Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust is a family of nine websites. We were involved in developing the new information structure and content. Our goal was explicit – we wanted to improve community engagement and drive sales enquiries for new products.
New information structure
‘Your IA report really helps us understand our business. I think we should give it to new employees as part of their induction.’ Rebecca Atkins, Marketing, Communications & Brand Manager, SMCT
Information architecture (IA) can be all encompassing. While there’s site structure to develop, at its heart, IA is driven by a clear understanding of the business and audience goals for the website.
Briarbird developed the IA for the Southern Metropolitan Cemetery Trust, covering the corporate website and eight cemetery websites including Melbourne General Cemetery and Springvale Botanical.
Our IA report got an incredible reception, particularly because of the way it clearly presented SMCT’s goals and needs in a way that gave them greater clarity about their own business.
By linking goals and needs to information structure, SMCT could clearly see the strategic role that the website played in their business.
New content
We drafted and finessed core content for the nine website. Throughout we were very aware of the importance of tone for this site – content needed to be supportive while encouraging customer uptake of cemetery options.
Here’s an excerpt of our copy:
Springvale Botanical Cemetery’s Feng Shui designed Song He Yuan is a dedicated Buddhist cemetery, which caters for the Asian style of burial and interment of cremated remains.
At Springvale Botanical Cemetery, we have a great respect and understanding of the Buddhist community and we are proud to have created the beautifully decorated Song He Yuan on qi gathering land within our grounds.
Designed in accordance with Feng Shui principles on a westward facing slope, the site was carefully chosen under the guidance of Feng Shui Master, James Yao Wen Zheng, who also provided considerable advice on the cemetery design and landscaping