A Digital Reset Built for Real Connection
Summary
Visit Gainesville’s digital ecosystem had strong ideas, but the systems behind them slowed everything down. An outdated site and manual email workflows made storytelling harder than it needed to be. We hit reset. Together, we built a site inspired by Gainesville’s real character–equal parts Gator grit, green space, and creative energy–paired with smarter systems that reduced manual work. The result is a platform that feels welcoming, works fast, and supports the team instead of holding them back.
Client
Visit Gainesville
Scope
Website
Campaign Title
Website & User Experience Redesign
Results
30%
Increased Homepage Views YoY
21%
Increased Organic Site Views
53%
Engagement Rate
121%
Increased Festivals Page Views YoY
Reset > Refresh
Visit Gainesville had the pieces, they just weren’t working together. The old site felt dated, hard to navigate, and tough to update. Their standout email program? Slowed down by hours of manual work each week. What they needed wasn’t a refresh but rather a full reset. One that would reflect the energy of the community, streamline workflows, and turn their digital presence into a true engine for storytelling, strategy, and connection.
Digital Design, Rooted in Place
We started from scratch, working side-by-side to craft a digital space that finally looked and felt like there. We pulled color from the landscape—water, canopy, sun-drenched trails—and built a digital space that finally looked and felt like there. Bright, grounded, energized. We focused on listening deeply, building trust, and turning a website into a welcome mat for the whole community.
We Cut the Clutter
The build focused on user experience from the start ensuring intuitive navigation and easy access to information across all devices. We used wireframes and mockups to test ideas, gathering feedback at every turn. Navigation became intuitive and mobile responsiveness was baked in. Out went the clutter; in came clarity. The site now offers a modern, engaging experience with a cohesive color palette, engaging visuals, and easy access to what matters.
Brains Behind the Beauty
Behind Visit Gainesville’s polished new site is a backend built for brains and efficiency. We developed the site on a modern WordPress platform using Gutenberg blocks, giving their team the flexibility to create and update content easily without calling in reinforcements. Key features included an events calendar, partner portal, and GA4 integration.
What’s GoodⓇ Got Smarter
The real MVP? A major upgrade to Visit Gainesville’s award-winning What’s GoodⓇ email. What once took 4–5 hours each week—building a web page and email separately—now takes just a few clicks. Their team selects featured events, and the system auto-creates the landing page and syncs the email instantly. Fast. Clean. Efficient. The result saves time, cuts costs, and keeps visitors and locals in the loop without the weekly grind. Less busywork, stronger storytelling, bigger impact.
“Working with Madden Media has truly transformed how we manage our communications and present our brand. Automating our What’s GoodⓇ email program has streamlined our weekly workflow, saving hours of manual effort and allowing us to focus on creating engaging content and campaigns.”
Jessica Hurov, CPM, Tourist and Economic Development Director
Built for the Long Haul
The Visit Gainesville website didn’t just level up visually, it became a real engine for their broader marketing efforts. With smart systems powering content, seamless integration with key tools, and built-in flexibility to support campaigns, the site now fuels everything from community programming to digital ad strategy.
