Case Study
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GO-Live Date
December 2, 2022
Trusted Web Experts
Charlie Stanley
Web Solutions Architect
Caleigh Pickard
Project Manager
Martha Stopa
Design & Layout
Michael Confalone
Content Strategy & Integration
Kenneth Kimbrell
Website Launch
Leanna Thesken
Case Study
Deanna Frimann
Resource Allocation
Goals
Overview
Meet Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative
Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative (HREC) is a member-owned utility cooperative providing reliable energy solutions to thousands of members across rural Kansas. Dedicated to improving the quality of life for the communities they serve, HREC sought a website that reflects their cooperative spirit, transparency, and mission. HREC partnered with Powerful to create a website that effectively communicates their mission of “Powering Rural Lifestyles” while offering an intuitive experience for their members.
Strengthening Cooperative Connections
The homepage hero section of HREC’s redesigned website embodies their mission, featuring bold letters that say “Powering Rural Lifestyles.” Accompanying this powerful message is a captivating video that showcases HREC’s unique service territory, emphasizing their commitment to their members. The video takes visitors on a journey through rural Kansas, highlighting the cooperative’s deep roots and dedication to supporting the local community.
This video offers a window into the impact of HREC’s work, reinforcing the cooperative spirit that drives their organization.
Intuitive Design for Member Engagement
Understanding the need for simplicity and ease of use, Powerful implemented an intuitive, task-oriented blueprint for HREC’s new website. Key call-to-action buttons, such as Start New Service, Pay My Bill, Payment Options, Capital Credits, and Outage Map, were strategically placed on the homepage. These buttons are designed to guide members directly to the services they need, ensuring a seamless and proactive online experience.
By prioritizing these critical tasks, the new website allows members to quickly access the information and services they seek, reducing frustration and enhancing satisfaction. The task-oriented blueprint makes it easy for members to find essential services without navigating through complex menus, embodying HREC’s commitment to transparency and accessibility.
Challenges
HREC identified the need to regularly update their community with the latest news, including upcoming meetings, youth programs, and important announcements. Keeping the content fresh and relevant was essential for maintaining member engagement and trust. The challenge was to find a solution that would enable HREC staff to easily and efficiently manage and update content. The process had to be straightforward to accommodate the diverse technological skill sets of various staff members, ensuring that updates could be made swiftly and without complications.Solutions
To address this challenge, Powerful implemented their News app. This app allows staff to seamlessly post updates directly to the website without the need for specialized technical knowledge. The News app is prominently displayed on the homepage in a section called “In the Spotlight,” ensuring visitors are immediately greeted with the latest updates. This intuitive tool empowers HREC staff to keep content fresh and relevant.Results
With the help of Powerful's News app, members can now access the latest updates and information quickly and easily, encouraging regular return visits to the site. The "In the Spotlight" section serves as a dynamic hub of information, highlighting HREC's active engagement with their community and commitment to transparency. The strategic placement and ease of content management provided by the News app have streamlined internal processes and elevated the overall member experience.Quotes
Client Testimonials
Since moving to Powerful I have generally been able to accomplish what I set out to do in fewer steps, and in such a way that the site has maintained a cohesive look and feel. I have also been very pleased with the responsiveness of the support team in the rare instances where I needed additional help. On the member side, they're enjoying a much more attractive site that was purpose-built to guide them to the information they need. I feel our site benefited greatly from all of the user experience testing Powerful has performed. Perhaps the highest praise I can give Powerful is that after overhauling the entire website, we have not had a single call or email from members who couldn't find what they were looking for.
Communication Specialist
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Quotes
Team Comments
I'm thrilled with the transformation we've achieved with Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative's new website! The streamlined navigation highlights their vital services and makes it easy for their community to stay informed. It's a fantastic representation of their commitment to member services!
Project Manager
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