When the Internet was first introduced, IT departments built and managed the majority of websites due to the complexity of the programming. Today, web designers design the layout, usability and visual appearance of a website and web developers take the ideas and concepts laid out by designers and turn them into real, live, and fully-functioning sites. Ongoing review of website analytics offers insights into how visitors are using the website and provides opportunities for improvement.
In 2019, the ADP TotalSource Retirement Savings Plan (the “Plan”) launched a new resource for participants ages 50 and older – the Nearing Retirement website, 5 Steps to Get Retirement Ready. The goal of the website was to encourage participants to think about retirement planning and the steps they can take to be better prepared. The website covered five critical steps – retirement goal setting, establishing a draw-down strategy, ensuring health and wellness, estate planning and retirement lifestyle.
Layout of the Nearing Retirement website consisted of a single HTML page that scrolled down as the user advanced the page. It also included “pop-up boxes” with quick tips and hyperlinks to other websites, such as the Plan website, Social Security Administration website, Medicare website, and others. Shortly after launch, ADP TotalSource went through a rebrand necessitating the site be updated with new logo, color and imagery – while maintaining the same single HTML page layout. The campaign launching this new resource and the website itself received a first place Pension & Investments Eddy Award for exceptional creativity, participant engagement and program success.
With time comes the need for change; whether it’s simply a face-lift or making a site mobile-friendly, consumers are looking for fresh looks and updated content. In 2023, the Nearing Retirement website was updated and refreshed to include more in-depth education, a quiz to assess Retirement Readiness and more digital resources. The “new“ Retirement Planning Guide helps participants break down the process to become “retirement ready” into five easy steps (same as the 2019 version) and provides tips and resources for deeper dives into key information along the way.
The design and visual appeal of a website play a pivotal role in capturing and retaining the attention of visitors. In the digital age, where users form opinions about a website within seconds, a visually appealing design is not just a nicety—it’s a necessity. Updating the content of a website is as crucial as revamping its design. Content, after all, is what communicates and engages with the audience.
The 2023 website refresh improved the participant experience in a number of ways:
Effective use of white space
When you strategically incorporate white space, readability is enhanced and the overall interface becomes visually pleasing. It separates elements, provides clarity and highlights important information. White space contributes to legibility, reduces eye strain and creates a sense of organization. It is particularly important for optimizing content and ensuring a comfortable user experience. By utilizing white space effectively, websites become more inviting, engaging and easier to navigate.
Incorporating expandables
Expandables (sometimes called “collapsible” or “disclosure widgets”) are simple interface patterns that allow the user to expand and collapse content. They can be helpful accessibility aids as they give users the choice of revealing content to read it, or bypassing the content, making page navigation more efficient for screen-reader users and people using the keyboard or alternative input devices.
Addition of Resources hub
A “resources page” is a collection of articles, guides, webinars, and other tools that provide valuable content for website visitors. The goal is to either help educate the visitor or provide solutions and information that makes their life easier. This type of page is becoming more of a convention for users, so visibility is instantly increased for important documentation and content just by creating this single hub.
At the rate consumer habits and technology evolve, relying on the same website isn’t going to get the results needed. The Plan, in our relationship with Voya, continues to seek ways to improve the participant journey while providing tools and resources to help them achieve their retirement goals.
