The Best Website Wins – Part 3 – The Winner Is …

In this process, I looked at approximately 10 websites and we've reviewed four of them so far. The runner-up was American Adventure Expeditions (Click here for Part 2 of "The Best Website Wins"). We also looked at three others sites in Part 1.

But now, it's time to unveil the best website and the one that triggered me into buying mode:

Arkansas Valley Adventures

I'm going to go ahead and give you the link to this site so you can go check it out for yourself: coloradorafting.net.

The reality is that my words are not going to do this site justice. More so, you're going to read my description and have to go see for yourself. It's that good.

So, let's start with initial home page load ... it's just filled with visual greatness. Overall styling is just on point - it gives you that total outdoor feeling with a sense of old school, roughing it stereotype. The fonts combine old fashioned and modern stylings throughout. The scenic aspect of the full screen photo is impressive but then add in the little things that are executed flawlessly.

At top left is an actual bird with a Twitter icon hovering over it. Click on it and you get AVA's latest tweet as if the bird is saying it. The tree with wooden directional signs has a hover over effect and the stream-side campfire to its right in the background is actually putting out animated smoke. To the right of that is an icon over the mountain that, when hovered over, gives you pop-up options for various activities (see below). Towards bottom middle the raft full of happy people provides icons for rafting information and customer testimonials. Moving further right is a bighorn sheep, native to the area, with a dollar sign icon hovering over it that gives you AVA's current featured deal. Above that is a guy on a zipline with an icon for information on that activity. And, last but not least, there's the hot air balloon cruising all over the top of the screen in the background.

Visually, there's so much going on here that is great and it's done so well that it isn't busy, overwhelming or irritating. It's subtle, understated and comfortable. And, most of all it's just fun ... and isn't that the point of rafting, ziplining and all their other activities? It's just so well thought out and executed to perfection.

Everything can't be visual wonderfulness. It has to be practical, easy to use and intuitive. And, it is that too. Top left you've got all their social media platform icons and top right you've got instant live chat, phone number and contact link. The nav bar across the top integrates their logo beautifully and has the options you'd expect - trip finder, ability to look at information on trips by many different criteria, all their activities, deals, blog, about information and a book now link. Don't skip past the Trip Finder link (see below). It takes you to a page that is beyond impressive both visually and in terms of usability. A full page satellite map of Colorado with hover over icons for their locations, pop up windows for each activity as well as the ability to search and sort by location, activity type, difficulty, trip length and even your current location. It is so easy to use, gives you the information you want and takes you right to the trip you select with the ability to book right from the page.

Ok, back to the home page -- scroll down from the full screen photo and you get information about AVA, recent blog posts and a slider with their three most often accessed pages. Again, AVA's site is giving its customers the information they want in the easiest possible manner. At the bottom of every page is a tab that says "More Info" that only displays when clicked on. This gives you the nav bar options again, a section on their favorite trips, about information and social media links. And lastly, as you survey the home page a box pops up that says "Let's talk about your adventure" and offers a link to chat live (see below). Great customer service without being intrusive. The entire home page just screams "Come have fun with us!" and I can't imagine anyone looking at it and not smiling.

As we get further into the site and hit the second level it's just more awesomeness. Click on "Activities" in the top nav and you get the screen below. So easy to use and just so visually impressive.

Click on "Rafting", which is their mainstay, and you get the page below. The slider gives you panels with information on all their trips, trips near you, the Trip Finder application, beginner and family trips (most popular and right up front), videos, packages, deals, testimonials and what to expect on your trip information.

In the next level down, you have more traditional page layouts with top and left hand navigation that provide all the information you could ever want about each and every activity, rafting trip, location, river, anything and everything you could ever want to know (see below). The depth and breadth of information on the site is impressive and every single page is laid out to be easy to navigate and always has the ability to book a trip at any time and the option to share any page on social media.

So, there you have it. Arkansas Valley Adventures and their website at coloradorafting.net is our winner. I don't have any idea who developed their site, but we sure have done them a solid. Regardless, the point of this series holds true - the best website does win. It wins your company business and isn't that the point of having a new website built? If it's not, don't waste the money. If you're considering having a new website designed and developed for your company, give us a call or shoot us an email. Our focus is on results, and winning with the best website.