Boutique public relations agency Desert PR has just announced the launch of its new website, which they say features added functionality and “a sleek new look”. While the new website is easy to browse and does not look bad (although yours truly believes they mixed a minimal approach with a bit too much color drawing attention in different directions on the homepage), it seems Desert PR was a bit hasty and it forgot some important details.
The company website which highlights companies’ need to be social to win currently links to the social media profiles of WiX.com. All social buttons, Facebook, Google+ and Twitter lead to the wrong profiles which is quite an astonishing overlook. Other mishaps include a client photo gallery (the client roster is actually impressive) where the title and descriptions were not updated. It’s a bit like launching a corporate blog and keeping the Hello world! WordPress default post.
As mentioned in the official press release, agency owner Julia Countryman described the new functionality and rebranding as “cutting edge, with more useful features” for its clients. Countryman added, “our goal is to provide features that do not clutter the user experience while providing information that will benefit their company.”
The sign redesign comes with a new blog focusing on “the benefits of advertising, links to current and recent clients, and industry news” that visitors can subscribe to. I wouldn’t personally first highlight the benefits of advertising when it comes to promoting PR services through an agency blog, but let’s say that’s just my take on the matter. Plus, I couldn’t find a link to the blog on the website or a button to subscribe and trust me, I’ve looked. I am patient when it comes to things like that, other site visitors wouldn’t be.
This Coachella Valley boutique agency was founded in 2004 under the DreamCatcher Media brand. “Our main client base consists of luxury real estate firms in the Coachella Valley, but we have clients in the IT and tech sectors all over the nation. Our new brand gives us a better sense of focus and personality and localizes what we do for our clients in the Palm Springs, Palm Desert, and Rancho Mirage areas. We also service the LA area and have gained media attention for several high-profile artists, including the legendary guitarist Richard Thompson, bassist Marshall Hawkins, and the prestigious Idyllwild Arts Academy, and Habitat for Humanity,” the agency’s owner explained.
While the bright colors and slightly too embellished font are not choices I would have made, the site is indeed clean, easy to browse and I like their approach. However, they definitely need to fix all the issues, and do so soon if they failed to do so before announcing the launch.