TCG CLIENT CASE STUDIES

The Chiron Group provides all of our customers with a broad range of "web lifecycle management" services, from leading-edge SEO and SEM services to keyword analysis, post-design recommendations, and ongoing code modifications.

But some clients warrant closer investigation, perhaps due to the number of products and pages involved, the complexity of coding needs, workflow issues, HCI and UI or human factors considerations, etc.

For the two clients discussed below, neither has a retail or storefront location, and both companies derive 100% of their income and revenue streams from web-based sales and traffic... for them, web site design means one thing: business.

The companies we've chosen to discuss in detail are both SMBs (Small-to-Medium Sized Businesses) and neither had a substantial web site design or web marketing cash reserve - all the more reason, we felt, to highlight what can be done on a shoestring budget!

Comfort Keyboard Systems (CKS)

When we first approached Charles, owner of CKS, he was still feeling the sting of a New York Times review that applauded his ergonomic keyboards... but savaged his FrontPage-based (WYSIWYG) corporate web site.

In a flash - well, but not using Flash - The Chiron Group worked with Charles and his team to fabricate a brand identity, photograph and stylize his product line and overall corporate image, and of course, TCG prepared a results-oriented page design that helped optimize the site for maximum, targeted traffic.

As an OEM with a distributor supply chain, Charles was more interested in quality than quantity, which required the utilization of a specific set of key words and phrases to grab just the right top results positions. Which is to say, if you make a great lure but hook all the wrong fish... well, that's hardly great web design, is it?

With constant vigilance of hit tracking systems, within a couple of months Charles was getting fewer end-customer inquiries and a lot more dealer-distributor calls. Better still, Charles and CKS are now a short-list nominee for Site of the Year, a top award open to any web site - any size, any budget, any design firm... and CKS is one of twelve standing.

So Charles is feeling better about his site, his products, and the future of CKS. But what about the New York Times? We at TCG were curious. At our invitation the Times reporter, who once expressed complete dismay at the CKS site, said only... "WOWW!!!! That is SOOOOOOO much better! That's a before & after story if i ever saw one!!!"

The Chile Information Project

Steve Anderson hails from Chile by way of Arkansas, and how The Chiron Group and CHIP got together has been forgotten on all sides, given the six years we've worked together increasing CHIP's web presence.

The story of CHIP is one of survival, plain and simple. Steve has managed to keep an independent newspaper, in Chile, in English, live and online for thirteen years. For you kiddies out there, that goes back to the gopher age before the first "real" web browser hit shelves.

While such longevity is a testament to Steve's vision, his network of web sites was dated long before the dot-com bubble burst. While the rest of the world stressed over Y2K, Steve had other concerns. He called on the Chiron Group to take a dozen domains, thousands of HTML pages, and see what could be lifted from the ashes.

Quite a bit, it seems. Beginning with a completely custom newspaper engine, familiar as the Santiago Times to its million-plus visitors, TCG began a journey that continues into the present day. Ever seeking more hits, a broader audience, and stronger brand identity, Steve's pages on human rights, the status of the Chilean environment, information for expatriates and tourists, and a massive travel section tailored for business and pleasure have been built and rebuilt as time moves on. A blog is in the works as we speak.

With double-digit growth year after year, CHIP is continually planning for tomorrow. That Steve has placed CHIP's future with The Chiron Group is an honor we've happily accepted.