Page 31 - Linkline Spring 2017

underneath the CILT banner is a carousel feature highlighting the Institute’s core messages followed by a series of examination and course buttons. For a visitor seeking more details about the Diploma in Logistics and Supply Chain Management then it is easy to find an answer – either click on the "Diploma" button in the centre of the landing page or navigate easily via the "Education and Exams" tab at the top.
Careful consideration has been given to how the site’s pages should link, adapting to the user’s interests and needs without them having to do much at all. For example, a new visitor who arrives at the "Get Involved" page will find direct links to not just how to become a member but also the individual CILT regional sections and the committee and council pages. All of the website pages are quick loading too so the visitor will never become frustrated when using the site.
Content
In early January, the gathering of content for the website began. Ultimately, a user comes to a website for information so content is crucial. Visitors appreciate quality and credibility and they were foremost in our mind when preparing CILT’s content. Some information already in existence on the old site was checked and rewritten; however in the vast majority of cases the entire website’s content was prepared from scratch.
CILT staff assisted greatly in this preparation, ensuring details, in particular those for the ADR, CPC and DGSA exams, was comprehensive and clear. For some pages, like "Institute History", council members proved an invaluable help, supplying dates and additional facts. You can now read a detailed outline of the evolution of the Institute on the new website.
There are over 140 pages on the new CILT website. Once each content page was finalised and the relevant imagery selected, they were sent individually to Inventise for uploading. When all content was finally present, CILT staff reviewed the site, noting any errors or changes that were required. Both the communications manager and education services officer received training in how to amend details on the site and, after corrections were made, the new site launched at the end of March.
CILT’s new website can be found at the same address: www. cilt.ie. It has now been live for a month and in that time we have invited council members to review it and provide their thoughts on further changes they would like made. These amendments will be discussed in May and a further review of the site completed.
The Future
We are delighted that the new website has received universally positive feedback. The Institute’s aim has always been to launch the new site once all content and design was finalised before then starting the final phase. At present, work is ongoing in relation to the ‘Members Area’ and ‘Registration’ sections of the website. When completed, members will be able to log in to these secure areas using their email address and a password. Also, the news and events sections will grow and there is the possibility of starting a CILT blog but perhaps the biggest work will be putting new systems into place which will increase user functionality. It means that visitors will be able to pay for a course or exam from any IT device and course providers will be able to book in exam students online.
This next phase of development will ensure that the CILT website is the main source for all administration records, issuing of licences and certs and will automatically interface to the financial system. Staff will also be able to work from any location or device and the amount of administration paperwork will be reduced, helping to make CILT more efficient.
You can visit the new CILT website at www.cilt.ie.
Once all the content was collated and checked it was then rewritten to incorporate SEO keywords. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), for those who don’t know, is the name given to activity that improves a website’s search engine rankings. One main way of achieving this is by writing strong, user driven content that includes the words and phrases used by people who search for your company’s products and services. In the case of the CILT website, great care was taken to ensure the relevant keywords were used throughout each page without hampering the content’s readability.
Much work was also done on ensuring there was a uniform layout to the content. Each course page in the new CILT Skillnet programme begins with the same fundamental information – description of the course, application requirements, duration, dates and fee. Ensuring key details appear first is a feature throughout the site, as is the breaking down of information into clearly defined chunks and the utilisation of bullet point lists. Visitor to websites do not read content as you would a book or newspaper, instead they scan the page seeking fixed points or anchors which will guide them. By providing headings and bullet points you help them understand each page faster and ensure they locate the material they require.
The Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport 31
NEW WEBSITE