We designed and developed a new website for Eutelsat, a company that provides satellite connectivity for over 274 million homes around the globe, and is a major provider of satellite service for the US and other governments.
Overview
Designing and developing a new website for Eutelsat, a leading satellite provider for governments and broadcasters around the globe, was no easy feat.
They had a lot of information to provide to visitors about a technical and complex offering, and it had to appeal to governments and other institutional clients without seeming too stuffy or outdated. We leaned on exciting images and text design that drew people through the layers of information on the site.
Key Aspects
Multiple Paths Approach
Visitors come to the Eutelsat site with diverse needs. Some are clients looking to solve a technical issue. Some are government agencies considering buying satellite services. Some are broadcasters researching new satellite delivery options. Some are armchair researchers or students looking to understand more about satellite connectivity. In our design, we wanted all of these different audiences with their complex needs to find their way to the information they are looking for.
Exciting, Eye-Catching Imagery
Eutelsat works mainly with government bodies, which calls for a more institutional design approach. While we kept the design-feel institutional, we used large, high quality, impressive imagery to keep the site dynamic and interesting for viewers, even when we had a lot of textual information we had to get across. We think the majestic and captivating imagery brings the site design up a notch.
SEO-Keyworded Navigation and Info Hierarchy
We spent a lot of time in the content planning stages for this website, using SEO keyword research to understand how the site can leverage technical information for rankings on Google and for ease of navigation for users. We mocked up lots of different navigation schemes until we found one that made sense to everyone, and then we built out the pages with a strict design hierarchy to make sure that the information is clear and flows easily to the audiences. The result is a site that ranks well and sees a lot of engagement from its visitors.
Millennial Web Development and Jim Clement were great to work with for the complete redesign of our corporate website. They understood our expectations for the site and designed a visually pleasing, easy to navigate site that incorporated our brand elements well. The team was quick to respond and completed the project well within the pre-established timeline. We requested a site that our marketing team would be able to update and add to on our own, and they more than delivered while also providing the option for ongoing support if desired.
Back End
Approach
As Eutelsat is a large and constantly evolving conglomerate, we knew that the site would have to be dynamic, with the ability for the company to come in and make changes or add content long after launch. We built a straightforward and easy-to-use WordPress dashboard that gives users full control over the site, easily adding pages and sections.
We also built a customized Gravity Forms plug-in that uses logic to direct user inquiries to the right business area based on the topic of the inquiry.
Technology Used:
– Advanced Custom Fields
– Gravity Forms (customized)
Takeaways
The Eutelsat project was an exercise in balancing complex and diverse audience needs with a keyword-driven and clearly navigable site that appealed to everyone. We went through a rigorous, SEO-driven site architecture process that made information clearly available, and we balanced a text-heavy site with captivating and impressive imagery. The client and their audiences have reported great success with the new site!