Web Site Strategy Case Study

For my website case study, I chose to examine St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. I created a website map that can be downloaded here, as well as an illustrated version located at the bottom of the page. This philanthropic organization boasts a website that I believe to be pleasing and appealing to their targeted demographic that allows them to continue to raise the funds needed to operate (upwards of $1.8 million per day). The mission of St. Jude’s is to “advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment… no child is denied treatment based on race, religion or a family's ability to pay.” They therefore employ a website that appeals to a variety of demographics, one that informs and invites a visitor to donate to their cause, as well as provides hope to those in search of treatment.

Drop-down menu on
website

Due to the children’s hospital’s mission to treat children at no cost to their families, St. Jude must brand themselves as an organization that is well worth donating to. The organization’s website helps them successfully do that by providing an abundance of resources to the everyday web user. When visiting the site, the homepage comes up quickly and is only about a page and a half long. The simplicity and clean organization is not overwhelming, and is divided into clear categories.  If a person has recently heard of St. Jude by word of mouth or otherwise and is eager to learn more, the first tab on the website invites the user to do just that. The website then breaks down inquires further depending on the users area of interest. The main page also features pictures of smiling doctors and children which displays a sense of hope if the website user is a family looking for treatment options.

The rest of the main categories, from left to right, take on an informative approach that provides an abundance of information before the last tab - ways to help. I think this categorical method is important to note, because it gives off the impression that St. Jude wants to provide opportunities to inform, and convince the visitor of their worth, before clearing off a section that is designated only towards donations and ways to get involved with helping the hospital.

The main body of the website is made up of current scrolling articles that consist of news pertaining to St. Jude and their current accomplishments and breakthroughs in medicine. The scrolling pictures are again of happy smiling children and doctors or scientific looking people that project an image of hope. On the right hand side of the page more towards the bottom there is a featured patient of the month, in which the user can click on the child’s picture and read their personal, heartwarming story that is also accompanied by a video. This personal profile of the patient creates a sense of closeness between the user and the mission of the hospital, which is essential if they are to get people to donate to their cause.

Overall the St. Jude’s website does an effective job of informing web users and inquirers of all aspects of their organization, and most importantly ways in which they can get involved. The website is essential to the continuation of the hospital, and the success that they have had with their research and treatment of childhood cancer.  

Visual Website Map I Created