Thought we’d share a behind-the-scenes look at the strategic planning and design work that went into the new Digital Non-Conference website. It’s been a very exciting project, I can’t wait to see where we are in three to five years!

Strategic Planning:

We started the project by meeting one-on-one and in small groups with a number of inspiring industry leaders and the  founders of the Digital Hub Non-Conference. (The event that brings the best and the brightest together for two jam-packed days of learning, sharing and exploring all aspects of Digital Marketing.)

These people included: Jack Streitmarter, Judy Thompson, Will Krieger, Dick Goehler, John Young, Rose Wesselman, Dave Knox, Krista Neher, Kevin Dugan and Jason Falls.

Based on these meetings, and a few weeks of industry and competition research, we came up with the following goals and objectives:

Goals & Objectives:

1. Engagement. Our overriding goal was to create a site that screamed engagement. Not only to the “techies” of the region but to those visitors who are just starting out in digital media.

2. Positioning. We wanted to create a site that actively positions this region as leading in digital advertising, design and marketing.

2. A  Year-Round Resource. Traditionally the website was used only during the Non-Conference. Our goal was to create an expanded resource that would be valuable to visitors throughout the year.

3. Increase Non-Conference Attendance. By incorporating a dynamic social media marketing plan into the launch of the new site, our goal was to help increase attendance at the September 23rd-24th Digital Non-Conference and, as a result, increase the number and value of Non-Conference sponsorships.

Design:

For the new site we wanted the content and design to be easy to navigate and most importantly, to scream engagement! Here are a few key features:

1. A Connect Page. Set up to appeal to both a technical and non-technical audience and to walk visitors through the different types of engagement opportunities: connect, share and subscribe, along with easy access to the Twitter hash tag and URL.

In addition, we added embed panels (“I’m Attending,” “I’m Sponsoring,” “I’m Speaking” and “I’m A Blogger for the Digital Non-Conference”) that others could use to promote themselves and help us spread the word.

View the actual connect page here

2. Digital Resource Page. We designed this to be a resource all year long for companies and individuals in need of a wide array of digital marketing services. The page allows users to sort by service and region and to search by individual company. (The resource page is scheduled to launch in July 2010.)

3. Events Page. The Digital Non-Conference will be a resource for meet-ups, conferences, programs, webinars, training, etc. Soon, it will  list digital marketing events taking place in the major cities throughout the region.

4. Digital Non-Conference Blog. Modeled after the Huffington Post Blog, the Digital Non-Conference Blog brings you insights from the brightest digital minds in the region, all in one spot! Subscribe to the blog and you’ll never miss a new tool, gadget or digital marketing tip again.

View the actual blog page here

All the programming for the site was graciously provided by Tim Burke at Electronic Art with the help of one of his amazing programmers, Chris McMahon. They have been a pleasure to partner with.

We are launching the site in phases and the first phase is already up, so take a look and let us know if you have any feedback!