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Challenge:

Veterinary practices accredited by the AAHA are considered champions for excellent care. They hold themselves to tighter standards and strive to deliver nothing less than exceptional care for pets. Yet only 12-14% of animal hospitals in the United States and Canada hold this accreditation. This gives the AAHA puppy dog eyes.

AAHA engaged with Brightfind to help build public awareness about the importance of choosing a veterinary practice with the designation and to show veterinarians the value of AAHA accreditation and membership.

Reimagining the accreditation process.

The mere thought of accreditation of any sort can be intimidating. AAHA shows veterinary practices that AAHA is their partner, not a roadblock. Brightfind helped AAHA humanize accreditors by referring to them as Evaluation Partners. Plus, practice consultants and accreditation specialists’ names and direct contact information are listed on the website, so candidates know they have a “real” person to contact if assistance is needed.

The steps in the accreditation process are now spelled out clearly and tips for preparing are provided. To help keep applicants up-to-date, authenticated users can now easily find the Evaluation Tool to see exactly where they are in the process. No more worrying about (and waiting for) what’s next.

Highlighted Solutions

Digital Strategy
Design and User Experience
CMS Development

Featured Platforms

Episerver
Abila NetForum

AAHA’s new website design captivates visitors.

AAHA threw Brightfind a bone when it came to choosing graphics. The new website grabs visitors’ attention with photos of adorable dogs and loving cats. While furry images give web visitors warm and fuzzy feelings, it is equally important that the messaging communicates the value of AAHA to both the public and veterinary practices.

Drawing visitors in.

Heartfelt storytelling entices visitors to scroll. Strong headlines align the story to AAHA’s services, resources, and educational opportunities. The content conveys how AAHA makes a difference in the lives of pets. The value of accreditation is explained in everyday language to help motivate the public to choose AAHA designated veterinary practices. Clear call-to-actions allow pet owners to quickly check if their vet is accredited (and to find a new one if not).

Resources at veterinarians fingertips.

Not only does AAHA help animal hospitals with accreditation, but the association also provides members with a wealth of information and resources to successfully manage their practices. Through constituent surveys, Brightfind learned that close to 70% of constituents visit the website for the AAHA Guidelines. Therefore, Brightfind ensured visitors would always have easy access to the information. The guidelines are incorporated into the homepage and listed as the second item on the primary navigation. Plus, customized page types were created to make the meaty content easier to consume.

To help veterinarians with their request for assistance in running their businesses, the menu on the homepage clearly calls out Resources with options for more information about Running your practice, Marketing your practice, and Career tools. The navigation terms were created based on the results of a constituent card sort to ensure AAHA was using phrases and terms relevant to website visitors.

A tight integration enables AAHA to offer 24-7 support.

Prior to launching the new website, constituents were unable to update their records online, which meant they had to call AAHA during office hours. Brightfind helped AAHA integrate its new content management system Episerver with its association management system (AMS), NetForum. This real-time, two-way integration allows for visitors’ interactions, transactions, and data to be consolidated into one system of record.

Denise Hoover, AAHA’s Director of Digital Innovation said, Episerver is a fantastic CMS and a great choice for AAHA.

Numbers worth celebrating:

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Case Study

American Animal Hospital Association