Web Development and Interactive: The New Paper
Web is the new paper. Over the years, I have gained extensive experience working in online environments with platforms for extranets, Internet pages, and social media tools.
B2B Website
When Cendant Corporation decided to split off Realogy as a separate business unit that would list on the NYSE, I got my first chance to build a significant B2B Web site, Realogy.com. I worked with a project team from Quarry Communications to complete a series of stakeholder interviews and to develop a wire frame of the overall site based upon Realogy’s business objectives. In addition, I had the additional task of writing significant amounts of the site’s copy. A good sample of this writing is the Business to Business section.
Consumer Web Site
After joining Realogy’s subsidiary, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC, I once again had the opportunity to work on a project team that was charged with developing a Web site, this time for consumer audiences. The site is www.BHGrealestate.com. Once again, I was an integral part of the project team that developed the wire frames for the site and conceptualized the “Look, Live and Learn” thematic that organizes the lifestyle content of the site. As the Sr. Director of Communications and Public relations, I was responsible for designing and updating the media center of the site, which houses press releases, video clips, upcoming appearances and media clips.
Social Media Tools
As part of my overall communications plan for BHGRE, I launched an industry blog, www.bhgrealestateblog.com, using the Word Press platform. The beauty of this approach was the extreme low cost of the tool compared to traditional Web developer fees that can run above $150 an hour. In addition, the flexibility and speed at which we could update the site was tremendous. Using the company blog as the center of gravity for my social media strategy, we then incorporated YouTube videos, Twitter updates and Flickr photostreams into the site posts and updates. The result is a powerful search engine optimized system of integrated Web tools that drive traffic and demonstrate leadership in the interactive space.
Intranets
Hate to date myself, but my first Web training was in basic HTML around 1997. I then moved on to using Microsoft’s FrontPage software to develop an intranet at United Water. After teaching myself the software, I trained colleagues from each department so that they could manage their own content. More recently, I have learned how to manage a Microsoft Sharepoint platform for connecting employees to the information they need to do their jobs.
To see more samples of my work, please visit my portfolio page.