The Retail & Hospitality ISAC was built to create a secure place for retailers to share cybersecurity information and intelligence to not only better protect their own companies, but to also strengthen the entire sector – a rising tide lifting all boats.
Initially, RH-ISAC approached HMG Creative looking for an easier way to update its website, as it was on a built proprietary framework that made it challenging to add pages and edit content.
We migrated RH-ISAC’s site to WordPress and started an ongoing partnership providing web maintenance. In time, it became evident the RH-ISAC team would need a better long-term solution to freshen up its look and to be able to administer the site internally without relying on external help.
The RH-ISAC team took note of the opportunity in front of them to grow and take the organization to the next level. We began discussing a full web redesign, with the goal of increasing membership and member activity.
The existing site lacked a clear connection with their target audiences and displayed an outdated aesthetic, leaving RH-ISAC inadequately equipped to accomplish its goals for growth.
As a member-based community that provides resources, connections, and intelligence for members through collaboration and sharing, RH-ISAC’s value did not fully shine through on its site. Members and prospects struggled to locate desired information and understand the full benefits of their membership.
We knew the game-changer in a new site for RH-ISAC would be redefining and restructuring its messaging to clearly convey the organization’s mission and membership benefits.
Brand Story
To kick off the project, we worked to uncover RH-ISAC’s brand story through a collaborative brand workshop, stakeholder interviews, and market research that helped us craft clear messaging around the brand. This process allowed us to gain insight into the organization’s unique differentiator: giving members fearless confidence through community collaboration to slow the growth of cyber-crime.
Web Strategy
Much of the success of RH-ISAC’s website would be found in the web strategy phase of the project. To create an engaging, effective site, we needed to establish who the potential visitors would be, what they would want to know, and how they would want to hear it. Together we outlined the defining characteristics of several different target audiences and crafted strategic messaging for each.
A considerable focus went to the structure and organization of the website to ensure we were providing an excellent user experience for anyone visiting the site. Converging from the previous site, we wanted to make it clear to any and all visitors that RH-ISAC is first and foremost a community, and the power of its organization lies in the collaboration of its members.
Web Design
RH-ISAC had recently undergone a brand refresh, so we built upon the existing elements to establish the overall look and feel of the site. We modernized featured design elements and incorporated them throughout the site, including RH-ISAC’s signature shape, the hexagon.
As a cybersecurity company, it was crucial for RH-ISAC’s website aesthetic to communicate the authority of the organization with a professional, modern look. We achieved this by incorporating plenty of white space and clean lines to maintain sophistication and trust among the cyber intelligence community.
In order to appeal to current and prospective members, we illustrated the site with imagery featuring friendly faces to better represent the community aspect of the brand. We also used clear, bold calls-to-action and headings to promote action and engagement among site visitors.
As we designed the site, our team also simultaneously created marketing materials based on the brand aesthetic and the overall look and feel of the site. These resources included presentation slides, document templates, and additional marketing collateral.
Web Development
Since making updates to the site had been a significant pain point for RH-ISAC’s team, we knew WordPress was the right platform for their site with the flexibility it provides for back-end administration. Our development process included installing Elementor Page Builder so that RH-ISAC would have full access and control to change their website as needed moving forward.
RH-ISAC is a powerful organization equipping the cybersecurity community to fight consumer cybercrime. Until now, members weren’t tapping into the full potential of their memberships and were missing opportunities for collaboration and the sharing of intelligence.
Now, members are clearly informed of the perks of their membership. They can conveniently access resources including intelligence reports, surveys, and bulletins to assist in the fight against cybercrime. Even more, prospective members can now clearly determine the value of a membership with RH-ISAC through clear brand messaging and a fluid user journey. This clarity opens the door for more memberships, higher quality information being shared, and overall greater value for members and the cybercommunity.
