want to be a part of it. (Click the homepage photo to see the video in action!)

Results:

These changes have resulted in an increase in site sessions, users and page views. In addition, because of the site’s responsive design, we’ve seen a significant increase in mobile and tablet traffic, going from 26.16% of sessions to 42.66%.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 17 – May 17, 2017 compared to May 18 – August 18, 2017

With Louie’s Last Regatta coming up in the next month, these statistics are only going to grow as more and more people use the site to register and donate to Children’s Hospital.