The Case Study of 200×85’s New & Improved Website 

IOI was tasked with developing a new website for 200×85, a company entering its 20th year of providing five-star youth hockey experiences through tournaments, development programs, and European tours. The current site, just over five years old, needed a refresh and a more modern online presence. The project focused on three key areas: navigational pathing, mobile optimization, and modernizing site aesthetic. This case study will examine the project impact and results on 200×85’s online presence.

Project Overview

The first step in the project was to evaluate the existing website and identify areas for improvement. From the utilization of hyperlinked text over buttons to the oversaturation of text, the website was guilty of several UX flaws. It was clear that the site was not optimized for mobile devices and the navigational pathing was confusing and difficult at times for users. The aesthetic of the site was also outdated and in need of a refresh.

IOI worked closely with the 200×85 team to understand their goals and objectives for the new site. With this information, a strategy was developed to create a user-centered website that would meet the needs of its target audience. One of the non-negotiables from the client was the inclusion of their hotel reservation process.

Starting the project, page mapping, and organizational hierarchy were at the forefront of the discussion. The 200×85 team was incredibly helpful in this process, through collaboration we were able to not only build a logical presentation of their programming but display these programs in more clarity to their customers.

One of the larger components of the website was dedicated to 200×25’s specific events. IOI’s team streamlined this page with a clean and consistent format, and unique elements built for each phase of their events. This made for a more intuitive experience and easier navigation for users.

Ensuring the site was responsive to mobile is not only the best practice but was one of the primary focal points for the client. One of the non-negotiables from the client was the inclusion of their hotel reservation process. The original hotel reservation process consisted of multiple embedded documents and forms that were difficult to read or required horizontal scrolling to view. To create a hotel reservation process optimized for mobile, a custom hotel post module was built to replace one embedded document, while the rest were standardized using conditional formatting tools.

Over recent years, 200×85 has faced a branding challenge. All of their events have the same title sponsor which over time has resulted in customer confusion on who is hosting their experience. 200×85’s brand color palette was predominately black, light blue, and white, however, their event logos utilized the title sponsor’s colors. IOI revamped the look and feel of its website while staying true to its brand palette, traditional dark backgrounds, and overall minimalist design We solved 200×85’s identity crisis – with an added glow-up!

Results

The new website was launched in mid-November and the results were immediately positive. We looked at a two-month sample (December 1, 2022 – January 31, 2023) and compared it to the same window of time a year earlier. The results speak for themselves. The new website saw a 19.07% increase in users, a 7.82% increase in sessions, a 7.80% increase in pages per session, and a 16.21% increase in page views.

Conclusion

The website project for 200×85 was a success, delivering on all three key areas of focus: navigational pathing, mobile optimization, and a modernized site aesthetic. The results speak for themselves, with an increase in users, sessions, pages per session, and page views.

IOI’s expertise and attention to detail were critical in delivering a website that met the needs of 200×85’s target audience. The new site has helped maintain 200×85’s position as the leader in their industry and as a trusted and professional brand, and has contributed to its continued growth and success.