NIC is pleased to welcome you to the new look and feel of our blog, which up until a week ago was titled NIC CARES. The old blog, which was designed and launched back in March 2015, was, according to our marketing vendor, in need of an update. We’re excited to have launched the new platform over the July 4th holiday, with no major bugs or any complaints – but, of course, will be looking for any feedback from our subscribers and readers.
Not every new feature will be visible to visitors. The new blog is operating on a platform that is easier to work with on the publishing side – and has better tools for tracking visitors and their reading habits. It is our hope that, in addition to reducing the effort required to publish each post, the new platform will help provide some insight into which posts are valuable to our readers, and which ones perhaps fail to attract attention. Over time this approach should help us fine tune the blog to suit our readers’ needs and interests.
The update provided an opportunity to make some design changes as well. The new interface, which is easy to read on any type of device, also makes loading images easy – so we’re planning to include images in most of our posts going forward. The new layout was designed to be easy to read and to make scrolling through easier as well.
The new blog’s search function has also been refined. We have developed a much shorter, more useful list of search categories, designed to make it easy for our various audiences to quickly find relevant material. You will find the categories in a drop-down list next to the search button at the top of the page. The entire catalogue of posts, which still dates back to 2015, can also be searched by any keyword users wish to enter.
Another change, of course, is the name of the blog. “NIC Notes” replaces “NIC CARES” to help remove any misconceptions around our mission and brand, particularly as new readers, and those who may be new to the sector, continue to find the blog online. “NIC Cares,” for some, may imply a medical or skilled nursing focus, which would be inaccurate. While this is not a big problem, we have been aware of the possibility for confusion, and took the redesign as our opportunity to better align the blog with our overall brand.
Please keep reading NIC Notes – and look for further updates as we continue to refine and improve what has become one of NIC’s favorite sources of insight, news, and commentary on seniors housing and care.