Website Opens a Window into our Operations

(Airwaves Issue 6 Spring / Summer 2008)

Educating and informing the general public of the work we do is one of the most important aspects in reaching our fundraising objectives - and one of the most powerful tools available to us for communicating regularly and topically with our supporters and the public is our website.

Since its launch in 2003, the site at www.airrescue.co.nz regularly attracts between three and five thousand unique visitor sessions each month.

Our website is a Content Managed System which is designed and updated with fresh content daily by our brand and web consultants Yellow Pencil Limited who provide the majority of their professional services under an on-going sponsorship agreement with the Trust.

Now, as technology progresses and the demands of internet communication offer greater opportunities, Yellow Pencil are about to upgrade the highly successful site, thanks to an additional sponsorship agreement with a team of Christchurch web developers called Konstruk.

The Konstruk site platform provides a multi-functional Content Management System which will allow complete integration of information, news, media resources, on-line donations and more as the site is redeveloped over the next 6 months.

Regular features of the website, including real-time satellite tracking of the Westpac Rescue Helicopter and the Solid Energy Rescue Helicopter, plus downloads, kids activities and a merchandise shop, will continue to be expanded to give visitors a greater insight into our operation.

Company Director and creator of the Konstruk system, Aaron Shurmer, says he is confident that the new website platform will be perfectly suited to the needs of the Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust.

“The Konstruk system has been developed to make it easier for website managers to deal with large volumes of content, data integration and programme applications within their websites,” he says.

“For many other systems on the market, this is a bit of a trade-off. Either they are very powerful but incredibly complex to use, or vice- versa. Konstruk offers users the freedom to maximise the power of internet communication while still being very user friendly.”

Visitor response to the Trust’s original website has been overwhelmingly positive and the feedback that has been received will help shape the new site’s content and structure.

“The Air Rescue site is very ‘content rich’ and we need to recognise and meet the needs of the different types of visitors that come to the site for information,” says Nick Hawes, Managing Director of Yellow Pencil.

“We look very carefully at the statistical data coming off the website which shows us the most popular areas of the site and how long people spend there,” he says. “By analysing those patterns we can build up an overall picture of site popularity and add content accordingly.”

“ It is important that we treat the website not only as an opportunity to inform our supporters about our operation, but to also make them feel an active and valued part of it”.