Homepage Redesign

Challenge

The American Battlefield Trust website, in providing a vast amount of content to its audience, needed a search engine that visitors could use to find specific information. For the first phase of the project, IK rebuilt the website search functionality, vastly improving the response. Not surprisingly, we observed that more than 47% of visitors used the search feature. While this was a success for the search feature, because users ignored the navigation menus, they bypassed exposure to valuable site features that may not be apparent in a search result. Because users looked for a singular topic, they missed finding related content that they didn’t know was available to them. For example, a user searching for “Gettysburg” finds related topical information, but they miss learning about other features on the site that could be of interest but are not necessarily related to their search term. While it is beneficial to help users find what they want quickly, users also need to learn what their options are and be exposed to new ideas of what they can find on the site. 

Approach

Interactive Knowledge recognized the value of an AI-powered search engine and utlized Algolia, training the AI to deliver fast and accurate results. Leaning into the large language model to help parse the complex language ideas in the ABT site, the Algolia AI search engine helps users to find relevant and helpful information. 

Following the success of the updated search, IK evaluated the site to determine next steps for navigation and user experience/ user interface upgrades. We recognized that a significant portion of the “above the fold” content (or the area of the screen that the user first sees on the site before scrolling down) was dedicated to a hero slideshow. When we analyze user behavior on sites using heat maps and other user behavior analytics, we see that this zone is crucial for user engagement. While the hero images are interesting and beautiful, which has some merit, the site missed capitalizing on this area to help capture user attention. While still creating a space that was visually interesting with rich and engaging images, we added more call to action items that quickly help expose users to site features, broadening their understanding of what the site offers, and teaching users how to find these features. 

Making the “above the fold” section into a richer content experience opened new areas below the fold. We used this area to visualize institutional data, feature content specific to educators (who are frequent users), call out site features using compelling design, and highlight social media feeds. 

Key Features

• AI-powered Algolia Search Engine: Users access fast and accurate search results through an AI-powered search engine. 

• Automatically Updated Content: “This Day in History” is a popular feature from the previous homepage that was buried lower on the page but had relatively significant engagement despite its position. Adding this feature above the fold grabs attention to a moment in history, helping to give users a place to start where they may feel overwhelmed with the content. Because the content changes daily, frequent users are always exposed to fresh and interesting content when they come to the site. 

• Relevancy Prioritized Content: ABT wanted to help users find relevant and timely content quickly, particularly for visitors looking for America 250-related content. “The Latest” prioritizes four items with a “see more” link below, giving the ABT staff a place to feature important events, news items, donation initiatives, etc. 

• Story-Driven Data Visualization: Just below the fold, users see statistics about ABT that tell a data-driven story about the institution’s impact. A new feature on the homepage, this data visualization reinforces the institution’s ethos. 

• User-Targeted Engagement: In the “For Educators” section, users are exposed to site features that are specific to their user needs; in this case, educators are frequent visitors who perform specific tasks. Curating site features helps to teach educators how to use the site in a more effective way. 

Results

The new homepage launched in early January 2026. Compared with the same time period last year, battlefields.org shows a 123% increase in user engagement. While those numbers speak to the incredible work that ABT is doing to engage visitors, particularly around the historic America 250th 2026 year, visitors to their homepage are finding more content on the site. While visitors to the site use the search as a significant aid, they are also spending more time on a wider range of pages through the site.