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Projects - Mt. Vernon PR & Communications
MVPR's Simple, Elegant Web Presence Projects the Right Image
When Mt. Vernon PR & Communications needed a web site
to extend the reach of its public relations business, it turned to Tivilon Inc. for
site architecture, design, and hosting. The result is exactly what MVPR was looking
for...attractive, easy-to-navigate, simple yet strong.
Mt. Vernon PR & Communications (MVPR), a public relations and marketing
communications firm in Alexandria, VA, needed a web presence in order to
increase its competitiveness, enhance its credibility among potential clients,
and better serve current clients. With more than 20 years of experience in
corporate, government, political, association, and tradeshow communications and
public relations activities, MVPR had created content and collaborated on
design for numerous corporate internet and intranet sites. When it came to
developing an MVPR site, however, the company was like the shoemaker's child
- no time and a shortage of expertise left it without the internet presence it wanted.
As a PR consultant, MVPR Principal Rosanne Desmone provides services to organizations
that don't have the in-house resources to get the job done. In late 2002,
she conceded that she was in the same position with the MVPR web site and,
after a brief search, selected College Park, Maryland-based Tivilon Inc. to
handle the project. Desmone wanted a site that clients and potential clients
would find visually attractive yet simple (no long-loading flash intros),
easy-to-navigate, and informative. "I've been on so many sites where
I've gotten lost and couldn't get back to the home page," Desmone said. "I
wanted to avoid tricky navigation and fancy stuff that detracted from
MVPR's message."
Tivilon began work on the project with a careful analysis of MVPR's current
and future needs, allowing them to better define the project's deliverables. During
this process, project manager Mark Zawodny assisted Desmone in securing the
mtvernonpr.com domain name, completed the registration process and provisioned
one of its shared Windows 2000 hosting plans for the site. "This allowed us to
set up email accounts for @mtvernonpr.com right away and upload a generic
placeholder web site until the final site was complete," Zawodny said.
"Tivilon put up the placeholder site in hours," Desmone said, "then worked
closely with me to get a design and architecture that I was comfortable and
happy with for the final site." Tivilon uses a questionnaire to help its clients
focus on what they want to get from the site and what they want it to look
like. "They take the time to listen to you, and they really get a handle
on your vision."
Zawodny worked with MVPR to define what content they wanted to make available
to web site visitors and was able to deliver an information architecture
structure that needed very little alteration. With the navigational elements
defined and an approved site structure, the graphic design team stepped in
and delivered a corporate image consistent with Desmone's requests. After minor
revisions, the final look of the mtvernonpr.com web site was finalized and
approved ahead of schedule.
According to Desmone, the folks at Tivilon got it on only the second comp, and
she was delighted. "I've worked with several web design firms on behalf of
clients, and I have never had one hear what I said and come back with what I wanted
with fewer than five or six comps, which we still had to tweak." Even better was
the reaction when the site launched, according to Desmone, who said she received
compliments on the design, the ease of navigation and the elegant simplicity of the site.
Desmone had some specific needs for the site. She wanted to provide generous amounts
of information on MVPR to those unaware of the firm's capabilities. She also
wanted to publicize her monthly newsletter and provide a way for visitors
to sign up for the email publication. In addition, as MVPR grew, she wanted
to add various capabilities such as white paper downloads and client access for
review and approvals. MVPR's budget allowed for some enhanced features as well
- feedback forms and animated images on the home page.
"The site that Tivilon created meets my current needs, provides for growth
- and exceeded my expectations." Tivilon developed the monthly newsletter system
so it can be administered from an online database with accompanying web-interface
control panel. "I had no idea that I'd be able to just upload my newsletter to
the site and deliver it with the push of a key. It's a wonderful time and money
saver," Desmone said. "Best of all, the whole thing was done quickly - within
several days - and met my budget requirements."
The end result of the project: a professional web site that not only surpassed
MVPR's expectations, but also was under budget and done with weeks to spare.
Visit the site: www.mtvernonpr.com
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