In 2014 Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation (BEMC) celebrated 75 years of providing safe, reliable, and affordable electricity.
From the original incorporation in 1939, this co-op has grown to be the second-largest electric co-op in NC and the 35th largest in the nation.
Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation and other cooperatives operate according to the same core principles and values. These principles are a vital reason why electric cooperatives are different from other utilities – they put the member’s needs first.
The cooperative operates on a not-for-profit basis with a member-elected board of directors who works together to provide high-quality, reliable services and energy solutions for its many members and communities.
THE CHALLENGE
Because the Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation website needs to be accessed by so many customers, it was important for the Sage Island team to think of the overall look, feel, and functionality. We had to think of things from the perspective of both our client and their clients.
It was also important to relay all the essential things that make up BEMC, such as their rich history, strict values, important missions, in an organized fashion that was easy to understand.
THE SOLUTION
Organization and structure.
The key to this service-related website’s success is making sure its intended audience can easily find the necessary pages and functions in as little time as possible. With that in mind, the Sage team took a good look at all of the most frequently reviewed items, along with feedback from the client, and arranged the navigation and page hierarchy.
We also created call-to-action buttons on the home page so that it would all make sense to and better serve BEMC’s typical customers. Then organized all this information and many pages to create more straightforward navigability for the average visitor.
User-friendly content.
In addition to a menu and pages that are easy to navigate, the content itself must clearly and concisely communicate crucial points. Our copywriting team compiled company information and existing content from the website to tidy up and transfer to the new one, resulting in pages that are easier to understand and overall better use for current and potential customers.
We also spent many hours combing each page and optimizing them for Search Engine Optimization (SEO). This is important to the website to increase the visibility of the site and create organic traffic. Which included a healthy mix of keywords, internal and external linking, quality images, alt image labels, headers, title tags, and more!
A contemporary design.
The website got a redesign for a fresh and renewed effect. Our design team arranged for a cleaner page layout and subtle changes to include some white space, new fonts, and smoother transitions using the brand colors. In the end, the pages all look professional yet inviting and open-ended.
THE RESULT
The result is an intuitive user experience that allowed its different types of customers to access relevant information quickly.
Visually, the site now reflects the community feel of Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation and its brand and offers the users a seamless experience. Check it out here – it’s pretty electric!
And if your company is looking for a professional website representing your company and its brand, contact the Sage Island team today.
