WRAL Gardens Site Wins Web Award
The WRAL Azalea Gardens have long been lauded as one of the most beautiful sites in the Triangle. Now the Gardens’ Web site (www.wral-gardens.com) is getting attention as well. The Web Marketing Association recently bestowed its Leisure Standard of Excellence Award on the Web site for outstanding achievement in Web development.
Corporate Communications Specialist Ed Williams redesigned and restructured the site in early 2005 and serves as its Webmaster. Williams worked closely with Corporate Property Management’s Tim Grissom & Rodney Collier, as well as CBC VP of Community Relations Paul Pope & Corp Communications Specialist Andrea Osborne in creating content for the site.
The Web Marketing Association presented the WRAL Gardens site with its Leisure Standard of Excellence Award. |
Williams created several new features for the redesigned WRAL Gardens site, including “What’s Blooming Today?” in which he posts two new pictures daily from the flowers blooming in the gardens during the current season. CBC President & CEO Jim Goodmon came up with the concept because he wanted people to see the vast variety of plants that the Gardens house.
Visitors to the gardens often stop by to take photographs in the WRAL Gardens. Williams created a Photo Reservations/Photo Reservations Calendar section. Patrons can use these tools to schedule times to come out to the gardens for professional photography session and tour groups. This avoids having groups overlap and eliminates confusion.
In addition to the WRAL Gardens site, Williams currently maintains the American Tobacco Web site (www.americantobaccohistoricdistrict.com) and is in the process of redesigning CBC’s employee Website.
Williams joined CBC in the fall of 2004. Before his arrival at CBC Williams designed and developed the first intranet for Nortel Networks Training organization. He also developed online Flash training (animations showing how things worked) and VRML interactive “worlds” that allowed technicians to “virtually” assemble Nortel switching devices online.
In 2000, Williams won an eHealth Award for “Best Niche Marketing” Web site for net32.com, an online dental supplier.
WebAward entries were judged on top website design, copy writing, innovation, content, interactivity, navigation and use of technology. The entries were judged by a team of independent Internet professionals representing a variety of relevant disciplines of Web site development.
Web Marketing Association, sponsor of the awards, is volunteer organization which seeks to improve the quality of Web site development and marketing on the Internet.
