Website Experiences That Attract

Located in Richmond, Virginia—the hometown of Edgar Allan Poe, the Poe Museum is home to the world’s largest public collection of Poe artifacts, manuscripts, and memorabilia. While the institution’s mission is to “illuminate Poe for everyone, evermore,” its existing website no longer reflected that vision. The design was dated, navigation was difficult for visitors, and years of plugin-heavy development on WordPress had created ongoing technical issues that made the site unstable and challenging to manage.

The museum team needed more than a visual refresh. They requested a new website that would be easy for staff to update regularly, resolve existing technical problems, highlight the museum’s frequent events, and prioritize both collection pages and online ticket sales. In short, the site needed to support both public engagement and internal operations.

B&G Collective redesigned the site from the ground up, beginning with strategic wireframing in Figma. We identified the most critical pages and content from the original site and restructured them into a modern, intuitive layout that guided users toward key actions, learning about the collection, attending events, and purchasing tickets. Following the design phase, the site was built using Elementor to ensure ease of use for the museum staff. The platform’s modular elements allowed us to introduce dynamic features such as carousels and visual effects without adding unnecessary complexity.

To ensure long-term success, the Poe Museum team was fully trained on how to manage and update the new site independently, removing reliance on ongoing developer support. From design approval to final launch, the project was completed within 90 days, an efficient turnaround given the scale and scope of the museum’s digital presence.

The redesigned website now reflects the significance of The Poe Museum’s mission while providing a seamless experience for visitors and staff alike. With improved navigation, stable performance, and clear pathways to events and ticket sales, the museum is well positioned to engage both local and national audiences. The new site supports the growing demands of the Richmond market and helps ensure that Edgar Allan Poe’s legacy continues to inspire adults and children alike, online and beyond.