One of our first web design customers years ago was the Friends of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge in Ridgefield, Washington. I had just started Graticle when moving to Ridgefield in 2009. At the time, the Friends of the Refuge were in dire need of help with their website. I had planned on visiting the refuge, when I stumbled on the Friends website. There wasn’t much to be desired. It was obvious people were not using this website and it wasn’t reflecting the beauty of the refuge itself. That much was clear.
Before (before we started helping):
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After (in 2009):
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After (in 2018):
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I ended up contacting the executive director and asking her if they wanted help with their website. She then invited me to sit down with her to talk about it in person. We had a nice lunch and I agreed to help them. Later on, I joined the board and eventually became the vice-president before moving out of the area.
You’ll notice, I included two “after” photos from different years. That’s because the refuge hired us again in 2018 to create a new website, where they could manage the content themselves. We ended up creating another website using WordPress so the staff could manage it. We’ve helped many non-profits over the years do the same thing. We not only create a beautiful and effective websites, but we build it on WordPress which makes it easy to edit. This allows them to keep the website up-to-date for their visitors.
If you haven’t been to the Ridgefield Refuge, it’s a beautiful place. There’s a lot of history there, and if you’re a birder, it’s the place to be. If you’re going to have a website showcasing this stunning area, it had better reflect it. That’s why we placed a focus on imagery. The images speak volumes about this place.
Since the Friends are a non-profit, it’s crucial that they can receive donations and allow members to sign up and pay online. You’ll see how easy it is to not only become a member, but also donate. There are various options when becoming a member, and we’ve made it easy for the visitor to select the options they would like, and checkout directly on the website.
There’s always something happening at the refuge, too. That’s why we included their Facebook and Instagram posts. That way visitors don’t have to visit these pages, they can simply go to the Friends website and see the latest.
You’ll also notice in the sidebar on every page, there are upcoming events.
They also have a calendar where they list all the happenings at the refuge. They depend on volunteers and this calendar showcases not only events, but volunteer events. That way volunteers can be aware and sign up for events in the future.
There is a current news section, where the Friends can list any updates or important information for their visitors.
Lastly, in the footer, you’ll see that all the pages on the website are neatly organized.
Wildlife Refuge Web Design Services
If you are a Friends of the Refuge and need a new website (or improvements to your existing website), please call or text us (360) 450-3711 or request a quote. We have also created a website for the Friends of the Willamette Valley Refuge. We have the experience to make this process, easy, streamlined, and enjoyable. Contact us today.
