Alpha Multimedia Solutions

Hawaii boasts a reputation for being surf-bum heaven, which presents a challenge when trying to attract property investors who are accustomed to urban chic. Allison Green of Lanikai Properties was looking to develop a website that would beckon both investors from the mainland as well as local families. She was looking for a balance between aloha and à la mode.

Alpha sat down with Allison and together crafted the scope of the site, from targeting her desired audience to identifying which specific features Lanikai required. We were faced with the challenge of marketing an exclusive area to a target audience that ranged from first-time home buyers to older families looking to relocate. We also needed to balance the message so that Lanakai could reach out to clients from both the mainland as well as local Hawaiians. We kept in mind that the majority of clientele would be older and more established, expecting the island repose that Hawaii is known for. Working from an information architecture plan, we set to work building a site that would have both a glimmer of nostalgia and a personal allure that would emotionally connect prospective clients to Allison Green. Stylistically, we achieved our goal by showcasing the properties on a platform that kept the site interactive, visually compelling, and engaging. From a development standpoint, we worked to convert the design into XHTML through cross-browser testing. The result was a one-of-a-kind website that spoke to individual visitors, a web-based welcome mat.

As we continued our dialog with Allison, we were able to integrate Search Engine Optimization for Lanikai, post-launch. Our design helped establish a solid foundation that made the implementation process efficient and provided an uninterrupted experience to those clicking on the site. We integrated additional content creators to the home page to increase keyword frequence, we renamed URLs, and a we brought in a Wordpress blogging as a CMS. Our modifications helped to streamline and enhance the Lanikai online experience, while preserving the exemplary website that we worked to create.

What was the most challenging aspect of the project?
Creating a unique design that would really set Lanikai Properties apart from the rest of the pack but at the same time connecting with their target audience was difficult. I think stylistically, we have achieved our goal. From a development standpoint, converting the design into XHTML was a real challenge that really pushed our development, especially during cross browser testing.

How did Search Engine Optimization influence your design and application architecture?
Unfortunately, SEO was a follow up project and did not influence design or our application selection/development at all. However, the impact upon the design and development during the SEO phase was significant. Additional content containers were added to the home page to increase keyword frequency, much of the copy was re-written and several of the URLs were renamed. We used the Wordpress blogging engine as a CMS, and these modifications were fairly straightforward.