Duo Consulting » Press Releases

New Chicago Public Library Web Site is Officially Unveiled

Rachelle Goh — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:43:35 +0000

Last week, Duo’s hard work on the Chicago Public Library (CPL) Web site made the news! Both the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times covered Mayor Daley’s official unveiling of the new CPL Web site. Both articles talk about how the $11 million project has resulted in a 275% increase in hits, from 28 million in May 2007 to 105 million in May this year.

Laura Zupko showing new CPL site to Mayor Daley

According to lead developer Jough Dempsey, “One problem with the CPL’s old Web site was that while the library was already beginning to offer new forms of content, there was no way to bring it all together into a cohesive whole. Most content was being updated manually rather than utilizing databases and generating pages dynamically. There was no site search, and searching the catalog provided only limited results.”

The team at Duo integrated multiple data sources to form a service-oriented architecture. Part of their work included implementing a new content management system – Serena Collage – that enabled library staff to easily add new content to the Web site. Duo also added a bunch of new features to the CPL Web site, such as catalog search, event search, blogs, podcasts, and RSS feeds. More details on the CPL project can be found in this case study.

The CPL project wasn’t without its fair share of challenges, especially because “the project was large and involved many vendors within a tight timeframe,” said Project Manager Jeanne Toohey. “One of the challenges was to gather and work toward the client’s requirements but also work with their many different vendors to integrate 13 applications into the new website in a seamless fashion. In addition… some applications were being built at the same time we were integrating code, which caused a constantly moving target.” In spite of all this, the team at Duo wrapped the project up in just 14 months, transforming this:

to this:

This is How to Launch a Website

Sonny Cohen — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 04:16:47 +0000

Illinois officials, a Chicago alderman, a local school council representative, a radio personality, an Olympic medal winner and top Chicago school officials descended on Chicago neighborhood school, Bateman Elementary School, to demonstrate how to strategically use a website launch in pursuit of a greater mission.

The Chicago Public School Alumni website publicly launched today not only with the support of leading public figures - many of whom are CPS alums, but with prominent print and media coverage from most local media. As my colleague, Kelly, and I joined with other guests at the public roll out and watched a short video highlighting the major benefits of the site, it dawned on me (duh!) that I was in the presence of a major and strategic campaign rollout of a significant initiative by the Chicago Public Schools to build community among over 3 million living alumni. And the website Duo had just built and launched was the catalyst for this initiative. Woo Hoo.

Although Duo’s mantra – or one of them, anyway – is that a website should have a job description, it is still a real treat when we get to develop a tool – a website - that is so core to meeting an organization’s business objectives – especially one with such great public purpose. But the real prize today was to witness how the professionals with the Chicago Public Schools have taken the steps necessary to build an ongoing campaign around the roll out of the site.

Tonight I looked at the website analytics and the tangible impact of this first day of the public rollout. It was very exciting. I am confident that the site is in great hands and on its way toward building community and increasing alumni participation for the benefit of all.

Experiment in Online Social Networking at the 2008 Legal Marketing Association Annual Conference

Duo Consulting — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 08:14:00 +0000

We published a Legal Marketing Association Annual Conference event on Facebook. The goal is to provide a forum for discussion, opinions, connections, photos, videos and whatever regarding the Conference. There may be other or even better forums for this. But we thought we’d run it up the flagpole and see if anyone salutes. And they have.

We notified 400+ pre-registered attendees about the Facebook page via email. Of the 130 people who bothered to open the email, 20 responded to the embedded survey on social networking and 8 took the next step to engage on Facebook.

I’m not judging numbers. And I’m not even sure what to measure. But what I know is this: People want to connect. And from connections comes social interaction and business. I’m all for promoting that.

March 12 - 14 we’re exhibiting in LA at the 22nd Annual Conference of LMA. We’re going to whip this puppy (figuratively, of course) and see what happens. The party is open to everyone. Come on down. (A Facebook account (free) is required to access this page).

Chicago Public Library’s 80th Branch is Online

Duo Consulting — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 14:21:00 +0000

We were sharing our excitement about the launch of the new
Chicago Public Library website with some business partners when one noted that
he was amazed that, in this digital age, libraries seemed to be expanding. It was
then that Jeanne Toohey, the project manager who has lead the CPL website
project from conception to birth noted that the Chicago Public Library actually
viewed their online presence as their 80^th branch. And it is. (CPL
has 79 physical locations).

Short of signing off of your online session with the new CPL
website with a book in hand, you can now conduct many of the functions that you
had to be physically at a branch to do. Learn of author events, research tools, renew
and reserve books, access reading lists and more. Do we think this will diminish visits to the libraries. Are you kidding? Only for the unnecessary trips – like renewing
a library book. In fact we’re predicting continued growth in library demand and
visits to the branches that are even more productive for patrons and staff
alike.

Chicago Best Web Sites

Duo Consulting — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 13:45:00 +0000

“From traffic alerts to dining updates – the guides, blogs, and tools you should know” is the focus of Chicago Magazine’s February 2008 cover story on Chicago’s 171 best websites. Included in this list are:

Cheap Uncle – Just another shopping website? Wrong. This locally-based company features a shopping site that integrates thousands of online stores with discounts available using e-coupons. For the consumer, this is revolutionary (We use this word cautiously. See for yourself.). For those interested in technology this is more than a mash-up. Some remarkable, but invisible, technology drives this website. Who knew?

Chicago Park District – This is the online home of the world’s largest park district. Recognized for the website’s ability to find esoteric sports program, the site includes information about programs at every park district property as well as the ability to shop and enroll in hundreds of in-demand park district sponsored programs.

CareerBuilder.com – This remarkable job resource includes an array of resources for those on the move and in transition. CareerBuilder’s intensive focus on constant and iterative improvement in the usability of this site is evident. The blood, sweat and tears required to achieve it is not.

Duo Consulting congratulates three of its clients who are recognized in what Chicago Magazine calls, “The best the web has to offer Chicago.”

Web Content 2008 Conference - Call for Speakers

Duo Consulting — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 03:31:00 +0000

If you’re interested in speaking at Web Content 2008 Chicago, the Call for Participation opens Tuesday, November 13, 2007, and closes December 1, 2007. Just complete the online submission form.

Web Content 2008, to be held June 17 & 18, 2008, brings together nationally recognized technology, content, and marketing authorities involved with creating, organizing, maintaining, and delivering web content. Presenters will share best practices, new approaches, lessons learned, and provide real-world examples. The two-day conference is divided into two tracks:

Web Content Management Strategies, Practices, and Standards
Web Content Management Tools and Technologies

Each track offers attendees a selection of workshops, case studies, and presentations lead by recognized Internet authorities. Attend all sessions in one track or mix-and-match sessions in any track to create a customized program.

Chicago Film, Game Development, Visual Effects School Debuts

Duo Consulting — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 08:04:00 +0000

Chicago’s Mayor Richard M. Daley appeared in the flesh but it was his virtual self that cut the digital ribbon at a ceremony today officially recognizing Flashpoint Academy’s presence as the latest degree granting college in the city. Stuffed into 2 floors of a Chicago Loop office building, Flashpoint, The Academy of Media Arts and Sciences, is loaded with the same technology gear found in the best film, game development, visual effects, animation and recording arts studios. The sound boards, editing stations, screening rooms and stage sets are merely the ingredients. The chefs in this digital kitchen include world-class professionals who share their knowledge with students in this hands-on environment.

No fire starts without a spark or grows without some flame fanning. With his long history of helping businesses catch fire, Howard Tullman, President & CEO, introduced the Mayor and shared his enthusiasm with visiting state, national and international guests joining in the ribbon ceremony.

Built in a remarkable 100 days over summer 2007, Flashpoint is completing its first semester of operation with its inaugural class. Prospective students are finding the Duo Consulting built website via strategies ranging from bus advertising to search engine pay-per-click campaigns. With the expansion of digital entertainment as a trillion dollar worldwide industry, talented graduates from Flashpoint Academy should have opportunity waiting for them.

Website Awards Go to Clausen Miller and National Collegiate Scouting Association

Duo Consulting — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 09:42:00 +0000

Law firm Clausen Miller and college sports recruiter National Collegiate Scouting Association (NCSA) have been honored for outstanding achievement in website development in the 2007 WebAward Competition sponsored by the International Web Marketing Association. Both sites were designed and built by Duo.

The judges called the Clausen Miller’s website “inviting and professional” and praised the “very nice design and layout” of the NCSA website. Entries were judged on design, copy writing, innovation, content, interactivity, navigation, and use of technology.

Duo submitted client websites for award consideration as part of its strategy to generate internet marketing exposure for clients. The website awards also serve to recognize talented individuals at the client as well as acknowledging the team effort required to produce strong and effective websites.

Spearheading the effort for the NCSA site were Duo Consulting Project Manager Sue Kennebeck along with NCSA President & CEO Chris Krause and Systems Administrator Bobby Glass. The Clausen Miller site was orchestrated by Duo Consulting Project Manager Amy Westerling and Director of Internet Marketing Strategy Sonny Cohen, teamed with Clausen Miller Partner Melinda Kolross and Marketing Manager Erin Dickey.

More than 2,400 sites from 40 countries were evaluated in 96 industry categories during this year’s competition. The international WebAward Competition is considered the top website award program in the world.

Another successful CPD registration

Duo Consulting — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 07:22:00 +0000

Another successful registration for the Chicago Park
District.

Once again today we had a successful registration event for
the Chicago Park District. This was our
biggest one ever – as the summer session usually is. At peak we had over 10,000 simultaneous users
and revenue of over $100,000 per minute!
This has been a great project (and case study) on the effectiveness of a
well designed and executed AJAX
application (and significant load testing).

Because we only have these registration events quarterly, we
needed the ability to handle a huge increase in traffic without adding
additional servers (because this burst happens only four times per year). We built a lightweight AJAX application at http://programs.chicagoparkdistrict.com/programBrowser/
that allows user to browse programs and build a wish list in advance. Then, on registration day users easily move
their pre-selected programs into a shopping cart and check out quickly
(minimizing utilization of hardware or software resources). Using this approach we were able to reduce
our hardware requirements by over 50% - and service the expanding user base
with a minimal amount of infrastructure.

Congratulations to the Chicago Park District team for this
amazing and efficient application!

Law Firm Web Analytics Presentation at LMA Conference

Duo Consulting — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 16:10:00 +0000

For years I have witnessed accolades and awards heaped on
law firm websites that are, for want of any more accurate word, dysfunctional. More
often than not these sites are eye candy with a bell here and a whistle there -
Stylish sheet metal and little under the hood.

What makes a good law firm website? I have my opinion.
Others do as well. But whatever a firm believes makes a website good should be
measurable. Hunches, hearsay and anecdotal evidence belong in the choir. Only
measurable and demonstrable metrics qualifies as the diva. My mission was
clear.

At the 2007 Legal Marketing Association (LMA) Annual
Conference on March 21, 2007, I have the opportunity to present “Checking the
Oil Level and Tire Pressure of Your Firm’s Website.” We will explore measuring traffic generation
tactics, goal-oriented behavior at the website and measuring online reputation.

I am honored to be the first to provide an in-depth review
of web analytics metrics for professional services firm. I know I don’t have
all the answers. But if we can get a conversation going about what a website
should do (and how to know), not just what it looks like, I will have advanced the
dialog.