Magazine serving the bus and rail transit & motorcoach operations since 1904
Issue link: https://metromag.epubxp.com/i/131307
MOTORCOACH WEB DESIGN on iPhones, Androids and tablets — even views for laptop or desktop monitors of diferent sizes — to make sure customers are getting to view site in ways that are optimal for them. DEVELOPMENT BusRates.com is currently in the process of "reskinning," or, updating the graphical look and feel, of its website, Elliott says. Tat includes rebuilding it from multiple platforms to implement RWD. Te site will be responsive in about four months. CodeGreen Development built the current BusRates.com website and is adding RWD. David Schohl, partner, CodeGreen, says that the upgrade improves search engine optimization (SEO), getting the operator a higher search ranking, for example, in Google search results. Tat also lowers the bounce rate. BusRates and CodeGreen came up with a plan for a responsive site design and created an app for Apple iOS users. Part of that entailed using PhoneGap, an open source framework used to create mobile apps, which allows users to download a free app version of the BusRates site through Android or Apple's iTunes marketplace. Whether accessing BusRates through the app or going directly to the responsive site, it is the same experience, increasing the usability. Currently, the BusRates website displays appropriately on a smartphone, but there isn't anything customized to that device, Elliott explains. Now, BusRates is in the wireframing phase, which Elliott likens to creating a storyboard or blueprint. "We're fguring out what a normal screen resolution is going to be for a basic website visit," Elliott explains. "From there, [we'll] design the smartphone, tablet, and website [views and] experiences. If you're on a lesser or a higher resolution, the goal is to make each user, no matter how they access your site, have the most optimal experience." Te wireframe phase ensures that the layout of the website is correct. Schohl describes it as stackable black boxes that defne where various pieces of information will go. Tat hap- pens before the design phase, which includes making sure the brand is correct and focusing on the most important aspects, such as the search. "We want to make sure, in the wireframe, from an architecture standpoint, that the search is in a predominant spot, and [in] the design, the users' eyes go there," Schohl says. For operators looking to start the RWD process, Schohl says the frst step is to take the time to carefully choose a developer. Make sure they have examples of previous work to share and a strategy for building the website. Second, he urges, to make sure your site has well-written copy. "Otherwise, the website is not going to do well in the search engine. People are not going to read it," Schohl says. Elliott advises other operators to employ RWD as soon as possible, given the number of users who are starting their research for products and services through mobile devices. He adds that it's better to build a website with fve or 10 very sound pages that are completely flled out and have good photos of the operator's vehicles, than to have 20 or 30 pages. "If you're going to create a page, provide the information so the user can really understand who you are, because it all works into that pre-qualifcation and pre-selling process before they even call you," he says. For more tips see the sidebar on page 50. COST Te cost to implement RWD is based on the level of functionality the company chooses. A basic "brochure" website, with just the company overview and its buses, for example, runs at about $5,000, Schohl says. Operators should expect to pay between $5,000 and $10,000 to work with a company to build a site that meets their requirements to grow their business and achieve their goals. "You have a lot of companies who think they can get something for $2,500 to $7,000, but just seeing that work, as opposed to people spending $5,000- to $10,000-plus, it really is night and day as far as what the product ends up being," Elliott adds. VIP's mobilefriendly website gives customers the most pertinent information for on-the-go access. Portland, Maine's VIP Tours rolled out a responsive website last year and has seen a spike in sales through the site. 48 < mETRO mAGAZINE JUNE 2013 metro-magazine.com