Naval and Military Museum launches new website

CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum has just launched a dynamic new version of its informative website at www.navalandmilitarymuseum.org

It features new content, new resources for researchers, and a brand new look and feel.

This is the third iteration of the museum site, which is now in its 19th year. During that period, millions of people have visited the website to learn about the history and heritage of the naval presence on Canada’s West Coast, and of the military on Southern Vancouver Island.

The latest rollout of the site follows months of intensive effort by Ardent West Creative Directors Denis Eve and Olivia Hernandez, in cooperation with the museum’s webmaster and exhibit designer, Clare Sharpe.

Sharpe has worked on the museum’s online presence consistently since 2000, when the first website for CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum was designed by volunteer Wayne Lidstone. In 2013, the site was redesigned again, by Joseph Kotopski, a graduate student from Q College, and served the museum well for several years.

Sharpe is delighted with the Mark III reorganization and redevelopment of the site, and says its usefulness has already been demonstrated: “We’re getting a strong positive response to the new site, in just a few short days of going live.

The fact that it now includes effective contact forms and artifact donation forms is enabling museum staff to communicate well with our visitors and potential donors, and has enhanced our accessibility.”

The fact that the site has been fully optimized for mobile devices, with a strong and engaging visual aesthetic, is another big plus. “Obviously, the look and feel of the website is very important, and we love its style, appearance and layout,” Sharpe commented.

She notes that the old web site, being from the era it was, “was at best mobile friendly-ish.” But the new website is completely responsive in layout and design for all potential platforms and devices. All images and pdf downloads are organized, named and presented in a significantly improved user-friendly manner to enhance the experience of the users and to maximize their searchability on Google. In addition, the navigational structure and architecture ensures that users will find it much easier to retrieve content and documentation relevant to their interests.

“We believe it’s a major step forward in sharing our museum and archives with a wider online community,” says Sharpe.