We have decided to give you a glimpse behind the scenes of how a new website is created and what tools we use to, firstly, make the work easier for the people who will be managing the site and, secondly, to make it easier for visitors to find their way around.
As an example, we would like to present the website of the Dobříš Retirement Home. We originally created only a virtual tour for this home, but our mutual cooperation was so satisfactory that the client decided to expand it. The representatives of the home liked the way we worked, not only in the field of virtual tours, but also in web design. They enthusiastically viewed our work for other social service facilities that we had completed in the past. What did the client say?
"The new website met our expectations; its design is clear and modern. Regarding the handover and training, I think that everything went well given the current situation. I would definitely recommend Virtual Visit, and I am already doing so."
Home page – first impressions are the most important
Let's start with the home page. Visitors see it as soon as they arrive, and it shapes their first impression. That's why it needs to be clear, consistent, and offer the most important information, including links to other parts of the website.
To avoid overwhelming them right from the start, we use short and concise descriptions accompanied by icons. These clearly show the capacity of the facility, who it is intended for, and what its mission is.
When visitors scroll down a little, they will find a list of all important announcements and a list of past and upcoming events. Our clients can easily edit all these items themselves on their website. Instead of small buttons, we use large tabs and banners that are easy to click on, even for older people – with a finger on a mobile phone or a mouse on a computer. We design websites to be accessible to both visitors and the social workers who will manage them.
From Dobříš, they told us:
"It's simple, clear, and thanks to the option to copy content to Facebook, it saves time... Thanks to the form system, I can also delegate work to my colleagues."
About Us page
Another large section is the About Us page — a place where visitors can find all the information about the organization. They can read about what the facility looks like and where it is located, learn about its history, download all important documents, and find job offers, i.e., which positions are currently available at a specific home.
How to bring the facility closer to the public?
Anyone considering a social facility is curious about what it looks like. That is why it is now standard practice to have enough photos on the website so that potential customers can get their own idea. However, we take the presentation of the facility a few steps further.
In addition to professional photos, we also create virtual tours for our clients. A virtual tour gives interested parties the opportunity to "walk through" the social facility from the comfort of their own home. This proved to be particularly useful during the period when all nursing homes and other social facilities were closed by government order and the public did not have access to them.
However, we don't just create tours as a few photos that you can click through in a specific order. Just as we strive to imprint the personality of each organization on its website, we also create and record individual commentary for each tour, describing every place and corner.
About the history of the organization
We pay attention to detail, which is why we have created a special page dedicated to the history of the organization. Based on suggestions from our clients, we have developed a unique timeline that allows visitors to the website to clearly follow the beginnings and gradual development of social services. Thanks to this, everyone can get a clear idea of the tradition, experience, and long-term contribution of the organization.
Instructions for submitting an application
The website serves to present the organization in a professional manner, but above all, we create it for those who want to learn not only about what the organization looks like, but mainly how to apply for admission. In the Services section, they will find a detailed description of the services offered, and on the How to Apply for a Service page, they will find clear instructions, including links to the necessary documents.
How to elegantly hide important but uninteresting information?
Social service organizations sometimes have to include information on their websites that is required by law. Such information, perhaps because it is mandatory, is not particularly visually appealing. After all, legal language is not written to be easy to read. How did we deal with this type of text? We created a special box for it, called a Roll-down, which is wrapped and only unrolls when the visitor clicks on it.
How does this long text affect you?
The quoted section of the law isn't exactly the most readable, don't you think?
What would you say if we hid it and website visitors could only click on it if they were interested?
How do we proceed?
We make sure that visitors don't get lost in a flood of text, but have all the important information clearly available – ideally with just one click.
At the same time, we design all pages so that they are not only about conveying important information, but are also engaging for all visitors and guide them smoothly between pages. To do this, we use tabs that link to other parts of the website and provide a short description to entice readers.
For example, if a visitor is viewing the Facilities page, they may be interested in learning about the history of the organization, or they may want to read a more detailed description of the services offered.
