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OWLBTC(pty)ltd. Website Design and SEO
November 12, 2017
Agricolleges International Motion Graphics
May 9, 2017Web Design
Website Design for BMW Group which consists of mainly BMW, Mini and Motorrad. The build was specifically done for the job seekers looking at starting a career with them. Due to the nature of the brand, we had to adhere to strict brand guidelines and exact web measurements. The build was done without any form of CMS. Completely built using HTML and CSS script to get the exact look we were looking for. Both the initial pitch and design was done by me. I did, however, outsource the development of the website.
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Generally, high-risk clients are treated with much more care over-all. The potential to go off-track and jeopardize the company relies completely on ability and work quality. For this very reason, The design was perfectly fine-tuned and copy written to exactly say what we needed it to. The site is also built in the rawest form possible. Completely custom coded HTML.
The reason for this is to stick closely to the brand and make sure we don't stray from any guidelines. A much more difficult build than using any form of CMS. This also allows more site security as the only way to access the site would have to be on the server side.
Under the hood
To be honest, this site was not sunshine and daisies. Sourcing good developers are definitely not as easy as it seems especially within the tight budget supplied. The site is by far a collaboration I am more than proud of. Clean and well-structured code with clean layout makes any future adjustments a breeze. There is still some work to be done, however, currently, the site is more than useable.
BMW
The site consists of three different sub-sections, trading directly under the major brand. The site sends potential users through to a separate company that deals with the employment side of BMW. This is also the client that approached me. We pitched and worked out all the dynamics together setting up the best site assured to be approved after our very first pitch.
Catered for sales managers, engineers, and many other well-respected career opportunities. An easy to use slider that perfectly explains what is expected combined with a video that also delves in-depth into the process. Site navigation is extremely simple, assuring applicants get straight to the section that they would like to apply to.
The buttons also click through to another site, the employment company where they handle video interviews and application submissions.
Motorrad
The BMW Motorrad website is specifically set up for the brand manufactured motorcycles. The site is geared towards the two weel fanatics and individuals that have a passion for motorcycles.
The Motorrad website acts a page for enthusiasts looking to apply for a position at one of the most forward-thinking automotive brands around. With positions such as Sales, services and management roles in the company. Accepted candidates with a good background in the industry are taken off-page straight to the company that deals with employment.
Designed for ease of use strictly sticking to the main brand identity. With crisp imagery and well written, straight to the point content.
MINI Careers
MINI is owned by BMW and with that also caters naturally for all MINI dealership careers. This part of the website seems to have scared the majority of designers off. Understandable, it needs to be styled completely independently of both other sites.
The MINI brand has their own set of CI guidelines and website instruction. This meant the build took somewhat of a turn. Styling a completely separate site means completely re-coding. So in essence aside from adjustments, that was basically two website builds.
Designed for ease of use strictly sticking to the main brand identity. With crisp imagery and well written, straight to the point content. Very specific guidelines accompany this brand individually. All three sites were set up on their very own server and interlinked. The design however which is where I come in. Adheres to the cleanest possible layout and brand-specific elements. The site clicks through to the same page as the previous ones allowing video interviews and application submissions.
Semi-Responsive
The website is still in-progress and an ongoing job. For that reason, it is semi-responsive as some of the elements have been adjusted although not quite fully mobile ready.
Some responsive site adjustments have been implemented and the website does currently have site-specific mobile menu navigation. Some of the wraps also already adhere to different screen sizes. Still a good amount of work to be done however, currently, it does start to take form and with some editing, it will be fully responsive. I am not in charge of this, this is what my developer has been working on.
It is with great confidence though that I know the site will be fully responsive on both mobile as well as tablet. Mobile devices far surpass desktop and building with these are paramount to success.
Technical SEO - Page Speed
I put great emphasis on technical factors and the often unseen intricacies of a website. That being clean code and file compression.
The site still has quite some way to go. My choice to build the site completely custom and a developer with a passion for her craft show that even prior to compression or any form of minification the site already scores some outstanding marks considering the prior. This is based on three main website testing tools, Being: Google page speed test, Pingdom as well as GTMetrix.
Website speed plays a massive factor not only in user experience but also in search engine preference. A greatly reduced estimated visitor loss and satisfied users.
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