Sounds a little strange, I know, but I thought today that I’d say something about the thinking behind our new site, which went live in the spring of this year, and which, if Google analytics is to be believed, has seen an extraordinary jump in levels of traffic.
First, though, a confession. While I’ve never been averse to making sure Journeys by Design has a virtual presence, much of that was taken up with maintaining the quality of the information shared – that and the look of the website. Other than that, I tended to concentrate all efforts and resources on so-called rifle shot advertising; by which I mean identifying the print titles I think sit well with the company’s approach and aspirations – the Financial Times, Departures Magazine and Conde Nast Traveller, for example – and hoping that, when thinking of new and original African travel stories, Journeys by Design was very much at the forefront of their planning.
And this is still the case. However, over the last few years, I’ve had that nagging feeling that I was missing a large and important trick: that is, the world of search engine optimisation. Having chatted with a number of friends and colleagues, I knew what a finely tuned, intuitive and responsive site could do, and had, many moons ago, made the decision to change up.
Only, I was keen that the site retain its obvious aesthetic qualities. Hence the wait: I wanted it to look simple and beautiful, while at the same time do everything everyone said it should do. I wanted an idea hatched in some Apple-future laboratory, the design outsourced to someone like Pininfarina, the engine built by BMW. In short, I wanted the world. I’m joking, but you get the idea. I was after the impossible.
Or so I thought. And then, by some unexpected real-world twist of fate, I met Intelligent Positioning, who designed and built what you are looking at now. I know it’s me saying this, and that, naturally, I’m going to be positive about the company’s new site, but I can’t tell you how pleased I am. Delighted, in fact. It has that very simple cover look – a collection of wonderful images, some quotes and a stripped back banner. Plus it’s content deep, filters beautifully and does exactly what I was looking for: gets Journeys by Design noticed – in the all right places, and by all the right people.
I take no credit for this. This is someone else’s work – work for which I’m extremely grateful.