Back-end development transformed Philadelphia Works’ website into a multi-award-winning platform

Philadelphia Works aims to increase economic opportunity for those in the Philadelphia area to develop and manage job opportunities, responding to local business needs. Amongst many other offerings, they provide career counseling, job training, job placement, wage subsidies for businesses, employee training assistance, and more.

The problem

Philadelphia Works’ website’s existing structure was confusing for its end users. The design was outdated and inconvenient to navigate. When a user visited the site, it was difficult to understand what the organization provided and what it offered, including crucial workforce services and solutions for job seekers and employers. Since the organization promotes the public good and offers services vital to the community, it was incredibly important to ensure that the right people understood what they could gain from the organization’s services. 

The usability issues limited how the site functioned along with its poor structure. Key website data points were not tracked and not understood, meaning the company couldn’t factor this vital data into their decision-making process. For any business, understanding how their website is used, who visits, and how long they stay on pages is important to realize its full potential. 

The solution

Key Medium developed a mobile-first platform, complete with a map of programs for young adults, and interactive career pathways. The website was redesign to create an improved user experience. Important data sources were tracked with a dashboard creation and we created an interactive dashboard for the business so they could track metrics and update their own website. 

The homepage alone now allows for easy-to-navigate functions such as hiring talent, finding jobs and upskilling, exploring data and trends, and about us. Users can listen to their podcasts, see success stories, follow along on social media, connect with other initiatives such as the Hospitality & Entertainment Industry Partnership (H&E IP), PA CareerLink® Philadelphia, Women in Nontraditional Careers, ApprenticeshipPHL, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Manufacturing Alliance, along with easy-to-access program map for young adults and more. Navigation is clear as well as the next steps in the user’s flow.

The main header menu had clear categories and subcategories to allow for seamless navigation. Users now understand how to find what they want and where to go next. 

Outside of user-experience considerations, the website’s underlying structure is now connected to real-time data points where Philadelphia Works can track its website performance, which can inform future website refreshes. Further work included a brand fresh and continued feedback on insights, executive summaries, and data points for future site refreshes and launches. 

In late 2022 the website was handed off following

The results

The results of the new website were staggering.

• Improved access to talent
• Increased opportunities for local job seekers
• Connected employers with access to talent
• Achieved 29% lift in sessions
• 6% increase in organic search traffic
• Decreased bounce rate by 5%
• Increased social lift and engagement by 37%
• 11% increase in session time 

Awards

We won the following awards and accolades. 

• The robust WordPress platform received two awards from the Association of Marketing & Communication Professionals for Mobile Information Experience
• Best in Class Nonprofit website by the Interactive Media Council
• 2019 Communicator Award of Digital Distinction in the User Experience category from the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts.

If your website needs insight into performance metrics, get in touch for a web design, web analytics, and WordPress administration consultation.