OVERALL GRADE: A
Products/Services: A
We seldom see a site that covers all the bases of its own
corporate history: usually we have to seek out essential details on Wikipedia
or elsewhere on the web. The Story of
Longwood page is a rare exception and a great read. It covers the organization’s
entire history with appropriate weight
on the important items. And it has archival photos! A slight cavil there:
please, Longwood staff writers, add captions or ID tags. Even if the photo is
immediately referenced nearby, captions matter. Readers always read them.
Adding subheads is another minor change that would make a
big difference. Rather than “1700 to Present” (currently the only subhead), why
not “The Peirce Farm,” “Pierre du Pont,” “The Fountains,” and so on? Or we
suggest dividing the long time span into shorter chronological chunks.
Supplementary pages focus on non-botanical attractions that
might draw visitors to Longwood: the mansion, the organ, the carillon. We like
this as an illustration of our Commandment
2 of About Us pages: Know thy audience. Think about the types of people who
might be interested in your organization, and make a point of offering material
that will appeal to each. On all these pages, the sidebar features lovely
photos of flowers and scenes from the gardens to remind visitors to the site that
yes, they ought to visit Longwood.
All these great pages (under Gardens) are not the “official”
About Us page, which is reached via a link in the footer and only offers
information about Longwood’s tax status and major departments. The official
page could be livened up with links to these pages, each with a teaser and a
photo.
Personality: A
Longwood stresses that the gardens were the work of Pierre
du Pont, and describes his interests and goals. It states that the goal of the current
management is to continue his vision - the “innate sense of the garden as theater”
– while incorporating modern technology. Clear and effective: well done.
Accessibility: A
A link in the footer leads to a Contact page with
telephone numbers and emails for many specific departments and names. We get
the impression that the Longwood Gardens staff would be pleased to hear from us,
a pleasant change from filling out an online contact form that’s dispatched to
who knows whom, who knows where.
TAKEAWAY
In an age of tweets and videos, presenting a well-written
story with great illustrations is still one of the most attention-grabbing
things you can do. And kudos to the person who chose the banner photo: a
glimpse of the less formal gardens, a path, and a couple wearing jeans and
hugging. It subtly promotes Longwood Gardens as a casual spot to visit and feel
romantic. Very inviting!
Does your Web site’s “About Us” section
accurately convey your organization’s history and capabilities? Every two weeks
we evaluate one example, grading it in three areas that are key to potential
customers: Personality (Who are you?), Products/Services (What can you do for
us?), and Accessibility (How can we reach you?). To talk about your About Us
page, contact us!
Today’s example was chosen at random;
CorporateHistory.net has no ties to this company.
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