KALAMAZOO, Mich. - LKF Marketing received two WebAwards in the annual WebAward Competition. Sponsored by the Web Marketing Association, the international contest names the best websites in 96 industries and more than 45 countries and sets the standard of excellence for web developers and marketers worldwide.
LKF received recognition for their development of the Parchment School District website and the Greater Kalamazoo Association of REALTORS' website; both earned a Standard of Excellence WebAward.
Parchment School District's website provides users with ways to stay in constant contact from a staff directory to RSS-based news feeds to a comprehensive calendar with RSS capabilities, the new site holds a wealth of information. The winning website for the Parchment School District is an appealing interactive design that engages both parents and students, and serves as an information source for the entire community. The Web Marketing Association honored LKF for creating a website that does an excellent job in offering information to the intended audience in a user-friendly and efficient manner.
Matthew Miller, Parchment School District Superintendent stated, "The purpose for the website redesign was to improve public relations and communications with all constituent groups. This website has delivered! Thank you, LKF."
The site can be viewed at www.parchmentschools.org. The other winning site for The Greater Kalamazoo Association of REALTORS (GKAR) is an online portal for all things real estate in Kalamazoo and the surrounding communities. The sophisticated creative design emulates the organization and engages a variety of audiences, serving as an information resource and a one-stop-shopping tool for prospective homebuyers and those seeking a business investment in real estate property.
After struggling to effectively communicate with its members, potential members, and homebuyers/sellers, the Greater Kalamazoo Association of REALTORS (GKAR) hired LKF Marketing to renovate its website.
The new site offers an extensive list of new features, including: property search function, open house search tool which offers functionality to create a driving itinerary from Google Maps, REALTOR and home services member search, updated real estate news and information, calendar of meetings and events, and information for all homebuyers/sellers.
Additionally, the site houses a separate area for members to login for secure information. This login development involved a sophisticated set of logic for page permissions and a complicated integration process with a membership database system on the backend.
Frank Mortl, CEO of GKAR said, "Visitors to gkar.com have consistently notified their local REALTORS as well as the office of the Greater Kalamazoo Association of REALTORS (GKAR) of how easy and useful it is to navigate the home and open house search functions on the website. Additionally, we receive positive feedback every day regarding the valuable information for both REALTOR members and the general public pertaining to local and national real estate issues.
Visit the website at www.gkar.com.
The award-winning websites were designed and developed by LKF's web development team including:
- Carol Fricke, President/CEO
- Heather Isch, Vice President
- Linda Depta, Senior Account Executive
- Sarah Morgan, Account Manager
- Lisa Chappell, Account Manager/SEO Specialist
- Jennifer Hauschild, Creative Director
- Kurt Todas, Technology Development Specialist
- Brian McWilliams, Lead Programmer and Developer
- Stuart Swope, Associate Web Developer
More than 2,000 sites from 45 countries participating in 96 industry categories entered this year's 2009 competition. Entries were judged on design, copywriting, innovation, content, interactivity, navigation, and use of technology. The judges represent various relevant disciplines and are distinguished experts in their fields, including the media, advertising, site design, content providers and webmasters.
Since 1997, the Web Marketing Association's annual WebAward Competition has been setting the standard of excellence for Website development. Independent expert judges from around the world review sites in 96 industries. The best are recognized with a WebAward which helps interactive professionals promote themselves, their companies, and their best work to the outside world. The WebAward Competition is the premier award recognition program for Web developers and marketers worldwide.
LKF Marketing is a full-service marketing communications agency located in downtown Kalamazoo. Since 1989, LKF has helped businesses and organizations achieve their marketing goals through strategic planning, results-driven creative execution, and communication tactics.