Targa Newfoundland
The Challenge
Part of a worldwide motor sporting event taking place every September, Targa Newfoundland is the only North American segment on the tour. The immediate, fast-paced nature of the event, with fans and sports journalists across the world expecting up to the minute information, required the site to provide the latest information from the field in a format easily managed by staff.
The Execution
The existing site was re-developed with a fresh, modern interface and a simplified, streamlined navigation and content management system. The largest volume of traffic the site attracts is primarily concentrated in the two months surrounding the event, making accessibility, speed and easy navigation of critical importance.
The site was developed with a content management system (CMS) that allows for the quick, efficient management of all site content. Emphasis was placed on the user-friendliness and scope of the CMS, as staff would need to update and publish content in real time for the duration of the event. The CMS was built to accommodate various levels of permission so access could be tailored to appropriate staff members and levels.
The frequency of updated content made implementing an RSS feed a natural choice, so that sports writers, journalists and spectators relying on updated blog posts and news would be kept current on event progress. With motor sport enthusiasts and Targa fans in mind, the site was refitted with the latest in Web 2.0 technologies: social media functionality (such as Facebook and YouTube), photo and video galleries, car/driver showcases, newsletter signup, and site search functionality were added.
The Results
The site was launched during the first week of August 2008 and statistics and all statistics and feedback was extremely positive. With an average of more than 40,000 visits per month, the fact that 27% of those visitors before and during the event generated an add-to-my-favorites-list was impressive. The improved CMS allowed members working from remote locations across the province to manage the content (results, photos and articles) without any formal IT or programming assistance - considerably streamlining their operation.
Robert Giannou, President of Newfoundland International Motorsports and Targa Newfoundland, commented "an absolutely wonderful job...the site is up, working well and is getting very positive reviews. Thank you for helping bring this from a dream to a reality...it will help Targa Newfoundland immensely."