COMPUTER TEAM, INC.

QCA Pools & Spas, manufacturer of the TheraSauna brand of infrared saunas, needed a web presence that would serve their needs. Specifically, they needed to accomplish several tasks.

1. Provide a web site that would become a part of and remain consistent with the high quality marketing materials that they were distributing
2. Establish an advertising campaign that would drive traffic to their site
3. Create an online store that would be able to sell their signature product, The TheraSauna, and it's accessories
4. Facilitate communications between customers and customer service represenatives

Computer Team took a multifaceted approach to solving these issues for QCA Pools & Spas.

We started by working with their marketing department to develop a website based upon their marketing materials. We matched colors to the colors they used and utilized photos from their brochures to provide a consistent look and feel. We also made sure that the navigation was concise and easy to use while at the same time highlighting product features with alternate navigation methods that QCA Pools & Spas felt the consumer would find interesting and useful.

At this time we also started putting together keywords for use in a Google AdWords Pay-Per-Click campaign and integrating Google Analytics into the site so we would have a better idea of where to target our advertising budget. The pages of the website were then renamed to be more search engine friendly and descriptive of what they were. Based upon the analytics feedback, we were able to trim the keyword list to remove poor performing words and to better bone up our content so that TheraSauna would be more visible in organic searches as well as AdWords.

Once the website became established, we put together an online storefront that offers the TheraSauna and it's accessories for purchase online. One of the main problems with an online storefront is that you lack the face to face communication you would get at a brick and mortar store. To counteract this, we integrated chat software that would allow QCA Pools & Spas to give timely advice and accurate information to their clients.

"I believe the site has given more awareness to my dealer network and to my retail customers of infrared technology and our products, which in turn drives more sales." - Larry Jones, Vice President of QCA Pools & Spas

Engineering Studios Incorporated came to us because they needed a professional looking website and they needed it done fast. Bud Stein, the owner, was referred to us by a prior client who knew that we could work within his timeline and deliver.

Bud needed us to work fast because he was a startup business making a proposal to a large company. Many times, if your website is not "up to snuff" as we like to say, you can be passed over without a second thought as to the quality of the work that you do. Appearances and first impressions are very important, both in our professional and personal lives.

Keeping these things in mind, we set out to make ESi look sharp and professional while still managing to fit within Bud's budget. One of the easiest things to do when working under a budget, is to use stock photography to convey concepts or ideas visually. We worked closely with Bud to make sure that the images we chose to represent his services were ones that he could use and that they worked for him.

Once we had some imagery to work with, we built the shell of the site from a couple of discarded concept ideas for previous clients. We altered the color schemes to match Bud's logo, and we also updated his logo with a couple of different variations to brand the pages with. Lastly, we put everything together in a neat and tidy HTML package that would allow Bud to expand the capabilities of his site when he would be ready to offer more services or needed an update.

qcweddings.com is a sister business of Computer Team that reaches out to thousands of local brides in the Quad Cities area and helps them plan their weddings. It has a large number of vendors, is full of good wedding tips and ideas, and has a great community of users that want to help one another and give advice. What it didn't have was a place to keep up with wedding trends or to voice opinions in a mannerly fashion. Enter our new blog and forums.

The old forum was in a need of a facelift. It lacked many of the features that a modern forum would have, things that a community needs to grow and expand. We set about replacing the old forums with a full featured open source package and customized it to suit our needs. We now have a ton of capabilities that were absent before, like the ability to privately message members, organize threads, or having an avatar to give your posts a touch of personality!

To go with the new functionality of the forums, we also added a blog to keep the brides up to date on what was new in bridal trends and fashions. It is also a great tool to let our community know what goes on behind the scenes with our vendors. A lot of hard work goes into being a bridal vendor, and it really helps to highlight the dedication, sweat, and tears that go into it.

With these tools implemented, we've seen an upswing in both traffic and community participation. We've been really happy with the results, and we'd be more than happy to explain how either of these tools can allow for greater traffic and interaction with your customers or community.