Pollen.com becomes more user-friendly with Web site enhancements
PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. SDI on Tuesday announced the addition of five features to its Pollen.com allergy site in an effort to improve its ease of use and information available to the allergy-suffering public, including a new user interface, a blog section, improved weather forecasts and updated news content.
Pollen.com also recently released updates to its Yahoo Widgets and Google Gadgets, desktop applications that provide on-demand pollen counts without the need to open a browser.
The new interface for Pollen.com, which makes content easier to read and navigate, was a direct response to user feedback.
“We are fortunate to have engaged users who provide valuable feedback that enables us to focus on improvements that best meet their needs,” stated Glenn Connery, associate director of the application development/web group for SDI. “We receive e-mails every day from regular site visitors telling us their likes and dislikes. About half had asked for a new interface, so we made this a priority.”
To make it even easier to interact with users, SDI has also launched a blog so users can provide comments and suggestions, as well as enable SDI to update users on new site features, new developments and the latest news surrounding Pollen.com.
For improved weather forecasting and up-to-date news information on Pollen.com, SDI reached out to respected industry experts to strengthen site content. Weather forecasts now come directly from The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, whose dedicated scientists use cutting-edge research and high-tech instrumentation to provide reliable weather forecasting services. The site’s daily allergy-related news stories come from healthdaynews.com.
Pollen.com’s Yahoo Widgets and Google Gadgets, available as free downloads from PollenWidgets.com, offer pollen indexes directly on users’ desktops without the need to open a browser. Pollen.com developers are currently working to support more operating systems as well as enhance the feature set.
“We’re very excited about the Widgets and Gadgets,” Connery said. “They allow us to provide up-to-date airborne condition information to help our users improve their quality of life each day.”
SDI, the company behind Pollen.com, PollenLibrary.com, and Allergy Alert, developed Pollen.com’s proprietary forecasts and also manufactures Rotorod, a tool for pollen count measurement.