Revamped sites offer simplified navigation, improved search of APA’s engineered wood resources.
APA–The Engineered Wood Association has redesigned and launched www.apawood.org, along with sister sites APACAD.org, engineeredwood.org, performancepanels.com, and wooduniversity.orgThe redeveloped websites feature extensive upgrades that provide faster, easier access to a vast collection of educational resources. As with the original site, the new APAwood.org hosts hundreds of engineered wood resources, including more than 500 publications and 200 CAD details, along with videos, images, events, and more. The redesign brings easier navigation and more robust search functionality, both of which will help visitors reach the right information more quickly, and a new “Technical Research” section that highlights APA’s work in wood product and systems testing.
“APAwood.org is a content-rich website that draws nearly 2 million unique visitors each year,” says Marilyn Thompson, market communications director for APA. “With our redeveloped site, we’ve made a number of improvements that will make it easier for visitors to navigate the web pages and find information on engineered wood products, design recommendations, and training tools.”
Visitors to the site will immediately notice simpler navigation, a clear structure, and a clean look. A new drop-down menu is organized around four categories—products, resource library, design/build, and “About APA”—that streamline browsing of the large site. And the site is now optimized for mobile use, with mobile-friendly menus and content displays tailored to tablet and smartphone users.
The new “Technical Research” section shares APA’s extensive wood product and construction system research and testing, as well as key projects and research with the USDA Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory. It highlights current research topics and, for the first time, makes available a selection of technical papers authored by APA’s cadre of wood scientists and engineers and their collaborators.
Improved search functionality now makes it easier to locate information quickly, without sifting through unrelated results. Enhanced filtering options allow users to find appropriate materials by entering keywords or by selecting popular categories. These categorized search options provide helpful prompts to assist users in finding the right resource.
In 2013, APA’s websites drew more than 1.8 million unique visitors, including builders, contractors, architects, code officials, manufacturers, and other residential, commercial, and industrial professionals. A total of 2 million visits are projected for 2014. The site features hundreds of resources on a wide range of engineered wood topics, from codes and standards to CAD details and technical publications, from basic builder construction tips to advanced framing and wall bracing techniques, and from product evaluation reports to specifications.
News release provided by The Engineered Wood Association
