The Client
Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity. Florence Nightingale Hospice provides palliative and end-of-life care for people with life-limiting illnesses. They run an in-patient unit, as well as providing 24/7 care and community nursing and a Florrie’s Children’s Team.
This Aylesbury-based charity organises a wide range of fundraising events to help cover the costs of running their service. With the help of dedicated volunteers, they run second-hand clothing and furniture shops in Aylesbury and surrounding towns.
Project Brief
The FNHC team had recognised a shift in supporters’ actions. Firstly, most website visitors are using mobile devices and there has been a move towards online donations being made. In response, they wanted a responsive, mobile-first website, that would seamlessly integrate with their new Donorfy database.
As an established organisation, offering a variety of services, FNHC had a high volume of information to share on the website. They needed a solution that would simplify navigation and provide a positive user experience.
In addition to being optimised for search engines, the brief also identified the importance of being able to track online visitor behaviour.
Following a rigorous selection process and a pitch, alongside four other local agencies, we were delighted to be selected to work on this project.
Our Solution
The new mobile-first website was designed and built with accessibility in mind. From the branding to the navigation, we agreed that it was important to build a website that met the highest Website Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
To simplify navigation, we worked with the User Experience (UX) designer who helped organise the information. Later in the process, we worked with FHNC to run an interactive user testing workshop. This structured session invited independent users to try out the website on different screen sizes and with different objectives in mind. We gathered their feedback and produced a report which influenced the further development of the website.
The technical requirements of this build included the creation of a means of streamlining the donations process. This applies to both financial donations and furniture for the shop and included integration with Donorfy. Customers can now complete donation forms, upload images of furniture and arrange collection dates online.
We also incorporated a store locator for those wishing to donate goods, or shop for pre-loved items; this includes an online eBay shop. For those keen to volunteer at a shop, or in another area of the organisation’s work, call-to-action buttons encourage involvement.
An events calendar allows FNHC to promote upcoming events. It is now straightforward for people to find out more, sign up and get involved. Supporters can also add events that they organise to raise money for the Charity.
Before the new FNHC website went live on 13 January, we provided training sessions with the team members that would be responsible for updating the website with news, upcoming events and volunteer stories. These sessions help to familiarise the team with the process, so they can maintain the web content in-house. We will also provide ongoing technical support as required.
The Results
This has been a lengthy project, but through a collaborative process and user experience testing, we are happy to deliver a new and accessible website. We are confident that it will help the charity to further extend its supporters and community presence, whilst streamlining administrative processes. In future months, analytics will provide the data to clarify the impact.
“I think we are all justifiably proud of the outcome – the result ticks all the boxes of our original brief, reflects a fresh updated look for the charity and offers a much-improved experience for both the user and those of us who are responsible for keeping the site updated going forward. We have had positive feedback from our staff, volunteers and supporters.”
– Bonnie Doe, Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity
You can visit Florence Nightingale by clicking the link below.
